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astyle-alex · 4 years ago

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[Fanfic] Museum Mishap | the BatFam

Heya! As we approach the End of 2020 (FINALLY), I’m realizing that this story is ridiculously close to reaching the milestone of 25k hits on Ao3. To celebrate, I’ll be posting the whole thing here on Tumblr!

(I would however, deeply appreciate it if y’all would pop over to view it on Ao3, briefly, so I can get the view counted as a hit and actually make it over the line for 25k in views before the close of 2020!)

Museum Mishap | Chapter 1/6

Fandom: the DC Universe, Batman & co. Pairings: Jay x Tim Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson Rating: Gen Audiences Warnings: None

Total Word Count: 38,590

Summary:

Middle-School Tim Drake is on a field trip to the Science Museum, but with a WE exhibition of top-secret new technologies being staged in the basement, Tim separates from his classmates and breaks into the staff-only areas by using the skills he's developed over years of stalking Batman and Robin.

Current-Robin Jason Todd catches him in the act, but he's not there to confront Tim for trespassing or truancy - he's there because there's a rumor on the street that Tim Drake knows Batman's real name. And the rumor's gaining ground, quick, drawing in the wrong kind of attention.

When a Drug-Lord decides to take the rumor seriously enough to kidnap the little genius, Jason jumps into the crossfire. It all goes downhill from there. Fast.

(Jason is 14, Tim is 12)

Chapter 1 : Special Access

A trip to Gotham’s History of Science and Technology Museum would’ve been exciting for even your average twelve year old – it was a day of school that didn’t feel like school, and it meant a chance to hang out, relatively unsupervised, with your friends all day instead of just the one or two classes you managed to luck into having together.

Timothy Jackson Drake was not your average twelve year old, and a trip to the SciTech Muse was the kind of thing that made his enrollment in middle school entirely worth it. For starters, it was an entire day spent in the heart of the city surrounded by some of the coolest artifacts of science humans could craft.

And to make things even better, the trip was an all-day, delayed opening affair, starting at 10am and ending at 6pm – which meant he’d actually been able to get enough sleep last night to be well-rested, a rarity in its own right with his particular extra-curriculars. Better yet, he’d been able to tell the Drake housekeeper / nanny that he’d be having dinner with his class so she could go home right at 6 without having to wait for him to get back so she could cook for him.

That part wasn’t true, of course, but he had concrete evidence that had been legitimately published by the school to help back up his story. Mrs. Simz had her own kid, and was therefore harder to convince than some of the others Tim’s parents had hired, but that also meant she had more reason to hurry home when presented with a believable reason excusing it.

Being a sixth-grader meant Tim couldn’t just stay in the heart of the city when the field trip was over, he was on a rollcall and the bus back to Gotham Academy wouldn’t leave without his name getting checked off. The high schoolers were allowed to take public transit home if they had a signed permission slip from their parents, but Tim had to wait a few more years before he could con his way into having such freedoms.

Still, getting over to the West Side from where his school was in Coventry would be far easier than getting there from the Drake Estate way out in Bristol. The extra hour and a half he’d save himself in commuting time mean he would be able to grab some coffee and something to eat without having to rush to get in place for the nighttime adventure he’d planned.

Beyond all that, the fact that the field trip was this week, meant there was a special exhibition from the cutting-edge tech division of Wayne Enterprises in the midst of being set up. All the main components were being staged in the museum's basement and the ones too big to steal were as close to unprotected as they would ever be – and Tim intended to take full advantage of that.

He’d been summarily and repeatedly denied acceptance to the WayneTech summer camps as his parents owned one of the company's main competitors: Drake Industries. Apparently corporate espionage was a big enough problem that even ten year olds were suspect. Tim found it ridiculous that the one time he would’ve been entirely okay with having his abilities underestimated was the one time he wasn’t assumed to be just another dumb kid. Honestly, Tim was pretty sure that no one had actually read his application – the computer had probably scanned his ID and kicked his profile out of the running before it had even made it to a human that might care about his actual qualifications.

Tim hadn’t figured out how to make a bulletproof fake identity profile – not yet, at least – And he certainly wasn’t going to get caught trying to gain illegal access to WE on a sub-par fake ID. Because there were all kinds of ways that would go poorly for him – between his parents possibly being disappointed in him enough to hire a live-in Nanny to the legal ramifications he’d face, even as a minor, it just wasn’t worth it.

But the thought of getting an up-close look at the new tech WE was rolling out still made Tim's heart pound like he’d just downed a full pot of coffee. WE took a very different approach to developing their tech than DI – more of a ‘you know what would be cool? can we make that reasonable?’ philosophy than a ‘how do we solve this problem?’ sort of thing. Tim found the both the WE approach and their results utterly fascinating.

Not that Tim had been allowed to play with much of DI's tech, being that his parents would hear about him attempting to gain unsupervised lab access, and promptly ground him, and anyone who might supervise treated him like a kid far too young to understand or unobtrusively observe the work going on inside the places he wanted to see.

So, the fact that a spectacular spread of WE tech was set up in the basement of a rather glaringly unsecured staff only area in the very building Tim’s class was touring stood as an open invitation for Tim to investigate.

An invitation that Tim took very seriously. He’d spent at least 18 hours over the past week examining the museum’s blueprints – courtesy of the Gotham City Hall Public Archives – And the rundown of the security, both in terms of the human guards and staff on-hand and the electronic countermeasures – via close examination of the extensive repertoire of ‘insider access’ videos on the museum’s own webpage. Tim would probably end up sending the museum an anonymous suggestion about adjusting that at some point, but he’d worry about that later.

After he used it to his tech fantasy fulfillment advantage.

For now, he simply slipped away from the unwatchful eyes of his teachers, stuck headphones in his ears, and carefully made his way – casually, calmly, and like he had no destination in mind – over to the hallway by the cafeteria near the east wing gift shop. The hallway that had restrooms and a staff-only door halfway down it. A door secured with a heavy-duty machine-lock, with a ten-digit keypad, but a door that was not alarmed.

The human guards were always more focused on preventing shoplifters from stealing over-priced – for a good cause, but still over-priced – museum memorabilia than on the high-traffic restroom hall by the cafeteria. Using his headphones as an excuse to tap his fingers to keep count – while his eyes and most of his brainpower focused on evaluating targets – Tim tracked the museum employees on their lunch breaks and calculated the best option to use as his ticket backstage. He had some in mind, but he had contingencies for last-minute adjustment.

