#solo but not alone

[theresattrpgforthat]

This is exciting!

[alisheaburgess]

The Death of 'Me': A Travel Memoir Part 4 of "yes"

April 6, 2022 (Still chilling... but I effed up...) (Full Journey Map)

This day was not that chill, but I was really trying 😅

I still didn't have a whole lot of energy at this point but exploring was calling my name! So I was a bit more up and at 'em.

When I tell you that everything is different there, it's so freeing. The thing is, nearly nekkid people are walking around the city as ads... and everyone else was wearing anything from cheesy vacation clothes to formal wear. Nobody cares what you are wearing here.

I come from an area and an upbringing that 'prefers' being covered up. I can struggle to wear certain clothes that I feel like 90% of the population wouldn't bat an eye at. But here? Nope! I felt so free to wear whatever I wanted, for the first time. And I did. Obviously, I didn't have anything crazy but I did think to bring the outfits I couldn't bring myself to wear back home. It was colors and styles that were just more fun too. Stuff that stood out. I don't like to be seen so much, but nobody saw me here. And I loved it 😂

I was gonna get purdied up and go explore outside the hotel a bit. There was a promenade right outside the hotel... I'm not exaggerating either. It was so much fun.

I picked out an outfit to wear and was doing my hair and stuff. Nothing crazy... as expected. But after I get done with my makeup and everything, something felt off...

I didn't understand why my makeup was melting off my face. My face started kinda burning... Turns out, my precaution sunscreen under my makeup wasn't for your face! I should know this but didn't. It had been years since I had worn much less paid attention to makeup and skincare. It had been long enough that I forgot how sensitive my skin was!!! I shouldn't have been putting anything new on my face! 😅

But, I got it washed off... And now my face looks like a tomato. It doesn't even look burnt, just weird lol

This doesn't do it justice!!! It was bright red and stayed that way for days! 😅🤣 and I couldn't use any of the makeup I brought the whole week! (I wish I could make this picture smaller though lol)

So yeah, great start to exploring 😂

I was still so determined to go out. I figured that nobody knew me and maybe they would just think I was sunburnt if anyone saw. So away I went...

I did get to go out in the outfit I picked so I still felt pretty good. It was still liberating even with a tomato face hehe (I don't have any pics of the outfits because I wasn't planning to share...). For the next trips, I will be making sure to take more pics with me in them! These could almost be anyone's memories. I have very little proof to myself that I was the one that experienced this firsthand. Believe it or not, I have a really good imagination and can feel like I have been to places that I haven't. Which is why I think flying felt so familiar to me... I like the idea of flying off into nowhere so I imagine traveling and airports a lot... too much maybe 😅

With so much around me to go see, I knew I didn't have to go very far to see a lot of stuff and get a feel for things. I didn't expect myself to trek the entire strip or anything... But I wanted to feel like I went somewhere.

I don't think I was gone for even an hour before I felt like heading back. A huge start for me. I start small and then work myself up slowly. I made sure to return before I felt it was too much. I wasn't here to exercise my scaredy-cat muscles! Not specifically anyway...

Proof that I did in fact, leave the hotel... 😂😅

This is a slightly deceptive pic, however. This is only a small section of the hotel...

I walked a bit on either side of it. Which did end up being useful later on. Just from my little walk I could get a pretty good idea of where I was and the stuff around me. I had all but studied the map of the area surrounding my hotel when I booked... Maybe that's weird, I don't know 😅😂 It greatly helped my anxiety but was also just really fun. Maps are kinda fun.

Everything where I was had so much going on. The roads were dressed up, if that can happen... Everything is dressed up and expensive looking 😂

I thought this was a cute little cubby of restaurants. It was tucked into the side of fa bigger building, almost hidden.

I went to Guy Fieri’s restaurant, which was also… just downstairs from my room 😂 (The main message is I never had to go far, but got to do a lot… hehe)

I learned a lot here. Most importantly, if you have never had bourbon…let me describe my experience…

If shoes had butts… they would taste like bourbon… I will leave that there…

I was ready to pay for it still but they took it off my tab before I could even ask for anything else 😊 I was super grateful.

I don't know why I thought people were making a big deal about the burn of alcohol...I'm nearly 100% certain it's the taste they don't like now.

