#i checked the other cards too. no dice.

[yoiasa]

I've always wondered about knd's opinions and thoughts about asamom tbh. we don't really get that much info about it, she didn't really speak that much when mfy talked about her on two occasions, and people kind of assume that she's on the same page as mzk and en, that knd also sees her as a terrible parent.

I would think the same, if it wasn't for this one small moment in one of knd’s card stories that made me think otherwise and has been on my mind for quite some time now. that perhaps knd might see asamom in a somewhat positive viewpoint (compared to mzen's and to us viewers)

tldr: with asamom eventually finding out her daughter’s music friend and will go have a nice “friendly chat” with said friend will be inevitable at this point considering this is what the events have been building up, just like in ena’s event where mfy’s worldview about her family has slowly been shaken once she’s in the shinonome household, i do hope that kanade too would experience the same thing, in order to truly understand what mafuyu's going through

in the 2nd side story of knd’s lost child card mfy logged in early and the two of them talked. about what happened when mfy got home, what’s her mother’s reaction, as well as her announcing that she won’t be attending their nightly meetings that much. 

her reaction, and her response to mfy are the ff:

(Translations by Magica on Youtube)

yeah...

if you know that your friend's mom is a shitty parent then i don't think that this is gonna be your reaction. now i know that knd isn’t really the type of person who will pry too much on someone's life or feelings if they seemed uncomfortable in sharing it (sure there was that one time in the marionette event, but she learned from it afterwards). however, mzk and en managed to get a grasp of mfy's situation despite mfy not really telling them the whole context on why she seems down and terrified, so why not knd ?

one main factor of this is because of kanade’s upbringing. she came from a family who raised her with love and care and she treasures her memories with them, even if her time with her mother has been a fleeting one and her only living parent is currently in a state where he cannot recognize her. their love for her is genuine, and they don't impose their own values to her.

that is where her bias lies.

so perhaps in knd’s perspective asamom is just an overprotective but loving mother who’s may be a little too overbearing to her daughter, and not a parent who pushes what she wants on others, one who controls her child's actions to make sure that she's the perfect daughter to the point that it suffocates their child.

contrasting to mzk and en who had some experiences and can relate to mfy's current situation to some extent. mzk's family seems to be supportive of them, but they know the feeling of always being pressured to fit into other people's expectations of you, and being ostracized if you didn't, and en with her dad trying to discourage her to pursue art which ends up into losing her confidence and self-worth in both of her art and as a person.

which is why i believe ena helping mafuyu was very crucial for the latter in that she manages to somehow shaken mfy’s perspective and how she slowly starts to realize that her mother might not be as loving as she might have initially thought and that she’s slowly having doubts about her. not fully. but the seeds have been planted in her mind. not to say that kanade’s support isn’t good or isn’t helping at all or anything, it’s just that it’s not the most appropriate one in her current situation. there's only so much she can do. there's only so much that they can do.

(i mean ofc the best ideal help that mfy would be getting is family counseling and therapy but that's currently not accessible to her. will the game even acknowledge this at all, even just a passing offhanded mention ?)

knd knows that mfy seems to be suffering, yes, but she knows that asamom is important for mfy as well. even if she does know the full context, i don't think that knd will risk severing the familial bonds that mfy has with her mother

kind of ironic that the person who’s the most understanding to her, the one who wants to know her better, is the one who understands her the least here.

they may be connected together in their shared despair, and that both of them may be similar with having struggles with their parents but it's clear that their experiences are different as yoi and asa

i have no doubts that knd will realize that asamom isn't a good parent at some point and that she’s primarily if not the main reason why mfy’s suffering and is currently who she is. with the potential yoi event looming in just a few days, this scenario might happen. i do believe it's a bit early that asamom will confront her though (the event ending in a cliffhanger where she finally found out her child's music friend could be a possible outcome). but the upcoming event could be the turning point, where she will slowly figure out asa's situation, and it's where she will realize that not all parents were as loving and warm as hers, and her established beliefs about it will be challenged. she needs to have an eye-opening scenario in order to fully understand what mfy's going through right now

because in order to truly understand a person, you must put yourself in their shoes, and that involves working out your own beliefs and personal biases

[aninventoryofthepossible]

Solve a murder in No-Tell Motel. Just don't get it wrong.

My new single-player TTRPG, No-Tell Motel, is now for sale in my online shop!

What does it look like, you ask? It looks like this:

The premise: You're the overnight clerk at a shady by-the-hour motel. Last night, one of your regulars murdered another one, and no one - least of all the cops - seems interested in finding out who did it or why.

So it's down to you. Night after night, use a deck of cards in a Solitaire-like spread to track who checks in and out of your motel, who they get entangled with, and sift through gossip to find out how they know each other - and get that much closer to finding out who did the deed.

Just be careful. As the nights wear on doubt will creep in, and evidence will start to point in multiple directions. Make the best case you can, because if you get it wrong - and you very much can - disaster follows.

No-Tell Motel is a 32-page black & white zine featuring a gorgeous cover and character art for 16 motel guests all by artist Shawn McGuan. All you need to play is the book, a deck of Poker cards, a six-sided die, and (optionally) the Dossier and Ledger available for free at the itch page.

"But Ken," you ask. "Can I get any memorabilia swiped from the crime scene?"

"Of course you can, you weird little goblin," I answer. "Here's how."

You can get the following items a la carte, or get every dang thing in the Employee Bundle (pictured above) for $32 right here.

The "Dice Tray" is, of course, for rolling dice and nothing else. Whatever else you do with the "Dice Tray" is between you and your night shift manager. Tin "Dice trays" are 5.4" in diameter and available right here.

It has four grooves to hold things that aren't dice. I have no opinion about what you do with those.

The Room 7 Keychain is exactly what it sounds like: the keychain for the room where the murder happened. It's 3.75" long high-quality plastic with hot stamp foil imprint on both sides. If you attach this to your keys, just be prepared to have an alibi. I know a guy. You can get yours here.

Also, all orders will get a couple-few Stellar Motel matchbooks thrown in until I run out, which shouldn't be for awhile. (I have like 2,000 of these!)

Sorry that's a lot of sales talk - I just personally follow a rule that I only make merch of stuff that I, personally, want. I wanted these things for myself, and they frankly kind of rock, and add a lot to the sleazy, winking atmosphere of No-Tell Motel. Hope you like them too.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hi folks, it’s Mint.

I’m on a mini-vacation this week so I’m going to be releasing some recommendation posts for things that aren’t related to requests (easy to queue), and I’ll be back to doing regular rec posts when I get back!

THEME: TTRPGs For Palestine.

This is going to be a list of recommendations of games that you can get in the TTRPGs for Palestine Bundle. There’s plenty of games in the bundle that I’ve recommended before, so I’m going to try and focus on games I haven’t talked much about before. You can look at the bottom of this post for some of the greatest hits!

The bundle is on until June 29, so make sure to pick it up before it's too late!

LORDSWORN, by Mareensmusings.

You rode to war at the call of your God, swore yourself to Their divinity as the drums of war beat from every corner of the Pantheon. Standing beside your divinity, Their purpose so clear and noble, you felt immortal. Beside your fellow Lordsworns, you felt your victory a certainty, battle but a trivial formality.

Now They lay dead before you, Their Godblood flowing into the dirt. Already the world lurches in distress, twisting at the loss of a God, one of many to die this day. Your Captain, too, lies broken, entrusting the survivors of your Company to the you. Of the thousands who rode out, you are all that remains of your Company.

Your God is dead. You only have each other now.

LORDSWORN is a GMless TTRPG for 1-4 players of tragic, fragile stories of desperate survival and comradery at the end of the world. In LORDSWORN each player takes on the role of three soldiers who swore themselves to a (now dead) God during the Cataclysm, an apocalyptical battle that saw all the Gods of the Pantheon go to war. With their God dead and the world churning and reeling from the death of the Pantheon, you and a handful of survivors must make the trek back to the only place that makes sense anymore – Home. 

LORDSWORN is a collaborative game that guides your group into the story of a company, of which each player will control 3 Lordsworns. Your characters can be chosen from a list, or drawn randomly using a deck of cards. You navigate the game over four stages: world-building, company creation, the journey home, and the epilogue. The game is designed to be tragic, even if your company makes it all the way home. The core rules are built off of Caltrop Core, which means that you will rely mostly on d4s anytime you have to roll dice, but unlike many other Caltrop Core games that I’ve seen, the system is less focused on chance and more focused on oracles. If you want a game of tragedy that focuses on the story rather than the characters, you might want to check out Lordsworn.

Lamplighter’s Festival, by ira prince.

The lamps have been there for as long as we can remember. The lamps have never been there, and only appear for tonight. The lamps are strange and new — we’re still getting used to them, making space for them in our lives. We know exactly what the lamps mean, and we’ve committed their history to heart. We’ve forgotten what the lamps mean, even if the gravity of it still hums and shimmers around them. We’re deciding what the lamps mean, weaving their purpose in more tightly every year, every season, every eclipse. Tonight, we light the lamps, and we tell our stories about them.

Lamplighter’s Festival is a map-drawing game about a nighttime festival, and the things it can illuminate about the place in which it’s celebrated. It can be played alone, or collaboratively if you like.

Lamplighter’s Festival uses the random placement of dice to draw out a location, at whatever scale you like. You use the pattern that ensues to create locations on the map called Lamp Locations, which you will elaborate on as you play. At the end of the game, you will have not only a festival, but details about the different elements that are required for it to happen properly, and possibly the cultural meanings behind the festival. If you want a game that helps you build a place and a culture around one specific event, this might be the game for you.

A Labyrinth Like Us, by z.w. garth.

The minotaur city of Ut sits in the center of an endless labyrinth. The labyrinth twists and turns, it folds and rearranges. And from its dark halls pour forth monsters, which tear and smash and destroy.

You are a minotaur in your district's Guard. You respond to the waves of beasts that wreck havoc and mayhem—repelling the danger and protecting the afflicted. You carry with you your hopes for Ut's future, and your fears for its present. Rally with your neighbors to protect one another. Carve a home in the labyrinth.

A Labyrinth Like Us is a 2-page roleplaying game in the OSR/sword dream tradition. It requires 3-5 players, including one Keeper, 2d20 and 2d6, and these rules. 

This game is reminiscent of, but not a direct replication of any specific myth. You play as minotaurs in a labyrinthine city, plagued by horrors that they can only face when working together. Your minotaurs use emotions to empower special abilities, which are mainly combat-focused.

The game is only two pages, with one page introducing you to the setting, character creation, and how to play, while the other provides roll tables and advice for the Games Master in order to make the labyrinth feel dangerous and dark. If you want a game that presents you with a challenge but doesn’t overwhelm you with rules, you might want to take a look at A Labyrinth Like Us.

HYPERMALL: Unlimited Violence, by Rat Bastard Games.

Do you hate your boss? Like, REALLY hate your boss? 

HYPERMALL: UNLIMITED VIOLENCE is a mission-based corpo murder TTRPG about assassinating the rich and famous. Enter the consumerist hellscape of THE HYPERMALL where death is cheap and life is cheaper. HM:UV is an unhinged gonzo meatpunk sci-fi dystopia buzzword game for financial geniuses. 

You're a CONTRACTOR for SLAUGHTR™ - The Assassination App - and your job is to Murder Your Target Without Dying. You're already in debt. You can't afford unnecessary Resurrections when rent is due, and you absolutely do not have health insurance. GET TO WORK. 

Become a mutated killing machine, a psychic murderer, or a cold blooded cyber criminal. Try your best to make ends meet. Die a lot. Kill cops. Get paid.

This is a game of cathartic violence, with random roll tables to help you build a unique character quickly, pulling from d66 backgrounds and meshing together rules from games like Troika and PbtA. Combat isn’t just physical in this game: you can also fight your opponents in the finacial and social spheres, allowing you to take down someone three different ways.

The really difficult part is figuring out how to kills someone permanently, since there’s a resurrection matrix inside the Hypermall that makes death kind of hard to stick. If you want to unleash your fury in increasingly creative ways, you might want to check out HYPERMALL: Unlimited Violence.

Heaven / Hell, by Joel Happyhill.

Hell, The Underworld, Hades, Yomi, no matter what you call it seems like everyone’s ended up here. No one has any memory of their life before, if such a thing even exists. But one thing rings true, none of you want to stick around.

Heaven / Hell, otherwise known as 2H, is a competitive 1 VS 1 tabletop game set in the underworld. It’s meant to recreate the systems and strategies created by traditional fighting video games, allowing you to mix and mach a number of recognizable fighting game archetypes and optional rules to play your dream fighter through the medium of pen and paper.

Heaven/Hell is more like a competitive board-game than it is a tabletop roleplaying game. Your characters will travel across a board as they do battle with each-other, with distance and positioning being crucial in developing a strategy.

