#i like how we have a party filled up with all of the classic adventuring party archetypes

[itsjustevil]

You know, it's crazy how I've heard about this on here and from my discord friends, I never found anything that alluded to the main synopsis of Dungeon Meshi being "These bitches broke, so they're gonna cook up some delicious monsters."

[m0chisenpai]

platonic!Lo’ak talking to the reader about everything, like all of his adventures to his feelings towards a member of the clan. Bonus, Lo’ak and the reader snuggling in bed and telling each other about their day

all is calm

˚｡⋆ avatar!reader x platonic!lo'ak

in which lo'ak is never too hold to spend time with his mother.

author note: I can't explain it, but when I think of reader and lo'aks relationship, it makes me think of disney classic mothers with their children.

The setting sun beams down on you, a light chill from the waters and evening air sets in. Cooling your body from the days woek. You rose early with t'shahik. Learning the way of healing, of listening to the Great Mother.

When you were free from your studies, you returned to your mauri. Where your children awaited. Your daughter and Tuk enjoyed the waters while the boys went out further. Hunting, and bonidng with some of the villages boys.

It was you alone, waiting for Jake and Neytiri to return from a hunting party. Their second since your refugee time began. So you began the process of skinning the fish and boning it with careful fingers.

"Mother!" you could not fight the upturn of your lips as you cast a quick look over your shoulder. He quickly drops his hunting gear to bring his hand to hos forehead, "I see you."

"Ma Lo'ak! The prodigal hunter returns,"I see you as well."

"Netayem is helping the girls hunt," he crouches to sit beside you. You nod, carefully working the thin bones out the fish as to not snap or leave any behind.

"And did you and your brother catch anything today?"

"Yes! But it was big! It was at least double dads size. And It took three of us to take this thing down!" He spoke animatedly, using his hands to scale this creature. You couldn't fight the grin on your face as he wnt into more detail.

Before, he would spit out his distaste for this watery hela d he once called it. But now these days, since peace as finally been bestowed uppn you all with the death of that monster. There is a fondness and love in hs eyes. He misses the forest less, you can tell.

"Now tell me you were with...ah what is the boys name."

"Aonung! You should have seen him! We had a running bet to see who could dive the farthest. I was clearly the winner but then he goes on to say 'well then lets see who can stay underneath the longest!"

You huff out in lafter, wrapping the fresh food salted and seasoned tightly in leaves. Setting the bundles now one by one, Lo'ak helps you not missing a detail in this contest.

"Mother, you need to rest," Lo'ak grumbles watchng as you stand, pressing your hands to your back and stretching.

"How can I? I need to feed you my greedy little monster" you hiss playfully, setting the basket near the fire.

"You really need to, dads gonna start freaking out when you start showing more," his eyes glance down at your stomach. Your second born, you often forget they are even in there, but Lo'ak has his fathers eyes. "And plus Tsireya tells me you are learning from the healers."

"Lo'ak stubborn son of Toruk Makto listens to his father? I truly have lived long enough to see it all" you wistfully look up into the sky, laughter bubbles up in you at the sour look that descends on your sons face.

"I will rest as soon as I get a fire starting." But Lo'ak beats yo too it. Working with skillful hands a small ember begins to build which you fan till it is bright and warming you both.

You will admit, the cool waters sooth the ache in your feet, and Lo'ak sits close beside you. "Enough about me. Tell me about the hunt. How do you plan to capture the beast the next time your party sets out?"

Lo'ak explains it in great detail. When the chill of the evenings settles, he scoots over to you. Curling into your side, more tales of the day fill the space. But when Jake and Neytiri return with the girls curled in their arms, they find you and Lo'ak nestled together in your hammock.

[eggyeop]

somethin' stupid

| you and toji, the love in your relationship severed many years ago-- but kept together solely by your children and the agreement to keep a complete household for your children. toji understands that you may not love him as much anymore; but the admiration for you is ongoing, eternal.

based on the song somethin' stupid - frank sinatra, nancy sinatra!

! toji fushiguro x female reader, sorta angst, comfort, established relationship,.... idk

-

' i know, i stand in line until you think you have the time to spend an evening with me'

"y/n, do you wanna go out for a drink tonight..?" toji asked shyly. a small amount of blush creeped into his cheeks, dark black strands of hair just slightly covering his eyes. "--i mean, we've been on edge lately.. i thought i could treat you..." he continued after a small silence. fiddling with the bottom of his shirt as he awaited your response.

you agreed.

*'and if we go someplace to dance, i know that there's a chance you wont be leaving with me.'

you guys walked beside each other that night, a little closer than you guys usually do. toji felt the warmth of your body radiate onto his. he was happy settling at that closeness. you could hear the aura of party downtown-- the same aura felt the day you guys first met.

toji wanted to take you somewhere meaningful that night. he feared losing you more than he already has.

*'then afterwards we drop into a quiet little place and have a drink or two..'

you and toji stopped in front of a small jazz bar. you used to always want to adventure to jazz bars with toji, daydream about you and him in themed attire to enjoy a peaceful night at the bar.

"you've always wanted to come here right?.." toji sort of mumbled. it was hard for him to talk to you when it wasn't about the kids.

you hummed in satisfaction, taking a sip of the drink that toji ordered for you-- the classic, its been years and he still knows you well.

"thank you, toji." you looked into his eyes. they glistened a little, the light reflecting off of his alluring green eyes.

*'and then i go and spoil it all by saying somethin' stupid like,'

"you're welcome, i love you." he said softly. those three words being the loudest of the restaurant chatter happening throughout the bar. you tilted your head slightly. you blushed a little. but no reaction.. do you love him still?

toji thought you didn't. your lack of response had confirmed things for him.

'i can see it in your eyes that you despise the same old lies you heard the night before'

you swirled your drink softly. the nights he had come home exhausted, the days you felt neglected by him. you both failed to nurture each other. it was exhausting when you bombarded each other at the wrong times.

regrets, a marriage of love.. feelings of regret. are there some things that we should have gotten over..? it hurt.

'and though its just a line to you for me its true and never seemed so right before..'

but despite those feelings of hurt. toji still loved you after it all. unconditionally. but you didn't love him back.

even so. the air was thick between you two. the remembered feelings and memories attached to jazz bars had caused you two to reminisce.

'i practice every day to find some clever lines to say to make the meaning come true...'

toji tried. every morning, he would try to come knocking on your (separate..) bedroom door to ask for you to fix his tie perfectly as you did before. or bring you breakfast in the mornings as you woke up.

he ended up covering your plate in saran wrap. a small note attached with the rilakkuma sticky notes you had purchased.

he had to watch a youtube video on how to fix his tie.

'but then i think i'll wait until the evening gets late and i'm alone with you.'

he played with the straw in his cup. he looked at you for a while. you knew that, you let him.

'the time is right your perfume fills my head'

you walked back together. you had .. many drinks extra, clinging onto his arm as he guides the two of you back home. your familiar scent lingering onto him. he breathed in heavily--the fresh cold air purifying his thoughts.

'the stars get red, and oh, the nights so blue'

he daydreamed about moments like this with you. for every day he has been with you. to be this close with you again. he looked up at the sky. you stumbled a little, grasping his arm a little tighter.

he pulled out a spare pair of shoes for you. sitting you down to slip your heels off gently and hold them for you. he knew your feet were hurting.

a habit he built, because he loved you.

'and then i go and spoil it all by saying somethin' stupid like,'

your breath showed in the soft lighting of the night. blush tainting your cheeks and nose perfectly. you could not do anything but stare.

when you’re drunk, its your subconscious right?..

"i love you." you softly said.

a/n: i CLEARLY am a first time writer. saur many typos but im fixing them i swear plzzz i dont know how to work this

[thenerdyindividual]

Want stories featuring queer characters in fantasy, science fiction, or horror settings, where being queer is central to the character but not the only thing they have going on? Let me introduce you to my list of podcasts!

