#larpers drive home

[sturniolo-rat]

Too Sweet: Prologue

Matthew Sturniolo X Reader

A/N: I did a poll to see if y’all wanted this but I already had it written so it was a trick question 😌😌😌💕

Contains: literally nothing, no smut no fluff just story

TW: alcohol abuse?, drunk driving, existential dread

Matt is an optimistic do gooder on his way to Redwood University to start his masters degree. He’s far from home but he feels like the world is at his fingertips.

Cricket is a high school drop out going nowhere fast. She’s deeply unhappy with her job as a bartender at a tavern frequented by Dungeons and Dragons larpers.

They can’t help but feel drawn to each other, but is he too sweet for her?

This is what they were doing the morning of the day they met.

Y/N’s Pov

It’s 8 am on a Tuesday. I take a shot of fireball in preparation for my 12 hour shift at The Enchanted Mushroom Tavern and Inn. It is a belief commonly held that taverns and inns only exist in dungeons and dragons. This is false, as all well loved imaginary things come to life with time. That’s a fancy way of saying this place was built for people who LARP and I have to pretend I’m a medieval bar wench.

I squeeze myself into my costume that consists of an off white shirt with puffy off the shoulder sleeves, a mossy green skirt with a tattered and uneven hem, and a brown corset over top that I will note is Elizabethan and not medieval. The woefully inaccurate uniform isn’t the worst part of the job though. While at work my name is no longer Y/N it’s Petronella Epworth the fucking third and I wear the dumbass name tag to prove it.

“Let’s go, Phoebe!” I yell from our living room. I’ve never been a patient woman. Not even when we were kids. We met in kindergarten when she was hesitant going down the big slide at the park and I decided she was taking too long and pushed her. I’m bitch but I’m an insanely efficient, hardworking bitch that gets what she wants.

“Give me a minute!” She’s been working at the Tavern with me for a year and a half, and I’m always 15 minutes early for work. Because we carpool, she is always 15 minutes early for work, which has given her a reputation of reliability that she does not deserve. Phoebe has a few redeeming qualities to make up for her flakiness. When I need her, and she actually shows up, she’s unreasonably nurturing. One time, when I got sick after I dropped out of high school, she played hooky and stayed in my family’s trailer to take care of me. She brought ingredients for homemade soup and blankets. Nice blankets, too, the fleece ones that go on sale around Christmas time. The book she stole from her mother’s collection to read to me was the highlight of my week. It was called “My Alpha Mate.” The main character was an omega, and her love interest was an alpha. I think they were like werewolves or something. It was extremely smutty.

“I’ll just wait in the car, then!” There’s a loud thud as I close the front door. My van is objectively shitty. It’s a 1998 Nissan Quest that I’ve named Ted. I do, however, feel that if you’re 24 and own a van, you ought to be either a mother or a hippie with that cool Volkswagon. My vehicle doesn’t match me at all, but at least he carts around all the shit I own that doesn’t fit in my apartment. While I wait in the driver’s seat, I take a swig from the flask I keep in the car—fireball, of course, always fireball. I take a long look at myself in my rearview mirror and wonder what I’m doing with my life.

Matt’s Pov

It’s 8 am on a Tuesday and the sun is shining down on me through the sunroof of my car. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I already know it’s one of my brothers.

We’re triplets and have never been apart for more than 3 days at a time. When I was getting my bachelors degree they got an apartment two blocks away from my dorm. Chris and Nick never went to college and started a clothing brand called Fresh Love and a chapstick brand called Space Camp. Safe to say my lips are well moisturized. I’m actually wearing gray Fresh Love sweatpants right now. They’re very comfortable and perfect for long drives. I’m embarking on a 10 hour road trip to my new apartment near Redwood University where I will be studying for the next 5 years. My brothers think I’m absolutely insane for moving this far away from home.

“Chris, you know I hate answering the phone while I’m driving.” He does this on purpose to piss me off, but when I get into an accident because he divided my attention, he’s going to be sorry.

“Dude, did you know Red U’s mascot is a booby.”

“Yes, I did.” I most certainly did not know that.

Nick chimes in because, of course, Nick is there too. They’re never far apart. “Okay, but, listen to me when I say this, Matt, it’s a blue-footed booby at Red U.” He puts emphasis on blue and red. “Doesn’t that bother you? It bothers us!”

“Why on earth would that bother me? I’m not going for the sports anyway.” It bothers me a great deal. I can’t believe I have to rep the Redwood blue-footed boobies. This will surely tarnish the Sturniolo family name.

“Shut up!” says Chris. “I know it bothers you, and that’s why you have to turn that car around immediately and come back home.”

“Chrissy, I love you and Nick the most, but I have to go. I’ve got a scholarship and a once-in-a-lifetime internship.” Red U is home to one of the most prestigious research labs in America, and I have an internship there. It’s the whole reason I applied to the university; the scholarship was just an added bonus—the perks of being a straight-A student.

He groans, “I know. We know you’re going to go out and do great things.”

We’re just gonna miss our little Mattmallow,” adds Nick in that weird baby voice people use sometimes. My heart sinks at the use of my childhood nickname.

“I’m gonna miss you guys too.” More than I’ve missed anyone ever.

“Alright, man. I’m gonna leave you alone. I know you hate talking and driving,” Nick says, and I know he’s feeling a little uncomfortable.

“Love you, guys.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

The line goes dead and I know I should feel some sort of sadness but really I just feel loved. I am deeply loved, my future is bright, and I feel like today is an omen.

Masterlist

Taglist

@wurlibydominicfike @yourmumscar69 @69isabella69 @mattsturniolosgf @mrsmiagreer since you guys liked the Too Sweet poll post

[artemistorm]

Sometimes I daydream and imagine: what if as I was driving home from school I saw a bewildered Legend wandering around in traffic? I'd have to convince him to get in my car or at least get get off the road. I'd ask if he was a larper or a cosplayer and offering him a lift to wherever he needed to go. We'd drive around town looking for the rest of his companions and pick them up and when the car was full, drop them off somewhere like a park or my house. Then once I had the whole Chain, I'd get tangled in some adventure with them and end up being revealed as the hero of this realm who can wield the Master Sword and is destined to overthrow the evil fossil fuel corporate CEO Mr. Ganondorf and save the world from climate change.

just realised that if the chain ever made it to the modern day and had to get into a car, you’d have to buckle them up like toddlers

[ellestra]

Friends and family

I really liked how the episode humanised both Eleanor (she isn’t just the nagging parent) and Jack (he isn’t just shady and creepy) and gives us a glimpse into their relationship from their point of view not just Kate’s. It turns out to be actually pretty nice and even Kate begins to understand what her mother sees in Jack. And that’s the moment when she learns she was right all along and he is shady. Of course, I’m pretty sure so is Eleanor (my bet is she called the “Uncle”) so I still root for them to be happy being evil together.

Still, it’s clear how much Eleanor loves Kate. And that talk about protecting kids and even professionals not being immune to dying hit Clint like a guided missile. She is very good at getting her point across. But it also made me wonder if she doesn’t know too much. Jack on the other hand seemed not to even notice his prize possession got stolen. Maybe he also didn't realise he was made into CEO of criminal shell company and that's what his uncle was trying to warn him about.

