#god i hope they bring flora into the new game i would love something like this given the landscape

[ladyloveandjustice]

The Westing Game Chapter 23

Strange Answers

This chapter starts off with an extremely sweet moment, where Flora shows Alice a picture of her late daughter. Rather than make any snide comments out of jealousy like usual, Alice finally seems to grasp the whole situation, saying, “I think I would have liked her, Baba. Rosalie looks like a very happy person. I think she would have been fun to have around.” My heart MELTED.

Another  sweet and kind of sad note is that we do get confirmation Angela knows what Alice did for her and that Alice had to convince her not to confess. Alice thinks to herself, “now Angela would have to love her forever”. She would have loved you forever even without this, Al! God, this poor child.

I also like the moment of Judge Ford deciding to come out wearing awesome African fashion, possibly intended as a “screw you” to Westing- wherever he’s watching from. Sandy’s micro-aggression-ridden response just makes me more suspicious of him. Ford generously gives him all of the 10-thou they both receive to help him in his fired state.

(oh, also, I guess it WAS a wax dummy that was at the previous will reading, not Westing’s actual corpse? Somehow I missed that. Whoops. Reading comprehension.)

Meanwhile, the Wexlers have been rekindling their love for each other, which for them apparently means GETTING SMASHED. The tragic fittingness of Grace flat out being unable to recognize Alice …you know, I do hope Grace gets better, for her and her family’s sake, but I also just... want Flora to adopt Alice and Angela (if she wants), that would be the superior ending.

Doc Douchebag seems to have gotten a lot more subdued and generally has been helpful to others lately? It’s weird? I wonder if it’s entirely thanks to Angela ignoring him now, or if something happened we’re not privy to. Anyway, he’s checked out if there are records for plastic surgery on any of the heirs or Otis for Ford, and there are none. He also brings up that Sandy’s face is kind of beat up, which is a detail I forgot. What if Westing didn’t get plastic surgery and HE��S Sandy and Sandy’s face is a result of the accident? I can’t find a description of Sandy’s face even doing a Kindle namesearch to confirm if that’s possible, though…

But lets get to the meat of things. Everyone reveals their guess for Westing’s killer and as well as their new ideas for  what their positions in life are, gotta note those!

Jake accidentally put bookie, so I guess he’s being MORE HONEST whether he likes it or not, Sun is still “cook” but she’s actually here this time, at least!, And since these two haven’t really been working on the case, they don’t give an answer other than Sun trying out one of her fave English words, “boom”.

Alice has changed her status to “financier” and her answer is ‘HECK YEAH I PLAYED THE STOCK MARKET AND AM INCREASING MY CAPITAL”, good for you, girl.

Chris is now “ornithologist” courtesy of his brother giving him a fancy title. Denton (since he’s not acting like one right now for the most part, I’ll skip calling him Douchebag) simply put “intern” rather than giving the name of the hospital, does this indicate he’s more humble now and feels less of a need to brag? Or is just that everyone knows by now?

Sweet kid that he is, Chris decides not to accuse anyone despite all previous suspicions. He notes that he’s been given medicine and good things have happened to him since this started (his stammer has gotten noticeably better!) and decides based on that “Westing is a good man” for his answer. I wouldn’t go THAT far, but it seems Chris shares my theory this whole thing might be an attempt at atonement. Denton goes along with it.

Chris also notes Sandy is limping, why?

This time, Ford has simply put down “judge” rather than her fancy complete title. I wonder if she was simply tired of writing the whole thing down, or it this is an indication she no longer feels the need to prove herself to these people. Poor(?) Sandy puts “fired”. Ford chooses not to answer, as part of her “plan”. Mysterious!

Grace has changed from heiress to “restaurateur”, ironically taking on Hoo’s title. Probably also a good sign, she’s happy with the work she’s doing right now and isn’t depending on Westing giving her a windfall. This is reinforced when she drunkenly announces the reopening of the restaurant rather than giving an answer. Hoo has put “inventor” now, showing he gaining confidence in his creations (which seems to be his real passion) again.  He says the answer they’ve worked out, “Ed Plum”, rather hilariously making the lawyer put down his own name on the murder suspects list.

Otis didn’t change his answer, but Crow’s is now “mother”, even though she doesn’t remember putting it down. Otis  specifically remembers her putting down something different too, so this is definitely Westing manipulating shit (and this confirms Otis isn’t Westing or in on that nasty little trick). Crow decides her answer to the 'who’s the murderer” question is “mother”, showing she now feels responsible for Westing’s death, or just feels the sin of her botched motherhood means she should take the fall regardless.

Doug puts “champ” for his position, aw, he’s so proud, Theo put “writer” this time, showing he’s no longer defining himself as his brother’s caretaker. Theo, despite previously suspecting Otis, chooses not to sell him out after having seen him working at the soup kitchen.

Sydelle and Angela (I already discussed their changes), on the other hand, have no problem fingering Otis for it. They think it’s him based on “purple” being in their clues rather than “amber” waves of grain, buuuut I think this is down to them not having all the clues. After all, “purple” DOES appear in “America the Beautiful”, and I think we’ve gotten only one purple among all the clues that have been revealed, rather than two. Then again, there is that thing of “purple waves” being repeated...

After the clue reveal, Westing’s will specifies that Crow must get the refreshments, which is incredibly suspicious, why her? Alice and Angela do follow her, but I wonder if something happens to them while they’re out that will be important later...or if she’s being set up for something.

But hey, Theo wins the chess game with the invisible opponent that might be Westing! That means…something, I’m sure. Maybe that Westing will be caught, since he made a “careless” move?

At the end of the chapter, the will says “Go directly to the Library, do not pass Go” just so Westing can make it super clear to everyone he’s playing Monopoly like the ultimate capitalist. WHAT WILL THEY FIND THERE?

[jj-lynn21]

How A Girl Must Live Ch 1

Ch1: A place for singles

Ch 2: Popular, Ch 3 Opening Up  ch 4: Dating Ch 5:Family

 Ch 6 Violence begets Violence Ch 7 Love Birds Ch 8 The Big Fight

ch 9: The Flash back

  Notes: AU Willard Russel. In this story he still went off to the war. Instead of going home, one of the other soldiers offered him a job at a resort in the Catskills Mountains in New York. He has been there five years when the story starts. So, it makes him about twenty-five. The ages of those that come into the resort are 18-21 for females, 18-25 for males. The only warning I could put on this chapter is that it is 1950s so there were some rules for women that most of us would think of as ridiculous now. Our main female character sure thinks they are, but she was raised to go along with society, for the most part. No smut until the last few chapters.

taging: @super-pink-a-palouza @luciferreads @glasglowgrin @loomiz @princessloveme123 @hornyhetero @taintedglass @bohemian-brian​ @maryan028 @optimisticwagoneagleparty @scxrsgxrd ,@waywardtigersandwich @theskarsgardcult @babyboy-cody @bskarsgardlove92​ @bill-skarsgard-owns-my-ass @shenevertricks1831

  Thank you so much for the moodboard to start this off @flowers-in-your-hayr​

It was spring break 1950 when Samantha Davenport’s father insisted, she needed to find a man. There had already been talk about her amongst his friends that something might not be right about his daughter since she was about to turn 19 and had no male companion. No suiters at the door vying for her attention. So, he sent her to a resort that was known for putting people together. Some even ended up married at the resort surrounded by friends and family.  

“Mother, why is Father sending me away like I did something wrong?” Samantha pouted with her arm flung over her chaise lounge dramatically. “I am perfectly happy being single. My friend Tami has a dotting husband and three kids. She ain’t no happier than me.”

“Is not happier.” Her Mother corrected. “I do hope they encourage proper grammar at this resort for young people.”

Samantha rolled her eyes while her Mother’s back was turned. “Won’t I learn that at that God-awful finishing school that starts in the Fall?”

“Do not take the lords name in vain like that young lady,” She slammed the pink suitcase closed. “Your Father knows what is best for this family. Until you are blessed with a husband to help you make correct decisions, you will listen to your Father. Let us get you to the car. Your Father is waiting.”

Samantha huffed and stomped to the car. Her Father was waiting with his legs crossed at the ankles. He tipped his hat to his Ladies. Then he moved around the car to open the front door. “Mother.”

“Thank you, Father,” his wife smiled politely as she got in the car.

He opened the back door. “My beautiful free-spirited little girl.”

“Thank you, Father.” She felt deflated as she got in the car.

The car was quiet, other than the radio playing Elvis, The Platters, Pat Boone, Dean Martin, and other popular crooners of the time. It was a six-hour drive from Summerland, Ohio to the Mountain Lake Resort in Catskills, New York. As she listened to the music she glanced through the brochure for the place.  

The rooms looked nice enough. Four girls would room together. Friendships were expected. The boys were roomed in a different part of the building. An elegant dining area was found between the girls' and boys' areas. There was a lake and pool where daily activity would be held. Hiking, crafts, and board games were also organized to have something to interest all guests. The young people had to get involved with a minimum of three events per day. No smoking or drinking by any of the young ladies. The young men would have dedicated times when they would learn to drink and smoke casually.  

It seemed unfair having to take part in dumb activities. And the rules were worse than home. Her Father let her go shopping with her girlfriends and drive her own car without a man beside her. At the resort there always had to be a man to escort the ladies on the premises. They were to wait in the morning for a knock on the door at 6am. An escort would be there to bring them to breakfast. They could only speak when spoken to.  

A girl would not deny a gentleman's advances. Dating was strongly encouraged. Samantha thought it was absurd to have to entertain morons just so they did not feel bad about themselves. She would not be forced into a relationship to appease her parents. The idea of the man of her dreams being at some camp to get young people married off was ridiculous.  

When they pull up to the main building young gentlemen line the walkway. They are all dressed in impressive suits of grey, navy or black with ties. One of them rushes to open the back door. “Welcome to the resort Miss.” He tilted his hat with a smile.

“Sam.” She said with a smirk.

Her Father got out of the car to get her suitcase out of the trunk. “Have an enjoyable time Samantha.”  

“I’ll take her suitcase, Sir.” The young man stuck out his hand.  

Her Father handed the suitcase over happily. Her Mother waved to her from the car. She had a huge proud smile on her face as if dropping her daughter off at such a place as this was a huge accomplishment.  

“Follow me Miss Samantha.” The young man started walking and she followed as instructed. He took her into a communal area. Boys at the tables on the right. Girls at the tables on the left. There were some windows at the far end where she could see tables for two and four set up. “Have a seat, Miss Samantha. This is Miss Pamala, Miss Missy and Miss Flora. They will be your roommates. I will take your suitcase to your room.”

“Thank you,” She croaked softly as she sat down.  

The girls in unison giggled as they greeted her with a, “Hello, Samantha.” They all seemed just giddy to be there.

“I can hardly wait to be paired with my future Husband.” Missy squealed.

