#that's what i do since it was nerfed in france

[albonium]

horner and danica in the same shot on sky. rip to the people who have to pay for this

[rainofaugustsith]

SWTOR: On "too easy"

I keep seeing posts elsewhere from "serious gamers" saying "waaah, they nerfed the game, IT'S TOO EASY NOW." I keep seeing posts from people who seem to think the only way to "save" SWTOR is to make it really difficult. And posts that cast judgment on those who prefer a more laid-back approach. 

I can't stand that. Truly, one of the worst things about gaming is some of the playerbase. 

I fully believe that where possible, content should have story/veteran/NiM modes available, the way KOTFE, KOTET and the non-story flashpoints do. If someone's idea of fun is to run every single thing with extreme difficulty, and that's what they get a charge from, let them at it...as long as it doesn't mean everyone else has to play that way too. That's where these discussions usually go off the rails, since these folks seem to think that everyone should play at an arbitrary high standard they deem acceptable. 

A lot of different types of players love SWTOR. Some really do want NiM all the time. Others want to decorate strongholds or dress their characters. Some are all about story. Some love the group aspect and always want to play with guildies or friends; others steer clear of all interaction with other players. Some do a mix of all of the above. Some avoid certain activities at all costs. 

I'm a solo story player. For me, extreme challenge isn't fun. It's usually enough to get me to quit. It's not fun for me to die over and over in a game or to struggle with complicated mechanics where one misstep means death. I hate things like the Onderon datacrons. I felt that Spirit of Vengeance was originally tuned way too high and had way too many mobs, even though I was fully able to finish it. 

I've gone in and done some more difficult things like Dread Seeds and veteran flashpoints solo because I wanted to see the content and complete those missions. If the entire game was tuned like the last Dread Seeds mission or those veteran flashpoints, I'd likely leave in about two seconds. In the longterm, it's not pleasant for me. It's physically painful, it's boring and I don't find it relaxing or fun.

No one playstyle is "correct" or "normal." They all are. What's abnormal is when someone insists everyone has to play a certain way. What would I say to those gatekeepers whining about content being too easy? 

The story content isn't getting people ready for endgame. 

So? 

You're assuming everyone wants to play endgame content. They don't. There's nothing Bioware could do, say or bribe me with that would get me into things like Ops, ranked PvP, PvP at all, PUGs or Master Mode flashpoints. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I am here for the story. Period. 

A training ground for endgame content exists in the form of flashpoints. The flashpoints in the game do get progressively tougher. If someone's truly interested in getting raid-worthy skills they're likely going to be doing solo flashpoints. And using groupfinder or joining a guild that works to help players progress. There are options, and those who are interested in raids will seek them out. 

But the story is so easy. It's a faceroll. Games are about challenge.  

Challenge means different things to different people.

Everyone has different abilities. You might roll through every flashpoint. The next player might die seven times just getting through the first tomb on Korriban. By the way, I'm "next player." I think my first toon may have kicked the bucket before even getting into Ajunta Pall's tomb. The word "easy" is very, very relative. 

Also, for some of us, easier content is relaxing and fun. The same way some people like a leisurely bicycle ride along the bike path and others train for the Tour de France. 

If challenge for you involves very difficult gameplay, it does exist. Go join a NiM guild for raids. Go play ranked PvP. Play another game. Why does everyone else need to play the way you play? 

People aren't grouping. They should be forced to group. 

Because you think they should? What gives you any right to dictate how other people play or who they play the game with? Are you the National Gaming Czar and nobody told us? 

This "grouping should be compulsory!" belief is bullshit. People who want to group WILL group. That's always been the case. Hell, I remember being a kid and playing single player console games with friends. We'd take turns, cheer each other on, and yell out advice to the person playing. We found a way to play in a group because we wanted to. 

Right now, the people in SWTOR there are guilds and healthy incentives to join them. Right now, the people in SWTOR who want to play with a friend or friends can do that. Even in things like class stories or KOTFE where it only progresses for one person, they can still come along and help. There are multiple opportunities in the game for players to meet each other. There are social media sites where they can do the same. There's group finder. There are people who look for groups on the fleet. There are PvP and GSF where they can play against others. 

Bottom line? Anyone who wants to group has multiple ways to accomplish that at this very moment. 

Those who aren't grouping likely do not want to group. They don't have to explain why. If you force them to group one of two things will probably happen: they will do it and hate every second of it and not want to be there, or they will stop playing. Which is more likely? Well, I'm sure we've all finished Oricon, Iokath and Macrobinoculars, right? Oh wait...

This is a game. It's not supposed to be like a job where you have coworkers you detest and still have to interact with them. It's not some life skill. It's. A. Game. Get over it if people don't want to play with you.   There should always be open world PvP. Sure, if you want a mass exodus from the game in about a day. The minute they make open world PvP non-optional or make PvP content compulsory is the day I stop playing. And I don't think I'm alone there. I feel like this comment usually comes from people who are frustrated that others don't accept their duel requests and that there isn't a huge pool of players for PVP matches. They can't get people to play with them voluntarily so they want to force it. And you should be able to tag a mob someone else is working on. I keep seeing this brought up as an ideal in other games. It seems to be a way to force people to group with you even if they've said no to an invite. You know what will happen with this? You'll have players hitting the mob once and getting credit/loot without any effort. Or you will have players following around other players to "share mobs" with them even when that other player wants to be left alone. I'm of the opinion that any type of group play should be consensual in all cases, not forced on players because they happen to be in open world.

*sigh* It's an MMO. 

And? MMO doesn't mean "group all the time" or even some of the time. It means a lot of players are co-existing in a shared online world. It means the ability to group should exist - and it does. 

People come into group content and don't know what to do. 

#1: Everyone starts somewhere. We all know that you were so miraculously gifted that you came out of the womb knowing advanced mechanisms for every boss fight, but most of us didn't. 

#2. If you want to play strictly with a team of veteran players, join a guild, make some friends in the game and have fun. That's a lot more realistic than expecting random players in a PUG or groupfinder to meet whatever your exacting specifications are. 

#3. Blame the devs for forcing players into Groupfinder to complete Galactic Seasons and other objectives. There are plenty of people who wouldn't be there if that weren't the case. 

People come into flashpoints and want to watch the cut scenes. 

Hang on. Let me process this. In a story based game, players want to watch the cut scenes? For real? That's completely unreasonable! /sarcasm

In the latest flashpoints, they've more or less removed all the cut scenes. You have your wish granted. For the older flashpoints, there are still many that don't have solo/story mode. The only way people can see those cut scenes is in veteran or master. If you have an issue with this, start advocating to the devs to make solo story versions of those flashpoints.  I feel like the bottom line is that everyone has the right to ask for the type of gaming experience they want, but they don't have the right to insist everyone else should share that experience.

[derekmorganscrocs]

Last Summer: Ace x Reader (OneShot)

Here’s an adorable Ace gif for you because I love him.

Word Count: 2, 064

Summary: You and Ace are best friends but it turns into something more.

Quick Note: This is the first thing I’ve written that I’ve fully finished and am posting so I’m like freakin our right now. Also this isn’t my usual style but I’m super happy with how it turned out and I hope you (anyone who reads this) likes it! I’m considering a series but I also have several other things in the works, so it might not be soon. Anyways, let’s get this show on the road!

Ace and Y/n. Best friends since they could walk. Inseparable through elementary, middle, and high school. Where do we start?

To be honest, there’s not a lot to explain. You and Ace kind of just... were. It made sense. Best friends, always had the other’s back. You both work at the Claw, you’re both a little burnt out and worn down, but still clever and funny. Everything always made sense.

You always joke, laugh, and do stupid shit together. You’ve bailed him out of trouble more times than you can count. He’s done the same for you. He’s your favourite person, you’re his.

And you’ve been in love with each other forever. Except neither one of you can tell that the other loves you back. So we’re at a roadblock.

You got weird when Ace dated Laura back in the day.

Ace got weird when you dated James, the biker dude in high school.

You got weird when Ace started crushing on Bess.

Ace got weird when you mentioned that Ryan Hudson was hot in a douchebag kind of way.

Summer was different though. Had you known it’d be your last summer before you spotted Dead Lucy, saw Tiffany Hudson’s ghost, were introduced to the spirit world, and started doing seances and rituals every other day, you may have appreciated it more. But oh well, right?

Not right. The start of summer was when you started realizing you couldn’t go on the way you were, but that you also couldn’t live without Ace. So how do you confess? You don’t.

A couple weeks go by before you start to notice the way Ace looks at you, how he always stands just a little closer than anyone else does. How he puts himself between you and the guys that ogle you as the two of you walk to the pier. The way his jaw clenches when someone cute hits on you. His hand always right beside yours, and you wonder if he gets the urge to grab your hand like you do his.

And by the end of June, you’re this weird something. Not just friends, you’ve both seen the way the other stares. But it’s unspoken. You don’t know if you can bring yourself to tell him. He doesn’t know if he can bear the risk of losing you.

Don’t get it twisted, despite the buried feelings you and Ace are the best pair of best friends anyone in Horseshoe Bay has ever seen. Constantly laughing and cracking jokes, seeing who can get more tips in a day. Ace is always the one you turn to, you’re the one Ace turns to. For pretty much anything.

When July rolls around, you both get more time off. The fourth comes quickly, and you make plans to watch the fireworks from the roof of the claw. Upon climbing up at sunset, you decide to just hang out for a few hours until it’s actually time for the fireworks. You talk and joke, and you and Ace carve your initials into one of the shingles. Laying against the shingles, he only carves an A, and you ask if you’ll ever find out what his last name is.

“Maybe when you take it.”

Those are the five words that change everything. He looks up from his knife, startled at his own words. You’re frozen in place as the sky finally reaches its full darkness. And the first boom grabs your attention. You look over in the direction of the beach, and see red sparkles in the sky. Turning back, Ace is sitting up now, both of you still shell-shocked at his joke. Was it a joke?

His knife is long gone, tucked safely in his pocket, and he grabs your face and kisses you. You kiss him back, obviously. He kisses you passionately, slowly but strongly, and fireworks erupt. Both metaphorically and literally. You both end up laying side by side on the roof, kissing and watching the fireworks. It’s the best night ever.

But it’s never made official. There’s still no blurted out confessions, and it never happens again. His eyes still dart to your lips when you speak to him, you still imagine his arms around your waist, and you both still stare longingly at the other whenever their back is turned.

Until August rolls around, a month filled with storms and fog. And death. Ryan Hudson and his goons pull up for dinner. You and Ace serve them when all the others bail, make jokes about insufferable rich people and stare at each other’s mouths, both trying to not get caught as you wish you could just have what you want.

Then the lights go out. Screaming outside from Nancy, and Tiffany Hudson is dead. You and Ace are pretty much free to go, alibis confirmed. The next day Nancy comes to you with evidence that Tiffany Hudson was killed by Lucy Sable. Dead Lucy. Oh god.

The case unfolds and you’re wrapped up in a supernatural mystery. All the while trying to figure out your very natural mystery. What the hell is going on between you and Ace? It’s normal but not, and you don’t want to lose him, but you can feel the drift starting. It’s so uncertain. For once in your life, nothing makes sense.

You cover well though. Burying your feelings is a lot easier than it should be, and you and Ace still joke and pull stupid shit all the time. George and Bess are tired of being caught in the crossfire of your pranks, Nancy would be, but the only time she’s actually noticed anything is when you shot her with a nerf gun because Ace dodged. Nick, the guy from the garage, makes his way into your crew, and takes immense amusement from you and Ace. It’s fine. Great, even.