I also liked how it became clear that Clint and Kate are friends despite his protestations. Sure, she is like an annoying younger sister who keeps following him when he just wants to be left alone but when they do hang out together it’s fun. And she’s someone he can teach all the cool tricks. And in the end he even acknowledges his sins.

When Clint send Kate to get “their” arrows and she looked sceptical of the LARPers I was surprised as they seemed like a group of people she would instantly fit in but it turned out it was right. Clint’s look when it turned out their “safe house” turned into a big party with all the Kate’s new friends was the best part of it. Although the whole thing with getting a police officer to get her the arrows form evidence just on say so was almost suspense of disbelief breaking (but maybe saying it’s to return it to an Avenger is enough since people in general seem so eager to do something for them).

Still, it underlines on strength Kate has over Clint - people skills. He is the shadow spy and he feels most comfortable staying that. She on the other hand relies on ability to connect with people. Both when getting help and for B&E.

But she is still a kid over her head and seeing her going over the edge like Natasha did almost broke Clint (although it was nice of Yelena and Maya to let Clint stare and cut her before fighting again). Kate is smart and talented but she is also too eager to be like him without fully comprehending the danger and he understand both losing a friend and losing a child all too well to let her keep following him into the danger. It was all fun and games when he thought he could protect her but now Black Widow is involved and this got serious. But, as falling from a building was not a deterrent enough it’s hard to imagine Clint saying “no” would go any better this time than any other.

Still that four way fight was really cool. I liked Kate getting rid of the gun and using her arrows. I liked how Yelena was clearly being careful not to harm innocents - she put that line on Kate before kicking he off the roof and her charges were very weak as even to didn't incapacitate completely. She is clearly trying not to kill. Or at least not to kill anyone but Clint. Maya on the other hand just wants someone to hurt.

Also, Laura Barton is becoming more and more intriguing. She clearly was in the spy business too - her knowledge, contacts, languages. I think we deserve the whole backstory. We get so much character building both for her and most of all for Clint himself in these episodes that was sorely missing in the movies and with each of them I just want Clint to make it home for Christmas even more (and I still hope it will end with Yelena driving him there for the full circle).

[kagrenacs]

Explaining the Iceberg #8

In which the theories get worse as you delve deeper. (some content is cut because it’s not appropriate/something I would want to discuss)

Coldharbour/Clockwork Tamriel: Coldharbour has many locations that resemble Tamriel, and often are outright taken from it. C0Da seems to indicate Sotha Sil’s final goals for the clockwork city is to recreate and ‘perfect’ Tamriel.

The Crimson Ship: During the Knahaten Flu, the Kothringi were hit particularly hard, and the Crimson Ship was full of refugees trying to find a new home. They were turned away at every port, until reaching Hammerfell. After being turned away once again, they sailed out to sea. Some years later, pirates found the ship full of corpses.

Storming of the citadel: Unsure of this, the wording is too general. It could possibly refer to the Morrowind Mainquest, when you take back the profane tools, A Covenant quest in Elder Scrolls Cnline, or the Main quest in Elder Scrolls Online

Altmeri formwars: Mentioned in an MK short story. Possibly a war from a previous Kalpa that involved the Dreugh

Yagrum Bagarn made the Numidium: He states he was a Tonal Architect under Kagrenac, there’s a possibility he may have worked on the Numidium as well.

Sons of Hora: Mentioned in the Nu-hatta, related to mantling. ‘this is the death children bring as son’s of Hora’. My guess is that it’s the ability of mortals (sons of Lorkhan, Hora?) to actually mantle deities and understand their limits.

Kaleidocules: ‘Leaky Creatia’  the power of creation, magical possibility 

Ayleids=Bird people: A race of unnamed bird people Topal the Pilot was said to have met on his journey across Tamriel. Since they occupy the same region as Ayleids did (although they seem to have been present before the Ayleids and subsequently died out), and since Ayleids have recurring bird motifs within their armor and art, it’s thought that these two groups may be one in the same.

Dragon Tusk: The name of the oversoul (cumulation of all aspects) of Akatosh/Auri-el ect. Is Aka or Aka-Tusk.

Lorkhan’s heart the egg of time: In Morrowind, the egg of time is a rebuttal paper to Kagrenac’s theories on the use of the tools on the heart of lorkhan.

Khajiit ??? Genetic memory: I can’t make out if that says lactable as in the infant formula for babies, or something else. 

The Prisoner: A name for all playable characters in tes, revolves around the concept of seeing past barriers formed previously (the prison) and overcoming these obstacles to change things.

82nd Crodo: Mentioned in the redguard forums, a community in Alinor.

City of Rockcreek: In Arena, there is a city called Rockpark. A glitch in town generation happened, and the palace to Rockpark was blocked off, rendering it inaccessible. In Daggerfall, the developers referenced this glitch in ‘Ius the Animal God’ But misspelled Rockpark as ‘Rockcreek’

Atmora-Aldmeris Invasion: Not quite sure what this references, my best guess is the invasion of the Atmorans and Aldmer from their respective continents to Tamriel.

1008 weapons of rapture: 1008 or 108 is usually in reference to Cyrodill (8+1 gods), in Et’Ada, Eight Aedra, Eat the Dreamer, there is mention of 1008 weapons of rapture. This could possibly refer to the Divines, the Middle Dawn that lasted 1008 years, or perhaps 1008 literal weapons.

Thalmor UFOs: Seems to have originated on the iceberg

King Harald and Talos die at 108: There goes that numerology again

Adamantia Scroll rocket: While this seems to have originated on the iceberg once again, there is a group of tes LARPers with the shared name Adamantia

Ghartoki: Mentioned in what my beloved taught me after Vivec reads a symbol on Nerevar’s palms (possibly some sigil, scars or just reading palms). Ghartok in Ehlnofey means hand, and in the sermons it’s often associated with the word Padhome, or change.

Thalmor and Jyggalag: The Altmer are orderly so they worship Jyggalag.

Motheaters: A little song mentioned in this thread https://www.imperial-library.info/content/forum-archives-unknown-posts

Klecksographic Lyg: Another iceberg original, Klecksography is the art of making art from inkblots, essentially this is just saying how lyg was created in a fancy way

Ha-Note is Mehrunes Dagon: https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/3o0uwk/nanote_dagon/ the original theory is here, TL;DR Ha-Note, a monster born from Vivec, renamed itself ‘City-Face’ and fled to Lyg. The ‘grabbers’ grabbed it, because they can’t create things of their own and said they’d build a Hope-Tower upon it’s face. In the Commentaries of Mankar Cameron, he states Mehrunes Dagon was built from hope.

Zurin Arctus=Versidue Shae: An apparently deleted theory, mentioned only in this post debunking it https://www.reddit.com/r/teslore/comments/9rs2ad/what_were_the_motives_of_versidue_shaie/

The King’s Cough: Mentioned in Sermon 29, another name for the Thu’um

The Catalyst: The driving force that starts an Enantiomorph 

Tsaescence: A tsaesci word from We ate it to become it, MK states it means it’s the Tsaesci word of “High Perception” In context, seems to mean something similar to CHIM.