To start we have Welcome to Night Vale. You’ve likely heard of it thanks to the tumblr sexy man poll, or if you’re old school tumblr like I am. It’s a classic for a reason, it kicked off the fiction podcast renaissance and was queer from the jump.

Welcome to Night Vale is an episodic podcast taking the form of radio broadcasts from a strange desert town called Night Vale that appears to be in a parallel universe to ours. It follows the bizarre occurrences within the town and the oppressive government’s clumsy attempts to cover them up.

How is it queer? The show also follows the personal life of radio show host Cecil Palmer who met new-to-town scientist Carlos, and “fell in love instantly”. Not only are they now married, they’ve adopted a child together.

Alice Isn’t Dead

From the creators of Welcome to Night Vale, Alice Isn’t Dead is a horror fiction podcast that follows Keisha, a woman who became a long haul truck driver to go in search of the wife (Alice) she thought was dead, but discovered was alive. In the process she uncovers monsters lurking among us and a massive government conspiracy trying to hide the truth.

How is it queer? As stated, the inciting incident is that Keisha discovers that her wife is secretly alive.

Dimension 20: Fantasy High

A dungeons and dragons actual play show. This season is set in a 1980s John Hughes-esque fantasy high school called the Arthur Aguefort Adventuring Academy. It follows six high schoolers starting their first day of freshman year as they form their adventuring party and try to uncover the mystery of why girls at their school keep going missing.

How is it queer? Kristen Applebees is the cleric of the party, and most of her arc in the first season is based in the struggle between honoring her religious upbringing and the god that gave her her magic, and realizing she’s a lesbian. Fig Faeth (the bard of the group) does not have a romance arc in this season, however in season 2 she does end up in a romantic relationship with another woman, and much of her arc in that relationship is based around the insecurities hidden behind her rock and roll persona. Riz Gukgak (the rogue of the group) does not use the term asexual on screen, however it is clear in a conversation in season 2 where he discusses feeling awkward about not being horny when all his other friends are. He was later confirmed as asexual by dungeon master Brennan Lee Mulligan.

Dimension 20: The Unsleeping City

Another story with the same players as Fantasy High. This story takes place in a fantastical New York City where the waking world intersects with the world of dream and magic. The story follows six adventurers as they struggle to keep the two worlds in balance with each other, and prevent the big bad from ruining the world of dreams forever. It’s Brennan’s love letter to New York.

How is it queer? Pete Conlan (the sorcerer of the group) is a bit of a dirt bag drug dealer who is struggling to learn to take on the responsibility of being the voice for the dreams. He is also a trans man. His awakening into the magical New York occurs because his dad attempts to deadname him, and he uses his magic powers to fill his dad’s mouth with bubbles and blast him away.

Not Another D&D Podcast Campaign 1

This is another dungeons and dragons actual play set in a more traditional D&D world. It follows the story of three adventurers living in the shadows of the saviors of Bahumia that came before them. Only to realize one of those saviors might not have retired, and is up to no good. They will have to save Bahumia from one of its saviors.

How is it queer? Beverly Toegold The Fifth (Paladin of the group) is the fantasy equivalent of a Boy Scout and ends up in a romantic relationship with another boy from his troop. (They’re both meant to be 16 by the end of the campaign I believe.) Moonshine Cybin (the Druid of the group) is just generally horny for everyone and anyone that impresses her, but she does also spend her last night before the final battle hooking up with Hardwon’s (the third party member) sister in law.

Not Another D&D Podcast Campaign 2

This story is set in the world of Eldermourne which delves heavily into the aesthetic of gothic horror. It follows three adventurers as they go in search of a missing witch that will help them protect Eldermourne from the conflicting factions of gods and religious extremists each trying to take the world and remake it in the way that suits them.

How is it queer? A major thrust of the story is that Fia Boginya (the wizard and cleric multiclass of the group) once saved her dear friend Irina from execution, but they end up needing Irina’s magic to protect the world. The party goes in search of her, and Fia admits to having always been in love with Irina, even when they were just children.

The Adventure Zone: Balance

Another D&D actual play. This one is set in a fantasy world that draws heavily on both fantasy and other aesthetics. The three adventurers encounter an extremely powerful and destructive magical object, and manage to capture it. In doing so they are inducted into the organization called the Bureau of Balance, and are sent on missions to recover the other objects of power that have been scattered across the land. There is more to the characters than even they know.

How is it queer? Taako the Wizard (one of the adventurers) ends up in a romantic relationship with the Grim Reaper who in this world is a man. There is also a romantic relationship between two women who are also members of the Bureau of Balance that hangs out in the background of the story. A trans woman is also prevalent in the story, but explaining anything else about her reveals major spoilers for the campaign, but trust me she is narratively important.

The Adventure Zone: Amnesty

This is another actual play show, but it uses the Monster of the Week system that was created using shows like Scooby Doo, X-Files, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is set in the fictional town of Kepler, West Virginia and the Monongahela National Forest. Cryptids are real and they all hang out in Kepler. Three friends band together to stop monsters with ill intent from destroying the town, and learn more about the world that parallels theirs. It is Dungeon Master Griffin McElroy’s love letter to the West Virginia town he and his brothers grew up in.

How is it queer? Aubrey Little is the magic user of the group and identifies as bisexual. She ends up in a romantic relationship with a vampire girl in town.

Campaign Skyjacks

It is another role playing game actual play. I’m not entirely clear on what system they are using, as a lot of it is the creation of the game master. It is set in a fantasy world where crossing the oceans has become too treacherous, so pirates, privateers, and sailors alike have all taken to the sky in airships. The story follows four crew members of the ship the Uhuru as they try to make the ship profitable all while trying to hide from the rest of the crew that the captain has long since died and the doctor has been puppet-ing his corpse for weeks now.

How is it queer? I am still in the early stages of the podcast so there may be more queer characters later, but off the bat there is Gable who is the quarter master of the ship. Gable is non-binary.

These are not the only podcasts that fit the bill, but these are the ones I listen to. I’d also like to give a special mention to most other seasons of Dimension 20. There are a ton more, and you’re likely to get at least one queer character per season. However, I wanted to keep it to things you could find for free. Fantasy High and The Unsleeping City are both free on YouTube, but all other Dimension 20 seasons are on the streaming service dropout tv (which I do recommend getting because they do a lot of other good shows too.)

Feel free to add more shows in your reblogs!

[alexandriaisburning]

033: Seabed

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A yuri mystery novel, Seabed has no choices or alternative routes to explore. You simply read it from front to back, like a conventional novel. And despite that, it remains constantly engaging, with a structure that feels more interactive than many of its contemporaries that lean more heavily on the genre’s adventure game aspects. There’s a real literary quality to Seabed, not only in its prose, but how it asks you to piece together the story. 

Told non-linearly, it builds up the relationship between Sachiko and Takako, with various vignettes from childhood to their adult lives together. We get to see them work together, travel the world, and deepen their affections, before finally reaching the revelation that here, in the present, Takako has disappeared and Sachiko has been hallucinating her presence. 

The how and why is left unclear. Whether it was a simple breakup or Takako going missing during a trip, it calls into question exactly what happened and when, and gives an uneasy tension to past interactions, with each flashback heavy with the idea that this might be when Takako disappears. Layering the mystery are the “Tips”, parallel stories accessed from the main menu, with everything from small character moments to disappearing rooms and unsettling hospital visits. You’re never given a sense of where these fit into the timeline, leaving them spinning in your mind as you try to find where it fits into the ongoing mystery. 

The final revelations ended up mixed for me, but the process of unraveling the story kept it satisfying regardless. The heart of the story is the various relationships between the different women, and the complex emotional stakes that define them. Gorgeous prose describes each scene, and when we arrive at the mansion, the main location the story finally centers on, there’s a tangible sense of place that made me feel as if I’d walked its grounds myself. 

