#whichever one's more accessable to me in the moment

[caccry]

watched the hobbit. I adored him.

[simplynims]

Polycule D.A.M.N Crew Headcanons

Was going through @polydamnory posts for the D.A.M.N polycule and it's inspired me to write down some of my own headcanons for these guys. Enjoy!

Dear and Damien are both the chefs of the polycule, Dear is probably the most trusted person to cook in Damiens kitchen unsupervised.

Huxely likes giving extra hugs to his partners whenever they're stressed out about something but it's really just an excuse to pick them up and drag them away from their laptop/whatever they're working on so they can get some proper rest. Has done this on both Damien and Freelancer when they both desperately needed a break from cram studying especially if the usual pleads to take a break don't intially work.

Dear has magic hands where whenever they run their fingers through their partners hair, they all melt at their touch. They turn to pudding as soon as those head rubs happen. They've actually helped a lot with migraines that Freelancer and Damien have.

Gavin, Freelancer and Dear have competitions sometimes to see who can fluster Lasko up more in one day. They all think he's adorable when he's choking on his words and trying to come up with a coherent sentence after mercilessly being teased. So far Gavin and Dear are neck in neck with these challenges.

Speaking of Gavin and Dear, Dear I feel like is someone who doesn't get flustered often which Gavin sees as a personal challenge to fluster them up whenever he gets the chance. Dear finds Gavin very cute whenever he tries to and flirts right back with that same energy.

This is more of a personal headcanon but from tallest to shortest it's Huxely, Dear, Gavin, Damien, Freelancer, and Lasko.

Lasko manages to get everyone into DnD and the polycule tries their best to schedule at least one session a month depending on their own schedules. Lasko usually DMs but Dear also DMs so Lasko can have a chance to play too. Gavin and Freelancer both shamelessly flirt with the DM no matter who it is and whenever it's Lasko it usually throws him off for a good minute or so.

Lasko gets cold very easily so he usually goes to Damien for cuddles when he's feeling extra frosty. Damien doesn't mind and likes having Lasko in his lap while he works if it keeps him warm.

Following up with that headcanon, Damien gets Lasko a shit ton of warm clothes, blankets and socks so he can wear em around the house around fall and winter because of how easily Lasko gets cold.

Freelancer smacks all their partners asses equally and with accurate precision.

Huxely I feel like would be a really good gardener for vegetables and fruits, Dear helps him with growing them. Every few months when certain fruits are in season, they bring em back to share with the polycule and make desserts outta them. Dear makes some killer peach cobbler, apple pies, strawberry pastries etc outta them and there's usually nothing left by the end of the week.

Gavin likes to playfully push Damiens buttons. Right when Damien looks like he's about to blow, Gavin kisses him and it gets to Damien every time lol. Gavin finds it highly amusing.

Freelancer likes giving gentle love bites to all their partners, it's not sexual all the time but whenever they're cuddling one of em or hugging them they have specific spots they like to go for.

For example, Freelancer likes giving love bites on Huxelys and Dears chests. For Damien it's his arms and chests if he's the bigger spoon while cuddling. For Gavin and Lasko it's their necks or arms, whichever is more accessible at the moment.

Dear most of the time is really good at hiding their emotions whenever they're stressed about something or just feeling sad in general but Huxely can pick up the signs pretty quickly. When it comes to his partners he's very observant and can tell when somethings off with any one of them and that includes Dear. Cuddling sometimes turns into a good cry sesh depending on how severe whatever is affecting Dear is.

Freelancer I headcanon as a little bit of a goofball and loves making their partners laugh, it's a wonderful feeling to see nearly all of the polycule wheezing and laughing at their stupid lil jokes and they take heavy pride in it.