Then in September, after Tiffany Hudson’s funeral, you go to the Claw to talk to Ace. But he’s beyond talking. He’s got his tongue in Laura Tandy’s throat. And you knew she was back in town, hell, that’s what pushed you to finally talk to Ace. Only you’re too late. You’ve wasted the summer, your summer, being afraid of losing him. Just to lose him anyways.

So you spend a miserable month pretending you’re fine and fake gagging every time him and Laura have their backs turned on you. You bitch to Bess, who’s all too keen on the drama. Nancy’s so wrapped up in the paranormal and her own love life that she’s barely bothered to notice that you’re drowning. George on the other hand... she’s supportive. Well as supportive as George can be. Mostly threatening Laura and saying she’ll fire Ace if you want her to. But you can’t do that. He may only be a dishwasher at the Claw, but he loves it. He loves being part of the team.

And then you walk in on Laura asking Ace to go to Paris with her. You nearly lose it, but manage to keep it together, hiding around the corner with a hand clamped over your mouth as tears threaten to finally spill free. When they’re out of sight, you call Bess, then George, then Nancy, all to no avail. And so you’re hyperventilating and alone, sitting on the front porch of the Claw when Nick swoops in to save you.

Of course it was Nick. The only one who doesn’t know about the whole mess with Ace. So he makes you explain and watches in horror as you refuse to let tears fall and successfully convince yourself to just not be sad. Over the next few days he turns into a brotherly figure, managing to help you realize that feelings are okay to have.

So the garage is your new hangout, and you don’t realize that Ace is actually missing you. Because the only one he wants to ask about going to France was you. Nick sends you back to work on the fourth day, you don’t want to go but he forces you. He says ‘mixing shitty Caesars is the best remedy for any amount of pain.’ It’s the first time he’d seen you laugh in a while. Actually, the first time you’d laughed in a while.

The first person you see when you walk in the diner, of course, was Ace. Sitting at the bar, staring into the wall’s soul. You manage a quiet ‘hey’, and when he turns to see you looking mostly back to normal, he nearly tackles you into a hug. He manages to restrain himself though, not sure what to do. You two never fight. Is this even a fight? How do you make up from a not-fight-fight? Instead he asks you to sit with him. You do, reluctantly, but only because he insists and you can never say no to him.

“Say the word and I’ll stay. Say you want me here and I won’t go.”

And there he goes, changing everything again. You freeze, just like on the Fourth of July, and stare at him in shock. This time though, he isn’t surprised, it’s just you who’s shell-shocked. It takes you a while to understand that he is actually saying what he’s saying, and you kind of just stare at him for a minute. Then you make your decision.

“I can’t tell you what to do. You need to make this call on your own.”

And then, you mix Caesars. And more Caesars, and more Caesars. The restaurant could be supplied for a week if it weren’t a festival day. You would’ve kept going, but what’s left in the bottom of the vodka bottle looked pretty delicious, so you down it instead. Still mostly sober, but tipsy enough to manage a smile, you patted George on the back and said goodbye before heading to the garage.

Nick makes you crash on his couch in the loft, and after a power nap and a glass of water you’re back to completely sober. Good as new. The only thing that’s missing is... your phone. You left it at the Claw earlier. Which means you have to go back. And probably see Ace again.

So back you go. You get the phone without running into anyone, but pause at the sound of voices in the dining area. Frozen in the kitchen, you watch as Ace tells Laura he’s staying. That he has a ‘purpose here. And a person.’ She tells him to miss her, which gives you mixed vibes, and leaves.

“Ace?”

“Jesus! Oh, Y/n! You’re-you’re here. Oh that’s great, you saw that. How much did you hear?”

“That you have a purpose here. And a person.”

A smile finally appears on your lips, and he reciprocates. You walk into the dining room, toward Ace. He watches your every move intently, as if he’s entranced with you. He is, because he hasn’t seen you smile since Laura came to town. And even though he’s been playing it happy, he’s been miserable. He loves Laura, he really does, but it’s more of the ‘maybe in another world’ kind of relationship.

You and Ace. That’s the ‘perfectly perfect, made for each other, soulmates, in any world’ type of relationship. Best friends to something more, with ups and down. Real. Not some whisk you off to Paris and live in a movie. Horseshoe Bay’s ugly, scary, haunted, real life.

Sitting on a barstool, back to the kitchen, you lean against the bar and look at Ace. You think about what to say. There’s so many things you could do. That you want to do.

Slap him.

Kiss him.

Throw him off the roof.

Hug him until he has to peel you off of him.

Throw a bottle at his head.

Jump into his arms, wrap your legs around his waist and stay there forever.

Stick Lucy on him to suck out his soul.

Kiss him until you run out of air.

Maybe you’ll say something instead. There’s lots of things you could say, but you’re not sure how many of them are true.

Did he really betray you by seeing Laura?

Are you grateful for this because you met Nick and gained a brother?

What would’ve happened if Laura never showed?

Are we still us?

Instead, you decide to go with something you know is the truth.

“I’m your person.”

And he smiles like he’s won the lottery.

Tags: @vexfulfun

[tropicalfreckles]

Okay thinking more on it, while pts 4-6 have a lot of issues I got with since they started doing an overarching plot to Lupin finally but it's kind of clunky in some areas.

I also still like a lot from it.

Like I'll admit I think I had a lot of fun with pt 4 even tho it... had some weird ass plot turns but that's just how Lupin kind of is so I'm like okay I'll roll with it.

What issues I really thought was stupid is how they developed the women of pt 4 cause all of their backstories kind of meld in a similar way that's just unnerving. I don't think you need to make a well rounded lady character by giving her SA trauma but that's just me. :\

Pt 5 had those fun ass different Jacket Era episodes (which confused me at first but then I got where they were going with it, it kind of is like a filler to the plot of pt 5 but in a enjoyable way), but GOOD GOD I will never not bitch about what they did with Ami. Nope. No, her character arc did NOT end on a nice note for me(her dad was a horrible person?? wtf??) and I am still not okay with how they oversexualize this specific 14 year old over other 14 year olds introduced in the modern Lupin franchise. Like Maki in the mermaid special or even Lily Watson that's in the PART AFTER AMIS, neither girl is ever drawn in an unsavory way. It's kind of hard sometimes to just sit there and enjoy things when that's going on.

Pt 6 I liked okay (it had fun character interactions) but I thought the first arc kind of ended anti-climatically (also I thought we were gonna be focusing on the subplot built up by Albert wanting to take over France), then the B plot had some lore building which was nice. However I still don't know how to feel about plot B. It was a mixed bag in itself as well and I think the overall feeling of pt 6 kind of was weak. Maybe pt 7 if we get it will build up more? I'm hoping it focuses on Albert's whole thing.

Also I think pt 5's outfit for Albert was better pt 6 nerfed him lol

Let the gay man wear a bright ass green suit and pink tie IT LOOKS GOOD

[jasontoddiefor]

Summary: In all honesty, Hal should have seen it coming. Wally and Dick had already been there when they had started dating. Or: Hal contemplates family in the Wayne-Allen-Jordan household on a chaotic morning.

AN: Bc @amaztim and I have a new OT3 and there are only 2 fanfics so far so I had to fix it.

Hal woke up to screaming. He turned around again in the king-sized bed and pressed his pillow over his head. He was too old to be woken up by fighting children. Or maybe Dick and Wally just hadn’t been quite the terrifying chaotic mess that was Damian and Helen.

After hearing yet another shout on one of Hal’s rare free days damn it, Hal finally got up. Bruce and Barry were nowhere to be seen, but that was nothing new. Barry was stuck on monitor duty and Bruce had traveled to France on Monday, chasing after a lead.

Hal should have taken the offer and gone with him, but no. Someone had to look after the children since everybody was coming over for the weekend. Hal stumbled out of bed with the grace of a hero who had suffered way too many injuries. On his way over to the door, he grabbed a shirt and put it on. It was a little big on him – one of Bruce’s then. He rubbed his eyes and for a split second he contemplated just letting Damian and Helen murder each other for another ten more minutes of sleep.

Then the second was over and Hal threw open the door. Helen and Damian came to a halt right in front of it, both looking appropriately caught.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Damian and Helen shared a look before switching to equally grave expressions.

“We’re fighting for the honor of killing Jason,” Damian explained nonchalantly like he wasn’t holding his training sword to Helen’s neck.

“He committed a serious crime,” Helen added, her glowing nerf-gun construct still aimed at Damian’s forehead.

Hal could still use his ring, go pick up Barry and get into a jet and visit Bruce. Eat some crêpes under the Eiffel tower while Bruce took down his arms dealer. It would be just like those summer months when Wally and Dick, who were the only kids running around the manor back then, went to San Francisco to work with their fellow Teen Titans.

Peace .

Yeah, Hal missed it.

“And what did Jason do?”

“He-“

“HeyguysIfoundthepaintgunsyouaskedfor- oh, fuck.”

Bart came to a stop just a few doors down the hallway, his arms full with paint guns and his shirt basically covered in acrylics. He looked at Damian and Helen, then to Hal and then back to the kids.

“Morning, Hal. I think I’mjustgonnagonowbye.”

“Oh, no!” Hal shouted back. “Don’t you dare run off, Bartholomew! How are you involved in this? And aren’t you supposed to be picking up Tim?”

Hal ignored Damian and Helen snickering at him using the speedster’s full name in favor of acting very intimidating and authoritative while still being dressed in his PJs with deep bags under his eyes.

Bart grinned sheepishly. “I already picked him up. I left him downstairs with Duke and Kyle. He sort of fell asleep on me on our way back home.”

“Kyle’s here?”

Bart shrugged. “He said something about dropping off an artifact, but Jason’s making pancakes for breakfast so he stayed.”

Hal pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. How did the saying go again? Kids are the future? Someone obviously forgot to attach the ‘because they’ll run you into an early grave’. France. Watchtower monitor duty.

“And if Jason’s making breakfast, why aren’t the three of you downstairs eating?”

“Because Jason threw us out of the kitchen,” Helen said. “We were interrupting his ‘workflow’ so he banned us! Uncle Hal, do you see now what terrible offense he has committed?”

Beside her, Damian nodded and once again raised his sword. “The evil has to be defeated.”

Hal had calmed down considerably since he had first become Earth’s Green Lantern. He didn’t rush into battle anymore, he had seen too many of his friends and comrades die. He had been dead, and been dealt an even worse fate for a while, and he had lowered both his lovers and his children into the ground at least once. No, Hal didn’t rush into war anymore and he carefully picked his battle nowadays.

This one he wasn’t going to fight.

“No maiming each other anymore,” Hal said and watched as three faces lit up with identical expressions of delight. “The house is off-limits for everything concerning paint, or you’re answering to Alfred. Outside of the manor, Gotham, Central and Coast are fair game, but not on patrol. Got it?”

“Got it!” They replied and rushed off in the opposite direction, jumping hopefully not straight into a loophole Hal had forgotten to cover. Either way, they were not Hal’s problem anymore. If they made a mess now, that weight would be on their shoulders, and they only had themselves to blame if Alfred’s cold disapproval would make them do chores until they turned eighteen.

