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autistic-girl-academic · 4 years ago

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Cookie Run OCs

gdi apparently one of the cookies in cr kingdom is named licorice cookie so screw it i’m biting the bullet and posting my half-baked (ha) oc ideas now even if some of them have already been taken anyway. sorry there’s no art bc i’m terrible with digital stuff and can’t access a scanner to upload my drawings. there are almost certainly going to be more to come later because this game refuses to leave my brain.

Black Licorice Cookie: The powerfully astringent flavor of black licorice certainly isn’t to everyone’s taste - and that’s just the way Black Licorice Cookie likes it! This daredevil of a Cookie loves nothing more than testing her limits, so she’s always on the lookout for something to get her adrenaline pumping. That doesn’t mean she isn’t without her sweet side, however, which comes out most strongly when protecting her precious little sister. Get between them at your own risk!

Red Licorice Cookie (Sibling): Don’t mess with my little sis if you know what’s good for you!

Mustard Cookie (Trust): Nobody else gets me like Mustard Cookie does!

Kiwi Cookie (Friendly): Hey, I’ve got an idea for some cool bike tricks!

Roll Cake Cookie (Friendly): Going for a ride in that road roller and smashing things is such a rush! WHOO!

Initially I had the mental image of her as a Cookie with a web design and a spider pet, but then Truffle Cookie came out, so now I pretty much picture her skill being that she runs a Ninja-Warrior-style obstacle course or something. Maybe her pet could be a black cat instead?

Red Licorice Cookie: Between the fruity fragrance of her signature red hair and her sweet, outgoing personality, it’s no surprise that this Cookie is so popular! Red Licorice Cookie is a champion at gymnastics with plenty of fans, and performing with the ribbon is where she shines the most. She and her older twin sister might be as different as night and day, but their bond is as strong as a thousand strands of licorice twisted together!

Black Licorice Cookie (Sibling): I’ve got the coolest big sis in the world!

Cheerleader Cookie (Trust): Cheerleader Cooke is my BFF!

Yoga Cookie (Friendly): She’s helped me train to be much more flexible for my routines.

Skating Queen Cookie (Admiration): I can’t believe I actually got her autograph!

At first I imagined her as being a sort of epic version of Cheerleader Cookie, performing double dutch with a few friends much like the cheer team. Her pet would be a charm bracelet.

Oatmeal Cookie: Every day at the crack of dawn, this dutiful cowgirl is already hard at work, keeping a watchful eye over her herd with the help of her trusty steed, Raisin. If even a single cow goes missing, Oatmeal Cookie won’t rest until she’s got them home safe and sound. The tricks she can perform with a lasso will certainly knock your socks off! And when the sun starts to set, you can hear the sound of her yodeling from far across the plains.

Peanut Butter Cookie (Family): I’m the luckiest Cookie alive to have such a beautiful gal as you...

Knight Cookie (Friendly): You sure know how to burn the breeze!

Adventurer Cookie (Friendly): Nice hat ya got there, pardner!

Space Doughnut (Tension): Hey, stop spookin’ my herd!

Her skill would probably involve dodging obstacles on her horse while catching some runaway cows, and her pet would be a cowbell.

Peanut Butter Cookie: There’s nothing better for a boost of energy than some delicious, nutritious peanut butter! And forest ranger Peanut Butter Cookie definitely needs that energy, as she spends every day traversing the woods to keep them safe. Whether she’s helping Cookies who have gotten lost find their way home or rescuing woodland critters from danger, you can always depend on Peanut Butter Cookie. She’s especially fond of younger Cookies and enjoys teaching them wilderness survival skills.

Oatmeal Cookie (Family): She and I pack each others’ lunches every day.

Pancake Cookie (Friendly): Be careful climbing trees for those Acorn Jellies, dear!

Cream Puff Cookie (Friendly): I’m sure you’ll get that spell right next time, hun.

Fig Cookie (Trust): They’re always eager for me to tell them stories.

Fire Spirit Cookie (Tension): You keep those flames away from the forest, you hear?

You can probably tell by now that I’ve put like 0 thought into any of my Cookie OC’s skills. Anyway, her pet would be a bear that she helped when it was a cub, who shows up to help her by smashing obstacles.

Coconut Cookie: The Tropical Soda Archipelago has a long history of telling stories through traditional dance. Coconut Cookie comes from a long line of those dancers, and Cookies will flock from every island to watch her perform. Crowned with a garland of bright yellow coconut blossoms, she moves with the utmost rhythm and grace. It’s said that she practices every day so that she can bring peace and good fortune to the islands.

Mango Cookie (Trust): My best friend since we were little - I remember his very first boat!

Ananas Dragon Cookie (Admiration): The Dragon honored my ancestors by praising their dances.

Soda Cookie (Friendly): Going for a ride on the waves is the best, isn’t it?