Tim settled on a big guy whose name he’d read on staff profiles but had forgotten with the other useless information provided about his role in the marketing department. What Tim hadn’t forgotten about him was that his department’s office was right by the staff door he was eyeing – 4.5 meters down and to the left, to be exact – which meant that, even with his slow stride, he would be behind another door in the hallway approximately 17 seconds after the door Tim needed closed behind him.

When Mr. Marketing got up and lumbered over to the trash, Tim sidled over towards an informational sign with a museum map. As Mr. Marketing passed him, Tim counted off 4 seconds before he turned around to follow. He slid his hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the u-shaped metallic magnet he'd had to smuggle in by jamming it into his mouth and using sleight of hand to pretend it was his retainer – Less than sanitary, but effective, and he’d taken an extra vitamin this morning as a precaution.

Mr. Marketing punched in his code and pulled the door open to well over 90° before he lumbered through the gap. Tim kept his pace consistent; patient, he could be patient – even though it made his heart rate kick up uncomfortably as he put his faith in his calculations instead of in his feet. He reached the door with almost 6 inches of clearance left for him to slide his hand in and clip his magnet into place over the latch.

The door closed as he withdrew his hand and kept walking, but it did not click.

The machine lock whirred with an attempt to close, but its components struck the flat surface of his magnet and failed to properly secure the door. Had the door been alarmed, that would have drawn a lot of unwanted attention, but as it was Tim made it to the restroom with almost nothing noticeably amiss.

The restroom was crowded enough that his entrance didn’t draw attention and he shut himself in one of the stalls to count off exactly 10 seconds. Then he washed his hands, acquired a paper towel that he did not immediately dispose of, and went to retrieve his magnet. The paper towel allowed him to grasp the handle without leaving fingerprints and he retrieved his magnet without incident – opening the door onto an empty hallway and promptly swerving right to access the unsecured stairwell he knew would be there.

Tim had no way to hide himself from the singular security camera watching the hallway, but the area was so highly trafficked that he doubted any security guard had been monitoring closely enough to spot his detour. He would get in a ton of trouble if he was caught here – phone calls to his parents would be unavoidable and they’d likely be so angry at him they’d fly back from Spain a week early. But he’d almost certainly avoid any kind of legal consequences.

Besides, he wasn’t going to get caught. He’d planned this too well for that.

Tim made his way through the less convenient passageways in the museum’s basement until he reached the corner of the sub-basement where the WayneTech exhibit was being staged. It was, as he’d known it would be, isolated and completely vacant of staff.

A smile split his face as the relief he felt in making it there successfully was quickly replaced by the buzz of unadulterated excitement. He set his backpack down carefully – mindful, as always, of his precious camera. Then he rolled up his sleeves as he stepped closer to the first machine he saw with the WE logo stamped proudly on its side.

According to the signage prepped in the binder sitting next to the behemoth, it was a component of the quantum computer WayneTech was developing to facilitate physically interactive virtual realities. Tim bounced on his toes as he warred with himself – half wanting to read more about the technical specs and half wanting to dive right in and see it for himself.

Tim made it through another two pages of engineering details before he gave up and literally tackled the machine to hoist himself up high enough to look inside via the glass panel built in for that specific purpose. There were at least a dozen windows in the casing and Tim wondered – for a brief moment of distraction from the tech itself as he clambered higher up its exterior – how the museum was going to work in ramps and such for visitors to get the best views. If he didn’t get arrested tonight or banned from the museum forever, he might have to come back to see it in its full glory.

He’d finagled his way to the last protrusion from top and was marveling at the neat rows of complicated wiring laid out below him when something crucial changed: he discovered that he was not, in fact, alone.

“Ya know, I don’t think you’re supposed to be down here.”

Tim really wanted to pretend he didn’t yelp like a kicked puppy when the sudden voice scared him half out of his skin, but the basement echoed enough for him to know it would be ridiculous to think the newcomer hadn’t heard him. Tim ducked his head in shame as his ears burned red and he turned to face whoever had caught him with hunched shoulders and guilty hands raised in surrender.

And then he spotted his accuser on the floor and froze.

It was Jason Peter Todd.

Jason Peter Todd – Bruce Wayne’s new ward and the new Robin. And also kinda Tim’s neighbor. Well, as far as the word ‘neighbor' applied when your respective estates were so big it took an hour to hike door to door. Tim’s brain got caught in a loop of wondering what the frack Jason Peter Todd, of all people, was doing at the museum on a Thursday afternoon. Was doing down here, in this particular sub-basement, on a Thursday afternoon.

Tim had fully been expecting to see the new Robin today, but that was when he was in full costume and wasn’t supposed to be for at least ten more hours. And Tim had not – in any of his contingencies – planned for Robin to see him.

“Uh, hi,” Tim floundered.

“Hi,” returned the crime fighting teenager Tim idolized and had been planning to stalk through Coventry later today. There was a glint in his eyes as he stared up at Tim with a smirk.

They stared at each other in silence for way longer than could possibly be considered reasonable and Tim's ears resumed to burn at that, and at the distinct realization he had no idea what to say next.

Because what exactly are you supposed to say when Jason Peter Todd catches you red handed in an off-limits part of a museum? Sitting on top of a piece of cutting edge computer engineering that you had absolutely no right to touch?

“You're Tim Drake, aren’t you,” Jason asked – in a way that was definitely not really a question and also made it clear that Jason was laughing at him. “We met last month at the charity gala. I’m Jason.”

“I remember, Mr. Todd,” Tim spouted, falling back on the robotic safety net of manners his mother had drilled into him. “Um, what brings you here?”

“It’s just ‘Jason’, kid.” He jerked his chin at the machine Tim clung to, continuing, “That shit’s WayneTech. B sent me over to make sure it’s got all the right bits with it.”

Tim nodded like a puppet, trying not to drown in his horror as he realized what it meant that Jason had caught him. He was messing with tech that Batman owned. There were probably a hundred undetectable BatSecurity features on this thing. Robin had probably been sent to see if someone was trying to steal it when one of Batman’s invisible alarms had gone off.

“How about you, kid,” Jason asked, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his cargo pants. He regarded Tim with openly amused parody as he asked, “What brings you here?”