Even as I eased into a certain intimacy with the mansion and its characters, the structure of the story kept the boundaries of its world uncertain and intangible. The warmth of conversation at a Christmas party, or in a bath room filled with colorful fruit toys gave way to intimidating mountain landscapes and tunnel paths filled with dreamlike terror. Seabad often lulls you into comfort, followed by a violent reminder of the story’s stakes and why its characters can’t afford to settle into a peaceful routine. 

It's a bittersweet story, washed in melancholy, but it never falls into the trap of becoming a gay tragedy. We get to see an entire lifetime between Sachiko and Takako, with the non-linear structure continuing to deliver tender moments between them long after Takako's mysterious disappearance. We see what their lives look like after their separation, how they deal with it, and the new connections they form. 

If there’s one indulgence, it’s the classic visual novel trope of lavish food descriptions and detours into the author’s pet subject matters. Thankfully these detours are as interesting as the main story itself, with architectural history lessons, travel blog stylings, and conversations on delicate pastries and the astounding size of American portions. None ever go on too long, and each one of them feels as if it has a purpose in the story. 

In contrast to the maturity of the prose, there’s an almost amateurish quality to the art. Portraits are all ever so slightly off, with the occasional odd anatomy and posing, and fabric has a tendency to be suctioned tightly between every character’s legs. Backgrounds have a sort of mixed media approach, with a scene receiving either fully rendered 3D artwork, complete with variations for atmosphere and time of day, filtered photographs, or some combination of either with illustrations layered on top. 

You can tell where the artist’s strengths lie, with the 3D backgrounds rendered with such care I wouldn’t be surprised to learn they had a day job at an architectural firm or something similar during development. The portraits can sometimes come off a bit goofy, but the sincerity behind them comes across, and there are some beautiful, intimate scenes that aren’t any less effective for it. An intense care has been put into the presentation, and alongside Seabed’s effective use of color and soundtrack, there’s rarely a moment that fails to hit, regardless of the resources or skills the team had at their disposal. 

As I read Seabed, I kept getting lost in the pull of its gravity. Seabed flows between the personal, psychological and even supernatural boundaries of mystery. It has the warmth of a friendly, lighthearted hangout that provides a reprieve from a life of emotional turmoil. As the stakes build, characters consider what it is they need to let go of, and what they desperately want to hang on as the waves of time erode their memories. Seabed is a mystery not about the cold hard facts of reality, but what the emotional consequences of each event are for its characters. 

When the story wrapped up, I found myself wishing for more time with the characters. I wanted to see their desires fulfilled, to get one more interaction between them, one more conversation I hoped would allow me to let go of them. Goodbyes often leave us carrying the words left unsaid, hoping that the few words we can get out can express those silent feelings. Seabed captures those feelings--those feelings of a lifetime spent with the one you care about, of goodbyes that never end, and yet are never long enough, and of the memories you’re left to cherish--or forget--when it��s all over. 

[sallowsdiary]

THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

THE AUROR OFFICE

Dear mr. Sallow,

Nah, I’m just kidding! Hello, Sebastian.

I know that you stopped responding to my owls back in the fourth year, you must have been very busy. Anyways.. i’m coming back to Hogwarts in a few days, my exchange program in Eastern Europe is finally over! I'm sure they'll throw me a welcome back party in the Ravenclaw common room, but.. can we meet up at the library? You know the spot. I feel like i've missed a lot.

- Anissa.

P.S. I just realized that I don't know when this letter will reach you. Let's meet on Friday at nine.

P.P.S. I miss you.

THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

DEPARTMENT OF SARCASM AND WIT

THE SLYTHERIN DORMITORY

Dear Anissa,

Ah, the classic "Ministry of Magic" header—had me for a moment there! I was ready to pack my bags and make a quick escape to Albania. But then again, it’s just you, so I suppose I’m safe… for now.

It’s been a while since your last owl, hasn’t it? I’d say I was busy with academic pursuits, but we both know that’s only half true. Truth is, I might have been a bit... preoccupied with my schemes and the occasional detour into trouble. You know how it goes. But enough about that—I’m glad to hear you’re finally coming back from your adventures in Eastern Europe! I’m sure they’ll roll out the blue carpet for you in Ravenclaw, complete with the intellectual banter and towering book piles you’ve missed.

As for meeting up at the library—how could I say no to that? Our spot has probably missed us as much as we’ve missed each other. Consider it a date (but not the romantic kind, of course—let’s not give the portraits any gossip to spread).

Friday at nine it is. I’ll make sure to be there, ready to catch up on all the details of your exchange program and fill you in on what’s happened here. Spoiler: It’s mostly just me getting into trouble, but you already knew that.

—Sebastian

P.S. I missed you too.

P.P.S. If you bring any of that Eastern European chocolate you mentioned in one of your owls, I might just forgive you for leaving me in the first place.

[wuxiaphoenix]

On Writing: Finding the End

I’ll start this with a caveat: different writing advice works for different people. Most people know about the plotter vs. pantser split, but another useful division is methodological (you have a plan!) vs. intuitive (Plan? What plan?)

(My roommate and I have annoyed each other for years trying to trade writing advice. Turns out she’s an intuitive plotter while I’m a methodological pantser. Our ways of getting Story out of Brain and down into Words are completely different. Now we just toss “this is interesting reference material” at each other.)

If you saw methodological and thought neat and organized... hahaha no. For me a book in progress is an explosion in a reference library; accumulated books, papers, internet snippets, scribbled notes and of course the draft-in-progress. Some bits of which I’m usually loosely editing even as I’m writing other bits.

Instead, methodological means I have a more-or-less set strategy for how to write, what tools I need to keep the plotbunnies from whining (Bic Crystal pens fit my grip best), and specifically, what parts of the story I have to have figured out before I start writing the story, or the whole thing’s going to spin out dramatically and leave me in a fiery, bruised pile of a writer with Unfinished Fic.

...Yeah, that hurts.

So. What I need is first, a good idea of the setting. Second, a good grasp on the characters, both heroes and villains. Third, a beginning scene of Shiny. How do I kick this adventure off? Last, and critically important, I need an End Scene. Heroes vs. Bad Guys. What does the final clash look like?

This end scene doesn’t have to be exact. I even came up with a final scene for Colors and wrote most of it before realizing said End Scene actually belonged in a much later story; while a fight scene before it was the real Final Battle of the book.

(Also note that these are not foolproof. I have end scenes for Track of the Apocalypse and scene ideas for a follow-up, but writing ran headlong into traumatic RL events and it jammed. I want to finish it, but my brain just won’t until I get some more stability into my life. Bleeping inflation....)

Right now, as I hack my way through filling in holes in Colors, I’m trying to figure out what would be the best end scene for Druid vs. Zombies. I’ve got a dungeon maze, a demonic sword (I think), an angry necromancer, a lot of zombies, and a rag-tag party including the Druid who mostly aren’t really fighters.

They’re just the only ones the quarrytown has who can try.

I think part of what I’m stuck on is the tone of the story. The original inspiration was partly Scooby-Doo (“and I would have gotten away with it, too - if it weren’t for you peasants and that druid!”)

But, zombies; and not as friendly as those on Zombie Island. Plus Resident Evil 2 vibes; characters in sudden zpoc trying to survive. So fighting the necromancer has to be more serious.

The classic would be going down into the maze to face off with the necromancer before he can grab the Evil Artifact. But our heroes know they’re outmatched. Go into a dungeon maze filled with traps, monsters, and now necromancer-led zombies? That has bad idea written all over it.

So... I need to know if they think the necromancer has to come out the way he came in, or if they have reason to believe he can just teleport out when he grabs what he wants. Hmm...

[roydeezed]

Dungeon Meshi Thoughts 05

I think this will be the last of these Dungeon Meshi posts before I catch up because I’m finding it very hard to put down. Judging by the names of the next few chapters I’m on the edge of the fight with Thistle The Mad Sorcerer so I thought I’d stop off here and leave my thoughts before continuing. So this post is going to cover chapters 51-67. My spoiler filled thoughts down below past the “Keep reading”.