Hal checked his watch. It was almost twelve. Jason had come to the manor late, and if he was making breakfast for everybody, he certainly wouldn’t be done yet. Hal made his way downstairs to the kitchen, passing the living room while he was at it.

Duke was playing a game on his Switch while Cassandra and Kyle were talking animatedly about whatever drawing Kyle was showing her.

And Tim was lying on the ground, his head resting on Titus’s body.

“Please tell me he decided to sleep there,” Hal said, already knowing the answer.

“Uuh,” Duke decidedly did not look up from his console while Cass just raised a brow.

When had they all become so sassy? Hal recalled their first weeks at the manor as if they had been just yesterday. Both of them had been so unsure and careful with everybody.

“Just put your brother on a sofa at least if nobody feels responsible for getting him in his room.”

Cass smiled at him and gave him a thumbs-up, but didn’t move from her spot. Right, why had he even bothered asking?

Next time, he’d let Barry and Bruce handle the weekend meet-ups. Hal had done the single-parent thing for a year, and it hadn’t been any fun having to be strong for so many grieving children. The least his partners could do was cover the family weekends until they actually died of old age.

The closer Hal got to the kitchen, the louder did the music in the hallway get. Today Jason had decided on classical tunes apparently, or as classic as Jason got. Hal wasn’t even sure where Jason found so many classic instrument covers of current songs, and he’d rather face Parallax than even suggest to Jason that he was recording his own violin plays, but fact was that Barry had found the corresponding scores in Jason’s bag once.

Jason was flipping another pancake when Hal entered the kitchen. The room was neat and orderly still, except for the side of the table Wally and Dick were sitting at. That part of the table was covered in Nutella, sprinkles, gummy worms, chocolate sauce, and fruits.

“Mo’nin’,” Dick greeted, his mouth stuffed with a pancake. Next to him, Wally only raised his hand and didn’t even stop inhaling his share.

“Good morning, boys,” Hal returned and sat down opposite from the duo.

“Slept well, old man?” Jason asked and put a plate with warm an delicious breakfast in front of him.

“I thought Bruce was the old man.”

Jason waved Hal’s comment off and took another gulp from his cup of coffee. “You’re all old, but only you are here this morning. You got any plans for today?”

Hal sneaked a look at the two oldest and, yes, Wally and Dick looked equally mischievously. Fourteen or twenty-four, was there really any difference with them?

“I’m not teaming up with you against the kiddos for Cluedo.”

“Why not?” Wally asked. “This week’s price is deciding the Thanksgiving dinner. Hal, please. We need to win. I need that turkey and Damian will do his best to stop it.”

Hal bit off another piece of his pancake. Out of all of them, minus Alfred of course, Jason could cook the best. If Jason willingly made anything for you, you accepted without hesitance, which was precisely why Hal stole another pancake before he replied.

“I know, which is why Barry, Bruce, and I are working against the rest of you. We’re not eating candied apples for dessert again or tofu turkey or any other monstrosity you kids come up with every year. This year it’s adults against the rest of you. May the better team win.”

Silence followed Hal’s statement before the kitchen’s other three occupants began to complain loudly. Hal could only grin. Okay, yes, this was better than the Watchtower or France.

“Jason! Come out and face us, you coward!”

Even if it came with the possibility of a hospital visit.

[shewasanamericangirl]

I know, but for the benefit of those who may not be into tokusatsu and follow your blog, tell us about some of your favorite toku cuties!

oh boy, i could go on about this all day. which i will. hope you don’t mind that they’ll mostly be guys, as tokusatsu in general tends to be a sausagefest. i’ll try to avoid spoilers for the aforementioned non-toku devotees.

let’s get the obvious one out of the way first!

black woz from kamen rider zi-o

he came from 50 years in the future to give a high school boy a magic belt that would enable him to become an evil king with ultimate dominion over space-time

catchphrase: “REJOICE!” followed by super hammed up dramatic speeches whenever said high school boy gains a cool new power

user of the thoth stand

he basically worships this high school boy and tries to encourage him to become the despot who shaped the dystopian hellscape woz came from

he has a doppelganger we call white woz whose goals are completely counter to his, and you know what? the woz who stans the evil king is the good one

he likes natto and mustard on his rice

he can actually be surprisingly sassy if you push his buttons enough

woz’s actor, keisuke watanabe, is the prettiest human being in this universe

shinji kido from kamen rider ryuki

REJOICE! he’s also in zi-o!

he transforms into kamen rider ryuki, with dragon powers and a mask like a sports car grille

catchphrase is “oi, ren!” which was changed for me forever after watching the end of the rider time ryuki special

he is my son! i want to adopt him!

dumb as fuck, heart of gold, will let you peg

he works as a reporter at a not very reputable newspaper which seems to mostly publish investigations of weird rumors and urban legends

he also works as a waiter at this cute teahouse

he still has no money because his friend yui broke a window

in the world of ryuki, kamen riders must duke it out in a battle royale by transforming into their super alter egos and entering the monster-infested world on the other side of reflective surfaces

shinji doesn’t want to fight anyone though, he just wants to keep the monsters from hurting people!

he’s such a sweet cute idiot. i’d protect him with my life.

akira nijino from ressha sentai toQger

transforms into toQ 6gou, the the orange toQger

catchphrase: “this is the place where i will die…” (and variations on that)

reformed monster turned magical railroad worker turned hero

his introductory arc will tug at your heartstrings

his face turn happened after he saw a rainbow for the first time, and henceforth dedicated his life to protecting rainbows

his guilt complex hangs over him in the form of a literal rain cloud

he’s normally taciturn but gets super cheerful and giggly in the presence of cute baby animals, especially kittens

he loves public baths so much he uses the word “aishiteru”

he often makes his dramatic entrance while playing a mournful tune on his harmonica

he’s got a lot of internal conflict going on but he’s such a good guy

his monster form has the softest fluffiest ears and a bitchin cowboy outfit

seriously sets off my gaydar for some reason?

noel takao from kaitou sentai lupinranger VS keisatsu sentai patranger

transforms into both the silver lupin X AND the golden patren X

catchphrase is “oh la la!” which he says when surprised/excited/intrigued

he’s both a phantom thief and an elite international police officer. it just works…somehow.

uses his mecha train to travel between japan and france in no time flat

older than he looks

does unnecessary acrobatic stunts for the hell of it (which his actor, seiya motoki, really does!)

wants the phantom thieves and police officers to be friends and work together instead of fighting

lowkey shipper on deck

(accidentally typed “lowkey shipper on dick”)

is he japanese? is he french? well that is just his own sweet and sexy secret

owns a shiny silver and gold kimono equally as awesome as akira’s in the gif above

tsukasa kadoya from kamen rider decade

he’s kamen rider decade

catchphrase is “i’m just a kamen rider passing through…remember that!”

his show is so weird and confusing but that’s okay because he’s cute and has an adorably bad attitude

always trying to take photos with the camera he carries. they always turn out looking shitty. he says it’s because the world is rejecting him, and not because he’s shitty at taking photos.

so he’s supposed to hop universes destroying worlds but he seems to just keep saving them instead

said worlds are extremely strange AUs of the first nine heisei kamen rider shows

anyway, back to tsukasa. he has a weird and sexy way of sitting which he did in front of black woz once which made him start doing it

actually his interactions with black woz in zi-o are memorably hilarious for both characters

every time tsukasa enters a new world, he automatically has a job that helps him fit in. in the kiva world, he’s a concert violinist–and boy, can he play. in the blade world, he’s the head chef of a cafeteria, and comes up with some great (if a little underhanded) methods of making money.

what the fuck is he even doing?

will i have the answer to that by the time i finish watching decade or nah?

regardless, he’s incredibly charming, and pleasant to watch

ma…zhen…TA.

umika hayami from kaitou sentai lupinranger VS keisatsu sentai patranger

umika is secretly the super cute phantom thief lupin yellow!

she’s super cute and acts cheery but she’s got some intense sadness going on deep down which remains a secret to most people

waits tables at bistro jurer (the front for the lupinrangers)

i started watching lupat because she’s cute, even though i did not think i’d really get into super sentai

(i did)

fellow lupinranger and bistro staff kairi pinches her nose just like how his older brother used to pinch his nose

…when umika turns it around and pinches kairi’s nose…when that happens you will want to cry, just sayin

one of the patrangers gets a big dumb crush on her, unaware that she’s actually a lupinranger (can you blame him?)

she loves fashion and has a delightful sense of style

her favorite pair of earrings look like cherries and they’re soooooo cute, eat your heart out noriaki kakyoin

sougo tokiwa from kamen rider zi-o

he’s the high school boy black woz is obsessed with

he’s kamen rider zi-o, kamen rider zi-o ii, kamen rider oma zi-o, part of the fusion kamen rider zi-o trinity, and has a fuckton of various forms

in the tradition of shinji kido he is cute, dumb, sweet, and bleaches his hair

can you believe this widdle bitty cutie pie grows up to become a megalomaniacal overlord subjecting humanity to a dark timeline of misery and woe??

at least, he might. he’d rather not. the time travelers from 2068 inform him that it’s a definite possibility.

good at history, bad at math

has been convinced since childhood that he will become a king after graduating high school, and because of that, he has no other career aspirations and no friends…wah wah waaaaaaaah

a plucky orphan much like myself

possesses latent psychic time manipulation powers that are a little scary if you think about them too hard

haru “tokatti” tokashiki from ressha sentai toQger

blue hero toQ 2gou

during roll call he always bows and says something

adorkableness incarnate

this boy is a nervous wreck

he adjusts the train track visor on his sentai mask like it’s his glasses

massive crush on his childhood friend mio, aka toQ 3gou and the mom friend of the group (she is also a toku cutie i love to bits) (i ship it hard)

becomes particularly close friends with akira, which is interesting to see since their personalities (and suit colors) contrast so much

even when anxious and easily discouraged, tokatti is always brave and strong for his friends when in a pinch

thinks of his big brother ryo as a cool superhero

the glasses nerf just how handsome he is

i have a lot of other tokusatsu cuties i adore but these are some of the ones who’ve been on my mind the most lately! hopefully you readers enjoy this small sampling of tokusatsu dorks 💖

[teenwolf-rarepairs]

My god, I thought anyone shipped Dallison anymore. Please I want them for the ship thing

I know the felling, I started shipping them later on the series (after Allison’s death, mind you) so yeah. 

Who wakes the other one up with kisses: Occasionally Derek will do it, but it’s a rare occurrence.

Who is the morning person/night person: Allison is the morning person, though Derek has a habit of waking up early he’s cranky about it.

Who is the romantic one: Both of them are, but mostly Allison. 

Who is the more cuddly one: Derek. He says it’s a wolf thing, and that’s just part of the truth. He’s cuddly even for a werewolf.

Who cooks: Both of them.

Favorite nonsexual activity: Nerf wars. Derek finds it a good way to keep himself training with guns without using real guns. Allison just enjoys shooting at him. 

Their favorite place to be together: The preserve is a place they both find somewhat paceful.

Any traditions: They have dinner with Chris every Thursday and go camping with the pack at least twice a year.

Their “song”: Irresistible - Fall Out Boy

What they do for each other on holidays: Allison is thoughtful, so she likes getting him meaninful gifts. Derek asks Lydia for help.

Where did they go for their honeymoon: Saint-Tropez

Where did they first meet: At that party when Scott had to leave and Derek gave her a lift

Any pets: An ugly cat Allison rescued. Derek hated it at the beginning, but he’s fond of it by now. He would never admit it tho.