[hauntedhokage]

Day 30: Blood/Gore/Costumes

Geto/F!Reader/Gojo

summary: a halloween party goes wrong while you’re getting railed on the balcony by one of your boyfriends. He just won’t tell you which one he is until the game has ended

word count: 1.7k 

content warnings: established poly relationship, predator/prey dynamic, mentions of murder/bodies, knife play with reader being cut,

They had chosen to wear matching costumes, both dressed like the serial killer from the popular horror movie that had come out recently and Shoko’s party had been the perfect place to debut them for your busy Halloweekend. You’d opted for a sexy cat costume, planned with Shoko to be a cat and mouse duo that Gojo had loved from the moment you mentioned that being the plan. Geto was a bit wary of how much skin the costume showed, but eventually your pout and reminder that you were very much an adult had him backing off to let you do your thing. He’d be with you all weekend anyway, so if anyone got too close he’d handle it - there was nothing a good punch to the face couldn’t fix. 

“See, Geto, we look so hot,” Shoko teases when your trio enters her house, something that you know has Suguru rolling his eyes behind the mask as Shoko pokes at both of their chests to make sure she got the right one. “Now let’s go drink.”

You’re not sure when you get separated from your boys, but you’re happy to relax out on the balcony with Shoko and share a cigarette as you escape the house that was way too hot. The alcohol and mass of body heat had begun to be too much, which had her leading you out to get you some fresh air after Haibara had pointed out that you were looking like you were unwell. 

“Alright, pretty girl, let me find one of those goofs so they can get their little drunk home.” The comment has you nodding, agreeing to stay put at her request so you’d be easier for them to find. 

“Hey,” you hear one of their modulators a few minutes later, and you turn to smile at whatever one you’d gotten to come get you. You’d sobered up a bit, so you have no issue when gloved hands come to rest on your sides that were left uncovered by your skimpy costume. “Feeling okay, baby?”

“Yeah,” you murmur, letting him back you into the railing to trap you. “Wanna fuck me in your costume?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

You don’t like that you can’t kiss any part of him due to how covered he was, but that doesn’t stop you from undoing his belt and reaching into his pants to his already half hard cock and smiling up at him when he sighs. You’d already been fucked by them earlier in the evening before leaving for this party, so you only needed to get him ready - something that doesn’t take long as he grinds into your hand. You’re pushing his pants down a bit when you feel he’s ready, and he’s pushing your bodysuit to the side before ripping at your fishnets to get the access he needed before lining up his tip with your entrance. You were already wet, the costumed sex and voice modulator turning you on more than you’d thought it would, which makes it easy for him to push into your waiting hole with a groan. Your hands grip his jacket, feeling something damp but you’re not concerned since somebody probably just spilled their drink on him. He’s pushing you up against the railing, using that to help support you while bringing your legs around his waist. Your arms move to wrap around his neck, pulling yourself flush against him and again feeling that damp feeling but still not caring since the way he was driving you onto his cock had cleared your mind of everything but him…whichever one he was. 

“Fuck, I love you,” you whine into his neck, the breathy chuckle in your ear sending a shiver down your spine that had you clenching around him. “S-so much.”

There’s an order for you to hold still, your back being pushed against the railing so much it digs into your spine uncomfortably. The pain doesn’t matter to you at all when his hips pound into yours at an unrelenting pace, working to chase both of your individual orgasms. You’re letting out broken moans each time he bottoms out, tears welling in your eyes at how good he was making you feel. 

“Love your sweet pussy s’much,” he grunts, squeezing your hips tighter. “Fuckin’ perfect.”

What sounds like a scream from below has you turning your head in concern, hand on his chest making him stop for a moment as you ask if he had also heard that. It sounded kind of like someone was in pain, if you were a decent person you’d at least check to see if they were okay. 

“Someone must be having as much fun as we are. Let’s not interrupt them, baby.”

You nod at his suggestion, looking back to him as he starts again, gloved fingers digging into your hips hard enough that you’d be bruised but you couldn’t be bothered to care. Not when he was fucking you like this on Shoko’s balcony. And you truly couldn’t tell which one of them this was, he was using terms of endearment that they both would use so you couldn’t narrow it down that way. But you didn’t necessarily care, you knew it was one of your boys and the one who wasn’t fucking you right now would take what was his as soon as he could. 

“Gonna cum inside me, baby?” you ask, pressing your forehead against his mask and smiling when you hear him tell you that he was. He was going to fuck you full, make you keep his cum inside you all night until you left this stupid party and he got to have you again. Mentions of an Eiffel Tower being in your future have you shuddering, and your walls tighten around his length at the idea. Taking them both was always such a treat.

