#cappys decades challenge

[girl-next-door-writes]

Criminal

Characters: Steven Grant/Marc Spector x reader

Summary: Heartbreak lingers after Marc Spector shattered your trust. Seeking revenge, you turn to Steven Grant, his softer, kinder counterpart—never expecting to fall for him. But secrets can’t stay hidden for long, and when Marc forces the truth into the light, the lines between love, guilt, and betrayal blur.

Now, caught between two sides of the same fractured man, you must face a question you never anticipated: Are you willing to hurt Steven to get back at Marc, or has your heart already chosen sides?

Word Count: 1672 words

Prompt: Criminal- Fiona Apple

A/N: This is one for the wonderful @caplanbuckybarnes for the decades challenge. I know it’s taken me a while, but I hope it’s worth the wait.

You were a terrible person, you knew this, felt it acutely in your heart as your eyes looked into those rich, earthy ones that were both so familiar and also completely foreign. There was an intensity there that was hard to read. At one point you would have attributed it to passion, but that time had long since passed, hadn’t it?

“Marc…” you managed to whisper, your tone bordering on a whimper as you pressed further back against the wall, trapped between the solid brickwork and his muscular frame.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” He growled. His chest heaved with each labored breath as he pushed closer. Heat radiated from his body, sending a shiver down your spine.

Six months ago, you would have melted into him, given him everything without hesitation. He was right—this was what you had wanted. To make him so jealous he’d claim you as his once more. The man before you had broken your heart, shattered it into a million pieces. And somehow, every piece had still yearned for him.

But now… you weren’t so sure. You’d wanted him to feel the same pain, to be consumed by jealousy, to want you the way you had wanted him. Maybe then, you thought, you’d feel whole again. But things had changed. You’d changed.

A potent wave of guilt washed over you as your gaze fell on his soft, plump lips. You had been careless, reckless even—so focused on hurting Marc that you hadn’t considered the damage you’d do to him. To Steven. The plan had seemed simple enough when all you could see was Marc, when the only goal was to make him jealous enough to take you back.

But now… your eyes flickered back to meet his, and suddenly Marc was gone. All you could see was Steven—gentle, unaware, and so heartbreakingly kind. The heat of Marc’s presence still lingered in your mind, but the memory of Steven’s breath was soft, steady, as if he didn’t know what had passed between you and Marc made the guilt twist even deeper.

You knew it was wrong—had known from the moment you set this in motion. Stephen didn’t deserve to be caught in the fallout of your history with Marc. But you couldn’t stop, could you?

You should have walked away, shouldn’t have ever walked into the museum gift shop that first day, intent on making Steven fall for you. But that was before everything got tangled—before his kindness broke through the cracks in your anger. What had started as a simple plan, a way to hurt Marc like he hurt you, had spun out of your hands. Now, you weren’t sure if you were still trying to get back at Marc, or if it was something else entirely.

It had seemed so clear at the time—make him jealous. Make sure you were still a part of his life in a way he couldn’t remove. But somewhere along the way, you’d lost control of it. Of yourself. Because now, the only thing you couldn’t remove was the guilt. It clung to you like a second skin, pulling tighter with every moment you spent with Steven.

You kept telling yourself you could stop anytime. Walk away before it got too messy. But the truth was, you were in too deep now, and a part of you knew—when it all came crashing down, someone’s heart would be broken. Each day, each moment with Steven, it was as if you were gambling with something too precious, and the stakes kept getting higher.

Steven had been so sweet, so bashful when talking to you, like he hadn’t believed his luck when you gave him your number—despite him knocking over a stand of stuffed dinosaurs in his rush to impress you. There was something endearing about him, something that tugged at you in a way you hadn’t expected. A total contrast to Marc, all of Spector’s hard edges melted away in Stephen’s presence. And that should’ve made this easier, shouldn’t it? But it didn’t. Not anymore.

He hadn’t believed his luck, but the truth was, you hadn’t either. You’d walked into that museum gift shop with a plan, but after, watching his cheeks flush as he stumbled over his words—and those stuffed dinosaurs—you couldn’t help but feel something more, something deeper than you ever intended.

There was something so different about him—a softness that clung to him like warmth, the opposite of Marc’s intensity. Where Marc was composed and calculated, Stephen was unguarded, like he didn’t know how to hide behind walls the way Marc did. And that… that made everything harder.

Marc pressed his body against yours, his hands on either side of your head, trapping you between him and the wall. His breath was ragged, and you could feel the tension radiating off him, like he was barely holding himself together. His chest was hard against you, the heat of his body making it difficult to think straight. Every inch of him felt familiar and dangerous all at once, and the scent of him—clean, with a trace of cologne—made your head spin.

You should have pushed him away. You knew you should. But your body betrayed you, frozen under his touch, your heart pounding in your chest, each beat a reminder of the messy tangle of feelings you still couldn’t untangle.

"Steven," you whispered brokenly, the name slipping from your lips like a lifeline you weren’t ready to let go of. But even as the sound escaped you, Marc pressed his body harder against yours, the rough heat of him a sharp contrast to Stephen’s softness. Your heart stuttered, tangled in a mess of emotions you couldn’t control, couldn’t unravel.

"We both know you don’t want him," Marc growled, his voice thick with possessiveness, as if he could still read every part of you. His breath was hot in your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. "He can’t touch you the way I do. This has always been about us—you and me. It’s always been me."

His words settled over you like a heavy weight, sinking deep into the cracks of your guilt.

You pushed against his chest, and a flash of surprise crossed his face, breaking through the confident mask he had worn since the moment he cornered you. For a moment, his body tensed under your hands, as if bracing for something he hadn’t expected. His breath hitched, and the certainty in his eyes faltered. He had been so convinced—so sure that all it would take was this moment, his hands on you, his body pressing into yours, to prove to Steven that this was all some game.

"I fucked up," you said, the words catching in your throat. Admitting it felt like a weight crashing down on your chest, but you couldn’t keep running from it. "I know I fucked up, but I can’t do this to him."

You frowned, pushing Marc again, harder this time, putting more space between the two of you. His eyes darkened, frustration flickering across his face as he stumbled slightly, his hands dropping to his sides. This wasn’t how he had expected this to go, he’d thought you’d show your true colours and then you would be out of his life, out of Steven’s life.

"You’re right," you continued, forcing yourself to meet his gaze. "I went looking for Steven because I wanted to hurt you. I thought if I could make you jealous, maybe it would make things right. Maybe it would make you feel what I felt. But it’s not right. And it’s not fair to him. I don’t want to hurt him."

The man in front of you changed before your eyes. His shoulders slumped, his entire frame folding in on itself as if he was shrinking under the weight of everything you’d just said. The hardness in his face melted away, replaced by a look so lost, so broken, it made your heart ache. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and retreated until his leg hit the sofa, stumbling slightly as though the ground beneath him wasn’t stable anymore.

"Steven?" you whispered, your voice cracking as you tried to hold back the tears rising in your throat. His wide eyes met yours, filled with confusion, hurt, and something deeper—something you weren’t sure either of you could name.

You swallowed hard, guilt twisting deeper in your chest. You had wanted to hurt Marc, but now, standing here, watching Steven fall apart in front of you, all you wanted to do was take it all back.

He just looked at you, his lips parting as if to say something, but no words came. His breath was uneven, his hand still tangled in his hair, like he was holding on to that single gesture to keep himself from falling apart completely. The room was thick with a fragile kind of quiet, the kind that could shatter with the next word.

"Steven," you said again, softer this time, your heart breaking with every syllable. "I have no defense for what I’ve done. But please, know that what we have… it’s real. It’s always been real." Your voice faltered, the words on the tip of your tongue heavy with meaning. "I—I lo—"

"Don’t." He interrupted, his voice small but steady, the weight of his hurt in every syllable. His eyes dropped to the floor, fists clenching at his sides. The words he had longed to hear from you for so long were hanging in the air between you, bittersweet, poisoned by everything that had led to this moment. He shook his head, stepping back slightly, as if to create some distance from the pain.

"Not like this."

Your breath caught in your chest, the space between you feeling insurmountable now. You could feel the tears rising, but you swallowed them down, knowing he was right. No words could make this better—not yet.

[nekoannie-chan]

We can learn to love again

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Reader.

Word count: 684 words.

Summary: After separating for a few years to flee the Accords, you and Steve see each other again.

Warnings: Angst, but happy ending.

A/N: This is my entry to @caplanbuckybarnes’ Cappy’s Decade Challenge with the song ‘10s:

“Just give me a reason – P!nk”

You can read it on Wattpad and Ao3 too.

@saiyanprincessswanie

My native language is Spanish so I wanna improve my writing skills in English if you notice any mistakes, please let me know and I will correct them.

I don’t give any kind of permission that my fics be posted in other platforms or languages (I translate myself my work) or the use of my graphics (my dividers are included in this), I did them exclusively for my fics, please respect my work and don't steal it. There are some people here who make dividers that anyone can use, mine is not this type, please look for the other's people. The only exception is the ones I gifted 'cuz now belong to someone else. If you find any of my works on a different platform and are not one of my accounts, please let me know. Reblogs and comments are always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel's characters (unfortunately), except for the original characters and the story.

My other media where I publish: Wattpad, Ao3, ffnet.

If you like it, please vote, comment, and give me feedback to improve my skills and reblog.

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You left the glass on the table when you heard the doorbell ring. No one used to visit you apart from the neighbor, who was an old lady. Your eyes widened very wide at the sight of who was outside.

"Steve?!" You exclaimed in surprise.

It's been a long time. I'm sorry. "I need to get in," he said, as he quickly passed inside.

"How do you find me?" You asked, you couldn't believe it. You hoped it wasn't a dream.

"It was simple. Do you know what happened? "

"No, I haven't been here all day." You replied by shaking your head at the same time.

Does anyone know? He didn't dare finish the question. If there was anyone else in your life, he would just leave. He wasn't going to stop you from being happy.

If you mean, if I'm in a relationship, I'm not. What do you mean by "what happened ?" You answered quickly. However, you were more interested in knowing what happened; you didn't even hear the news.

"Thanos eliminated half of the living things."

"What? Is that possible? By the way who is Thanos?" you asked. Since you separated, you had not done a single mission. You spent the first few weeks escaping until you found that place.

"The only good thing is that somehow you exempted us from... well, you know, what happened."

"Are we free? Do we no longer have to hide? "

"We are free. We can go home. "

"To our house?"

"Yes, well, if you want..."

"I have to pack my bags and you will carry them. And I will also let my neighbor know; she is very kind to me and I don't want her to worry. "

The entire journey back was deafeningly quiet. It had been two years since the last time you saw each other. You had to separate because of what happened in the Civil War. You knew it was very dangerous to be together, especially as fugitives. In addition to discovering that your neighbor had been one of the victims of the Snap, you chose to also take your pets. You would never allow anything to happen to them. You would take care of them as she had taken care of you.

However, what you did not know is that Steve was always taking care of you, even if it was from afar. He was not going to allow anything bad to happen to you, coupled with the fact that he was aware of the danger you were in if someone came to see them together, and he was not willing to take you to the raft because of him.

Your farewell had not been the most romantic; you had implicitly made a promise that you would be back together when you could when conditions were favourable.

You didn't know how to ask him if he had decided to go on and rebuild his life. You didn't even know what happened to the others.

When you arrived, you stood on the sidewalk. You didn't dare enter. You didn't know what you were going to find in there... maybe Steve... maybe there was someone else.