Everything else was delish, of course, 🥰 alcohol just isn’t for me. I would rather eat dessert, thanks. 😂

Something I just can't get over.

Ya'll have probably ridden in an elevator... but you know how it's a bit of a wait, right? It can get a little scary in some?

The elevators there go at the speed of light! And it's so smooth!!!

This shouldn't be such a big deal but it is 😂 They were so nice. Riding in the elevators was enlightening. You don't realize just how behind things are back home until you leave home!

I recorded it on my phone because it was that big of a deal to me. I was on the eleventh floor and it took SECONDS to get down.

I'm not adding the video here because it's crap quality, but it's only 37 secs, and most of that is me getting in and hitting the button 😅😂

That was how I spent my third day of the trip. Walking around and surviving...sorta XD

This experience I had really made me curious about what other places could unlock just from one visit. I was now more empowered to wear things I wanted to. What's next? What else don't I know? I can't wait to find out, honestly! 🥰 This felt like being in a different movie and experiencing everything from a different lens and as a new character. Suddenly there was a different writer or something. The music felt different. The ideas I had were new...

I don't have a whole lot recorded as I really didn't think about sharing this on here. So this is just what I remember and have to pictures to spark memories for. 😊 Thanks for reading!

[literalcatpod]

17 - Solo But Not Alone Lightning Round Feat. Cat McDonald

Solo But Not Alone is an itch charity bundle hosted annually to support Jasper's Game Day to help in their mission to keep people alive. If you're listening to this the week it came out, you've got a couple weeks left to check it out! If March is already over, stay tuned for next year's! You can get a whole bunch of solo play TTRPGs and help a good cause for $10!

Follow Cat Online: https://twitter.com/CatlingGun

Solo But Not Alone 3 Bundle: https://itch.io/b/1692/solo-but-not-alone-3

Follow the show online: https://literalcatpod.start.page/ 

Follow Joel Holland: https://jholland.start.page/

Follow Austin Erwin: https://twitter.com/AvalonAlchemist

Download the character sheets: https://bit.ly/literalcatpod 

Intro/Outro music made by Joel Holland

Thanks for listening! We’ll Cat-ch you later!

[roguecentaur]

You are something ancient.Something terrifying and unknowable. You are rage itself.

You are Fantomah, Mystery Woman of the Jungle.

My newest SoloRPG has dropped today! Play as a vengeful goddess of impossible strength, as she struggles to restrain herself from destroying the world.

Can a god be so mighty and unstoppable that they cannot stop even themselves? Is it possible to overcome instinct? Are we more than our ugliest moments? It seems inevitable that you will only grow colder. Change feels like an impossible task. Maybe it is already too late for you. But you must try, all the same.

[im-lo-ne]

Me di cuenta que mi única amiga, es la soledad. Siempre esta esperando por mí.

[ydotome]

You're with me now. - Ore dake Level Up na Ken - Episode 12

[mitchelldailygames]

Developer Deep Dive: Adrift

This is the second game I ever put out. I drew the dandelion seed on the front which was my first big step into doing my own art for my games. I learned I could draw something that looked pretty nice! Let’s talk about Adrift.

I think the inspiration for this one is pretty obvious, especially if I tell you I wrote it in September of 2020 while starting a year teaching elementary school students virtually.

As many people were isolating in their homes alone or with only one other person, or had that as a recent memory, I wrote a journaling game that isolated the player after a disaster that could have been prevented or mitigated.

Adrift isn’t about despairing in isolation, it’s about surviving. It tells the player to take care of themselves, to take small steps towards something better, and to rest when they need it. It doesn’t pressure players with an ever-encroaching doom outside of their control, the way most survival games play. It gives the players full control over manageable steps to keep moving forward. My hope was by practicing this with the game, people would feel encouraged to take small, kind steps in their own lives.

Besides the state of the world in 2020, obvious inspirations include works like Cast Away and Life of Pi and just imagining myself adrift in an escape pod. I also wrote it intentionally so it could work at sea as easily as in space (or some other scenario if people were feeling really creative).

I’m proud of the ways to play with others. I think sharing your experience, even from a distance, can be invaluable when physically isolated. I also like how there’s an additional scene when sharing a lifeboat where tension builds between the people who only have each other for company until it boils over. I like the idea of relationships changing through this experience, and because it’s a kind game, these relationships change for the better.