“Field trip,” Tim responded automatically.

“Field trip?” Jason echoed with an incredulous chuckle.

He stared at Tim for another long moment and Tim stared back, terrified and unblinking and too tongue tied to substantiate his claim.

“Alright then,” Jason said eventually, with a one shoulder shrug inside his leather jacket. “So, you got yourself stuck up there or are you gonna come have lunch with me?”

“Lunch?”

“Yeah, ya know, food. You eat it,” Jason explained. “I know I could use some pizza.”

Tim frowned – at the confirmation of the non-sequitur of lunch plans, not the various insults attached to it.

Jason seemed to falter briefly. “You actually stuck up there, Tim?”

“No,” Tim huffed, willing to admit he sounded slightly petulant about it.

“Well then get your skinny ass down here,” Jason prompted – a beat too late in a way Tim didn’t quite understand. He blinked, trying to puzzle out what didn’t sit right, but Jason arched an eyebrow – in the way Tim had seen him do as Robin, magically managing the expression despite the mask – and Tim realized he was supposed to be doing something.

He was already in enough trouble as it was, so Tim scrambled down the computer and found himself face to face with the second Robin. Or face to chest, as it were.

Tim hadn’t hit his growth spurt yet, so he knew he was a scrawny twelve, but he hadn’t thought Jason would be that much taller. Jason was only two years older and he was stocky to start with. It was different when he’d been in the suit he’d worn for the charity gala. In civvies he looked broad and strong, and he stood up straighter.

Jason pulled one hand from his pocket and threw his arm around Tim’s shoulders – began dragging him towards the exit. Tim lunged for his backpack as they passed it and clutched it close to his chest as Jason continued to drag him back upstairs.

They ended up in the west cafeteria, in a corner that Jason had clearly selected for it’s state of semi-privacy. It was crowded and public enough to make raised voices problematic, but private enough to discuss sensitive details without much worry of being over heard. And it was neutral ground, like Jason was trying to make Tim comfortable before hashing out exactly how much trouble he was in for touching Batman’s stuff without express permission.

Jason had acquired a large pizza, dripping with extra cheese and a blanket of peperoni, and two double-thick paper plates – one of which he piled high with three slices and placed in front of Tim. He gave himself five slices and settled down to chat having somehow already inhaled half of a sixth.

“So,” Jason started around a mouthful of food as Tim poked tentatively as his own serving, “Some people are saying you’ve got some sort of connection to the Batman.”

Tim frowned, his gaze snapping up to evaluate Jason.

He’d spoken quietly, conspiratorially – like he wanted in on a secret Tim had. Like he wasn’t about to threaten to hang Tim by his thumbs in the depths of Batman’s secret lair for the rest of the foreseeable future.

Awareness that Jason didn’t know that Tim knew his vigilante identity sparked inside Tim’s brain. He might be able to get out of this. If Robin didn’t know then Tim was only in trouble for touching the quantum computer because Batman didn’t want anyone touching it, and Jason was limited in how he could exact vengeance because the wrong move would reveal his role as Robin. All Tim had to do was talk his way out of this.

Tim could do that. Right?

All he had to do was figure out how.

“I’m sorry I touched the quantum computer,” he blurted.

Probably not like that.

Tim hunched down into his shoulders and poked again at his pizza to avoid eye contact with Jason. His ears began to burn again as he felt Jason staring at him.

“Shit, kid,” Jason said, after swallowing his bite this time, “You’re not in trouble.”

Tim’s finger paused mid-poke. “I’m not?”

“Nah,” Jason promised. “Fuck the Man.”

Tim blinked. “Then why are you talking to me?”

Jason blinked. A sort of confused expression that was vaguely pitying flickered across his face. Then he reiterated, “’Cause I hear you know who the Batman is, ya know, under the cowl.”

Okay. So, Jason didn’t know he knew, but he suspected.

Tim could work with that. Probably.

He took a bite of pizza purely to keep himself from blurting anymore unhelpful apologies and attempted to calculate the best response.

“Nobody knows who Batman is,” Tim said eventually.

“But you’re a fan, right?” Jason nodded at Tim sweater – at the big black and yellow R embroidered on the left-hand side of the red-wool knitwork. Mrs. Davis had made this sweater for him, before her kids had insisted that she retire from babysitting rich Gotham kids and go be a grandmother in the safety and comfort of their town in Florida. Mrs. Davis had been one of the very few people who had supported Tim’s moderately obsessive interest in Batman and Robin.

She hadn’t really understood, but Tim missed her – missed being able to talk about it.

“You’ve gotta have some theories,” Jason was saying, his voice persistent enough to pull Tim back out from inside his own head.

“I don’t have any theories,” Tim said. And it was true enough. He’d had theories. But that was before. Now, he had evidence. Another bite of pizza kept him from saying that out loud.

“Seriously? None?”

Tim shrugged and counted the circles of peperoni left on his first slice. Nine more circles, fifteen more bites. His stomach was already wary of the food he was putting in it. If this interrogation lasted more than ten bites, Tim’s stomach would probably begin to protest.

Adamantly.

He peeked up at Jason. Who was somehow already finishing slice number three.

“Then why’s the word on the street that you’ve got insider know-how on ole Batsy?”

“I dunno,” Tim said with another shrug. Truthfully, the question was bothering him too.

Tim had never been seen when he’d staked out a spot to catch the dynamic duo on patrol or in the midst of a big bust. Never. They would’ve confronted him then and there if they’d ever found him with a camera full of very clear photos of them in action.

So, how did Robin know enough to suspect him?

“Who’d you hear it from?”

This time, Jason shrugged. “I dunno. People. But like seriously, you don’t have any fucking idea why someone would think you know Batman’s real name?”

Tim shook his head silently. He wanted to save his pizza for the questions that really needed him to have something to do with his mouth other than blabbing out his secrets.

“Huh.”

Jason’s eyes were narrowed, not quite threateningly, but pressingly – like he wasn’t quite sure a threat would be appropriate, but he was certain that Tim wasn’t telling the truth. It was another look Tim had captured him using as Robin. A kind of gentled-down BatglareTM for Robin to use on uncooperative victims instead of how Batman used his on uncooperative criminals – because victims could be uncooperative for all kinds of non-criminal reasons.

Tim suddenly understood why it was so effective.

He squirmed in his seat and caved to the need to take another bite of pizza.