“Be good and cum for me, alright? Get my cock all wet and creamy, and let ‘em all know you’re getting fucked good out here. Maybe he’ll get jealous and come join us for another round.”

“Shoko would kill us.” You decline the offer, holding him tighter as you feel that white hot feeling in your core. “Gonna cum.”

“Me too, gonna fill my lil pussycat.” 

And he does, his hips stuttering in their pace until he’s still, and you feel him pulsing inside you as he cums inside you. A couple strokes to push it deeper inside, ensuring there was evidence when the other came to take his own share of your body. 

“Fuck, I love you princess,” he mumbles, carefully resting his mask against your forehead. It’s as close as you’ll get to a kiss while he was in costume, since he didn’t want to give up the game that was you not knowing who he was. 

It’s when he sets you on your feet, taking a moment to make sure you were steady before fixing his pants, that you look past him into the house only to see someone lying on the ground by the glass door. What looks like blood has pooled beneath them on Shoko’s wood floors, and you’re looking up at him in concern. 

“Babe, do you know what’s happening?”

“Probably just a prank, honey. It is Halloween.” 

The answer is satisfactory enough, and you take his hand so he can lead you into the house. A gentle nudge of your foot to the ass of the prankster gets no response, so you joke that he can give up the game since he’d been caught. It was odd that there wasn’t even an amused laugh at being found out, but commitment to the bit could be respected as you walk through the house. 

A decision you’d regret as you see more bodies laying on the floors. 

You turn around to where your boyfriend should be, only to see him missing. 

“Suguru!? Satoru!?” Your call is only met with silence, and you feel the tears burn at your eyes as the fear truly settles in. “Ha-ha. Come on assholes, I’m ready to go home since everyone wants to act dead.”

“Who said they were acting?” 

You swear your heart stops, and you finally catch sight of the blood on your hands before you look down and see blood had transferred onto your body. So whatever had been on one of their costumes wasn’t a drink at all, but…

“Oh, my god.”

“There you go, pretty girl. You always were smart.”

You want to throw up, the bile rising in your throat but you don’t have time to do that now. He was taking slow, predatory steps towards you with a knife in hand, already dripping blood. How many people had he killed before he’d gotten to you? How could he, in any sort of mindset, fuck you on the balcony while covered in the blood of someone else? How many people had he sliced through before getting to you?

“Oh, look at you babygirl. So scared,” he coos, watching as your bottom lip trembles as you continue to take steps backwards. “Show me how pretty you are when you cry for me.”

“E-even Shoko?”

“And listening to her and Haibara scream was the good part,” you hear behind you, but you don’t bother to look over your shoulder. You knew who was there, knew what was going to happen when the hand grips your waist and the knife is put against your throat. 

“Who is who?” you ask, feeling your back get pulled flush against the chest behind you. You’d be covered in blood by the time they were done with you, and most of it wouldn’t be yours. 

“Does it matter, princess? You fuck us both anyway, right?” The voice behind you has you squinting as you try to figure it out based on the tone, but the tip of the knife pressing into your throat to create the smallest of punctures to make you bleed has your mind pulling a blank. It didn’t matter who was who, you supposed, considering you did sleep with both of them. They both chose to do this, did it matter which one covered you in blood?

But you knew better than to be truly scared, they wouldn’t lay a finger on you more than they already had. 

After all, you were their alibi. 

“The modulator is creepy; turn that shit off, both of you.”

“No fun,” Satoru whines from behind you, and you hear the rustling of his mask behind you so he can kiss your cheek. “But let’s get you home so I can fuck you. Suguru always has all the fun.”

“Okay but I can’t believe you fucked me covered in blood. It’s never going to come out of this bodysuit, asshole.” 

“It’s getting set on fire tomorrow anyway, we’ll replace it.”

[raainberry]

Nighttime Serenade

« Silly Series - 14 »

Sana x gn!reader

Fluff

synopsis - quiet nights and cuddles, doesn’t get better than this

wordcount - 664

A/N - rain got me inspired, not proofread bc its late i can literally feel the bags coming to life under my eyes. enjoy!