One mechanic that seems to help emulate fighting games is the use of the Underdog Token, which is granted to your character whenever you take a Wound in a round of combat. This Token can be spent in the following round to reveal a new Technique or do something called Flash Parry for a second time. You use this ability to halt another player’s move in its tracks, culminating in a scene that you might see in a dramatic fight where two opponents are holding each-other off with their weapons, possibly snarling at each-other as their faces draw close.

If you want the tactical complexity of a board-game combined with the dramatic moments of high-action tv shows, you might want to check out Heaven / Hell.

Hexfall, by Titanomachy RPG.

Stratus Cay is a floating city in the Rift, a digital quantum dimension at the intersection of the smallest black hole in the multiverse and the concept of becoming. The city is made of countless islands, a hyperreal archipelago adrift in flashing interdimensional lights. An infinite smattering of lives, as varied and precious as the stars themselves.

You are a hyperpowered being who came into larger-than-life abilities because of a profound cataclysm. Heartbreak. Grief. The depths. Physical, emotional, multidimensional–something unlocked incredible power in you. People like you have many names across Stratus Cay, but the most common is “Diver,” a nickname derived from their affinity for falling through the Rift, either on dangerous jobs or just for fun. 

Divers’ abilities run the gamut of even the wildest imaginations, and their extreme power and durability makes many of them reckless thrillseekers. The pay is too good and the thrills too extraordinary to turn down the opportunity to go on a dive.

Hexfall takes the tried-and-true method of hexcrawling and turns it on its side, by making your travel vertical; you’re diving from the edge of a floating island and falling into the Rift, retrieving artifacts, harvesting resources, and enjoying the thrills of free-fall. Hexfall has combat, puzzles, and mysteries for you to solve, but it also gives you space to roleplay and get to know each-other’s characters, using a token system for actions like helping out your fellow divers, and signifying when you want to role-play a narratively significant moment between you and another person.

What really stands out in this game though, is the character playbooks. Do you have wings made out of swords? Do you carry the blessing of a giant? Have you embraced the fungal form of decay and rebirth? All of these are possibilities within various playbooks of Hexfall. If you want a game about thrill-seeking and finding meaning in a world that, as fantastical as it is, still demands you work out why you want to live, you might want to try out Hexfall.

Abominations, by Elliot Davis.

They tried to tell you to stop playing God.  You replied, “Who’s playing?” and spliced in another gene. 

What is an Abomination?

A living amalgamation of various forms of flesh, machinery, and whatever you can stick it together with. Some slimy, some hairy, some are covered in eyes. Others are a knot of tongues and fingers. An Abomination is whatever you can imagine it to be, tossed in a blender and put back together.

ABOMINATIONS is a tactile, GM-less TTRPG for 2-6 players. Using a set of letter tiles and some 10-sided dice, you will create one-of-a-kind monsters of your own design. Then take them into the ring for a fight to the last scraps.

This is a game that feels kind of like a biological version of Robot Wars. Instead of constructing robots and pitting them against each-other, you’re creating monstrous mutating piles of flesh and throwing them in the ring. Your characters are to an extent, somewhat pre-defined: each player chooses a vowel, which represents something of your character’s personality, as well as the secret mutation only they have access to. You play using Scrabble tiles, with each letter granting access to specific mutations, from Guns for Arms, to X-Ray Vision, to a Zipper Down the Middle!

If you want a goofy game of slapstick and body horror, I recommend Abominations.

Greatest Hits

Wanderhome, by Possum Creek Games.

FIST, by Claymore.

Apocalypse Frame, by Binary Star Games.

Bump in the Dark, by Jex J Thomas.

[felassan]

Mark Meer: "Dropped by the @/Modiphius booth at @/Gen_Con to check out their new @/masseffect board game! Thanks for having me, folks. 😎 #/GenCon2024 #/MassEffect" [source] Modiphius: "It was a pleasure having you stop by! So glad you liked the minis" [source] --- Calvin Wong Tze Loon, board game co-designer: "hi devon! hope we can meet one day, was lovely working on the game" [source] Devon Gardner, Consumer Products Licensing Manager at BioWare Edmonton: "I hope so too! Had so much fun working on the game, your knowledge and revence for the Mass Effect universe was/is inspiring. :) Surreal to see it all out there with people playing!" [source] Calvin: "listen how else are we to spread the gospel of calibrations" [source]

Some more from the upcoming Mass Effect board game, which had playable demos at Gen Con this weekend just past. :) the rest of this post is under a cut due to length.

The game will be $50 (they were aiming for $40 but didn't make it) and is co-op but also one player. the game contains 12 dice, 2 books, 5 character sheets, like 40 cards, 6 minis (for painting if you like), tokens and a rulebook. the game will also be available in Spanish. the game includes calibrations hh. they hope to release in "Novemberish"/Q4. it also sounds like they plan to create expansions for it!

it sounds like everyone who played the game at Gen Con during the demos loved it! co-designer of the board game Calvin Wong Tze Loon (who designed things such as abilities and lore for it) shared some insights about the creation of the game, and the feedback folks who played it at the con had, on Twitter:

"'even people who didn't play mass effect liked it' this makes me so happy because this was one of our target audiences. people who enjoy games but aren't necessarily fans of the series. aaaaaaaaaa" [source] "'solved many problems the genre typically struggles with' also really proud of this. as huge tactics nerds Eric and I are always trying to sand down issues that get between the player and the game. clunky line of sight. long set up. lots of admin and bookkeeping." [source] "'got to do [classic thing favorite character does] what more can you ask for' i put many, many, many hours into the character abilities. this was really hard. asymmetric but balanced. accurate to the video game but simple and intuitive. play well off each other, replayable..." [source] "'the mechanics and paragon/renegade represent mass effect so well' one of the biggest compliments i got is that everyone who's worked on this game whether at modi or bioware cannot wait to get their copies so they can keep playing it." [source] "there's a type of person who will see this box and go fuck yeah take my money, no questions asked but we still wanted them to feel like they got their moneys worth with it. we crammed this box about as full as we could but we worked super hard to make the experience easy and fun" [source] "we worked really hard to make the game as replayable and enjoyable as possible whether on playthrough 1 or 10. we know mass effect players love to replay the game over and over so we built that in from the start." [source] "when we started making the game out target was actually 40 dollars so it would be so absurdly cheap people would just impulse buy it but we didn't manage to get there" [source] "seriously i can't wait for people to play it" [source] "mordin was planned but we had to cut him because dev time was pretty short and also we ran out of space for his mini on 1 mould :(" [source] "god i spent SO many hours on the ability design but it's one of my favorite things to do so that's fine. i'm so glad it paid off. shepard's ability alone had like 20 versions" [source] "one of our goals for this game was to take the things we personally found were 'getting in the way' from tactics games and present solutions. 'find tile 13A'->map book. make campaigns short&replayable instead of 'see you in 6months for mission 2'. super long teaches." [source] "eric paid super extra attention to the graphics cause the game is pretty complex we wanted minimum friction in terms of ux" [source] Gavin Dady, Senior Project and Process Manager at Modiphius, also commented - "We also wanted to make not just a Mass Effect game, not just a good game, but a good Mass Effect game. Everybody involved said early on that it had to be an authentic Mass Effect experience and, gosh darn it, I think it is." [source] "We have review copies heading for the local relays in the next couple of weeks. Some are already in transit with Quarian fast couriers using hot-tuned drives." [source] "We've worked very hard to make sure it's not just a good game, or a Mass Effect game, but a good Mass Effect game. It's a franchise that is close to my heart too (I'm the project manager and visionary) so we spent a long time making sure we got it right." [source]

[other post sources: source, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen]

[arsene-inc]

TTRPG projects

Now that I have published Cooking in Dungeon, let's check my games' ideas document....

Oh there's a lot of them

Started projects that I shoud restart working on :

A game where, instead of dices, the group use sound effects, for rolls and for character stats ( and my Nagademon 2021 idea)

A Rumor of Crows, my Nagademon 2022 idea. The basic idea is you play ravens from Sandman.

Where the magic never ends ? , Nagademon 2023. In a world where theme park really are magic, where does the magic go when the park is abandonned ? As Coaster Mages, whose powers come from different attractions, it is your role to explore these parks and bring their Spark back. For this one, the rules are mostly written, they were based on HUNT by GilaRPGs. It is playable. I need to write the gm section and I already got some illustrations made for this. Also a setting I want to explore with other SRDs

A series of games based on the Four elements, with water started. Poetic and fantastical adventures in the dream realms kinda vibes

Game ideas I want to make but haven't started writing :

Yandere Battle Simulator

A ttrpg that uses tcg cards, Magic, Yugioh and the likes.

A gacha ttrpg

A Ruin exploration games with a mechanic that destroy the ruin if the players damage it too much

A business card ttrpg to give to strangers

A system based on the Gods Favor

An achievements based system

Alien incognito on earth

Every room in the world can suddenly become an Escape room

Playlist warriors where a character's playlist is their stats/powers

A game in which, to succeed at something, you must always give something in exchange.

A Vtuber ttrpg

Revenge of the bassists, they're tired of being underappreciated.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 35 - HUMOR

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: kellifer_fic

kellifer_fic wrote some of my favorite fics in this fandom, period. Their voices for the Avengers are all immaculate, and their way of writing dialogue is nothing short of incredible. It's even funnier than Marvel canon sometimes, and that's a feat that not many can pull off. I adore their fics, and if I could rec every single thing they've ever written here, I would. But alas, I'll restrain myself to some of my favorites.

Here's some of their work that I think you should check out:

jealousy is all the fun you think they had

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 3,887 Tags: Jealousy, Bucky Recovering, Fighting & Making Up

Summary: Is it socially acceptable to be jealous of your boyfriend's ex-dead best friend?

Reasons why I love it: This fic is equal parts hilarious and a glorious trainwreck of Tony self-sabotaging himself, which is very on brand for him. I love how nonchalant Bucky is about the whole thing, he truly is the best bro. And JARVIS is just the best, full stop. I adore this one, and if you haven't read it yet, you absolutely should!

Therapeutic Guidelines

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 8,357 Tags: Action Figures, UST, Team as Family

Summary: "Are you suggesting I get a bunch of bunk beds in here and squeeze us all into one room?" Tony scoffs and the woman just looks at him. "No, wait-"

Reasons why I love it: Doctor Barrow's role in this fic is actually kind of genius. I love the plot twist and everything leading up to it. There are so many funny moments, I can't even say which one is my favorite, but I especially enjoyed the team bonding. This fic is wonderful, and you should definitely read it!

99 problems (and the dice ain't one)

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 10,784 Tags: Living Together, DnD, Resolved Sexual Tension

Summary: Tony's life is almost perfect. He lives in a converted warehouse full of friends (and one frenemy), has a job that leaves him plenty of time to think about other things and a regular Friday night campaign. If his best friend, Steve Rogers, hadn't moved away to New York and left him behind, then perfection would've been achieved. Tony can roll with the punches though and he's almost all the way over that little bump in the road (shut up Bruce, he totally is) when Steve moves back, looking taller and broader and more confident than ever and Tony's left with a converted warehouse full of friends (and one frenemy), a job that leaves him plenty of time to think about other things, a regular Friday night campaign and the uncomfortable realization that maybe he's in love with his best friend and has been since he was sixteen.

Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, they're all such nerds, I love them! Tony the grumpy hermit is adorable, and I love how ass-backwards Steve and Tony are when it comes to their feelings. Plus, the team as family vibes in this are phenomenal. Definitely check this one out, it's fantastic!

even the cake was in tiers

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: NR Words: 5,500 Tags: Accidental Marriage, Magic, Team Bonding

Summary: I'm pretty sure I'm married to Steve Rogers.

Reasons why I love it: Just the title of this fucking sent me. The Tony sass is on another level in this one, and I'm enjoying every second of it. I love how Tony has a whole Ebenezer Scrooge moment about his life choices, and the ending is super cute. This fic is wonderful, and I hope you go and check it out for yourself!

one hundred percent skill, fifty percent luck

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 7,418 Tags: Poker, Pining, Kidnapping

Summary: Where there is a poker game, a v-card and general misunderstandings.

Reasons why I love it: I love how everyone on the team clearly understands what's happening, except for Tony. All of the poker night scenes are amazing, and I'm super impressed at how well this fic is balanced between humor and drama. I love it, and I bet you will too, so I hope you'll give this one a shot for yourself, if you haven't already!

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Special Interest 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, age gap, creep behaviour, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: Cole Turner, short!reader

Part of the Bookstore AU

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

You find a seat at the cafe with your vanilla chai latte. You place the paper bag with the wire handles on the table and pull out your phone. You love this cafe, it’s like a little home away from home. A much-needed escape from your parents.

You love your mom and dad but they can be a bit much. You’re barely into your twenties and they’re already talking about big things. Like a husband and grandbabies. Hullo, you’re a young entrepreneur, you’ve got a business to run.