"Are you okay?" "Steve asked you with concern."

"I don't know. Should I come in? Is there anything else you should tell me? " You inquired cautiously. Steve watched you and then understood what you meant.

Let's go in. "There's nothing else, other than to tell you that I love you and I want us to make up for all the time we've lost, all that time we couldn't be together," he replied, holding your hand to guide you to the entrance of what had been his house.

Everything was the same as you had left it when you had to flee. I didn't even know how it had been preserved in that way during all that time. Several times, you wondered what your lives would be like if the Accords had never existed. You sighed. Maybe Steve was right, and you could get back everything you lost.

"Steve, I missed you."

[theatermachtpolitik]

Ehrung für Community Organizer

Wolfgang Goede wurde die Ehre zuteil, den Speaker unserer Gemeinsinn-Konferenz 2011 mit ein paar Zeilchen zum Jubiläum zu würdigen, war schon ein gelungenes Ding, damals im OEBZ — time is flying … Honoree Jim Capraro was profiled for an article on “Community Spirit” in Credo, a Swiss international publication on philanthropy in 2014. (via Issuu) Dear Wolfgang, We’re excited for our upcoming 50th anniversary gala at the Fairlie. Here are the details: The celebration will take place Thursday October 24, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Fairlie, 339 N. Bell Ave. Chicago, IL 60612. Get your ticket or sponsorship at greatersouthwest50.eventbrite.com. We hope you can join us! We also wanted to share a story about our work from an angle that most people don’t know about. While most of us know Greater Southwest Development Corporation for its work here in Chicago, Wolfgang Goede brings a global perspective. Goede, who lived at 67th and Damen when he visited Chicago in the early 1970s to learn about community organizing, met our inaugural Visionary Award honoree Jim Capraro then and went on to collaborate with him in multiple ways over the years. Here he shares a story about Jim and how our work has influenced thinkers in Germany, Latin America, and beyond.

A conference on comprehensive community development sponsored by Local Initiatives Support Corp. in Chicago in 2012 featured among others (left to right): Maren Schüpphaus from Munich, Francesca Santaniello from Milan and Bergamo, Jim Capraro, and Wolfgang Goede from Munich & Medellin. “Mister International, James Capraro—Opportunities come from relationships” I first met “Cappy,” as we called him back then, in 1972. I had come to Chicago as a German volunteer to learn community organizing. West Englewood, Little Lithuania, Greater Lawn: I got to know the Southwest Side like the back of my hand at door knocking and block club meetings. Jim, a resourceful teacher of organizing skills and a great door opener, also with his buddies. (Meanwhile, the ‘Germans’ House’ where I and other volunteers lived on 67th Place and Damen became the most visited party location in the area). “Opportunities come from relationships” is Jim’s mantra .  The closer, the happier—and the more these relationships can generate civic power. Jim is a broker for relational power. I have seen his work influence policy in his hometown of Chicago but also in 30 other U.S. cities and beyond, in the transatlantic triangle between the U.S., Europe, and South America. We worked together on some of these including on a series of trainings in Munich, Milan and Medellín in the 2010 years. The focus of much of this work is the Comprehensive Community Development method (CCD) that Jim developed from community organizing. It’s a fusion of citizen empowerment and entrepreneurship, underpinned by best practices developed while at Greater Southwest Development Corporation. Southwest Chicago was a microcosm of the current global challenges around integration, housing, education, jobs. Jim used his experience and insights to teach international folks how to tackle these issues.

Jim brought the Greater Southwest model to a community development conference in Medellín, Colombia in 2015. ( Photo by Wolfgang Goede)

Community Spirit

“Community spirit” is the heart of the method. As conference curator and community participation expert Maren Schüpphaus, put it in an essay, Comprehensive Community Development is the synergy of one's own concerns and civic spirit within the political context, but apart from the electoral process. This became a key message for activists and Germany’s quite top-down democracy. Outside Germany, Jim’s impact has been felt in Colombia, as well, where Anneli Seifert featured him and his work at a training at Medellín's Antioquia University in 2015. Jim’s training refreshed this spirit in a country divided by decades of guerrilla warfare and entering the post conflict. Seifert saw Jim as following in the footsteps of a great humanist, Alexander von Humboldt. Von Humboldt, whose journey of discovery took him through Colombia in 1801, was also inspired by community. Von Humboldt wanted people to share empathy, responsibility and a sense of interconnectedness within local communities throughout the world based on an eternal bond between nature and humanity. This trail leads to another famous scholar: the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville, whose book Democracy in America praised the public spirit of voluntary associations—of which, 200 years later, Greater Southwest is a shining beacon. Congratulations board, members and staff, volunteers, donors and supporters, last but not least Jim! Wolfgang Chr. Goede. Munich and Medellín Political Scientist, Journalist, Facilitator Community Organizer 1972-1976 Chicago | San Francisco Thank you for reading! We hope you can join us on October 24. Get tickets and info at GreaterSouthwest50.eventbrite.com   - All of us at Greater Southwest Development Corp. Get tickets and sponsorship information Our mission is to be a catalyst for creating and maintaining a vital Southwest Chicago community by empowering, building and sustaining development that raises the quality of life for our neighborhood residents, businesses and industries. Learn more: greatersouthwest.org View As Webpage

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[holylulusworld]

Sounds great. I’ll write a little something for this challenge. Go, have a look everyone!

CAPPYS DECADE CHALLENGE

It’s absolutely been forever since I made a writing challenge and I’ve been wanting more fics to read, so alas, here’s a new one for y’all.

Rules:

It’s not necessary to follow me, but it’s always appreciated

There are no deadlines, but please keep me updated on your fics.

Tag the fic #cappysdecadeschallenge

Also tag me in the authors notes (along with the hashtag so I know which Masterlist to place the fic when I post it)

Please tag the proper warnings before the fic

Must be marvel characters only (no other fandoms I.e. SebStan/Chris evans characters in other movies or tv shows)

More than one person can write for the prompts

No RPFs

If this happens to get more reblogs/ participants than I expect I’ll add more songs to each decade.

If you’d like to write for more than one song, please make them separate fics

Can be however long you’d like the fic to be. (If it’s more than 450 words PLEASE use the keep reading feature.

If I do not respond to your fic being posted in 24hours of you posting the fic, please message me a link.

Send me an ask or a DM with your prompt and the character you’re writing for.

50s

I’ve Got You Under My Skin— frank sinatra

Dream A Little Dream of Me —Ella Fitzgerald $ Louis Armstrong

Put Your Head on my Shoulder- Paul Anka

Stupid Cupid- Connie Francis

Pennies From Heaven —- Louis prima

I’m Gonna Get Married —Lloyd Price

Your Cheatin’ Heart — Hank Williams

I Walk The Line — Johnny Cash

We Belong Together — Ritchie Valens

Tears On My Pillow — Little Anthony

60s

My Girl — The Temptations

When a Man Loves a Woman —- Percy sledge

Stand By Me — Ben E. King

Build Me Up Buttercup —- the Foundations

I want you back —- the Jackson 5

I want to hold your hand —- the Beatles

You can’t hurry love -- the supremes

I can’t help myself — four tops

Then he kissed me— the crystals

Can’t help falling in love— Elvis Presley

70s

Dancing Queen— ABBA

I can see clearly now— Johnny Nash

December 1963 — the four seasons

I want you back — the Jackson five

Ain’t no sunshine — bill withers

Jolene — Dolly Parton

You’re so vain — Carly Simon

September — Earth, wind, and fire

Edge of seventeen — Stevie Nicks

80s

Love Shack — b-52s

Jesse’s girl — Rick Springfield

Dancing in the dark — Bruce Springsteen

Africa — ToTo

Never Gonna Give You Up — Rick Astley

Only in my dreams — Debbie Gibson

Careless Whisper — George Michael

Call Me — Blondie

Bohemian Rhapsody— Queen

You to me are everything — the real thing

I got lucky — Elvis Presley

90s

Wonderwall — Oasis

No scrubs — TLC

Fantasy — Mariah Carey

Say my name — Destiny's Child

Waterfalls — TLC

Remember the time — Michael Jackson

Two Princes — Spin Doctors

Torn — Natalie Imbruglia

Iris — Goo Goo Dolls

Kiss From a Rose — Seal

00’s

My Boo — usher, Alicia keys

Not Over You — Gavin DeGraw

Grenade — Bruno Mars

Home — Phillip Phillips

You Found Me — The Fray

Bleeding love — Leona Lewis

Irreplaceable — Beyoncé

Since You’ve Been Gone— Kelly Clarkson

This Love — Maroon 5

If I Ain’t Got You — Alicia Keys

U Remind Me — Usher

I Don't Wanna Be — Gavin DeGraw

‘10s

Diamonds — Rihanna

Talk — Khalid

You Belong With Me — Taylor Swift

Lucky — Jason Mraz

Shape Of You — Ed Sheeran

Treat You Better — Shawn Mendes

Just Give Me a Reason — P!NK

What Do You Mean? — Justin Bieber

Shut Up and Dance — WALK THE MOON

Someone Like You — Adele

no tears left to cry — Ariana Grande

We Don’t Talk Anymore — Charlie Puth

Delicate — Taylor Swift

[katiew1973]

Can’t Help Falling In Love

Steve Rogers x Reader

Warnings - None, just fluff.

Words - 686

A/N - Originally written as Chris Evans x Reader, (Link HERE) I’ve re-worked for Steve Rogers for @caplanbuckybarnes Cappy’s Decades Challenge. This is also the first time I’ve written for any of Chris’ characters - I hope I do Steve justice in this one!

My song was Can’t help falling in love— Elvis Presley.

It had been 64 days since the last time you were in his arms. You’d promised that you wouldn’t count but you couldn’t help it. You missed him, even now after all these years of you both being with the Avengers, and him going on missions, you still missed him – especially when he couldn’t contact you as regularly as he’d like to.

You missed everything – his strong arms around you, his sense of humour, his smell. Him. To most people he was Captain America, leader of the Avengers, but to you he was just Steve. He might seem strait-laced and uptight, and, in some ways, he was with people he didn’t know, but not with you. Like everything, it’d started with a friendship. Working on the press team, you’d got to know Steve through regular meetings and things eventually blossomed into romance. He had pretty much left his apartment in the Avengers Tower to move into your place, preferring it to the hustle & bustle of the tower, using it only when he had to – home was with you, not there, not any more.

Today was one of those days where nothing had gone right – you’d woken up late as your phone was flat, you’d forgotten to plug it in, and the alarm didn’t go off – one downside of not living in Steve’s apartment – FRIDAY would have made sure that you didn’t miss your alarm call. You’d had nothing but stress at work and you were getting worried as you’d not heard anything from Steve or Nat for a few days, which wasn’t like them.

Deciding not to cook, you ordered takeout from your favourite Italian place and, opening a bottle of wine, you pulled up your love songs playlist on Spotify and settled in with a book. You didn’t normally listen to songs like that, usually wanting to stick to something upbeat that you could dance around the house to if you felt like it, but this was the mood you were in tonight.

You’d fallen asleep and had woken up when a light clicked on. Before you could work out what was happening, Steve scooped you out of the chair, he gently placed you onto your feet and into his arms, just as Elvis’ Can’t Help Falling In Love came on your playlist. The two of you just stood in the middle of your living room, gently moving to the music on the speakers.