The slight panic Sana felt when you shifted your body on top of hers… Her sleepy eyes were suddenly wide and alert as she thought about you leaving her embrace.

It was a frightening possibility. It had barely been an hour since you’d sneaked into her arms in search of some comfort after a long day, but it was getting late. If you wanted to get to bed, she’d understand although she wouldn’t be all for it.

Your presence, the warmth and love you gave her were things she missed all day. She hated when your free days didn’t line up, leaving her alone with only thoughts and cravings with your name on them. The hours between your lips on her forehead in the morning and your soft, gentle kisses on her cheek in the evening seemed to stretch into infinity.

Tomorrow was her turn to leave you behind for the day. She liked to think your clinginess tonight was motivated by that thought. She hoped the small strokes of your palm, the delicate touches of your fingertips against her skin was a way for you to appreciate the few hours you had left in her company.

Her eyes kept looking up at the time displayed right underneath the TV, and she had to hold herself back from laughing at her own behavior. How much more obsessed could she be… You were in her arms, as close as you could be, yet she was already missing you.

Her gaze slipped away from the screen to find you every once in a while. The sight of your head resting on her stomach put a smile on her lips. She couldn’t see why nor how it could be as comfortable as you claimed, but she’d never complain. Easy access to your hair, random kisses, your soft breathing against her skin whenever her clothing allowed it… why would she complain?

A small hum resonated from your chest as her fingers gently pulled on a few strands of your hair, brushing them out of your eyes. The gesture alone could put you to sleep if she did it long enough. That was exactly what you wanted to avoid, but it didn’t mean you wanted her to stop.

So you focused on the TV, suddenly remembering about its existence.

The variety show you’dsettled on out of laziness to switch channels turned out to be more perfect than anything you could have willingly picked. Entertaining enough to share a few laughs, each other’s favorite sounds, but not interesting enough to make you forget about this moment you wanted to cherish.

Sana’s occasional giggles caused your head to bounce a few times, and as much as you loved to see her happy, came a time where your comfort just wasn’t negligible.

You lifted yourself off of her, unknowing and oblivious to her dismay as you went to find rest against her chest.

Relief washed over her when she realised you weren’t going anywhere. She bit her smile back at the familiar feeling of your hair tickling her neck, and her arms wrapped themselves around your back. A sudden surge of love pushed her to squeeze you closer, and your view on the screen was now blocked as her cheek was squished against your forehead.

“I love you.” She mumbled, her voice just above a whisper. You smiled at the words. You couldn’t get over them, no matter how much she said them. Whichever way she let them out, whenever she let you know, they seemed to have the same effect on you.

Warmth, from your chest to your veins. One that put your heart at ease. Your mind at peace.

“I love you too.” You sighed out, content and hopeful of the words making her feel the same way.

Sana smiled at the serenity you’d granted her, and pressed her lips on top of your head in a soft peck before training her eyes back on the TV.

Hopefully the night hours will take their time, stretch out as much as the day’s had.

[redflagshipwriter]

Hi, it's Tim (just Tim) Chapter 4

Masterpost

Tim paid cash for a mid range hotel room. He had to use his ID, so the odds weren't zero that it was eventually going to be found when the hotel registered their current guests. But there was nearly infinite data out there. Not even Barbara could monitor every upload in real time.

Kon was hovering a nervous centimeter off the ground behind him when Tim swiped the door open. He flicked his eyes down pointedly and raised a single eyebrow. Subtle much?

“Thanks,” Kon said, apparently misinterpreting that as an invitation to enter first.

Ah well. Tim walked in second and surveyed the room. They'd been given a two queen setup. He gave the one near the window a disdainful look. Like he'd be caught dead directly under a viable entrance. That was just begging for some dickbag to shoot a bazooka at you, like what happened to that one mask creep a couple weeks back.

Kon plopped down on the bed by the window and posed, crossing one ankle over his knee.

“I thought you were going to get supplies so we can stay in?” Tim said, knowing he was ruining Kon’s attempt at seduction.

Kon stared blankly for a moment and then flipped up in a way a human never could. “That's right. What do we need?”