My last thought on this game is that the idea of a lyric, solo, and journaling games was pretty new to me at the time. I think I found my first lyric games by searching for more traditional-style solo games and it really opened my eyes up to what an RPG experience could be. I don't think I even call Adrift a "game" on its page, but we're not going to get into a "what makes a game" debate here. Making Adrift really expanded the kinds of things I thought about when making a game in a positive way.

Adrift is part of the Solo But Not Alone 3 bundle raising money for Jasper’s Game Day. Find the link to get it below!

[zivazivc]

this came to me in a dream

Floyd's emo ass and a techno troll could make scene kids...! Do you see my vision??? . . . Ravin is Happy Hardcore and Eddy M is Synth-Pop, that's how troll genetics work, right?

anyway...

i don't think floyd leads a proud life

[naffeclipse]

Always A Hunter

Reader x Cryptid!Eclipse

Commission Info

I have another lovely little request from @counterbalance with the little hunter adjusting to life after F.E.I. and learning how to hunt on their own. There's a setback and discouragement, but it's nothing the cryptid boys can't handle. They will remind their heart what a great hunter they are despite all the changes and challenges.

———

A branch snaps under your foot. You wince as you fear the sound echoes through the dense trees. The forest thickly crowds around you, pressing close as if to suffocate you within its embrace. The shadows stretch blue and little starlight touches the moist earth. 

“Are you alright?” Moon rasps just behind you. His presence is a constant cool against your back, confirming without a word that he is still with you.

“I’m fine.” You glance around and then stare down at the detector. “Just afraid I’m spooking the hidebehind away, that’s all.”

The green dot only picks up the demonic cryptid within the animatronic vessel, not the monster you hunt this very night. You sigh and lower it back down. The screen flashes green. You stare out into the thick columns of tree trunks, wondering what may lurk behind each one.

Moon’s hand ghosts over up your arm. His fingertips press into the flesh along your shoulder and you close your eyes briefly as he tenderly works the muscle. You hadn’t noticed how tight it’s become since you stepped foot into the woods. 

“You’re anxious,�� he says. His hand brushes over the nap of your neck to reach for your other side but you straighten and step forward.

“I’m fine.” You glance down at the detector and try to bite back a scowl. “The hideaway is notoriously difficult to document. Though it’s blamed for causing people to disappear in thickly wooded areas, like this, no one can properly describe it except for its hands which wrap around the tree, peeking out from behind—hence the name. It’s said to be animal-like with thick, dark fur on its arms like a sloth, with three long talons on its hand.”

You’re hoping Moon’s presence will cause it to show itself, struck by fear of the demonic cryptid. The unfortunate thought of your sweetie’s presence triggering the exact opposite effect brushes your brain before you shove it aside and stomp forward.

It’s here. It has to be here. You did your research. You collected the best evidence you could find through the internet. 

“It’s shy,” Moon says, then rumbles a deep laugh. “A coward.”

“We’ll take care of it.” You turn back briefly to smile at Moon but it doesn’t quite touch your eyes. Immediately, you feel a wave of cool judgment from the possessed animatronic.

Touching the strap which allows the crossbow to hang on your shoulder, you continue forward.

“No one has ever looked at it directly,” you continue, lowering your voice as you step over a log. In the corner of your vision, Moon steps over it with ease using his long, lanky limbs. “It conceals itself quickly behind anything it can find, including the observer. It takes its victims by surprise.”

“It must be weak.” Moon’s arms hang heavy by his sides as he reaches you. He stares down at you with wide, pale eyes. “We’ve been walking a long time.”

“It’s only been a few hours,” you huff, exasperated before inhaling deeply. “It’s here. I know it’s here.”

You make your way around a tree. A rustle of leaves sets your heart on edge. You stop, eyes darting to what may be movement, but you spy only a lone deer darting through the underbrush. You sink slightly where you stand.

Moon’s hand falls on your shoulder.

“I can’t sense anything unusual,” he murmurs. He stares down at you. The end of his patched nightcap falls over his shoulder, silent despite the bell at the very end. “You need to rest.”