Your mother’s text greets you. She wants to know when you’ll be home. You hate to leave her on read so you send ‘dunno’ and flick away the chat. A few items sold! Score. You put some stuff on clearance and knocked a few bucks off. May as well just get rid of it.

As you reach for your tea, you sense something. Like a shift in the earth. There’s a disturbance in the force. Be calm, Jedi.

You peek up over your phone and meet two sparkling eyes. Oh clam shells, it can’t be. It’s that guy from the bookstore. Again! Charles? You can’t remember, you want to forget as quickly as you can. 

You slide the bag in front of you and slouch down, trying to hide behind it. Too late. He’s coming closer. He looks down at you as you try to ignore him, thumbing through old emails to look busy.

He sits one table away. Nice. Very subtle. Or maybe you’re being paranoid. Either way, this coincidence seems less than serendipitous.

You do your best to form a bubble around yourself. You take out the book you bought and flip through the patterns. Those sunflowers are adorable. You could do one for your mom. Oh, what about little bees to go with the flowers? 

There’s a scuff on the ground but you don’t look over. You lower the book slightly, pretending to read the description of tulip as you peek from the corner of your eye. This guy is the definition of manspreading. You shouldn’t care so much but you can see his boot as he has his knees open like a Madonna music video.

You raise your eyebrows as you argue with yourself. You should just go home. Your mom will be happy to see you. Well, happy to have help with dinner. The biggest reason, you’ll be less annoyed.

You sigh and tuck your phone into your purse. You get up and pull on your jacket,sliding the books back in the bag as you swipe up your latte. You sidle around the table and that man clears his throat. Keep your eyes on the prize; escape.

Even if you’re overthinking it, he’s ruined your day. He tainted the haven of the bookstore then infested the cafe. You sip your drink as you pass by the windows of the cafe, refusing to look inside. You hear the door as you brush by the next facade, a hobby shop with dice and cards. Still, you keep your sights ahead of you.

You reach into your pocket and close your hand around your earbud case. You hear footsteps, some ways back, but near enough to track. He wouldn’t follow you… You think better of putting them in and pull out your phone instead, holding it out before you as you pretend to check a notification.

You swipe your thumb up and drag the camera open. You try to angle it so you can see over your shoulder through the front lens. Whoever it is, you can’t see them without being too obvious. Damn.

You drop your phone and black the screen. You move to the other side of the sidewalk as you come to fourway light. You turn, hands in your pocket, and stare at the light across from you, waiting for it to change. Casually, you take the opportunity to glance to your side. You see a blur disappear into the insurance broker but nothing else.

Maybe you are getting in your head.

🧶

You get a strange request on your Etsy. Several purchases with a message from the buyer. You check as you sit in the kitchen, laptop open as you try to wake up. Your mother grumbles as she cradles her own mug and mulls over the day ahead of her. She works from home too but she doesn’t consider your work a real job.

You lean your chin in your hand and squint. You’re stomach squirms as you make sure you understand the message. You feel a shadow looming above the screen and you look up at your mother as she gives you a goofy face.

“Doing calculus?” She teases as you sit back and rub the tension from your forehead.

“N-no, I just… I got a big order but the customer wants to do a pick-up,” you grab your coffee and take a sip, hoping to find sanity somewhere in the brew.

“A pick-up. Here?”

“Well, no, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t get it, they paid the shipping.”

“Maybe they want the money back.”

“They didn’t mention it but yeah,” you stare at their name.

Most people have their first and last displayed but this one is just Farmer’s Delight. They said they're local but live out in the country so the mail often gets lost. How odd. Sounds like a boomer.

“I mean, you could do a public meetup? Customer is always right.”

“Mom, this isn’t the 90s anymore. The customer is wrong,” you huff. 

“How big is the order?” She wonders, “I mean, your little crafts are so cute but it can’t be that much work.”

“That’s not the issue,” you sniff and take another deep gulp. You go back to their order and teethe your lip. “It’s over three hundred dollars.”

“Holy moly,” your mother gasps, “little crafts my tush!”

“Mom,” you warn her, “I’ll just tell them delivery is the only option.”

Your mother is quiet. She slurps her coffee, bringing your ire to dart at her over the top of your screen. You hate that noise.

“I’ll go with you, honey,” she offers, “how about… you can meet at a Starbucks or something? That’s what they say these days, meet in public.”

“Is that what they say? And who are you trying to meet up with?”

“No one… I’m in this trade and sell group for Royal Doulton figures and the ladies there, I would only meet them with mace in my purse.”

You chortle. Your mom can be silly even when she’s nagging you. You’re just happy it’s not her usual spiel.

“Who knows, hon, this could be your meet-cute,” she spoils your moment of gratitude. You sigh and roll your eyes.

“You don’t even know if it’s a guy.”

“Ugh, okay, crush my dreams,” she pouts, “I’m just saying… sounds like a big spender.”

[penig]

So anyway, ever since I withdrew myself from the world of gainful employment over 15 years ago, my primary offline social contact is with our gaming group, which consists of six people meeting once a week, primarily for TTRPGs. Today two of our number had other things they needed to do and a third got sick, so it was just my husband, me, and our host, B. So we played board games.

The fourth and last game of the day was Settlers of Catan, and the way it went was both so anomalous and yet so characteristic of our group that it seems worth describing.

If you haven't played Settlers you should, as it is an excellent game. The goal is to get ten Victory points by building settlements, cities, and roads, which you do by collecting and spending resources generated by the terrain hexes you've built on, which have numbers from 2 to 12, exclusive of 7, on them. You roll 2d6 to generate numbers and can trade with other players and with the bank. No one wants to roll a 7, because instead of resources that activates a bandit. Anyone at the table with more than 7 resources at hand loses half of them, and the person who rolled the 7 has to put a bandit onto a hex, which cannot produce resources with a bandit on it, and is allowed to steal one card from anyone with a city or settlement on that hex.

This was our second Catan game of the day and we'd been rolling 7s like nobody's business. We have a house rule that any dice that produce a 7 for an entire round - one turn for each player, in this case three times in a row - are put in dice jail and a new pair substituted. We'd already done this during the first game, and it looked for awhile as if we might have to do it to the new pair, too. This was annoying, but not devastating, for the first half of the game, because our group avoids pitting the bandit against other players. As long as there's any undeveloped hexes, we tend to send the bandit there, and if we have to put it on a developed hex, don't opt to steal unless we're way behind. Today when we ran out of empty hexes, we agreed on one hex per player as the least productive ones they owned - a 2 hex with one settlement, a 12 hex with one settlement, and an 11 hex with one settlement. We even established an order, so everyone would be hit roughly the same number of times.

Then my husband stopped rolling 7s and started rolling exclusively numbers he got more resources for, so he was able to build more, so he was able to get more resources. About the time he was accumulating resources faster than he could spend them, which put him in danger of losing large numbers of resources to the bandit, and we realized that he had, unintentionally, cut B and me both off from half the board, I remarked to B that we needed to start targeting him and opting to steal when we rolled 7s, and we all agreed that this was reasonable.

From that point, not another 7 was rolled. B and I were looking at each other's resources and trying to put together swaps that would advantage us both, while my husband didn't have to make trades at all except with the bank, which is expensive, because other players will trade you one-to-one and the best deal the bank will make you is two-to-one. But it didn't matter, because where B and I got 0, 1, or 2 resources on every roll, my husband was getting 2, 3, or 4 and could spend them like water. At the time he hit 10 victory points, B had 4 and I had 3.

It had all gone lickety-split, too. B has started a new med and is tracking his food, and he had happened to get a snack as we started the game, so he checked the time he'd made that entry, and and a little over 20 minutes had passed. We play a lot of Catan and move pretty quickly in it, but we usually take around an hour and it's usually much closer. The previous game, we'd all had 9 victory points when the winner got the resources to build the city that would give him 10, and this is far more typical.

So, like I said, an anomalous game; but the agreement on how to minimize damage from the bandit, and later how B and I should use the bandit to combat my husband's extraordinary run of dice luck (if the dice luck hadn't been such a bitch about it) was very typical of how we play.

Not everyone does. I think most people tend to be a bit ruthless with the bandit. In fact, a number of years ago, my husband was conducting business with a game dealer at his warehouse, where he had some friends playing Catan, so I was watching their play and kibitzing. One person was cussing his luck and I pointed out a trade that would have been advantageous to both him and another player; but they weren't trading with each other because one player was deliberately targeting the other with the bandit, spending resources to buy cards that would allow him to move the bandit and steal even without a 7, and moreover putting the bandit on his most productive hexes, so this caused him to retaliate. "So you're jeopardizing your trading relationships to steal a single card?" I asked incredulously. And so it was: nobody was trading with anybody else because they were all too annoyed with each other about the bandit! They were adamant that this was how the game was played, though, and it wasn't my business, beyond making a mental note never to play with any of them.

But the game dealer, having overheard this, confided in us that he found the way they played more stressful than enjoyable, and asked us how we handled the bandit. When we told him he said that sounded like a lot more fun. And the next time my husband had business with him, he told us that he'd broken his friends of playing cutthroat Catan, by abandoning the quest for victory altogether. Anybody who used the bandit aggressively got hoisted by his own petard; he would backburner building in order to buy the Knight cards that allowed him to control the bandit, and target the offender ruthlessly, while making advantageous trades with anyone who minimized bandit damage. It was really only the one guy he had to rein in, and then he could enjoy the game with them again.

That seemed a bit extreme; but he knew his friends a lot better than I did. I'm sure our style of play is too tame for a lot of people. But I think all of us at our table have played too many games with people who went to war with each other, and quietly won by pursuing our own best interest under the cover of two people losing track of the game goal in order to cut each other off at the knees, to think a cutthroat game of anything makes any sense.

[anxiouslyfred]

Sweepshakes

Summary: Thomas gets an old british game on holiday that causes some headaches when the sides play it. All because of a dice shaker.

Author's Note: I have no clue if Gambler was released in other countries. I do know it's no longer made in the UK as my brother tried to get one this year and it was second hand... and could've saved that money as the one we know about the game from is waiting for one of us to claim. So many fond afternoons at Grandad's playing this game. I'm going to miss them.

My Idea for this fic: Remus would love playing Gambler. The issue is getting him to put the shaker down, ever, at all, not just when there's a sweepstakes or lottery. That man would always be shaking it until Roman or Virgil are starting a fight just to get it off him. Janus is calmly avoiding calling sweepstakes by always trying to roll doubles again until everyone just wants them to move around the board

/\/\

It was an old British game that Thomas had come across on a holiday. Remus had been obsessed when he’d seen it in the shop and Janus was pretty intrigued too. The other sides weren’t as thrilled to see a game called Gambler, but with Logan mentioning that it could have been a game to help people stop gambling and Virgil hoping that would mean Remus might stop trying to convince Thomas to gamble it was brought home.

Logan’s theory was soon disproven but that didn’t matter to the other sides when they now had a new game to play together, even if only four of them could play at a time.

One thing Virgil regretted however was his part in getting the game brought. He still believed that playing Gambler occasionally would reduce Remus’s desires to actually gamble, but didn’t think that was worth the headaches, never ending headaches, that came every time the game was played.

See one thing about Gambler is that for the sweepstakes and the lotteries there was a dice shaker specifically made and it got loud. When it came up in the game that was fine, a moments shake, place it down on the board and everyone can carry on getting their prizes or not and taking their turns.

The rest of the time Remus had a tool left right in front of him that could make a lot of noise, get a lot of annoyed reactions, without him needing to say or do anything besides pick it up and shake.

“Janus, are you having your go?” Logan asked, frowning and clearing having just checked everyone’s positions after the shakers noise got too loud.

Janus shook their head, smug, “Oh I already have. I rolled a double and decided to try rolling a second.”

“Couldn’t give us that moment of peace, could you?” Virgil hissed out, trying not to get Remus’s attention as he rolled. “A horse race. Remus put that down and put money in the pot.” He snapped aloud after moving.

“Oh, Why?” Remus leant over the board looking at everyone’s pieces curiously to see what was happening.

The card was dealt in front of him before anyone explained, Logan, Janus and Virgil already having put their entry fees in already. “We’re betting on the races.” Janus smirked, “And I’m going to-”

Virgil rolling the die cut them off.

“That appears to be my number, Janus, so I believe you lost.” Logan stated, taking the winnings as it had dubbed itself banker for the game.

“And Remus’s go before you reach for that infernal thing.” Virgil forced the dice into Remus’s hand before it could be picked up.

He took that as a challenge to roll two uncontained dice as noisily as he was shaking the five.

“Kiddo’s will your game take too much longer? I’ve almost finished dinner.” Patton asked, looking through from the kitchen.

“Two rounds max.” Janus replied confidently.

“The chances of you rolling four doubles over your next two rolls is 0.00077160370370444. We should be done shortly, Patton. I think at least two of us are halfway to completing the game.” Logan corrected, looking back at the board at Virgil’s snicker.