What do they fight over: Nothing and everything really. It’s more like constant bickering, but the real fights tend to happen when they can’t agree in pack meetings over a plan or when one of them takes innecessary risks.

Do they go on vacations, if so where: They take vacations in France while visiting Isaac, or in South America when Cora finally accepts Allison. 

Who kills the bugs; Both of them, though Allison takes care of spiders since Derek hates them.

Who hogs the sheets; Allison, but Derek kicks them off anyways, so it’s not a problem.

Who hates mornings; None of them, but Derek hates to wake up early after a full moon.

Who’s cranky before they had their coffee; Allison. Since caffeine doesn’t really do anything for Derek he’s cranky even after having his coffee.

Who’s doesn’t like their mother in law; DEREK

Who drives; They both do, but Derek is a better driver.

Who gets horny in awkward public places; Allison, she really enjoys to tease him in the most improper moments. 

Who had a scene phase; None of them, but Derek was close.

Who wore braces; Allison wore them when she was a kid. Derek teases her mercilessly about it

Who got bullied; Both of them. Allison for being a year older than her classmates. Derek got bullied after Paige died and he became more introvert. 

Who is louder?: Allison usually

Who is more experimental?: Allison gets very creative sometimes and Derek just goes with it

Who takes more risks?: Both of them, though Allison is the most reckless

Do they fuck or make love?: At the beginning they just fucked, sometimes really hard. After they both grew up past their grudges and fell in love, they started actually making love. 

Lights on or off?: On. They both like to watch every inch of each other.

Who is more likely to be caught masturbating?: None of them is a prude, but Derek is quite private about his intimacy. Allison gets caught by him on purpose. 

Who is more likely to suggest a threesome?: Allison has suggested it once or twice.

Has either stolen the other’s underwear?: Not stolen, but Allison once left her panties in the loft and Derek didn’t return them.

Who comes first?: It depends on the moment

Who is better at oral and who prefers it?: Derek, hands down. Allison likes to do it and watch Derek struggle to keep himself under control, but when he does it it’s her undoing. 

Who is more submissive?: Neither of them, really. But Derek lets her take control sometimes and enjoys it.

Who usually initiates things?: They’re even.

Who is more sensitive?: Derek is more sensitive, but he doesn’t show it as much as Allison.

Who has the most patience?: Derek. Allison has a hot temper and her patience wears thin quick enough

Which kinks do they share?: They both have a thing for dominance and Allison has suggested a couple of things as well. But that’s the most common one for them. 

[rgr-pop]

I need an ENTIRE afternoon wall of noise. 4/3 music library on shuffle until I hit a killdozer song.

the thermals - “god and country” reset - "double cross" nirvana - "polly" (1986-88 home recording) nirvana - "radio friendly unit shifter" (2013 mix) peterbuilt - "sateliteyes" the dickies - "got it at the store" apocalypse hoboken - "box of pills" fiona apple - "slow like honey" tex & the horseheads - "big boss man" everclear - "the drama king" anti-flag - "america got it right" neil young - "tonight's the night, pt. ii" everclear - "brown-eyed girl" noooooooooo oh my god no please millencolin - “israelites" listen you know that i'm p tolerant when it comes to this subject but why specifically did you boys do this. specifically you useless id - "note" never accuse me of pop punk nationalism again! that's three of global pop punk the selecter - "selling out your future" built to spill - "some things last a long time" holidays - "proof" let's wrestle - "bad mammaries" radhos - "one breath" ween - "boing" bracket - "g-vibe" local h - "'cha!' said the kitty" sublime - "40oz to freedom" failure - "saturday saviour" blink-182 - "don't leave me" (tmtts live take) why did they make this live album, they were so bad live shrimp boat - "melon song" interpol - "not even jail" the ataris - "angry nerd rock" 50 million - "superhero" skankin pickle - "violent love" the breeders - "put on a side" all - "honey peeps" the commandos (suicide commandos) - "weekend warrior" suicide machines - "friends are hard to find" the eclectics - "laura" good ska block! love this band pansy division - "jack u off" rocket from the tombs - "ain't it fun" dynamite boy - "devoted" young pioneers - "downtown tragedy" the breeders - "so sad about us" fenix tx - "jean claude trans am" fuck i love this song nofx - "bob" hickey - "happily ever after" bob dylan - "tangled up in blue" (bootlegs vol. 2) gas huffer - "king of hubcaps" tullycraft - "crush this town" atom and his package - "goalie" faith no more - "the real thing" carly rae jepsen - "tell me" bis - "listen up" one direction - "still the one" mtx - "she's no rocket scientist" eugene chadbourne - "roger miller medley" grouvie ghoulies - "carly simon" white town - "thursday at the blue note" gas huffer - "moon mission" rx bandits - "sleepy tyme" everclear - "rocket for the girl" failure - "kindred" blood on the saddle - "johnny's at the fair" the distillers - "red carpet and rebellion" cruiserweight - "dearest drew" stp - "plush" everclear - "wonderful" (live, from the closure ep) (don't hate it) new found glory - "sonny" everclear - "otis redding" (impure white evil demo) (BEST song) stp - "adhesive" incubus - "have you ever" cub - "tell me now" everclear - "short blonde hair" i simply do not hate it letters to cleo - "happy ever after" amazing transparent man - “the ocean is a fuck of a long way to swim” nerf herder - “(stand by your) manatee” kitty kitty - “ab tokeless” osker - “the mistakes you made” perfume genius - “hood” radhos - “shut up & deal” (welcome to the jungle take) osker - “the body”  gas huffer - “the sin of sloth” the fall - “bombast” excuse 17 - “code red” mad season - “lifeless dead” unwritten law - “differences” hanson - “two tears” the eyeliners - “anywhere but here” moby grape - “lazy me” brian wilson - “wonderful” 88 fingers louie - “something i don’t know” sicko - “wisdom tooth weekend” the replacements - “love you till friday” suicide machines - “green world” midtown - “another boy” hickey - “cool kids attacked by flying monkeys” the roman invasion suite - “carnations” the beat - “tears of a clown” local h - “24 hour break up session” okay i’m awake i want to end this now toots & the maytals - “funky kingston” local h - “strict-9″ his name is alive - “her eyes were huge things” nirvana - “frances farmer will have her revenge on seattle” slapstick - “almost punk enough” urge overkill - “bionic revolution” janet jackson - “you want this” piebald - “long nights” small brown bike - “now i’m a shadow” the story so far - “left unsaid” crj - “more than a memory” tracy + the plastics - “my friends end parties” liz phair - “6′1″“ fastbacks - “555, pt. 1″ this mix is feminist now swindle - “one track” shockabilly - “burma shave” temple of the dog - “say hello to heaven” amazing transparent man - “shove” cool soul asylum cover from dekalb illinois :)) the vindictives “eating me alive” midwests only!! the judys - “radiation squirm” gulfs only!! frogpond - “sleep” flipp - “rock-n-roll star” throwing muses - “red shoes” everclear - “santa monica” throwing muses on summerland??? mekons - “atone & forsaken” holidays - “take me home country roads” this is a good tone to lead up to killdozer... true believers - “all mixed up again” prince - “adore” beulah - “queen of the populists” eveclear - “rocky mountain high” (99x live acoustic--I don’t have a date for this actually) of montreal - “dustin hoffman thinks about eating the soap” heatmiser - “stray” rickie lee jones - “woody and dutch on the slow train to peking” tar - “viaduct removal” common rider - “carry on” the frogs - “u bastards” mudhoney - “this gift” hammerbox - “outside” fuck my mom would have loved this song if it had gotten the airplay it deserved in 1993... hammerbox on summerland!!!! letters to cleo - “little rosa” kay hanley on summerland!! nine pound hammer “wrongside of the road” hanson - “with you in your dreams” (3cg demo) hamson on summerland!!! fastbacks - “555, pt. 1″ again... fastbacks on summerland!!! face to face - “sensible” soul asylum - “happy” soul asylum on summerland!!!! television - “see no evil” pinq - “careful not to mention the obvious” the dickies - “nights in white satin” tar - “mel’s” truly - “chlorine” babes in toyland - “deep song” hole - “berry” hellbender - “half driven” hammerhead  - “new york? ...alone?” everclear - “malevolent” guzzard - “last”  archers of loaf - “tatyana” hum - “stars” hum on summerland die kreuzen - “don’t say please” this is not fair joanna newsom - “sadie” down by law - “peace, love and understanding” nirvana - “aneurysm” (1990 demo) hovercraft - “endoradiosonde” modest mouse - “cowboy dan” rage against the machine - “born of a broken man” skatalites - “scandal ska” pylon - “driving school” the vindictives - “babysitter” jimmy eat world - “ten” the get up kids - “lowercase west thomas” oh we’re doing this now? hot rod circuit - “knees” fine triple fast action - “the rescue” FINE  full disclosure i do skip emo diaries tracks at my discretion the amps - “bragging party” everclear - “am radio” this is not fair mxpx - “middlename” MXPX ON SUMMERLAND chokebore - “your let down” bob dylan - “you’re a big girl now” helmet - “primitive” pond - “filterless” blink-182 - “all the small things” local h - “ralph” tar - “over and out” pearl jam - “black” the gits - “sniveling little rat faced git” local h - “eddie vedder” >:) tar - “flow plow” i always misremember this as a subpop single so i’m like “i’m not amphetamine reptile biased?” but it was an a/r release, lol. brad wood produced it. lake michigan as hell  unicorns - “jellybones” this song makes me sad ever since i didn’t get to adopt the jellybones cat oblivion - “clark” desmond dekker - “jeserene” veruca salt - “one last time” veruca salt on summerland!!!! dead moon - “dead moon night” extremely dead moon on summerland fishbone - “i like to hide behind my glasses” dead moon - “on my own” paw - “sleeping bag” tar - “goethe” doc dart - “casket with flowers” smashing pumpkins - “zero” i don’t want billy corgan on summerland and i am sorry for that kicking giant - “&” kicking giant on summerland lmao shockabilly - “pile up all architecture” ween - “sorry charlie” sublime - “april 29, 1992 (miami)” heatmiser - “blackout” the clash - “pressure drop” hellbender - “pissant’s retrospective” the queers - “i won’t be” the vindictives - “circles” the beat farmers - “selfish heart” screaming trees - “end of the universe” 7 year bitch - “second hand” bourgeois filth - “above” nirvana - “scoff” the breeders - “cannonball” saturday looks good to me - “save my life” cara beth satalino - “good ones” communique - “dagger version” soul asylum - “sometime to return” sublime - “jailhouse” tullycraft - “twee” nuns - “wild” beyonce - “countdown” the replacements - “sixteen blue” living colour - “what’s your favorite color” britney - “why should i be sad” mdc - “church and state” alice in chains - “junkhead” rage against the machine - “mic check” everclear - “nervous and weird” soundgarden - “fresh tendrils” helmet - “army of me” the gits - “it all dies anyway” pansy division - “smells like queer spirit” mtx - “i’d do anything for you” 5 year sentence - “just a punk” pennywise - “nothing” mudhoney - “thirteenth floor opening” yesterday’s kids - “eighteen” mxpx - “punk rawk show” small brown bike - “zerosum” incubus - “trouble in 421″ hanson - “speechless” incubus - “circles” dead moon - “my time has come” (!!!!) first of all is this killdozer blink-182 - “here’s your letter” everclear - “electra made me blind” (nervous & weird take) saves the day - “through being cool” groovie ghoulies - “don’t go out into the rain (you’re gonna melt)” babes in toyland - “never” husker du - “target” guzzard - “biro” fairweather - “next day flight” mcr - “house of wolves” broadcast - “until then” liz phair - “never said” the dicks - “rich daddy” quasi - “the iron worm” mustard plug - “not again” janitor joe - “boyfriend” snapcase - “new academy” neil young - “someday” blindsided - “spaceman” placebo - “without you i’m nothing” the creeps - “lakeside cabin” solomon grundy - “time is not your own” the clash - “the card cheat” silversun pickups - “common reactor” lagwagon - “leave the light on” denali - “where i landed” system of a down - “highway song” sprinkler - “personality doll” the vindictives - “structure and function” unplugged” the queers - “ursula finally has tits” we’re entering no repeats territory  buffalo springfield - “expecting to fly” hit squad - “pictures of matchstick men” cows - “almost a god” hop along - “young and happy” pixies - “i’ve been tired” the fall - “spoilt victorian child” camper van chadbourne - “knock on the door” queens of the stone age - “tension head” choking victim - “war story” cool that we have gotten to drop by the greatest song ever recorded :) guttermount - “happy loving couples” audio karate - “nintendo 89″ tad - “pork chop” the kelley deal 6000 - “where did the home team go” colorfinger - “hateful” :} man or astroman - “evil plans of planet spectra” pere ubu - “arabian nights” accepting repeats for  new found glory - “my friends over you” cool moving on american steel - “optimist” tom petty & the heartbreakers - “even the losers” meat puppets - “another moon” black cat music - “wine in a box” wallside - “ready” crucifucks - “pig in a blanket” the bananas - “my charmed life”