“Two boxes of poptarts, two pizzas, a pack of bottled coffee- I'll write down my preferred brand.” Tim ripped off the first page of hotel stationery and started scribbling out his list. Hmm. He looked at it and made some changes so that Alfred would be less upset at him. He wrote ‘vegetable’ before pizza and added “bottled water”. Tim looked over his list once more, frowning slightly in concentration. He was hoping to hole up here for 24 hours or until a bat came and dragged him out, whichever came first. Would this be enough food for Kon?

“How much do you eat?”

“Uh-”

“Daily calorie intake?” Tim clarified.

Kon blinked at him. “I eat until I'm not hungry, man.”

Tim sighed. “Make sure to get some things that you like too,” he prompted. He moved over to where Kon was still hovering over the bed and folded the paper into neat quarters. Kon watched curiously as Tim stepped to the edge of the bed and leaned over slightly to tuck the paper into his jacket pocket.

Then he dug his wallet out of his back pocket and did some quick calculations. “Use the blue-green card,” he decided. “PIN is 8516, if you need it. How fast can you fly without a human passenger?”

Kon rattled off numbers.

Tim nodded decisively. “Good. Can you use the card like, two cities over? Make sure to stay off of camera,” he clarified. “So my family doesn't spot you and realize it's not me.”

He took a moment to consider how Bruce would react if he thought Tim was missing and someone else was accessing his money.

Hmm. Tim frowned. “Be really careful to stay off camera,” he amended. He reached around and put his wallet in Kon’s back pocket. “I think that's all.”

He was going to have a hell of a time explaining this and paying for it. Tomorrow.

“Okay,” Kon said, strangled. He was gone in a blink.

Tim took the time to do a proper check of the room for surveillance equipment and any biohazards. It came up clean, or clean enough, considering it was a hotel room. He plugged his phone in on the bedside table without turning it on. It was just a burner but Bruce would check for it eventually. He didn't need to make it easier.

Knock knock

Tim heaved himself up silently and padded to confirm if it was Kon without a key, an assassin, paparazzi, or (worst of all) Dick.

It was Kon. He opened the door.

“Thanks man.” Kon breezed in and started unloading bags at high speed. Tim watched his teammate open up the mini fridge and start packing in coffees. He smiled. Then Kon started putting in vegetable puree style juice. Tim frowned. A bunch of bananas and “What even is that?” Tim complained. “A potato? You brought a potato?”

Kon gave him a piteous look. “It's a mango, Tim.”

Tim crossed his arms. “I don't see why we need it,” he muttered suspiciously. It still looked like a potato. He knew all about potatoes. Maybe Kon just ate raw potatoes like a- like a chicken or something.

“Why…” Kon smiled in disbelief and shook his head a little. “You don't have to eat it. You might like it, though.”

He chose to keep his thoughts on that to himself.

Kon let out a delighted laugh anyway and floated over, dubious potato still in hand. “Don't be so grumpy, baby,” he crooned.

Tim huffed. “I am not grumpy,” he lied. “I am just rightfully suspicious of unidentified produce in my vicinity-”

“I identified it,” Kon pointed out. He leaned down and brushed hair off of Tim’s face. “I promise it's a mango. Let me give you a taste?”

Ugh. Fine.

Kon rightfully took his posture as agreement. He looked under his eyelashes coyly as he peeled some skin off- and okay, that didn't look like a potato. Tim relaxed a little. Kon brought the mango up. Tim leaned towards it but Kon brought it to his own mouth and took a bite, releasing a sweet scent into the air. He swallowed. He put the mango down and crowded into Tim.

Oh. Tim realized where this was going. He smirked up at Kon and trailed his fingers up the bigger boy's biceps. God, they were enormous. When Kon leaned down, Tim lifted his face to match their lips together.

They were soft and- weirdly big. Tim wrapped a hand around Kon’s neck to pull him down more firmly so he could explore the new feeling. Was that how it just felt to kiss someone with bigger lips than yours? He licked the bottom one and dug his fingers into Kon’s scalp. Kon sighed and slid his hot hands around Tim’s back. Fuck. Tim pressed back into them. The one spanned the back of his whole waist and the other was splayed over both of his shoulder blades. Fuck.