Pamala chided her. “Now Missy you should date many boys here to find the right one. You date some even more than once to make sure you are compatible.” She giggled.

“What is your strategy for finding a perfect husband, Samantha?”  Flora asked. “I am going to play hard to get with all the boys until I choose who I want. Of course, I will make him think he chose me.” She laughs with the rest of them.

“I have no plan.” Samantha’s voice was dull compared to the manic girls around her. “My parents think I can find my heart's desire here. I very much doubt that. But good luck to you three.”

“Just look at all of them over there.” Missy giggled. “The odds are in our favor.”

Samantha rolled her eyes. A couple in their late forties stepped out between the young men and young girls. The man tipped his fedora to the crowd before taking it off to hold to his chest with one hand. His other hand held his wife’s hand. He kissed it politely before letting it go. She curtsied to the room.  

“Good evening young people,” The man looked around the room making eye contact with some. “We are the Jones. You may call my wife Mrs. Sally. Please refer to me as Mr. Jones. Ladies are always to be called by their first names with Mrs. In front of it if they are married and Miss before that. All gentlemen here will be referred to as Mr. with their last name after. We do this so our ladies soon to be Wives and Mother’s we hope, will know the name they are to take. And the gentlemen should always know the first name of his possible wife when he is introduced to her.”

His wife kept a smile on her face. She looked at him in adoration as he spoke. She said nothing. She waited for him to allow her to speak.  

“We have a few rules.” The room groaned. “There are not many. They are not difficult to follow. You will all be dress in your finest daily. That is suit and tie for the boys. And dresses for the girls. Petticoats are optional but highly recommended. No slang words or curses here. You will always talk properly. Ladies will always be accompanied by a gentleman. My lovely wife will now talk to you about meals.”

“Good evening everyone.” His wife curtsied to everyone again. “Tonight, I helped Chef Joseph cook a chopped steak with baked potatoes for the boys and garden salads for our girls. Well, Mr. Joseph grilled the steaks and potatoes. I just threw together a salad he told me how to make. After tonight's dinner, I know you will all need some rest.

The boys room numbers coincide with the number on their table. Our young ladies will be escorted to their room by one of our male staff members. In the morning at six, girls you will start hearing a knock at the door. You will be ready to come down to breakfast prompting with the young man we send for you. Maybe he will be the one.” She was as giddy as some of the young girls about that comment.  

Samantha was already annoyed. It increased when Tab soft drinks were set on her table. She had no problem with her shape and the other girls at the table were varied sizes but that did not mean they all did not deserve a hamburger, fries, and a Milkshake like she would normal have when hanging out with friends. She never drank diet soda like Tab. Her Mother ate salads often. She did sometimes. But usually they all had meat, potatoes, and vegetables.  

“I’m sorry, I was babbling on so.” Mrs. Sally apologized looking at her husband. “Is there anything else you need to address, Sir?”

“You did as good as I expected Mrs. Sally.” He gave her shoulder a little squeeze that elated her. “All young girls are not to smoke or drink. It is not lady like. If your husband chooses to let you that is between you and him. Here you will not partake in such things. After the girls are in their rooms to get their beauty sleep any boys who want to partake in an after-dinner smoke and drink may do so under our supervision. That is the only time you will be allowed to do such things. Does everyone understand?”

“Yes Mr. Jones.” The room howled.  

“Good, now let’s enjoy our dinner.” He clapped. Women brought out the food on large platters for the young men and bowls for the girls. Samantha was starving. When she took large bites of her salad, the other girls just looked at her like she was insane. They all took small bites. Missy even used a knife to cute hers up. The others followed her lead.  

“Do you want your future husband to see you eating like such, such a heathen.” Miss Missy whispered.

Samantha’s mouth hung open for a second. “I down cheeseburgers in front of boys all the time. This is just salad and I am starving. “

“Well, maybe that is the reason you are not happily married by now.” Miss Pamala guessed with a snideness to the remark.

“If the men here only care about how I eat instead of who I am, then I guess I won’t meet anyone this way.” Samantha laughed before taking another huge bite just to annoy the other girls.

When a man was sent to the table to escort Samantha to her room, she went willingly just to get away from the girls she was sitting with for a few minutes. The young man who escorted her walked with his chin up looking ahead without conversing with her at all. She was fine with that. It took her roommates another half hour to finish eating before joining her. She pretended to be asleep in the twin bed on the right of the room closest to the window.

Samantha was restless laying in the bed. Her stomach was growling also. The other girls were sleeping dreaming of their wedding days. She decided to tiptoe to the kitchen to see what she could find. She did not know where the kitchen was, but it had to be somewhere behind the double doors the food was brought from at the dinner.  

She walked slow and steady down to the stairwell. She thought the elevator bell would alert someone to her late-night snack walk. She glanced both ways when she opened the stairway door to the main floor. No one was insight. She headed to the dining area thinking she would be free and clear but there were voices from the room.

“One more hand, boys.” A deep voice echoed. “No wilds. Treat your cards like a Lady. Respect them. Gaze at them lovingly. And make sure no one else thinks theirs are better than yours.”

Samantha snuck around them in the shadows as the boys laughed. The voices get muted as she slides into the double doors catching them, so they do not shut loud in the darkness. The kitchen was a sterile silver with a ceiling light in the center. She reached up to pull the string to turn it on. The area only illuminated slightly. There was a window at the fair end so she could she how the lighting would be fine once the sun shone in on the room.  

On her toes she reached to open a cupboard to find a snack, a glass or both. She found juice glasses. Then she opened the refrigerator to find more vegetables for salads which she had enough of already. But there was also freshly squeezed orange juice ready for the morning. She poured herself a glass. When she walked out after putting away the juice and shutting the light off, she stopped to hear the guys chatting, smoking cigars, and playing poker.  

“I will marry a beautiful girl to make my parents happy,” The one boy was saying. “Then it is off to the army for me to defend this great country.”

“I don’t suggest that young man,” The deeper voiced guy suggested. “You don’t want to see the things I saw. You do not want to be part of that messed up world unless you have to, you dig? I saw a man skinned alive. You do not want to see that kid. I don’t want you to see that.” His voice sounded haunted by the memory.

“Well, I’m going to keep my girl in line just like my Dad does.” Another younger voice chimed in. “Just smack her right in the chops if she sasses, disobeys or...”

Samantha heard a bang on the table that made her gasp audibly and drop her glass shattering it on the floor.

“You should never treat a woman like that,” The deeper voice seethed. “If I see or hear of you laying one hand on these ladies you will be out of here. And If I ever see you or your Father lay a hand on a Lady in my presence that moment will come back to haunt you three-fold.” He gets up. Straightens his tie and turns towards toward the noise. He softens his face smiling. “I’m sorry Miss. I did not mean to startle you. I was just teaching these fellas a few things. Hopefully, they listened.”

She nodded slowly scared she was in much more trouble than the boy he threatened since she broke a rule. “I’m, I just needed a drink. I’ll be going back to my room after cleaning up the glass.”

“The boys will clean up the glass.” He rose out of the chair towering over her.  

“Yes, Sir.” She glanced up his entire frame noticing his broad shoulders to his large bright green eyes that caught hers. Then she quickly looked down.  

“Isn’t that women’s work.” One of the men complained  

The tall slender man glared at the boys, “If a woman is frightened, we help her even if it means cleaning up a mess once in a while.” He looked to Samantha holding out his hand. “I will escort you back to your room Miss.”  

“I’m Sam, well Samantha.” She took his hand nervously.  

Samantha and the tall guy started walking away as the boys found a broom to sweep up the mess. It took them a few minutes. They also cleaned up the card game and empty beer bottles and the ashtray.

“I’m Mr. Russel.” the tall guy said as he pushed the elevator button. “Willard Russel. Do not worry, I will not say anything about you being out without an escort. You seem like a perfectly capable young lady to get a drink on her own. But please forgive my behavior with Mr. Goodland. I despise those that do not treat women with respect. What floor?”

“Seven.” She murmured. “I’m glad there are more men than my Father that believe that hitting women are wrong, Mr. Russel.”

“You just come to me if any of our boys get out of hand.” He put his arm out for her to get off the elevator first and walked her to her door. “I hope you find an absolutely true love here.” His face lit up when he really smiled.  

“Thank you, kindly Mr. Russel,” She smiled back barely realizing she was doing it.  

He opened the door she stopped at. She went inside and he closed it quietly behind her.

[blouisparadise]

Upon request, here is a third part to our A/B/O rec list. All of these fics are omega Louis and alpha Harry, and all of them are of course bottom Louis. You can find part one to this rec list here and part two here. Happy reading!

1) Save You Tonight | Mature | 4841 words

Louis is a headstrong Omega in charge of his own life. But he's more than grateful when an Alpha comes along when he needs it the most.

2) Whisk Me Off My Feet | Explicit | 5054 words

When Louis locks himself out of his apartment in just a pair of novelty underwear, he hopes his new neighbor can come to his rescue.

3) I’m Addicted To You | Explicit | 6167 words | Sequel

They don't get to do what Louis wants until a couple of weeks later, after being knee-deep in work and trying to cover everything that has to do with the topic. They agree on everything Louis would like to experiment with, and Harry agrees mostly on everything. It's not extreme per say, but not having to touch Louis during it, it feels a little too extreme for Harry nonetheless.

At first, he had complained about not wanting to do it because to him it felt that the most important thing of their sex life is when they get to touch each other and transmit each electric, thunder-like feeling they perceive in moments like that. Louis, on the other hand, had pouted, exclaiming that sometimes one had to step out of their comfort zone to experience new things. He had promised that in the first moment Harry would feel uncomfortable or lost in what they were doing he would immediately stop.

4) You Can Show Me Your Heart | Explicit| 6935 words

Note: This fic has been locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Everyone knows about the unsinkable Titanic, which tragically did just that in April of 1912. However, not many people know the story of the Carpathia - the ship that raced to rescue and aid the survivors of the Titanic when the distress call came through. This is the story of the events leading up to the luxury liner crashing into an iceberg on that fateful spring night. More than that, this is the story of how two of Carpathia’s passengers - Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson - met, fell in love and helped over 700 people in the cold Atlantic water.

5) Comforted By You | Explicit | 10465 words

Harry is head over heels for Louis but Louis is a stubborn omega who refuses to be treated inferior just because of being an omega. Harry learns to be more open-minded and move past his previous beliefs where omega's serve their alpha's and through the process they begin to fall in love despite Louis being resistant.

6) Where Do We Go Now | Explicit | 10617 words

Louis goes off to college ready to start a fresh life away from the oppressive alphas of his pack. The odds aren't in his favour when his new dorm mate turns out to be an alpha. Louis hates alphas.

7) Your Touch Is The Only Thing I Feel | Mature | 15979 words

Note: This fic only has blowjobs, but it’s omega Louis, so we included it.