Hero of Kvatch=Pelinal Whitestrake: See the Knights of the Nine DLC. (To expand further, there are many similarities between the two, force of change, knight to the emperor/empress)

Amiel Arctus: An old screen name for Michael Kirkbride

The Space Gods: Found in the last song of Pelinal and Eight Aedra Eat the Dreamer, like many things in tes, it’s Lorkhan.

Uriel V: The father of Uriel VI, tried his best to invade Akavir.

Otherkin: You are reading this on tumblr. You know what this is. MK made a lengthy forum post about how Tosh Raka hates the Otherkin for some reason.

Falmer are Hermaified: Horrible word, but there are resemblances between Hermaeus Mora’s shrines, and Falmer shrines.

Invisible Dragons: In morrowind, if you ask M’aiq about dragons, he’ll state they’re too high up to see. Or invisible

Alien Ayleids: A relic from the since deleted bethesda forums. MK wanted to have a plot twist where Ayleids were Aliens.

The insect god: Mentioned in the Adabal-a, or Morhaius’s memoirs. May be a since-retconned god, could possibly be Lorkhan due to his frequent connection with Scarabs.

Suicide Trolls: An easter egg in Oblivion, a poorly scrawled note and a troll found dead under a bridge across the bridge from Bravil.  

Arkay=Arnand the Fox=Zurin Arctus: Zurin Arctus is sometimes called Arnand the Fox (Seen in where were you when the dragon broke) Shor is also represented as the fox, which makes sense since Zurin is a Shezzarine. This connects to Arkay by Malacath/Orkey/Arkay, who is a trickster god (fox like) in Nordic pantheons. Malacath also got compared to a fox once. I never said these theories were well backed up.

Dwarf-Orc theory: referring to Dumac, who is sometimes called Dumalacath, or Dumac Dwarf-Orc, suggesting he has an orcish and dwemer parents. This also may imply there are cross cultural connections between the two groups (especially when you consider the Rourken clan having Volenfell, Malacath’s hammer.), meaning Dwemer blood could still be present within Orcish clans.

Tosh Raka: The Dragon-God of the Ka’Po’Tun. Became a dragon through unknown means (possibly through Dracocrysalis?) Hates the otherkin I guess.

A worn and weathered note: A curious note from Morrowind. https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:A_worn_and_weathered_note

TalOS: Talos is called a virus by Jubal in C0da. If you think of the Aurbis as a computer, Talos could be considered analogous to a Trojan Virus when you look at his place in the pantheon of Divines. He used the mantella to cheat-code the universe into accepting it as Lorkhan’s new heart to power the Numidium. An error occurred, and now the universe considers TalOS the new Lorkhan.

King of Worms = The Underking: Both are liches, both are undead, that’s about it. May stem from initial confusion of MK saying there were ‘multiple underkings’ when he meant there were multiple copies of the same person in the dragon break.

500 companions were dragons: the 500 mighty companions, an obscure text calls at least one of the companions a dragon, and some of the names were draconic sounding.

Dreamer can’t wake up: Straight from the mouth of MK, this might mean ‘the Godhead isn’t literal’ or it might literally mean, the universe can’t cease to be because the Godhead just stops.

[tysingh]

Traveling bard. Convention weekend. LARPers. They were all words, Tyler supposed, and maybe they were even English words, but all she could do was sit there blinking in confusion as Jeanie spoke. Her hands darted forward for the coffee, drawing it in close so she could take a few sips while her brain tried to process any of what the woman was talking about. "I don't know what you said. Any of it. The words weren't real words," she pointed out after a stretch of silence where she very obviously had been letting her brain try and puzzle out what to make of any of this.

At the very least she could understand the question of what brought her here, perhaps the only words that felt like real words of the bunch. Gesturing towards the coffee was enough of an answer for the moment as she took another sip. "It's raining. I...am drunk. A little," she paused, brows furrowing at the word little, fully understanding that it was a lie. "Can't drive home."

@jeanieprabhakar

Although she shook her head in disappointed over the fact she wouldn't get to witness the brooding fighter handling the tiny little cup, Jeanie hadn't expected much else. Tiny cups weren't her vibe and it wasn't a surprise that the rest of the café didn't seem to be either.

"What? You've never seen a traveling bard before?" She poured out a large cup of coffee and pushed it toward her, trying not to laugh. "It's a convention weekend. They just got back... though to be honest that could just be those guys' usual weekend getup. We get a lot of LARPers in here. You're the weird one in here. What brought you in, anyway?"

It was Jeanie's favourite thing about the café, the casual unashamed atmosphere she'd managed to cultivate for roleplayers and fantasy fans alike. Somehow, though, she doubted the woman sat before her knew what LARPing was. It was a shame, she thought. She'd probably be pretty handy with a sword.

@tysingh

[imtheperfectvoid]

I’ve had this class made for a good while but I finally decided to post it to Tumblr — here’s the cast of my fangan! The story involves a group of Hope’s Peak alumni being gathered for physical and mental examination under the guise of being eligible for a federally-awarded grant for graduates of Hope’s Peak. However, because it’s a DR game, they’re trapped in the facility they’re gathered in and are placed in a killing game.

You can read the bios of each character below the cut!

Hisahito “Hito” Kanbara ♂ 

Height: 5'6"

Birthday: Mar 16

Age: 23

Occupation: Shinist priest

Likes: Astronomy

Dislikes: Lying

(Note: his Name in Kanji is Written as 尚人 meaning “esteemed person” but he calls himself just “Hito” (Person) because humility is one of his largest virtues and feels it’s important to put the good of the world before himself)

The protagonist of the game, and quite honestly the perfect example of “lawful good”. A kind-hearted, genuine boy with a penchant for seeking the truth and attaining growth, he feels that this game is truly going to test his faith and his virtues while being tempted to bring violence and harm to his fellow classmates. His devotion to his “Great Mother” - Shinomoi, a goddess representing truth, faith, and luck - is what keeps him steady and strong during his time in the game, and through her divine power is he able to piece everything together and bring every trial to a complete close... at least, he believes it is her aid that allows him to do so.

Atsuko Kurishita ♀

Height: 5′1″

Birthday: Nov 22

Age: 24

Occupation: Interior decorator

Likes: Glitter

Dislikes: Grapes

A bubbly, excitable girl with a keen eye for decor and design, she’s responsible for refurnishing and garnishing the homes of hundreds of homes across Japan, even many celebrities and well-known figures. She is a very emotional person, and can quickly jump from one to the next - quick to smile, quick to anger, quick to cry. She is also an overwhelmingly positive force in the games, collecting as many “pretty” things as she can find and presenting them with kind words to anyone in need of friendship or care. Her ditzy nature can sometimes hinder trials’ progression, but she can just as easily provide many helpful clues with her 1.5 eyes for detail.