Disappointment snakes through you, leaving you writhing where you stand as you stare down at the detector. It gives no sign of any other presence despite the one in front of you.

“It might not have a heart you can sense, like the vampires,” you say, but it doesn’t sound convincing even to you.

“Maybe,” Moon says softly. His fingers knead softly into the meat of your shoulder that he didn’t get yet. “Take a break. Your heart is fluttering like a bird.”

“Sweetie,” you sigh deeply and rub your temple, not helping your image, “I can’t. The hidebehind has been reported in this area. There was a news clipping about a man who went missing when he went out to cut some lumber, and stories are dating back twenty years ago of something hiding behind trees in this area.”

You step out from under Moon’s reach. You ignore his hand still outstretched, still wanting to touch you as you march forward into the darkness and tree-littered maze. 

Unless you missed something. How does F.E.I. do it? Without fail, they have sent you towards a cryptid using their findings and research. What if you don’t? What if you constantly chase hoaxes and rumors and find nothing but emptiness while real cryptids are out there, terrorizing and killing people? But you had the reports and the stories. You have a missing man. 

Your body heats up as your breath quickens. You squeeze the handle of the detector. Looking out between the trees, you hope against hope to see claws and a wicked creature lurking, ready to attack when you least expect it, but there is nothing. Only quiet shadows.

The first hunt without Vanessa and since leaving F.E.I. should go better than this. What are you doing wrong?

You hear a soft, thick sound of a footstep. Claws sinking into the earth. A presence most unholy. The coldness of a demonic cryptid’s presence washes over you. Before you can turn around, two pairs of arms surround you. 

A limb wraps over your shoulder and another clings to your chest. The lower pair hugs your waist, squeezing softly until you stop. Claws of scarlet and deep blue softly pet over your clothes, not severing one fiber despite the wicked edge that has cut through meat and bones.

“I’m fine, sweetie.” You pat at what you can reach. Their body is oozing and dark, as thick as shadows at midnight. Their large hands easily contain you. You try to wiggle free but they stay firm. 

“Take a break,” a voice, low and demonic, rumbles. You vibrate with the intensity of two voices speaking at once. “We can carry you back.”

“No,” you breathe. “The new snippets were credible. The man is missing and no one has found him yet. It’s been a week. Many locals testify of sensing something in the woods—but never seeing it, only fearing that it’s there, watching them.”

“If it’s here, you can hunt it tomorrow.” Long, inky fingertips roam over you, tracing your hip and caressing the length of your collarbone. “Heart, you’re exhausted.”

You blink. Slumping slightly, the arms support you. A cool breath yawns against the nap of your neck. The softest flick of a tongue swipes the sensitive skin there, and you close your eyes, brow furrowing.

“Maybe the local story was just sensationalized,” you admit. You deflate like a balloon left over from a children’s birthday party. “Maybe I just… got it wrong. Maybe I can’t be a cryptid hunter without F.E.I.—”

“Enough,” the growl at your back nearly makes you jump out of your skin. “That is not the truth.”

“Eclipse,” you say, perhaps in protest or argument, but it sounds tired. You are tired.

“Listen to us.” A dark mouth presses behind your ear, whispering into your hair. “You are a great cryptid hunter. F.E.I. has nothing to do with the aspects of your love for people and your will to face dangers. It’s alright, sweet heart.”

They lower their rumblings into a purr-like vibration that fills you to the brim, soothing the anxieties bouncing off of the inside of your skull.

“This is your first hunt starting anew. It’s alright.”

You lean back into their touch. Their teeth wetly touch the shell of your ear until you shiver. 

“It’s alright if you make a few mistakes.” A red claw softly pats your chest, right where your heart is tucked underneath your sternum. “That does not damper your abilities. That does not take away from who you are, little hunter.”

“Eclipse,” you say much softer. A thickness gathers in your throat. You can’t cry. Perhaps you were on the road for too long and maybe you did walk through the woods most of the night. The exhaustion is sinking into your bones, infecting your marrow. 

“You are strong. You are kind.” A kiss touches your temple—as much as a creature without lips or flesh can kiss you. “You will find a cryptid. Perhaps this one is a hoax or in hiding but regardless, you can keep searching tomorrow. It’s time to rest.”