With a smirk Virgil turned the fortune card Remus had passed him to Janus. “Pay up.”

The hiss they replied with was drowned out by the shaker starting up again.

“The game is over now!” Roman declared, popping up in the room, sword already in hand. “I will slay you for that infernal racket.”

“You’ll never stop me shaking my thing.” Remus screamed in return, leaping onto the game board to twerk while still rattling the shaker

“Yes I shall!”

Logan straightened his glasses, having dodged Roman’s charge. “I suppose Roman was right. We can’t really continue with one of our players leaving and taking an important game device with them.”

[thesweetestdevotion]

please can u do a tutorial on how to channel or do more intuitive readings ourselves?

What a nice request! thank you!

Im gonna be honest, i dont know if i can give you a tutorial on how to channel/read as everybody's energy is different and we all have different abilities. I can run you through my own personal process though! That's not to say that mine is the best one for you (or anyone really) but maybe it can give you some insight on how I channel/read and inspire you a little! Here we go!!:

I shuffle my deck until I am called to stop. if i had just done a reading right before I'll snap my fingers 2-3 times as a way to clear the past energy/make space for the new one.

I roll my dice one by one (three, 12-sided dice. Planets, Zodiac Signs, 12 Houses) I dont always use them fyi. Once theyre rolled out i begin to shuffle my deck, I only take cards that jump out but also they just have to feel right as well, even if i cant see the card yet theres like a force that pulls me to the right cards and lets me know which ones are relevant/not.

I lay my cards out and begin to read and connect energies. It's very important to know the meanings of the tarot, and also be familiar with their traditional symbolism. But its also good to know when to use your intuitive gifts, theres no need to always attach yourself to the cookie cutter meanings if you dont feel called to. Its also good to be able to connect all of the cards into a coherent "story" where they're able to build off of each other. If you feel the meaning of a card doesn't resonate with the overall energy of the reading, It's usually spirit guiding you to use your intuitive skills to find meaning in another way.

As for channeling, I really can't make a guide as to how to do this. I've seen some readers channel by writing down messages, others close their eyes and let images come to them, amongst many other methods. Personally, I dont need to do anything in order to channel messages, often as soon as I start a reading I get channels. I'll very often get channels even while doing chores or reading a book. I see images, colors, scenes, hear sounds, music, voices. I even have sensations in my body (heartaches, throat closing up, sudden tension, etc...) I'm someone who is very in tune with my body/mind and im naturally able to tell what feelings belong to me vs not. I don't know how to guide someone to do this if im honest. I think some readers can and others not. That doesn't make you a bad reader, or like your messages have something lacking in them because of this, so don't feel discouraged if you aren't able to do stuff like that.

Also, things will come to you as you read over time. You'll stumble upon new methods, find what you like to do, read at quicker paces, etc.. Tarot is a skill, and like all other skills it needs to be honed. So practice, practice, practice.

Other (kinda crazy) stuff i do to supplement my practice (not necessary at all, just personal stuff):

sleep with my tarot decks near me/under my pillow

cover my head with a cloth/blanket. I just lay it over me no special method.

let my tarot decks charge (many different ways to do this, mostly i just let them rest in favor of using another deck, some people use crystals, smoke, moonlight. Its really up to the reader)

I don't read all the time, i take breaks. Dont wanna deplete my energy

If channels are getting annoying (which they often can for me) writing them down somewhere, even if theyre nonsensical, helps a lot.

Keep my body physically fit/healthy, as much as I can. This is an astrological method. The 6th house of health/work/daily routines/hygiene/stomach directly opposes the 12th house of the subconscious mind/dreams/sleep/intuition/secrets/anything hidden or mysterious. If one house is out of balance the other one is too. So keeping one in check helps me keep my intuition clear, also works both ways (nurturing my intuition/getting rest helps my health). This might not be something everyone includes in their practice, but it personally keeps me very grounded.

Have boundaries. you don't have to tap into all energies, especially if they repell you. It's important to be aware of this.

General Advice:

Have conversations! dont be afraid to ask other readers for help (hehe as you did now, good job!) or for guidance. Finding a great teacher/guru to help you is a wonderful gift, honestly wish i had done this as well

It's okay and normal to be wrong, no one is infallible or omnipresent. we are human, and ultimately we might be tapping in to a spiritual source, but it will always be interpreted by our biased and limited human minds. it's why its important to be okay with mistakes, and also important to find readers who resonate with your energy and vibe. Don't force yourself to listen to someone who makes you feel icky!! its not good vibes at all!

If you all have any further questions like this, drop them in my inbox or here on this post. Thank you again to the anon who sent this in! love ya<3

[unholy-screeching9]

I m sorry to bother you but…..do you think you could do KD x reader where they both have a shitty day and just need each other? Like they cuddle? Everybody needs comfort, even the greatest showman on inkwell isles!^^

You don't even know how much I needed to write this. These past few weeks have been hell for me, so it was so nice to finally be able to write something again, especially something comforting <3

There's some suggestive content in here still, so I advise everyone to be careful!

SUGGESTIVE CONTENT WARNING! 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI.

💋

King Dice x Reader "Bad Day Headcanons"

SONG RECOMMENDATION: “I’ll Never Smile Again” - Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey

King Dice x Reader “Bad Day” Headcanons (GAME)

If anyone were to ask King Dice what it’s like to be the right hand man of the Devil himself, why, he’d say it’s a dream. The best thing that’s ever happened to him. Well, maybe the second best. Marrying you will always come first. 

He really does enjoy his job as the casino’s manager, and doesn’t mind the workload. To be surrounded by fawning fans and patrons, collecting their wallets, possessions, and damn souls from right under their noses? The job is certainly never boring. The poor fools who enter make sure of that. 

King Dice always enjoys a good gamble. Whether it’s a friendly game of poker, craps, roulette, or even a bet on which racehorse would take the prize, the manager clings to the thrill of the risk like a drug. 

But the thing about addiction is, you never realize how much you’re suffering until it’s much too late to do anything about it. More often than not, you tend to bite off much more than you can chew. 

Dice occasionally finds himself in this position, having become in over his head. Sometimes, the die gets a small reality check of his own. 

This reality check comes in many different forms. Not that he ever loses a bet, of course. The King never loses, and he intends to keep it that way, no matter how dirty his hands get. There’s a reason why the house always wins, and Dice is that reason. 

Instead, his reality check comes in the form of angry patrons who have had one too much to drink, picking a fight with the manager. A demanding boss constantly looming over his shoulders, nitpicking Dice’s methods and making it incredibly difficult for him to do his damn job. 

The crushing weight of pressure to keep up a perfect approachable appearance, luring the poor fools of Inkwell inside the Devil’s mitts like a lion tricking its prey. 

Not to mention the heavy workload of papers to sign, contracts to file, tailoring appointments to keep his style consistent with whatever trends might be appearing, exhausting measures to keep his boss happy, stocking of supplies, the list could go on. 

Normally, it’s manageable enough. Some of the tasks overlap, and Dice manages to find a nice, smooth routine to keep everything in order, especially with the help of his cards. 

Typically, they will work behind the scenes while Dice manages the front, filing his papers for him, checking the drink stocks from behind the counter (the Tipsy Troop is of very little help at times), or even just forging Dice’s signature on a few of his contracts to lighten his load. 

This way, all the King really has to deal with is a few tiffs with particular drunkards, looking pretty, and keeping his staff in line. 

However… sometimes, the workload is just too much for Dice to handle, even with his cards and his staff scrambling to help the poor man keep a level head. 

Sometimes, Dice is kept after his shift usually ends, signing contracts until he can barely see straight, fingers ready to fall off. 

Sometimes, Dice gets scuffed up during a fight, causing a small crack in his head, or a few rips in his suit. 

Sometimes, the Devil is too irate to effectively calm down, and Dice is on the receiving end of his boss’s wrath whether what caused the ruckus was his fault or not. 

Sometimes… Dice just can’t take it. 

There have been numerous occasions where you’ve watched him trudge inside your chambers, completely worn out, a sour expression on his face. Dice can’t even smile at you or offer any kind of greeting as he shucks off his shoes and jacket, frustratedly kicking the objects off to the side. 

You hate seeing him like that. It’s not like him, at all. He deserves so much better than what he’s given, and you wish you could do something about his awful working conditions. 

On the nights your husband returns to you looking beaten and weary, you do the one thing that you know he’ll never oppose. You guide him into laying on top of you, his aching head resting over your chest, listening to your soft, steady heartbeat.

You simply hold him in your arms and hum a relaxing tune, your fingers gently running over the crisp edges of his head. It relaxes him almost instantly. 

Very few words are exchanged between the two of you. Dice is too tired and frustrated with everything to vent, and you don’t push him. You won’t even try to make small talk. Sometimes, there’s just no point in speech. 

No… sometimes, things are meant to be silent. And comforting Dice after a horrible day at work is usually one of those times. 

In the early hours of morning, you may occasionally wake up and find Dice staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep with too much on his mind. It is here when he finally opens up to you, spilling the details of why he entered your chambers in such a cranky mood. 

You say nothing, just letting him speak, not even flinching when he occasionally raises his voice, gesturing irritatedly with his hands. You barely even bat an eye when he lets out a frustrated huff, grumbling under his breath about how different he wishes his life turned out, falling onto his back with a defeated sigh. 

What does get your heart caught in your throat, is when his hand finds yours from under the covers. When he gives you a gentle squeeze, shifting close to you and rubbing his thumb over the smooth, shiny gold of your wedding ring. 

“You’re the only good thing that’s come out of this mess, doll.” 

Before you can even respond, Dice is asleep, his hand still squeezing your own like a lifeline.   

Well, that certainly gets your heart to flutter. 

You can absolutely relate to his struggles, as you have had many, many bad days of your own. More than you can count. Fortunately, it’s usually nothing you can’t deal with yourself.

You can handle a hard day with your own job. You can handle coming home to the casino’s chaotic ambiance after a hard day at work, with a couple drinks and a quick smoke for good measure. You can handle the long wait for your husband to return from his shifts and into your quarters. The wait is a hundred times worth it for that sweet, sensual embrace he gives you (and whatever follows afterwards). 

What gets you slightly miffed is the treatment from the folks around you who are cautious, curious, and just damn nosy over your relationship with King Dice. Repeated. Near constant. 

If you need to answer one more goddamn question about Dice’s ability as the Devil’s right hand man to love, one more inquiry over whether or not the man has you in some sort of trance, one more jealous complaint from the filthy drunkards who can’t learn to keep to themselves, your head just might fall off its shoulders.

It’s not that you’re not used to the comments and questions, it’s not that you can’t handle the occasional jab from another being. It’s definitely not that you’re protective of your husband, when he can certainly protect himself and you as soon as he feels the need to. It just… it gets so god damn annoying after a while.

And some days, you just can’t. 

The pressure of your job, worrying over your lover and his duties, dealing with the obsessive freaks? It’s certainly difficult not to crack. 

What ends up tipping you over the edge is any extra conflict life decides to throw at you on that particular day. Your boss gives you a hard time over something unwarranted. Someone bumped into you and spilled a drink all over you, so you have to work in soiled clothing.

You’ll never admit it to yourself (or anyone else), but you’re a ticking time bomb on the daily, waiting for one final push into detonation. And when that push comes, well, you’re nearly inconsolable. 

You barely make it through the rest of your day without killing someone. As soon as your shift ends, you head back home, attempting to take the side door to avoid the casino’s loud, unbearable ambiance. 

The door is locked. God fucking dammit. 

You let out a frustrated shout, banging your fist against the golden door frame before stepping away. You bite the inside of your cheek to distract yourself from the growing pain in your hand, and the fact that you now have to make your way through the suffocating atmosphere just to get to your room. 

Holding your breath, you quickly throw open the double doors, effectively silencing the whole room with the sheer amount of force you use as each door slams against the walls with a bit of recoil. 

Ignoring the stares and slight whispers of the folks who recognize who you are, you make your way through the maze of tables and machines, passing by the Blackjack table where your husband sat at the head, his deck of cards slipping from his hands and falling into a heap on the table. 

He stares at you in surprise, eyes desperate to reach yours, feeling crestfallen when you never meet his gaze. 

Watching you effectively slip past the crowd and head into the private halls, Dice makes a mental note to grab a bottle of wine for you on the way back to his chambers. He notices the clusters of people continuing to stare at the door and whispering in suspicion, and quickly becomes angry over their inquiries. 

Gathering up his deck of cards with one swoop of the hand, he brings his other fist down on the table to grab everyone’s attention, glaring menacingly at the wide eyes of his patrons. 

“Well, get back to it, will ya?! Don’t you fellas know it’s rude to stare at someone and start talkin’ smack when they’re no longer present? Forget what you saw and move on!” 

The powerful bellow of his voice combined with his threatening gaze was enough to jumpstart the casino into action once again, the games and chatter continuing like nothing ever even happened. 