KILLDOZER - “EARL SCHEIB,” UNCOMPROMISING WAR ON ART UNDER THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE PROLETARIAT, 1994. KILLDOZER ON SUMMERLAND

[chaosamplified]

1: the meaning behind my url: chaoSAMplified. because it has Sam in it and Sam is my name (half of my name? I have 2 names now) and also because I thought I was really cool when I made it

2: a picture of me: my profile pic

3: how many tattoos I have and what they are: I have 0 currently

4: last time I cried and why: Wednesday because I was drunk and I listened to Mariana’s Trench

5: piercings I have: 2 lobe piercings in each ear but i only wear them in 1 ear

6: favorite band: Fall Out Boy

7: biggest turn offs: Republicanism

8: top 5 (insert subject): Anon didn’t give me a subject. Feel free to give me subjects lmao

9: tattoos I want: I want to get my t date on my arm (once I have a t date), something large on my left thigh and a lil ghost somewhere

10: biggest turn ons: I don’t even know I’ve had the same crush for like 5 years and the one other person I’ve had a crush on since then (maybe still do? Idk) is veryyyyy similar to him so uh. I literally don’t know

11: age: 18, 19 in 17 days!

12: ideas of a perfect date: Realistically like going to cedar point together just the two of us, idealistically like going on a week long road trip to the other side of the country and visiting the ocean

13: life goal: Get a Grammy

14: piercings I want: I don’t think I want any more

15: relationship status: Single and trying too hard

16: favorite movie: Nobody has an actual answer to this question. I guess I’d say The Imitation Game

17: a fact about my life: I had a personal protection order against someone at age 12? Idk

18: phobia: I’m a fearless bitch

19: middle name: Alexander 🤙

20: height: 5’1” for all of eternity

21: are you a virgin: Virginity is a social construct developed to slut shame women. Also as a Gay Trans that word has very little meaning at all

22: what’s your shoe size: 7

23: what’s your sexual orientation: We just went through this. Gay

24: do you smoke, drink, or take any drugs: I have smoked weed but don’t really enjoy it, never smoked cigarettes, yes drink, have lots of prescription drugs

25: someone you miss: Max :(

26: what’s one thing you regret: Not talking to my mom for 6 months in 2012

27: first celebrity you think of when someone says attractive: First of all I think of a person I know, not a celebrity. But Halsey is hot as hell. I’m so gay but Halsey man

28: favorite ice cream: Raspberry

29: one insecurity: b o o b

30: what my last text message says: From me: yeah no prob 🙂👍. From someone else: ok cool thank u lol

31: have you ever taken a picture naked: hnnnnng yeah

32: have you ever painted your room: I didn’t but my dad and sister painted mine while I was in France

33: have you ever kissed a member of the same gender: (I’m using gender instead of sex because sex is fucky): Yes a couple of ems

34: have you ever slept naked: Of course

35: have you ever danced in front of your mirror: Every single time I drink if I’m being honest

36: have you ever had a crush: Always

37: have you ever been dumped: Lots of times :-)

38: have you ever stole money from a friend: No but Charlie paid for a ton of my laundry once and I still have to pay him back

39: have you ever gotten in a car with people you just met: YES my boyfriend at the time was about to leave me at this place outside after an event but instead I got in this van with a whole bunch of his friends I didn’t know it was a mess

40: have you ever been in a fist fight: No I’m a bottom

41: have you ever snuck out of the house: Only once and it was to go with max to meijer at midnight and he bought a nerf gun and we shot at each other in his car in the michaels parking lot until like 2am and I have absolutely no regrets it’s still one of the best days of my life

42: have you ever had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back: I’m gonna say yes but also I’m not entirely sure how he feels so like. Probably yes

43: have you ever been arrested: No

44: have you ever made out with a stranger: No

45: have you ever met up with a member of the opposite gender somewhere: Yeah Alessandra and I just had lunch the other day. Jk I know what this is implying and I’m extremely gay and also no

46: have you ever left the house without telling your parents: This is the same as number 41

47: have you ever had a crush on your neighbor: Define neighbor?

48: have you ever ditched school to do something more fun: On my 16th birthday I stayed home so my dads girlfriend at the time could give me blonde highlights (yikes)

49: have you ever slept in a bed with a member of the same gender: Yeah

50: have you ever seen someone die: No

51: have you ever been on a plane: Yes!

52: have you ever kissed a picture: Yikes probably

53: have you ever slept until 3: I hate that you say this like it’s a challenge, I do this at least 4 times a month

54: have you ever loved someone or miss someone right now: Yes and yes

55: have you ever laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by: Yes

56: have you ever made a snow angel: Yes

57: have you ever played dress up: It was my favorite thing when I was little (plot twist I’m trans now)

58: have you ever cheated while playing a game: Probably (ps I lose)

59: have you ever been lonely: Always

60: have you ever fallen asleep at work/school: So many times

61: have you ever been to a club: Yeah Lio and I went to Necto once lol

62: have you ever felt an earthquake: Yes! I was 5 and in California

63: have you ever touched a snake: Yes

64: have you ever ran a red light: I hope not

65: have you ever been suspended from school: No

66: have you ever had detention: No

67: have you ever been in a car accident: Yes but it wasn’t that bad, the car was totaled but everyone was fine

68: have you ever hated the way you look: Everyday babee

69: have you ever witnessed a crime: Yeah

70: have you ever pole danced: No

71: have you ever been lost: In a figurative or literal way? The answer to both is yes

72: have you ever been to the opposite side of the country: Yes I’ve been to California

73: have you ever felt like dying: Haha yeah

74: have you ever cried yourself to sleep: What are these questions of course I have

75: have you ever sang karaoke: Not in front of more than like 3 people

76: have you ever done something you told yourself you wouldn’t: So many times lol yeet

77: have you ever laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose: YES

78: have you ever slept with someone at least 5 years older or younger: No

79: have you ever kissed in the rain: I’m trying to remember but I don’t think so?

80: have you ever sang in the shower: I’m a little bit shook myself by this but I honestly don’t think so?

81: have you ever made out in a park: Yes would recommend

82: have you ever dreamt that you married someone: Not like literally dreams no

83: have you ever glued your hand to something: Lol what no

84: have you ever got your tongue stuck to a flag pole: No gross

85: have you ever gone to school partially naked: No what

86: have you ever been a cheerleader: No but I used to say it’s what I wanted to be when I grew up lol

87: have you ever sat on a rooftop: Unfortunately no

88: have you ever brushed your teeth: Yes?????

89: have you ever been too scared to watch scary movies alone: Not too scared but I don’t really like watching any movies alone

90: have you ever played chicken: Like the water game? Yes with max and his sisters it was honestly a grand time

91: have you ever been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on: No but goals

92: have you ever been told you’re hot but a complete stranger: Yes I’ve been on tinder

93: have you ever broken a bone: Nope

94: have you ever been easily amused: A friend told me the other day that I laugh at everything

95: have you ever laughed so hard you cried: Of course

96: have you ever mooned/flashed someone: No consent is important

97: have you ever cheated on a test: If you say you haven’t you’re a liar

98: have you ever forgotten someone’s name: Yep

99: have you ever met someone who didn’t seem real: Do you mean like too good to be real or like I’m dissociating and they literally don’t seem real cuz uhh

100: give us one thing about you that nobody knows: I’m alone in a room with a stranger in a bed that’s not my own (jk listen to my song Matches on YouTube https://youtu.be/Q-SGbIjLYEI)

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

10 questions.

I was tagged again by both @kagetsukai and @star--nymph and I like procrastinating so I’m going to do both.

Answer 10 questions, come up with ten more...leave the rules here...yaddda yadda.

@kagetsukai‘s questions

1. What country of Thedas (other than Orlais or Ferelden) would you like to visit

Really any place we haven’t seen in game. Like they all sound cool. I really want to know what Ostwick is like since my quiz is from there though.

2. What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or not)?

frozen margarita, amaretto sour, kahlua and cream and green tea. I can’t pick one favorite alcoholic beverage. 

3. What country would you want to visit the most?

Been to France and Italy but I dream of going back EVERY DAY. A place I haven’t been but want to be is London England. 

4. What is your favorite dish?

Gyro plate with a Greek salad and feta cheese. Tzaiki sauce on the side.

5. What language would you want to know?

French. ASL

6. What is your favorite word in English?

celestial, amethyst, idiosyncrasy.  

7. What superpower would you want to have?

Teleporting. 

8. If you could have magic in Thedas, what would you want to specialize in?

Knight Enchanter because magical sword is magical. 

9. What skill of yours would be most beneficial to Inquisition if you suddenly got transported to Thedas?

No clue. I would probably die. Maybe I could help Josephine write letters to nobles?

10. What kind of person are you: city, suburban, or countryside?

City. I like all three but I love being in the center of culture and being around lots of eclectic people.

@star--nymph‘s questions

1. What’s your dream job?

Lecturer and teacher at a university 

2. What’s your favorite fairy tale?

The Little Mermaid. I love the Disney movie but the original fairy tale is also great. Also beauty and the beast.

3. You wake up in an unknown room by yourself and the only door is locked. What’s the first thing you do to try to escape?

Kick the door open

4. What’s your least favorite book in the whole world?

OH MAKER. My sweet audrina by VC Andrews. Also 50 shades of grey sucks, as does Breaking Dawn the last twilight book. Blah.

5. What’s your favorite flower?

I like peonies, gardenia, and the smell of jasmine is heavenly. 

6. Did you have a favorite place to as a child that your parents took you to? What is it and can you still get to it today or is it just stuck as a childhood memory now?