Last we left off, our intrepid heroes had just learnt of Senshi’s backstory and helped him overcome a great trauma in his life, the belief that he might have eaten his comrades in order to survive. Now, having been changed into different races because of the changeling mushrooms, the group talks about the differences in the ages of the races, which in hindsight after learning of Marcille’s desire, makes me realize how important this conversation was. It also makes me wonder how old Marcille really is. The story at multiple times obfuscated attempts at learning about her age. Has she somehow already learnt the way to increase her own lifespan as her worries about people dying on her due to age seem a little too real to be just worries for the future. And her traveling around picking up random bits of knowledge while also landing on forbidden magic screams someone who’s lived so long all they  can do now is gather knowledge. Marcille’s backstory, for being supposedly so old, is still so vague.

Getting back to the story, the main draw of the cooking in a fantasy setting has been the fact that they get to try all these sorts of wild creatures that would never exist in our world. But leveling that up and creating a whole new method of cooking, through changing things with the changeling mushrooms is such a great evolution of the lore of this world and classic fantasy staples. 

We also learn quite a bit about Laois and Falin’s backstory over the course of these chapters. The key motivation of Laios leaving his hometown was that he was sick of the people there, namely his parents with how much he didn’t want to look like his dad. His main regret was leaving Falin, which is why he’s trying so hard to get her back. His motivation, of wanting a world of harmony speaks to more of a desire of adventurers, to see a world that they haven’t seen before through Laios’s kindhearted view.

It’s a much vaguer wish, with an emphasis on discovery than someone like Marcilles wish, which, while grand, is very concrete. Maybe that’s why the Lion chose him, as such a vague wish is easy to manipulate. One other thing that stood out to me was that both Laios and Falin were engaged before it fell through. In between the cracks of what we know they have a whole set of lives and personalities. I want to know what Laios in love looks like so bad. The little scene of little Falin eating alone is so precious and heartbreaking. I just want the best for these siblings. 

Sharing food as a form of love, for both of the siblings, shows how much they both care about the party. Two small moments that followed this revelation that I loved were Marcille crying because she realized how much Falin loved her and Izutsumi acting literally like a cat as she comforted Marcille.

Izutsumi should be the blueprint for all catgirls going forward, the authour really hit a homerun when they made her.

The group also comes to the conclusion that they can eat her to fix her, calling upon the help of all their allies so far. With where I’m at now, with the characters as divided as they are and the Lion manipulating Laios, I can only say this was an overly hopeful dream. 

We then go over to what I now consider to be the manga’s secondary protagonist, Kabru. Who once again, I dearly love. I love all of the characters but Kabru is just great in so many ways. And we see his determination in not letting a repeat of Utaya, his hometown, happen again. We see how the dungeon has corrupted others and in an effort to drive out campers and get Thistle to come to them, the canaries incite desire in people by flashing money. Originally they seemed outright evil, but I should’ve known better as it’s never that straightforward with Dungeon Meshi. The Canaries are either royals or criminals who’ve meddled with dark magic, signified by clipped ears. This makes me wonder if Marcille has any relation with the Canaries because is she somehow authorized to learn forbidden magic? The Canaries seem like a lifetime membership though. 

Misurn and Kabru manage to get one over on Thistle and just as Misurn is about to end Thistle, Kabru realizes that he needs answers. A bad faith take of this situation, upon learning of the demons and the dungeon mechanics, as well as Kabru’s later desire to stop Laios, would be to say this was just extending the story through a plot convenience. And it really very easily could have been. But this goes back to the systemic issue of the older races, dwarves and elves, not trusting the younger races. Seeing them as naive and impulsive. Kabru forcing this information out is one of the reasons I love him so much. 

While I think some naivety is needed, Kabru looks forward to a world like the one Laios and Marcille look forward to but in a much more realistic sense. He understands the first thing that needs to happen, even before a magical resetting of the race’s ages, is that they need to trust each other. And that’s something we see happen on a smaller scale with our party.

Next, we learn Chilchuck’s backstory. He turns out to be a father and a husband, and through Marcilles incredibly empathetic prediction, we learn most of how the separation with his wife went.  After Senshi, Chilchuck comes in as the second most known about party member, though we still don’t know why or how he got into adventuring. While filling out the role of the rogue in the party, he is also the most wholesome, having raised his daughters and loved his wife.

Next we learn about Marcille’s backstory. And even though we learn quite a lot about her, by the simple virtue of being an elf, there’s still a whole lot more we don’t know about her. This also drives home Marcille’s desire to eliminate the differences between races. With Chilchuck and Senshi, them belonging to a younger race and being younger respectively, we’re able to learn their backstories quite fast. Marcille, being an elf, has that much more of a distance between her and her companions as she has so much more ground to cover on formative memories and motivations. Also on a personal note, finding out that Marcille got into dungeon crawling because she’s basically that world’s equivalent of a flatliner is the dorkiest, stupidest, and funniest thing about her. She’s such a loser(affectionate), I love her so much. Her being into a dorky prince like person as her one true love comes second to that. But going back to it, Marcille is so intrinsically tied to the siblings that it’s just as much her story as it is theirs. 

The next little bit has a few fun moments I want to mention. One is that the Dullhan looks like such a cool monster that I hope we see it again. Another is that I love how the story of the succubui helps Izutsumi come to terms with her animal nature so organically. It’s such a brilliant use of monsters to help realize the protagonists character arcs, you know I’m writing this down for future TTRPG use. Also Chilchuck’s wife is blonde, that’s so wholesome, he’s such a good husband. Them losing to the succubi because of Marcille’s lame taste is also so on brand. Though I would’ve thought Marcille would’ve seen Falin with how much they seem to care for her. I thought the story was alluding to a romantic relationship between the two of them but I guess I’m wrong as it sets it up that Laios sees Marcille as his type. Also Izutsumi is god tier ace rep. 

We then meet the lion, who looks adorable by the way, and we learn that it wants to help Laios become the new lord of the dungeon and that Thistle is keeping it trapped. From what we learn later, it looks like Thistle was able to keep the dungeon safe for so long because he locked up the lion, preventing it from feeding on his desire more. The lion also probably manipulated the people of the kingdom to make them aid Laios in such a specific way. As we later learn from Kabru's perspective, Demons are beings from a dimension of infinite energy that grow strong by feeding on people's desires. 

Here's where I think Dungeon Meshi delivers another masterstroke of storytelling. All throughout so far, we've been very clearly watching the world through our characters' eyes, learning what they want to learn about, being curious about what they want to be curious about, and more specifically learning about the characters themselves from little moments of dialogue to big chunks of backstory. And this has gotten us invested in the characters without much thought to the world. But now the world is developed in such a major way through the Canaries and The Demons and especially our characters' relationships with these two, specifically the Demons, that we can't help but care about the world as well. The main crux of the demon's powers being gained through desire lets the story function through the wants and needs of our main characters, making us, the audience, at the very least, understand, if not root for their desires. Desires that could very well destroy their world. It puts us at odds with the story as much as our characters are. It's genius.

Going back to the story once again, we follow Kabru as they tail Laios along his journey and we once again see that Kabru makes a quick and impulsive decision to follow Laios so he can speak with him one more time. Kabru is always quick to come to conclusions; we saw as much from his first interaction with Laios, where he chooses not to blame him for his party's death and gets a read on him instantly. It's one of his greatest strengths, but also could become one of his greatest weaknesses. Thankfully, up until now, it's worked out, but going forward, it could very well backfire as Kabru doesn't second guess himself enough to fully consider his assumptions.

Finally, on to the last stretch of events before I put it down to write this, our heroes come across Thistles cabin and partially free the winged lion after eating some phoenix.

The birth of the lion from the book as well as the whole sequence with Misurn and the goat are incredibly horrific.

As a horror fan, my love for this manga increased tenfold with the recent developments. The lion also looks like a biblical angel after it’s birth.

The imagery is absolutely breathtaking here.

Also I really like Misurn as both a character and a plot device. He’s so single minded about revenge but he also has a lot of personality even if that comes from having his desires taken away.