With an aggravated huff, he turns back to his own table and silently deals the deck to his slightly shaky players, ignoring their hesitant movements and fearful eyes on him. As long as they aren’t focused on you anymore, he doesn’t give a damn.

When the day finally ends, Dice makes a beeline towards his room, a bottle of wine and two glasses in hand. For once, he’s silent as he opens the door and steps inside, quietly stepping over to your curled up form on the bed. 

A gentle hand rubs over your shoulder, making you flinch in surprise before you slowly relax into your husband’s touch, your eyes slipping shut as you do your best to collect yourself. 

Dice notices you trying to calm down and shakes his head, setting the wine and glasses down on your nightstand and taking your hands. 

“It’s alright to be angry and upset, sweetness. Don’t try and bottle it up for my sake. If you need to yell or cry, go ahead. I’ll spare your dignity.”

That’s all you need to hear. Dice silently nods along in understanding as you tear into the horrible day you had, letting you yell out your frustrations, his hand gently running along your inner thigh in an attempt to comfort you. 

If you start to shed any tears in the middle of your rant, your lover offers you his handkerchief, continuing to listen to you as he pours you a glass of liquid happiness. 

The rest of the night is filled with tears, alcohol, and eventual silence as you both finish off the bottle, settling down for bed. You’re more than eager to sleep off the struggles, in hopes that tomorrow will bring you fortune. 

You both are there for each other when you need it, and that’s something you’ll always cherish about your husband. How someone as intimidating and evil as him could be so sweet and caring with you, you’ll never understand. But you are grateful for it. 

Dice is just as grateful for you, for dealing with his messes. For putting up with his work life, for loyally waiting for him every night, no matter how late it gets. For looking past his ‘rough and tough’ persona, and learning to love his broken, messy interior. 

Your love for each other is what gets you both through even the hardest of days. 

That includes, when both of you aren’t exactly having the best time. It’s rare for you to have an off day at the same time, but in the unfortunate case that something like this happens, well… you lean on each other more than ever. 

Both metaphorically and physically. 

As usual, you return home first, making your way through the casino’s main floor and biting your lip to keep from shouting at the drunkards who bump into you, whoop and holler in your ear, or simply stare at you in disgusting infatuation. 

Except this time, Dice is too distracted with his own hardships that he doesn’t even notice you come in. This time, it’s his eyes that fail to meet yours as you pass by, creating a slight twinge in your heartstrings. 

It seems today is just shitty all around, you suppose.

Stopping by Dice’s office, you grab a couple books from one of his many bookshelves, and head back to your quarters. Maybe some light reading will help you get your mind out of reality for a while. 

Dice’s escape from reality… isn’t quite as healthy.

With a cigar in his mouth and a glass of scotch in his hand, he finally makes his way to the room with heavy footsteps, just wanting to see you. To hold you. To lament to you. 

He knows in his heart that all you want is the same. It’s what you both need right now. You just need to be near each other. To hold each other. To kiss each other. To forget the stress of the day, and just focus on what’s most important. 

Your love for one another. 

The quiet creak of the door opening followed by the light of the hall flooding the room catches your attention, your head lifting from your book and finally meeting Dice’s eye as he steps inside, taking a drink from his whiskey glass and setting it on his bedside table. 

You’re up in a moment, the book forgotten about as you make your way over to him, helping him remove his jacket, carefully draping it over a hook and hanging it neatly. When Dice kicks off his shoes, you move them underneath his hanging tailcoat for him. 

The only sounds in the room are the rustling of fabrics being taken off, the soft pads of footsteps trailing to the bathroom, the running water from the sink’s faucet, and the aching ringing in your ears. 

Dice washes the makeup from his face and steps back into the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed with you, clad only in his boxers. His movements are tender and careful as he cups your face with his hands, his fingers slowly covering your ears, helping to finally rid you of the god-awful sounds plaguing your brain and causing a headache. 

Your eyes flutter closed as you rest your pounding forehead against his bare chest, taking in that addicting scent of smoke and musk. 

For the first time in a while, Dice chuckles slightly, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. While you rest against him, he helps you rid yourself of your top and bottoms, leaving you in your undergarments. Shivering slightly, you shift closer to him for warmth, and Dice responds by pulling you into his lap all together. 

He peppers you with all the kisses you’d ever need, holding your face in his hands as he makes his way over your cheeks, forehead, nose, and finally, your lips. 

Oh, hell, his lips are magical. They’re so soft against your own, and the taste of alcohol and cigar smoke is always welcomed. It’s incredible. Your favorite way to take your whiskey, if you were honest with yourself. 

Your arms find your way around his neck area, and his around your waist. Both of you are itching just to get a taste of each other, your tongues meeting and mingling with one another. You both are exhausted and frustrated with your lives, but it’s the kisses you share that make the day worth going through. 

Dice scoots back into bed with you in his lap, laying down on his back, letting you sprawl on top of him. Skin against skin. Lips against lips. Hands interlocked. Neither of you want to be anywhere else. 

After a while, you both are content with just relaxing in each other’s embrace, unwilling to move. You’re warm. Comfortable. Almost happy. Almost. 

It’s not enough to completely fix the horribleness of your days, but it’s damn near close. It’s enough to convince you both that the hard days are worth it. It’s enough to bring small, peaceful smiles on your faces, providing comfort for each other when it’s so desperately needed. 

“Darlin’?”

Your husband finally speaks, bringing you out of your thoughts. You turn your head to look up at him, your eyes locking in with his bright green ones. 

“Are you alright?” He asks, hesitantly, already knowing the answer. You understand what he’s really asking– he wants to know if you’re willing to talk about it, or if you just need time in silence. 

You sigh softly to yourself, contemplating your reply before you flash him a soft smile, gently rubbing your hand over his chest. 

“I’m okay, my love. It was just a rough day today.” 

Dice understands your reply and nods, pressing a loving kiss to your forehead as he shifts on his side, letting you shift with him so you both are in a spooning position, with your partner hugging you from behind. 

“Alright.”

Silence falls over the both of you, and you are left with your thoughts, occasionally shifting closer together for comfort when you remind yourselves of what you’ve gone through that day. If Dice’s leg finds its way over yours, you don’t mind at all. If you let out the occasional sniffle as your emotions threaten to take over, Dice pretends he doesn’t hear. 

If your shoulders begin to heave slightly as you silently cry to yourself, Dice’s soothing hand makes its way towards your back, rubbing reassuringly. If Dice squeezes you closer in an effort to quell his own shakiness, you rest your back against him, nestling your head under the bottom edge of his cubed head. 

After a while, you turn around to face him, wanting to bury yourself into his arms. The smile that had temporarily graced your lips is gone, replaced with a dispirited frown. 

Dice looks down at you in concern, gently caressing your cheek, his thumb wiping away the occasional tear that fell down your cheek. 

“You’re not alright, are you, sugar?”

A shaky sigh leaves your lips as you shut your eyes, a couple extra tears lining your eyes making their way down your cheeks. Dice takes care of those as well, his fingers gently massaging your face in comfort.

“No, I’m not.”

Not that you needed to tell him that. He knows. He always knows. And he understands, you know that. Because he’s not alright, either. Neither of you are. 

You’re both in pain. Exhausted. Frustrated. Angry. You aren’t even in the mood to be intimate tonight, neither of you have the energy. 

Even so, you find yourself pressing closer against him, relishing in the feeling of your skin contacting his. Falling intoxicated to the addicting scent of smoke and citrus that at this point may be Dice’s natural musk. 

Sometimes, just cuddling with each other without any clothes on is just what you need. It’s physical. Intimate enough. Comforting. Relaxing, even. It’s nice, when you want the blissful feeling that sex leaves you, but when neither of you have the strength to move. 

The slow, slightly shaky rise and fall of Dice’s chest keeps you grounded in reality, and simultaneously, your erratic heartbeat fluttering against his own keeps your lover’s own emotions in check. It’s a silent reminder that you’re okay. You’re safe. You’re not going anywhere. 

If there’s one thing that you both can count on, it’s that you’re secure. Dice would never let anything happen to you, and you would always be there to pick up the shards and piece his life back together. 

You both lock eyes with each other, silently proclaiming your love for one another, and kiss once more. Your breathing slows as you relax once more, just focusing on the comforting tastes, scents, and soft groans coming from the King. 

Dice pulls you closer to him, holding you tightly as he runs a gentle hand through your hair. The feeling is soothing to him; your hair is so soft. He doesn’t want to be anywhere else. Luckily for him, neither do you. 

Eventually, you both slip off to sleep, finding contentment from being wrapped in each other’s arms, exchanging gentle snores with one another as you finally get some rest. 

At 6:00 am sharp, Dice’s alarm goes off, the man groaning in irritation as his hand lazily swats at the damned thing before yanking out the plug. With a yawn, you sit up and stretch, sighing to yourself as you mentally prepare yourself for what you hope to be a better day at work. 

Before you can get far, however, Dice’s hand grabs your wrist, pulling you back into his warm, relaxing embrace. 

“Dice, we need to-”

“Five more minutes, doll. Please.” 

You sigh, shaking your head as you squirm slightly, not wanting to be late for your job.

“Dice, I can’t. We can’t. Your boss would use your head as game dice for the craps table if he knew you had–” 

“To hell with the boss.” Dice grumbles crankily, insistently pulling you closer. “My boss, and your own, can wait five minutes.” 

Well, you suppose he does have a point. Besides, he’s so comfortable, it’d be a waste to get up now, when you both still have a little time. So, you reluctantly give in, settling back down and shutting your eyes again. Surely, the day can wait a little longer. 

And when you both wake up a half hour later, scrambling to get up and make yourselves presentable, as much as you want to say otherwise you can’t help but think to yourself…

It’s worth it. 

King Dice x Reader “Bad Day” Headcanons (SHOW)

Many believe that becoming a beloved star in showbiz has to be a dream come true. 

Let’s face it, the showmen get everything they could ever ask for. Doting fans who would bend over backwards just for a damn signature, the ability to pick up anyone they want for a partner, all the money in the world, and an influencing presence on some of the highest officials in town. 

Being a star should be the best thing that could ever happen to a man. And if you were to ask King Dice how he views his job, he’d certainly tell you how splendid he has it. 

After all, running a game show where he can sing, dance, and talk all he wants, with an enormous crowd screaming his name before he even enters the stage? Why, it’s magical. 

The King loves his job, dearly. He doesn’t see himself doing anything else. He’s even found himself enjoying the thought of what happens to the foolish fellows who stumble upon his spotlight, happily playing his game, and falsely believing they’ve won. Sure, they may have won on paper, but here's the catch: King Dice never loses. 

There’s something so satisfying about the idea of those pests who are so desperate to touch him getting what’s coming to them. It’s a nice little bonus to the job, knowing that those he severely disliked would be taken care of. 

However… sometimes, King Dice gets the occasional contestant who isn’t so horrible. A contestant who’s surprisingly respectful of his boundaries, plays the game perfectly, and doesn’t give him any trouble whatsoever. 

Dice would be lying if he didn’t feel a little twinge of guilt as he watches the poor thing happily wave to the crowd before waltzing into the Mystery Prize Room, expecting a wonderful bout of riches and earthly pleasure. The showman closes the door quickly, signing off before leaving the stage in a slight rush, not wanting to think of it any longer. 

King Dice is selfish. Egotistical. Arrogant. Self-absorbed. The perfect fit for the Devil’s ‘Number One.’ He couldn’t care less about what happens to others; it’s none of his concern. 

But yet… that unfamiliar sting of regret still finds its way to Dice’s cold, dead heart. 

It’s uncomfortable. Awkward. Foreign. It shouldn’t be there. 

It sours his mood. He curses that contestant for being so unlucky. He curses his boss for putting him in this position, knowing fully well that for the sake of his job, he’s lost the trust of one of the good ones. But most of all, he curses himself, for not giving enough warning. 

Being a splendid actor, Dice is able to finish the rest of the night without a hitch, but there are other things on his mind. His head is no longer in the game. 

And the occasional guilty night is only one hardship Dice puts up with as a star working for the Devil. The list could go on for miles. 

Unpleasant conversations with his boss when one of his contestants came close to losing. The headaches from the constant flashing cameras fighting each other for a good angle of him. The carpal tunnel from signing every damn scrap of paper his fans shove in his face. The numbness in his cheeks from smiling all day long. 

That’s not even half of it. 

The truth is, being a star isn’t all it's cracked up to be. It’s hard work. Exhausting rehearsals. Pounds of makeup. Putting up a charismatic persona under layers of clothing, under hot lights. For hours. A lot of sacrifice is put into making sure everything is perfect, and some days, Dice wonders whether or not it’s worth it. 

You’ve spent many nights as Dice’s support system, guiding him out of his dressing room and into the waiting limo from the back way, to avoid the crowds. Letting him rest his legs in your lap as the limo takes you home, and massaging his aching feet as he sips tiredly at his champagne. Helping him up to your chambers, removing his jacket for him and hanging it up neatly by the door to be used for the next day. 

