#so i've gotta figure out the bare minimum i need for at least those things

[mercysimming]

on that note, it's probably important to add that Returning Dawn is (regrettably) on hiatus until uhhhhhhh. whenever i can get a new laptop. while this laptop is still running, it's definitely on it's last leg and can't handle running games (it barely could before honestly lmao), so despite the fact that i was finally getting fully back into RD, there's just no way to continue the story atm. i should be getting a new (and better!!!) laptop in december, but here's hoping i can manage to get it a little earlier

[thornofthelily]

I wanted some writing practice and to break myself out of my rut, so I tried writing an audio RP using one of my old OCs! I doubt anyone will see this random script but if you want to use it, ask first. This is an old dear OC of mine and I'm not sure I'd continue writing his story like this or want to have someone else read him out, but it is a fun exercise. Info and script below the cut!

[M4A / M4M / M4F ] Chatting with a brooding stranger at a bar [Alcohol] [Mysterious past] [More mysterious job] [Tattooed speaker] [Melancholic meetcute]

[Distant thumping music, loud chattering voices. One distinct voice calls out clearly through the din]

Bartender? One beer, please. [Beat] Huh? [Exasperated] I don't know what kind. Just, whatever the cheapest one is. [Beat] Actually, wait, no, scratch that. Get me whichever one doesn't taste like shit. The least shit beer, please. [Barstool scraping, settling down] 

[Quietly, to himself] I mean, they all taste like shit, why bother… [finally, to listener] Oh, hey there. [Beat] What? I mean, yeah it's probably expensive, but it's not like I'm gonna drink that much. I doubt I'll even finish the first bottle. I don't really like beer. Or bars. Or alcohol, really. 

[Beat]

[Soft chuckle] Yeah, pretty bad place for me to be then, I know. It wasn't exactly my choice, but I'm supposed to [massive sarcasm] "have fun", so that's what I'm gonna do. Or at least pretend to do. Mostly for appearances.

[Bottle clicks on the table] Ah, right from the bottle, huh? Cool. [Takes a sip, swallows.] Bleugh. Yeah, no, this one's shit too. Why is all beer so shitty? Tastes like someone blended up old stale bread with some ditch water and artificial flavor then foamed it up for maximum mouth feel horror. [Sound of bottle sliding across the bar] I'll pass. But hey, at least I can say I tried. Went to the bar, had an expensive beer, hated it. Maybe I won't get asked to do this again. 

[Beat] Nah, I'm here alone. [Beat] Friends? I don't - well, I was going to say I don't have friends, which would sound pretty fucking pathetic. How about we say I'm not here with friends right now. [Beat] Actually, no. I'm here because my boss told me to. 

See, I just got this new job. I had my first day a few weeks ago, things were going fine, but Boss said I need to chill out. I'm too uptight, can't relax, I'm not "being a team player." Says I need to go out and mingle, have a few drinks, talk to some people. [Beat. Snorts in contempt] No, she isn't cool. Trust me. She's one of the most terrifying women I think I've ever met. I bet she has someone watching me right now just to see if I did what she asked. 

Seriously. I wouldn't put it past her. It always seems like she knows what I'm going to say before I say it, but she's asking me just to test me, see if I'll fuck up or try to lie. So I'm making the bare minimum effort to do what she asked. I'm sure if I just tried to lie she'd figure me out and… do something about it. Give me a hard time at work or something. 

[Beat]

I can't… ugh, I probably shouldn't tell you what I do. I might have said too much already. [Beat] No, no, it's… it's not like that. What, do I look like some kind of government black ops guy? [Beat] The neck tattoo…? Yeah, what about it? [Beat. Soft chuckle] What, so having a neck tattoo suddenly makes me look like a scary guy? Nah. Trust me, I'm a softie. This is the only tattoo I have. These thorns I have around my neck might look intense, but they're actually rose thorns. 