Squid Ink Cookie (Friendly): Poor little thing, there’s no need to be shy.

My first thought was for her to make a sort of bubble shield out of coconut oil, like Lemonade Cookie but without the magnetic effect (maybe slower energy drain instead?) - I’m still undecided about it though. Her pet would be a bunch of coconuts who make coconut milk potions. Also, I picture her being related to Artichoke Cookie, but he’s not in Ovenbreak...YET? (pls devsis)

Honeycomb Cookie: Out in a charming little cottage atop a hill lives Honeycomb Cookie - and her many hives of Jelly Bees. Years upon years of working with the bees has allowed her to understand them so well, it’s almost as if she talks to them! If you happen to arrive on her doorstep, you can be sure that she’ll treat you to some delicious tea sweetened with honey and send you on your way with a basket of homemade treats.

Herb Cookie (Family): My cute little grandson certainly inherited the family green thumb.

Spinach Cookie (Trust): Oh, how sweet of you to bring me a basket of vegetables, dearie!

Fairy Cookie (Friendly): Ah, you’re so small I mistook you for another bee.

Matcha Cookie (Friendly): A bit of a strange one, but it’s nice to have some laughter over tea.

Not sure what her skill would be, but I think her pet would be a queen Jelly Bee that grows from a baby to an adult as you collect more jellies.

Souffle Cookie: A chef famous for turning simple Jellies into extravagant and delicious meals. Though he can come off as strict and a bit intimidating, he truly does care about creating good food for every Cookie who comes to his restaurant. Souffle Cookie is quite the perfectionist, so if a recipe doesn’t come out as planned, he tends to sulk so badly that even his fluffy chef’s hat deflates! But it never lasts long before he throws himself back into his work with renewed passion.

Sparkling Cookie (Trust): My cooking and your juice is the ultimate combination!

Sandwich Cookie (Admiration): To create such simple but delicious meals...C’est magnifique!

Mala Sauce Cookie (Friendly): Just watch, I’ll create a meal more than spicy enough to satisfy you!

Dr. Wasabi Cookie (Tension): I am NEVER using your syrup as a ‘secret ingredient’ EVER again!

Again, not sure what his skill would be, but maybe his pet could be a spoon. Sous-chef Spoon?

Rainbow Sugar Cookie: Sugar Cookie was always painfully shy and never considered herself all that important. However, everything changed when she met Rainbow Puff, a creature who begged for her help in protecting the happiness of Cookies everywhere from the wicked Dark Puffs. Bestowed with a magical wand, she becomes Rainbow Sugar Cookie, chasing away darkness with prisms of joyous light! RAINBOW...BEAM!

Pink Choco Cookie (Trust): The two of us would make a perfect team!

Wind Archer Cookie (Admiration): Wow...what an amazing warrior...

Sandwich Cookie (Friendly): She makes the best toast as a snack on the way to school!

Dark Enchantress Cookie (Rival): I won’t let a villain like you make other Cookies suffer!

Pomegranate Cookie (Tension): Why are you helping the Darkness?

Originally her name was Glitter Cookie, but then Shining Glitter Cookie got announced. In any case, she’d pretty much be an epic version of Wind Archer Cookie, fighting a big ‘boss’ monster once enough little ones were defeated with her magic.

Jack-o-Lantern Cookie: Trick or treat! Wait, is it Halloween already? The answer doesn’t really matter to this young Cookie, who loves trick-or-treating so much that they never take their costume off! If you don’t have Jellies to give, then get ready for a mischievous trick! But if there’s one thing they love more than getting treats, it’s sharing them with friends, so don’t be shy and join in the fun!

Candy Corn Cookie (Trust): My bestest trick-or-treating buddy!

Devil Cookie (Admiration): WOW! What a great costume!

Apple Cookie (Friendly): Here, candy apples!

Onion Cookie (Friendly): Trick o- um, please don’t cry...

Vampire Cookie (Tension): Hey, don’t fall asleep when I’m trying to trick you!

I thought I was in the clear with this OC when we got Truffle Cookie for Halloween...but then Pumpkin Cookie was an NPC later, lol. At least the name was an easy change. Their skill would basically be like a slower version of Chestnut’s, where you go up to houses and trick-or-treat.

Candy Corn Cookie: This Cookie used to be a scarecrow who stood in the middle of a big field of candy corn. However, they wanted to travel the world, so one night they wished upon a star...and miraculously, their wish was granted! Bursting with curiosity, Candy Corn Cookie is full of questions about everything they see. They still have a habit of chasing birds wherever they go, though.

Jack-o-Lantern Cookie (Trust): This ‘trick-or-treat’ thing is really fun!

Alchemist Cookie (Admiration): Wow, this Cookie knows lots of things!

Blueberry Pie Cookie (Friendly): Ooh, what’s in all these ‘book’ things?