Liam. Liam was finally here. Louis kept his eyes closed and cuddled farther into Liam’s side, revelling in the pheromones Louis’ body desperately needed. He wasn’t sure how long Liam had been holding him, but Louis figured it had to have been at least an hour by the way his body had loosened. The need of an alpha’s touch seemed to have been temporarily lifted from his mind.

Louis listened to the sounds of the pub around him. It was louder than before he had fallen asleep and he briefly wondered why Liam hadn’t just woken him to go back to their flat.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Louis’ eyes flew open at the sound of Niall’s voice, and the arm that had been around Louis shoulders lifted in the same instant. He missed the warmth immediately.

Louis looked from Niall’s stormy face over to the person who was definitely not Liam. The alpha Liam impersonator, who smelled a lot better than the actual Liam now that Louis was alert, looked back at Louis with wide eyes and familiar furrowed brows.

8) Holiday Greetings (And Gay Happy Meetings) | Not Rated | 18474 words | Sequel

Note: The first part of this series doesn’t have smut, but the sequel does.

"Onwards to drop me off at Robert's before you go to Harry's!" Louis proclaimed when they were safely in the car. Or at least Louis was safely in. Niall was still brushing the snow out of his hair that Louis had accidentally dropped on him.

"We're picking up biscuits first," Niall grumbled as the snow melted into his hair. "You can wait in the car."

After three times of the car sounding like it was dying a slow and tragic death, it finally decided to start.

"This is what happens when you try to change the name of your car after five years," Louis said as a reminder of Niall's stupidity. "You'd be upset too if you were a car named Greased Lightning with a passenger trying to get it renamed to Dusty."

"To be fair," Niall explained, "the name Dusty does seem a bit more accurate."

"Make sure to leave the car running while you're getting whatever you're getting from Harry," Louis said in disgust. "This car is going to choke for good after that comment and I don't want to be stuck at Harry's place when that happens."

9) Be Mine, Dear | Not Rated | 20104 words

The one where Louis just wants to meet his mate, and all it takes is for him to get a new neighbor.

10) I Wanna Be More Than Friends | Not Rated | 20721 words

He hadn't meant to scent Harry. They were best friends and that was it. Scenting best friends wasn't exactly socially acceptable.

"Lou," Harry whispered.

Louis jumped at his name and sat up straighter to provide a bit of distance between himself and Harry.

"You can't scent me, Lou," Harry stated.

Which of course Louis couldn't scent him. They were best friends.

"I mean," Harry continued. "I wouldn't mind exactly, but if I can't scent you, I don't think you should scent me."

"What do you mean you can't scent me? I mean, I get it because we're best friends but..."

"I mean I can't smell you, Louis. I fucking can't smell you. I can't smell anything, okay?"

11) Like A Siren In The Night | Explicit | 28648 words

“There is an infestation in my home,” Louis hisses, righting himself quickly and pushing his way past Harry, heading directly for the kitchen. He’s rather haphazardly dressed himself, a coat thrown on over a loose flannel shirt and black pants, slippers on his feet.

Harry resists the urge to sigh, closing the door and trailing behind him slowly. “What kind of infestation?”

For all he knows, Louis is going to claim that there’s a ghost infestation. Harry has no idea what the end game is here – all he knows is that Louis has found at least three complaints a week to bring up since he’s been living on Harry’s property, and he’s been living here for six months.

It’s way too many fucking complaints, is what Harry is saying. Especially when most of them are ridiculous to start with.

12) I Know How To Whisk (But Teach Me Anyway) | Mature | 32113 words

Louis scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “I don’t understand. Unmated alphas don’t just go into a rut out of nowhere. Unless…”

Louis grabbed onto Niall’s arm in desperation. “Am I a homewrecker? Does Harry have a mate? Oh my God, was he not flirting? Did the change in his scent not have anything to do with my smell yesterday? Did I just make that up!?”

Louis let go of Niall and dropped his face in his hands. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

“You’re an idiot,” Niall stated. Louis looked up to find Niall rolling his eyes. He snapped his laptop closed and moved to stand up. “I need to get some work done. Why don’t you stay here and think back to ABO dynamics 101.”

With that Niall hopped off the couch and headed to his room. He stopped and turned to Louis before he made it to the hall and said, “Oh, and Lou. You may want to reconsider your outlook on soulmates.”

Louis yelled after him. “Soulmates aren’t a thing, Niall!”

13) Welcome Back From The Friend Zone | Mature | 32354 words

The one where an idea to create a fake wedding with the sole intent to receive gifts from billionaires took a turn no one, but also everyone, saw coming.

14) Let Me Feel Your Heartbeat | Explicit | 34572 words

Harry is 98% sure Louis hates him. So he feels like his bewilderment is justified when the omega offers to help him through his rut.

15) If I Loved You Less | Explicit | 36139 words

Beautiful omega Louis Tomlinson is set to make his come out in London society and determined to find a mate in his first Season. With the help and protection of his oldest friend, Lord Niall Mendes, he takes Society by storm.

Being a wealthy and titled alpha means Lord Harry Styles has grown used to avoiding unmated omegas...until now. This Season he finds himself at every Society event just for a chance to speak with the omega with the flashing blue eyes.

Louis has the aristocracy at his feet and all the suitors he could hope for, but his secrets may ruin his chance at a love match.

16) Kiss Me On The Mouth And Set Me Free (But Please Don’t Bite) | Mature | 42017 words

Harry is the CEO of Flora Corp, Louis is his new secretary.

17) Our Hearts Beat The Same Rhythm | Explicit | 53210 words

"You knew, who I was when you agreed to be with me."

And Louis did know. Faith had a funny way of working because Harry Styles was Louis Tomlinson' soulmate. Harry Styles, who was the epitome of word ruthless man and Louis had been okay with it.

That's until Louis gets pregnant and has to run for his baby safety.

18) Strawberries & Cigarettes | Explicit | 75633 words

Two stories, eleven years, and the two boys that never stopped loving each other.

19) A Sea Without Water, A Compass Without Direction. | Teen & Up | 84804 words

"Tell me, Louis," Captain Styles said, leaning forward a little. "D’you think I’m an idiot?"

"I—what?" Louis asked, surprised by the blunt question. He had expected something different, something along the lines of how he learned music, or how he ended up as a prisoner on the other ship.

"Do you think I’m an idiot?" The captain repeated, putting emphasis on each word as though Louis couldn’t understand him otherwise.

"Of course not," Louis said, shaking his head. He’d be a fool for thinking such a thing, and an even bigger fool for saying it out loud. "Captain."

Captain Styles nodded slowly, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in his lap. "Then why did you lie to me?"

"L-Lie?"

"Out on the deck. You lied to me," he said. He held up his hand, three fingers up.

"Three lies total. I hate liars."

20) Love Me Until The End | Mature | 207053 words

"Dr. Styles there's an emergency at the maternity ward. The head nurse called for you, he needs you there as soon as possible." The trainee tells Harry over the phone, catching his attention. Louis Tomlinson, the Louis Tomlinson is calling him? He lowers his clipboard and nods his head, getting up from his chair.

"Tell Mr. Tomlinson I'll be there right away."

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[aire101]

Ferrum Chapter 5

LINK TO FIC MASTER POST

A/N:  Well, I'm definitely not winning Nanowrimo again this year, but I did get a chapter out earlier than previously, and hopefully I'll be updating again soon. Also, this chapter I attempted to briefly show different perspectives on the game being cleared, and both were based on what my own feelings would have been at two different points in my life, so don't come at me about it please. Take care of yourselves, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

---

The Town of Beginnings had changed remarkably from three weeks ago.  Sure, the buildings and streets were all the same, but the mood and tension in the air hung like a thick blanket over nearly every person within the walls.  In sharp contrast, the NPC’s on the street continued to merrily hawk their wares and interact with those in the street, most of whom seemed to be ‘out of towners’ like themselves.  From windows above, you could occasionally see a face peering down before a drape would be pulled closed again.

All in all, it was distinctly unsettling, but exactly what Tony had expected.

“I knew some would hole up in the starter town, but this is a bit more intense than I imagined,” said Peter, as they made their way towards an inn.

“Kid, almost two thousands people have died since this game began—two out of every ten people who started.  In all honestly, I’m surprised how many of us have hit the ground running,” said Tony.

“I know, but turning into a complete shut-in seems a bit extreme.  Its not like anything is going to attack you within the city’s Safe Zone…”

“You say that, but that assumption is born from an inherent trust of the system.  A system that has already been previously hijacked and altered to trap us all here on the whim of a asshole with a god complex.  Considering that, who do you really think is crazy?  The ones who can’t bring themselves to trust the system to protect them, or the ones who do?” asked Tony.

“I guess when you put it that way, I see your point.  But still, we’re probably going to be here for a while.  Are they just planning on staying in one room for the next however many years?”

“I imagine some of them will eventually venture out and find their own niche in the world, even if it isn’t battling the local mobs.  Some will start fishing, or hunting, mining, cooking… the skill list for the game is extensive.  Some entrepreneurs will probably start opening player run businesses and establishments.  But I doubt we’ll see much of that until the Level One Floor Boss is found and cleared.  These people are stuck in the dark without a light, believing the system is rigged against them.  They need to see proof of what’s possible, a light to guide them forward, before we’ll see any real progress here.  And even then, there will still be some who never go further than the walls of this city,” said Tony.  “The amount of specialized therapy everyone in this game will need afterward is going to make some psychologists rich.”

Ahead of them, Tony saw a sign for an inn and turned to Peter.

“You can go ahead and get us set up for the night.  I’m going to go and find a tool shop and a smithy, see if I can add a durability upgrade.  Do you need anything while I’m out?” asked Tony.

“Um… Maybe some more potions.  I used the last one back in the West forest.  Though god those things taste like dirty socks,” said Peter, checking his inventory.

“You know, if you stopped doing dumb crap like jumping between me and attacks you wouldn’t have this problem,” said Tony, with a dry tone and a distinctly unsympathetic expression.

“What’s the point of having each other’s back if I don’t guard it?” said Peter, completely unrepentant.

Tony threw up his hands as he turned and walked away, calling over his shoulder, “Potions it is!”

He didn’t have to look back, he could feel the boy’s eyes roll into his head.

As Tony worked his way towards the central market, he took in the graystone streets and buildings with ornate windows and battlements.  Every so often he would come across small barren plazas with lovely fountains and flora, nearly empty cafes and brightly colored vendor stalls. Even an occasional vista located just perfectly to allow someone a majestic view of the city and the surrounding area. Tony sighed, thinking of what could have been for this city that many had spent years of their lives developing.

The Town of Beginnings would have been a beautiful city without the miasma of despair that clung to its inhabitants.

It got him to wondering exactly what had come of his AIs, the ones Argus had requested.  He had almost had one completely coded at the time of their last meeting.  She had been a sweet one.  But since he had woken in the game, he had seen no sign of her.  Did they end up including her in the Cardinal System at all?