But he wasn’t a victim. Was he?

Suddenly, Robin’s presence at the museum seemed a lot more suspect. It made sense for Robin to be there because Tim had triggered some sort of invisible Batalarm on the quantum computer, but he’d gotten there way too quickly for that to have been what brought him to the museum initially. He’d’ve had to have already been inside the building.

But why?

Tim’s class had been scheduled for this museum trip over a month ago. He’d even talked about it briefly with Bruce Wayne himself at the charity gala he’d attended with his parents – that’s how he’d known about the WayneTech exhibition far enough in advance to plan effectively to sneak down to the basements.

“When’d you start hearing that rumor?”

Tim’s question was so sudden and loud in his own ears that he startled himself.

He seemed to have startled Jason too – who was starting on pizza slice number five and appeared to have been in the middle of a sentence when Tim had jolted into questioning him.

“Uh, about a week ago, I guess,” Jason explained. “Your name had come up a few times before that in regards to you being a fan, but it wasn’t too long ago that it changed to you having special access or some shit.”

Tim nodded absently.

Two weeks ago, there’d been a major drug bust in a neighborhood just over half a mile away from his school. Batman had been tipped off about the drug ring in the same way Tim had: kids who came to school high rode the bus home and the chalk marks on the benches at the stops used by the kids who were using weren’t terribly sophisticated code.

Tim had snagged some really spectacular shots the night that bust went down.

Several of Tim’s classmates had exhibited symptoms of withdrawal shortly after that. A few of those students – namely some who’d never seemed to be able to have a civil conversation or simply let Tim pass in silence – had stopped exhibiting those symptoms a few days later. Tim had assumed they’d found a new dealer.

Maybe they’d needed to find something more valuable to trade too, to make up for getting their old dealer busted.

Info on the Bat who’d busted them would be pretty valuable.

Even just a lead on info would’ve been valuable. Tim had been outright stalking Batman and Robin for over a third of his entire lifespan, at this point, and only just recently figured out who Batman really was. And he was a verified genius who’d happenstantially acquired the right life experiences to recognize things like quadruple somersaults. Who’d circumstantially idolized and stalked two different costumed acrobats for several years before he realized they were actually the same person and begun to extrapolate from there.

Nobody knew anything about Batman.

A tip on someone who might, would be very valuable indeed.

Tim was being interrogated by Robin because he was a victim. He just hadn’t been victimized quite yet.

Tim dropped his pizza like it’d burned him and began to rifle through his backpack for the new cellphone his mother had bought him when school started. It was ‘so he could fit in with his peers’. It was too big to fit in his pocket and he’d never liked wearing a watch, so he’d had to dig to find it and figure out the time.

It was 4:32pm.

Shift change for the guards was in less than an hour and they were already definitely antsy for it. Most of the science staff were already heading home to beat the traffic, and most of the new guards wouldn’t be coming in for at least another twenty minutes.

If Tim were going to lead a team to invade this place and capture an unwilling potential asset, he would do it in the next ten to fifteen minutes.

“We have to get out of here.”

Jason frowned, his confusion pronounced with wary unease. But he demonstrated a willingness to trust Tim at his word for no other reason than Tim wanted him to and clambered to his feet. He took his last slice of pizza with him though – and nabbed the two untouched pieces from Tim’s plate as he followed.

“What’s wrong, Tim,” Jason asked, carefully nonchalant. His hands were full of pizza in the way Tim’s mouth had been to stop him from doing what he wanted to do when asked a stupid question he should’ve known better than to answer – Tim suspected that if Jason wasn’t holding onto the pizza he’d’ve grabbed Tim’s shoulder at this point.

Tim didn’t know how to answer at all, let alone efficiently communicate what he’d deduced about their current situation. Especially not without revealing that he knew Jason was Robin and could guess why Robin was here talking to him to begin with.

Jason was rapidly eating though the pizza that was keeping him from grabbing onto Tim’s arm to stop their not-so-subtle scramble towards the museum’s main exit. They made it to within sight of the doors before Jason had inhaled the last piece of crust, and Tim had probably ignored several unheard comments and questions about their rapid egress, when Jason finally lost the battle to avoid physical contact and wrapped his hand around Tim’s elbow.

Tim swung around to face him as his inertia asserted dominance.

“Timmy, what’s got you so spooked?” Jason asked. “C’mon. You can tell me. Anything. I won’t rat on you, even if it’s something bad. Lemme help.”

“I can’t – it’s not – You don’t,” Tim could practically feel the whine building in his voice at all the false starts that his brain attempted to send through his mouth to make the act of communication happen. His brain apparently thought it worked something like magic.

Tim was frustrated and embarrassed and still very acutely aware of the fact that they needed to get out of the building. Right now.

And Jason was doing the Robin look, the other one – the one for the scared little bunnies of the victims they came across that needed to be soothed and calmed and promised that they had a friend somewhere in the cold cruel world. Tim knew why it worked – felt it working on him – and yet he was mortified that Robin thought it necessary.

He wasn’t a bunny. He was an asset. Currently being targeted.

Recentered, he focused and forced words to come out of his mouth intelligibly.

“We have to get out of the building.”

Jason had moved to holding onto both of Tim’s shoulders at some point – holding him steady, holding him still. He looked Tim right in the eye and asked gently, “Why?”

The words got jammed up in Tim’s throat again and he squeaked.

And then the museum’s windows exploded inward with a dramatic shower of glass and gunfire as more goons than Tim could count began to repel their way inside.

Tim closed his eyes and winced at the bite of regret on how fracking close they’d been to getting out of this without any major complications.

“That’s why,” he groaned.

-----

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ozzdog12 · 5 years ago

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2019- Top 7 (And 1)

Another year has come to an end and thus the hotly anticipated Top 7 (And 1) from your ‘average at best’ Ozzdog12 is here for you to feast your eyes upon. 2019 was an extremely odd year for me, gaming wise. As parenthood has taken the full brunt of my time, my gaming time and the choices of what games I decided to play, have changed. I played several games this year that, under any previous year I may have stuck with longer or tried again, but as time for gaming has become more and more thin, I now have less ‘patience’ to stick with a BIG RPG (Disco Elysium, one day I’ll get to you). Now I’m going to contradict my previous sentence with this next sentence. I was unemployed for a stretch of 5 weeks and in between looking for jobs I also found myself with a decent amount of time to play some games. What I did with that time is played 2 games that ultimately made the list, for two very different reasons. I also cleared out a chunk of backlog games (Finally beating Diablo 3 for one, thank you Switch) and played several, shorter smaller games in the process. If interested in my previous Top 7 (And 1) 2017 & 2018.