Unbuttoning his vest and undershirt, tossing the clothes into the hamper for his cards to wash, and gently massaging his bare chest. Allowing him to melt into your touch with a gentle moan as you slip his slacks off for him, setting them off to the side as you coax your lover to lay down. 

Wiping off his makeup for him as he complains to you about the exhaustion he feels, and the mess he had to deal with that day. Letting him rant out his frustrations at how disgusting his fans can be, and how he sometimes wishes he hired a few bodyguards to keep the pests away. Consoling him with a soft, soothing voice, validating his struggles and perhaps even appealing to his ego, letting him know just how patient and strong he is for dealing with such nastiness all day. 

Dice is grateful for your help, every time. And he’s sure to let you know that as you work your magic. 

“You’re the only one who could ever bring me true joy, doll. I adore you.” 

You smile and shake your head, kissing his cheek as you peel off your own clothes, tossing them off to the side and laying down with him, allowing him to rest his pounding head over your chest and relishing in the contact. 

“And I you, my King. Please, get some sleep. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.” 

He obeys, but only after you start humming to him. Your voice puts him right out, and he finally finds the relaxation he’s been looking for. 

Your job complete, you allow yourself to snuggle close with him, watching over him and making sure he’s safe and secure. Eventually, your eyes slip shut, and you both rest together, allowing the past to wither away in preparation for the next day. 

You understand where your husband is coming from, sometimes. Every job has its faults and struggles, including the job of singing and putting on a show for others’ enjoyment. Including your own job, which leaves you with many, many days where you wonder if it’s even worth the effort. 

After all, Dice makes more than enough money to keep you both well off for the rest of your lives. You don’t necessarily need to keep your job, but it’s something to do during the day while your lover is at the studio. Something to keep you busy. Something you’ve earned for yourself. An accomplishment. It’s hard to give up. 

Even though sometimes, you heavily consider quitting in favor of keeping your husband company. It’d be nice to let go of all the hardships of your job for good, and bask in Dice’s presence all day instead. 

The worst of it all is when you work overtime, and you miss Dice’s show entirely. You sometimes get so occupied you can’t even tune in on the radio. It makes you unbelievably aggravated. Not only that, but you can’t even make it to go home with him at times, having to catch a cab back to your quarters. 

Even so, Dice waits for you. Greets you as soon as you trudge through the door, taking care of your bags, your coat, and your shoes. Drawing a bath for you, and helping you undress. Undressing himself, and joining you in the tub. He washes the grime off of your body for you, singing a soft, comforting melody as you rest your head on his chest, your sore voice trying to match his rhythm. 

Soon enough, you both are softly singing together in harmony as Dice massages the tension out of your shoulders and back, effectively distracting you from your heavy responsibilities. 

Once you’re clean and Dice is satisfied with his work, he pulls up the plug and drains the tub, carrying you out and drying you off. He secures his fluffiest robe around you, tying the knot with a pretty little bow before drying himself, shucking on another robe for himself, and guiding you out into the bedroom. 

A slow jazzy song is chosen from his record books, and the gramophone plays the tune gently, prompting a slow dance between you and your husband. His hands guide you into the proper positions, and soon he’s swaying along to the song with you, singing to you and sneaking in a few kisses until a smile finally graces your lips. 

You admire his ability to bring you joy, even when you don’t feel like smiling at all. It’s so unbelievably sweet of him to treat you so kindly, especially when his job is just as difficult. 

Once you’re worn out and you’ve forgotten all about the struggles you faced in the day, Dice will remove your robe and his own, carrying you off to bed to turn in for the night. 

He holds you. Tightly. His lips grace your face and neck, planting several kisses over your skin along with the occasional love bite. He understands you may be too tired to be intimate, but he figures he can at least make a mark or two to let others know you’re taken. 

His teeth and mouth feel exquisite against you, and the gentle nipping and biting make you chuckle occasionally. He tickles, especially when his mustache grazes over your skin just slightly. 

Dice longs for your laughter. It’s all he ever wants to hear from you. He hates seeing you upset, and if he can help it, he’ll chase all of the horrible feelings away, leaving you a relaxed, giggling mess in his arms.  

“Dice…” You manage to mutter between your laughter. 

“What is it, angel-eyes?” 

“Thank you for this. I appreciate it. You never fail to take the pain away when I need you the most. I love you, so so much.” 

Dice simply smiles at your words, bringing the duvet over you and covering you up so only your head is sticking out. With a kiss to your lips and a caress of your cheek, he murmurs into your mouth some of the sweetest things you’ve ever heard him say. 

“Anything to see your smile again, my dear. It breaks my heart to see you so upset. Please, lean on me when you feel like you’ve lost your smile. I’ll always be willing to help you find it.” 

He seals the promise with another sensual kiss to your lips, bringing you into his chest as your tongues explore each other’s mouths. You’ll never understand how he sweeps you off your feet with something as simple as a kiss, but you won’t complain. You love it. 

He’s yours. And you’re his. No one else will ever have the privilege of his gentleness, or your loyalty. No one else deserves those privileges. They can rot in hell, for all you care. 

You eventually find yourself nodding off in his arms. With a fond chuckle, Dice pulls his mouth away from you and lets your head drop onto his shoulder. Your ear is filled with your husband’s sensual whispers of praise, successfully lulling you to sleep. 

Wanting to keep you relaxed even in the early morning hours, Dice wakes up before his alarm and shuts it off before it even has the chance to ring. Figuring he’s allowed to be a little late just this once, he decides to stay with you an extra hour, humming quietly in your ear and massaging your shoulders. 

When you finally wake to get ready for work, you find a small box of chocolates and a cup of your favorite morning drink along with a single purple rose resting on your nightstand. 

That cheesy bastard, you love him to pieces. 

Taking a sip of your drink and indulging yourself in a few of the chocolates, you decide that you can finally move forward, and strive to have a better day. With Dice’s sweet gesture, you’re already off to a pretty good start. 

Through your hard days and his own, you and Dice are always there to pick each other back up when you need it. You’re each other’s rocks. Best friends. Spouses. You wouldn’t want to share this type of bond with anyone else. When one of you is down and broken, the other will always be there to pick up the pieces.

However, there is the rare occasion when both of you are down. When both of you are tired, struggling, and ready to quit. Those days hit especially hard. 

You can already tell it’s one of those days when you trudge home late after work, and find that Dice isn’t even home. He must’ve gotten caught with the crowd, or was dragged off to some damn party that he really didn’t want to go to. Dice hated any parties that involved other celebrities. Hoity-toity bastards. They make him sick to his stomach. 

Even though a huge part of you wants nothing more than to curl up and sleep, you know that you won’t be successful until your husband comes home. You can’t sleep as well when you’re alone, especially when you’re emotionally struggling. You need him. 

And when Dice finally steps into your quarters, barely able to stand on his own as he lets his tailcoat fall to the ground, you can tell that he needs you just as much. 

Exhausted, you make your way over to him and just wrap your arms around him, burying your face into his chest. After a few moments of processing, you feel Dice’s arms tightly wrap around you as well, pulling you against him as his shoulders sag slightly. Jeez, he’s so weak and tired, it makes your heart break for him. 

“Shitty day?” You ask, your voice muffled from your face being snugly buried into his chest. 

You hear a dejected sigh from above you as Dice rests his head on top of yours, nodding slowly. 

“Shitty day. You?”

“Mhm.” You mutter back, hugging yourself closer to him for safety and relief. 

Dice coos sadly in response, kicking off his shoes and sliding them in a heap by the door. You yelp a little in surprise as he lifts you up, carrying you over to bed and sitting down on the edge with you. 

You watch as he runs a defeated hand over his face, shaking his head in resignation. He looks worn and ragged, like he had been run through a road roller. Dice certainly feels that way, at least. 

He looks down at you with an unreadable expression, cupping your face and examining your eyes. Your beautiful, glossy eyes that are incredibly easy to get lost in. They’re truly a wonder, in Dice’s head. You yourself, are a wonder. A joy. A prize. 

He wishes you didn’t feel so low today. 

“I’m so sorry, my sweet. But I don’t believe I have the energy to help you find your smile tonight.” 

That sentence is enough to shatter your heart, but not in the way you’d think. You’re not upset that he can’t provide the comfort he thinks you need. You’re not upset that he can’t make love to you, or run you a bath, or dance with you until your feet hurt. 

You’re upset that he’s been run down to his last thread tonight. You’re upset that he feels guilty for being unable to help you in the way he would like. You’re upset that he’s had such a horrible day, when he should’ve been enjoying himself. 

In response to his apology, you lean forward and press your lips to his, gently nipping at his bottom lip and coaxing a small groan from his throat. 

Helping him undress completely, you mumble in his mouth in a voice that’s barely audible:

“Dice, don’t think that you need to pamper me to help me relax. Don’t think that you need to sweep me off my feet and carry me everywhere to make you happy. Don’t think that you need to do all of these sweet little gestures to bring me comfort.” 

You run your hands up and down his sides, memorizing the way his smooth ivory skin feels against your fingers. 

“All I need tonight is you. And you’re here now. That’s all I could ever want. I just want you.” 

Dice is at a loss for words, opening his mouth to say something, but nothing coming out. After a minute, he sighs hopelessly, shaking his head and just holding you in his arms, searching for solace in your loving warmth. 

You both sit together, naked and weary, just embracing each other. Loving each other. Not daring to move, in fear of stumbling or breaking the quiet atmosphere. It’s… surprisingly wholesome. 

Who knew that all you both would ever need when you’re down is a hug? That was all it took to make you at least a little content with where your life is? You suppose you shouldn’t be surprised, after all any type of contact with Dice is enough to bring you peace. 

You contemplate in his arms for a moment, remembering that new blues song that was playing on the radio over your workplace a few days ago. How did it go again?

Oh, yes. You remember.

“I’ll never smile again…” you start, your voice hesitant, wondering if you had heard the lyrics right. “Until I…”

Recognizing what you were trying to sing, Dice finds the corners of his lips turning up in a soft smile. He kisses your forehead, hugging you close and slowly swaying back and forth with you from where you were both seated on the bed. 

“Until I smile at you…” he finishes your open sentence, gently rubbing your back as his mind recalls the melody himself. 

“I’ll never laugh again… what good would it do?” 

You close your eyes, peacefully swaying along with him as you both slowly make your way through the song, taking in the quiet, soothing notes of the melody. 

“I’ll never love again, I’m so in love with you…” 

As you harmonize with your husband, you eventually feel a small, blissful smile finally reach your face. You both gaze into each other’s eyes, smiling tiredly with one another as you finally conclude with the last line of that song you both had just gotten familiar with.

“Until I smile at you.”  

Silence greets your ears once again, but this time, there’s a feeling of satisfaction in the air, rather than misery. And what’s even better is, you both are smiling with one another. 

You chuckle quietly, your hand tracing up and down Dice’s bicep as you gently kiss and bite at his collar bone. 

“You know, you had apologized earlier for not having any energy to help me find my smile. But I don’t think you realize that all I need to smile again is you, Dice.” 

Dice stares down at you in slight awe, slowly processing your words and taking them to heart. You feel yourself get slightly squeezed against him as he lets out a quiet, teary chuckle that brings out a couple tears of your own that you didn’t realize you were holding back. 

“I… I guess I never thought of that, babydoll.” 

He wipes away your tears as he blinks back his own, lowering his head down and pressing tiny kisses to the top of your head, little bursts of love and warmth exploding from your chest. 

You ache for him. He puts so much unnecessary pressure on himself, sometimes it’s hard to watch. You wish he’d give himself a break. He deserves one more than ever. 

“Tomorrow’s your day off, right? It’s Saturday, so I have off as well. Maybe we could dedicate it as a recovery day.” You offer quietly, rubbing in between his shoulder blades to help him calm himself. 

With a gentle sniffle and a moment of thought, Dice smiles sadly once again, nodding thoughtfully and taking your hand. 

“I’d love that more than anything, sweet one. We’ll spend the whole day together, just the two of us.” 

Just the two of you. No one else. Not a single coworker to deal with, or a boss screaming in your ear. Not one nasty admirer clinging to Dice’s leg, begging for one picture. Just you, Dice, and the peaceful quiet that home brings the both of you. Yes… that does sound perfect. 

“It’s a date then.” 

Content with your plans of a better tomorrow, Dice crawls back into bed and lays down with you, curling up under the covers with you snuggled perfectly in his arms. Once you both settle down, you sigh quietly together, your heads slowly resting against each other. 

Your hands connect with each other, the soft metal of your wedding rings clinking together as your fingers interlock. The clear diamonds sparkle and glisten as the pale moonlight peaks in from the window, hitting the stones at just the right angle. 

Dice grins warmly in amusement, his thumb rubbing over the rings in curiosity before he squeezes your hand reassuringly, bringing you closer. 