Vox Stratos ♂

Height: 5’11″

Birthday: May 1

Age: 24

Occupation: LARPer

Likes: Wind chimes

Dislikes: Sour candy

Being very soft-spoken and gentle, it’s clear that this delicate man is very deep into his self-assigned role as Vox Stratos, an Air Genasi bard that is set on a mission to travel the multiverse and bring peace to his own lands. He can be very dramatic and overzealous in his endeavors and mannerisms, but his intentions are pure and his words are always genuine. However, he tends to be quite dim in terms of piecing together the overall mystery of a trial, and will usually have to be guided by another’s explanations to fully grasp the situation. There can only be speculation as to what kind of person he may really be beneath the guise of Vox Stratos.

Noburo Himura ♂

Height: 6′8″

Birthday: April 25

Age: 30

Occupation: Gravedigger

Likes: Rabbits

Dislikes: Heavy rainfall

A quiet, scary-looking guy like him is definitely someone everyone feels wary of; in truth, it’s not like they have much to be concerned with. Outwardly, his appearance would not leave you surprised to know that he’s responsible for plotting mass graves in no time flat. Despite this, he can be quite the gentle force. His heavy spirituality and desire to keep the worlds of the living and the dead in peace make him a rather benevolent person behind the mask. He may be quiet, but he can offer some solid arguments and points during a trial, and it only aids his usefulness to the group.

Minoru Kurosawa ♀

Height: 4'5"

Birthday: Aug 31

Age: 28

Occupation: Dentist

Likes: History documentaries

Dislikes: Loud music

Despite her stature, she is renowned as a superb force in the dentistry community - having single-handedly performed dental miracles on even the most disastrous of teeth. She is quite like a stern mother figure of the group, always keeping everyone in line and providing herself as a means of support whenever necessary. Her mind is tough and she can be very no-nonsense, but she does mean well in the end. A rather neutral force in trials and investigations, she tends to shine more outside of them and in the element of simple social contact between murders.

Takumi Achikita ♂

Height: 5′7″

Birthday: Feb 8

Age: 25

Occupation: Keysmith

Likes: Sunflowers

Dislikes: Annoying people

Famous for his ability to craft keys that open any and all locks, this cold boy is certainly a foil character of the group. He’s cocky, arrogant, and manipulative - and his only goal for this game is to escape, whatever that may mean for him. His uppity, loner behavior is backed by cold outbursts and isolation from the rest of the group, with hardly any empathy or show of concern for others’ wellbeing. Despite this, he does provide excellent talking points and arguments during trials, making him an unfortunately helpful force during investigations.

Sayuri Akashi ♀

Height: 5′3″

Birthday: Jan 2

Age: 28

Occupation: Biochemist

Likes: Renaissance art

Dislikes: The ocean

This mysterious lady is one of the most analytical and logical minds of the group, her forward-thinking mindset being a key part in how effectively she’s concocted several “miracle drugs” that have successfully aided in the world of eradicating/improving mental health. Her sharp eyes are a blessing for investigations, able to latch onto any minute detail and provide ample evidence into a trial. However, her logic cannot help but cripple her in terms of social understanding and communication with the group.

Habiki Bando ♂

Height: 5′9″

Birthday: July 7

Age: 25

Occupation: Drummer

Likes: Frogs

Dislikes: Serious conversations

This upbeat boy has a passion for drumming and an even bigger passion for making people smile. He’s the drummer for a ska band so successful and well-adored, he’s considered as “The Boy Who Made Ska Actually Cool”. His joyful nature and his constant joking (despite the fact that his humor tends to fall flat and not work) creates a very friendly appearance for him. Unfortunately, his cheeriness cannot overshadow the fact that his usefulness in trials and investigations is less-than-admirable. However, some of his capabilities may have some sort of merit down the road, if he keeps his ears open.

Koya Hamasaki ♂

Height: 5′11″

Birthday: Oct 11

Age: 26

Occupation: Sea captain

Likes: Letter-writing

Dislikes: Clowns

This foul-mouthed guy has the capability to successfully and efficiently man the wheel of any sea vessel put in front of him, and this notability is something that has built up his status as the Ultimate Captain. He’s quite the loud, rambunctious party type, and his dirty humor and sly comments are a large aspect of his outward, confident appearance. This confidence also drives him to assert control and act as the head of the party, despite most everyone’s protest. However, this confidence is faulty in trials, leading him to be more hasty in judgement. Perhaps something lies beneath that confidence that he works to hide?

Tetsuya Yomohiro ♂

Height: 6′0″

Birthday: May 15

Age: 27

Occupation: ???

Likes: Gin

Dislikes: Insects

Waking up with little to no personal memory, he doesn’t let this sway him in his endeavors to focus on the game and protect himself from certain death. Although he may not know much of his own life, he certainly knows how to throw around wit and banter and talk his way around any situation thrown at him. He’d prove helpful as an ally, but he could become quite the bother as an enemy. Despite his quiet charm, it’s easy to see he harbors a lot of natural sadness and pessimism, always looking to stifle his emotions with a drink or a cigarette. Whoever he may be, he clearly has a lot on his mind, even with the amnesia.

Yama Ryumine ♀

Height: 5′10″

Birthday: July 24

Age: 28

Occupation: Rock Climber

Likes: Alternative music

Dislikes: Economics

Famous for scaling mountainsides in record times with relative ease, she’s cocky and brave, always needing to be moving and cannot sit still to save her life. She’s a bit dense in terms of putting things together, but her bravery is always much appreciated in terms of bringing others to justice and understanding. All about fairness and equality, she is quick to defend others and give the benefit of the doubt.

Masumi Ichino ♀

Height: 5′3″

Birthday: Sep 18

Age: 23

Occupation: Calligraphy teacher

Likes: Video games

Dislikes: Yelling

This studious girl has been deemed her talent based on her superior capabilities to mimic most handwriting styles and can craft the most eloquent-looking calligraphic wordforms, even being so skilled as to personally pen the lettering of notices from high officials of Japan (the irony is that her natural handwriting is garbage). She’s quite docile and easy to startle and fluster, but her good-hearted nature and her clever mind makes her a valuable ally during the killing game.

Riku “Rick” Ushinōka ♂

Height: 5′5″

Birthday: Mar 2

Age: 24

Occupation: Farmer/”Cowboy”

Likes: Origami

Dislikes: Dark chocolate

This quiet boy, given the official title of Ultimate Farmer, is largely responsible for creating one of Japan’s highest-grossing farmlands in the nation’s recorded history, producing mass quantities of produce and farm life that has kept Japan strongly powered. His entire life has been in moderate isolation, having been homeschooled up until being brought to Hope’s Peak, so his communication skills amongst people his age leaves a lot to be desired. Though he lacks a fair amount of common sense and intelligence, what he does provide is a sharp eye for detail and order, and his capabilities to notice details will prove useful in his time in the killing game.

Yuriko Iwasaki ♀

Height: 5′7″

Birthday: Oct 29

Age: 25

Occupation: Chess player

Likes: Sudoku puzzles

Dislikes: Working hard

This proud girl has countless trophies, plaques, and awards recognizing her as the world’s most proficient grandmaster of chess. Her mind is sharp and her tongue is equally so - she has quite the sense of self-importance, believing herself to be the strongest asset in the killing game and talking down to anyone who views otherwise. Despite her rough, callous nature, she does provide quite the analytical perspective and holds the potential to be incredibly useful during trials and investigations.