And now on to the And 1 this year

Favorite game that came out in 2019 that actually came out 20+ years ago: Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening (Switch)

This one was actually a hard one to decide as Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition also released this year. AOE2 is the one game I may have put the most time into ever, cumulatively. But I’m giving the nod to Link’s Awakening simply because its BRAND NEW to me. I did not play the original release and this has been an absolute joy to play and is by far, the best Zelda available on Switch. The updated graphics are gorgeous and the art style is great. I haven’t completed the game yet, but I’m slowly chipping away at it at night. It feels and plays like a Zelda game but updated properly to a modern console to make it feel like a brand new game released in 2019 and not just a reskin/up-resed re-release. The game is also structured in a way that appeals to me more than Breath of the Wild was (see 2017 And One for reference). The world feels big, but is contained in a clever way to make it FEEL bigger than it actually is.

Number 7: Rage 2 (PS4)

Rage 2 is a very weird game. I don’t mean it’s weird in the sense that nothing clicks or that its bad. In fact, it’s a joy to play (especially is you love iD shooters). It’s weird because outside of the gameplay mechanics, it’s fairly barren (intentional or not). And I mean that in terms of both story, things to do and the world itself. Having very little to do with the previous Rage (which I really enjoyed on the 360), Rage 2 starts off quick and with a bang. You choose which version of the character you want to be, learn the mechanics and then are eventually sent to a town. There are a total of 6 ‘story’ missions that are stretched out by requiring you to complete tasks for one of the 3 town leaders who you’ve enlisted for help to take down the General. Once you do this, you fight the General and that’s kind’ve it. Now along the way, you will kill a bunch of mutants and humans alike. There are 3 factions (4 if you count the Ghosts in the DLC) that are in an ever engaging gauntlet to the death and you get to play janitor by spilling more guts and blood, but none of it really matters, the Factions I mean. There are a few Crusher Mutants (BIG MUTANTS) to also fight, but they are essentially extra heavy bullet sponges. Now, I know I haven’t really sold you on it, but here’s the thing. I REALLY enjoyed RAGE 2. It was the perfect game to play during the summer. Due to a personal situation I was dealing with (the looming unemployment) it was nice to just sit down at night, turned my brain off and just kill things. It reminded me of a simpler time in my youth playing games like Doom. Same vibe honestly. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more of a story and narrative driven player, but Rage 2 scratched a nostalgia itch for me at the perfect time.

Number 6: Concrete Genie (PS4)

Concrete Genie is a game that is honestly out of left field for me these days. Not that I don’t like these types of games, it’s just as previous stated, time is somewhat of a precious commodity and had Concrete Genie come out in any other year, I probably would’ve skipped it entirely. However, it didn’t and I’m glad I picked this up for $20. It also scratched a nostalgia itch and reminded me very much of the PS2 era of games like Sly Cooper and Jax and Daxter. You play a kid who is bullied (something I am familiar with first hand, sadly) for being a loner and an artist. His creature drawings come to life with the help of a magic paint brush and your objective to put color back into an abandon town and bring it back to life. There is a VR component I wasn’t able to play because I don’t have a PSVR. The game is fairly simply and doesn’t deviate far from that formula. There is very little combat and just enough variety in the monster’s you can make to keep you going. It’s also fairly short. I was able to complete and collect everything in around 7-8 hours. Having a complete game in a bite size package is something I long for these days.

Number 5: The Outer Worlds (PS4)

This game should be higher on the list but I put it here simply because while I have played it a fair amount, I haven’t played it enough to warrant it being higher. I’m maybe halfway through? I love Bethesda Fallouts (And Obsidian’s New Vegas) and this is an improved New Vegas in space with a more cheeky approach. The Outer Worlds never takes itself too seriously and revels in its sarcasm. The companions are all mostly likeable enough and each planet has felt distinctive enough to entice me to keep exploring. The mechanics are improved and the overall gameplay is better than New Vegas. Its structured just like a Fallout game, so there is a lot of comfort there. However, just like any open world RPG, sitting down for less than an hour and trying to accomplish anything is hard. The Outer Worlds is best played in big chunks. It’s at the top of my list to finish in 2020.

Number 4: A Plague Tale (PS4)

A Plague Tale was THAT game that was on everyone’s ‘Hidden Gems’ list. I had seen a trailer around E3 and it intrigued me enough to check it out. I completed it over a whole weekend, a rarity. The game isn’t perfect, but everything is serviceable enough to work within the confines of what it’s trying to accomplish. It has some technical flaws and the occasional hiccup, but I’m a sucker for 3rd person action adventure games. The game is mostly centered around stealth with combat as a mostly secondary option. The game takes place in France in 1348 during the rat plague. You play as the daughter of an alchemist and your brother has been sick since birth. Once your village has been raided by the Inquisition, you are cast out to find help. The plague has taken over the majority of the country, but it isn’t until later in the game where the game takes a turn into the fantasy in a major way. You meet up with some really likeable characters with different personality traits along the way that really kept the story moving in an interesting way. The story was really grim at times, but honestly kept me hooked until the final chapter. The boss battle was extremely frustrating. With a sequel being announced, I am extremely interested in where they take the next chapter.

Number 3: Katana ZERO (Switch)

Katana ZERO rules. There is a fine line where a game is challenging and when a game is unfair. I like a challenge, but I don’t want to work (games like Dark Souls are work). KZ is very similar in style, gameplay, tone, and even music to Hotline Miami. The difference being KZ is a side scroller instead of top down. You play a samurai in a quasi-dystopian future after a war. You are programmed killing machine…or are you? The story is fairly heavy and can bring up some tough subjects. KZ is pretty challenging, especially later in the game, but never once did I feel the game was cheap or unfair. Every time I died (MANY, MANY TIMES) it was always my fault. Either I didn’t plan my attack correctly, I hit the wrong button, took the wrong path, or didn’t time it right. The game has a nifty way of dealing with ‘deaths’ in the game using a neat rewind feature. When you complete a level, it shows you a replay in ‘real time’ giving you a nice recap of your work. Every time I completed a level, I felt a sense of accomplishment. My Switch says I put around 5 hours or more into it once I completed the final level, but it honestly felt longer than that, in a good way. KZ is an absolute blast to play and you should go play it right now!