Maybe he should start poking around the GM user panel in earnest, see what he could find out.  So far, he had mostly kept away from delving into it, afraid of catching Kayaba’s attention.  But if there was something he could do to help, he would damn well try.  

Up ahead he saw a sign advertising a blacksmith and item vendor.  Eventually he wanted to try and open a smithy himself.  Peter seemed set on throwing himself into harms way (per usual), and if he was going to do that, Tony wanted to make sure he had the best equipment available to do so.  So Tony started learning how to do what he did best— make weapons and armor.

But to do that required a blacksmith’s forge and anvil.  And to get that required a hefty amount of Cor.  So for now, he rented an NPC blacksmith’s resources every now and then in order to improve and repair their equipment.

A bell jingled as he opened the door, undoubtedly triggering the customary NPC interaction.

“Welcome to Varden’s Smith and Sundry!  How may I help you today?” called the man behind the counter.

“I would like to buy potions,” said Tony.

“What quantities would you like?”

“Ten.”

“That will be 1,500 Cor.”

“Ugh…” Tony broke the script to groan.  He didn’t begrudge the purchase, far from it.  But seriously, the kid needed to stop getting hit in the first place.  His heart really couldn’t take this, and neither could their pocket book.

Who would have guessed he’d finally learn the concept of budgeting in his fifties?  And boy did it suck.

Tony opened up his inventory, removing the required amount to place on the counter.  As soon as it hit the counter, the bag of Cor flashed and disappeared.

“Thank you for your purchase!  Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Yes, I’d like to rent your forge,” said Tony.

“Ah, yes!  Come!  Follow me this way…”

—

As Peter entered the inn, he glanced around the first floor tavern where various parties sat around rough hewn tables over pub fare and pints.  At the bar, several others sat, conversing casually, though a little less intimately than those at the lower tables.  Making a decision, he approached the bar.

“What can I getcha?” asked the barman as Peter sat.

“Whatever today’s special is and a pint,” said Peter, setting the typical meal cost in Cor down on the counter.

The barman nodded, accepting the payment and placing a full pint down in front of Peter before turning to finish the task.

As he waited, Peter took sips of his drink and listened in on the conversations around him.

“Word is they’ve finally found the entrance to the dungeon, as well as a new town relatively close to it called Tolbana.  Hopefully within the next week or two they’ll find the boss and the first floor will be cleared,” said a woman to his left.

The girl sitting on the other side of her shook her head.  “But how many more will die clearing it out?  There’s already almost 2,000 names crossed out in the Monument of Life in the Black Palace.”

“What else are we supposed to do?  We either die trying to get out or die of old age stuck in a virtual world.”

“Would that really be the worst thing, though?  In the real world I’m in constant pain from my condition, some days I can’t even make it out of bed for more than the absolute necessities.  Here I can live without that.”

The woman next to him sighed, “I’m sorry for that, and I understand why you would consider the option of living within the system.  But some of us can’t.  When I dove, I told my husband it would only be for a couple of hours, then we could take our five year old son to the park.  They’re waiting on me to return.  I want to be able to see my child grow up.  So its a risk I have to take.”

The other girl nodded, “I get it.”

It was at that point the barman set a plate of what looked and smelled like chicken and roasted squash in front of him.  Peter thanked the man and began to eat.

“God that looks good…” said the girl a couple seats down.  “I haven’t eaten a proper meal in a couple days.  The black bread is cheaper, though its dry and doesn’t last very long.”

“You really should try and go hunting.  You’ll never make enough Cor or skill points to survive comfortably unless you do.  Even if its just around this area,” said the other woman.  “Going hungry for the next few years would be pretty miserable.”

“Sorry if I’m intruding,” said Peter, “but I’ve been curious about something— how often and how quickly do you get hungry in here?”

“Well, I haven’t really left the city, so I don’t make much Cor to buy food with,” said the girl.  “So I kind of just stay hungry throughout most of the day.”

“When I’m leveling I tend to press through instead of stopping to eat,” said the woman, “But when I am eating regularly, I’d say I start feeling hunger similar to how I would in the real world, about every four to six hours.  But I’m not sure if its tied to our real world feelings of hunger or a virtual schedule.”

“Might be a little of both… I tend to get hungry a lot in RL, but in here its spaced out a bit more,” said Peter, taking a bite of chicken.  

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the girl still looking wistfully at his food.  

“Sir, I’d like to order a second plate, but give it to her,” said Peter, nodding in her direction.

As the barman nodded and walked off, the girl started waving her hands.

“No, you shouldn’t do that.  Save your Cor—”

“It’s alright, I promise.  I’m in here with—”

Shit.  What should he call Tony?

“…Imagine being stuck in here with your dad.”

“Er— my sort of Dad, and we’ve been doing pretty good with the mobs.  So I can afford it.”

She looked for a moment like she was thinking of arguing still, until the plate was set in front of her.  She eyed the food before her eyes teared up a bit, and she nodded.

“Thank you.  I really appreciate your kindness.”

“It’s not a problem.  I’d do the same in the real world.  And what I would do there is what I should do in here,” said Peter.

“Those are wise words,” said the woman.  “And you are uncommonly kind.  I hope you are able to keep that, but don’t expect everyone in here to share your mindset.”

“I won’t, but just because others choose to not do the right thing doesn’t mean I have to.  We all have the power and responsibility to choose to do good,” said Peter, and he felt the intangible feeling within him that he had been wrestling with since the beginning calm.

It wasn’t that the responsibility was no longer his without his powers, it was that the power and responsibility was everyone’s.  

Perhaps it always had been.

And just like in the real world, there were those who used their power for good, those who used power for evil, and those that never used their power at all.  Most thinking they had none, just like the girl a couple seats down.

But if they worked together…

Peter felt his resolve form.

He was going to the front line.

—

As Tony stepped back out onto the street, he considered his options.

Obviously he needed to head back to the inn.  Afterward they could probably head out and take a look around town, seeing as they hadn’t really done so on day one.

But the memory of a café he had passed was singing its song…

He really missed coffee.

Surely they had some digital variation in this game.  If not he was lodging a complaint.

The café was just as vacant as when he passed earlier.  There were a couple people sitting at a table outside, but was otherwise empty of players.

The customary tinkle of the door as he entered prompted the NPC barista to smile and wave.  On the wall behind the counter was a blackboard with various items written— sandwiches and what Tony suspected were types of teas, and in a bottom corner there was a selection of drinks called ‘Kaf.’

“Bingo!  I’ll have a black kaf,” Tony looked at the pastries on display off to the side, spying a familiar donut shape with pink frosting, “And one of whatever you call this.”

A minute later he was sitting at a table out front, facing away from the two other patrons with his visor moved, taking a drink of the weirdest tasting ‘coffee’ he had ever tasted.  If he had to describe it he would say it was more like a tea, with floral and berry notes and a touch of honey, but with a darker color and consistency of a french press coffee.  It wasn’t bad, it just was not what he had been expecting.

Oh well, the donut was a perfect reproduction of a strawberry frosted Dunkin Donut.

“Man, if I make it out of this alive my wife is going to kill me.  She’s been super anxious since the Blip— not that I blame her, you know— and this whole thing was definitely not something she was very confident in to begin with,” said one of the men sitting at the nearby table.

“Damn… you were one of the ones caught up in that?  I lucked out I guess… I’m not really close to anyone and the ones I am were spared,” replied the other.

“Yeah, I know the Avengers ended up saving everyone in the end and I’m thankful for that obviously, but everything is still such a damn dumpster fire.”

That caught Tony’s attention.

The Blip?  Bit of an odd name for an Avenger’s battle.  How were the Avengers even a thing?  Last time he checked Rogers and his merry men and women were still considered war criminals at large.  The ‘Avengers’ consisted of himself, Vision and Rhodey.

“No joke.  Almost every economy is still tanked at the moment.  And I’m pretty sure half of upper New York State is a crater.  Glad that fight was over there and not in my part of the world.”

The bottom of Tony’s stomach dropped out at those words.  

“There was a battle… you won, but you took a lot of damage.  You’ve been in a coma ever since.”

Peter had never said anything else about the battle, and Tony hadn��t pressed.  But if a giant chunk of the state had been completely destroyed because of the battle surely he would have mentioned that?

Wouldn’t he?

Obviously a lot more happened in that battle than Peter had led him to believe.  Tony eventually being taken out of commission in a fight was one thing, but from the sound of things this was on par with the Battle of Sokovia.

So why hadn’t Peter mentioned it?

“It was good to catch up, we’ll have to do this again when I’m back this direction.  Or maybe on another floor if the rumors of the first floor dungeon door being found are true,” said the first man, standing up.

“Sounds good to me, though I’ll probably be pretty busy soon.  Some of us around here have started organizing to try and provide resources for the people here in town.  Some of them are players who don’t want to chance dying in the game, but there’s also some kids who are way younger than what the minimum play age was supposed to be.  A few volunteers have taken up residence with them in a church in town and we’ve been supplying them with food…” said the other man, as they both walked away.

Damn… that wasn’t something he had thought about, but of course there would be kids who either snuck in on a parent’s account or who were allowed to lie about their age to play the game.  Jokes about eight year olds talking crap on Call of Duty were a dime a dozen and everyone laughed about it, but here…

Maybe he should look into that, see what help he could offer.  Though unlike in the real world, simply throwing his money at the problem couldn’t fix it.  Mostly because he didn’t have any money.  Ugh…

Speaking of kids though, he’d need to decide what to say once he got back to his kid at the inn.  

Tony took a few deep breaths, trying to loosen up the hold his anxiety had started to take.  

Obviously whatever had happened had been huge— Avengers assembled (with or without Rogers and co?), massive property damage, Iron Man out of commission, every country feeling the economic backlash.  But unlike what had happened with Sokovia, despite the damages it seemed like the general public opinion after the fact was positive…?  

That was unusual.

Most importantly at this point, whatever had happened had affected people across the globe, but especially one young man from Queens.

Had he been at the battle?  Tony had initially offered the kid a spot after the whole vulture debacle, but after he had actually slept on it a few hours (the first time he’d slept properly in a few days) he had come to the realization that Peter turning the position down had saved them from what had been an awful idea in the first place.  And that was BEFORE May Parker had shown up at the complex in an unholy righteous fury.

So Tony could not imagine having called Peter into a fight, and if it had taken place at the compound like he suspected, Peter shouldn’t have been anywhere near there.

He wanted to go back to the inn and wrangle the details out of Peter.  Who was the fight against?  What was it about?  Was Rogers there?  If so, how was Rogers involved?  Why was public opinion seemingly in their favor for once?  Had anyone other than him been hurt?

Oh god… What if something had happened to Pepper…

No.  Peter would have told him that.  He wouldn’t lie to him about Pepper, and he had told him weeks ago that she was fine.  She was safe.

Tony dropped his head into his hand.