I also love how Kabru as a human matches wits with these supposed mature races. He meets them equally and I couldn’t be prouder of my boy. 

Our heroes also attempt to kill some rabbits for Falin and things go horribly wrong with Marcille being the only one left to fend for herself in one of the funniest moments in the series where she has a ghoulish dance troupe with dead rabbits and her fellow party members.

Speaking of the rabbits, if anyones watched Re:Zero they reminded me a lot of the snow rabbits but like a 100% more messed up.

But here we get another moment that makes me wonder what Marcille has actually gone through.

She talks about how it would make her feel if everyone died like she has some experience.

I’m still mad that the story skipped over her age. Is she like a thousand years old or something? What’s your deal girl? How’d you get so adorkable? But really. Marscille’s actions make me feel like she’s not that old but hints to her backstory suggest she is. It’s so weird. Going into this next part, Kabru is still my favourite but with how much of a loser she is Marcille is a really close second. And the fact that she’s such a capable wizard makes it a hundred times funnier. We love emotionally unstable dorks here. 

Also, I absolutely love the crying faces in Dungeon Meshi, they pack so much gentle emotion into them.

Anyways, they feed Falin and take her out before getting ready to fight Thistle. That’s where I stopped reading and right after posting this I am going to go back, I’ve been away from this for way too many days. With Kabru also converging on this point I don’t think this fight will turn out like a typical fight. There are way too many factors involved to accurately predict anything. Though it would be wild if Laios becomes the lord of the dungeon. Knowing how subversive and nuanced this story gets I wouldn’t put it past it. Our heroes have suffered so much, I just want a win for them at this point. With being on what I feel like is the precipice of a major plot point, I can’t really speculate much or analyze much as it all feels like it leads to the immediate next part. Like all the build up has been for a very specific set of circumstances that I probably won’t be able to predict. See ya next time when I've caught up! Unless something happens where I need to stop and gather thoughts.

[art-of-manliness]

The Art of Manliness’ Ultimate Guide to Summer

The summer months are here, and with them, a change in mood, expectations, and itineraries. If you (and your family — you only get 18 summers with your kids, after all!) want to make the most of the season’s unique possibilities for fun and memory-making, below we offer a list of the many summer-related resources we’ve published over the years. Hopefully they’ll inspire you to throw a backyard party, swing in a hammock, take a hike, read a book on the beach, and generally enjoy the heck out of the sun-filled, laid-back days ahead. What to Wear When the weather warms up, a new set of clothes in your wardrobe gets put into rotation. It’s harder to dress stylishly in the summer than it is in the colder, layer-friendly months, but you don’t have to (only) default to t-shirts and shorts. The articles below will acquaint you with alternatives that look sharper, yet still keep you cool, and even offer some tips on how wear that t-shirt better when you do opt for it. Read these style guides to specific sartorial pieces: * Summer Smart Casual: 3 Getup Ideas for the Office, Date Night, and Weddings * The Guayabera * The Classic Camp Collar Shirt * The Polo Shirt * The T-Shirt * Khakis * The Seersucker Suit * Boat Shoes * Mohinders (My #1 recommendation for summer shoes!) * My Go-to Sunglasses for Summer And check out these overview articles as well: * A Man’s Guide to Summer Dress: Part I and Part II * Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Casual Summer Style * Summer Style: How to Dress for an Outdoor Social Event What to Do Warm weather, school vacation, and holidays like the Fourth open up new possibilities for recreation, relaxation, travel, and general mischief. If you’re looking for ideas on how to while away your summer days, or just want to better execute your excursions and adventures, consult the list below: * 18 Things Every Man Should Do This Summer * 23 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do * The Ultimate Guide to Fireworks * 10 Awesome 4th of July Traditions  * How to Make a PVC Blowgun * How to Make a PVC Archery Bow * How to Make a Marshmallow Shooter * How to Make a Potato Cannon * How to Build a Man-Sized Slip-‘n-Slide * Backpacking Basics * The Complete Guide to Hiking (And Enjoying It) * Podcast #711: How to Plan the Ultimate Road Trip * 39 Things to Do Before Leaving on Vacation: A Handy Dandy Checklist * The Complete Guide to Flying With Babies and Toddlers (While Avoiding a Defcon 1 Meltdown) * 5 Ways to Streamline Your Next Camping Trip * Podcast #895: The Essential Guide to Visiting and Camping in the National Parks * The Great American Road Trip: Thoughts on Driving Across the Country What to Cook In the summertime, you’re less inclined to heat up the house by turning on the oven, and more inclined to take your cooking outdoors. When you’re firing up the grill, you’ll want to consult these articles, podcasts, and videos to become a master backyard chef: * The Science of Grilling * Podcast #612: Grillmaster Secrets for Flame-Cooked Perfection * Podcast #720: The Secrets to Making the Perfect Burger * The 3-Zone Fire * How to Light a Charcoal Grill * How to Grill Perfect Chicken Breasts * How to Grill the Perfect Burger * How to Grill the Perfect Steak * How to Make Your Own BBQ Sauce * How to Make Your Own BBQ Spice Rubs * Smoking Meat 101 * 3 Easy Marinades for Your 3 Favorite Meats * How to Smoke Brisket * How to Smoke Baby Back Ribs * How to Smoke Pulled Pork Also be sure to check out these fun tips for leveling up your next backyard BBQ: * The Best Way to Hold a Burger (According to Science!) * The Best Order to Stack Your Burger Toppings * The Best Way to Ice Drinks in a Cooler What to Read You often have more time to read during the summer, and you may be wondering what book to pack for your upcoming trip. Any of the recommendations on our many book lists could fit the bill, but as people are often looking for something lighter… http://dlvr.it/T7WjL6

[verosvault]

��SPOILERS FOR FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR EPISODE 5!!!🚨

Dimension20 "Fantasy High Junior Year"

Episode 5 "Mall Madness"

Timestamp: 1:52:39

Video Length: 4min. & 48sec.

The Shrimp Jump (‣pt.1 | pt.2)

Fig: "Kristen, do you feel ready to do the shrimp jump? If you are freaking out, I'll go up there and I'll do it as you."

Kristen: "Really?"

Fig: "Do you need that? I don't wanna take it from you is what I don't wanna do."

Kristen is having an existential crisis. 🥲

Kristen either rolls it with disadvantage or begs Fig. 🥺🥺 (I love how Ally was the one to say that they'd be rolling it with disadvantage if they got up there to do it. 🥺)

Riz casts invisibility on Kristen! 😭✋

Brennan: "Literally, in your moment of crisis, you are made to disappear." 🥲💀

Ally: "I'm exponentially more alone while you guys—"

Murph: "No, you're here! You're here!"

Lou: "You're here!"

😭😭😭

Fig ducks away and now she's at the top of the ramp disguised as Kristen and she waves! 😆

Kristen is invisible but she puts the ear piece in and is now Fig's Secret Service 😂

Hangman is so excited that it's Fig riding him and not Kristen! 😂🤣💀

Hangman: "I am a creature of the Nine Hells! But if an archdevil likes the shrimp costume..." 😭😭😂😂

Torek Railgrinder!!! 😆😆

Butter on a ramp is ESSENTIAL! 😂🤣💀

Riz: "It was MY IDEA to fill the pool with tartar sauce!!" *hissing noises*

😂😂🤣🤣💀💀

Kristen is staring 1,000 miles away! 😭✋

Riz keeps repeating that Kristen is with them! 😭🥺

Riz: "Kristen! You're still here! You're still here!"

Fig tells Riz to get everyone outside by the tartar sauce.

SO MANY PEOPLE ARE AT THIS PARTY!!! RJAKDKEKF

Torek stole the lights from the Theater Department! 😂 LGBT ALLIANCE! EJWJJFJE!!