“Wise men say only fools rush in But I can’t help falling in love with you Shall I stay? Would it be a sin If I can’t help falling in love with you?”

He whispered in your ear “I’ve missed you so much.”

Like a river flows surely to the sea Darling so it goes Some things are meant to be Take my hand, take my whole life too For I can’t help falling in love with you”

“I love you Y/N, I love you with all my heart and my soul.”

Like a river flows surely to the sea Darling so it goes Some things are meant to be Take my hand, take my whole life too For I can’t help falling in love with you For I can’t help falling in love with you”

“Marry me Y/N?”

You moved your head from his chest to look him in the eyes, trying to work out if he was serious or not. He was.

“I mean it. Marry me? I don’t have a ring now, but we’ll go to choose one tomorrow. I just want to be with you. I can’t see my future without you being in it and I realised that it was time that I took that big step with you, if you’ll have me?”

You reached up and bought his head towards yours. Kissing him slowly you only had one thing to say.

“Yes. I’ll marry you; I’ll marry you in a heartbeat.”

A year later, the two of you exchanged your vows in front of family and friends by the lake at Tony’s estate. Your first dance? Well, that was the easiest choice you made.

Can’t Help Falling in Love lyrics © Gema, Sony/atv Acuff Rose Music, Sony/atv Melody, Gladys Music, Embassy Music Corporation, Imagem Music, Darkpriz Publishing, Orpheum Music, Curb Songs, Universal Music Mgb Songs, Warner-tamerlane Pub Corp., 139th & Lenox Entertainment, Emi Glenwood Music Corporation, J. Albert & Son(international) Pty. Ltd., Bug Music O/b/o It’s A Hit Publishing, Irving Music, Inc., Emi April Music Inc, No copyright infringement intended.

[fallout4holmes]

Nuka-World 1

(I never posted the Nuka-World chapters here on tumblr, only on ao3. I thought I should remedy that.)

The detective's life isn't an easy one, but it rarely lacks for excitement. Even with the new stability brought about with the destruction of the Institute and the rise of the Minutemen, you still see a lot of folks at their worst in my line of work. Hard to not let it get to you sometimes. For decades, I’d tell myself all the bad in the world was all the more reason for me to keep fighting. I don’t think I always believed it, but it got me through. These days, what gets me through is knowing I’m not in the fight alone.

It still feels a little weird, leaving the Agency at night. I lived in that office for… well, a long time. Ellie’s still in the room upstairs, and she lets me know if any late night panicked customers turn up. Of course, everyone in town knows where my partner and I live, but we still insist that Agency business be done at the Agency. The only interruptions to our domestic life at home are the ones caused by the experiments of an eleven-year old boy and whatever Minutemen summons might come on over the radio.

Or, as was the case after supper one evening, an old ad for a theme park that hadn’t existed in two-hundred years.

 “Hiya, kids! Remember, Nuka-World is only open for a few more weeks in October! Come down and see me and Cappy one last time before buckling down for the winter. Don't forget to bring your empty bottle of Nuka-Cola to get 15 dollars off at the gate! So hop aboard the Nuka-Express and come and see the whole Nuka family while you still can!

 The Nuka-Express is accessible through the Nuka-World Transit Center. Parking fees will apply. Prices subject to change due to end of season. Nuka-World, Nuka-Express, and the Nuka-Cola characters are all registered trademarks of the Nuka-Cola Corporation.”

“What was that?!” asked Shaun, bewildered.

I was pretty damn confused myself. I looked across the room at the man with his hand on the dial… and sighed. “I know that look.”

Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Destroyer of the Institute, General of the Minutemen, partner of Valentine's Detective Agency, and my personal partner for life, is a proud father, a good man, and a damn fine detective. Everyone in the Commonwealth knows that at this point. What a lot people don’t know, is that he’s easily bored and I don’t mean your average ‘nothing to do on a Tuesday night’ sort of boredom. The man lives for work, for a challenge to overcome, a puzzle to unravel. It’s part of what makes him so brilliant. It’s also part of what makes loving him an occasional challenge.

That light was in his eyes as he asked me, “Do you not find anything strange or suspect about a theme park ad suddenly appearing on the radio?”

“It's either a bot with a glitch in its programming or a bunch of raiders got creative with their set-up.”

“If it's the former, no harm done, if it's the latter, it should be dealt with sooner rather than later.”

I chuckled, “I'm not arguing with you, Holmes. Just waiting for the moment when you tell me you're running off.”

That softened him a bit. “Ha. You ran off on a case two weeks ago.”

“Kidnappings are time-sensitive, we both know that.”

He smiled, “A fair point. I suppose there’s no point in asking you to stay behind?”

“None whatsoever.”

I’ve learned over the past couple years that that annoyed huff of his is all show, at least where I’m concerned. “If this transit center mentioned is the same as the one as before the War, then it's far west, slightly southwest of the Sunshine Tidings Co-Op.”

Shaun raised an exasperated hand, “But what’s Nuka-World?”

“A theme-park,” Holmes said. “Before the War, the Nuka-Cola corporation spent a great deal of time and money to build various amusements based on their products for customers to come spend even more money.”

“The less cynical answer,” I said as I lit a cigarette, “is that theme parks had rides, games, shows, all sorts of entertainment for families to spend a whole day pretending they’re someplace really special. Kids loved ‘em. Parents, not always quite so much, though I guess that depends on the kid and the parent.”

“So,” Shaun reasoned, “a bunch of raiders are in a theme park.”

“Probably,” I nodded.

He frowned, “Why?”

I shrugged, “Why not? Walls, lots of buildings, be sort of like living in an easily defensible Nuka-Cola themed city.”

“Is anyone really going to think that advertisement is real?”

“Hopefully not,” Holmes said, “but some people may investigate out of curiosity, desperation, or go in search of salvage from the park. If raiders are broadcasting, then they’re far more organized than any local group, and that could be remarkably dangerous.”

“We’re headed off in the morning, then?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“I’ll let Preston know his General will be out of the Commonwealth once again.”

“And convince him you don’t need an escort.”

“Indeed. Though I will suggest he increase the Minutemen presence in the western settlements, temporarily. Just in case.”

It was enough of a plan to start with, and in the morning we headed west to the Nuka-World Transit Center.

We’d been worried folks might get curious and come looking. We were right, but not quite the people we were expecting. Gunners were poking around the Transit Center, and their commander had orders that mentioned a missing recon team. Apparently some Gunners went to Nuka-World and never came back.

Real shame, that.

A man sat on the platform of the station, muttering about someone going to die and clutching his bloody stomach. His name was Harvey, and he and his family had been fooled by raiders, led to Nuka-World under the promise of a friendly settlement. His plan was to escape and return with help, but a bullet wound stopped his progress. His family were still there, and were certain to be killed when the raiders discovered he was gone.

That was his story, anyway.

Holmes knew something was up when the guy refused a stimpak, not something that tends to happen when a person is supposedly bleeding out. Harvey gave in quick under pressure; he was a fraud working for the raiders to lure more people to Nuka-World. He was tired of acting as their stooge, but had no desire to die or get anyone else killed. Naturally, Holmes volunteered to go to Nuka-World and take care of the problem.

"Now wait a minute," I said, "before we hop on this train and go barreling off, you think we could call in some reinforcements?"

"If someone doesn't go back soon, then people are gonna start dying," Harvey said. "I've seen it happen."

The fear seemed real, and that was reason enough for Holmes. "We'll resupply with what we can from the Gunners and whatever may still be in this place, but we haven't a moment to waste, Valentine."

"Don't think I'd call security against walking into a trap a 'waste,'" I grumbled.

"If more than a few people step off the train, the raiders will get suspicious," Harvey said, "and suspicious raiders get violent."

He had a point. I admitted as much, and Holmes asked how we get the train running. After looting the Gunner bodies for ammo and supplies, we stepped aboard.

We were off.

And, naturally, we were trapped.

[thewritewolf]

Nino’s Quest Chapter 8: The Quest Begins Again

Adrien and Marinette are a stuttering mess for reasons unknown to the Lord DM, but that won't stop him from pushing this story forward. The party seeks out a dread enemy - The Necromancer!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 (Final)

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3.  My ko-fi.

Nino knocked at the door to the familiar apartment and heard his girlfriend’s voice call, “Come in!”

Stepping inside, the first thing he noticed - after Alya, of course - was the bags of groceries on the table. A warm smile lit up his face as he recognized them as the ingredients for one of his favorite meals that he’d ever had at the Cesaire household.

“Is all this for me, babe?”

Alya quirked an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip. “Well, I was hoping that you’d share with the rest of the party…”

“Hm…” He tapped at his cheek, pretending to give it some thought. “I guess that’s a fair deal. Need a hand cooking it up?”

She scoffed. “No, but I wouldn’t turn down help if you’re offering.”

The sound of chopping vegetables and the sizzle of the meat on the stove was all the noise that passed between them for a few minutes. The two of them worked well together, especially when it came to the kitchen. As Nino was busy cutting the carrots, he finally broke the silence.

“So where is everyone today?”

“You probably guessed Nora is at a tournament. If you did, congrats - you were right.” Alya leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. “Took awhile but she’s finally in a league that she doesn’t just completely wreck instantly.”

Nino nodded along. “That’s totally sweet. She needs to be challenged if she’s gonna get any better.”

“Her point exactly. Ella and Etta are with mom and dad. They were going to the park, then to a movie. We should be clear for the next few hours, at least.”

“That’s not far off from what our last couple dates have been like.” Nino chuckled. “Park, movies, although we did go out for dinner a few days ago…”

“It’s good exercise. Can’t be too out of shape when Ladybug calls us back into the fight.”

“Right on. And if we are already out and about, it's way easier for you to go charging into an akuma battle phone-first, yeah?”

Alya had the decency to blush at that. “So, ah, you noticed that, huh?”

“Mhm. Don’t worry, babe. It’s all good to me, so long as we’re chillin’ together.”

“Aw, thanks babe.” She turned around to stir the rice some more. Still stirring, she asked over her shoulder, “By the way, have you seen the footage of the last akuma battle?”

He snorted. “Babe you say that as if you don’t have me read all your posts to edit them.”

“Okay, fair. So you’ve noticed that Ladybug and Chat Noir have been acting… kinda weird lately?”

“Understatement of the year. Stealing glances at each other, stutters when they actually manage to talk to each other, all those blushes. They’re the second biggest mess of all the couples in Paris.”

“And the biggest mess is our babies, right?”

“Yup.” Nino dumped the carrots in with what Alya was stirring. “All props to Ladybug and Chat Noir though - they’re giving our kids a run for their money, even though Marinette has had way more practice being awkward. And my boy Adrien is right there with the best of ‘em.”

Alya sighed. “It’s a mess. But I bet we can fix-”

“Babe.”

“What? I’m just saying if we-” Nino put a finger on her lips, silencing her despite the glare she shot his way.

“You gotta let them figure it out on their own. They’ll get there eventually.”

“Yeah? Well, let’s see how you feel after this session. You haven’t had to see them together nearly as much as I have.”

“Yeah, I really wish Ms. Bustier would start letting us do groups of four.” He paused. “Is it seriously that bad?”

Her eyes widened for a moment, remembered exasperation crossing her face. “You’ll see, cappy.”

Her phone went off. “Well, that’s them. Just in time for lunch, too.”

---------------------

As he’d expected, Marinette and Adrien were quiet and blushy as ever. This ultimately left the leadership of the party in Alya’s hands - a task that she was uniquely qualified for as they sought out leads for the Necromancer’s lair.