Mocha Ray Cookie (Friendly): Cookies can really live under the sea? WOW!

Carrot Cookie (Tension): Aw, I don’t wanna go back to the farm yet!

Candy corn apparently used to be called ‘chicken feed’, so their pet would probably be a chicken. Again, not sure about the skill.

#cookie run #cookie run oc #cookie run ocs

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game-boy-pocket · 4 years ago

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I just finished Banjo Kazooie: Jiggies of Time - a full length mod by Mark Kurko

I don’t normally do reviews because I find it hard to be objective... and this will be no different, so just think of this as me gushing. I’ll go ahead and put the long winded bit under a read more. But the short version is, fans of Banjo Kazooie and Ocarina of Time should play this FOR SURE. Banjo Kazooie fans may actually still love this if they’re not fans of Zelda ( but Zelda knowledge helps sometimes ). Zelda fans may not fare so well if they don’t love the Banjo Kazooie gameplay ( perhaps they should try the first game as a test if they haven’t played it? *nudge nudge* )

I’ve been aware of this project for some time but didn’t really know too much about it. There were a lot of Banjo Kazooie hacks that were just smaller projects that take less than an hour to finish. I was suprised to learn just a few days ago that this project was completed, and was a full length game with the same number of worlds and collectibles as the original Banjo Kazooie. Even better, it ran on a real Nintendo 64! I played mine on the real deal and it ran near perfectly ( there were minor frame dips and a few graphical bugs but nothing too distracting or too frequent )

I’m assuming you already know how Banjo Kazooie plays if you’re reading this, but just in case, Banjo plays a lot like Mario. You run around in little sandbox areas collecting things, the main collectible being golden jigsaw puzzle pieces called Jiggies, you find these out in the open, by solving puzzles, or by helping NPCs, the secondary collectible being golden music notes, both are needed to progress. Each level also has five different colored critters called Jinjos that award you with a Jiggy when you find them. Each level has two empty honey comb pieces, collecting six adds another unit of health to your life meter. There are also silver skull shaped tokens used to transform your character into another form in certain levels, and finally, other miscellaneous collectibles to restore health, abilies, and lives. Pretty basic stuff, you should be familiar if you’ve played any of the Sandbox Mario games, though in Banjo, you unlock your abilities as you progress.

As I said before the game has 10 worlds. You start in Kokiri forest just like Ocarina of Time. You learn your basic moves in the Lost Woods, though I question the practicality of that, I actually did a full two worlds without my three basic attacks. I got... lost... I just assumed I was going to learn the attacks elsewhere. Kokiri forest is actually the first world, with Lost Woods serving as a sort of “Spiral Mountain” area. Brentilda makes a return here offering three tips about the game each time you encounter her, as well as refilling your health. She appears in every world. Once you get some notes, you can leave to Hyrule Field.

Hyrule Field is the “Gruntilda’s Lair” ( Your Hub world for the uninitiated ) portion of the game, Everything is where you expect it to be, but it’s all sealed off. Instead you need to look for new areas containing jigsaw puzzles to open the locked areas. You will eventually learn a trick to simulate the Sun song as well, but it can only be done here. There’s 10 Jiggies to collect in Hyrule, 7 of which are contained within Lon Lon Ranch, I won’t spoil anything but Lon Lon Ranch has changed pretty drastically. The remaining 3 Jiggies are a bit more elaborately hidden. I’ll get back to those. When you’re here, Gruntilda will banter with you, just like the original Banjo Kazooie, but sometimes, other characters will talk instead, and there is some genuinely hilarious exchanges between characters here.

Castle Town is the second world, and this is where you get the idea that “oh this isn’t just Banjo in Ocarina of time” because you start to uncover a lot of areas that were not in the original game. It only makes sense that a character with completely different skills can reach places Link never could. Mumbo Jumbo returns in this world, all of his transformations are the same as the original game, but they’ve been reskinned to fit a Zelda theme... well... mostly.

Once you wrap up in there, you head to Kakariko village, the third world. And it’s pretty standard. You actually learn the final move in this world. This game utilizes all of the original game’s moves except for the wading boots... they were kind of lame anyway I suppose. This is also where you start to notice that this game is absolutely loaded to the gills with easter eggs. game cases and consoles are littered everywhere, Nintendo characters playing games are hidden away ( except for one ), and you may also notice some Golden eye characters spying on you ( they actually creep me out when I first catch a glimpse of them. They look ghoulish to me... )