“But if it’s here—” you start.

“You will find it tomorrow.” Eclipse gives firmly.

You stare out into the darkness. The trees thickly crowd one another, and though there are plenty of spaces for a hidebehind to, well, hide behind, you see nothing. Your detector doesn’t beep. Your skin doesn’t crawl with an unwelcome presence.

Maybe it is here, hiding, or maybe it’s not. It’s okay. You pull in a deep breath as a blue hand wraps around your waist and caresses your side. There’s tomorrow. One bad hunt isn’t the end of your career. 

The heaviness in your chest eases.

“Okay,” you finally give in. The air leaves your lungs and you feel lighter, catching the rich scent of the earth and the crispness of the green leaves caught in a late-night breeze. Your tongue fumbles for one moment, an old, crippling fear returning as you cling to the demonic cryptid hands holding you. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing, heart?” A nuzzle burrows into the crook of your neck. You are gently moved as they press deeper against your throat, and a stray flick of a tongue finds the pulse in your neck.

“I thought I would be better at this by now.” You sigh deeply, staring down. “I thought I could do it without faltering.”

“Every winter has a spring,” they murmur gently against your jawline. “You will do your best. You will have mishaps and mistakes, and you will try again. That is the kind of human you are.”

You make a soft noise when they nuzzle against your shoulder, not unlike a cat wanting affection. You reach up a hand to find their flat, dark cheek. You slip your other fingers between the claws of a deep blue cryptid hand. A soft rumble follows, and you close your eyes.

“But we should keep looking,” you murmur. You’re both here. What if the hidebehind attacks someone when you decide to leave? 

In answer, Eclipse nuzzles deeper against you, roaming over the back of your neck and pressing their teeth gently against your skin. You shiver, feeling the graze of their horns and spikes but never once being cut by the sharp edges. Held gently in large, dangerous arms, you find yourself releasing the anxiety within you that whispers of tragedies and fears, of failures and blood. Tears gather behind your eyes.

One drop spills out of the corner of your eye. A scarlet claw catches it against your cheek, wiping it away delicately. 

“Okay,” you say finally. “Let’s go. But we will come back tomorrow.”

“Of course, little hunter.” Glinting teeth once more kiss your hair, clicking softly against a black hairpin you wear, before releasing you. “Give us a moment.”

Four arms slip away from you, reluctantly trialing over your wrists and hips before finally lifting away. You wait. Looking up between the brief breaks in the green canopy above, you stare at the night sky as stars twinkle with a promise. A familiar sound of footsteps, metallic but lighter, returns to your side. 

Moon’s pale eyes hold your gaze as he takes your hand within his.

“You take care of the scary things,” he reminds in a gentle rasp. 

You smile, almost about to cry. He tugs on you gently, and you follow him out of the forest.

[thatswhatsushesaid]

just remember friends, when life gets you down and your baby brother cuts off your career criminal (alleged) bestie and/or soulmate's whole arm

flute solos are always an option. flute solos are always there for you.

[theresattrpgforthat]

hi there again! I loved your suggestions for the trans rights florida bundle, I've already convinced some of my players to try them out with me

I found a ttrpg bundle called "Solo But Not Alone 3" and man, it looks amazing, so I was wondering if you've any recommendations from it?

there's not a lot of ttrpgs in it as compared to other, bigger bundles, so I'm still weighing my choice as to whether to buy it. there was a lot of solo in the trans rights florida bundle too and I'm kinda broke so I'm weighing it all on whether you think there's some unique ones here worth playing

what do you suggest?

THEME: Solo, but not Alone.

Hello friend! I actually bought this bundle! I had a chance to poke around and read some of the games, many of which have a spectacular layout or really nice art.

A number of these games have existed in previous bundles. Monster Realm Exchange Program was also in Trans Rights for Texas, and A visit to San Sibilia was in the Bundle for Ukraine. If you already own those bundles (on top of the Trans Rights for Florida bundle) and you don’t play a lot of solo games, there’s going to be a bit of overlap. However, if there’s a game that exists in this list that you feel feral about 

For those who are not familiar with this bundle, it is raising money for suicide awareness until Mar. 31, so if you’re interested, you should check it out now!

Click Here.