“Alright, dudes. We’ve all leveled up. You’ve just finished shopping in the marketplace and you’re ready to leave town on a moment’s notice. But you’ve got no clue on where to head out. What’re you going to do about it?”

Silence greeted him as Alya looked between their friends and the way they very deliberately avoided each other’s eyes while surreptitiously staring as much at each other as possible.

“Right, well…” Her eyes sparked as an idea occurred to her. “So we’re basically drumming up leads, right? Doing research, chasing down rumors of this bad guy?”

“Yeah, babe, you got it.”

She rubbed her hands together in excitement. “Now that is something I can do. What’s the marketplace look like? What sort of people do I see there?”

“Besides the locals? Rough mercenary types, travellers dusty from the road, wandering merchants, that sort of thing.”

There was a pause as she narrowed her eyes in thought. “Tell me more about the travellers. What do they look like?”

He rolled a perception check behind his DM screen. “You notice that a bunch of ‘em are sticking together and they’ve got kids with them. Their threads are pretty similar too, like they got ‘em from the same place. They seem pretty uneasy, casting suspicious looks around them.”

“It’s not normal for wanderers to take their children with them, yeah?”

“Not usually, no. Unless they’re nomads.”

She shook her head. “Nah. Nomads wouldn’t be that freaked out by new people. It sounds like they’re country folk that were driven into the city. Which means…”

“...Refugees?” Adrien supplied, frowning at the table.

“Only one way to find out. I’ll walk up to them.” Alya cleared her throat and adopted her character’s voice. “Excuse me, can I ask you where you’re from?”

Nino dropped his voice an octave. “Doesn’t matter much anymore, does it? Nothing left to go back to now.”

“What do you mean?”

“‘Strange happenings up in the mountains, lass. Smoke billowing out. Scared me to my bones, it did. We picked up and headed out.’ The dude gets a distant look, like he’s remembering the sight. ‘Been on that farm for six generations. But I hear we were the lucky ones.’”

“I thank him for his time. What do you guys think?”

Marinette and Adrien seemed to have forgotten their embarrassment for the moment. Adrien shuffled his character sheets again. “Do I know any legends about the mountains? Like, monsters that lived up there, or old forts? Maybe it’s not the Necromancer at all but something else.”

Nino took a long sip of his pop. “Roll it.”

A grin split Adrien’s face as the die landed high. “What’ve you got for me, bro?”

“You remember hearing stories about a lost dwarven city out there. It went quiet decades ago, though.”

“Dwarves…” Marinette cupped her chin, her eyebrows creased with worry. “Like, big forges, deep mines, strong doors? Enough space to arm and equip and army? That sort of dwarves?”

Nino finger gunned at her. “One and the same, my dude!”

Alya buried her face in her hands. “Fantastic. If the Necromancer isn’t there, I bet he wished he was. Let’s go.”

“Don’t we want to look for other clues?” Marinette asked.

“Y-yeah.” Adrien swallowed heavily, dragging his eyes away from Marinette to Alya. “He could be somewhere else.”

“Doubt it. And even if he isn’t, someone is driving honest people away from their homes. Necromancer or no, we’ve got to do something about it.”

Steely determination dawned on their faces. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil…” Marinette began.

“...Is that good people do nothing,” Adrien finished. “Guess it’s settled then.”

With their goal in mind, the rest of the session was spent on travel. They met more people on the road - battered survivors and the usual wanderers alike. It put a strain on their supplies, but they helped out as best they could while approaching their destination. After a couple hours of social encounters and skill checks to help the displaced, they were close.

“Looming on the horizon are the great western mountains. While they’re usually supes gorgeous, something about ‘em feels off. Just like the farmer dude said, there are smoke plums coming from somewhere in the mountain range. And that…” Nino said as he closed his DM notebook, “Is where we’ll end today’s session. If you chose right, next session might totally be the end of the Necromancer, and this adventure.”

The tapping of Adrien’s pen came to a stop, Marinette’s packing finished, and even Alya looked up from her character sheet. All of them wore similar expressions of surprise.

“Wow, really? It doesn’t feel like its been that long…” Alya muttered.

Marinette frowned. “It can’t be almost over already, can it?”

“No way!” Adrien brushed the thought aside. “I’m sure we’ve got plenty of adventures still in us.”

“That’s up to you, my dudes. This campaign might be almost over, but there could be more.” Nino shrugged and chugged the last of his pop. “If you want to, I mean. But anyway, that’s a question for later.”

Slightly more somber, they finished packing up. Adrien took Marinette and Nino home

----------------

Direct Message to Adrien

Nino: So Bro Wanna tell me whats goin on between you and M?

Adrien: There isn’t anything Which is half the problem But don’t worry about it

Nino: No can do We’re best buds Its my job to worry about you

Adrien: And I get that I really do! But you’ve gotta trust me There isn’t anything you can do Sorry :(

Nino: Well… okay. I’m here if you need me dude

Adrien: I know [heart emoji]

-----

Direct Message From Alya

Alya: Did he tell you anything?

Nino: Nah, babe Clammed up U?

Alya: dang No Mari is hiding something Not sure if it is a BAD something But def something

Nino: Not much we can do about it I guess Just let ‘em figure it out

Alya: Speak for yourself, cappy Theyre almost there They just need… ...a little push

Nino: Alya...

Alya: What? It won’t be much Just a gentle nudge Really

Nino: [eye roll emoji] Alright fine What did you have in mind?

Alya: heh heh heh Okay so! We get them into class early Like SUPER early Maybe like an hour

Nino: Alright… Tough to pull off Esp for Mari But doable

Alya: ...and then we lock the door behind them And we leave them alone We don’t open it until either they’re dating Or class starts Preferably the former

Nino: That’s What No Stop

Alya: Why not? It worked for us And it smells a whole lot nicer too

Nino: point You know what? Sure We’ll do it Otherwise we might be waiting on them for a g e s

Alya: I knew you’d see it my way. ;)

[booabug]

ml cringe challenge roundup pt1

IT BEGINS. Reminder you can dodge this incoming torrent of disgustingly cute by blocking #ml cringe challenge | links: (here), pt2, pt3, pt4

I put out the call,

Open challenge: reblog this post and make me cringe with ways established relationship Adrien & Marinette would be utter lovey-dovey trash raccoons.

and you beautiful cats and chuckaboos answered. GOD I hope @ works properly this time.

@theyrejustbehindtheveil nnngh I bet they do that thing where you’re trying to have a conversation with both of them, but every time one speaks, the other just watches them with this soft, adoring look, just at how they smile and their eyes light up when they talk. and sometimes the one talking will stop to be like, “what?” and it’s “hmm? nothing, why?” “you were staring” “you’re cute” and then you can’t get anything out of them for like five minutes euuughh

@etoilesjaunes (post)

Adrien has literature with Nino, and Nino has history with Mari for the following period. Adrien sends love letters to Mari via Nino, despite the fact that he meets her at her locker in between classes.

nO SPARE CAPPY, YOU MONSTERS. YOU’RE GROSS. bet adrien stuffs love letters in her locker on top of that too. when mari moves, she’s going to have entire moving boxes of just his flowery stream of consciousness love letters. take up their own moving van at that point.

 @bloody-books (gdi @... link to their post)

I know they don’t really do American-style Halloween in France, but imagine:

They’d be the couple that’s constantly dressing in cutesy paired costumes: PB & J, pickle and deer, Jack Skellington and Sally.

When they go trick or treating, they’re so giggly and affectionate with each other (complimenting each other’s costumes really??) that at least four people have dumped entire bowls of candy into their bags just to get them off their porch bc they’re too cute stop.

And then when they get home and pool the goods with Alya and Nino, they start flirting.

“None of this candy is as sweet you, bugaboo.”

“My favorites are Kit Kats because they remind me of you.”

“Without you, I’m like an angry construction worker from a Snickers commercial.”

*holding out chocolate bar* “This is me.” *label says “Forever Yours”*

*holding out another bar* “This is you.” *label says “M-Azing”*

Adrien: “Sweet Marie-nette”*flutters eyelashes*

Mari: *unfazed* “Pal-O-Mine”

“OH MY GOD I THOUGHT WE WERE PAST THIS”

“I’m in Whatchamacallit with you” “…Love?” “Overwhelming responsibility”

Alya and Nino are practically immune to it by now and demand they finish sorting before the decade is out.

I think this was the only one to actually make me cringe with this pun banter so congrats! I love and hate it!

... pickle and deer... ?

[ozzdog12]

2017- Top 7 (And 1)

Well as another year closes, so does another fantastic year in gaming. In fact, this could be one of the best in history!! You may say, Why only a Top 7 and there are two reasons. 1: Everyone does a Top 10 or Top 20, but nobody does just 7. It also makes the list more prestigious 2: I’m lazy. 

But I do give my biggest disappointment

Well lets get on with it. 

Biggest Disappointment: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)

Now I know you’re shocked and you’re saying things like “ This list is shit! BotW is the GOTY!” or “WHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT how?!?!” Let me explain. I don’t have the nostalgia for Nintendo that a majority of people have, so I can give a pretty non-biased opinion when it comes to Nintendo games. BotW is a decent game, but its not without its faults. Actually it’s a really bad Zelda game and an even worse ‘Open-World’ game. It’s an open world game made by people who haven’t played one in a decade. However, most alarming is the story, or lack thereof. I know part of the charm in Zelda games is creating your own adventure, but I found almost zero motivation, especially in the early hours to even progress forward. BotW is vastly different from previous Zelda games and takes a lot of risks. Some paid and most didn't. The game is gorgeous for a launch game and being able to play it both on my tv and ‘on the go’ is also a huge plus. The biggest complaint though is the controls are complete ass ( NOTE: I did not play it with a Pro controller, but I understand its much better) I get that with the way the controller is designed you're limited to certain buttons, but some of the controls are so counter-intuitive, that I constantly found myself looking or thinking about which button did what rather than naturally doing it ( I’ve been playing videogames for 25 years, so its not a user error, its a design error). All in all, its a Fine game and a lot of people love it, but its not the best game of the year.. it’s not even the best game on the system….

Number 7: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PS4)

Hellblade could be on this list for its impeccable sound design alone. Seriously, play this game in the dark with a good headset. While there is combat, the game is not predicated on heavy combat, its more about the deeply personal story told with a Norse mythology backdrop.The puzzles are simple, but unique. The game also looks incredible.The voice acting is superb. In a gaming environment littered with so many open-world games, a well-designed, linear story-driven game is great palette cleanser. Seriously, check this game out. 

Number 6: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Xbox One)

This is in no way a political post, but in the current state of the United States, a game about killing Nazis is so refreshing. It also helps that its actually a really great game. While I do think The New Order is a more meaty, complete story and game, The New Colossus has more jaw dropping “HOLY SHIT!” & “WTF!” moments than any game I’ve played in the last 7-8 years.The game knows what it is and it excels greatly. The game takes some really creative plot twists. BJ isn’t just some standard FPS goon that murders Nazis ( well HE is that too, but you learn more about his past and find a very human side to him). Its also go violent and so satisfying taking an ax to the face of a Nazi. MY biggest gripe is right when the game really starts hitting its stride, it just sort’ve ends. You can go back and revisit previous locations to take of Ubercommanders, but unless you just want more of the same, there is no real incentive to so. I’m really looking forward a 3rd(4th?) chapter in this Wolfenstein story.