Explore Kakariko enough and you should find the way to open Death Mountain, which is the fourth world. Now this part of the game drove me slightly crazy. Death mountain has lava. Lava is an instant death for Banjo. When you die, you lose all of the notes you collected, and all of your Jinjos too if you haven’t got them all yet. Here’s the thing, it’s another world where you have to turn into a small creature to get some of the notes, but before you do, you have to open the path for the creature as Banjo. And you have a LOT of ground to cover ( it includes Dodongo’s Cavern, the mountain trail, Goron City, and a few extra areas not in Ocarina of Time ), so it’s almost like you have to do everything in this level twice... I died several times, at one point all I needed was five more notes, I was about to blow a gasket. After you finish up there, it’s time to head to Zora’s Domain. The world actually starts at Zora’s River, I enjoyed the world a lot but it was also pretty taxing. It demands a LOT of resources I had previously been taking for granted. Namely the eggs you shoot. I was expecting Jabu Jabu to be replaced with Clanker the whale from the original Banjo Kazooie, but no, it’s just Jabu Jabu.. which is probably fine, this is Hyrule after all. Jabu Jabu is not actually a dungeon though, which is a little disappointing, but there is some very interesting stuff in there... and this is where I start having a little bit of an issue with the easter eggs, subtlty goes out the window here and we actually start leaving the Zelda theme behind for two pretty big areas in this world. It doesn’t bother me too much but I really wish this sort of thing was kept for secret levels instead of the main game... there’s a lot of tough platforming around Jabu Jabu’s area.

By now you should have stumbled across the means of opening the way to the Forest Temple. And this is one of the coolest parts of the game but also one of the most long winded and complicated parts. The game expects you to go back to the old days of taking notes on paper. You explore the temple looking for letters of the Hylian Alphabet and their English equivalent, you’re expected to to write these down as a chart and then use them to decipher some messages written in Hylian Text through out the temple... the thing is, a lot of the things the text asked me to do, I figured out on my own. There are also paintings on the wall meant to give clues, but I got mixed messages from one of these paintings that was meant to be used in tandem with the hylian writing. So I was trying the wrong thing over and over... But I will say this level is truly the most jam packed with Zelda easter eggs and It’s hard not to spoil any of it, because I lost my mind at some of it...

At this point I should throw in that this game doesn’t have any new enemies or bosses. Most of the enemies are reskinned to be Zelda themed. It’s pretty effective in selling the illusion... except in the case where it’s not.

Next destination is Lake Hylia. I’ve got to stop to talk about the music real quick because Lake Hylia has my favorite track in the game. This game has an amazing soundtrack. It’s mostly Zelda songs remixed in a way that makes it sound like a song you would expect to hear in Banjo Kazooie ( and some hints of Banjo Kazooie/Tooie tunes get mixed in as a medley as well ), very bouncy and fun. Not all of it is Ocarina of Time music. Lake Hylia actually uses an upbeat version of the Twilight Princess lake hylia theme. In any case, this level sees you explore the lake, the fishing hole, the water temple, and a new series of floating islands above the lake. As far as the Water Temple goes, it’s not too bad.

Next is the Gerudo Valley area, which includes the valley, the gerudo fortress, and the desert temple. Disappointingly, you cannot explore the insides of the gerudo fortress. You can enter them, but you just exit out a different door in the fortress, like some kind of warp maze. This area was also a real drain on my gold feather and blue egg resources, I almost had to leave to stock up on gold feathers, but I was sly and found a work around my problem and was able to progress. It was probably the least impressive area in the game if I’m being honest... also, Brentilda says that the hylian letters I wrote down were going to be useful here, but I couldn’t find anywhere in the dungeon that had Hylian letters... hmm.

With this, you head to the final world. The means which you use to enter this world are very cool. I won’t spoil it but it should be obvious to anyone who’s played already, assuming they haven’t completely forgotten one of the most important locations in the original Ocarina of Time... Now, the world itself? It’s cool thematically, but the usage of another small creature transformation really drags the world down. Not to mention another easter egg really kills the mood of this final world, but it’s easily forgiven.

The final world is also what houses the entrance to the final battle. But this game actually requires you to get ALL the Jiggies save for three in order to enter the final battle, so if you missed any jiggies at all during the normal levels, time to turn back and get them... unless you’re only short three, and wouldn’t you know it, there are three “secret levels” in this game with extra hidden Jiggies.

So, you would have no doubt seen this by now if you were playing the game but in Castle Town, there’s a museum you can reach by transforming into a small creature and crawling through the keyhole, and this museum houses clues to the location of these secret levels, as well as the secret jiggies within those levels. They’re pretty well hidden. The clues get revealed more and more as you collect notes. First, just a general description of the area, then a more exact description of the area, but written in hylian, then a photograph of the area you need to inspect to find the entrance, and lastly, a picture of the hidden jiggy in the secret level ( though if you wait this long, the nature of the secret level will be spoiled, and these levels are BIG easter eggs. ), so maybe don’t wait too long to find them.

The final Battle with Gruntilda is the same as it was in the original Banjo Kazooie, but the arena is just slightly altered to make it a little more difficult, but not unfairly so. Not much more to say beyond that. The game has a pretty cool credits sequence and ending that Zelda fans are sure to appreciate.