Monster Realm: Student Exchange Program, by Lucky Newt Games.

A portal has appeared in our world that leads to a realm of monsters! The environment is deemed safe, the natives peaceful, and ambassadors exchanged. Now a foreign exchange student program has been struck up between the two realms, and you’re one of the chosen few to go first! While attending school, you’ll be asked to record a journal about the different interactions you have with the other students and the different relationships you develop.

Monster Realm: Student Exchange Program is a solo journaling game that can also be played as a question/answer game with younger players. Meet people very different (and not so different) from you and reflect on the reasons for the types of relationships you have with them. Each round is equivalent to a single month, and you’ll attend school for a year. All you need is a deck of playing cards (Jokers removed), three 6-sided dice, and a way to record your journaling.

This is a journaling game that focuses on making relationships with people who are very different from you, using a deck of cards to generate the monsters you meet, their personalities, and the initial relationship you have with them. The journaling game is meant to represent a year’s worth of study, but there’s alternative rules for anyone who wants to streamline the game and write a smaller amount of journal entries.

I love games that basically give me an excuse to flex my creative writing skills, and I’m a sucker for monster tropes, so this was an easy rec to add to the list.

Grackle Teeth, by Majcher Arcana.

Grackle Teeth is a solo journaling game informed by the Wretched & Alone SRD. All you need to play is a deck of cards, a handful of regular dice, and some stuff to write with and on—the crummier the better.

You play as the last survivor of a human extinction event, an apocalypse on a massive scale. Buildings still stand, the sun still rises, and vegetation has reclaimed the works of humanity. Few animals roam the empty streets, and those that do are feral, ravenous, and relentless. 

This is Austin, Texas, USA. Date unknown—the only time that matters is that between now and the next time you must go out to scavenge for supplies.

You have survived this long, but not for much longer. Food is scarce and terrible. Springs and rivers are clogged and poisoned. And the birds hunger for your flesh.

But still, you persist. You endure, because that’s what humans do.

Wretched & Alone games are solo roleplaying games that often direct your character to some kind of lonely end. Usually, this is represented in your character’s slow depletion of resources, as in Grackle Teeth. 

This game is extensively thought out, with specific events attached to each card in a card deck. Every week, your character will have to spend resources to survive, and certain events give you the chance to spend more resources to accomplish additional tasks. If you like a game about survival and struggle, this might be worth checking out.

A Visit to San Sibilia, by JimmyShelter.

This city never changes, this city never stays the same. Close to the coast in a river delta, San Sibilia’s sprawling districts are connected by rambling trams and ramshackle ferries. You may have read about San Sibilia once in a 20-part encyclopedia in a dusty shop around the corner, but haven’t been able to find the bookstore since.

A visit to San Sibilia is a solo journaling game in which you roleplay a character chronicling their visit to the city of San Sibilia. It is a city not found on any maps—San Sibilia is both part of and distinct from our world. The city manifests itself differently to every visitor.

I love this game (which might be obvious, since it’s my second time recommending it). It can be short or long, depending on the luck of the cards and how much you’re interested in the premise. The city is strange and full of mystery, with opportunities for both wonder and creeping dread. I went into this game deeply inspired by the Ambergris stories by Jeff Vandermeer, so if you like the weird, unsettling feeling that his settings evoke, I’d recommend picking up this game.

Wonderfall, by Catscratcher Studio.

WONDERFALL is a solo hexcrawl RPG about exploration and community building in a post-apocalyptic world. Your people was separated, but playing as a WANDERER (a cute anthropomorphic adventurer!), you'll recover and preserve lost knowledge and culture, help your community heal, and help the world rebuild!

To play, you will need this pamphlet, a few 6-sided dice (d6), a small token of your choosing to represent your Wanderer, and a way to record detailed accounts of the world and your experiences.

This game is pretty compact, but it has a lot packed into it. There’s space to draw your anthropomorphic)character, a hexmap, and a number of tables that you’ll roll on to determine elements and encounters that your little wanderer will come across as they try to re-unite themself with their community. This is a hopeful post-apocalyptic game, so if you like imagining new futures and new frontiers, this game might work for you!