Number 2: Gears 5 (Xbox One)

I’m a fan of the Gears of War series. The first Gears of War still being my favorite of the series. As time has passed, I’ve become less interested in the series as a whole but still interested enough to play every entry. I thought Gears 4 was the Force Awakens of the series. Essentially a retelling of the same story, with a new coat of paint and new characters with the old ones sprinkled in. Gears 4 was ultimately, fine. So I was actually excited for Gears 5 was going to go and to see how they built upon 4 with a focus on Kait instead of a Fenix. Halfway through the story, the group is divided and it starts to take a different tone. Gears 5 experiments with a first of the series, a semi-open world. I thought it broke up the monotony of wall hug, shoot, reload, repeat. I finished the story in a few days and had a good time with it, though once again, the ending being kind’ve abrupt. The series has a knack for being sort’ve slow, then suddenly turning it to 11, then ending. I wished the campaign was longer, but it’s still solid. Gears 5 introduced a new mode called Escape, where you and two other players plant a bomb and try to escape a level with limited ammo. There is weekly a revolving door of new levels, which is nice, but each level is just reusing assets. I suspect with time and each new Operation (Season) that will be expanded. Horde mode is back and the character classes are fun. New characters have been added and will continue to be added, but they are an absolute grind to unlock (But you can always pay for them!) The reason Gears 5 is this high is mostly due to the amount of time I spent playing multiplayer. As stated, I loved the original Gears of War and put an insane amount of time into the multiplayer. That was in 2007 and the older I’ve gotten, my desire to invest into multiplayer has waned, almost completely. Once again though, right time, right place. I spent almost the entire month of October, logging on every night, completing challenging and playing online. Something I haven’t done since I was a freshman in college. I had an absolute blast. While I don’t delve into online as feverishly as I did in October, I still occasionally dabble when I get the chance.

Number 1: Mortal Kombat 11 (PS4)

As if this was going to be anything else. I’m a Mortal Kombat mark, plain and simple. I’ve loved the series my entire life. I love the lore, I love how ridiculously violent it is, how goofy and bat shit insane the story has evolved. I love it all. But its not all gore and lore, Mortal Kombat is a supreme fighting game. It’s not a nuanced as the likes of Street Fighter, but its infinitely deeper than a game like Smash Bros. Mortal Kombat is in a good sweet spot for both casuals and hardcore fighting fans. MK11 has maybe the greatest in-depth tutorial that has ever been made in any fighting game. It not only teaches you how to play, it teaches you the terminology. The story picks up right after MKX, with Raiden upset with everyone and taking matters into his own hands by torturing Shinnok. Liu Kang and Kitana rule the Netherrealm. Raiden plans an attack where he is essentially the Trojan Horse. All goes according to plan, until Kronika, The Time Keeper, decides she doesn’t like this anymore and eventually brings back some old friends to help her change time (again) and finally eliminate Raiden from existence. In doing this, Kronika has made all those mirror matches from previous games cannon. The production level and story mode in Netherealm games are on another level compared to other fighting games and they continue that trend in MK11. They implement the gear system from Injustice 2 into MK11 and its fine. The Krypt is amazing and is full of secrets. The Living Towers have returned, this time in the form of the ever changing “Towers of Time”. The roster, which is what everyone really cares about isn’t the worst but isn’t the best. None of the new characters are all that fun (Cetrion, Geras, & Kollector) and the returning roster was missing some notable characters. The DLC thus far has been fairly underwhelming compared to MKX. It was nice to see Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, & Sindel return (all 3 should’ve been in the main roster) but Terminator is lame. MKX had the likes of Tremor, Tanya, & Predator. MK11 seems to break what was a fun tradition in DLC having new, MK characters (Skarlett and Tremor, respectively). While I do think there is another set coming after Spawn, if the leak is true, then it seems underwhelming. I played MK11 pretty religiously for almost 2 months and still play at least once or twice a week. I love MK!

#mortalkombat #mk11 #gears of war #gears 5 #katana zero #a plague tale #rage 2 #legend of zelda #links awakening #concrete genie #ps4 #switch #nintendo switch #sony playstation #xboxone #videogames #gaming #games #2019

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denblockedreboot · 2 years ago

Text

Denblocked Reboot

What is this?

Denblocked is a fan adventure I made back on the MSPA forums, waaaay back in the early 2010s. It was mirrored here and here, though I was never able to keep the mirrors up to date.

A Homestuck FA in 2023? Really?

Really. I've had it on the mind for some time, and when it comes down to it, this is a story that I would like to 1) finish, and 2) share.

What is this "reboot" going to look like?

There's going to be changes, big and small. I hope to share a story that feels both familiar and fresh.

In practical terms, I'm planning to update here and on AO3, primarily with image+text updates. Given the nature of both sites, I expect to be more text-heavy than I was before. I'd like to do animations and such as well, we'll see.

Will there be reader input?

Absolutely! Reader suggestions can add a lot of variety and fun to the story, as evidenced by Homestuck itself.

I will moderate responses and even close comments if absolutely necessary, but I really hope it won't come to that.

Sources?

Aside from rereading Homestuck prime itself, I read all of Candy and part of Meat. I've played the first Hiveswap installment. That's the extent of my experience with Official Homestuck Content (also, Paradox Space).

I've also been following/reading these two liveblogs. Aside from that, I've been going over my old Denblocked installments, though the death of the forum and general age of the work has cut into that some.

That's not how [thing] works.

A lot of Homestuck elements are ambiguous or retconned one way or another. The plan is to be faithful without reinventing the wheel, but also not copying every single line. It's a tough balance.

Also some endgame choices still rub me the wrong way and Hussie has limited power here, so anticipate some changes!

Will [character] be in here?

We'll see!

How long is this going to be?

Again, we'll see. I've been condensing some early elements to make more sense, move faster, etc. I'm planning to post the beginning of Act 1 Part 1 before January is over. My Ultimate Goal is to keep posting until the story is entirely finished, however long that ultimately takes.