You know I’m stumped. Maybe six flags the theme park? I went there sometimes as a kid and always had a good time. Later on though I worked at the same park and dealt with annoying costumers in the pizza restaurant, so now I’m a little disillusioned by it, though it’s still fun.

7. Where you in a fandom before this one?

Oh boy. When I was a younging (like 7) I was obsessed with the phantom of the opera. “Fandom” didn’t exist like it does today but if it did, I would have been a part of it. Later on in my Sailor Moon phase I would spend hours looking it up on the internet. Then again though, fandom wasn’t really a thing. I used to lurk in the tom hiddleston fandom on tumblr some years later, and when DAI came out I would come on here, look at pictures of Cullen, lurk, and fangirl privately. then when I wanted to share my fic with the world I was a lurker no longer.

8. You’ve been invited to join a nerf gun war in your house. How many nerf guns and what kind do you equip yourself with?

I don’t really know. A water one? Maybe just one?

9. What’s a really weird thing you’re into?

Most of the music I listen to is from the sixties and seventies, and I also really like French music. 

10. You have your choice of any un-romancable character in DA to romance in DA4. Any one. Who do you pick?

RYLEN. GIVE ME THAT STARKHAVEN BOOTY

guys I’m lazy I can’t think of 10 questions but thanks for the tag!

[iwrotemywayto-revolution]

Inconceivable

Request: okay I can’t find it but basically it asked for jefferson cheating on the reader and the reader going to the rest of the hamilsquad for comfort.

Pairings: past Jefferson x reader, platonic hamilsquad x reader

Warnings: cheating, mac n cheese, some swearing in multiple languages, the title is a reference to the princess bride

Word count: 1,851

A/N: I tried to make the reader gender neutral, so I hope that worked! Also fils de pute is french for son of a bitch and mierda is spanish for shit.

--

It was a warm Friday afternoon and you were exhausted but happy when you finished work early. You checked your watch as you headed towards the subway station, figuring you had enough time to grab something special for dinner. 

Maybe some of the mac n cheese from the little restaurant on the corner, you decided. Thomas would be home and you wanted to surprise him. 

You and Thomas had been together for two years, ever since you met at one of the Schuyler sisters’ galas. He had insisted on getting you a drink and inviting you to dance to whatever pop song had been blasting out through the speakers in sharp contrast to the couples waltzing on the dance floor.

-

“That’s not even slightly right, Alex,” you pointed out, “If you completely dismantle a system you have to have something in place to pick up the pieces-”

Alex looked like he was about to argue back when someone behind you caught his attention. “Thomas,” he glared. You glanced over your shoulder, catching a glimpse of a bright purple-y pink coat and a halo of dark hair. 

“What are you being wrong about today, Hamilton?” Thomas asked smoothly, idly stirring some kind of cocktail. “Is it everything?”

Alex straightened. “I was being right,” he snapped, “about how much nicer this conversation was before you joined it.”

You laughed and waved as Alex turned to go. “See you later,” you called after him. He grumbled something incoherent in return and you rolled your eyes, heading towards the bar. Thomas followed you.

“What’s someone cute like you doing in a place like this?” Thomas asked, raising an eyebrow. You snorted, surprised at his attentions. People like him didn’t generally try terrible pick up lines on people like you.

“Getting a drink,” you said, accepting your glass from the bartender. 

“Might I join you?” He extended his hand, “Thomas Jefferson.”

“Y/N L/N,” you shook it. “Nice to meet you.”

-

A small French take-out place around the corner from your office made the only non-homemade mac n cheese that Thomas would eat. You waved at the owner, Jean, as you entered and went to order from your friend Lafayette, who was working there on his evenings off. 

“Hey Laf,” you grinned.

“Y/N!” He leaned over the counter to give you a clumsy hug, “What can I get you?”

You pretended to consider the menu, “Mac n cheese for Thomas.” 

Lafayette’s nose crinkled. “A travesty,” he muttered, voicing the general opinion of Thomas’ love for the cheesy pasta, “and France’s only mistake.”

“I’ll come over to yours with the leftovers tomorrow,” you teased. “I promised I’d come over to wake your hungover asses up anyway.”

Laf made a face and called your order through to the kitchen. “There will be no leftovers,” he pointed out, “because Thomas will eat it all. But don’t you dare bring that near our beautiful apartment.”

Jean came out of the kitchen, mac n cheese in a styrofoam box. Lafayette took it and slid it into a paper bag for you to take. You pulled out your wallet and paid. “See you tomorrow,” you waved as you left. 

You hurried down the stairs to the subway, just making your train.

--

You unlocked the door and headed into your apartment. You couldn’t hear Thomas, so you guessed he must still be at work. His schedule varied so much that he could be home at two in the afternoon one day and ten at night the next. 

You slipped off your shoes, shrugged off your jacket, and went to dump the mac n cheese on the side. Yanking out your phone, you fired off a quick text to Thomas.

To: Thomas

I got something nice for dinner- when are you getting home?

You heard the familiar ping of Thomas’ text tone and frowned. Had he left his phone at home again? Wandering through to the bedroom, you kept an eye out for it. It would be just like him, you thought fondly, he would forget his head if it wasn’t attached to his body.

You pushed open the door to your room and headed in, clicking Thomas’ number so you could find the phone by the dial tone. 

It rang and you heard Summertime start to play somewhere. You looked up and your mouth fell open. Thomas was in bed with someone else. You still held the phone to your ear, and it was still ringing. 

“Thomas?” you asked, feeling very far away.

He sat up, clutching the sheet to his chest as though it would hide what had been going on. Beside him, a guy sat up, wearing one of Thomas’ shirts half buttoned. 

“Y/N-” Thomas gasped “this isn’t-”

“You’re a dick,” you choked out. You stalked forward and punched him in the jaw, before whirling round and all but running out, pausing only to grab your jacket and keys. You let the door slam shut behind you and were dialling Lafayette before the elevator doors had even closed.

“Hey Y/N!” Laf said cheerily as he picked up, “Good timing- I just finished my shift-”

“I’m coming over,” you interrupted, surprised at how steady your voice was. Damn, you wanted to throw something. All you could see was Thomas’ surprise when you found him, your mind replaying the moment when the guy beside him sat up in bed, curly hair in disarray and mouth kiss-swollen. 

Thankful that you had forgotten to take your key for Laf and Alex’s apartment out of your jacket, you all but ran down the street towards their building. People gave you weird looks as you passed them, and you could hear Laf’s concerned voice in your ear.

You hung up and clicked the buzzer that was neatly labelled “G. Lafayette and A. Hamilton” and waited. When they had first moved in, you remembered Lafayette trying to fit his whole name onto the label, and Alex complaining.

-

“It’s a stupid name!” Alex said childishly, ripping up their third paper slip, “And it won’t fit.” 

Lafayette drew himself up to his full height. “Nobody calls Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette stupid.”

“Nobody’s got the time,” you pointed out, and handed them both a coffee. John followed you through from the kitchen, two more coffees in hand. You had agreed to help them unpack and get started on setting up, but so far they had mostly bickered about where to put things. 

“You do realise we’re all going to end up living here?” John pointed out as he hopped up to sit on the counter, “This place is fucking brilliant.”

Laf only raised an eyebrow and sipped his coffee. “I would hope so.”

-

You unlocked the door and walked into their apartment. Shrugging off your coat, you threw it over the back of one of the chairs in the kitchen.

“Y/N!” Hercules yelled, pulling you into a crushing but brief hug. “It’s been ages since you’ve got your ass over here.”

You grinned. You could never stay sad around Herc. “It’s not my fault you’re always out when I come over.”

“We put the game on,” Herc said, and you followed him over to the couch. Laf patted the space beside him and you threw yourself down between him and Alex.

“What happened?” Laf asked, “You said you were not coming tonight- you bought that mac n cheese-”

You swallowed thickly. “I wasn’t going to. But when I got home, Thomas was in bed with some guy-”

“Oh mon chou,” Lafayette sighed sadly, “I’m sorry.”

Alex walked through, empty mug in hand. He’d been working on an article all day- you could tell by the crease in his shirt from where he leaned against the desk and the way he blinked in the light of the living room. “What’s happened?”

“Thomas- that fils de pute- has been cheating on Y/N,” Laf explained just as John walked through.

“Mierda,” he breathed. “That dick.”

Alex looked furious and picked up his laptop. “I’ll fight him-” he promised, sitting down beside you and opening twitter, “by tomorrow no one in the whole country will want to touch him-”

“Thanks,” you laughed, gently closing the lid, “but I’ll settle for watching a movie with you guys and forgetting about it.”

“You sure?” John asked, looking worried. You nodded and he settled on a bean-bag beside Herc, who had already opened a bag of crisps. He offered them round as Laf stuck The Princess Bride in the DVD player.

You let yourself relax, focusing on the screen. Alex rested his head on your shoulder, muttering under his breath about what he would tell Jefferson at work on Monday. 

Laf unfolded a blanket and threw it over the three of you, then threw a spare cushion at John. It hit his head and, without a pause, he turned and threw it back.

You laughed and joined it, throwing one at Herc, who smoothly ducked without looking away from the screen. “Terrible aim, Y/N,” he said.

“Oh?” you grinned, “test me with a nerf gun and you’ll regret it-”

Herc shook his head. “No one will risk you with a nerf gun,” Laf pointed out, stealing a handful of crisps from Herc, “we value our lives.”

--

Alex fell asleep first, snoring softly into your shoulder. Laf went next, draping himself across your lap, his hair coming out of its bun. “So much for a late night,” John laughed, “they didn’t even make it to the end of The Princess Bride.”

He got up and took the DVD out, stuffing it back into the case. Herc stretched, groaning as his muscles popped. “What should we do about them?” you asked, nodding to Alex and Laf.

“We’ll all pile on my bed,” John decided, slipping an arm around Alex and lifting him up. Alex grumbled but clung onto John, curling his fingers into John’s shirt. Herc helped Laf up and the two of you helped him stumble down the hall to John’s room.

John’s bed was massive. He set Alex down on it and disappeared to get pyjamas for him. Herc disappeared to get his and Laf’s, and you were left to stop Alex falling back asleep.

John came back with two pairs, handing you a blue set. “I think those might fit you,” he offered, and you left to get changed. 

Everyone was changed by the time you got back. Alex was in the middle of the bed, still holding onto John, who had curled up beside him. Laf flopped down and Herc lay beside him. You squeezed in and tugged at the duvet so some was covering you.

“Night,” you said sleepily as you reached to turn out the light.

“Night,” came a muffled reply. You lay down and closed your eyes, thankful to have your friends with you, knowing you would have spent the night alone and angry if you had stayed home.

Now you knew that Herc and Laf would go back to your apartment with you in the morning and help you either kick Thomas out or collect your stuff. Alex would roast him on twitter in a fifty-one part rant, and John would make your favourite food for dinner.

It was more than enough.

[actutrends]

GamesBeat managing editor Jason Wilson’s favorite games of 2019

Each year, it gets harder to nail down my favorite games of the past season. Part of this is because there are just so many studios putting out fantastic games. The rise of live-service games plays a role here, too — each year, the living games I enjoy seem to get better and take up more of my life. I can’t think of a better time to enjoy games, and as my compatriots at GamesBeat have shown, this year has had such an amazing amount of quality — be it on PC (my favorite platform), consoles like the PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch (portable mode is a godsend for role-playing games), or my phone. Here’re my favorite games of 2019. Note: These aren’t the games I consider to be “the best.” The most important factor is how much I enjoy playing them (and, increasingly, how much my kids enjoy watching me play them). The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds can be gorgeous.