I do kind of wish there was a Quiz show like the original Banjo Kazooie, I was expecting to get my Zelda knowledge tested, but no such luck.

Playing this game was such a blast and it made me feel like I was experiencing Banjo Kazooie and Ocarina of Time for the first time again at the same time, which is a very strange but welcome feeling. I never would have expected these two games fused into one to work so well, but it really is remarkable how well it works, and it tickles my nerd fanboy bone for Zelda in many ways, as well as Banjo, Rareware and Nintendo in general too. I can’t recommend it enough for fans of both games... I can only recommend this to non Banjo Zelda fans if they’re willing to play the original Banjo first to see if they like it. But non Zelda fans of Banjo, I think you’ll just enjoy having a new Banjo Kazooie Adventure to tackle, though the lack of Zelda knowledge might make the road a little bumpy in a few areas.

I love these games to death but i’ve replayed them so much that they don’t entertain as much as they used to. This was a great way to freshen up the experience for both. I’m dying to play more like this. There’s a very interesting “Link in Mario 64″ mod i’m keeping my eye on. But that may take a lot of time, as it’s only released the first demo... for now... I actually kinda want to replay the original BK and OOT agian. Heh.

#banjo kazooie #nintendo #the legend of zelda #ocarina of time #Banjo Kazooie the Jiggies of Time #N64 #review

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samsonet · 5 years ago

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Mum said it's my turn on the Switch.

Sometimes, Leon’s family comes to Wyndon to visit him.

Today’s one of those days. He’d been looking forward to it for a while, even cleaned up his flat so his mum and brother wouldn’t tease him for living in a mess. He’d gotten groceries. He’d gotten some new toys for Hop. It’ll be a good day, if it goes according to plan.

The doorbell rings.

“Hey!” Leon says, opening the door. “It’s so good to see yo—”

Hop slips under his arm and disappears down a hallway. A door slams.

“...is he okay?”

Their mum sighs. “He’s getting to the age where he’s too cool to spend time with his family, that’s all. I’m sorry, Leon. Here, why don’t we cook together? He’ll come out if he smells his favourite food.”

She opens a few cabinets before she finds the pans.

It’s been too long since they’ve gotten to cook together. Leon remembers the first lessons, back when he was a little kid. He’d been so excited, thinking of adventures and new experiences, but Mum insisted on teaching him how to make curry before he left. He’d whined and complained, but he still followed her directions and came out with something pretty good.

Even now, he follows her directions, getting the meat and potatoes as she starts up the stove.

“You don’t have much silverware,” Mum observes. “Do you ever have company?”

“Heh. Nobody I cook for. Raihan and Nessa come over, sometimes, but we usually order takeaway.”

He stops halfway through mashing a potato, letting himself think. Why doesn’t he ever cook for them? He’s capable of it. Years of being the man of the house (of being Hop’s second parent) have given him the necessary skills. He might actually enjoy cooking alongside his friends, too.

But…

Cooking with someone, cooking for someone… It’s what he does with his family. If he did it with anyone else, it would be like having a new family. He’s not ready for that kind of intimacy.

“Something wrong, Leon?”

“Nothing’s wrong, don’t worry. It’s just… been awhile since we got to see each other, you know? I really missed you and Hop.”

Mum looks at him, an undefinable emotion in her eyes.

She opens her arms. “Come here.”

He has to lean down and she has to stand on her toes, but the hug is warm and comfortable.

His mum steps back first. “Hop missed you too, you know. He’s such a lonely child.”

“Is that so…”

Hearing about Hop’s troubles always makes him feel guilty. As a big brother, he should be present whenever Hop needs him, not available over the phone from 3:00-3:30 on Tuesday and Thursday.

It’s not that he doesn’t care. Being champion just keeps him busy, and he lives so far away. He wishes things could be different, but...

“Are you sure you don’t want to move to Wyndon? I could get you a place, easy.”

“I know.” Mum stirs the potatoes. “Hop really likes his friend, though. He wouldn’t want to move away from her.”

Hop’s friend Gloria, the girl next door. Leon has never met her, but from the calls and letters he feels like he knows her well. She’s the best friend anyone could ask for. She’s super cute. She’s there for Hop, every birthday, every holiday. She’s the one he can go to when he makes a discovery or wants to try something new.

Not his big brother. Her.

“Well… it’s good he has a friend, at least.”

Mum gives him a sad smile. “I can finish up from here. Why don’t you go tell Hop the food is almost ready? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind talking with you when boring old Mum isn’t there.”

“You’re not boring! But… okay. Love you, Mum.”

She nudges his head down and kisses his cheek. “I love you, too, Leon.”

Down the hallway is Leon’s bedroom. The door is closed, but not locked, and Leon has pushed it open an inch when he hears Hop’s voice on the other side.