Unfortunately, Kon took the movement as asking for an end. He broke the kiss and took a step back, eyes hazy. Tim let his hands drop to his sides. “How was the mango?” He asked, husky.

Tim had to take a moment to process. “I have no idea.” He squeezed his hands into fists. “I didn't notice that at all.”

Kon preened.

Ah. Tim frowned. He should have realized that would fuel Kon’s ego. “Are you hungry?” He checked.

Kon blinked. “No, not really.”

“Good.” Tim fisted the lapels of Kon’s jacket. He pulled in to get Kon off balance– and Kon let him. Tim pushed back. Kon went backwards onto the bed with pure confusion on his face. Tim swallowed a laugh and crawled into Kon’s lap. He knew he was making the smug expression that Stephanie had hated in bed, but Kon didn't seem put off at all. “Can I?”

Kon swallowed. “Y-yeah.”

[onmyyan]

Okay, Hia! I’m hate to ask y/n’s friends trying to seduce Caspian! Idk if you had done this already but I was Caspian meet our friends and it’s obvious that they wanna fuck him

A/N: apologies for the wait! Loved this request bec Cas gets feral when you're relationship is tested, let me know if y'all want a smut to this!!NOT EDITED

TW'S: Yandere, cursing, horny Cas, shitty people/ friends, suggestive towards the end, Cas gets mean but don't worry never to you

You nearly buzzed in place from your ever growing excitement, not only were you about to go out looking as fine as you were, but you were going with Caspian!

A few friends of yours texted you last minute asking if you wanted to join them at the club, they asked if you could be the designated driver as they all wanted to drink and despite the small voice in your head telling you not to, that they'd only asked you to join so you could drive, the people pleaser in you won out and just like that you were scrambling to pick an outfit.

This particular group of women were more work friends than real ones, and the urge to belong was stronger than the odd vibes they gave off, this is the main reason you tiptoed into the kitchen that afternoon.

"Hi honey- what's wrong?" His tone went from joyous to concerned in a matter of seconds, he all but abandoned the pot he'd been diligently stirring for the last hour in favor for cupping your cheeks. "I'm fine my love, just- you free tonight?" His shoulders relaxed at the question, his large frame tilting down so he could steal a kiss. "For you? Always."

"Welllllll I know you didn't have the greatest time with my friends the last time we hung out with people I know but they invited me to the club- they need a designated driver see, and I was wondering if maybe you might wanna go with me?" Your nerves were apparent from the way you played with your shirt sleeve and it almost made him chuckle, as if you ever had to worry about him saying no to you.

"I'd love to go, and if you want to drink I can drive, you shouldn't have to limit yourself so others can party." He may have been smiling in the moment but his temper began to flare at the idea of you being so clearly used by people who cared little if at all for your wellbeing.

He knew how much you loved to dance and he could tell how happy you were to be apart of something so he bit his tongue and prayed to the universe he didn't loose his shit in front of you.

The two of you got ready together, the process being halted many times so he could kiss your neck or lips, whichever he had better access to at the moment the urge struck him. He made sure his outfit complimented your own, before you left he attached the prettiest necklace to your neck, making sure to leave a trail of kisses as he pulled away. The pendant was an adorable set of intertwined rose gold hearts, your initials carved in the shining metal, he giddily pulled a matching dainty chain from beneath his shirt, showing off his own.

"So we match." It was a subtle way to keep his possessive urges in check. Plus the way you lit up when he put it on was reason enough on it's own.

Caspian made a habit of racing to get out before you so he could hold the door open as you exited his sleek black car. He gave his keys to the valet with a finesse that seemed practiced and immediately slipped a large hand around your waist, his grip tightened subconsciously searched for the harpy's. The group appeared in no time squealing in what he deemed was a fake display of excitement.

"You came!! You're such a lifesaver (y/n)! What would we do without you huh?" He didn't bother listening to her name so he didn't exactly who had their disgusting arms around you despite your obvious discomfort. You giggled gently taking them off your shoulders and started to respond before another cut you off, "You didn't tell us you were bringing such a fine plus one- hi I'm Sandy." She held a hand out for him to take which he simply waved at.