Obsidian Entertainment is one of my favorite studios. It’s made three of my most-played RPGs of the past 15 years — Neverwinter Nights 2 (and its expansions), and the two Pillars of Eternity games. The Outer Worlds is different than these. You’re running around a system of planets that are at the mercy of a group of greedy, power-hungry corporations. It’s a capitalist dystopia, but it’s a funny one. And it skewers a world in which plutocrats, not people, run things. It also comes with a good character-building system, and its loading screens show off fantastic pieces of art (some of which only shows up based on your decisions). It wears its Fallout influence on its power armor (its makers include some of that landmark RPG’s creators). The Outer Worlds will also leave an important legacy for Obsidian: a fantastic finish to its run as an independent game studio. Pokémon Shield

Dynamax Pokémon loom over the battlefield.

Image Credit: GamesBeat

Years ago, I wrote about how much I hated Pokémon when I tried Red, the then-new release for the Nintendo 3DS. But last year, Let’s Go: Pikachu captured my heart. I credit part of this to my children, who love the TV series and the cards. Yet the game has plenty to recommend it. It’s cheery, and the way so many of its characters are supportive of you and each other is touching in an age where so many people seek to just tear everyone and everything down. It’s also fun to find all these new Pokémon, use the Dynamaxx power to turn them into giant monsters, watch them evolve, and explore the world. My favorite part, though, had little to do with the gameplay. Every time we encountered a new Pokémon, my kids would look it up in their books, helping me find its vulnerabilities and plotting how I should set up my team. Pokémon’s better when we’re playing like this, together. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

There are fouler things than Imperial Stormtroopers in the deep places of the world.

Image Credit: Respawn

Respawn created new worlds and characters in Jedi: Fallen Order. It nailed how I’ve long thought a Jedi should feel in a game. Using your Jedi powers and lightsabers to smash through legions of stormtroopers just feels right. Mixing in metroidvania-like levels gives players plenty of places to explore, and I enjoyed going back to different worlds in key moments of the story (like your second time on Kashyyyk). But most important, it creates a compelling, sympathetic character in the Second Sister, showing that a servant of the Sith can be more than an evil person with a lightsaber. My only quibble: I wish Respawn’s easier modes made it, well, easier to deal with some of the challenging platforming sections, not just nerfing combat. Mistover This is a fantastic spin on Darkest Dungeon and Etrian Odyssey from Krafton, a small team inside the larger Krafton Game Union group. You start in a town, recruit a party, get quests, and outfit your crew. This is where it feels like Etrian Odyssey. But in town, you open up different buildings as you accomplish quests, the first of its many Darkest Dungeon influences. Food and light play a role in the exploration as well. Once you’re in a dungeon, moving around becomes more like a traditional roguelike. For every move you make, the monsters move as well. Combat is strategic as well, as your formations and the abilities you choose matter on the battlefield. It’s a fantastic take on roguelikes, and it’s worth playing. Grindstone

Grindstone is a clever puzzler in which you slay monsters by drawing lines for your buffed-up brawler.

Image Credit: Capy Games

Capy’ Games Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes and Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery are two of my all-time favorite mobile games. So when Grindstone hit Apple Arcade earlier this year, I had to check it out. And when it debuted, I spent about 2 hours playing it. It reminds me of Clash of Heroes in how you line up enemies to slay. It’s a puzzler. You draw a line from your warrior through groups of baddies. It’s simple enough that young children can understand it, but it gets complex enough that it becomes a real challenge to accomplish every map’s goal. It’s fantastic, and I think it’s the best game on Apple Arcade. Magic: The Gathering — Arena

The Brawl decks I’ve settled on during the final day of the event.

Image Credit: GamesBeat

Two years ago, I had no idea I’d love Magic. Now, I play it almost every day thanks to Arena. It’s a fantastic adaptation of the granddaddy of all collectible card games. I’ve learned to play every color, and I’ve even had success beating tuned netdecks with creations of my own. I’ve become a better-than-average draft player as well, and when publisher Wizards of the Coast introduced Brawl, I not only found myself making decks in Arena but with my growing cardboard-card collection as well. Earlier this year, Arena left its open-beta status. The game still has some problems. Most days, you’ll find someone on Reddit complaining about performance issues. Wizards’ monetization tactics are annoying — more than once now, it has introduced an idea (such as the 2-to-1 wild card crafting cost for Historic cards), then changed it after outcry from players. Right now, it’s charging 10,000 in-game gold for a month-long Brawl event, and while you do get one special card as a reward, it’s pretty much charging you to play what I and others consider to be Arena’s best format. That sucks, as Brawl should be a format we can play in a queue, not just in a friendly challenge, at any time. But despite these issues, Arena has proven to be the best way to play Magic when you can’t shuffle cards with your friends. And that’s pretty awesome. Hearthstone

There be dragons!

Image Credit: Blizzard

Year 5 of Blizzard Entertainment’s free-to-play collectible card game might be its best yet. Hearthstone’s development team has been more active this year than ever before, introducing a flurry of prompt card changes to fix problems, better in-game events, its first new mode in years (Battlegrounds, which is pretty dang good), and a willingness to try new things (like the recent Wild event or Arena rotations). It’s even telling better stories with its expansions. Like Magic, Blizzard has stumbled some this year. During its Wild event, it didn’t do anything to address the power of Evolve Shaman, which drove many players (like me) away from Standard and into other modes like Battlegrounds … or spending more time with other games. And its handling of the Hong Kong situation was clumsier than a newborn calf trying to stand up for the first time. But even with those problems, Hearthstone feels more vibrant now than any time since its first expansion. And that’s a good thing for Blizzard and its millions of players worldwide. Dragon Quest Builders 2

Even the quest lines have punny names in Dragon Quest Builders 2.

Image Credit: GamesBeat

I’ve never been able to get into Minecraft. I know it’s fabulous. My kids love it. But I like a little more direction, and I get this from Square Enix’s Dragon Quest Builders series. In the sequel, you’re building your way to defeating a great evil. It’s charming, and as you finish off quests, you open up more building materials and options. It has most of the fun of a Dragon Quest game, but with a sandbox openness. It’s neat, and it’s even more fun when you play with kids. Disco Elysium

Disco Elysium is like no other RPG that came out this year … or in any recent year.

Image Credit: ZA/UM

This might be the trippiest RPG I’ve ever played, and I dig it. You play a detective coming off a bender, trying to solve the mystery of a hanged man left on a tree. It doesn’t have combat, really. You face decisions in conversations you have with the characters around you (and in your head). The system revolves on skill checks in conversations and reactions to the words you and others use, not weapons, warriors, or wizards. It’s fascinating, and it developer ZA/UM delivers something I’ve rarely seen in my decades of gaming: an RPG where choice, not combat, matters the most. A Plague’s Tale: Innocence

A Plague’s Tale: Innocence is a fascinating game.

Image Credit: Asobo Studio

I’ve been fascinated with this game since seeing it at E3 in 2017. It’s from Asobo Studio in France, and it’s about a 15-year-old girl and her younger brother surviving during a horrible plague afflicting France. And rats. Swarms of rats. Millions and millions of rats. The pair must use stealth to escape an inquisition that’s after them … and may be at the center of the plague. It’s a terrific, terrifying story, and it has the bonus of capturing the repulsiveness rats and magnifying it into a game that both fascinates and disgusts. It’s unique. Honorable mentions Code Vein Etrian Odyssey: Nexus Iratus: Lord of the Dead Metro: Exodus MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Path of Exile Queen’s Wish: The Conqueror Slay the Spire The Surge 2

The post GamesBeat managing editor Jason Wilson’s favorite games of 2019 appeared first on Actu Trends.

[whatupwiththelists]

List Christmas Letter 2018

Dearest Family & Friends,

I’m going to cut right to the chase. YES. I managed to hold down a job at the same place for more than a year. I’m still with Kijiji. Feel free to keep reading if you wish, but honestly that little nugget of information is by far the highlight of the letter. Like... by far.  

I’m not sure I agree with your decision to continue reading, but I will respect it. Here we go…

I should also note that some of you may not have received a letter last year. We decided to try something new to determine our mailing list. We took all of the names of our closest friends and family (all of you) and then we simply didn’t write a letter. In hindsight, the fact that you may not have received a letter probably has less to do with the mailing list and more to do with our lack of writing it. Hmmm. We may need to reflect on this more. On the plus side, the fact that you’re reading this, is an indication that a letter was in fact written for 2018. Further to being written, it must have also been shared with you in some way. Magical!

So what’s new with us? 2 years of awesomeness!!! That’s what!

We’re still happy and healthy. Physically that is. Mentally we’re a mess, but if you’re on this mailing list you know us well enough that this info won’t surprise you.

Lucy is still at TELUS. For another few days at least. She moved from the Koodo team in 2017 to become a superstar at TELUS. There she created a very successful design system and was flown to Vancouver these past couple of summers to be on a panel with brands like Google, Twitter  and Shopify to talk about their success. Speaking of Shopify, she’s starting to work there in January. She did such a great job creating TELUS’ design system, that Shopify asked her to help them with their new marketing design system. It’s a great opportunity, but in truth, she’s moving so that she’s working closer to me (literally 300m away). There is also the added perk of catered breakfasts AND lunches. Guess who’s visiting her at work twice a day, every day?? (it’s me).

She was also in Vancouver for a half marathon last summer. She amazes me. With almost no training she wasn’t far off her best time. Running a half marathon cold at 41 years old (note that awesome rhyme)… an interesting choice but she completed it, and after an afternoon nap she was as good as new. I joined her in Vancouver as well to celebrate our anniversary. We had a blast exploring Stanley Park, The Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain (yes, we did the Grind), and Whistler/Blackcomb. We really had a great time. Where were the kids you ask? All we know is that they weren’t with us and we’ll leave it at that.

For me, seeing Lucy run the half marathon last year,  inspired me to get into running this year. I decided that I wanted to run a fast 10k (under 40 minutes). I was excited to finish a MEC 10k in 39:17 and 2 weeks later I ran a 19:11 5k which was also a personal best. Sorry if these numbers mean nothing to you, but for runners, our numbers define us :) In 2019 I’ve set some bigger goals. I’ll be running 2 full marathons (one in Ottawa in May and the other in Toronto in October) and I’m going to try and finish one in less than 3 hours. It’s a lofty goal that I’ve been considering for literally 15 years. Age isn’t on my side, but wisdom and a healthy dose of enthusiasm is. Lucy thinks I’m obsessed. Guess there could be worse obsessions...

As mentioned, I’m still with Kijiji. If you use Kijiji and like some of the things that have happened over the past few years, it was probably me. If not, well, best not to talk about it. For those of you in the UK, I know a few of the Gumtree Product Managers so if you’re upset about anything please let me know. I’d love to give them a hard time. I also need to state that I’m just a little bit famous at eBay Classifieds. The CEO of eBay visited the Kijiji office and I gave him a demo of our new homepage. Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it an article was written, I was quoted as it being a career highlight on the eBay internal blog even though I wasn’t even interviewed, and a picture of me pointing at my screen turned into a bit of a phenomenon. Branded Jerememe, “Jeremy Pointing” is now my claim to fame.