“Wyndon is super awesome! At the station, there was this guy with a scarf, or I thought it was a scarf, and then it turned out it was a Sizzlipede! It spooked me! But the guy thought it was funny.”

There’s a girl’s voice, muffled through the wall.

That must be Gloria, he realizes. They’re on a video call.

Seriously? An hours-long trip across the region to come visit, and Hop’s first action on arrival was calling his friend? When did she start becoming so important to him?

The darker side of him answers. When you were gone and she wasn’t.

Leon simultaneously loves and hates her.

You should be happy about this, he tells himself. It’s good for Hop to have a life outside of you. If something happens to you, he’ll be fine.

But is it wrong to want his brother to still miss him like a little kid?

“Knock, knock,” he calls, loudly enough that he hopes Gloria hears it. “I’m coming in!”

“SorryGlogottagobye!”

When he opens the door, he finds Hop innocently turning on the TV and starting up the gaming console.

Leon deadpans, “Mum said it’s my turn to use the Switch.”

“Hahaha… sorry, Lee, I really wanted to play this game and I couldn’t do it at home...”

“Really? Because I seem to remember buying you one just a few months ago.”

He’d bought one for Hop’s friend, too, because the price meant nothing to him and he wanted them to be able to play together. Is it petty to regret that?

“It’s not the same! Your place is so much nicer!”

“Well, then,” Leon says, sitting on the floor next to him. ��Mind if I play with you?”

“Er…”

“Unless you think you’re too cool to hang out with your big brother, Galar’s undefeated champion.”

“O-of course not! You’re the coolest person I know!”

He loves to hear that — he always loves to hear Hop’s praise — but he can’t help but think of the abruptly-ended video call, the girl on the other side.

“Are you sure? It sounds like you’ve got someone else you’ve a fan of, now.”

“Wha… You mean Gloria? No way! She’s just a friend!”

It’s adorable, really, the way Hop lets his emotions show on his face so easily. This is a kid who gets to grow up without always being followed by cameras, a kid who gets to be himself and not the person the region wants to see.

If Hop moves to Wyndon, that would change.

Maybe it’s a bit selfish of Leon, but he thinks it might be worth it.

He leans back, watching the game. “I asked Mum about this, but I want to ask you, too. Would you like to move to Wyndon? You could even live here, if you want. There’s plenty of space.”

“Wyndon is really nice,” Hop says. His character punches an NPC so hard, it flies off the screen. “An’ it would be nice to see you more, but…”

“But?”

“I’m Gloria’s only friend. I don’t wanna leave her alone.”

Aw, does Hopscotch have a crush? Leon considers teasing him about it, but decides on a more serious direction.

“You’re a good friend. But you can’t be her only friend forever, you know? You want to be champion someday, right? If you do, you have to move to Wyndon. Being champ has a lot of responsibilities.”

Responsibilities. Ugh. Sometimes Leon forgets that his brother is only twelve. That is much too young to have a dream ruined by thinking about responsibilities.

“I guess what I’m saying is, if you want to move here, you can’t hold yourself back because of someone else. It wouldn’t be fair to either of you, you know?

Hop seems thoughtful. “Yeah, I’ve thought about that. It was the same situation with you an’ Sonia, right? How did you guys make it work?”

“Er…”

They didn’t, that’s how. They’d been even closer than Hop and Gloria were, but after the championship, everything changed. Leon stayed in Wyndon and Sonia went home, and their calls became less frequent and their meetings rare.

He wonders how it must have been for Hop, to watch them slowly falling apart. Was it an adult who pointed out the parallel, or did he realize it himself? How old was he when he put the pieces together?

It happened while you were away.

Leon always won on the pitch, but it felt like he was always losing off of it.

He offers, “Well, growing up is hard. Things change, you know?”

Hop stares up at him, his honey-coloured eyes as all-knowing as ever. He’s obviously not buying it.

“When I’m champion,” he whispers, “I’m gonna buy two flats right next to each other. I’ll have one and Gloria can have the other one, and we’ll still be friends and neighbors and nothing will change.”

No, something will change. You will be champion and she won’t. That’s a big difference.

That's a mean thing to say, though. It’s a nice dream to have, truly. Leon hopes for his brother’s sake that it comes true.

“Will I be invited to your new flat?”

Hop hums. “Sometimes.”

“Can I close myself in your room and play on your Switch?”

Hop laughs, pulling off one of the controllers and hands it to him. “Okay, I get it. You can play. But I’m not going to go easy on you!”

“You better not!”

They start the first round of the multiplayer course.

Across Galar, there have to be hundreds of siblings spending time together. Exploring, training, reading, playing games.

In Wyndon, here and now, Leon is with Hop. They’re playing together, immersed in the game, enjoying each others’ company and having a champion time.

#pokemon swsh fanfic #leon pokemon #hop pokemon

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dndeed · 6 years ago

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Critical Role Miniature Rollout: C2E26

With Andrew Harshman

A summary and review of minis used on Critical Role.