"Caspian, and I'm her boyfriend actually." He didn't even try to hide his displeasure at her choice of words. "My mistake." She said in a sultry manner, her hands placed on her chest in mock sympathy.

His fist tightened before he made a move to hold your hand. "Ready honey?" He kissed the back of your hand as the group went for the door, not even bothering to wait for the two of you. "As I'll ever be." You responded, trying to breathe through the sudden onslaught of anxiety. He made sure to press kiss the side of you head as you two entered the dark club.

He fell for your kindness but damn did you give it to the wrong people.

At first things were as good as could be, you and Caspian wrapped up with each other in a darkened booth, him whispering sweet nothings against your skin, he was having a perfectly wonderful time until about an hour in, two of the women he didn't bother introducing himself to had randomly appeared out of nowhere and pulled you from his arms out on the dance floor. He pouted to himself before he caught the genuine smile on your face, he'd endure anything to keep it there. After a while the three of you trotted off to where he assumed the bathroom was, much to his displeasure. Just as he was about to whip out his phone to see exactly where you were, he caught sight of someone coming towards him.

His irritation only grew as Sandy sauntered her way up to Caspian with confidence, two drinks in hand. "You look like a whiskey guy." She slid the cup over with skill and sat on the table before him. Her finger danced around the rim of her glass and he couldn't help but gape, was this bitch foreal right now? He could laugh at the audacity but instead he pushed the drink back towards her.

"I'm not." She huffed playfully at him, as if he'd told a joke and knocked back the glass with an exaggerated moan of appreciation, knowing damn well the cheap shot tasted like gasoline. His heart began to pound in anger as he searched the crowd for you.

"Okayy well do you dance big guy?" She leaned across the table to give him a full view of her chest, the delicate bat of her lashes always got her what she wanted, so you could imagine her surprise when he stood up to his full height, nearly knocking her over with the speed. "I sure do, with my girl." He didn't try to mask his distain for the woman who claimed to be your friend.

Her embarrassment wasn't enough to stop her in her quest though, "What she don't know won't hurt her- c'mon my girls have her attention for as long as we need." She wrapped her arms around his midsection from behind with surprising speed, it felt like broken glass and salt everywhere she touched. His face twisted into a snarl as he ripped her hands from his body, all but throwing himself away from her shocked form.

"You're disgusting- what kind of woman throws herself at a taken man? Her so called friend at that?" Sandy's face fell with every venomous word he spat, not at all prepared for the man before her.

"I'll tell you what kind of person does that. A miserable one. One that could disa-fuckin-ppear and the world would be better." With every word her body seemed to shrink in on itself. "You're lucky she didn't see that shit you just pulled- if she so much as thinks I'm skeevin' cuz a cheap thing like you I swear on everything I love it'll be the last mistake you make. Are we clear? " His tone left no room for arguing, that paired with the mean ass sneer had the teary eyed nuisance nodding her head wordlessly and before she could speed walk away he grabbed her forearm in a vice, "Matter of fact this is gonna be the last time you or any one of those wastes of spaces you call friends bothers my baby again- lose her number. Fast." He made a point to wipe his hand on his pants after he released her. Cas felt somewhat better at the sight of the woman's misery but his blood was still boiling.

His eyes searched for you desperately, his pulse only calming once he spotted your happy form bouncing over to him from the crowd. "This place is amazing Cas! The bathroom was so boujie I had to take like a million pictures- I didn't make you wait too long right?" He smiled down at you, leaning against the back of the booth, he pulled you into his chest with a content hum. "You're worth any wait honey, also I want those pics, I need a new wallpaper."

The sweet moment would be ruined when he caught sight of the hag you called friend glaring at your back. His gaze would sharpen before he returned his attention to who mattered most.

He'd burn you in place with his stare, the sudden intense look had your knees shaking, you knew that look, it was almost always followed by a few rounds on whatever available surface was closest. His adrenaline still pumping, he gently grabbed the nape of your neck and pulled you into a searing kiss, the kinda kiss that was always followed by trouble.