Our side gig (Me in a Nutshell) we launched 2 years ago is now fully on life support. We have seen slow and steady growth. The problem, is that it’s really, really slow. For those of you who can't remember what its was about from our christmas letter 2 years ago.. you're essentially looking at it. Our family page was built using the product. Me in a Nutshell (meinanutshell.com) is still kicking and we’re hopeful that at some point somebody famous will create a page to give us the kick start we need. Wishful thinking, but unfortunately at this point, wishful thinking is our best marketing plan ;)

I’m going to talk about kids now so feel free to skip to the end...

Sophie turned 6 this summer but she’s still super cute despite her old age. She dresses herself every day and, holy smoke, she’s creative. Some of her outfits are really quite amazing. Who knew you could have that many patterns & colours at the same time?

She was in gymnastics last year with Cadence, but both girls have decided to take a pause and focus on ice skating. They’re in lessons every Saturday and all the kids love it… well at least for now. Stay tuned.

She also learned to ride her bike this summer and is a superstar on 2 wheels. My job as a father is officially done now that all 3 kids can ride a bike. I may come back part time to help the kids with their running form, but at this point Lucy has been advised not to expect any significant help from me moving forward. Mic drop.

Cadence is still very much into drawing, painting, and anything crafty. Especially slime! Sigh. She’s addicted to making slime.  We have no shortage of slime supplies and little containers with slime scattered throughout the house. Green slime, blue slime, we have every slime you could possibly imagine. Seriously, if you need slime please call me. If you can get it out of the carpet/clothes/hair/teeth, it’s all yours.

My personal favourite “Cadence craft” has turned into a bit of a tradition. Every holiday she will lead the family to create window art. It started off as some quick sketches, then focused on Taylor Swift, but since halloween, the quality of the art has become quite impressive. Thanksgiving followed and we now have a wonderful xmas scene on our front window.

For those of you who caught that Taylor Swift reference above, yeah… she’s obsessed. Lucy took the girls to a concert this past summer and since then Taylor is practically a member of our family. Without her knowing of course... Which makes it a little creepy, but whatever. I’m not sure if it’s Taylor inspired, but Cadence has also taken to Black. She loves all colours, as long as it’s black. Every now and then you’ll see her wearing a colour accent, but for the most part, she’s black, on black, on black… on black (with pet hair covering 90% of her wardrobe).

Jayden is 12! Almost a teen :( He continues to do better in school but this year we’re back to a teacher that doesn’t have as much patience with him. He’s a great kid but fitting him into the school system is still a challenge. That said, he’s making great progress and we believe if we can get him through highschool without the system breaking him, he’ll be successful. He’s a super smart kid.

He’s also a curious fellow. He’s often found taking his Nerf guns apart to see how they work. Our Christmas project last year was to convert his battery powered guns from 6V to 8.4V. More power! Yay YouTube! This year he was a NERF superpower and feared by his friends [evil laugh]. He also builds some pretty impressive guns with lego. Normally I don’t like to talk about his interest in guns, but his lego creations are really quite amazing. With removable magazines, a safety switch, and chambering mechanism, it’s quite the piece of engineering.

He also got really good on his scooter. He wasn’t enjoying karate, so we decided to let him focus on his scooter. It was a good decision. He’s learned so much over the past 2 years. Seeing him is really quite impressive. He’s learned several tricks including a tail whip, 180, 360 and many more. He’s not into it as much anymore, but I loved that he found something so motivating. Now he’s focused on parkour. With this new focus, he’s getting more into running with dad and weights to help him jump around easier. He, and the girls, have also found a love for skating. Jayden, has found yet another medium to jump around and do tricks. He has great technique and has been progressing very well. Seeing all of the teachers drool over the potential to have a gifted MALE who’s interested in figure skating is really quite funny. I wouldn’t be surprised if all 3 kids continue on with skating as one of their sporty passions. They’re all having a wonderful time.

Most exciting with Jayden is that he continues to play the piano. He’s been focused on a few core songs this year and we’re excited to see his progress. We recently bought him a synthesizer and are excited to see him get his music into Garage Band and eventually upload his creations to SoundCloud. He’s composed his own music using other peoples sound clips, but now he has the ability to create music entirely by himself. He’s good. Like, really good. I can’t wait to start listening to his songs.

This year we celebrated Sophie’s 6th birthday in Barcelona. Our first family trip over an ocean. It was also a nice celebration of our 15 year wedding anniversary. We had a blast. Starting in Barcelona, we spent a few days enjoying the city and seeing the sights. From there we rented a Jag SUV and headed up the coast toward France. On our 7 day road trip we saw some amazing places and had a wonderful time. It’s truly a spectacular part of the world and we are already trying to figure out how to get back. I think Lucy plans to retire there with, or without me :(

We also have a new addition to the family! Arctica joined our family earlier this year in May and she’s been wonderful for us. Were not exactly sure how she got here… and one day we had a dog.  We had a weekend of panic thinking what have we done? but we are truly happy we kept her. The kids love her to death and Lucy & I find ourselves more active and excited to get out and walk. She’s really a sweetheart and SOOOOOOO fast. My goodness when she wants to run she can move. She’s also a very good guard dog. If you’ve visited our house… you know. Sorry, she’s just really protective. It’s the shepherd in her.

Our neighborhood is still fantastic. We’ve seen some great neighbours leave, but we’ve also had some amazing people join. We continue the annual Easter egg hunt on our lawn, Canada celebrations, birthday parties, post Santa Claus parade after party and a whole ton more of neighborhood gatherings. We love every minute with them. Each year we are so thankful to have found such a great community. Our neighbors are known to bring us goodies, watch our kids, shovel our driveway and generally just put up with us. We are so thankful to have these wonderful people surrounding us.

Life is still hectic and crazy for Lucy and I but we still manage to find some time to do the things we love to do. We hope you have a joyful start to 2019!

Wishing you health and happiness for 2019

xox

The Lists

[consolecommandsandcheat-blog]

Europa universalis IV console commands and cheat

Less Bullshit I have very little tolerance for bullshit and AI cheating so: no Burgundy inheritance event no naval attrition due to time spent at sea (what you'd normally get at diplo tech 22) -  AI has 0% naval attrition anywhere, which is the cheatiest of all its cheats and gets on my nerves. You'll still get 1% out of supply range and 6% at open sea - there's not that much abuse potential here (even though AI abuses its lack of attrition all the time), and it will save you a lot of time in micromanaging blockades on the other end of Mediterranean sea. Expansion Huge number of rebalancing changes here. They make non-gamey expansion slightly easier, so some people will like that, others won't. Super-gamey expansion is not affected much. No coalitions due to outraged attitude, leaving just coalitions by special events and missions. It's hard to imagine but AE in 1.5 is even worse than in 1.3.2 (reconquest of your cores now gives AE, WTF?), so it's totally hopeless and our only choice is to disable this completely. Hopefully 1.6 will balance it to the point where we can reenable them. Overextension events scaled down a bit at 101%-200% OE, but you'll get more of them over 400% OE. This doesn't make OE much less painful on average, just smooths this extreme 101% discontinuity, and not even that much. Vassals will buy provinces from you just like in 1.3.2. OE limit is set to 50% after-buying just like for other AI. It was 25% before-buying in 1.3.2 which amounts to approximately the same. Coring time does not depend on your size. Correction for extreme nerfs Some game features got inexplicably nerfed to the ground: Republics get a choice of 3 random rulers with minimum of 1/1/4 etc. not fixed at 1/1/4. Keeping the same ruler doesn't give any bonuses, but doesn't lose republican tradition. Basically like in EU3. This makes republican rulers slightly better, and significantly more consistent than kings (can't have 0 or 6 in any skill). Republics suffer from so many downsides due to lack of royal marriages, lack of PUs, it's completely ridiculous that they should suffer from 3 points on average worse rulers than monarchs on top of that. Steppe Horde bonuses increased to +100% manpower, +100% land force limit, -50% land maintenance. A bunch of tests show that they're still far weaker than in EU3, and their civilized neighbours don't have much to worry about - they'll mostly fight each other and rebels (who normally destroyed all hordes by reducing their manpower to 0). It sounds like much, but I tested far higher numbers in observer mode, and even then hordes weren't much of a threat. I miss EU3 here. Cleansing of heresy gives you 25% cost for forced conversion, so you can convert any country - but you don't get any discount whatsoever on demanding provinces. Use that for cleansing heresies, not as an excuse to expand. Hopefully with this reformation in Europe will get a lot more interesting. There were many exploits with this in EU3, so there could still be some here, but that's no reason to kill the feature completely. Imperial Ban now costs only 10% AE as it should so emperor has sensible way to kick Venice and Burgundy from imperial lands (even when these lands have no other cores). It still doesn't give cores like it did in EU3, just claims. That nerf was just ridiculous, the CB affects less than 10 provinces in the whole game and is extremely narrow, and emperor should be able to do take imperial lands back. Rebalancing minor features And here's a bunch of changes meant to make the game more interesting without affecting the balance too much. Can't reduce War Exhaustion while at war, period. It's supposed to be War Exhaustion, not damage to diplo point pool. I'm tempted to disable this completely, but for now you can reduce it if you're at peace. This has far reaching implications since a lot of events trigger based on WE like in EU3, but EU3 had real WE, and vanilla eu4 cheats  just doesn't have any ever. Protectorates disabled due to all the bugs they have, and because they're such a bad idea anyway. Culture conversion was ridiculously overpriced at 25/basetax. Even at much lowered 10/basetax it's probably still overpriced. Accepted cultures follow single 10% threshold instead of 20% to accept 10% to unaccept thresholds, so it's much easier to predict which cultures will be accepted regardless of order of expansion. Non-accepted cultures now get +5 RR instead of puny +2 RR. Now that should be significant pain in the butt for bigger empires, since they'll have ton of non-accepted cultures. Does not affect same culture group. Rebel support gives up to +6 RR instead of + 3 RR. Remember, AI gets cheaty revolt risk reductions, so it's still probably not as good as you think, except against you. +2 diplomatic upkeep, so you can have some real diplomacy without having free magic upkeep from your special nation (France, Austria etc.), or without rushing to diplo ideas as first group. Buildings level 1-4 don't get destroyed on ownership change. Can store 50% more monarch points to reduce micromanaging around ahead of time penalty. Cores and claims expire 2x slower. Now that core expiration bugs are hopefully fixed, this isn't necessary, but all events that give only claims are useless enough as is, this will make them slightly less useless. Ideas for the future There's a bunch of things I considered but didn't add this time: more OE rebalancing so OE is slowly worse as it grows, not everything is perfect at 100% OE, then instant rebels everywhere at 101%, and these events just need to be toned down a bit early game manpower is really painfully low, but it's not obvious how to rebalance it without making it excessive mid/late game maybe restoring geographically limited coalitions for truly excessive aggression (not just sensible levels of expansion), with some sensible ways to deal with them; unfortunately other than outright disabling them modders aren't given much control over them do colonial nations work well? they could be disabled if they don't, and protectorates sure don't crusades and excommunications are nearly useless now, they could use some improvement reformation is very weak if player doesn't support it, could be made stronger and less predictable pirates are just pointless annoyance, unfortunately I don't see any way to turn them off diplomat travel time could be faster, many negotiations require multiple round trips to get everything you want done, and that requires huge amount of waiting moving capital to another continent really should be possible if anyone really wants to do so monarch points are really unbalanced, some tweaks could make it better