Rei Obara ♀

Height: 5′7″

Birthday: Jan 18

Age: 26

Occupation: Cutler

Likes: Horror films

Dislikes: Cuttlefish

This girl is cold and aloof, her notoriety as one of the most gifted knife-makers in the world certainly affecting this reputation; she holds the capability to craft a razor-sharp blade from nearly any material given to her (see kiwami japan). Her humor is dry and her wit is endless, and she has little interest in making friends or growing close with anyone, fully understanding the severity of the situation and knowing that her status as a cutler certainly paints her as a threat, pushing her to further distance herself from the group. Despite this distance and her lack of ability to pick up on the nuances of the game, perhaps she can still prove useful in defending the rest of the group from whatever ultimate evil their captor has planned.

Jato Wakashira ♂

Height: 6’1″

Birthday: Oct 1

Age: 26

Occupation: Fashion designer

Likes: Summertime

Dislikes: Rough textures

This vivacious, lively man is the creator of some of the most trendy, in-style clothing collections, achieving international success and fame early on in his solo career and attained a celebrity status and amassed a huge social following. His flirtatious charisma and cheery attitude make him incredibly amiable, and his passion for clothing is unrivaled. Though he works hard to try and get along with everyone and get in the good graces of everyone in the game, he can’t help but form a bit of a wall with everyone and keep people at arm’s length throughout the events - a natural distrust lying beneath the surface. He fears anyone getting too close and discovering what he’s really like behind all the charm and sweetness - not fear for himself, but fear for them.

Kana Jikiba ♀

Height: 5’5”

Birthday: Feb 27

Age: 25

Occupation: Ceramicist

Likes: Raspberries

Dislikes: Loud noises

This bizarre girl has a lot of strangeness and uncertainty about her character - not many people are sure of her background, her nationality, or anything of that sort. However, what most people do know about her is her incredible aptitude for crafting some of the finest porcelain pieces to ever be made; everything from plates to tea sets to decorative pieces to even her own mask has the careful touch of a genuine artist behind them. She may be proficient in the art of ceramics, but she seems to struggle to effectively communicate and connect with other people - her mannerisms, way of speaking, and overall demeanor radiates an aura that makes most people wonder if she’s even human underneath that mask. Despite this, she’s a pleasant force with a surprising amount of intellect that always tries her best to maintain the peace.

[socialyawkdude]

The Road So Far: A Overview of Supernatural

Hello, again my socially awkward friends and its time again for another review. Well, it's not a review in the normal sense, it is more of an overview. What is this mystery show, at that I will be covering? If the title didn't give it away let me give you a little background on the show.

Premiering on September 13, 2005, on The WB network; it is the longest-running American fantasy tv show. That isn't the only thing, this show is the last remaining original WB network show remaining. Yeah, I'm talking about the tv show supernatural. I'm guessing that you already know that supernatural's 15th season will be the last.

When the news of the final season, came across the wire, I was shocked. I had just recently started watching again, in season 13. Supernatural has always been my go-to show, in times of boredom. Hey, how could it not be? Supernatural has been in Syndication since January of 2010 and i could always find a episode, at the most random times. 

All good things must come to an end and supernatural was going to end at some point. Which brings us to present day and I'm doing a full-on binge of supernatural. The current goal is to watch every single episode of supernatural by the October 10th, 2019 premiere date. Currently, I'm in season 8 around episode 16.

So in honor of the final season, I'm going to my 10 favorite supernatural episodes.

10. Season 7 Episode 20: The girl with the dungeons and dragons tattoo

FELICIA DAY ("THE GUILD," "EUREKA") GUEST STARS - Dick Roman (James Patrick Stuart) acquires Frank's hard drive that contains sensitive information about the Winchesters and gives it to an unsuspecting brilliant hacker named Charlie (guest star Day) telling her she has 48 hours to crack the firewall or she is fired. Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are tipped off that Dick has the hard drive and race to get to Charlie before she breaks the code. Meanwhile, Bobby (Jim Beaver) tries to help the brothers, but his rage towards Dick for killing him starts to get in the way.

9. Season 8 Episode 11: LARP and the real girl

FELICIA DAY RETURNS! - Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate the mysterious deaths of two LARPers (Live Action Role Playing) who were playing a game entitled Moondoor. The guys are thrilled to discover the Queen of Moondoor is none other than Charlie (guest star Felicia Day). The three learn that a fairy (guest star Tiffany Dupont) has been commandeered to harm people and the only way to stop her is to find her master.

8. Season 8 Episode: Pac-Man Forever

DEAN INTRODUCES CHARLIE TO CHEAP PANTSUITS - Concerned about the physical toll the second trial took on Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) benches his brother from hunting until he heals up. So, when geektastic hacker Charlie (guest star Felicia Day) stumbles upon a case and finds the boys, Dean decides it's time to teach Charlie how to be a hunter-in-training. While happy to see "her highness," the boys suspect Charlie is hiding something; a secret that could get her killed.

Supernatural was my introduction to the wonderful Felicia Day. If it wasn’t for supernatural, i would’ve never have never ave seen The guild.

7. Season 12 Episode 6: Celebrating the life of Asa Fox

THREE WINCHESTERS ARE BETTER THAN ONE – When hunters gather together to celebrate the life and tragic death of one of their own, Sam (Jared Padalecki) Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Mary (guest star Samantha Smith) must take action when a demon starts picking off hunters one by one.

My favorite moment I love the most about this episode is hearing Man in a Box by Alice in Chains. In my opinion, this one song made this episode.

6. Season 11 Episode 4: Baby

NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER — Seen entirely from the POV of the Impala, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) go on a road trip to fight monsters and demons

5. Season 13 Episode 16: Scoobynatural

JINKIES! "SUPERNATURAL" GETS ANIMATED WHEN SAM, DEAN, AND CASTIEL ARE TRANSPORTED INTO THE WORLD OF SCOOBY-DOO – Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Castiel (Misha Collins) are transported into the animated world of Scooby-Doo where they join forces with the Scooby gang to solve a ghostly mystery.

Try and watch this episode and not think its awesome.

4. Season 13 Episode 10: Wayward Sisters

KATHRYN NEWTON, KIM RHODES, KATHERINE RAMDEEN, BRIANA BUCKMASTER, CLARK BACKO AND YADIRA GUEVARA-PRIP RETURN – When Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) go missing, Jody Mills (guest star Kim Rhodes) calls Claire Novak (guest star Kathryn Newton), the rebellious rogue hunter, and tells her it is time to come home – they need to find the Winchesters. Claire returns and reunites with Alex Jones (guest star Katherine Ramdeen), who has stayed behind with Jody and tries to balance a "normal" life with being a part-time hunter. While Jody is happy to have Claire home again, she's plagued by Patience's (guest star Clark Backo) disturbing vision involving her adopted daughter. Claire and Alex search for Kaia Nieves (guest star Yadira Guevara-Prip), the dreamcatcher responsible for opening the rift that Sam and Dean went through, as she holds the key to their whereabouts. Jody calls her friend, Donna Hanscom (guest star Briana Buckmaster), to round out the team and the women head off on the most important hunt of their lives.