Number 5: Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

I’m not the biggest Mario fan and like I said above, I don’t have the nostalgia for Nintendo. As a person, who thinks Mario 64 is way over-rated and is a sub-par game, but loves Mario Galaxy, my biggest concern going in was that this was going to be more like 64. To my surprise, after getting used to the sensitivity of the controls, I found my self REALLY enjoying the game and constantly looking for moons to collect, even when I had enough to move on to the next world.The game is set up in a way to encourage you to revisit worlds even after you’ve beaten the game. I found it to be relatively short for a Mario game, but honestly there is enough there even if you don’t want to 100% the game. Cappy is a new and fresh introduction to Mario that the franchise really needed. 

Number 4: Prey (XBONE) 

Man I have to admit something about Prey. I played the demo and didn’t like it. Finally played the full game and for the first 2 hours thought it was kinda dull, but I knew there was something there and I kept on playing and boy am I glad I did. Prey is THE BEST game seemingly nobody played. I fault a lot of that to the failure to market it correctly. Prey is such a unique experience and a game that is so different from anything our there, it has to be played to fully comprehend it. In terms of gameplay, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it’s one of those games that when I wasn’t playing, it’s all I thought about. When I was playing, I just wanted to explore every nook and corner within Talos 1. It also has one of the most unique endings/twist to a game I've experienced in a long time. I don’t want to dwell on too much because I’ll ramble into spoiler territory but do yourself a favor and PLAY this game!

Number 3: Injustice 2 (PS4) 

As a massive DC fan and a massive Mortal Kombat, I was hotly anticipating I2, I was a little concerned with the gear system prior to release fearing it would cause imbalance (especially online) but it didn’t for the most part. In a gaming world, where loot boxes are all the rage, I think NRS handled it fairly well. At the end of the day, I wish it was all just cosmetic because i rarely looked at the stat boost and just went with what i liked cosmetically. The story picks up following the events of the first game. Its also very odd to me that NRS can make a better, more compelling story than Warner Bros can with their movies…but I digress. There are plethora of new and returning characters and all are different enough to fit your fighting preference. Some characters i would’ve preferred over others, but all in all, I think its a very impressive roster. With different towers/multiverses rotating in various intervals, its a significant upgrade to the S.T.A.R labs challenges from the previous game. I put in over 100 hours and thats even before all the DLC characters are out.  

Number 2: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4)

Being that Uncharted is one of my favorite gaming franchises, this should be no surprise. Goodbye Nathan Drake, Hello supporting cast! With Nathan Drakes adventures ‘completed”, I am all for more Uncharted with side stories for supporting cast. (Young Sully next please). Chloe (being absent from Uncharted 4) and Nadine (being a villain in Uncharted 4) is an interesting tag team set up. Personalities clash and deception and lying is ever present as you’d expect. As per the status quo from Naughty Dog, the game is graphically top notch and the mo-cap and voice acting is superb. There are several nods to previous games and even an appearance by a certain character. The game is shorter than previous Uncharted games and its honestly the perfect length for this style of story an price tag. More Uncharted is always a good thing!

Honorable Mentions: Pyre(PC), & Metroid: Samus Returns(3DS) 

Number 1: Horizon Zero Dawn(PS4)

Man, what can I say about HZD that hasn’t been covered before. From the first trailer I saw, I had an expectation of what I wanted from this game and its surpassed it ten fold. An achievement in and of itself these days. There are a lot of great open -world games out there, but one of the biggest issues with all this open-world-ness is that story gets dumbed down or sacrificed ( see Breath of the Wild). Horizon Zero Dawn has a really great story that keeps you going adn trying to figure out “What is Zero Dawn?” Trying to uncover all the little secrets is so much fun, the collectibles make you explore this gigantic world. The (post-apocalyptic) )world never feels empty or barren ( unless that was the intention)  Even the side quests feel meaningful for the most part. There is a lot going on in this game, but its all organized and presented together well. My one gripe is that the game doesn't do a great job of telling you the differences and benefits to certain ammo types, you’re basically left to figure it out on your own. Fighting robot dinosaurs never gets old and with the addition of The Frozen Wilds, you get 3 new creatures and they are brutal as ever. Every fight with a Thunderjaw or a group of Scorchers feels meaningful and satisfying even when you hit level 60. While I don’t think its fair to compare Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn, they are often compared ad nauseum. I will say that in my opinion HZD did almost everything better than BotW in the things they both tried to accomplish. Horizon Zero Dawn is not only my favorite game on 2017, its made its way into my Top 5 favorite games of All-Time!

[girl-next-door-writes]

Two Princes

Characters: Loki x reader

Summary: Torn between Thor’s steadfast love and Loki’s magnetic allure, you must choose which Asgardian prince will claim your heart.

Word Count: 1707 words

Prompt: Two Princes – The Spin Doctors

A/N: For @caplanbuckybarnes Decades Challenge. 

The warm golden glow of twilight bathed the room, creating a soft haze in contrast to the palpable tension hanging in the air. Standing in the meeting hall of New Asgard, you felt the weight of two pairs of eyes on you. One gaze was familiar, teasing, playful, and filled with warmth. The other was intense, cold, calculating—yet equally magnetic.

Loki and Thor, two princes of Asgard, stood before you. Each was a force of nature in his own right, and both were vying for something you never thought they’d want from you: your affection.

"Have you made your decision yet?" Loki asked, his lips curled into a half-smirk as he leaned casually against the wall, but you could see the storm brewing in his emerald eyes.

Thor stood tall, arms crossed, his massive frame radiating authority, yet his blue eyes softened as they met yours. "I would never force you. You know that. But you must choose."

You sighed, your heart pounding against your chest. How had things gotten so complicated?

It had started simply enough. You had been asked to keep an eye on the Asgardians as they settled in their new land.

Thor was your first real connection. From the moment he met you, he was charming, kind, and always attentive. You were drawn to him, not just because of his looks or status, but because he radiated warmth. Thor was like the sun—bright, reliable, and so easy to be around. With Thor, life felt simple, like everything would be alright as long as he was near. He would fight for you, protect you, and give you a life of adventure.

But then there was Loki. The dark prince, the trickster, the enigma who had always seemed just beyond your reach. Loki’s attention had been unexpected. He had watched you with amusement from a distance at first, his sharp wit often at your expense. But you saw beyond his sarcasm. Beneath the layers of mischief, there was a vulnerability to Loki that tugged at your heart. With him, everything felt unpredictable, exciting, but also dangerous. Loki was the night to Thor’s day—a storm waiting to sweep you away.

It had been a simple conversation with Loki that changed things. You had spoken about magic, of the realms beyond, and the weight of loneliness. That evening, something shifted between you. His gaze softened, his words became less biting, and his walls began to crumble just a little. The connection with Loki was electric, but it came with a price—the constant question of trust. With Loki, you were never quite sure if what you saw was what you got.

Now, you were caught between them. Thor had made his feelings for you clear. He didn’t need to woo you with tricks or fancy words; he simply laid his heart bare. "I want you by my side." he had said one evening while the two of you stood looking out over the harbor. "Not as a subject of Asgard, but as my equal. You belong here, with me."

It was easy with Thor—so easy it was almost tempting to just say yes. But something held you back.

Loki, on the other hand, was a different story. He never outright confessed his feelings, but his actions spoke louder than words. The way he would linger in the shadows during formal gatherings, always keeping an eye on you, the subtle ways he’d brush his hand against yours, the long, silent conversations shared through stolen glances. He had whispered to you one night, “I could give you the world, if you dared to follow me into it.”

The rivalry between the brothers was no secret, but now, it had taken a far more personal turn. Thor was everything any sane person would want: kind, heroic. But Loki—Loki was a world of passion and danger. You were drawn to him like a moth to a flame, despite the warnings.

“Choose me,” Loki said, his voice softer now as he stepped closer. His long fingers brushed a lock of hair from your face, and your skin tingled from his touch. “We don’t belong in the light. Not entirely. You and I… we could be extraordinary.”

Thor frowned but remained composed. “Loki, this isn’t about power or proving something. It’s about her heart. Let her decide freely.”

You looked between them, torn. Loki, who stirred something wild and untamed inside you, and Thor, who offered stability and unconditional love.

Weeks passed, and you avoided making a decision, hoping for clarity. But it never came. As you spent time with each of them, you realised the depth of their feelings, and the intensity of the rivalry that had only grown between the brothers. They were both so different, yet each one drew out a part of you that you couldn’t deny.

One evening, Loki invited you for a stroll along the coastline. It was quiet, the stars above twinkling in a velvet sky. He looked at you with an intensity that made your breath catch in your throat. “You feel it too, don’t you?” he asked softly, stepping closer until you could feel the warmth of his body next to yours.

You swallowed hard. "Feel what?"

“This pull between us,” he whispered, his eyes locking with yours. “It’s not something you can ignore forever. You and I… we’re alike. The darkness, the magic, the rebellion. You know you want more than Thor can offer.”

Your heart raced. You did feel something for him—something deep and consuming. But Thor's face flashed in your mind. He had been nothing but honest with you, and the last thing you wanted was to hurt him. Loki might be right about the connection you shared, but could you really trust him with your heart?

“It isn’t that simple.” You sighed, torn as you looked up at him.

“It can be. I could be so simple.” Loki said softly, true vulnerability in his eyes. “I know that I am not always the easiest person to be around, but… but you make me feel like who I am may be enough. Please. Please choose me.”

"I... I don't know," you whispered desperately, stepping back from Loki. "I need time."

That was when Thor found you. His eyes fell on Loki, and a familiar tension filled the air. “Brother, I think it’s time we let her breathe. This constant pull isn’t helping.”

Loki’s jaw clenched and you could see his walls coming back up as he stepped back, giving you space. "I won't wait forever." he warned, before disappearing into the night.

Thor approached you cautiously. “I’m not like him,” he said softly, brushing a gentle hand against your arm. “I won’t make promises of worlds or magic. But I can promise you honesty, love, and a life of adventure. I’ll never make you doubt where you stand with me… and I would never make you feel bad if you decided your heart lay elsewhere.”

Your heart ached. How were you supposed to choose between them?

As days turned into weeks, you found yourself reflecting on what each brother offered. Loki was a tempest—a force that would sweep you off your feet, filling your veins with fire and daring you to chase the unknown. You thought of the secretive glances shared in shadowed corridors, the thrill of his touch, like lightning barely contained. But could you ever truly trust him?

Thor, on the other hand, was the embodiment of stability, his presence like an anchor in the storm. You remembered the warmth of his arm around you as you both watched the stars, his voice a steady hum of promises he would never break. Life with him would be simpler, yes. Safer, maybe. But did your heart crave that kind of safety?

You woke one morning your decision as clear as an azure sky in the depths of summer. The choice had settled in your heart, and while it wasn’t easy, it felt right.

You found both brothers in the meeting hall. Their eyes watched you expectantly as you entered.

Taking a deep breath, you looked at Thor first. “I care about you, Thor. You’ve shown me things I never thought possible. But…”

Thor's face tightened, his eyes reflecting a brief, raw ache that he quickly hid behind a soft, resigned smile. "I see. I accept your decision." His fingers lingered against yours, just long enough for you to feel the warmth of his skin—and then he lifted your hand, pressing a tender kiss to your knuckles. When he released you, his voice was a murmur, almost too quiet to hear. "Be happy, that's all I ask." Without another word, he turned and walked out of the hall, his shoulders squared but his steps slower than usual.