He wanted to ask all those questions, needed those answers…

But even if he got his answers, what could he do about any of it?

And was it worth potentially driving Peter away from him?  His kid.  The only person he knew and could dare to trust with the truth of his identity in this world?

No.  No it wasn’t.

He would just have to see what he could find out from others.  And hopefully Peter would eventually come around and open up about what had happened.  He trusted the kid with his life, he would trust him in this, too.

The walk back to the inn seemed much quicker than the one to smithy due to Tony’s preoccupied mind and nerves.  He was still unsure what to say when he got to the room.  He needn’t have worried though, because Peter fixed that problem.

“I want to start fighting on the front line.  I’m heading to the dungeon tomorrow.”

“Wait— excuse me, what?”

[kammieceleek]

The Princess, The Thief, and The Alchemist:  A Disenchantment AU

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a princess. She was beautiful and beloved by all who knew her. Never once did she disobey her parents and married her true love at the age of sixteen right after meeting him for the first time. Quiet and demure, she lived out the rest of her days as the queen of another kingdom, married to the king and being mother to every child she bore him. And she lived happily ever after.

Nope. That's not right.

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a thief. He was the son of a minstrel and a writer, though not their child by blood. He was tired of his life on the road and longed for a life of comfort and stability. One night, he broke into the castle of the king and stole the princess's tiara, which he sold in another land. He bought a manor for himself and his adoptive parents and became a wealthy lord, living happily ever after.

Dude, that's not right either.

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived an alchemist. He was quite wise and good at his job, serving the king dutifully and without question. Never did a day go by when he tired of his search for the Elixir of Life to make his king immortal. And one day, he discovered the secret. He made the Elixir and gave it to his king, who ruled the kingdom forever after. The alchemist was remembered as a hero and lived happily ever after.

For fuck's—why the fuck are you writing this shit?! Are you trying to put the audience to sleep?! This is the modern age! Nobody wants a cut-and-dry story without twists and turns! Nobody wants a goody-two-shoes princess who never does anything wrong! Nobody wants a thief to just get what he wants! Nobody wants anybody to get the fucking Elixir of Life! Are you insane?!

Well, if you're such an expert, Kamije, why don't you take over?

Well, I have been writing stories for years. I'm sure I can make something the people will enjoy more than your antiquated bullshit.

Says the woman who's still a Disney fangirl at the age of eighteen.

Shut the fuck up.

You were literally watching the season finale of Ducktales earlier while eating pizza and regretting your life choices.

Dude, I can do this.

Fine, if you think you can. Just know that nobody will enjoy it. You said it yourself: nobody wants a cut-and-dry story without twists and turns.

Oh, I've got twists and turns, sir. In case you forgot.

Good luck, sweetie. You're gonna need it.

I don't need luck. I make my own luck. With a luck machine.

Okay, now you're just quoting indie games.

Get out! I've got a quill in one hand and a parchment in the other, and if you don't leave, I'll shove my booted foot up your ass to kick you out myself.

Fine, fine. See you later. Enjoy catering to the mindless masses.

Fuck you.

Now that that's taken care of, let's get on with our story, shall we?

Our story does begin once upon a time, in a land far away. It begins in the land of Lilac, which was well known for its history and wealth. A beautiful land, ruled by Queen Candy in the stead of her late husband, King William. She was beloved by her people and all who knew her, and she expected her precious daughter, Princess Nicolette, to follow in her footsteps.

Too bad Nicolette—who preferred to be called 'Nikki'—didn't want to follow the rules…

"Your Highness, good morning!"

Nikki groaned as her maid, Lucy, opened the curtains. Lucy smiled at her mistress widely and curtsied politely.

"It's a big day, Your Highness! Everybody's waiting for you down in the dining room!"

"Let me sleep a few more minutes…" Nikki grumbled.

"Her Majesty sent me to get you. I-it's time for breakfast."

"Fine." Nikki got out of bed and saw Lucy holding a red dress.

"Here's your new dress—made from the finest silks of Flora."

"Great." Lucy helped her mistress put the damn thing on and didn't bother with the corset; after all, Princess Nicolette had inherited her mother's naturally slim-waisted frame and large… never mind.

"Here we go, Your Highness."

Nikki sighed and headed down the stairs. Servants and guards alike lined the corridor, all wishing her good morning.

"Morning, Your Highness!"

"Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"That dress looks amazing."

"You've grown up fast."

"Your mother is waiting for you."

"Have a good day."

Nikki entered the large dining room and sat down at the table, next to her mother, as usual. Queen Candy was busily going through some papers and signing where she needed to, all while eating her breakfast and drinking her morning wine.

"Mornin', Nicolette," she greeted her daughter, looking up and setting down her pen. "You look beautiful today."

"Thanks, Mom." Nikki began picking at her food. "Anything else noteworthy about today? Like… maybe the anniversary of one of your greatest accomplishments?" Candy gasped and put down her fork.

"Oh, God! I'm sorry, honey." Nikki's hopes rose. "That's right! Your weddin' is today! I can't believe I forgot! No wonder the servants have been so busy!"

"No, Mom, it's my birthday… too."

"Oh, happy birthday." Candy didn't sound nearly as enthusiastic. "But remember: Prince Edward will be here before you know it to marry you. Your maids will help you get ready, so hurry and finish eating. But not too much—you can't be chubby for the portrait!"

Nikki rolled her eyes and picked at her food some more before pushing her plate away.

"I'll see you at the wedding, I guess. Bye, Mom."

"Bye, sweetheart."

Nikki headed up to her room, where she looked at the wedding dress Lucy had set up and sighed. This was real. Her freedom was about to come to an end, just because she was the princess and her mother wanted an alliance.

Shit.

In Lilac, it wasn't just princesses who had shitty lives. Our next main player is a thief, named simply Max. Like the master said before, he was the son of a minstrel—named David—and a writer, named Gwen, though not their child by blood. Nobody in their little caravan was related by blood, save for the young daughter of the minstrel and writer, who was named Elizabeth. Well, besides those four, there were two other men and a platypus. Yes, a platypus. Her name was Muack (named by Lizzie a couple years earlier) and she was good at attracting attention—which worked well for Max when he wanted to pick pockets. Everybody was so distracted that they weren't keeping an eye on their wallets.

"Well, today's the day!" David announced to the caravan. "It's the royal wedding of the Princess of Lilac and the Prince of Woodland."

"Great," sighed Max, stabbing his dagger into the tree stump he was sitting on.

"Aw, c'mon, Max."

"Davey, please shut up," groaned Cameron Campbell, the leader of the caravan. "I have a hangover."

"What's a hangover?" Lizzie asked Gwen.

"It's something that happens when adults drink too much of the stuff I told you not to."

"We're going to entertain the guests as they arrive," David continued. "We all know our jobs, so let's get started!"

"Yay!" Lizzie attached herself to David's leg and he couldn't help but smile even more widely at the four-year-old.

Max sighed again, watching his adoptive father and his little sister go off. Gwen followed them—undoubtedly to detach Lizzie from David's leg. It was just Max, Campbell, and Jaspar.

"Do you know how much royalty is coming to this thing?" Campbell asked the three.

"Every family with more than a thousand coins to their name?" Max deadpanned.

"Exactly! And you're going to rob them!"

"Nah, I had my own idea."

"This isn't a good idea," Jaspar warned. "Davey doesn't like you stealing as much as you do."

"Well, his 'minstrel' business and Gwen's writing make us jack shit. I'm the one who's risking my neck so none of us go hungry."

"What's your idea?" Cameron inquired, pushing Jaspar aside.

"Here's what I'm thinking: I steal just one thing today, and that one thing will allow us to get out of here, once and for all, and start new lives as rich people."

"I like it. Simple, yet classy. What are you going to steal?"

"The princess's crown."

"B-but she'll be wearing it!" protested Jaspar.

"Duh. I steal it after the wedding, when she and her prince go to bed."

"This really isn't a good idea. You're good, Max, but nobody's that good."

"Watch me." Max pulled his dagger out of the stump and stood up. "Well, I'll see you guys tonight. I've got to stake out the church."

"Take the platypus," urged Campbell, picking up the creature by the tail.

"Nah, Lizzie will want her. Bye."

Max headed off towards town, slipping his dagger into its sheath as he went.

There's one more player in our story—an alchemist by the name of Neil. He was the son of the royal philosopher and considered a prodigy by all who knew him. Currently, he was busily experimenting with different mixtures, trying to create the elusive and legendary Elixir of Life. It would grant immortality to the drinker and bring Neil himself everlasting fame if he was successful. However, there was a slight hiccup with his work. And that hiccup was a childhood friend, a friend who would often invade his space to ask him questions and distract him from his never-ending (and, honestly, futile) quest.

And this friend was Princess Nicolette.

"Neil!"

He nearly dropped the vial of tonic he was holding as the door slammed into the wall.

"Nikki! Goddammit, I'm trying to work here!"

"I need a potion made," she stated, ignoring his objection.

"What… kind of potion?"

"Sleeping potion. Something to make me sleep until the end of the day. There's no way I can marry the Prince of Woodland, Edward Pikeman." She sat down on the stool by his workbench and crossed her arms.

"Nikki, I want to help you, but unfortunately, I'm the only alchemist in the kingdom who can make a potion like that. They'd immediately know who did it and I'd go to the dungeon for the rest of my life! I'm not risking my neck so you can avoid work!"

"Work?!"

"Yes! Being princess is your job, and it's unfortunate that your job requires you to marry a stranger, but there's no way around it. I'm sorry that you're not happy." Suddenly, something occurred to him. "Happy sixteenth, by the way."

"You know what's sad? You're the only person to wish me happy birthday without me reminding you that it's my birthday."

"Wow. Even your mom?"

"I tried to be subtle about it and tell her it was the anniversary of one of her greatest accomplishments, and she took that as me reminding her about the wedding."

"To be fair, this marriage was arranged ten years ago today. I'm sure it's been on her mind since then."

"I wish I could just leave…"

"And that would cause even more of a panic. You're kinda stuck."

"Well, time to go get ready. Are you coming to the wedding, at least?"

"I would, but I have a lot of work to do."

"You're not going to find the Elixir of Life. You might as well come see me sold off."

"All right. I'll get as much done as possible, then come to the wedding when I'm done."

Nikki took a deep breath as she sat in the bridal room in the church, waiting for her wedding ceremony to begin. Her heart was beating more quickly than usual from stress, anticipation, and anxiety. She just wanted to get this over with so that she could get on with the rest of her life. Maybe Prince Edward wouldn't be so bad as a husband. To try and calm her nerves, she peeked out the door to see her husband-to-be.

He had horrible pimples, with red hair and buck teeth. There was a sense of arrogance about him as he chuckled to his companions—a short man with an eyepatch and a taller man who was silent. Nikki shuddered in disgust as she retreated back into the room.