Just a thumbs up! 😂

Torek Railgrinder: "Classic Applebees"

😂🤣💀🥴

Fig blasts "Crazy Train" from the Hangman's radio! 😂🤣💀

Fig casts Fireballs into the tartar sauce pool! 🤣😂💀

Fabian gives Fig a bardic and Kristen adds Bless! 😭💗

Fabian: "Residents of Elmville! As you all know, we choose a president at the Aguefort Adventuring Academy every year, and there's a new president in town! It's the one, it's the only, Kristen Applebees!"

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

This is dexterity and Fig has land vehicle proficiency! 😆😆👌👌👏👏

Dex + proficiency and Emily can add the bardic from Fabian! 😆

Torek offers the help action! 😆

NAT20 ON THE SHRIMP JUMP!!!!

Lou: "Where was that when we were trying to save the god?"

😭😭😭😭 NAH BUT FR THOUGH!!! 😭😭✋✋

Brennan: "So the goddess of mystery and doubt is unmade in a fractured astral mall, but you watch-"

LOL AT ALLY WITH THE BOOK ON THEIR HEAD AND THE PRAYER POSE!!! 😂😂🤣🤣👏👏

Ally: "I love my friends. I love my friends so much."

Brennan: "Kristen, your goddess is gone and a being whose name you do not know speaks to you with rage and malice from a realm beyond as the body of Conor Counterspell, that purple hat mall cop wizard, and whoever wanted strudel are unmade." 😭😭😭😭

[drhillmoel]

Arlaum dr dump while i remember to post

Rant about her lore under the cut yahooo

Easiest way to explain her is that shes doctor but in a different timeline,, basically back in middle school me n my friends made a fantasy rpg AU for ourselves where the story was we all got isekai'd into a classic high fantasy kinda world named Arlaum. Last time we talked abt it was around 3 years ago now i think, but i had a random brainrot about it recently for some reason and decided to redesign the oc i made based off my current sona (doctor)(which is why their name is arlaum dr for now) and tried to build up a little bit of a side story for them just because. However, while i had this brainrot i also had fear&hunger and yakuza 0 circulating in my head, so one thing led to another and she started becoming a whole different character with completely different lore from what she originally had and now i just have a new oc HAHDHAH

Anyways i also wanna drop her lore in case i forget or i come back to this months later when ive turned her into yet another completely new person... Its really messy and just filled with self indulgent stuff but the basic outline is that after separating from their party, arlaum dr gains the trust of a newly crowned king who despite being rather young for the crown, already has suspicious interests in magic and rituals, and arlaum dr ultimately gets sent into a fear&hunger-esque dungeon. Originally she was meant to look for something there for only a few days before coming back, but ends up getting stuck with going deeper inside as her only option. As she ventures deeper and deeper the structures within the rocks get stranger and stranger and even more aged, with different creatures littered around, getting more and more otherworldly as she defeats and gets past them one by one, losing pieces of the scared, inexperienced adventurer that first came in and becoming more and more like an apex predator of the depths.

Stuff she gets up to in the depths varies wildly, sometimes its just straight up surviving day to day, hour to hour, and sometimes i send her off to other AUs to keep the little shred of humanity in her alive just a bit longer only to come back to the depths separated once again from the friends she managed to make.

As of right now details of her lore aren't that set in stone yet so i might change it completely for no reason in the future but yeah this is basically how shes doing

[andy-deer]

PLS go in depth about it

I doubt my players check my tumblr so here:

It's on rough shape so bare with me.

In this world there's 4 realms or planes (I'm not too sure what to call em) and they're like sort of an onion???? it's like layers.

There's the normal realm, which we all know and love, a medieval setup with magic, classic dnd setup. With it's kingdoms and empires with regulated magic. (idfk how to name this one)

There's the gor and navzdol realms, which are sort of in the same place, really connected to the normal realm, these are thought to have been created by the god of morality, Gor being the "Good place" and Navzdol being the "Bad place", they hold spirits and demons respectively as an example. (I was unsure if I should actually write them as one big realm, two different faces of the same coin in a way)

Then there's Vmes, sort of the astral plane, I wanted it to be more like an in - between the material realm and the Onstran realm

And finally the Onstran realm, house of the gods and souls that died in the material realm.

Having said that, All of it was created by the union of life and death, they had the elements as an explanation of the planet. With dirt, ocean and such. The elements of water and Earth got married and never had children which made Earth very sad, so she asked her parent life for children and they concieved flora and fauna, the fact that water's life conceived with someone else made him so sad he started crying which created lakes, rivers and such, sort of giving us what today is this planet.

I imagine I will writing smaller deities later in time, which could perfectly be the result of a titan (elements) and Idk a dragon having a baby, or life straight up having children by itself idk.

The plot of the story is that a few oracles see a future of the undead ruling the material world and this alarms kings and governours who decide to put an end to the worship of death to avoid this future.

You see... the problem is that Gods stay strong because of worship from their grandchildren. After such measures are taken, Death is left very weak and life is, in comparison, very prosperous.

Death starts literally falling apart, making it's way to our realm, by crossing Vmes. Not only this but also souls aren't being processed as they should, there's a lot more spirits in the world that there should be and for stupid reasons they stay, instead of the normal super strong feelings that tie you to the world. (At some point I was thinking about showing just a dude who wanted to buy some milk and eggs but died falling down stupidly and couldn't get to the other side because of this unfinished business. Forever trying to buy milk and eggs but never being enough milk and eggs to get to the other side)

This tiny pieces would give origin to one of our players classes, our ranger, the lamb and the wolf, or well only the wolf, a being that is obssesed with finding his lamb, and that upon finding a child after a fresh killing and the death of the last hunter (Which very likely the wolf did himself due to them not fullfilling his duty like the lamb would) decided they were gonna be the next to fill this rol.

It would also give humans and such new information about Vmes, like new "Runes" or "words" or "glyphes" as a residue that came with the falling pieces. This new info basically permits new spells related to Vmes, like the teleportation circles but instead of one to another part of the world, to Vmes. This is highly illegal and information only military forces of huge empires have.

Which obviously someone will use to have advantage over other enemies. Certain emperor thinks "what if with this new magic we kill our enemies? We'll use a dummy to blame everything onto and one problem less in our list."

This, finally, takes us to the adventure. An ex-adventurer who desperatley wants to bring someone He lost, back. So much he gave his life (thinking about making him a phantasm) and his last party's lives to get her back.

The idea is He was after a bunch of pieces of a knife that can contain souls. For he heard from sources (That for sure have nothing to do with this emperor) that only souls can go thorugh Vmes, so a knife made out of souls could cut a hole on this layer towards the far beyond.

And he already has a book of a spell never seen before that can get you to Vmes, facilitated by some random mercenary (Who for sure has nothing to do with this emperor)

The last thing he needs is some adventurers who will get this knife for him.

The idea was to make a cut long enough for the undead to come in and fullfill the profecy but then I have some collision with realms like Navzdal. I need to ask myself where does the undead actually come from.

I need to see if dates match, tie the rest of the characters to this story (I am waiting for their backstories), properly think about Gor and Navzdol, give more thought to where the realms are situated, if the falling pieces had any more concequences and much more stuff i still haven't think about. Point out plot holes if you desire, I'm trying to fix everything I can.

[out-and-aboot-eh]

Day 7 - Revelstoke to Wells Grey Guest Ranch

I am pleased to confirm that a new sleeping bag (or at least a bigger and warmer one!) goes a long way, as does waking up to beautiful sunshine! Where we’re constantly surrounded by beauty you don’t always take it in, but on my trip to the bathroom before many people were awake it was nice just to look back at our little travelling family all pitched up in a circle with the backdrop of the mountains and the rising sun. Although I cursed the group of crows that had been squawking since day break, they seem to have followed us round the last couple of campsites!

Today was one of our heavier travelling days, but not the heaviest! Our destination, Wells Grey Guest Ranch. I must admit despite having ample time to write this, I’m so very easily distracted by other conversations so I’m wracking my memory to remember what we did two days ago, luckily others are keeping travel journals and I’ve got photos to remind me. Other than the usual selection of breakfast options, we also had some left over pizza, fried! Welcome to Canada - where you’ll leave a stone heavier than you arrived!