You turned to Loki, nerves twisting in your stomach as his sharp gaze searched your face, guarded but vulnerable, as if bracing himself for the blow.

"Loki..." you whispered, stepping closer.

He gave a nervous laugh, a flash of uncertainty in his eyes that he quickly masked with a smirk. "On second thought, perhaps it's better if you don't say anything." He looked away, jaw tightening. "I think I already know."

You took his hand, refusing to let him slip away. "No, Loki. You need to hear this." “Very well.” Loki braced himself for what he believed was inevitable rejection.

"Loki, you are... impossible," you said, voice catching. "Infuriating, reckless, unpredictable." You tightened your grip on his hand, feeling his pulse quicken under your fingers. "And yet, somehow, you've made a place for yourself in my heart. Against all reason, all logic... I choose you."

His eyes widened, flickering with disbelief. "You... choose me?" he whispered, as if the words were a spell that might break if spoken too loudly. “I do.”

The two of you stood there, sharing a fragile, unspoken promise in the stillness of the hall. But even as Loki's hand tightened around yours, a shadow of doubt lingered in your mind—a warning whisper that he could be as fleeting as a storm. You brushed the thought aside, smiling up at him, hoping desperately that this time, he wouldn’t break your heart.

[nekoannie-chan]

Podemos aprender a amar de nuevo

Pareja: Steve Rogers X Lectora.

Palabras: 607 palabras.

Sinopsis: Después de separarse unos años para huir por los Acuerdos, Steve y tú se vuelven a ver.

Advertencias: Angst, pero tiene final feliz.

N/A:  Esta es mi entrada para Cappy’s Decade Challenge con la canción de los ‘10s:

“Just give me a reason – P!nk”

También puedes leerlo en Wattpad y Ao3.

         Si te gusto por favor vota, comenta y rebloguea.

No doy ningún permiso para que mis fics sean publicados en otra plataforma o idioma (yo traduzco mi propio trabajo) o el uso de mis gráficos (mis separadores de texto también están incluidos), los cuales hice exclusivamente para mis fics, por favor respeta mi trabajo y no lo robes. Aquí en la plataforma hay personas que hacen separadores de texto para que cualquiera los pueda usar, los míos no son públicos, por favor busca los de dichas personas. La única excepción serían los regalos que he hecho ya que ahora pertenecen a alguien más. Si encuentras alguno de mis trabajos en una plataforma diferente y no es alguna de mis cuentas, por favor avísame. Los reblogs y comentarios están bien.

DISCLAIMER: Los personajes de Marvel no me pertenecen (desafortunadamente), exceptuando por los personajes originales y la historia.

Tags: @sinceimetyou @black23 @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad

Dejaste el vaso en la mesa cuando escuchaste el timbre de la puerta sonar, nadie solía visitarte aparte de la vecina, que era una anciana. Tus ojos se abrieron muy grandes al ver quien estaba afuera.

—¿¡Steve?! —exclamaste sorprendida.

—Ha pasado mucho tiempo, lo siento, necesito entrar —dijo, mientras pasaba rápidamente al interior.

—¿Cómo me encontraste? —preguntaste, no podías creerlo, esperabas que no fuera un sueño.

—Fue sencillo, ¿sabes lo que pasó?

—No, no he salido de aquí en todo el día… —respondiste negando con la cabeza a la vez.

—¿Hay alguien…? —Steve no se atrevió a completar la pregunta, si había alguien más en tu vida, simplemente se iría, no iba a impedir que fueras feliz.

—Si te refieres a que si estoy en una relación… No, no lo estoy. ¿A qué te refieres con lo que pasó? —respondiste rápidamente, sin embargo, te interesaba más saber lo que ocurrió, ni siquiera escuchabas las noticias.

—Thanos eliminó a la mitad de los seres vivos.

—¿Qué? ¿Eso es posible? ¿Quién es Thanos? —cuestionaste. Desde que se separaron, no habías hecho ni una sola misión, las primeras semanas te la habías pasado escapando hasta que encontraste ese lugar.

—Lo único bueno es que de alguna manera nos eximieron de… bueno, ya sabes, lo que pasó.

—¿Somos libres? ¿Ya no tenemos que escondernos?

—Somos libres, podemos regresar a casa.

—¿A nuestra casa?

—Si, bueno, si quieres…

—Tengo que hacer mis maletas y tú las cargarás. Y también le avisaré a mi vecina, ella es muy amable conmigo y no quiero que se preocupe.

Todo el camino de regreso fue en silencio, habían pasado dos años desde la última vez que se vieron, tuvieron que separarse por lo ocurrido en la Guerra civil, sabían que era muy peligroso estar juntos, especialmente siendo fugitivos. Aunado a que descubrieron que tu vecina había sido una de las víctimas del Chasquido, optaron por llevarse también a sus mascotas, no dejarías que les pasara algo, cuidarías de ellas, como ella había cuidado de ti.

Sin embargo, lo que no sabías es que Steve siempre te estuvo cuidando, aunque fuera desde lejos, él no iba a permitir que nada malo te fuese a pasar, aunado a que estaba consciente del peligro que corrían si alguien llegase a verlos juntos, y él no estaba dispuesto a que por su culpa te llevaran al Raft.

Su despedida no había sido lo más romántica, implícitamente habían hecho la promesa de que volverían a estar juntos cuando pudieran, cuando las condiciones fueran favorables.

No sabías como preguntarle si él había decidido continuar y rehacer su vida. Ni siquiera sabías que es lo que ocurrió con los demás.

Cuando llegaron te quedaste parada en la acera, no te atrevías a entrar, no sabías lo que ibas a encontrar ahí adentro… tal vez Steve… quizás había alguien más.

—¿Estás bien? —Steve te preguntó con preocupación.

—No sé, ¿debería de entrar?, ¿hay algo más que debas decirme? —cuestionaste con cautela. Steve te observó y entonces comprendió a lo que te referías.

—Entremos, no hay nada más, aparte de decirte que te amo y quiero que recuperemos el tiempo que hemos perdido, todo ese tiempo que no pudimos estar juntos —él respondió tomando tu mano para guiarte a la entrada de la que había sido su casa.

Todo estaba igual a como lo habían dejado cuando tuvieron que huir, ni siquiera sabía cómo se había conservado de dicha manera durante todo ese tiempo. Varias veces te preguntaste como serían sus vidas si nunca hubieran existido los Acuerdos. Suspiraste, tal vez Steve tenía razón y podían recuperar todo lo que perdieron.

—Steve, te extrañé.

[theatermachtpolitik]

Ehrung für Community Organizer

Wolfgang Goede wurde die Ehre zuteil, den Speaker unserer Gemeinsinn-Konferenz 2011 mit ein paar Zeilchen zum Jubiläum zu würdigen, war schon ein gelungenes Ding, damals im OEBZ — time is flying … Honoree Jim Capraro was profiled for an article on “Community Spirit” in Credo, a Swiss international publication on philanthropy in 2014. (via Issuu) Dear Wolfgang, We’re excited for our upcoming 50th anniversary gala at the Fairlie. Here are the details: The celebration will take place Thursday October 24, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Fairlie, 339 N. Bell Ave. Chicago, IL 60612. Get your ticket or sponsorship at greatersouthwest50.eventbrite.com. We hope you can join us! We also wanted to share a story about our work from an angle that most people don’t know about. While most of us know Greater Southwest Development Corporation for its work here in Chicago, Wolfgang Goede brings a global perspective. Goede, who lived at 67th and Damen when he visited Chicago in the early 1970s to learn about community organizing, met our inaugural Visionary Award honoree Jim Capraro then and went on to collaborate with him in multiple ways over the years. Here he shares a story about Jim and how our work has influenced thinkers in Germany, Latin America, and beyond.

A conference on comprehensive community development sponsored by Local Initiatives Support Corp. in Chicago in 2012 featured among others (left to right): Maren Schüpphaus from Munich, Francesca Santaniello from Milan and Bergamo, Jim Capraro, and Wolfgang Goede from Munich & Medellin. “Mister International, James Capraro—Opportunities come from relationships” I first met “Cappy,” as we called him back then, in 1972. I had come to Chicago as a German volunteer to learn community organizing. West Englewood, Little Lithuania, Greater Lawn: I got to know the Southwest Side like the back of my hand at door knocking and block club meetings. Jim, a resourceful teacher of organizing skills and a great door opener, also with his buddies. (Meanwhile, the ‘Germans’ House’ where I and other volunteers lived on 67th Place and Damen became the most visited party location in the area). “Opportunities come from relationships” is Jim’s mantra .  The closer, the happier—and the more these relationships can generate civic power. Jim is a broker for relational power. I have seen his work influence policy in his hometown of Chicago but also in 30 other U.S. cities and beyond, in the transatlantic triangle between the U.S., Europe, and South America. We worked together on some of these including on a series of trainings in Munich, Milan and Medellín in the 2010 years. The focus of much of this work is the Comprehensive Community Development method (CCD) that Jim developed from community organizing. It’s a fusion of citizen empowerment and entrepreneurship, underpinned by best practices developed while at Greater Southwest Development Corporation. Southwest Chicago was a microcosm of the current global challenges around integration, housing, education, jobs. Jim used his experience and insights to teach international folks how to tackle these issues.

Jim brought the Greater Southwest model to a community development conference in Medellín, Colombia in 2015. ( Photo by Wolfgang Goede)

Community Spirit

“Community spirit” is the heart of the method. As conference curator and community participation expert Maren Schüpphaus, put it in an essay, Comprehensive Community Development is the synergy of one's own concerns and civic spirit within the political context, but apart from the electoral process. This became a key message for activists and Germany’s quite top-down democracy. Outside Germany, Jim’s impact has been felt in Colombia, as well, where Anneli Seifert featured him and his work at a training at Medellín's Antioquia University in 2015. Jim’s training refreshed this spirit in a country divided by decades of guerrilla warfare and entering the post conflict. Seifert saw Jim as following in the footsteps of a great humanist, Alexander von Humboldt. Von Humboldt, whose journey of discovery took him through Colombia in 1801, was also inspired by community. Von Humboldt wanted people to share empathy, responsibility and a sense of interconnectedness within local communities throughout the world based on an eternal bond between nature and humanity. This trail leads to another famous scholar: the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville, whose book Democracy in America praised the public spirit of voluntary associations—of which, 200 years later, Greater Southwest is a shining beacon. Congratulations board, members and staff, volunteers, donors and supporters, last but not least Jim! Wolfgang Chr. Goede. Munich and Medellín Political Scientist, Journalist, Facilitator Community Organizer 1972-1976 Chicago | San Francisco Thank you for reading! We hope you can join us on October 24. Get tickets and info at GreaterSouthwest50.eventbrite.com   - All of us at Greater Southwest Development Corp. Get tickets and sponsorship information Our mission is to be a catalyst for creating and maintaining a vital Southwest Chicago community by empowering, building and sustaining development that raises the quality of life for our neighborhood residents, businesses and industries. Learn more: greatersouthwest.org View As Webpage

Read the full article

[caplanbuckybarnes]

I'd like to write something for your CAPPYS DECADE CHALLENGE. Song: 50s - Your Cheatin’ Heart — Hank Williams. Character: I'll got for Bucky or Steve. I'm not sure yet.

Feel like it’s more of a Bucky song tbh but that’s me being biased bc I’m deeply in my Bucky feels right now lmao. But feel free to chose whomever!!!