“Now that I think about it… I wouldn’t have my life any other way. I think I’ve done well for myself.” 

You laugh softly, your nose gently brushing against the pip on his face as you nod in response, agreeing with his statement.

“I wouldn’t either, sweetheart. You’re worth all the bad days in the world.” 

You relax in each other’s arms, peacefully satisfied with where you both are at. As you start to nod off, you hear Dice begin to quietly hum the tune you were both singing together earlier in an attempt to lull you off to sleep. It works, rather quickly. You’re passed out by the time he reaches the fifth or sixth line. 

For a moment, Dice watches you resting against him, enjoying the feeling of your chest slowly rising and falling against his own, your heart beats slowly coming together and finding a steady rhythm. 

He’s right; he wouldn’t have it any other way. This is perfect. All he needs. 

You’re all I need, the showman thinks to himself as his heavy eyelids finally close, and within mere seconds, he’s fast asleep, holding you securely in his embrace. 

You both sleep well into the next day, taking the time to recuperate and take care of the exhaustion you were dealing with. By the time you finally rise, you keep the promise you had made to each other, spending the day making each other laugh, sing, and dance together. 

Your love for each other really is worth all the bad days in the world.

[danceontheceiling]

back home with my gencon haul

my fave ribbon was def fungi freak (it me) that i got with a purchase from a booth. the escape room person did say we were the fastest so far that con though (we got done with like twenty minutes left)

i loved this set (rainbow drops) when it first got released a year ago but i ended up talking myself out of it cause i didn't need ANOTHER set but then when i decided to do it they were sold out and they have taunted me for a year, on the website but sold out the whole time (at least anytime i check and i didn't get a notification that they were back in stock). so when i went to the dispel dice booth (i loved it, it was set up like a jewelry display case and they had catalogs you could flip through too) i asked if they had a set of it and they did!! so now i finally have these and it only took a year

i don't collect stamps but i do pins so i grabbed that from the usps collab, a gencon pin, and then gawki (where i also got the ribbon from) and also crytime art.

lilystrations made the cool token card based on spiritfarer (i don't play any card games that use them but i did still like looking at the token cards everyone had) grabbed a couple patches from a booth, and then this fridge magnet set (i liked the cube magnet too but i 95% picked the set up for the collector tarot magent) from rollacrit

and finally thought i'd pick up some tea tasters and another fridge magnet from tea and absinthe

(also not part of my haul but i did meet sam reich (sort of))

and i didn't get a picture with her but i did get to meet someone i've been following since vine!! she played in a couple ttrpg oneshots with glass cannon network (who i hadn't seen anything of before but they were very fun games) and they were like usually people know us and then find sydney through us, not the other way around. but she was very cool in person!! also didn't meet him but was about five feet away from ross bryant at one point

anyway i'm very tired and happy to be home and i spent too much money but i had a good time

[theresattrpgforthat]

I know you've done a game recommendations post about lighthearted solo games, but do you have any suggestions for someone's first solo ttrpg/journaling game?

THEME: First-Time Solo Games!

Hello friend! I sure do have some recommendations! Many of the games I present here are representative of a larger type, so you might be able to find other games within that category by browsing the related tags on itch.io. Most of the games require dice, and many of the games require decks of cards. Other than that, you shouldn’t need anything too fancy or elaborate to play these kinds of games!

The Sky City Charade, by Ashley Morgan’s Games.

Elysia. Midtown. Someone rich was murdered. And you, a private detective from the lowest reaches of Sky City, have been tasked to find out why.

This is a solo journalling game based on the Hints and Hijinx system from Pandion Games. Create a character and navigate through a cyberpunk city stretching into the heavens, dealing with whatever it throws at you.

Using polyhedral dice, a deck of cards, something to journal with, and your own imagination, see if you can bring this case to a satisfying close by actually solving it and finding out who is behind this mysterious crime, and why you were asked to solve it.

Hints and Hijinx games use a pack of cards and a deteriorating dice mechanic to generate a story. In The Sky City Charade, you’ll assign your two highest dice (a d10 and a d12) to two stats: Smarts & Tough. Every roll you make in an effort to find a clue has a chance of giving you what you’re looking for, but also a chance of making future rolls harder. The game is divided into three phases: Setup, Investigation, and Closure. You’ll spend most of your time in the Investigation phase, visiting locations and drawing cards to determine what kind of complications arise in your efforts to solve the mystery.

What I like about this kind of game is the structure. There’s clear instructions for each section of play, and the deteriorating dice mechanic ensures that you both think carefully about when to look for clues and also finish play within a reasonable time frame. I also enjoy the thoughtful world building that went into the location creation for this game; the author knows what kind of world they want to present you with, and they deliver.

If you want more games of this system, I’d recommend checking out the Hints and Hijinx Jam!

Beast at Bay, by Ive Sorocuk.

You arrive back in your hometown.The journey was long.You have little memory of it but you do recall being attacked by some form of beast. A beast you can still feel deep within you, wanting to get out.

Beast at Bay is a solo rpg/journaling game that uses the Second Guess System. It’s a pretty simple game, only one page long, with a Humanity tracker and a list of 20 prompts. You roll a d20 and answer a question from the prompt list, adjusting the Humanity tracker as needed.

The Second Guess System thrives on re-rolls, and frames rolling the same prompt twice as a chance to examine your character’s uncertainty - was their original answer truly what was going on, or is there something hidden, possibly even from themself? In Beast at Bay, every time you must re-examine a question, you will need to roll a d6 to determine whether you lose Humanity. The game ends when you either reach 6 or fall to 0. If you like quick-to-read games that can be played in approximately 30 minutes, then I’d recommend checking out this game.

You can find other Second Guess Games in the Second Guess Jam!

Weeds in the Waste, by Meghan Cross.

Weeds in the Waste is a solo storytelling game about tending a garden in a post apocalyptic wasteland.

Determine the state of your wasteland, create your gardener, plant your seeds, and tend your garden as you play through the seasons in the wastes. It is a narrative, storytelling game played using 2d6s and a 6x6 grid, as well as a series of prompts. 

Grid-based games give you visual references that can help you visualize what is going on in your game world. They also give you a chance to strategize a little bit, especially if the dice you’re rolling will affect the map, like in this game. Despite the fact that this game happens in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, I still feel like some part of it is a cozy game. You’re not saving the world or fighting your inner darkness in Weeds in the Waste; you’re growing plants and striving to make your garden a place of hope. Much of the prompts provided are aimed at building up the world around you, whether that be weather events, celebrations, or the kinds of plants you are attempting to grow.

If you like games with lower stakes and visual references, I recommend this game. If you want other grid-based games with different themes, I’d recommend Wonderfall, by Catscratcher Studio, and Exclusion Zone Botanist, by Exuent Press.

Anamnesis, by Sam Leigh, Blinking Birch Games.

Anamnesis is a 24-page solo journaling RPG about self-discovery, reflection, and identity.

You play as an individual who has woken up with memory loss. You do not remember who you are, where you are, or what you care about. As you draw tarot cards, you fill the blank spaces of your past and learn more about your present. All that is needed to play is a deck of tarot cards and a way to record your thoughts.

Explore your character’s backstory through five acts, divided up using the four suits and major arcana of a tarot deck. This game is highly interpretive, giving you prompts to answer but depending upon your interpretation of tarot cards in order to determine the kinds of details that you’ll end up filling out. The fact that it uses a tarot deck may be it’s biggest obstacle if you don’t already own a tarot deck, but if you do own a tarot deck you’ll likely already have some experience when it comes to interpreting the cards, and so I don’t know if the openness of interpretation is that much of a hurdle when it comes to playing this game.

What I do know is that Anamnesis has won several awards, and is pretty well-known in the gaming scene. There’s both digital and physical copies, and the creator offers both discounted damaged copies as well as community copies pretty regularly. There’s also an Anamnesis Jam with many other Anamnesis - inspired games for you to check out!

The Sealed Library, by Sealed Library.

The Sealed Library is a solo journaling RPG played with a deck of cards, a tumbling block tower and a notebook/scroll.

You are the sole surviving librarian of the greatest library in history. It sits in the centre of culture for an ancient land, now fallen to invaders. They pillage and raze. 

The library has been barricaded and you are under siege. What important texts can you move down into the vaults and seal away forever before the barricade breaks? What will future generations discover inside the Sealed Library?

Wretched & Alone games such as this one usually recommend a Jenga tower but I’ve found them very playable without one. All you really need is a deck of cads, a six-sided dice, and some tokens, which can be anything (I use poker chips). Personally, I think the biggest con is the tone of the games - most Wretched & Alone games are meant to be tragic or horrific. For example, in The Sealed Library, you are a librarian trying to save as much of the library as possible before invaders knock down the doors and kill you, or before you die of starvation.

These games divide events in between four categories, to match the four suits of cards. In this game, these suits represent saved books, new discoveries, invader events and dwindling resources. If the tumbling tower falls, you die. If you draw all four Kings, you die. There are a few ways for your character to escape alive, but the chances of drawing the right cards in the right order are low. What I appreciate about this game is that it includes a debrief section, allowing you to process the story you have just told yourself. If you’re interested in playing out a story that may pull you into a tragedy however, games like this one may suit you.

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past

Untitled Moth Game, by S. Kaiya J.

Osteozee, by Psychound.

Global Dragon Egg Conservation, by KuumatheBronze.

Games from the Solo But Not Alone Bundle.

[theinstagrahame]

Another month and a bit, got some more great games coming through! It's time for the indie/small press RPG mail call round-up!

Die - Bizarre Love Triangles: I generally love Rowan, Rook and Deckard's work, and really enjoyed the roughly half that I read of The Wicked and the Divine by Kieron Gillen. So, the original book was a match made in heaven for me. The promise of a Collectible Card Game adventure for it? Done. Sold. I'm there, and sign me up.

Inevitable: I think a lot of people had similar reactions when they pulled Inevitable out of its box: Whoa, this is big. The last few books have been closer in size to the middle row of books, but there's apparently too much ruined Western Arthuriana for one book to contain. Played this on a stream, it's good.

Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast: I honestly can't wait to dig into Yazeba's, because it seems like the kind of game we need more of. It's that Found Family experience, the whole character-based gameplay that people love, but also designed to really keep things fresh even on repeat playthroughs. I'm really curious to finally dig in.

Wickedness: This was offered as an Add-on to the Yazeba's Backerkit, and I was intrigued by the pitch: You and two other players form a coven, and you do queer witch stuff. It's a beautifully made book, and I've got a lot of friends who I think would dig it.

Songbirds 3e: I picked up an earlier edition of Songbirds in an Itch Charity Bundle, and was really intrigued by the game. Snow does amazing things with layout and vibes, and is a really excellent game designer. I really wanted that edition in hard copy, but never found it, so a third edition was an instant get.

Kids on Bikes 2e: I know KoB mostly through the Brits on Bikes podcast, and I really enjoyed the system. I love systems that make use of all the dice in interesting and fun ways, and I really couldn't wait to see what a new edition would look like.

Apocalypse Keys - Doomsday Delights: I've recently been reading the Hellboy comics, and thoroughly enjoying them. I also already have Apocalypse Keys, which does an incredible job of making the comic even more queer, so completing the set with the fun stretch goal books was kind of an obvious call.

The Wolf King's Son: Vincent and Meguey Baker make amazing games, including the engine that runs so many of the games I like. I've been following their recent series of zines, and this popped up in that feed. I haven't checked out Under Hollow Hills, but even based on what I've seen from this, it's a must-have.

Pitcrawler: Wizards are the 1%, and we Pitcrawlers, disposable adventurers, are here to rob from the rich. It ticks all my boxes, and it looks good doing it. The campaign also hit while I was about halfway through my Magnus Archives listen, so it was an instant back for me.

Outliers: Everything Sam Leigh makes slaps, so yeah. Weird corporate science horror? Solo adventures? Hell, even the Far Horizons Co-op association really got me.

Here we Used to Fly: Picked this up also because of @partyofonepod, who played a really beautiful and bittersweet episode with the creator. I have always been a little too anxious as an adult to consider breaking into an old theme park, but I definitely have my share of fun memories of them as a kid. I'm also starting to envision other games this would pair really well as an epilogue to, should I ever get back into the AP scene.

Another game has arrived in the mail since I started this, but that's gonna be next month's first game, I guess!

[eric-the-bmo]

Blood and Silicon ep20: Welcome Home (for the last time)

[We're back, baby!! The boys have finally arrived in Chicago! Percy gives Leo some advice, and Blake goes to a store and gets tormented by consumerism as our ST becomes a salesman. Leo visits his family.] @sanguineasylum @zwoelffarben @kentuckycaverats

On the road, Leo's quiet. Percy asks him about DnD to get his mind off things, and Leo gets to ramble for a bit. Blake listens in.