6 Trials of the Weavers, by tallywinkle.

6 Trials of the Weavers is a solo exploration game where you find yourself transported into the realm of the Weavers, a group of mysterious spider-like creatures. You must complete the six trials they present you with before you have a chance at escaping, encountering plenty of horrifying things along the way.

This game is a horror game that uses face cards and number cards from a deck of cards in different ways. The Ace of Hearts and the King of Spades are markers of the beginning and end of your trials as you attempt to escape. You will have to pass 6 trials (and answer prompts along the way) in order to escape, but you have only as many chances to pass as you do faces on a d6. Failure doesn’t stop you from moving on, but your final trial (and your ending) depends on how much stamina you’ve lost and how difficult it is to face the trial in the first place.

A caution: this is not a game for people with any kind of insect-phobia or arachnophobia, as there is quite a bit of well-done art that would reasonably spook anyone who’s a bit squeamish about bugs.

Games I've recommended from this bundle in the past

Untitled Moth Game, by S. Kaiya J.

Voyage, by Brendan McLeod.

ScareBnB, by Jacqueline Bryk.

one thread, many patterns, by Rue (ilanight).

Taken by the Shadows, by Mundos Infinitos.

Swamp Troll Witches, by Cats Have No Lord.

[alisheaburgess]

The Death of 'Me': A Travel Memoir Part 1 of "yes"

April 4, 2022- On a Plane to Las Vegas

(Full Journey Map)

"I am currently on a fairly small plane, I would say. I get sooooo excited during take-off!!!! The plane is loud and the window has been white for a minute. My fingers are freezing 🥶 It's the air but...(nvm....I figured out how to fix it 😆)"

Hehehehe

This is what I was writing in my notes app during the initial leg of my first-ever solo trip last year. After this, I explained how I couldn't sleep or eat before leaving because I was so nervous. This was a special kind of nervous though. It was the feeling of being SO excited that you don't know how you actually feel, so it comes out as a happy fear 😂 I didn't explain it that way, but that's what I recognize it as now.

The funniest part of this journaling was that I had brought like 5-6 journals and they were in my carry-on at my feet. They were ridiculously heavy to carry around and here I was using my notes app in my phone. I do like that I could use the emojis though. Not that I don't draw my own in my actual journals, but this way I could tell what they were later 🤣

Spoiler: I never once wrote in any of the actual journals I brought and DO NOT recommend bringing your library on a trip with you. My shoulder hurt so bad 🤣

This was my soundtrack for the ENTIRE flight. Not because I had nothing else or anything. This just felt right. Had the vibe...

But all of this may seem quite ordinary and irrelevant. And it is. Because to be honest, I never wrote that with the intention of someone else ever hearing about it. It was for me to remember.

I have issues remembering major things that happen to me or just things in general. Especially the good things. This trip was so incredibly important to me and I was so scared that I would both- never get to experience it again, and not remember this time that I did get to go. Unfortunately, I was correct about not remembering, at least partially.

In fact, I only do remember because I went to great lengths to bring as much of this trip home as I possibly could. Memorable items, experiences, and recorded feelings like this journal bit. I plan to add them all together here and give a 'little' narrative while I go 😁

There are parts I didn't record anything and tried really hard to be in the moment and I have unfortunately lost those.

The only thing I am missing for this trip that would really cement the memory for me is someone to bounce it off of. I process things better with others and through connection. So that brings us here. Whether or not this gets read, I will be processing things better AND have another puzzle piece to help me remember. Each time I remember I went on this grand journey I am astounded as if it were someone else telling me of their adventure where they found the lost city. Like...Ma'am...it was Vegas...it's not that kinda lost... AND it was you...

But to me, it was a divine experience. That is so precious that I want nothing more than to be able to have this memory forever. Even if I have to remember it synthetically through my notes...

I did so many things that I had been convinced that I couldn't and wouldn't ever be able to do or take part in.

I am going to try and take my time and really go over the memories because I don't want to leave any pieces out that I will want to be in here later. I'm not sure how many posts I'll be using for it but...it was a week-long trip and as you can tell...I talk a lot...

I titled this as the 'Death of 'me' because it was the perminant end of the way my life had been playing out. Everything changed for me after that and I have been grieving(?) since. It felt a bit weird and didn't make sense for the majority of it. (I don't even want to begin to explain how I just tried to spell 'majority' 🙄)

So...