CappysDecadesChallenge

[wineanddinosaur]

We Asked 13 Wine Pros: What Drinks Destination Is First on Your Post-Pandemic Travel List?

Last year, travel plans came to a screeching halt. For wine professionals, this meant instead of plotting out stops through Burgundy or Bandol, turning their attention to weathering the challenges brought on by Covid-19. And as if 2020 weren’t enough of a dumpster fire of a year already, wine producers and growers in Oregon, Washington, and California were forced to contend with wildfires that affected their vintages with smoke taint.

Now that things are opening up and more travel restrictions are being lifted, we’re all eager to fill the travel void. Many wine pros are inspired to cross off bucket-list destinations or prioritize return-trip wish lists. Others are making up for lost time or missed conferences and trade events by building itineraries around reconnecting with peers.

We polled over a dozen sommeliers, buyers, and producers from California, Texas, New York, and more on the drinks destinations they’re looking forward to the most on their travel lists. From Paris and Provence, to Sicily and Tokyo, here are wine pros’ post-pandemic picks.

The Top Post-Pandemic Drinks Destinations Recommended by Wine Pros:

Charleston, S.C.

Oregon

Southern Italy

Sicily

The Aeolian Islands

Warren, Maine

Bandol/Provence/the French Riviera

Paris

Porto, Portugal

Burgundy and Champagne

Tokyo

Santa Barbara County (Buellton, Solvang, and Santa Ynez)

New Orleans

Keep reading for details about the drinks destinations topping wine pros’ post-pandemic travel lists!

“Charleston, S.C. First stop will be Graft Wine Shop to catch up with the dynamic duo Femi and Myles! Looking forward to some bubbles, that new happy hour menu, and Femi’s latest and greatest playlist. Always good to check in with Justin Coleman of Monarch Wine Merchants. I’ll swing by Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. for all my beer needs (P.S. I love to shop for wine there, too). I’ll grab a few bottles of Fernet from High Wire Distilling and catch up with Scott. Burgers from Little Jack’s, Leon’s for some yard bird and oysters, rooftop cocktails at The Dewberry… I could go on and on.”—André Hueston Mack, Sommelier at Large & Sons Hospitality Group, Brooklyn

“Oregon! I visited the Willamette Valley years ago and want to get back to explore all the state’s wine-growing regions. I’d really like to see how a region with significant rainfall during the growing season is able to make such balanced, thought-provoking, tasty wines. I got the chance to meet Stephen Hagen from Antiquum Farm at a tasting at Market Street Wine in Charlottesville. His passion, approach, and personality makes me want to visit his farm and vineyard first, and see how he is able to grow grapes, as well as pigs and sheep, in such an integrated way.” —Kirsty Harmon, Winemaker and General Manager, Blenheim Vineyards, Charlottesville, Va.

“Southern Italy, Sicily, and the Aeolian Islands. Over the last year I’ve learned that I really enjoy wines from volcanic wine regions. They are usually refreshing, very mineral-driven, and slightly salty. Our first stop on our way down to Sicily would probably be a long lunch at Quattro Passi, near Sorrento. They have an amazing wine cellar, and my mouth is already watering thinking about their squash blossoms and Bolognese. The Aeolian Islands are an under-the-radar destination with killer local wines that I would love to see and explore for myself!” —Margaux Reaume, Co-founder, Argaux, Costa Mesa, Calif.

“My first trip would be to visit Oyster River Winegrowers in Warren, Maine. I first came across the wines from maker Brian Smith at one of our Sunday Asado dinners at Colonia Verde. I tried it and was floored, and the guests were too. I then started trying his pét-nats and that’s when I fell hard for his wines. He does a rosé pét-nat made out of Merlot grapes — it’s life changing. Brian is truly a wonderful guy, making beautiful and unique wines in a region that one doesn’t really think of … my kind of wine!”—Tamy Rofe, Partner and Sommelier, Colonia Verde and Disco Tacos, Brooklyn

“I’m excited to get back out and about here in my home state of Oregon. Even just driving an hour outside of Portland feels luxurious right now! So, I’m looking forward to heading out to the Columbia Gorge to visit wineries in the Hood River area. I love Analemma Wines in Mosier, Oregon. They’re just a few minutes outside of Hood River but you feel like you are in the Italian countryside. They have a wide range of amazing organic and biodynamic wines, and a spectacular outdoor tasting space with views of the whole valley.” —Carrie Wynkoop, Owner, Cellar 503, Portland, Ore.

“Sicily! It’s been on my list for years. The trip will include a glass of Carricante with a view and a sea breeze, taking in the cultural and historical wonders of Taormina, and visiting Mount Etna and the wine country around the volcano. I’ll also seek out historical red grape varieties like Nerello Mascalese and Nero d’Avola. I always enjoy taking a cooking class in a new country, but also can’t wait to eat at Ristorante San Giorgio e il Drago in Randazzo.” —Chantal Forthun, Winemaker, Flowers Vineyards & Winery, Healdsburg, Calif.

“Bandol/Provence/the French Riviera. I want to visit two of the most legendary Bandol wineries and their vineyards: Domaine Tempier and Chateau Pradeaux. I’ll be seeking out as much Bandol and Cassis wines as possible, especially rosés and whites. Lately, I have been dreaming of sitting at a restaurant along the Cote d’Azur enjoying a late lunch of bouillabaisse and Provençal rosé after a morning of visiting a winery or two.” —Cappie Peete, Beverage Director, AC Restaurants, Raleigh, N.C.

“Paris is always on my list and a guaranteed good time. It’s all the things I missed in the pandemic — friends, spontaneity, street life, and café culture. We went two years ago after not having gone in decades; the eating was so much fun, but I was pregnant, so I missed out on a lot of good wine drinking. My first stop will be La Buvette for natural wine. There are only a few tables, and we weren’t able to snag one when we went, but it’s my ideal way to sip wine and snack.” —Julia Sherman, Owner/Creator, Jus Jus Verjus, Pasadena, Calif.

“I can’t wait to go back to visit my family in Porto, Portugal. I’m always a sucker for great port, and that’s port mecca; and now, I have a new appreciation for making a day of jumping between all the wineries. My first stop would be Sandeman and then Graham’s. Without a doubt, I’ll be seeking out white port. We don’t see it as much stateside. One of the trendy things right now is white port with tonic and a squeeze of orange.” —Steve Pinheiro, Creek Club Restaurant Manager & Sommelier, Reynolds Lake Oconee, Greensboro, Ga.

“Europe is calling my name, Burgundy and Champagne in particular. First stop is Paris. I’d have a quick lunch at Clamato, then jump on the train and head straight to Burgundy to drink hidden treasures for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are so many exciting young growers in Champagne; I’m eager to visit and taste with them. And then in Burgundy, I want to spend time with the winemakers and get a better sense of how the 2020s are tasting and how the 2021 vintage is shaping up.” —Thatcher Baker Briggs, Founder, Thatcher’s Wine Consulting, San Francisco

“Ever since my business partner TJ Provenzano and I visited Tokyo in September 2019, we’ve been dying to go back and explore Japan’s emerging wine culture. The first stop would be Fukagawa Wine Garden, where Rooftop Reds’ proprietary planter boxes are currently growing native Japanese grapevines! Along with great wine selections from Fukagawa Winery (one of the first urban wineries in Japan), the wine garden offers traditional bar snacks and dishes from all over Japan. Two places that are worth revisiting are Kiraboshi Restaurant & Wine Bar, owned by Satoko Konuma, and Sherry Club in Ginza. At both establishments, daily specials, events, tastings, and hospitality abound.” —Devin Shomaker, Partner, Rooftop Reds, Brooklyn

“Santa Barbara County to check out Buellton, Solvang, and Santa Ynez. They’re home to a handful of producers who make great wines, everything from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir to Syrah. The first stop is a sister winery to Screaming Eagle called Jonata. These guys are just killing it down there and making high-quality wines. The top priority is discovering interesting white wines. My winemaking friends and I are on a mission to make them well and really expand white wine and its reputation.” —Landon Donley, Head Winemaker, Trinchero Napa Valley, St. Helena, Calif.

“I’ve always been in love with New Orleans and it’s always on my list of drink destinations. There is a combination of romanticism, culture, and flavor that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. In fact, I plan to retire there, and it will become my final destination. First stop is usually Port of Call for a mushroom cheeseburger and a couple of Monsoons.” —Randy Hester, Founder and Winemaker, C.L. Butaud Wines, Austin, Texas

The article We Asked 13 Wine Pros: What Drinks Destination Is First on Your Post-Pandemic Travel List? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wa-13-wine-pros-post-pandemic-drinks-destinations/

[johnmkenney]

Game of the Year 2017

You’ve likely heard it everywhere, but 2017 sure was a fantastic year for video games.  Nintendo released their latest system, Microsoft put their upgraded revision of their console out on the market, and an Early Access title took the world by storm.  All while this was happening, fantastic games were coming out at an unprecedented pace. Three of the games in my top 10 last came out within 10 days of each other early in the year, and two others came out on the same exact day later in the year.  There’s something to be said about years ending in 7 having good games, and this decade provided yet another stellar showing.

This was a year where almost the entirety of the top 10 could have ranked even higher in previous years.  That’s how good games were this year.  I also spent a lot of time ordering my top 3 when I put this together last weekend, as the line is so razor thin that any of them could have won it.  The end moral: what a year for games.

As always, the rules for inclusion are as follows:    

The game must have its final retail release in 2017.  Thus, anything in an alpha/beta state or Steam Early Access does not qualify.  Based on the way games are being developed, this will likely be the last year this rule is in place.

In the case of episodic games, they must have their final episode delivered in 2017 to make the list.

While this list is comprehensive, I haven’t played everything.  Games like A Night in the Woods, Hollow Knight, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Divinity: Original Sin 2 all seem great but are unfortunately all still on my backlog.

Most importantly: the game has to be really good.  No-brainer there.

Honorable mentions:

This was the hardest year yet to limit the list to ten games, but here are the last five cuts I made:

Destiny 2 - Bungie managed to take the positive momentum of the later years of the original Destiny to make a great experience in Destiny 2, but there are definitely still some aspects to be cleaned up. Sonic Mania - It’s the first truly great Sonic game in decades as Christian Whitehead nailed the essence of the Genesis-era games. Persona 5 - A fantastic entry in the series that provides another strong cast of characters, stellar RPG gameplay, and a wonderful soundtrack. Nioh - While often labeled a Souls-clone, the mission based structure and smart take on combat stances make this a unique experience. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice - This is definitely an important title for exploring mental health, and the true shining star here is the audio design.  Definitely play this with headphones.

And now, here are my top 10 games of 2017:

10. Typeshift (Zach Gage - Mobile)

While many successful games this year focused on large, sweeping adventures, the one game I found myself launching daily was this clever word game.  TypeShift gives you a simple task: shift columns of letters vertically to make words until you’ve used every letter at least once.  While this sounds simple at first, the variety of different modes, including crossword-style clue challenges, help keep you coming back for puzzle after puzzle.  There’s also a free daily puzzle every day, so the replayability is infinite here.  This is the type of game that will stay installed on my phone for a long time to come, as it’s not something I see myself tiring of anytime soon.