Eventually the boys arrive at their hotel and head up to their room. Percy asks if Leo wants to talk about anything, and Leo quietly rejects him for the moment. They get to their room just as it's starting to snow outside. As Blake heads back out to grab the rest of their luggage, Percy sets up the beginning of his rifle trap for the door of their room (but not completely) and puts the "Do Not Disturb" sign up.

Percy checks the locks on everything. Blake returns and sets up the bathroom so they can all sleep in it again like last time, and then mentions he needs to pick a few things up. Leo can't join him, due to needing to keep a low profile as an Unauthorized Embrace in Camarilla territory. Percy says he'll stay with Leo and gives Blake a small shopping list (brass knuckles, zip ties, ski masks). Blake hands him the two ski masks they had taken from the Hunters earlier.

It's silent for a bit after Blake leaves. Percy reads, Leo fills out his diary, and then he lays on the bed and mentions he won't be able to eat the kołaczkis his mother makes for Christmas. Percy tells him to hold on to those human memories. (After a moment Leo then asks if Kindred don't celebrate the holidays; Percy says some of them do.)

_______

Meanwhile, Blake goes to Herricks- it's one of the only stores that are open on 12am on Christmas. (it's also a subsidiary of Pentex!)

Blake gets some chains for his tires (made by the Rainbow Industry, a subsidiary of Pentex!) and a disposable camera and extra film (from Slaughterhouse Video!). He heads over to what his player described as "the geek area."

[ST: "Other than Slaughterhouse Video, Herrick's also has Avalon Incorporated, Vesuvius Incorporated.... and finally Black Dog Gaming for all your tabletop needs :-). And fine there can be Dungeons and Dragons shit there too-" Bmo: "YESS!!!"]

Blake looks around the Black Dog/DnD section. [ST: "Their "Tome of Unification" was just released, which allows you to create a hybrid character once you purchase All of the games. They just added an expansion to that, where you can Also convert your DnD character TO the World of Shadows. And so because of that, there are some DnD-themed Black Dog dice."]

Blake eventually finds some regular DnD dice- he eventually chooses the "tie-dye red and orange" set. He then tries to find some kind of DnD book, and finds Fizban's Treasury of Dragons- as a bundle to the expansion guide mentioned earlier! He finds a Treasury book by itself and looks at the prices; it's expensince, but if he gets the expansion bundle it's $5 less!

[We all start yelling at the ST. Blake's player argues that Blake now has to go buy a players book for WoS. (ST: "That's all part of their plan!")]

Blake is pissed because he hates capitalism, but turns to look at the World of Shadow games anyway. There's:

Revenant: The Ravishing 

Lycanthrope: The Rapture

Warlock: The Pretension

Spectre: The Annihilation

Pixie: The Illusion

Human: The Protagonist

and Fiend: The Pacting

Blake looks at the pixie and warlock books, but part of the warlock book puts him off (specifically the phrase "Sexe Magicque"). He reasons the human game would make Leo sad, and decides on the pixie game- it would help Leo focus on other things, and being a reality-warping fairy seems kinda neat.

[Bmo: "I also like the idea of Blake looking at all the books and going 'those exist, those exist, those exist- pixies? those aren't real! I'll take that'"]

The bill's over a hundred at this point. Leo texts Blake to grab nail polish. Blake also grabs a Christmas card with Snoopy on it and buys a Jack Skellington bobblehead for Pauline, as well as some Black Dog Gaming-themed wrapping paper for it.

["Actually, since you already bought a Black Dog game-" "oh come one-" "-You get a roll for free! :-)"]

Blake checks out and wraps his gifts in the car, and for a moment he pauses as he thinks about what to write in the card. He eventually puts it away, still blank.

_______

Blake gets back to the hotel room; Percy is reading one of his detective books, and Leo is drawing on the hotel notepad. The TV is on. Blake tells the Venture he was unable to find any of the things on his list.

Leo paints his nails as the coterie comes up with a plan- Leo will contact his sister to let her know he'll be late and will show up at night, and when it's time to see his family Blake and Percy will drop him off a couple blocks. They'll stay nearby in case anything happens; Leo will probably stay about 2-4 hours. Blake reminds Leo to be careful about his Beast. ["Also," Blake adds, "If this is gonna be the last time you see your folks, try to keep in mind that- ....Be happy, but not too happy. If you're not gonna 'be around' much longer, it's gotta make a little bit of sense to them."]

They exchange numbers again since Blake and Leo both have new phones. The more experienced kindred board up the windows and finish up the rifle trap as Leo calls his sister on the hotel phone.

Amy picks up; there's Christmas music in the background, because she's at a party. She's surprised to hear it's her brother on the other end and asks where he's been- his phone's been dead, he tells her. ["It's been four days!"] He lets her know he's at a hotel- it's fine, no really, he doesn't need to stay at her place it's fine! He's just exhausted, he figured it would be better to crash at a hotel! Amy's a bit pissed at him (and also slightly drunk) but is still really glad that he called. She wants him to come over, maybe he can meet some of her friends, but he says he'll meet her tomorrow and is adamant about that.

["Can't a man get his beauty sleep?"]

Amy relents, but mentions their parents will want to know when he's coming over ["They're gonna ask me- You know how they are."]

Leo tells her he doesn't need a ride tomorrow. Amy also has a lot of questions, one of them being how long he's going to stay. A week, he tells her.

[Amy: "We're gonna have the best New Year's party this year, especially without your shit-ass-- Anyway, we'll talk later. Leo: "No, no, continue that sentence-"]

Leo reminds Amy to drink water, and the siblings bid each other goodbye.

The coterie all sleeps in the bathroom again.

_______

We all wake up to the sound of the phone ringing- Blake scrambles to check that the trap didn't accidentally kill someone, and Leo bolts for the phone. ["Hello? Holy shit, you motherfucker, where are you?!"]

It's Amy. It's also 4:30pm, by the way, and then Amy is apologizing to their parents about something. Leo says he'll be there, hangs up, and rushes to get ready.

Blake hands Percy a rifle (he hides it in a bag), and the Boys get into the jeep. Leo provides directions.

Blake takes a detour to a coffee place and gets some donuts from the drive-thru. He hands them to Leo, who pays him back at a red light.

Blake also gives Leo the disposable camera he bought earlier.

_______

Leo arrives at his parent's house and pauses, then knocks on the door and activates Blush of Life. He greets his family, they exchange hellos and merry christmases, and Leo offers them donuts as an apology for being late. His mother lets him know he hasn't missed the Christmas dinner yet. They exchange gifts- the presents from his parents are okay (ft a #1 Librarian mug, a t-shirt for a metal band he was into like 5 years ago, and a gift card for a restaurant w/ a note that says "We'll go together"). Amy gets him commissioned art of one of his DnD characters, and a bottle of alcohol for them to share later in the week. Leo also gives everyone their presents.

Leo helps his mother and sister set out dinner, and as they do this the topic of him moving comes up- Leo says he needed a change of scenery and gives his mother a fake address.

His parents say grace for the Christmas dinner and Leo manages to not get sick while eating. Eventually, however, the topic of his supposed breakup with Jeremiah comes up ["I mean, that's the reason you left, wasn't it?"]- Leo says he'll get over him eventually. His mother is a bit bitter over the fact he left without saying anything.

After stammering out he moved to Detroit because it's the "sister city of Chicago," Leo eventually says he doesn't really know why he moved there, specifically (we love lying to our family about where we moved to. Wow). His parents think it would be better if he stayed with them in Chicago- Leo says he'll consider it. Also uh, yeah, sure, he'll invite you guys over sometime! Totally. (Amy offers to help him decorate)

Our fledgling vampire apologizes for leaving so suddenly. His mom appreciates the apology, and it's hard to read his father's expression. [Bmo: "Can I.... do a vibe check?" ST: "That was the vibe check." Bmo: "Oh okay-"]

Later on, Amy says she knows he's got a hotel to stay at, but asks him if he'd like to stay at her place for the night. ["And I know I said we could celebrate next week, but-" She gestures towards the bottle she had gotten him.] Maybe tomorrow, he tells her. They hug (he holds on tight). He also hugs his parents, who wish him well. He takes some family photos with the camera Blake got him and says goodbye.

_______

The car's radio is softly playing Christmas music. Percy is drawing when Leo gets back into the car and puts all the gifts he received inside. When asked, he said visiting his family went alright.

The coterie drives back to the hotel for the night.

Notes:

The Anarch divider was made by @/marquisedegramont!

Leooooo :-( I was so nervous the whole time he was visiting his folks aaa ;-;

We all bullied our ST into having there be snow btw ("We like accuracy, but we also need certain weather for The Vibes")

I was trying to capture the energy that our ST was giving during Blake's shopping trip aaa

We made a joke of Human the Protagonist being out of stock due to all the other supernatural creatures buying it.

We also said we need to roleplay the coterie playing Pixie- aka I should ST a changeling game but it's double roleplay, since we'd also be roleplaying as our vampire boys. Wild

Please know that everytime Leo has a phone call with someone I use my cell phone as a prop.

"Can't a man get his beauty sleep?" Thank you Leo that's so iconic of you

I had fun being a little Silly with him

Leo is Not a fan of the fact being a vampire means he's going to be late for certain events. He likes being punctual >:-(

It's just now hitting me as I'm typing this up that maybe Amy got him that bottle so they could like? Celebrate the fact he broke up with his ex?? lmao

Blake is so nice to Leo aaaa

I Really hope we don't mess up faking his death, yall. OK thats all byeee

[christiansorrell]

RPG Read-through: Himbos of Myth & Mettle

After my recent read-through of .dungeon//remastered (originally posted to Twitter), someone there was like "I really like your old read-throughs. Have you put those somewhere else for when Twitter inevitably dies?" I hadn't! So here is a read-through I did last year about one of my favorite releases from the last few years Himbos of Myth & Mettle! - Christian

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

Time to read-through one of the most fun games I've played this year: Himbos of Myth & Mettle by Maxwell Lander!

Right out of the gate, this game has such an exuberant, fun energy to it, and I like the voice throughout the writing. The concept could be done much more impersonally/traditionally, but it really wouldn't carry the same feel at all.

Straightforward d20 roll-under system with guidance to create drama and fun over everything else. I've played with the dice chain optional rule and enjoyed it! It's something I love in other games and it's fun to see its inverse here (smaller dice are better).

Interestingly, the system has a mixed success component as well - although you may not expect it with the d20 base. It takes something like your ability modifiers from a traditional game and makes that into a window of error that gets you success with a complication.

The magic system is a lot of fun here. Any himbo can use their Heart stat to attempt superhuman or supernatural things. You answer some quick questions to determine the cost and roll to see if you pull it off. There's an effect table too if things go wrong with some wild results.

The Heart system is a good encapsulation of what I enjoyed about this when I've had the chance to play it. It has this vivacious, positive, and often cartoonish energy to it where things almost always go big, in good and bad ways. It's very heartfelt (no pun intended).

Fun art (by Mary Verhoeven) and quotes throughout this book too. I wonder if these were real player characters from playtesting or maybe in-universe Legends of Himbodom?

One of the most memorable lists of player stats out there. It stresses letting players use most stats for most things. Doing something very courageous in combat? Roll Breast over Thighs. Flirting with an NPC to distract them while you pick their pocket? Roll Lips over Hands.

Death is rare, rather Himbos take Scars when they fall to 0 Heart (acting primarily as health but also "mana" to some extent). Each scar makes them more and more jaded, a bit more negative. After 4 scars, they retire - becoming a hero maybe (yes, heroes are bad here!)

There are special abilities, skills (gained from a lifepath system), and Heat (a bonus pool that reflects how sexy you are in the moment). I had a lot of fun with the special abilities in particular when I played.

D20 tables throughout help build the tone really well. It's clear what kind of characters this game is focused on after looking these over. I really like lifepath systems in games, and this one is surprisingly extensive. It's fun to roll a random character and see who comes out.

Tips section gives some guidance about trying to create a different type of story and different types of conflicts than you typically see in fantasy RPGs. I really like the take on Heroes here. It's a great twist on the genre (and is probably more accurate, honestly).

It's got two adventures in the back, including the 12th Annual Fresh Meat Games which was the adventure I got to play through at EFCon. It's a local festival and competition that the PCs join to test their mettle in front of big crowds. Lots of fun.

Nice little thing: there's a library check-out card holder on the back inside cover with little character sheets in it!

That's the game! It's a lean little book, quick to read and quicker to play. It's got a straightforward central system with fun twists and tables throughout to ramp up the drama and really the entire text just exudes a unique, over-the-top, heartfelt tone I love.

It's available digitally for $10 USD on Itch!

The hardback version is great - really nice quality, it has a ribbon and those cool sheets in the back! I'd recommend picking it up HERE.

Lastly if you'd like to hear more from me, you can do that in my monthly newsletter (includes an article, an RPG freebie, and a list of cool stuff from myself and others over the last month): https://meatcastle.substack.com