This isn't happening. This isn't happening. You're back in bed. Any minute now, Lucy will wake you up and Mom will wish you happy birthday.

"Nicolette?"

Nikki looked up to see Candy in the doorway, wearing a pale blue dress that went well with her pale green hair. She had an expression of joy.

"You should be smilin', darlin'. It's your weddin' day."

"I feel like I can't. I'm marrying a stranger and I'm only sixteen."

"Well, that's how I got your father, and look how I turned out."

"Oh." Nikki stared at her feet.

"Come on. Put on a smile and let's go out there. I'm givin' you away to your husband."

Nikki took Candy's hand and they walked out into the chapel as the music began. Everyone stood to view the bride, who was wearing her mother's wedding dress and looking just as beautiful. Her veil was over her face, so nobody could tell that she wanted to cry rather than smile. Edward smirked as she walked towards him, the ring in his palm and ready to go. Candy made a show of putting Nikki's hand into Edward's and he lifted the veil.

"You are quite lovely," he told her. She wanted to gag as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Thank you."

The old priest began to ramble about how they were there in the eyes of God, about to become man and wife as well as a prince and princess. Nikki could feel her heart pounding, still wanting to bolt.

And her opportunity came in the form of a drunken man wandering into the chapel.

"This the bar?" he slurred, a strange duck-beaver creature at his side. A guard came forward and tried to apprehend him, but to no avail.

That was when he started punching people.

Chaos broke out and her husband-to-be dashed to defend her. Nikki took the opening to make her way over to a window. She ripped her veil off her tiara and wrapped around her fist, cushioning it as she punched the glass and it shattered. The princess glanced downward. It wasn't too long a fall.

She jumped.

Max could hear the chaos in the chapel and smirked. Campbell was a master of attracting attention when he wanted to be. He probably feigned being drunk and started punching people. All there was to do now was wait for somebody to escort the princess out and snatch the tiara. Easy.

Above him, he heard the faint sound of glass breaking. He covered his head with his arms as the shards fell a few feet away. Looking up, he saw a girl in a wedding dress judging the distance to the ground. Evidently, she'd decided she could make it, because she swung her legs over the sill. Max scooted over a bit right before she fell and she landed in his arms.

"Wow, thanks!" she told him breathlessly.

The tiara!

Before he could stop her, she stood upright and dusted off her dress.

"Gotta go before they notice I'm gone. This might be my only chance out of this. Thanks again for catching me."

"Your Highness!" a guard yelled out the window.

"Too late. God, where do I go?" Max thought for a second, then grabbed her hand.

"Let's go, Princess," he told her. She ran after him and they ran past a skinny guy with curly brown hair.

"Hi, Neil! Wedding's off!" she called.

"Goddammit, Nikki! And who the fuck is that?!"

"Don't know!"

Max felt like laughing. This was gonna be too easy.

"There! He has the princess!"

"Shit," Max muttered. "Okay, Your Highness. Get ready."

"Ready for—oh, God!"

He lifted her over his shoulder and started running faster. The skinny guy (Neil, right?) was right beside him.

"Where are you taking her?" he panted.

"Out of town. Best place to go if you don't wanna be found."

"I'm faster than he is!" the princess protested.

"Not in the dress, Princess Nicolette."

"True. And don't call me Nicolette. Call me Nikki."

"Whatever, Your Highness."

She let out a growl as Max took a few detours in order to outmaneuver the guards that were still on their tails. He wasn't sure why Neil was following them, but he decided to let the guy stay. Within minutes, they reached the edge of town and where Jaspar was waiting with Lizzie.

"Max!" Jaspar gasped, leaping to his feet. "W-who are these people?"

"No time. Get some of Gwen's clothes and get this girl in the wagon."

Jaspar nodded and did as he was told.

"So, who the f—" Max put a finger to Neil's lips and shook his head.

"Language around Lizzie," he instructed. Lizzie climbed up on a stump and leapt onto Max's back.

"Max is back!" she announced, clinging to him like a possum to a tree. She was one-hundred-percent David's daughter—from the red hair to the light skin to the happy attitude. The only thing she appeared to have inherited from her mother was her violet eyes, which sparkled just like her father's.

"Yeah, I'm back," he laughed. "Were you good for Jaspar?"

"Yep!"

"She takes after you," Jaspar sighed, coming out of the wagon. "The girl is getting dressed. I figured I should give her some privacy."

"Who are you guys?" Neil inquired.

"We're a band of traveling performers, here for the royal wedding," Max replied. "I'm Max, and this is my sister, Lizzie. The blonde guy is Jaspar. What about you?"

"I'm Neil, the royal alchemist. Any reason you decided to bring Nikki here?"

"It's a good place to hide. Campbell would know—once he escapes the guards."

"What did you guys do?!" Jaspar groaned.

"Campbell made a distraction by crashing the wedding with Muack and pretending to be drunk. The princess smashed a window, jumped out of it, and landed in my arms. I helped her escape."

"You're bringing the guard down on our heads for that?!"

"Sure. Why not? It's not like they can ever track me."

"Okay, fair. You're good at avoiding capture."

"Oh my gosh!"

David came stumbling towards them, Gwen right behind him.

"You aren't going to believe this! The princess is missing! She broke a window and jumped into the street, where a mysterious man kidnapped her! Oh, the poor girl…"

"If you ask me, she dodged a sword there," Gwen commented. "Did you see that Prince Edward kid? He gave me a once-over and looked like he wanted me."

"I wish you'd told me," David sighed.

"Thanks for the clothes, whoever you are," Nikki laughed, coming out of the wagon. Her hair had been loosened from its updo and was freely bouncing around her shoulders, the tiara nowhere to be found. Gwen's clothes were a little loose on her, but that didn't matter.

"No problem," Max told her. "I'm Max, by the way."

"I'm Lizzie!" Lizzie piped up, dropping off of Max's back and hugging Nikki around the legs. "And you're really pretty!"

"Aw, thank you, Lizzie."

"P-Princess Nicolette?!" David gasped before Gwen narrowed her eyes at Max.

"Lizzie, grown-up words," she said in a low voice. Lizzie let go of Nikki and plugged her ears.

"Go ahead," Max sighed.

"Max, what the fuck were you thinking?! I know you're a fucking thief, but kidnapping?! You said that was too shitty for you! People are too valuable to steal, you said! Look what you've fucking done! You kidnapped the goddamn Princess of Lilac, on her fucking wedding day! Do you have any idea how much deep shit we're going to be in because of you, you asshole?!"

"You done?" Gwen took a deep breath.

"Yep."

"Then let me explain something to you. She jumped out a fucking window to avoid getting married. She was trying to get away. I helped her. You and David raised me to help people who needed it, and you're giving me shit about doing exactly what you raised me to do?! Nope. Sorry, but that's not how this works!"

"Okay, fair enough." She tapped Lizzie's arm. "Mommy and Max are done yelling now."

"Okay, Mommy." Lizzie unplugged her ears and smiled up at her mom.

"Ma'am, I'm grateful to Max for helping me," Nikki told Gwen. "I don't want to get married yet. I just turned sixteen today."

"Happy birthday!" David and Lizzie sang in unison. Nikki laughed again.

"Like I said, I just turned sixteen. I'm not ready to get married or be a mother or rule a kingdom."

"That's fair," Gwen conceded. "But still, asking a thief to help you?"

"I didn't ask. He just did it."

"Oh. I see." Gwen smirked at her adopted son. "Well, I'm Gwen, Max's adoptive mother and Lizzie's birth mother. The man with the red hair is my husband, David."

"It's nice to meet you all. I hope you won't mind if I stay with you guys to hide for a while, at least until my mother calms down."

"Not at all!" David chirped. "We'll add you to our group, if you want!"

"I'll stay to keep you out of trouble," Neil offered to the princess.

"Thanks, Neil."

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Campbell yelled, running out of the kingdom with the platypus.

And thus begins the adventures of the Princess, the Thief, and the Alchemist.

[trashpandaorigins]

Flight of the Wood God Ch. 16

“So what are we going to do with him?” Rocket demanded the next morning, as he and Groot stared down at the unconscious alien. Groot shook their head, they had carefully and reluctantly removed Rocket from their embrace upon sensing the first rays of the light and had wandered back behind the abandoned container, knowing nothing good would come from Rocket waking up and finding himself in such close proximity to another creature.

“I am Groot,” Groot had emerged after waiting a few moments as seeing Rocket struggle to stand. The raccoonoid only glowered at them but didn’t make any threat of violence. Instead he lumbered over to where the alien thug lay sprawled and motionless.

“Well?” He inquired, kicking the victim with one paw. Groot stood over him, scrutinizing the thing. Hadn’t meant to kill…….the world pod within them thrummed with conscern a Groot could not take a life! By their very nature wood gods were protectors of life, and even all the horrors of Halfworld can’t change that! Groot tried to reassure themselves as they pondered the alien before them.

“I…I am Groot?” Rocket grunted,

“No, he aint’ dead. You knocked him out pretty good though.” The wind howled between them, spiting sand into the flora colossus bark. “Guess we gotta kill him now though,” Rocket shrugged, obviously unperturbed. No! Can’t! Groot protested, stepping around over the alien and looking down at Rocket who seemed too exhausted to even attempt at touching the goon. He’s so hungry…thirsty….have to get…images of the market flooded before their eyes. The spices of the oreken cakes, the roasting of hattapan meat. Must get him food, must get units to get food. Groot looked at the thug, thinking. Could give him over to the officers…in exchange for units! If he was so bad surely they must want to catch him! They’ll be grateful and we can request units in exchange for him. And that way we don’t have to kill him!

“I am Groot!” They relayed. Rocket tilted his head, looking up at him with narrow, dull eyes incredulously.

“This might come as a surprise to you,” the raccoonoid growled after Groot explained their plan. “But I already had a run-in with the officers, and broke outta their prison too! If I go back now they’ll arrest me.”

“I am Groot,” you seem to like being arrested and breaking out of prisons. Rocket raised a brow, then sighed.

“Fair point,” he moved forward picking up one the aliens large limbs in both his paws. “Let’s see how many units the Otrino officers want for this sucker.” Groot grinned, easily throwing the thug over their shoulder as they headed back into the market.

Thus Groot and Rocket’s first bounty was delivered. The criminal that had been harassing Rocket was wanted by the Otrino officers on five accounts of fraud and twenty-four accounts of thievery. They even forgave Groot for their own thieving, provided they sign some strange thing with strange script that confirmed they wouldn’t do it again, which they happily did. 200 units, 100 each was enough to buy Rocket some much needed food, which he devoured at Groot’s delight. Groot themselves purchased more water-though they were sure to get it from a different merchant and the two of them.

“I…I am Groot?” Groot asked, drinking down the last of their water and feeling their branches go taunt with strength. Beside them Rocket finished his own reetle sandwich, ears pricking up at Groot’s use of the word “we.” The wood god waited for Rocket’s answer, wants to be alone they could sense from where Rocket sat. But only because he’s known nothing else. Afraid of how to be a partner. Doesn’t know, fear. Fear masked as anger.