9. The Sexy Brutale (Tequila Works - PC, PS4, XBO)

One of 2017’s most unique games: The Sexy Brutale is a Groundhog Day-esque murder mystery adventure.  Stuck in an infinite time loop, the player needs to witness party-goers at a mansion party get killed throughout the night.  Using the knowledge you’ve received as well as the ability to reset time by a few hours, you’re able to foil the attempts at their lives and slowly piece together the story and motives.  This isometric puzzler presents you with a simple objective but continues to use it in clever ways throughout the story to fill in all of the missing pieces in this adventure.  Figuring out how to save each character is a joy, and the setting and soundtrack help make this something that won’t soon be forgotten.

8. Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games - PS4)

After over a decade of developing Killzone games, Guerilla Games delivered a fresh and intriguing new world with Horizon.  In the developer’s self-described “post-post-apocalypse”, you’re given a beautiful open world filled with the remnants of civilization that went nearly extinct thousands of years prior.  Horizon does a good job painting a picture of new class structures and struggles as humans redevelop their societies, but the true spectacle comes within slowly learning more about what caused the downfall of humanity in the first place.  It’s a well-told tale that helps sets the table for more adventures to come in this universe in the future.  Combat and discovering the weaknesses of beasts in battle is a great hook, and the strong gameplay gives you reasons to stick with Aloy for dozens of hours.

7. Pyre (Supergiant Games - PC, PS4)

With its third entry, Supergiant created another enthralling universe to get lose within.  Pyre’s gameplay hook of “RPG meets NBA Jam” is a great way to get people into the door, but what’s more important here is the story that is told.  Half the game presents itself as a visual novel of sorts, where you spend time talking to various members of your party (as well as your opponents) to build a bigger sense of what being trapped in this underground is truly like.  Winning your matches is important, but if you lose, the game continues, as your loss hindered the team and is part of the story.  There are no do-overs in this world, and you must soldier on even if your failure caused members of your team their freedom.  This is one of the strongest aspects of the game, and the relationships you build with the multiple well developed characters in this game make you want to earn their freedom, even if it means you lose them for future matches.  The battles are fun every time, but the true reason to stick around this world is the characters.

6. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Machine Games - PC, PS4, XBO)

Wolfenstein II is probably the game that features the worst gameplay on this list.  Why mention that and even put it on this list?  Well, that’s because tearing through this world and seeing the adventures of B.J. Blazkowicz and his resistance team is a sight to behold.  Set in an alternate reality a few decades after the Nazis won World War II, there isn’t much hope left in the world for those fighting back, and this is a story about starting a revolutions.  Words cannot even describe the twists and turns this story takes, as there are enough clever moments and setpieces that could fill a whole series instead of just a single game.  I found myself putting down the controller several times out of shock with a “did they really just do that?” thought throughout the adventure.  It’s quite alright to throw the settings to easy and tear through this adventure, as it isn’t something to be missed.

5. Cuphead (StudioMDHR - PC, XBO)

There’s one thing painfully obvious about Cuphead right off the bat: this 1930s cartoon inspired run-and-gun platformer is one of the most beautiful games you’ll see in motion.  The game is so faithful to its source material, straight down to the occasional tears in the film and garbled voice audio from some characters.  StudioMDHR went for an aesthetic, and they nailed it.  However, looks aren’t what make a game, and Cuphead’s true strength comes within its stellar gameplay and boss design.  It feels like you are playing a modern-day Gunstar Heroes while you tear through dragons, genies, haunted roller coasters, and so many more diverse villains.  While everything may look cute, this game provides a challenge that is not for the weak of heart, but it’s certainly worth surmounting.  The boss battles a true delight, and something as simple as a progress meter that shows how far you got during your failed attempt is a great touch to make you want to immediately hop back in to try to redeem your loss.  

4. Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD - Switch)

While Super Mario Galaxy 2 may be my favorite 3D Mario, there’s something to be said about Nintendo wanting to go back to the world-exploring approach seen in Super Mario 64.  What resulted is a fantastic journey through a dozen worlds with clever platforming and environments that reward you for searching every nook and cranny.  Almost every level brings fresh ideas and challenges that help present one of the most fun Mario adventures yet.  All of that being said, I haven’t even touched on the capture mechanic, which helped breath new life into this story.  Using Mario’s new hat companion, Cappy, you are able to possess a majority of enemies you come across to gain their abilities.  The foes you can overtake range from classics like Bullet Bills and Chain Chomps to new foes such as a giant T-Rex.  These traits help you look at your surroundings like you couldn’t before and uncover new secrets and objectives, leading to an absolute sense of wonder for the player.  From the New Donk City Festival to the Darker Side, the moments in this game will keep a smile on your face throughout.

3. NieR: Automata (Platinum Games - PC, PS4)

NieR took me a very long time to finally get through, as there were a few separate occasions early on where I fell off the game.  I decided to stick with it, and shortly after I came to a moment that I immediately intrigued me to keep pushing.  After finishing the game (aka Route A), I enjoyed it enough to see what the alternative routes would show me.  Immediately upon starting the second playthrough, I was hooked and the game wouldn’t let go until I saw the credits no less than six more times.  The twists and turns the story takes in NieR are unprecedented, and the beauty of is it in the way that the story itself is told. This is one of those experiences that wouldn’t have the same effect if shown in another type of medium. The answers are in front of you the whole time, but seeing the way that the game handles subjects such as loyalty, the human essence, and society as a whole are fascinating.  Characters are built so incredibly strong in this world that you want to see what happens to each one of them, even if the outcome isn’t usually the happiest.  It’s to the point where even the end credits have a moment that left me with a “wow, I can’t believe they did that” feeling.  It’s a hard game to discuss without spoiling some of the genius found within, so if you’re at all interested, it’s worth a look.  It’s been weeks since I’ve finished NieR, and I still can’t stop thinking about some of its themes and story.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD - Switch, Wii U)

The crown jewel of Nintendo’s new platform is Link’s latest adventure.  It’s hard to think of an open-world created that is as stunning and provides the freedom to explore as the world found here.  2013’s handheld Zelda, A Link Between Worlds, toyed around with the idea of giving the player access to most abilities immediately and setting them loose in the world. Breath of the Wild took that concept and ran with it, as you spent the first few hours on a seperate plateau learning the mechanics and receiving all of the items that give Link his abilities in the game.  Once you have that, you’re turned free to go anywhere you want in the world.  I spent dozens of hours just exploring mountains, lakes, and deserts before even approaching the first story milestone of the game, as there was just so much to do by wandering.  Something as simple as giving Link the ability to climb instead of gating with invisible terrain presents the player with the ability to explore so much so quickly, and the world seems so vast thanks to it.  

Nintendo’s decisions to add challenge shrines, which were all mostly unique, in place of the typical heart piece search granted a new reason to try to uncover everything there was in the world.  The in-game physics also lead to so many moments of creating unique solutions to obstacles and combat that you won’t believe what you can pull off.  The newest Zelda also used one of the series core strengths, its music, in a novel way, as the world is more silent and songs are used more as ambiance to accompany Link in key moments, and it works.  It’s a world you’ll never want to leave, and the fact that Nintendo provided a Zelda adventure that can give you 100 hours a playtime if you choose is something truly special.  The one piece that was the deciding factor of keeping Breath of the Wild out of my top spot was the dungeons, as the focus on letting the player have access to all abilities led to all the dungeons and their bosses seemed sub-par compared to everything else.  Still, this is not an experience to be missed.

1. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation - PC, XBO)

As with most people, if you would have told me I would have been hooked by a full game version of one of those Battle Royale mods in 2017, I would have called you crazy.  However, here we are.  Very early in the year, I found myself watching a few PUBG streams on Twitch and decided to pick it up about two weeks after it launched in Early Access.  I mentioned at the start of this list how I consistently played TypeShift throughout the year, but 2017 was also the year that I was constantly drawn back into PUBG week after week.

The concept is simple: you and 99 other people are dropped onto an island with nothing.  The goal: be the last person standing.  This isn’t the first time this has been attempted, as I mentioned earlier how mods and other games have attempted this same idea.  However, this is the first time where it’s been streamlined in a way that makes it super easy to hop in and play.  There’s nothing overly complicated about it: as all you need to do is run around and loot weapons and recovery items to better prepare you for battles you’ll have on a fairly large map.  In one of the ways that makes PUBG so accessible, there’s always a circle slowly encroaching onto players to ensure games move quickly and that you cannot just hide in one spot.  Sure, you can hide in a bathtub and hope to get lucky with circle positioning, but it’s probably not going to happen.

No two games of PUBG are exactly alike, and there’s nothing that compares the heart-pounding experience of being one of the last 10 people alive, knowing your next move could win you the game or expose you to be easily killed by another opponent.  It’s a game that has already inspired developers to start working on adding similar concepts to their games, and this could very well be looked back at as a seminal title years down the line.  It’s been a fantastic year for video games, but nothing could compete with the thrill of trying to earn a chicken dinner in PUBG in 2017.

[ptrkvelner-blog]

Super Mario Odyssey Review

The release of a new Super Mario game is almost always feel like a huge fan-service for everybody who has ever played a video game. The reason why, is that the name Mario became synonymous with video games over the past decades, as an official mascot for both Nintendo and video games. However, it should be noted that a release of some of these games brought a technical breakthrough for the industry. Especially the first Mario Bros. and Super Mario 64. The first Mario is considered the first proper home console experience, before that video gaming was meant to be in the arcade. Then Mario’s first 3D adventure was the first game that both looked and played great in the polygonial environment. With Super Mario Odyssey, the new generation of creators at Nintendo aimed to create something similar to the said two games, in the sense of making it another milestone in video gaming.

First of all, the game looks great both on TV and in handheld mode. I always considered the art direction the most important factor of a game’s graphics. If you have it, the game will timelessly look good, despite that the hardver being weak for the time. Take a look at Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for reference. They added a photo tool to the game, so you can also enjoy the visuals by messing around with angles and filters and make a new background image for your phone. While the game looks and plays great, the optimization by Nintendo is not only flawless but a bit shocking when you notice the the full size of the game is less than 6Gb’s.

The game is divided into 17 worlds. Each world offer a huge map with hundreds of items, collectibles, treasures and challenges. I bet it would take long hours to max out even a single world. Also, each of these worlds have their own theme and art style and are inhabited by different creatures to interact with. You can also customize Mario with around 50 different outfits.

The main story is easy to beat, but really fun. The real deal starts after you actually beat the game, - and this is an awesome move by Nintendo – we get an extremely polished end-game content. From that point on, you’ll be put to the test. New worlds, challenges and probably the most fun part, hunting for new Moons. Well, we’re basically talking about a collect-A-ton, but to unlock or find a moon you’ll either have to complete a logical or platforming challenge or notice a suspicious spot where a Moon is hidden. While it might sound dumb on paper, it’s great to hunt for those, even in co-op multiplayer with a friend. You can also unlock new outfits if you collect the required amount of Moons.

Remember when I said, they were trying to recreate the original Mario Bros. with this one? There are a lot of platforming sections in this game, where you enter a tube and get transformed into a classic-looking 2D level. Of course, I didn’t forget about Cappy, your new cap. The newly introduced function works great. You can throw your cap and tranform into the enemy you hit. This option also allows Mario to use new attacks or open up new challenges, or better yet, new Moons, from which there are a thousand to collect.

Mario’s new adventure turned out great, a perfect candidate to win the Game of the Year award. I haven’t finished the game fully yet, and probably nobody else will expect for completionists. The game offers a lot of content, but I am sure we’ll hear about Mario again during 2018.