3. Season 5 Episode 5: Fallen Idols

PARIS HILTON GUEST STARS - Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) decide to start hunting together again and their first case leads them to a small town whose inhabitants are being killed by famous dead icons like Abraham Lincoln and James Dean's car. However, after two teenage girls come forward and claim their friend was kidnapped by Paris Hilton (in a cameo role as herself), the brothers aren't sure what they are hunting anymore.

his one is pretty simple, I get to watch Paris Hilton get shived.

2. Season 12 Episode: Don't call me Shurley

ROB BENEDICT RETURNS – Amara (guest star Emily Swallow) unleashes a dark fog on a small town, causing everyone to go mad. Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) realize this is a stronger version of the original black vein virus Amara previously unleashed. They team up with the sheriff to protect the town but their old remedy no longer works. Meanwhile, Chuck (Rob Benedict) returns with an interesting proposal.

Chuck is god! What else can I say? I had my suspicions, that something was up with chuck, but it wasn’t this. Also Rob Benedict’s cover of fare thee well, blew me away.

1. Season 4 Episode 8: Wishful thinking.

A WISHING WELL THAT REALLY WORKS BRINGS CHAOS - Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) investigate a small town where the wishing well really works. A teddy bear comes to life, someone wins the lottery and the town geek gets a hot girlfriend. The brothers realize that while everyone is happy now, the end result will be disastrous. 

My all time favorite episode of supernatural. Why is this season 4 episode ,y favorite?, you ask. Well, the answer to that question is quite simple, really. Teddy! Seeing a giant teddy bear try to blow his brains out, with a shotgun, always has me on the floor.

So there is my top 10 list of supernatural episodes.  What are your favorite episodes? I would love to read your own top 10 list. Like always; don't forget to like, share, follow, and reblog. until the next time we meet, stay awkward my friends.

[larpgourmet]

The Essential LARP Cooking Camp Gear List

Figuring out what to bring to game is always stress inducing. I have packing lists for my packing lists just to make sure I don’t miss anything (it doesn’t help that I drive four hours to get to my game. Forgetting something means I’m SOL all weekend, unless I feel like stopping by a Walmart to pickup whatever I left at home.) 

If you’re a new LARPer, this can be doubly stressful. You may not even know where to begin to pack for what you need. I’m pretty focused on only food needs on this blog, but to sidetrack for just a moment -- my advice is always to break it down from a meta level first. By that I mean, start with the big picture stuff:

- Camping Gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc.) - Food and Drink - Costume - Weapons - Decorative - Mundane Needs (medicine, first aid kit, hygiene needs) 

Once you have that list together, then you can start listing things by specific, and that’ll help you organize your head a little bit when things start to get crazy. Make a list on a word doc somewhere you can access it all the time, and keep the same list game after game, that way you have it on hand in case you run out of spell slots to think about it the Thursday night before you travel.

My list below will operate similarly, giving kind of a broad list, and then breaking it down, with only a few major items getting specific call-outs.

That said -- back to the food stuff!

If you want to cook at game, you’ll need a handful of things to make this possible. Listed below is a short list of what you’ll need, and what to look for in those items. Some of these were also referenced on the 20 Items under $20 post, found here (https://larpgourmet.tumblr.com/post/186401312414/20-things-under-20-for-eating-at-larp)

- A Decent Cooler Look for one that will easily fit in your car with the rest of your stuff, but has enough room to work with. Also be aware that you’re going to have to move your cooler in and out of your car -- while it’s full of stuff. Too big, and you risk it being exceptionally heavy.

I bought mine eons ago, but I want to say it’s somewhere in the 48 - 50 quart range. I generally want to be able to fit my cold brew coffee, a frozen gallon bottle of water, my food, at least half of my drinks, and my icepacks into the cooler easily.

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating -- of all of the items to shell a little extra for, this is the one. Good insulation, a tight fitting lid, and well made handles will go a long way to ensuring your food stays cold, and you have a better time maneuvering it. Coolers are also just generally handy things to have around, even when you’re not LARPing, so there’s little chance this purchase will go to waste.

One side note on this -- I think wheels are a bit of a waste when it comes to coolers in a camping setting. The wheels do just about nothing over dirt and sticks, and are barely better than dragging the cooler on it’s edge -- at least in my experience.

- A Sturdy Table If no tables are readily available, OR those tables are wobbly -- pick up a good, sturdy table of your own, and be ready to throw a tablecloth over it. I like 6 foot hard plastic folding tables available at any hardware store. They are generally easy to pack and move, and give you plenty of room to work with.

Prepare to store your plastic bin of stuff, and your cooler underneath the table. The cooler being in the perpetual shade of the tablecloth, and the breeze of the outside means that your ice will melt a bit slower. I’ve managed July games in over 100 degree heat in southern California without needing to make an ice run, just because my cooler is stored under a table with a good tablecloth.

- Camp Stove This is another topic I’ve covered in some detail on this post: https://larpgourmet.tumblr.com/post/186746785742/what-to-look-for-in-a-camp-stove

Long and short -- though there’s many ways to heat up food at game, including campfires and the hope of a decent kitchen on site, I feel like Camp Stoves are the old reliable. They’re safe (you’re not likely to accidentally start a forest fire), easy to use and keep with you, and if you have your own, you’re not waiting in line to use it -- so you can just heat n’ eat at your leisure!

- A Trash Bin Get a collapsible trash container made for camping, and the appropriately sized trash bags. Invest in something big and flat that you can put over the trash bag to keep stuff out, or prepare to take it to a larger trash receptacle every so often.

- Dutch Oven If you’ve never looked at a dutch oven before, it’s basically a big soup pot with a good lid. Generally speaking, dutch ovens are thick walled and made of cast iron -- but for our purposes, any large pot with a decent lid will fit your needs.

I like these, especially if you plan to make any meals for a larger group. Big vats of soup or even cold salads can be served in a dutch oven, and automatically look more interesting as a result. The lid means you can close in your food to keep dust out, and even if you’re not using it to cook directly, you can fill it with water and cook sous vide style.

ProTip: If you get one big enough, you can fit a lot of your other gear inside of it, making it an excellent storage container for packing purposes as well.

- Frying Pan / Skillet / Griddle What we need is a large, flat surface to toast bread, pan fry food, or set stovetop coffee pots on top of to make sure they’re stable. A frying pan or skillet is probably best (as the walls give them a bit more utility -- but a griddle or flat top surface can be great in the long haul, if you don’t mind buying both options!

- Food Prep Items A cutting board, a good knife, bowls to collect items you’ve cut and prepared, and some bowls or covers to keep everything clean while you work. As with the below, this is really a situational need. If you plan to do any food prep actually at game, make sure you consider what you’ll need to bring!

- Servingware Wooden bowls, spoons, charcuterie boards, and other things are great to lay out your food for eating. You only really need these if you plan on serving multiple people, and will need to leave the food somewhere that photographers might find it. Honestly, source as much of this out of thrift stores as you can, big wooden bowls and big wooden spoons are silly cheap there. You can also get some fairly inexpensive slabs of marble and other easy to keep and clean stone from any home improvement store -- more on that in a future post!