“I, I don’t know what we should do next.” The strange creature finally admitted. Radiance and joy sprang from Groot’s proverbial heart at Rocket’s answer. We. Yes! We! Groot grew their arms out, unable to contain themselves and hugged the raccoonoid close to their side. Rocket’s ears flicked down, he bared his teeth and Groot moved to retract their embrace, “a’right, a’right don’t get chummy! I’m keepin’ you around because your handy in a fight okay?” The raccoonoid yanked away but Groot only stood and felt themselves elated with possibility. Companionship! Friendship! Yes! Halfworld did not totally destroy him after all! They stopped, looking down at the empty clear container of where the water had been. The water they bought with units from a bounty. Groot hoped the officers wouldn’t kill that thug but…they couldn’t be sure. Did Halfworld…destroy us? They still conceptualized themselves in relation to all other Groots and world pod within them. They sighed, shaking out the leaves attached to their arms and followed Rocket as he tossed his wrapper halfhazardly on the sand. Otrino had nothing left for them, and so they decided they should look into getting off “this sandbox” as Rocket put it. 200 units, or rather the 150 they had left was not nearly enough to buy a ship. But it was enough to buy passage aboard a cargo vessel that Groot was able to bribe the captain with. They sailed to Ptellion, found a bounty there-a gang of low-level criminals and captured them in an alley way on the planet’s capital city. This brought in 1,000 units with which Rocket spent his share on two new guns. Next they stored away aboard a tourist cruiser, though Groot didn’t like sneaking. Rocket assured them they weren’t doing anything truly wrong. They traveled around the galaxy in whatever way they could without their own ship. Pulling bounties where they could and not all of them successful either. Rocket got caught and imprisoned a majority of the time. During which the wood god would roam around, distracted usually by all the new people and smells and things to discover! After the tenth time Groot knew Rocket would make it back to them eventually and stopped fretting. It was par for the course. It was after tracking and bringing down a Stakrian boss who ran a crime ring out of Wobat and a reward of 5,000 units that Groot discovered alcohol for the first time.

“This shit is great!” Rocket slugged down another shot of Asguardian whisky. “Had it in that Trakavian jail few turns back!” Groot peered at the strange amber liquid. Not water…? “Just try it!” Rocket encouraged, waving the bar tender over for the second time.

“What d’aya want?” The large alien asked. Groot looked at Rocket who nodded,

“I am Groot.” The bar keep frowned, doesn’t understand. Why can’t he just understand?

“Yeah nice to meet yah Groot now what do you want?” He demanded.

“I…am…Groot,” the wood god explained slower. The alien rolled his eyes and jabbed a finger at the wood god.

“Look buddy I ain’t here for games. Get your drink or get out!” Anger.

“I, am Groo…” they tried to explain once more but was met with something hard hitting against their bark. Hands. Pain. Halfworld?! Groot moaned in pain and confusion, hands coming up to defend themselves, closing their eyes on instinct against the flare of the electricity or fire they expected. A bottle crashed, splashing liquid over their bark.

“Hey!” Rocket shouted, and Groot startled up from the stool with the sudden weight that fell on their left shoulder. Bang! Bang! The wood god spun, get out! Get out!  Not again! Get out! Halfworld! Hurt, burning! No please! They grew out their arms, barreling into tables and knocking over booths, tripping on the patrons that ran for safety.

“I am Groot!” They shouted as they bolted for the door, why can’t we make them understand? The prongs, knives. Carving. Chasing. Chemicals, stale, lights, cold metal. Chains. Stinging. Groot ran through the memories, the flashbacks of the lab. Even as the barkeep shouted and threw things after them. Even as Rocket fired his gun and Groot tumbled out of the establishment into the street. ��I am Groot!”

“Groot!” Rocket’s husky, growling voice close to their ears. The weight on their shoulder did not lift, Groot shook, waving their arms in attempt to get it off as they opened their eyes, and stopped. “Groot it’s just me!” Rocket perched upon them, small claws holding on to the top of their head and toes into their shoulder. Groot looked at the raccoonoid. Didn’t mean to hurt them…didn’t mean to hurt you…Halfworld…burning. Memories…the scientists. Masks. Cuttting and carving. Bark splitting, leaves ripping.

“I…I am Groot,” they gasped. Rocket’s face contorted in worry,

“Hey. Bud, it’s alright okay? No one’s gunna burn you.”

“I am Groot?” Rocket nodded, looking them in the eyes. Not love. Not yet. Friendliness. Care. Concern. Conscious. “I…I am Groot.” They watched a hesitant smile come to Rocket’s muzzle and the raccoonoid climbed down from their shoulder.

“No Groot, it’s alright.” Rocket’s eyes searched for something momentarily looking at Groot. Emotions unreadable. Finally the raccoonoid shifted his stance, the moment breaking. “Now, lets get off this trash dump. Forget em’,” Rocket waved in the direction of the bar. From their suit he pulled out an odd looking data pad.

“I am Groot?”

“Swiped it off a desk Atren Law Enforcement Headquarters when we brought in Ironelen.” Groot watched Rocket’s finger flip through the different planets until Groot saw something, and pointed.

“I am Groot!” Rocket stopped, reading the alien script,

“It’s called Zat….Zandr…Xandar?” Groot looked at the glowing screen, Rocket shrugged. “Sure, we’ll see what bounties they got.” The wood god nodded, Xandar.

[reubscubes]

Horizon Zero Dawn: ReubsCubes Review

Mankind has a few standout achievements. The Wheel, Fire, Internet, cheesecake. Sadly however, the list does not include robot dinosaurs. And until such time as the scientists of the world rectify this grievous error, videogames will have to make it up to us. I can only assume that was the opening of the design document for Horizon Zero Dawn, because this the best thing since Cheesecake.

The following contains spoilers for Horizon Zero Dawn. I will attempt to keep overall plot points and character moments vague, but if you’ve not played the game then proceed at your own risk.

Tumblr ReubsCubes Twitter ReubsCubes

I love dinosaurs. Love is a strong word and it is exactly the one I want to use. I was obsessed with them as a child, dragged my long suffering parents to the Museum of Natural History at every opportunity and Jurassic Park remains one of my favourite movies. As a consequence I am incapable of being objective about anything involving dinosaurs, large aquatic or avian reptiles and almost all megafauna in general.

But my predilections for animatronic extinct reptiles aside, HZD is already a contender for my favourite game of this year. Please note that I haven’t played Neir Automata, Resident Evil 7, Persona 5, Mass Effect Andromeda, Breath of the Wild, Torment: Tides of Numenera or any other fantastic games that came out in 2017.

Horizon (and i’m choosing to  shorten the name because the whole thing is a really awful mouthful) tells the story of Aloy, a young woman born under mysterious circumstances into a primitive world that humans share with gigantic highly advanced machines, in a world that is clearly our own, an unknown time after some kind of apocalypse. As Aloy attempts to understand more about her own origins she is drawn into conflict with a evil cult known as The Eclipse and must battle for the fate of the world. Along the way she discovers more about the long gone old ones and the secrets of her origin.

Nothing particularly out of the ordinary there, naive but intelligent hayseed sets out to find their place in the world and finds evil deathcult. Friends are made, difficulties overcome and we all learn a few precious lessons about friendship, family and how entitled tech sector dickheads will be the downfall of us all.

The world itself is more interesting than either the bog standard medieval fantasy or nuke blasted post apocalypse might be. Rather than the immediate aftermath of the calamity, where people are trying to rebuild their societies and loves with the shattered remains of the world they’ve lost, the time and distance between the old world and the societies that have followed after are much more pronounced. There’s a lot of sun and nature worship and even the most basic and obvious facts about our world have been lost in time. Case in point, the scholar in the city of Meridian who’s convinced coffee cups were ceremonious vessels used in holy rituals, as opposed to cheap tat mass produced to drink instant coffee from. The issue of instant coffee itself never comes up as presumably nescafe did not survive the downfall of humanity.

Women are at the forefront in Horizon Zero dawn. Aloy’s belongs, ostensibly, to a tribe called the Nora. They have a tribal society where led by a group of venerable women called the Matriarchs and worship a goddess they call the All-Mother. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of proscribed gender roles for men and women, they all share in hunting and fighting and childrearing. Members of the tribe are of various different ethnic backgrounds, although again in a post apocalypse racial origin become a little vague. It’s a pretty equal society for all genders and races and a society that respects and elevates women is pretty rare, especially in the overly macho world of videogames. Diversity is dealt with pretty well, gay and trans characters are given plot lines and backstories that don’t hide their identities, but also don’t get caught up pointing out how inclusive they’re being. The interaction with the character of Jeneva, the warden of Sunstone Rock prison, is a particular standout. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbow in the valley of the Nora.

The Nora are a fair and equal society true but they’re also intensely superstitious and insular. They see themselves as one of the chosen people and anyone who leaves their blessed homelands is not allowed to return. Aloy was raised s one of the outcast, the members of the tribe exiles for various crimes. The Nora only ever treat her with disdain or fear and as a result she has even less respect for their customs and traditions as you might expect. Aloy cares about people and wants to do what she can to help them but has absolutely no patience for their restrictive belief systems.

The characters are noble but flawed in all too believable ways. This kind of excellent writing defines the world of horizon. The world is a mix of ancient cultures mixed with hyper advanced technology. The world is full of machines, technology so far beyond the imagination of the people in the world around it regard it as the magic of the gods. Which bring me to the most impressive part of Horizon’s incredibly detailed and designed world. The machines.

Holy mechanical t-rex they’re amazing! Most open worlds populate themselves with flora and fauna to hunt and be hunted by. Whether it’s the more grounded animals from the Far Cry series or the creatures of european myth that haunt the fields and forests of the Witcher, worlds are defined in a very significant way by the creatures that roam them. And the machines of of Horizon are spectacular, in design and execution. Based at least partly on real life animals mixed with the stylized technology, they’re the apex predators of Aloy’s world. Many of the designs, like the Behemoths and Watchers, recall prehistoric animals,  but even the more recognisable critters like Grazers and Lancehorns straddle the line between beautiful and practical.

If the machines themselves are spectacular then the places they’re built are even moreso. The cauldrons are secret caves deep within mountains at the edges of the world where the machines are built. Once it has been located and the outer perimeter breached, either by solving a puzzle or overcoming the powerful machines guarding the gates, then Aloy can descend into a puzzle dungeon that would not seem out of place in Legend of Zelda. These environments are absolutely beautiful and more than a little eerie. And once you realise what they are and how they work you’ll want to run through them all again.