[Beat]

Where's the rose… heh. Well, it's somewhere I don't usually show people, let's say that. Ah, and no, I will not tell you where. Let a guy have his privacy. 

[Beat]

… what is that you're drinking? Looks cute. Gotta be better than that beer. Mind if I try a sip…?

[Beat. Glass tinkling, small sip. Contemplative hum]

…mmm. Not bad. Too sweet for my liking, but at least I can't taste the alcohol. Maybe I'll have one of those next time. 

[Beat]

[Amused, a little sardonic]… yeah, yeah, next time. Fine, maybe I will head out a little more often. And maybe it's not so terrible, being out in a place like this. Sure, it's too loud and the beer sucks and I can't even smoke in here, but maybe I can try one of these and find more cool people to talk to. [Soft chuckle] Yes, I do mean you. You seem cool. Thanks for the drink, by the way. What was it called again? [Beat] Right. I'll remember that.  

[Beat]

Really? That much? What, is that your way of telling me I need to pay you back for the sip I took? [Soft chuckle] I'm joking. I mean, I would if you asked, even if it is expensive. I kind of like that, actually. Keeps you from drinking too much. Unless you have deep enough pockets not to care, which I don't. 

[Beat] Yeah, why do you think I took the job with that scary woman? Because I have money to burn? No, I'm not… well. Again, I was going to say I'm not desperate, but I guess I kinda was, when I ended up on her doorstep. Now I'm doing stuff I'd rather not be doing, but at least the pay is good and it's not technically illegal. [Beat] Yes, technically. And again, no, I'm not going to tell you what it is. I don't wanna ruin whatever good will keeps you talking to me. It's not illegal and it doesn't hurt anyone, and it will make me good money. It's just… not what I imagined I'd be doing, I guess. 

[Beat]

… I don't know what I'd be doing instead, actually. I've been in survival mode so long, I never considered what I really want. I feel like this is the first breath I've been able to take in years. Even if I'm not totally happy with where I'm at, it's better than where I've been, which is saying something. [Pause] Maybe she was right. Maybe I did need some time out to chill. Maybe I'm not being tested and she was genuinely worried I was burning out already. 

[Laughs] Yeah, no I don't think so. [Beat] It's not that she's mean, she's just fucking intense. I don't think she has ever relaxed a day in her life, so I don't expect she actually wants me too, either. This whole thing, it's probably just something she considers part of my job. So I guess it's fine. [Beat] Yeah, it is. I'm fine with it. If this is all she asks of me, I'm fine with it. 

[Beat]

But I'm not finishing that beer. If she wants me to like beer, she can get over it. You can have it, if you want. [Money, coins and paper, rattle on the table] I've done my job for the night. Thanks for making it a little less miserable. 

[Beat]

… call me Briar. [Beat] No, it's not my real name. [Beat] If you want to think it's a code name, I won't stop you, but that's the name I'm going by now. I'm sure that'll make her happy to know I'm using it. [Beat] Yeah, no, not getting into that, either. 

[Beat] … I have a business card that has my number on it, but I don't think we're there yet. Maybe if you hang around the bar sometimes, I'll catch you next time I'm… "working." [Beat] Yeah. I hope I see you around too. Have a good night. Enjoy your drinks.

[thegeminisage]

back at it in zelda. i complain about the western half of the map but one region i do really like is tabantha, esp around the canyon. everything is very tall and pretty. im grabbing a few korok seeds here while i do shrines as a treat before i move on to satori mountain

flame gleeok where the "stop following me" memory was!! at least i'm equipped to fight them now

i figured out why flame armor doesn't work. you need hot weather armor ie gerudo clothes. wtf

TUNIC OF AWAKENING!!! gr8 reward

SHOOTING STAR!!!!! i didnt see it fall but i can see the light tower from here. it landed directly on the peak of satori mountain and i have no way to fast travel there. it's almost 3am, even with the bike there's no way i can make it. ugh!!! :(

geez i forgot how good the foraging was here. so many mushrooms......