A day which will live in infamy, it’s time for Critical Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 2 Episode 26.

The Characters

Keg SteamForged Games Keg Figure Official Keg Art by @ornerine

Cigarette wielding miniatures are my new favorite thing. Fire up the merrow fight smoke machine! I’m very curious about the production cycle for this figure. It seems like it was done relatively quickly, which is very impressive. This is a fantastic figure! So many great details, the armor, cigarette, and holy symbol/cellphone charm. Just great. If you’ll forgive the nitpick, I wish the miniature’s hair was more accurate. I really dig her doo.

The List

Mats by Mars: Creeping Mold

Mats by Mars: Verdant Fields

Tiny Terrain: Small Tree

Tiny Terrain: Large Tree

Legendary Realms Tall Tree

Legendary Realms Small Tree Stump

Identified Custom Tall Trees

Campaign Coins DEVEN RUE COMPASS ROSE

SteamForged Games Keg Figure

SteamForged Games Trees, Logs, and Stumps

Legendary Realms Wooden Large Open Crate

Icons of the Realms Adventurer’s Camp

Tabletop Props Tent Accessories

Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Crate

Legendary Realms Wooden Chest

Legendary Realms Sack Pile

Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Cart

Dwarven Forge City Builder Wicked City

HeroForge Custom Miniatures Painted By Iron Tusk Painting

Underdark #30 Ankheg

Deadly Foes #030 Unicorn

Rusty Dragon Inn #025 Riding Horse

Lightfoot Halfing Rogue Epic Level Starter Set

Rusty Dragon Inn #012 Bugbear Mystic

Lost Coast #008 Lamashtu Thug 1

Lost Coast #013 Lamashtu Thug 2

Monster Menagerie 2 #019 Half-Orc Barbarian

Deadly Foes #037 Technic League Captain

Deathknell #25 Voice of Battle

Model Bushes

Foam Elevation Terrain

Possible Custom Wagon

Possible Model Train Boulders

The Terrain

Crisp Vale Thicket Mats by Mars: Creeping Mold Tiny Terrain: Small Tree Tiny Terrain: Large Tree Legendary Realms Tall Tree Legendary Realms Small Tree Stump Custom Tall Trees SteamForged Games Trees, Logs, and Stumps

Most of the terrain components in this episode are familiar to the Critical Role audience, having appeared earlier in the campaign. But I would like to comment on a few, beginning with a model that had me perplexed for some time.

Shout-out Message spell to Redditor calebwidogast for identifying casting Idenify on the previously unidentified tall swamp trees. They are fine looking custom pieces made by Twittoror @RobbieDVO. I especially like how much space these trees take up on the grid. That way you can deploy just a few to the mat and have a significant mechanical effect on the encounter. Beautiful and functional!

This is the Campaign 2 premiere of Mats by Mars: Creeping Mold. As with all Mats by Mars battle maps, this looks very nice. Nice name too, Creeping Mold would make for a good slime monster variant.

Glory Run Road Mats by Mars: Verdant Fields Tiny Terrain: Large Tree SteamForged Games Trees and Foam Elevation Terrain

Matt confirmed the source of the detailed fallen logs seen in this episode as SteamForged Games. Is there any mini they can’t do? Fantastic. The detail on the bark and mushrooms is truly next level. How about a retail release SteamForged, what do you say?

The elevated pieces of Glory Run Road have the appearance of being traditional wargaming crafting foam or some adjacent material. The pieces match the rest of the mat nicely and they are even gridded. Glorious.

Iron Shepherds Caravan Rusty Dragon Inn #025 Riding Horse Dwarven Forge Wicked City Smuggler’s Wagon Possible Custom Wagon Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Cart Legendary Realms Wooden Large Open Crate Icons of the Realms Adventurer’s Camp Accessories Tabletop Props Tent Accessories Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Crate Legendary Realms Wooden Chest and Legendary Realms Sack Pile

The front wagon, back cart, and riding horse were all used way back at the beginning of the campaign. And all the items inside the wagons have shown up throughout campaign 2. Wicked City Smuggler’s Wagon includes two horses, which makes it an ideal, go-to wagon solution. I’ve not seen this model in-person, so I was surprised and happy to learn that its wheels turn (too bad it didn’t keep moving).

The middle wagon is somewhat of an anomaly. It has the looks of a custom job. I first thought it was a Hirst Arts build. But it lacks any wheel details. With any luck, some light will be shed on this model in the future.

The Monsters

Ankheg Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures Game Underdark #30 Ankheg

I feel like insect miniatures have a sort of creepy and/or crawly quota they need to meet. And the Ankheg is workin’ overtime! Maximum creepy and maximum crawly factor on this one. Good luck to Wizkids and WOTC if they try to make a new prepaint ankheg, it’s not going to be easy to dethrone this big bad bug.