The current plan is to post more regular-style short updates to the Denblocked Tumblr, then collate all of one part to make a chapter on AO3 until the Act in question is done. Then, start a new fic for the next Act until the story is done (My current estimate is 3 Acts, much shorter than Homestuck's count ofc. That may grow or change as more updates are forthcoming.)

Why a new Denblocked Blog?

To be frank, the previous blog is a mess that I haven’t worked on in a while. I think it would be simpler and easier just to start fresh, though the old blog will remain up for posterity.

Also.... A lot of people have turned from love to hate re: Homestuck, or generally think it's cringe. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I totally get where a lot of this is coming from. That said, if you don't like Homestuck.... I think maybe you won't enjoy reading a Homestuck Fan Adventure.

For Tumblr users: would you rather see Longer Posts put under Readmores, or would you rather they be posted at full length and let the auto-shorten function do its work?

Lastly, for Tumblr Tags, I will be tagging the first post of an Act with “Homestuck”, but just the first post.

[ID: An Homestuck-style sprite with orange skin and a tiny fang stands in her room. She is ready to start.] See you soon!

#1st #January #2023 #January 1st 2023 #denblocked #denblocked reboot #admin post

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svetlanawagner-blog · 6 years ago

Photo

The Las Vegas desert brings in scorching hot summers, which is why we don’t like leaving the apartment until sundown. Even when going you’re out at night, it feels like there’s a hair dryer blowing hot air on you.

Now that we’re more experienced adventurers and we slow , we can be more strategic on where we explore. We reserve late to early for outdoor activities, and when the heat sets in, you’ll find us indoors. If you’re visiting in the summer or live here and can’t seem to escape like the other sunbirds, here’s a list of the best indoor activities in Las Vegas.

A big thank you to CORT for sponsoring this post. All opinions are always our own. This post may contain affiliate links, where we receive a small commission on sales of the products that are linked at no additional cost to you. Read our full disclosure for more info. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Local Adventurer possible.

Last Updated: July 1, 2019

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25 Fun Indoor Activities in Las Vegas for Scorching Hot Summers and Rainy Days

It is our second year working with CORT, and it has been such an amazing experience being able to move from city to city without having to worry about our furniture.

For the first 4 years, we would either move our own furniture or deal with the stress of buying and selling every year. Once we discovered that we could rent furniture from CORT, it was a game changer.

We order the pieces that we want, they deliver it right to our apartment and help us get it set up. When we’re ready to move, they’ll come pick it up! Check out our home tour here.

Having a comfortable home was extremely important for us moving back to Vegas. Not only will we be spending a lot of time indoors during the summer, we’ve been hosting guests every other week. It’s been nice having a home furnished and decorated to help us relax and host. Read more on the CORT blog

1. The Wreck Room

4090 Schiff Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89103, map

Step into a room full of bottles, electronics, VHS tapes, and more armed with bats, bowling pins, and crowbars. Then go to town and DESTROY EVERYTHING. It’s so much fun whether you need to get your aggression out or just try something new.

PHOTO

photo:

2. Las Vegas Escape Rooms

We did our first escape room in NYC when we lived there, and then proceeded to do 8 more that winter when it was miserable outside. Now it’s the summer heat we have to worry about.

We’re making our way through all the top rated Las Vegas escape rooms so we can report back on which are the best. So far our favorites are Lost Games Chapter 2 and the BASEMENT.

More: Your Guide to the Best NYC Escape Rooms

3. Dig This

800 W Roban Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89044, map

Dig This is a giant sandbox for grown-ups. You can get behind the wheel of bulldozers and excavators as the instructors show you how to use them and perform multiple tasks. The machines are air-conditioned so it’s a great way to stay cool in the heat.

4. Indoor Sports

If you love doing active things, there are plenty of indoor sporting options in Las Vegas.

Topgolf Las Vegas – although it’s technically outdoors, its temperature controlled and a lot of fun! Plus, there’s a pool you can hop in if you want to cool off even more.

Ice Skating Indoors – Las Vegas Ice Center, Sobe Ice Arena, or Roller Skating at Crystal Palace Skating Center

Indoor Rock Climbing – When it’s too hot to go to Red Rock, visit the indoor rock climbing gyms. There are a few around the city: Origin, Refuge, Nevada Climbing Center, Red Rock Climbing Center.

Bowling – Brooklyn Bowl, Gold Coast Bowling Center, Orleans Bowling Center, Red Rock Lanes Bowling Center, Sam’s Town Hotel Gambling Hall and Bowling Center, Santa Fe Bowling Center, South Point Bowling Center, Strike Zone at Sunset Station, Suncoast Bowling Center, Texas Station’s Texas Star Lanes

5. Watch a Show

We’ve seen a lot of shows in Vegas and still haven’t scratched the surface. Some of the most popular shows are: Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil (Ka, O, Criss Angel, Beatles, Mystere, ONE), Le Reve the Dream, Jabbawockeez, Terry Fator, Tournament of Kings at Excalibur, and Lake of Dreams.

You can also see comedy shows at Comedy Cellar, More Comedy Clubs and Shows, Mac King Comedy Magic Show, and Popovich Comedy Pet Theater. Plus there are lots of big artists that take up residency in Vegas, including Gwen at Zappos Theater, Janet Jackson at Park Theater, Christina at Zappos Theater, Lady Gaga Park Theater, Celine Dion at the Colosseum, and more.

We’re working on a separate post just about the best shows in Vegas.

6. Fly a Jet with All in Aviation

1410 Jet Stream Dr Ste 150, Henderson, NV 89052, map

Have you ever wanted to fly a plane or get your pilot’s license? At All in Aviation, you can get behind the wheel of beautiful Cirrus jets and log your hours toward a pilot’s license. Jacob logged his first hour flying. Should he keep going?

7. Ride a Helicopter

Whether you want to see Grand Canyon or get a better vantage point of the strip, you can hop in a helicopter and enjoy the views.

More: Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours

8. Learn a New Skill or Take Up a New Hobby

What better time to pick up a new skill or hobby? Especially one that keeps you in an air conditioned space. Here are some fun skills you can look into if you’re looking for a new hobby:

Cake Decorating

DIY Wood Sign Shop

Sewing Classes

Scrapbooking Class

More: 101 Hobbies to Start in 2019

9. Indoor activities for kids in las

This was hard to narrow down into a specific activity, but we found so many great family friendly activities.