wah. the ruins at the little horse shoe shaped area with the statue. there was a memory here too iirc!

wait...there's water flowing here! wasn't it dry in the last game?? wtf zelda has been at work restoring things AAAAAA

satori mountain cave is cool as hell. all these little guys running around and every time i think i've got to the end there's more of it. i keep going the wrong way on purpose so i can see everything lol

okay! i did some math and if i wanted to get every shrine and still have time to beat the game before pikmin 4, i'd need bare minimum to get 3 shrines per day. but i want FOUR shrines per day so i also have a bit of time to fuck around. today i've gotten the two on satori mountain and it is OFFICIALLY cleaned out. i didn't plan to get all the korok seeds, but they were RIGHT THERE, so.

not sure what shrines im getting next...maybe the horrible hand one by the tower just to get it out of the way lol. i can't believe i walked past those hands 3000 times w/o knowing they were close by. augh

break for now for Stuff tho.

break over. going to the scary shrine before i can chicken out :(

lindors brow cave, for the curious

im so scared im so scared Im So Scared

ok. the good news is. i think if i fly over this Big Pit That Looks Like An Arena i'll miss them. the bad news is. i don't get my frog if i do that. so i gotta spawn them and THEN run. i don't get out of this without spawning them.

AAAAAAAAAGH I DONT WANNA. ok. here we go.

spawned them by ACCIDENT while flying over. good fucking god. im waiting for them to despawn now but its taking forever. idw fight them bc then they'll just spawn phantom ganon

well. they are not leaving.

i'm not going down there. fuck that. i'm shooting them from up here til phantom ganon shows up to kick my ass

SOLO'D THAT MOTHERFUCKER WITH A LYNEL BOW AND BOMB ARROWS!!!!! BUDDY YOU AIN'T SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my hands are shaking. that was horrible. oh my god

ok. wheres that damn frog.

at least its a raurus blessing shrine. imagine having to do all that and THEN they hit u with puzzles

you know though i feel really lucky in some respects though bc. there are places on this map that indicate hand presence. and i remember being in those places and not running into hands there. a brush with fucking death and i didn't even know it

like i swear i walked RIGHT over their spawnpoint in maritta exchange ruins and...nope. nothing.

the biggest chunk of ground shrines i havent gotten yet are in hebra or gerudo desert, both areas i HATE bc of the walking speed debuff. might as well swipe a few more hebra ones and make it easier for future me

oops, i did this shrine quest out of order, i killed a talus which had a crystal on it and now i have to take it to a shrine which means dragging it behind me while i explore this whole cave. smh. at least i can cheat with my map to tell me where the shrine was tho lol

wtf how am i supposed to get it up this big tunnel...dont say hot air balloon.......

(im using a hot air balloon)

THE AIR CURRENT FUCKS WITH MY BALLOON

this is so harrowing. this is the worst cave, oh my god

ANOTHER vertical air column? for the love of god

i guess i have to make another balloon. i only have 1 floating platform and im saving it for worse emergencies than this :/

wait. i think i just went in a big circle?? IS THE SHRINE NOT IN THE CAVE?

oh my god it LITERALLY wasnt in the cave i dragged it around that whole time and made those annoying wonky hot air balloons for NOTHING!!! the beam didnt show up until i tried to pick it up with my hands (which didnt happen until near the end of the cave exploration), so i just assumed...

jesus goddamn christ. fucking bullshit lmao i'm an idiot

OKAY. shrine get.

another shrine which was some eventide bullshit. i wish you could keep the items from those i want arrows :(

ANOTHER BREAK.

ok. im back. gonna see whats in that big fuckoff hole (my map says a shrine)

i always feel so bad for addison when i find him in rough climates. he's shivering!! go home, buddy!!!

this froggy armor fucking sucks. i've got the whole set and i still slip on the ice >:(

ok, i got...5?? 6?? shrines today so well ahead of schedule lol. tomorrow i'm doing ANYTHING but hebra