Our first stop of the day was a little or rather a large, ice cream place by the name of Dutchmen Dairy. Megan had hyped up this place pretty early in to the trip and it did not disappoint, firstly it looked like something out of a movie or a kids toy, a big old red barn! Then the flavours on offer were top tier! They had your basic flavours, like strawberry, vanilla and chocolate, but they also had salted caramel, chocolate orange, cherry blossom, the list goes on as there were 60 in total! We all piled in and came out with various flavours and numbers of scoops in cones and cups before going to see the cute little cows in the paddocks next door. I don’t know if it was the black and white patterned shorts or just Daisy’s luck, but one of the cows gave them a yank down! If ice cream wasn’t your thing (I’m not sure anyone in our party falls into that category) there was also a Fruit and Veg shop across the road, which was an array of colour with stacks of stock in all shapes and sizes. Once we (everyone else) had stocked up on cherries and berries we were back in the minibus and on the road.

After another hour and a half or so we stopped for a break in a spot that had a ‘Shoppers’. A name that gives me and G a little chuckle every time we see one due to its mention in the musical ‘Come From Away’. When we stepped outside of the minibus we were hit by 34 degrees of sunny heat, which we haven’t had much of in the last few days, the weather here is crazily interchangeable! A couple of hours or so later we arrived at our final destination for the next two nights, Wells Grey Guest Ranch. It was hard not be charmed by its classic ranchy vibes, there were huge fields with horses and cattle in, the sound of chickens in the distance, a scruffy cat, a couple of old smelly dogs and a couple of rocking chairs on the porch. Our host however wasn’t quite as charming, I dare say he might have been German or Swiss, either way he gave us a long list of rules including how to flush the toilet due to the temperamental septic tank system.

Once we’d been shown exactly where to park, set up and cook, Megan got out another set of rules that the campsite had provided! We chuckled our way through the additional information, before bringing over the dinner gear to the designated area and heading off to set up our tents in the designated areas. However, we were one tent less as Markus and Christina (affectionately referred to as ‘The Germans’) had opted to upgrade to a cabin, they are on their honeymoon after all! One of the reasons we had to be so particular with our set up (other than to avoid the wrath of our host) was another G Adventures tour group would be joining the ranch for two days as they go the opposite way to us. There was a long creaky bench by the cooking station which soon filled up with the group cracking open cold beverages and passing around big bags of crisps. Cheese toasties and tomato soup were on the menu, followed by a bit more line dancing. I say line dancing, based on what followed it may well have been something a little stronger…

The sky was awash with pink and orange, but in the distance, billowing grey clouds were looming as the wind started to pick up. It wasn’t long before one of the rustling tents became our first casualty and snapped under the pressure of the draft. Megan moved the minibus in front of the line of tents to protect them (us) from any trees falling down, just as another tent went ping! I was already holding on our tent with a tinny in hand for extra weight! We may have been the first to pitch, but the other group’s tents didn’t seem to be in the wind tunnel, so we uprooted our remaining tents and moved them over to their patch. Our host didn’t seem too concerned with the pandemonium going on around his ranch and certainly didn’t feel inclined to offer up the empty lodges around us one of which was called ‘Jail’.

Due to three tents breaking, some of our group were left homeless, so I shotgunned Little Fingers as her name suggests, she doesn’t take up much space! Our chance to go to the saloon had passed, so instead we hit the bench and played some more Werewolf game, which has become a real camp favourite! We even took on a couple of new crew members from the other group who were envious of how much fun we are compared to theirs. We certainly are fun, fun and a little bit feral!

Georgie’s highlight of the day: Line dancing and the sunset (before the storm hit!)

[scentsplit]

Decant Your Way Through Spring

We've all been there – standing in front of a counter filled with fragrances, wishing we could take them all home without having to decide on just one. The reality is, luxury fragrances come with a price tag that often limits our ability to explore and enjoy a variety of scents.

But what if I told you there's a way to indulge in a multitude of high-end fragrances without committing to a full bottle? That's exactly what we're diving into today.

This article will guide you through the beauty of decants, showcasing how they offer a cost-effective, travel-friendly, and diverse approach to enjoying luxury fragrances. You'll get insights into where fragrance samples fit perfectly into your lifestyle, who benefits from them the most, and some top picks to refresh your spring scent wardrobe.

The Power of the Decant

Decants or atomizer perfumes, essentially small samples of original fragrances, range from 2ml to 10ml in size. They present a plethora of benefits for those looking to dip their toes into the opulent waters of luxury fragrances:

Cost-Effective: Atomizers provide an opportunity to trial high-end perfumes at a fraction of the price. This is particularly appealing for those eyeing expensive or niche scents, where purchasing a full bottle sight unseen (or unsmelled) could lead to regret.

Travel-Friendly: Their compact size makes atomizers ideal companions for on-the-go fragrance needs. Forget the hassle of lugging around full-sized bottles on trips or fretting over airline liquid restrictions.

Variety & Discovery: With atomizer perfumes, the exploration of fragrance families—from the zesty and floral to the deep and spicy—becomes an exciting, low-risk venture. They allow for the expansion of one's olfactory palette without a significant financial outlay.

Where Decants Shine

Fragrance samples prove their worth and versatility across various scenarios:

For a weekend getaway, a selection of fragrance samples ensures you have a scent for every mood and occasion.

A fragrance sample in your work desk serves as a perfect pick-me-up to refresh your presence before an important meeting.

On date night, a seductive vial of atomizer perfume can make a memorable impact, ensuring you leave an enchanting trail.

During perfume parties, exchanging perfume samples with friends becomes a delightful way of uncovering new olfactory treasures.

Who Decants? Everyone!

The beauty of perfume samples lies in their universal appeal. They are not confined by gender; anyone with an appreciation for the art and enjoyment of fragrances can delve into the practice of decanting. It’s a personalized adventure into the sensory world, with each perfume sample acting as a key to unlocking new experiences.

Top Decant Picks for Spring

As the season changes, so does our desire for fragrances that mirror the vibrancy and renewal of spring. Consider these exquisite mini perfumes to rejuvenate your scent collection:

Elysium Parfum Cologne by Roja Parfums: Revel in the sophistication of citrus and herbal notes, embodying the freshness of spring mornings.

Wulong Cha by Nishane: This aromatic concoction, with its blend of tea and citrus, adds an exotic twist to your day.

Bergamote 22 by Le Labo: Energize your senses with this sparkling citrus fragrance, echoing the zest of life.

You Or Someone Like You by Etat Libre d'Orange: For the adventurous spirit, this fragrance with mint and citrus notes offers a refreshing uniqueness.

Fig Porn by BORNTOSTANDOUT: Indulge in the sweet, fruity allure of figs, perfect for adding a touch of sweetness to warmer days.

Discover Your Perfect Decant

The world of mini perfumes opens the door to olfactory exploration without restraint. At ScentSplit.com, a curated selection of the finest decanted fragrances awaits, from niche gems to designer classics.

Embrace the season of new beginnings with a mini perfume that speaks to your soul. Visit ScentSplit.com today, and let the vibrant world of spring scents inspire your next fragrance adventure. Whether seeking to refresh your scent wardrobe or to find that perfect travel companion, your perfect mini fragrance is just a few clicks away.