- Flatware / Dishes You will want something to eat your food out of that looks good for the photographers! The 20 Items under $20 has a few links for things to look for on this front, but expect to need at least one of each of the basics -- a cup, bowl, plate, fork, knife, and spoon. I’ve tested my way through a lot of the disposables in this arena, and I find them to be both flimsy, and expensive. Set aside the scratch for one decent set that will last, and you’ll be much happier.

- Cleaning Station Here’s where I admit that I don’t do a full soap and water wash most of the time at game. I’m the only one who uses my own stuff, so most of the time I just wipe down my gear to get any food off, dry it, and wait to give it a good cleaning when I get home. Most of my cooking for game is tailored to this idea, meaning that I generally make a lot of things where I won’t leave a lot of food behind, and if I do, it’s in a mason jar where I’m just going to seal the jar and not worry about it.

I also (currently) use real cast iron for my fork, knife, and spoon -- so getting them in soap and water is really just a great way for them to rust. (I’m thinking of switching over to stainless steel. Cast iron has a taste, and I’m not particularly fond... additionally, it’s a HUGE pain to keep care of, especially at game if someone decides to be nice and wash your stuff for you, so I’m just kind of over it.)

If you’re eating anything that will get sticky or sugary, or where you’re leaving a larger amount of food (not just sandwich crumbs), you will want a way to clean it so you don’t get pests. This set should consist of at least a couple of things; a smallish plastic bin for you to catch your soapy water, a sponge, some dish soap, a drying towel, and clean water to rinse your soap off your dishes.

If you’re a knitter at all, consider making knitted towels out of yarn tailor made to the purpose. Knitted towels will always look great, and they dry up a lot of water! They do just take a little longer to dry, so prepare a spot to hang them up with clothespins, if you can! (I’m not a knitter, but my mom makes me knitted stuff all the time.)

- Plastic Bin with a Good Lid The reason I advocate for this is to carry all of your camping gear in one place, and make sure it stays clean and pest free until you can use it. Get all your stuff first, then decide what size you need -- but one of these goes a long way toward good organization, and ease of moving your stuff!

- Sundries This can be any sort of smaller items that I just catch all into one category. My current list for this is: Matches Paper towels First aid kit Propane Camp lantern Apron (to keep your costume clean) Spare water Trivets (if you’re going to have any hot pans on site)

If you’re worried about forgetting something, set your setup up at home, and mock going through everything. Think about what you’ll need to do for all of your meals, and make sure you have everything you need to that end.

Plan for emergencies! Plan for spills, plan to get cut, or burned on your stove! Make sure everything you need is close by (in your plastic bin) when you’re actually on site, so you always know how to find your stuff if something comes up.

[pellicano-sanguino]

Personal post about job hunting troubles and a difficult decision.

For three summers in a row I have been living in the upstairs of my parents’ house. This is because despite all my efforts I couldn’t get a job in my home city. Here, in my parents’ home city however, I had connections (well, my mother had connections) and I easily found work. It’s been an acceptable temporary solution, I get along with my parents just fine and there’s enough room in the house to not feel crammed with the three of us. But now my current job is coming to an end and I have to make a difficult decision.

I have been offered a permanent job here. It hurts so much to decline the offer because a permanent job would be a dream come true. With a reliable income all my money worries would be over. I could get a mortgage. I could buy a house. A real home, not just a rent apartment. A real house with a real yard, so all my gardening dreams could come true. I dream of apple trees and red currant bushes, flowerbeds filled with white lilies. Without a steady income (or a wife), I won’t ever get a mortgage. Without a steady income, I must always be financially and mentally prepared to fall back into unemployment hell.

The threat of unemployment hell looms over me like a fucking guillotine blade all the time. I’m so sick and tired of stressing over it. But it’s a part of reality I can’t escape. I have suffered long term unemployment before, it can happen again. I have sent countless job applications to companies in my home city, but haven’t got as far as job interview yet. It’s depressing when your email just fills with messages of “Thankyou for showing interest in out company! Unfortunately this time we didn’t choose you! Have a great autumn!” 

So it sounds like the reasonable thing to do would be to accept the offer for permanent job in my parents’ home city, right? Sure, if I didn’t give a damn about where I live, that would be so. But I am very fond of my own home city and I don’t want to move out of it just to get employed. A short, temporary solution like these summer jobs are ok, but moving here permanently is something I very much don’t want to do.

My parents’ city doesn’t have a sword school and it’s too far from the cities that have one that I would have to hang my sword on a wall and give up that hobby. And more importantly, my home city is where two of my good friends live. For the sake of anonymity, let’s call them Rabbit and Tigel (all friends and family members will be assigned a bestiary animal as a pseudonym. And yes, there’s a reason why Tigel’s name is spelled with an L.). 

Now, I have other friends too, and I don’t want to downplay the importance of my other friends, but Rabbit and Tigel are special. If it wasn’t for Rabbit, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. When I was younger, I was an awkward introvert that only had one friend. Because I was bullied heavily, I had trust issues and generally avoided people. One day my only friend took me to a place where a bunch of larpers gathered to play RPGs, fight with boffers and dance renaissance dances. It’s the latter that pulled me forward, despite dreading - to use a Tumblr phrase here - the mortifying ordeal of being known. Dancing has always been a great passion of mine, but I was too afraid to approach the dancers. I stood alone by the wall, watching with admiring eyes the ring of dancers at the stage. There was Rabbit, she noticed me and asked me to come dance with her. The first renaissance dance I learned was a simple thing, Branle Burgundy, but it felt magical then, my feet stomping the floor at the same beat as the other dancers’ and Rabbit’s kind, encouraging words when I messed up. It was the beginning of my larping hobby, through which I made most of my current friends.

When my only friend of the time found a boyfriend, she stopped answering to my letters and calls, slowly cutting our friendship off because she didn’t need me anymore now that she had a boy. This would have been devastating if I had not made new friends among the larpers. If Rabbit hadn’t asked me to dance with her that day, I would be very lonely. They have been the most loyal and kind friends I have ever had. Once, I was stuck in unemployment hell and fucked up filling some form and got a punishment of three months of no unemployment benefit. I had enough savings to pay the rent but food money looked dire. I made a “Well, guess I got to tighten the belt.”-type of post in social media. Soon after that Rabbit and Tigel collected funds from all of my friends and appeared at my apartment with a bag full of tiny ziplock-bags with two 2€ coins in each, labeled after the days all the way until the day my ban would be lifted. They collected food money for me, when I was in trouble. I will never forget this act of kindness.

Now times are tough for Rabbit and Tigel in turn. They run a farm together, it’s been their dream the same way a big garden is my dream. But Rabbit is very sick. While their farm is doing pretty decently (all the meat they can produce is sold and the customers would buy even more) running a small organic farm by two people still isn’t enough to keep them financially stable, so Tigel’s had to take another job in the city. She tries to help Rabbit with the farm work, but doing basically two jobs is very taxing. They could downshift the workload by having less animals to take care of, but that would chip at their income. 

Do to others what you’d wish to be done to yourself. Now it’s my turn to help. Rabbit and Tigel are too kind to accept my help unpaid, so they pay me in meat (I happily take the low quality meats that they can’t offer to restaurants) and occasionally with vegetables, berries and apples. I can’t be there every day to help them, but I like to come when there’s some big workload that needs to be done and give a hand. It’s tough, hard work, but very rewarding, because you see the results of your labor more clearly than in jobs like customer service. I also very much like spending time on their farm, it’s such a nice place.