Interactive Museums – Marvel Avengers STATION

Trampoline Parks – Sky Zone Sports Trampoline Park or Flip N Out Xtreme

Games – Pinball Hall of Fame, GameWorks, Dave & Busters

Rides – Adventuredome Theme Park, Big Apple Coaster and Arcade

Mini Golf – GlowZone, KISS by Monster Mini Golf, Twilight Zone Mini Golf and Arcade, Rex Center

Indoor Playgrounds – Adventure Indoor Playground, Kangamoo Indoor Playground, Jumper’s Jungle Family Fun Center

Zoos & Aquariums – Shark Reef Aquarium, Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat

More: Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

10. Try a New Fitness Class

It may be too hot outside to get your blood pumping, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of some of the unique fitness classes offered in Las Vegas.

Aerial silks with Cirque performers

Pole Dancing at Pole Fitness Studio

Trampoline Studio at Eleve Training

More: Sampling Las Vegas Fitness with Class Pass

11. Afternoon tea

I love going to Afternoon Tea, especially with my girlfriends. I’ve only done one in Vegas but plan on checking out the others this year.

Afternoon Tea at the Tea Lounge Waldorf Astoria

Petrossian Bar at Bellagio

LaPostte

Cafe Lola in Summerlin

Lobby Bar at Aria, Ri Ra Irish Pub

Veranda Mandalay Bay

The Stove in Henderson

12. Have a Spa Day

Spoil yourself with and feel refreshed and relaxed after a day at the spa. Like everything in Vegas, they don’t hold back. Here are some of the best spas in Las Vegas:

Wynn Las Vegas Spa

The Spa at the Waldorf Astoria

Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace

ESPA at Vdara

13. Hang Out at a Unique Bar

You can drink in a lot of places in Las Vegas, but why not go to a bar that really stands out? Here are some unique bars to check out:

Laundry Room (Speakeasy)

Hi Scores Bar-arcade

Golden Tiki

Millennium Fandom Bar

Senor Frogs: One Hour Open Bar

14. Tour the Coffee Shops

If you’re looking for a chill afternoon or just need a break from all the madness on the strip, head to one of the local coffee shops. Some of the most popular ones are PublicUs and Makers & Finders.

15. High Roller

3545 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, map

This isn’t your typical ferris wheel. It stands 550 feet tall with observation cabins that hold up to 40 people each. The entire ride takes roughly 30-40 minutes.

More: High Roller Las Vegas

16. Vegas Indoor Skydiving

200 Convention Center Dr., Las Vegas, Nevada 89109, map

We haven’t been skydiving yet, but we did get a taste of it at this indoor skydiving spot.

More: Las Vegas Indoor Skydiving

17. The Void VR

3377 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109, map

Experience the next generation of VR where you not only get transported to another world on a screen, but you also interact with the environment around you. The VR headset is attached to a backpack which allows you to be mobile and follow along the story. We did the Star Wars one with a group of four and got the chance to fight off the Empire.

18. Throw an Axe

Release your inner woodsman at Axehole Vegas or Axe Monkeys, where you can learn to throw and axe and practice your aim.

19. Eat, then Eat Some More

Las Vegas has a great food scene on and off strip. Most people just think about buffets, but there are fine dining options, some of the best Hawaiian food we’ve had, and more. Click here to see our Vegas food bucket list.

Prix Fixe Meals – Joel Robuchon, é by Jose Andres, Yui Edomae Sushi

Buffets – Bacchanal, Wicked Spoon

Off Strip – Shang’s Artisan Noodles, Poke Express

More: 49 Best Places to Eat in Las Vegas

20. Gamble

This is kind of an obvious one, but gambling keeps you indoors. These are some of our favorite casinos: Palazzo, Wynn, Encore, Aria, Venetian, Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, Red Rock Casino.

21. Drive Experiences

If you’re hoping to show off your trip to Vegas, then you need a photo driving a fancy car too. There are a few driving experiences in Vegas like the Richard Petty Driving Experience and World Class Driving.

More: World Class Driving Las Vegas

22. Hop Around Art Galleries

Casinos put a lot of money into their seasonal displays, and some of them have world class art galleries as well.

Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art

The Gallery at Aria

Art of Richard MacDonald / Cirque Art

More: Christmas at Bellagio Botanical Gardens

23. Check Out the Museums

Las Vegas has a wide range of museums to check out. Here are a few you can check out:

Real Bodies at Bally’s

Mob Museum

Titanic the Artifact Exhibition

DISCOVERY Children’s Museum,

National Atomic Testing Museum

Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum

Burlesque Hall of Fame

Las Vegas Natural History Museum

Liberace Museum Collection Tour

Hollywood Cars Museum

The Auto Collections

Shelby American Inc,

Nostalgia Street Rods

Counts Kustoms

Springs Preserve – has indoor areas

24. Go on a Tour

There are multiple tour options in Las Vegas, whether you’re into mob history, chocolate, beer, or shoes. Here are the ones we went on that we recommend.

Hoover Dam Tour

Zappos Tour

Ethel M Factory Tour

More Tours to Check Out:

Sin City Club Crawl

Vegas Mob Tour

Pink Jeep Tours

Jubilee Backstage Tour

Frank Cullotta’s Casino Tour

Nosh Las Vegas

More: Zappos Tour Las Vegas

25. Check Out the Indoor Tourist Spots

Gold & Silver Pawn Shop

Coca Cola Store – tastes of the World

M&M’s World

Hershey’s Chocolate World

Map of Indoor Activities in Las

More Indoor Activities Las Vegas

Shopping – Shops at Crystals, the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, Fashion Show Mall, Shoppes at Palazzo, Miracle Mile Shops, Grand Bazaar Shops

Breweries – Ellis Island Casino & Brewery, Banger Brewing, Hop Nuts Brewing Tenaya Creek Brewery, Lovelady Brewing Company, CraftHaus Brewery

Watch Sports – T-Mobile Arena & City National Arena

Essential Tips

Las Vegas Packing List for Summer

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Where to Stay in Las Vegas

Mandalay Bay – perfect for summer with their 11 acre manmade beach

Cosmopolitan – They have the best view of the Strip.

The Venetian

Find the best prices and reviews here

More Las Vegas Guides and Resources

Las Vegas Pocket Guide

Fodor’s Las Vegas

Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas

What do you plan on doing to beat the heat this summer?

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“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust

Esther + Jacob

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 5 blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.

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