Where Horizon differentiates itself from a lot of other games in the genre is how it expects you to hunt its wildlife. You don’t have the firepower or defense to go in guns blazing so instead you have to use stealth and manipulate the environment to bring down the beasts. Aloy is armed with only a bow and arrow and a few gadgets like trip wires to take down sentient robots capable of crushing her underfoot. You can’t go up against a herd of Tramplers and expect to melee them to death. Much more likely they’ll trample you. Hence the name.

Instead you have to pick your moment, analyse the weaknesses of each type of machine, (a process which becomes easier and more natural as the game progresses) choose the type of ammo then set your traps. Then, when halfway through your perfectly constructed ambush a lone Ravager suddenly dives into the melee and ruins your painstaking set up you have to improvise feverishly to try to salvage the situation or at the very least not die. There are shades of Witcher and Monster Hunter to the combat, even some Shadow of the Colossus. Like the titular Colosi, the machines feel like part of the world, and feeling the more majestic creatures is almost tragic.

Once the beasts have been felled they can be scavenged for parts, although this whole system does feel underdeveloped. There two types of collectables that you can harvest from enemies but most of them only really need to be used once or twice. You can sell them for money but that leads to you having far more than you can possibly spend. After a little while it becomes a little tedious to hunt machines for its own sake. Although the combat is reminiscent of monster hunter it has a very long way to go before it matches that franchise as far as rewarding players goes.

That a slightly unfulfilling crafting system is the worst thing horizon has going for it is indicative of how excellent a game it is. The world manages to be familiar and brand new all at once, and the same applies to the mechanics of its open world. Guerilla games have created something very special in horizon and I hope that we’ve got lots more of it to look forward to.

Thanks for reading!

[astarion]

I finished Fire Emblem Fates a while back, meaning Revelation and the extra plot-related DLCs.  In short, I enjoyed them a lot, though the final plot portions for Revelation do fall kinda flat by the end.  The Hidden Truths and Heirs of Fate DLC sets improve those points a little bit, and as stand-alone maps they are very challenging and fun (Hidden Truths 2 and Heirs of Fate 5 and 6 are my favorites in those sets) but one shouldn’t have to pay for extra DLC for knowledge that should’ve been in the main game (maybe should’ve had Hidden Truths just be available after beating Revelation?  Heirs of Fate was something fully new though.)

Been wanting to make a post on it for a while since I had made some earlier while going through the games, and I want to wrap it up properly.  One of the things I didn’t like seeing as I took my time playing was seeing people I follow go full-on into it, and then come out disappointed in the end.  Having finished it, I can see and agree with a lot of those points, but at the same time I still enjoyed the game very much and had a great time.  But I can’t deny that the plot and extra details that should’ve been there that makes the series so wonderful... didn’t live up to the potential its announcement had me get hype for (though overhyping was my own fault definitely).  Getting into heavy spoilers after the break, of course.

As a whole, the things I liked most about the game were the music, gameplay, and overall presentation.  The soundtrack is stellar the whole way through, and the gameplay changeup with the weapon types still held strong.  I like they way they used the weapon triangle to have tomes/bows/knives in the mix along with the usual sword/lance/axe group, and it continues to do well in Heroes, I’m finding!  And the final boss fights are exquisite.  Birthright feels lesser than Conquest and Revelation, but only because Birthright’s is so... normal compared to the other two.

Now it’s time for the bad parts.  I mentioned this in an earlier post, but Corrin and company really should’ve held off on having kids until the war ended. So many childhoods lost in time.  (The kids themselves are alright characters though.)  Also, 

Now, for real, issues with the game, starting with the plot:  As was shown all the way back when it launched, it all centered around “the choice”.  Hoshido, Nohr, or neither, as had been made apparent since game was announced.  This ends up being the first major problem.  But it’s not in the nature of the choice itself.  All three do have the major effect that sets the game into the specific paths.  Birthright and Conquest proceed logically enough: Side with Hoshido, and while the Nohrian siblings are shocked and saddened, they ultimately pull their punches because they know that they are on the wrong side, but being royalty they can’t abandon their country.  Side with Nohr, and Hoshido is legitimately outraged and hold nothing back, but seeing Corrin’s determination and actions in battle is able to convince them to take a chance on them; not that they have many options after being defeated and invaded.  Revelation... uses some contrivances to keep everyone from joining up immediately.  I mean, it would be too much to have everyone drop their arms just because Corrin pleads with them to stop because they love them all, but the brothers all get very hostile, and then there’s the whole curse things that comes up... it’s a bit of a mess but manageable.

But the choice never really lives up to its hype.  The routes are pretty similar in context, just that the kingdoms you’re fighting are mostly turned around.  And even then, there really seems to be a main order in how it should be played, just by how the escalation happens along with plot reveals: “Birthright -> Conquest -> Revelation -> DLC”.  

One of my biggest issues though, is that by the end of the game they simply don’t go far enough with the consequences of the different path splits.  The fates of Nohr and Hoshido at large are given, but other than that, nothing is really said about the losing side or the other areas of the world after the war, despite the whole conflict being a world war. For each path, none of the “every-route” characters really have anything different about them despite your route.  You’d think Mozu and Kaze would at least have some reservations about fighting for Nohr in Conquest.  Likewise, Jakob, Felicia, and Silas having to fight against their homeland in Birthright.  Only Azura seems to have different thoughts about the routes, which is expected, as she is a vitally important main character.  More annoying than that though, is that you don’t get epilogues for the characters of the other side that may have survived.

One example of this:  In Chapter 23 of Birthright, during the fight against Camilla, Elise’s retainers, Arthur and Effie, are on the field as enemy units.  If Corrin is able to bring Elise (who’s helping them and is hiding in their shadow or something) to talk to them, they join up as green units, who you can protect through the fight.  Do so, and they survive and wish Elise well (as Elise sends you away to prevent you from actually getting any of them as units.)  Elise then dies a plotline death in Chapter 26 trying to stop Xander and Corrin from fighting.  However, even though you could save them, Arthur and Effie, and any possible reaction to their liege’s death, is never seen.  And if, like me, you played Conquest first this is extremely jarring!  There’s other characters who can be fought as enemies or ignored in their final fight, but nothing comes out of sparing them.  How are we supposed to really feel the consequences of our actions if we don’t see their effects!?

Another major issue with the plot of this game is its worldbuilding.  By the end, you know very little about the world and the people who live in it, only the most basic of knowledge for any of the nations, minus any details found in supports of course.  Some of my gripes:

With the game starting as it is and how Chapter 3 goes down, you’d think that everything west of the Bottomless Canyon is Nohr, and everything to the east is Hoshido.  Nope!  Turns out that there’s many other nations which don’t really amount to much plot significance outside of their chapter.

What happens to Izumo after Izana’s death in Revelation?

The celestial event that happens in Chapters 16-17 of Revelation is pretty striking, the skies over the nations changing like that.  Why does this literally not happen in the other routes despite the game taking the same amount of time generally?

Takumi’s disappearance.  You don’t find out about it in Conquest, but apparently he was taken to the Bottomless Canyon in Birthright and Conquest so that he could be possessed and become the final boss of Conquest.  He’s also disappeared in Revelation, but apparently was just chilling in Izumo?  Despite it taking longer for the team to find him?

What doesn’t Felicia know about hers and Flora’s situation with Corrin that Flora doesn’t want to talk about?  This actually is answered, but only in a special case.  If you didn’t make a female Corrin on Conquest so that Jakob could fight her in Chapter 8, you will never know the whole truth.

Hoping for those ancient texts in the MyCastle Library to be translated after getting far enough in the game?  Nope!  It’s a cryptoquote puzzle with the last text as the cipher.  Either solve it or check the internet. (It has some spoilers though.)

In the end of Revelation, Corrin liberates the secret kingdom of Valla from Anankos’ rule and becomes its new monarch.  Is there even anyone left there that’s alive after the whole possession/Faceless mutation/curse powers that Anankos was doing?

Who was that unamed knight who visited the rainbow sage?  He’s mentioned when you visit him but it is never followed up on.

The worst though, is that the final big reveal of the game, the identity of the mastermind and why they’re trying to destroy the world?  It is the ancient Dragon God Anankos, who’s doing this do so because his primal impulses of his biology took over and made him madbecause he lived for too long.  

That’s... really weak and disappointing.  

And that’s all you learn about Anankos... in Revelation, that is.  Revelation has next to nothing about him, in no small part because he created a curse that would evaporate anyone who spoke of him or the kingdom of Valla outside of the Kingdom of Valla (even across dimensions!), and then acts like it’s humanity’s fault that they forgot him.

However, the DLC fills in some much-needed details.  From Hidden Truths, it was revealed that Anankos was able to see into the future and knew this would happen to him eventually, but loved humanity so much that he didn’t want to abandon them, so he also came up with ways to try and counter this issue.  They ended up failing, of course.  Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if those visions contributed to him raging in the first place, like a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Then after being abandoned and sealed up save for his closest human friend, he ends up killing him when his rage takes hold again, and ends up ripping out his soul because he couldn’t live with himself.  Now being minus a soul, of course his actions are going to be nonsensical and apathetic to anything around him.  And then Heirs of Fate shows his actual true plan in his madness after finishing the destruction of the world: go through the astral planes to find a reality where he didn’t go insane and destroy everything, so that he could get back to his beloved kingdom.  The thing his, because he’s still insane, he still sees humanity as a problem, and because his descent into insanity was inevitable, by this point there is no alternate reality where he didn’t go insane and kill/enslave everyone in Valla.  I still think the whole Biology!RAGE thing is bullshit as this wasn’t an issue for dragons in the other Fire Emblem games I’ve played, but these details do give something to his character where there was nothing before.

Back to Revelation though, the real heavy villain turns out to actually be Gunter, taking Takumi’s place from Conquest as a possessed living puppet of Anankos.  Although he’s somewhat underpowered, he has motivation, is an awesome character story-wise, (mainly if you took the chance to get his supports in Conquest and respect the guy first), and has a delicious irony of Anankos exploiting his motives for revenge against Garon, to end up serving the same monster that butchered his wife, child, and hometown. (Because from what the game tells about the real Garon, it could only have been the slime-puppet who would’ve ordered such a thing).  It sets it up pretty well... if it didn’t also spoil it by preventing you from supporting with Gunter at all on that route.  Way to spoil the Chapter 26 twist all the way back in Chapter 7/8, when hints are supposed to be dropped around Chapter 25... I guess it makes sense, since Corrin or Jakob might’ve noticed something was wrong with him if they engaged him on a more personal level, but after you release him from Anankos’ control you still can’t support with him then.

So... that’s pretty much it.  I enjoyed this game a lot but it was dragged on for way too long, and didn’t fully deliver on its premise.  I am very hopeful for Echoes though.  Having to write only 1 re-imagined story that already mostly exists instead of 3 and not having to deal with dating pool support groups hopefully means the story and writing will be a bit tighter like some of the previous games.  Plus that snippet of an in-game cutscene looked more expressive than most of Fates’, which just used default character combat actions.  Already signs of improvement I hope!