Riding Horses Deadly Foes #030 Unicorn

I’ve got some bad news for fantasy animal lovers. These horse minis are not actually horses. Someone on the Critical Role staff dehorned two beautiful unicorns! But they did leave their unicorn goatees, how humane.

I kid of course. This is a perfectly sensible course of action. If you forgive the simplistic paint work, this is a very high quality figure. It has an awesome galloping pose. The sense of movement is really sold by the flowing mane and tail. And of course the goatee. There really are no prepainted horses that have this level of motion. Very smart move to convert these minis.

The Villains

The Iron Shepherds Icons of the Realms Monster Menagerie 2 #019 Half-Orc Barbarian Pathfinder Battles Lost Coast #013 Lamashtu Thug 2 D&D Miniatures Game Deathknell #25 Voice of Battle

Won Monster Menagerie 2 #019 Half-Orc Barbarian

This is the right way to do a standing pose sculpt. With a worse pose this could have been a massively boring miniature. The body language very effectively conveys potential energy. The positioning and stance all give off this aura of impending action. Perfect for a barbarian on the verge of raging. Don’t get too close though, because barbarians are dangerous, but also because you’ll notice this mini’s unfortunate dirty paint wash.

Thug Lost Coast #013 Lamashtu Thug 2

In Pathfinder, Lamashtu is the goddess of monsters and she has the coolest looking cultists. Who wouldn’t join this cult? The Lamashu cult uniform is like a kitbashed V for Vendetta plus Batsuit. This is another good pose. This figure has so much going for it you forget how rudimentary the paintwork is.

Thankfully, Paizo blessed us with three separate Lamashtu thug/cult figures. What a treat. And perfect for a home campaign where you are trying to give a group of NPCs a distinct look.

Rusa Deathknell #25 Voice of Battle

The Voice of Battle miniature can be seen in C2E1 and I discussed it previously. It’s a good mini and I’m glad to see it again. If we really want to read into miniature selection, one could theorize that Rusa was present at the circus zombie fight. Maybe the Iron Shepherds having been running a long con, hmmm? No, probably not.

Prato Lightfoot Halfing Rogue Epic Level Starter Set

So this is an interesting miniature release. When 5E was new, a product called the Icons of the Realms: Starter Set was released. This non-random pack of six minis included everything you needed for a basic adventuring party. Years later, they did a followup release, Icons of the Realms: Epic Level Starter Set with the same character minis, but leveled up. Pretty cool idea. The characters were made to look more powerful. Their poses are more dramatic, there gear is upgraded, and some of the figures have cool translucent spell effects. Neat stuff. Unfortunately, the Lightfoot Halfling Rogue (if you’ll forgive the pun) really got short shrift.

To make this character “epic” all they did was widen his stance and billow out his cloak. What a bizarre choice.

Photos Sourced From minisgallery.com

Like did the rogue forget to level? He even has the same clothes! Are we to believe that he’s just been wearing the same dingy street urchin background items from level 1? The rest of the Starter Set adventuring group is swimmin’ in spells and treasure while the rogue wallows in scrub gear. That’s not fair. What kind of dysfunctional party is this?!

Moving on to the miniature itself, Epic Level Lightfoot Halfling Rogue is a reasonably fine miniature. The pose is fun and animated, the flowing cloak is cool. Free from context it’s pretty good. But really the Epic Level version should have been the original and this figure should have gotten a proper epic treatment.

Dwelma Rusty Dragon Inn #012 Bugbear Mystic

This half-orc druid is in fact a bugbear mini. This figure is very refreshing. The clothing, the pose, the wartime hair bun. All good stuff and unlike any other mystical monstrous humanoid figure out there.

Another Thug Lost Coast #008 Lamashtu Thug 1

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for crossbow miniatures. Combine that with the amazing Lamashtu dress wear and I’m sold! Can’t get enough of this figure.

Lorenzo Deadly Foes #037 Technic League Captain

Some more crafty Critical Role production work here, another modified miniature. Lorenzo is a Technic League Captain Pathfinder mini with a polearm weapon swap. The figure has fairly intricate tattoos on it already, so it’s a great match. Factor in the weapon mod and it’s spot on. Except that I believe in-game it was snowing, I should hope that Lorenzo would throw a coat on. Or maybe he just rolls around like this, no shirt regardless of the weather. How obnoxious and arrogant. You know, I’m just gonna come out and say it, call me insensitive if you will, call me impolite if you must, but I gotta say, this Lorenzo guy’s a real jerk.

Closing Remarks

The new studio looks great. I’m very happy with the new miniatures camera. Sure to be an interesting and unique next session, minis-wise and otherwise.

#criticalroleminiaturerollout

#criticalroleminiaturerollout #critical role spoilers #criticalrolespoilers #spoilers #critical role

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