If I permanently moved to another city, I wouldn’t be able to help Rabbit and Tigel. Sure I could travel there on a day off work, but the drive is so long that I wouldn’t be in a good fit to start doing hard labor after that. It just wouldn’t work out. If I move away, I will have to give up seeing Rabbit and Tigel for more than like twice a year. And this is why I have decided to decline the offer for the permanent job.

It doesn’t help that I’ve been under pressure from my family members to accept the job offer. I know that to them my decision seems wrong and stupid and missing a golden opportunity. But this is my life, my future. Not theirs. So I wish they would respect my decision and understand that it wasn’t an easy choice to make. But I have made up my mind. Even if it means a fall back to unemployment hell, I am not abandoning Rabbit and Tigel, not leaving my beloved home city.

[theknightlywolfe]

Apparently 9 years ago today (gods, I can't believe it's been that long) I was in Los Angeles in the Disney administrative offices, filming as an extra/guest of a show runner an episode of TNT's Perception. He had been a writer for Legend of the Seeker, they were doing a geek episode, and Seeker was one of the few geek branded properties they owned at the time (Marvel was not allowed to be cross used then I think) so he had put out a call for Seeker costumers to be extras and I got the call. Days before filming Disney announced they had bought Lucasfilm/Star Wars and they rewrote the episode to sneak in some Star Wars "costumers" who were actually stunties for a scene. Robert Picardo was there, fun to see him again, and it was fun hanging out in the extras staging area with other geek community costumers, discovering all the mutuals we had, and in one case, being recognized due to Wastelander mutuals.

It was physically grueling because of a minor back injury that makes standing for extended periods of time agony and I think I was allowed to walk and sit for maybe a total of an hour in a 14 hour filming day (after I'd driven four hours pre-dawn to be there). I had back support but it refused to sit right and so was mostly useless, and only helped somewhat on the best of days. Leaving the Disney parking garage at the end of the day I was just past the security arm and I sneezed and it felt like my spine was being ripped out. Suffice to say I crashed out in a middle of nowhere run down trucker motel somewhere around 2AM because I couldn't make the full drive back home.

When I got the paycheck for the day, it had been shorted to 12hrs, because after that they have to pay you double time and they didn't want to do that. I also found out that I am now in a Disney database of extras so if they ever decide they want my "specialty" or look they'll reach out. Hilariously if Hawkeye had been filmed in LA I might have gotten the call to be one of the background LARPers.

But for the shorted pay, that didn't cover my costs to be there, the pain, etc it was a lot of fun. I met good people, still stay in touch with a couple, and it was quite the experience. Thankfully my experiences as an extra/background in TV shows after that were much easier and less painful but also of a much less composed variety ("reality" shows are very fake, beyond even what you would suspect and often times go out of their way to insult the people whose life they are ripping off). I would do it all over again because how many people can say they've had that experience.

[fractalmayhem]

 A dear insufferable idiot, but an insufferable idiot non the less. 

 *HERE COMES THE VENTING* 

So there’s this guy, who’s a good friend of mine. He’s not usually one of the people I communicate with on a daily basis cause our social circles aren’t really overlapping anymore, but he’s still a very god friend. You know those friends who may not always be right near you but will come pick you up at 4am from out in the middle of the desert and not blink when they see you waiting there dressed like a pineapple? He’s like that. (This is NOT based on a true story).  So, full disclosure. We dated once, for a while, nearly seven years ago. I was 15 and he was 17 and we broke up and stayed very good friends. He is great. I love him a lot. Not romantically though. If I’d loved him romantically we’d have stayed a couple. According to him, he feels the same. So far so good.  “So,” you might say to yourself. “That person doesn’t sound like an idiot at all! He seems like a pretty cool guy who doesn’t have an unexplained fear of pineapples! pray why would he be insufferable?” Let’s start with the idiot part, shall we?  We’re both LARPers. He’s a good LARPer. Puts an insane amount of work (and often money) into his kit and group. He also has absolutely no sense of self preservation. For the past five years he’s either nearly or actually collapsed mid game, or missed the game entirely due to lack of sleep or hydration or whatever. Sometimes more than once in a single event.  So neutrally, when we had a big game somewhere on the far edges of nowhere where the only thing blocking your view of the horizon are fucking sand dunes, I was kinda worried. Four hours drive from home and all. He was gonna wear big colored contacts. It’s gonna be super hot at daytime and freezing at night. Desert shit. No pineapples. 

Hoping to catch it before he nearly kills himself this time, I made sure to check on him once in a while. Nothing much. passing by his camp just to see that he’s still holding on his feet. Asked if he’s sure he’s fine a couple of time when he sat there holding his head looking sick. He said he was fine with me doing it. I asked him the day before the game to make sure.   

Later that night, you see, he approached me and told me his girlfriend wants me to fuck off. A girlfriend? Didn’t tell me you have one. Oh, that girl who made sure to keep you away from any female friend you ever had? Some of the guys too. Who got nearly violent at you when you still spoke to a few on public events? Who would generally terrorize you when you did anything she didn’t like, looked in your phone and facebook and stood behind you when you called me that time to inform me you will never speak to me again? (That awful conversation you called me again two hours later nearly crying saying you’re sorry and have no idea why you did that?) That same person who you were so relieved to finally break up with, and told everyone she was bad for you and you never want to have that sort of relationship again, remember? I do. I was worried sick about you. You were damn nearly literally sick. You basically went under the radar and didn’t speak to anyone back than. We all remember. I wasn’t the only one worried you know. Right. Okay. You have an “understanding” now. Sure. So I told him he’s my friend, and that I care about him, and that I will keep some more distance if that what makes him happy. I asked if he’s sure she isn’t hurting him this time. I told him that I think she’s bad for him, that it’s the third or fourth time they were back together and that it never ended well. I told him that if he’s sure she isn’t hurting him, and if that what he wants for himself, I’ll of course not force my presence.  At the end of that LARP, when I was just finishing my goodbye round I approached him too. We don’t talk much on a daily basis, so I really did want to just say ‘bye’ face to face. I didn’t get to. You can’t really talk face to face with someone when he won’t look at you.  Two days later he told me he’s sorry, and that he didn’t want to do it. (surprised, anyone?)  and that he doesn’t want to do  anything like that anymore. I said that I care about him, that I think he’s hurting him, and that he shouldn’t take that from her.  I also said that honestly, not even making eye contact when she’s around and pretend he doesn’t want to ever see me hurts. That I really want him to be okay but I also kinda want myself not to get hurt by him too.  He said that made sense, that he’s sorry, and asked to meet and talk it over. Then he rescheduled on the day we were supposed to meet. Then he just didn’t show up, and later that day acted like it was nothing. And I think he forgot I’m angry with him, cause being angry didn’t make me yell or avoid him or post passive-aggressive posts on facebook or send him hurtful messages. It did made me cry, but he didn’t see that. Mostly cause that first time was right when he wouldn’t look at me.