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[stampwithtami]

June 2024 Paper Pumpkin Kit - The Best There Is

JUNE 2024  PAPER PUMPKIN KIT Life is Sweet KitSubscribe May 11 – June 10 | June 2024 Paper Pumpkin Kit Celebrate the sweet things in life with textured, artistic cards. The Life is Sweet Kit features new 2024-26 In Colors. - Makes 9 cards: 3 each of 3 designs with 9 coordinating envelopes  - Iridescent glimmer sentiments and precut paper pieces  - Vellum accents, iridescent pearls, and linen thread  - Coordinating colors: Poppy Parade, Peach Pie, Lemon Lolly, Shy Shamrock (Classic Stampin’ Spot), Pool Party, Pretty In Pink  Special Add On: 🎉 Exclusive Add-On Die: Don't miss the opportunity to enhance your crafting experience with a special add-on die that coordinates seamlessly with projects from all three months! WHAT ARE PAPER PUMPKIN KITS? Paper Pumpkin Subscription: Monthly Creative Surprises For those craving a regular injection of creative inspiration, the Paper Pumpkin Subscription is a monthly adventure that arrives at your doorstep. Key features include: SUBSCRIBE - Monthly Mail Delight: Subscribers receive a specially curated kit by mail every month. Each package includes designed projects, precut pieces, a stamp set, and ink. It’s like receiving a surprise creative adventure in your mailbox each month. - Exclusive Subscriber Benefits: Subscribers to Paper Pumpkin enjoy special perks, including access to exclusive products and offers. It’s a fantastic way to stay connected with the crafting community and unlock additional creative opportunities. - Endless Possibilities: Where will Paper Pumpkin take you this month? With a subscription, you’ll discover new techniques, themes, and crafting styles. It’s a journey of endless possibilities that keeps your creativity flowing. - Acrylic Block: Your first Paper Pumpkin kit will arrive with a reusable acrylic block for your stamps. - Refills: Depending on availability refills for each month’s kit are often available in my online store while they last. - Control: You have full control over your Paper Pumpkin subscriptions and can take a break / pause, cancel and rejoin at anytime. - Alternate Ideas: Go outside the box each month with me as I share alternate ideas for each Paper Pumpkin kit absolutely free on my blog. See my tutorial gallery here. - PPX Bonus Videos: When you subscribe to Paper Pumpkin kits through me, you’ll receive 6 additional videos for alternate projects to the kit. These PPX videos are exclusive and not available anywhere else. Paper Pumpkin kits have a deadline to subscribe each month by the 10th of the month in order to get that month’s kit. That month’s kit isn’t available after the deadline but depending on availability refills will be available in my online store.  PPX VIDEOS: YOUR EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE PPX: YOUR EXCLUSIVE PAPER PUMPKIN EXPERIENCE Are you new to paper-crafting, or maybe you’re a dedicated DIY enthusiast with a passion for crafting? If so, you’re in for a treat! Introducing PPX – an exclusive video tutorial program specially curated for our beloved Paper Pumpkin subscribers. For those unfamiliar, Paper Pumpkin is a crafting kit subscription service by Stampin’ Up, delivering a delightful box of creative goodies to your doorstep each month. Now, let’s dive into the exciting world of PPX and discover how it adds an extra layer of joy to your crafting experience. The Magic of Paper Pumpkin:Before we delve into the exclusive video tutorials, let’s take a moment to appreciate the magic of Paper Pumpkin craft kits. As a subscriber, each month brings a new and beautifully curated kit filled with all the materials you need for a creative project. From cards and scrapbooking to home décor and more, Paper Pumpkin provides endless crafting possibilities for both beginners and seasoned crafters. Your Personal Crafting Companion:For those who have fallen in love with the artistry of Paper Pumpkin, PPX is here to elevate your crafting adventure. As an active Paper Pumpkin subscriber, you gain access to six exclusive video tutorials every month, crafted with care and creativity by our team. These tutorials go beyond the instructions in the kit, offering alternate ideas to spark your imagination. Stretching Your Creativity:What sets PPX apart is its commitment to helping you stretch the value of your Paper Pumpkin kit. Each video tutorial takes you on a journey, exploring different ways to use the kit contents and create alternate projects. Whether you’re a beginner looking to expand your crafting skills or a seasoned pro seeking fresh inspiration, PPX is designed to cater to all levels of expertise. Exclusive Access for Subscribers:The exclusivity of PPX isn’t just limited to Paper Pumpkin subscribers; it extends to those who join through a Paper Pumpkin crew member and to my Stamp It Demonstrator Group. This means that when you become part of our crafting community, you’re not only getting the amazing Paper Pumpkin kits but also unlocking the door to a treasure trove of additional creative insights. A Glimpse Into My Crafty World:As a fervent Paper Pumpkin enthusiast, I’ve dedicated an entire gallery of videos to showcase the monthly kits. From unboxing the surprises to guiding you through the crafting process, my goal is to share the joy and excitement that comes with each Paper Pumpkin delivery. Join me on this crafting journey, and let’s explore the endless possibilities together. PPX is more than just a video tutorial program – it’s a community-driven initiative that celebrates the art of crafting. If you’re ready to take your Paper Pumpkin experience to new heights, become an active subscriber today and unlock the exclusive world of PPX. Let the crafting adventures begin! SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIPTION VS PREPAID CODESWHICH SHOULD I CHOOSE? There are two ways to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin.1. First, we offer a monthly subscription where you pay as you go which is automatic each month. SUBSCRIBE TO PAPER PUMPKIN 2. Secondly, we offer prepaid subscriptions which allow you to pay ahead or give as a gift. Prepaids can be purchased in my online store. After you purchase a subscription, we’ll email you a prepaid code to redeem here at www.paperpumpkin.com to set up your subscription to start receiving your kits.    Read the full article

[lunarbard]

This week I started making some sample characters for my 2d6 heartbreaker ttrpg. Very much aiming for a classic heroic fantasy in vibe.

The thing you need to understand about me before I get into this is I love in-fiction inventory systems and despise abstractions like usage dice or, shivering even thinking about it, no inventory at all. Like, every description I write for a new D&D PC details every important piece of gear they have and where/how they are carrying it.

I've been whittling away at my current draft for over a month now, and while it's felt nice and clean I've been running out of steam recently trying to flesh out the last details I need to (and procrastinating on writing my procedures section, although that more so exists to make me codify my approaches since this is mainly a personal project).

So I decided to shift gears to making characters. I'm trying to make my system light and approachable, so I decided to design these as if I were to run this for my extended family this Christmas (which isn't entirely out of the question; I ran the 5e starter set for my cousin & uncles a few years ago, and my aunts joined in when we played the D&D dungeon board games the year after). That means these characters are designed to be used immediately at the table, rather than twiddling with numbers & formulas in an excel sheet (which has killed my previous efforts before). So I decided to draft up something notecard sized in google drawings:

(The whole "dwarf fighter, neutral good" thing is purely flavor meant to give a vibe, keeping in mind that my dad has an AD&D background. There is no mechanical impact from them)

Just the process of statting out some characters to fit archetypes people might be expecting (since there' are no classes or playbooks, and everyone uses magic) was incredible for helping me shape how these characters should work; it even got me to add an attribute (originally I just had Finesse, which got broken out into Dexterity for stealth, thievery, sleight of hand, etc. and Focus for perception and aim) and the memory stat, which is increased by Wisdom (though memory is just used because people will recognize it; it's more so about how much you can tune your spirit so it can properly channel the prepared spells).

And the memory stat is where this came together, really. Because it gave me a reason to make spellbooks important (as the place you consult to prepare new spells), and since max load is low (with -1 strength you have a max load of 10 bulk; adventuring gear takes up 6) those take up space. That got me thinking on how much space a spellbook should really has, and I figured a book worth 1 bulk can hold maybe 12 spells worth of notes.

The mage starts with 10 of those filled, with the expectation more spells can be discovered on adventure. And she can't carry anything else in her inventory without being encumbered. Plus, gaining more magical power largely requires carrying basically arcane batteries (magical staves, crystals, etc) or making pacts with spirits.

So if you're focusing on maximizing your magic, your inventory is going to matter a lot; you'll probably need to spend treasure just on new spellbooks, ink, and flux materials to consolidate spellbooks for certain purposes, so you can pick which spellbooks you want for which purposes.

But how is an aspiring mage going to carry that treasure? They'll probably need to make bargains with the other party members to carry their share, or make sacrifices of basic adventuring gear to make room.

It says a lot about me that this is what has gotten me the most excited about finishing up my design so I can finally start running it.