Here's to remembering that time that I DID THE THING!!!! 🥂

I listened to this song for the entire time that I was in the airport waiting. I got there about an hour and a half early...

I have full playlists too, I promise 😂🤣😅

There is more to come for sure. I just wanted to post something quick so I couldn't chicken out... Yay, I did it, hopefully... XD

[arsenicflame]

It's a time-honoured tradition- every time Sam comes across Izzy (and Ed) in their travels, he asks Izzy to marry him. And every time, Izzy turns him down.

At this point, Sam is asking more for the sake of it than any belief Izzy will ever say yes, a remnant of childhood dedication touched with 30 years of heartbreak and regret- though even now, a small part of him still holds out hope. Sam's promises have only got more extravagant over the years, from a job as his first mate, to a captaincy, a fleet at his command, a whole fucking island if that's what Izzy wants- but he knows it isn't though, not really. If Izzy was ever going to agree to marry him, to leave his life and go with Sam, it wouldn't be for anything Sam could offer him. Izzy never did care for flashy shows of wealth, for a ship or to be captain. The only thing that ever mattered to him was loyalty given, and loyalty shown in return. 

It all comes to a head after Stede left and came back, after Izzy lost a toe, lost his leg. Sam hasn't seen him since before things with Ed started to really slide off the rails, before stress permanently set into the lines of Izzy’s face. So, when he sees a dishevelled man with a hoof for a leg in a no-name port, he doesn't even consider the idea that he might know him. It's only when he turns towards him, and Sam catches a glance at those oh too familiar tattoos, he realises this is Izzy, his Izzy, that stands before him.

Knowing Izzy's discomfort with pity, he doesn't treat him any differently than he would in years gone by, positioning himself in Izzy's line of sight before approaching and sweeping him up into a bone crushing hug. 

“Israel-goddamn-Hands!” he exclaims, as Izzy grumbles back a begrudging “Samuel-fucking-Bellamy”, a tradition almost as old as their friendship itself. Izzy might not hug him back, but he can’t keep the corner of his mouth from twitching, just for a second.

(If Sam holds Izzy a little tighter and a little longer than usual, well. That's his business)

By the time Sam lets go, most of the crew has appeared in the town square, drawn in by the commotion. They may have given Izzy his leg and welcomed him as one of them, but still there’s an underlying tension, with nobody quite ready to set aside everything that happened before the Kraken. Seeing him cosying up to an unknown man sets everyone on edge, unsure whether to come to their first mate’s aid, or to assume that they've been betrayed once again.

When Ed sees that the yelling was Sam, his hand goes tense where it's held in Stede's. He knows the routine, has seen it more times than he can count, but as he watches them part he realises that this is the first time in a long time he's unsure of what Izzy's response will be.

Knowing that something’s different, knowing that Izzy's feeling vulnerable already, Sam doesn't go for the same flashy proposal he’s been giving for years. He doesn't promise Izzy the world, he doesn't cause a scene (or, any more of a scene than he already has, anyway). He looks at the fractured man in front of him, takes his face in his hands, and says the exact same thing to him he said when they were little more than boys. “Israel, I have to ask you. I know what you'll say, but I have to try. Come with me. Marry me and sail away with me. I'll keep you safe”

And Izzy… hesitates. He glances over at Ed, at Stede, and says to Sam “...We’re staying in port for a week. Ask me again then”

That's the moment Sam knows there is something deeply, horribly, wrong. He's not just looking at an Izzy who got seriously injured in a fight and is struggling to cope, this is something so much bigger than that- and that Ed has something to do with it. Izzy wouldn't even be considering leaving if he didn't. Whether it was negligence or something more sinister, Sam doesn't yet know, but he intends to find out.

[valtsv]

you being an eloper as a kid makes so much sense you definitely give off the vibe of “well i wanna be somewhere else. Bye”

i had no friends growing up so it was either do my own thing or never go anywhere. simple decision really.

[monsterfactoryfanfic]

My latest essay is on @nguyenconditions duo of solo games on the Vietnam War! I talk about the history behind the games' prompts and imagine what civilians in Vietnam might have endured. This one did get flagged by Youtube, it's not pretty.

Transcript here.