After a few seconds you pulled back just a bit, intending to question the sudden PDA but he didn't give you a chance, after fighting his way in, he sucked long and hard on your tongue, moaning into the kiss like a pornstar, the fingers not playing with your hair snaked their way down to grab a handful of ass, grinding his growing bulge into your core had the both of you letting out the softest moans. "Fuck- what's gotten into you Cas?" You giggled against his panting mouth, visibly flustered, he licked a stripe across your bottom lip causing your exposed skin to flare with goosebumps.

"Just showing everyone here they can look-" A hand gently lifted your chin, his stare holding you in place, "but only I get to touch." He leaned down to trail searing kisses into your neck, glaring at the still embarrassed woman watching the two of you.

Like a dog marking his territory he began to nip and suck at the spot just below your neck. Your giggles and little whines being the only thing holding him back from tearing into that woman who after all she'd done had the nerve to still be in the same room as you two, you suddenly pulled away to look him in the eye.

"C'mon you horndog, let's get outta here before you try to fuck me on the dance floor." You joked tugging him towards the door.

"Hear me out-"

"Absolutely not."

[tadpoles-and-daydreams]

still alive!! and a small photodump bc why not.

I was down for the count for a while, but I'm finally slowly reintegrating myself into society again lol. Connecting back to my spirituality and major parts of my life, etc. etc. and part of that has, weirdly enough, been going back to playing... a specific video game. I know but hear me out- sky COTL is one of my favorite games, a daily task of mine, and I wasn't doing it while I had COVID (just letting my friend drag me through dailies like a sack of potatoes.)

So today I spent like five hours in the little meditation island area that's going away today (so glad it's going to become permanent in the future!) because I knew that when I left it'd be gone and I wanted to take photos. And, while I didn't really feel his presence at the time because I'm feeling disconnected at the moment, I.... feel now as though the reason I like this photoset is because of Apollo. Maybe Loki, too. Something about taking these pictures, even in a game, felt very sacred and it's immediately become my favorite in-game photos I've taken.

So, I guess this is considered an offering to whichever of my deities wants it, have a bunch of photos of my skykid dancing in the sunset :D

I might post more sky cotl photos sometime, it holds a special place in my heart. Plus, photography is something I've always loved and wish I could do- but going out and taking photos of beautiful scenery, of people that I have to direct and ask to pose certain ways, etc, isn't accessible to me. So instead I take photos in sky and it connects me to a part of myself I don't often get to tap into. ^^

[truthinlifetarot]

How To Access Your Best Self

How to Pick a Pile? Some of us focus on the image that seems to call to us most, some intuitively choose regardless of picture. Don't overthink it. Choose whichever pile you feel called to. It may even be more than one!

Gif credit: @userscully

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Pile 1: Take a moment. Make a wish. Instead of thinking about how improbable that wish is and how many tedious things would have to happen in order for it to come to fruition, just throw the wish away. Let it go like bubbles on the wind. Like it's not even yours anymore. Your biggest problem is overthinking and negativity. You have to fix that.

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Pile 2: Judge yourself as worthy of being who you want to be. For most of you this will mean taking physical action towards your goals. This action will bring you over a threshold that holds you back. In judging yourself, see only the good parts of you that make you smile. Yes, there are parts that need improvement, but we aren't looking at those right now.

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Pile 3: Treat yourself as royalty and someone worth love, riches, and everything else they want in this world. Use your hands to create what you want. Think of all the small things that your best self would know, or do. Make sure you know those things. Make sure you can do those things. Your future self is ready to be here, but certain steps need to be taken first.

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[ember-owlet]

hi, i'm just getting to learn about agere, and i'm a little anxious, i wanted to know if you could write something for mel as a cg?

a/c: absolutely firelight! thank you for your patience. i'm so glad you've been trying to learn more about age regression! speaking personally, it is a wonderful coping mechanism and i really hope this brings you some form of comfort on your journey. (/gen) this was an absolute treat to write and create the moodboard for as i don't see as much mel content in the arcane fandom, much less for elora in the agere tag and i hope to provide as much as i can. ʚ♡ɞ 

dynamic: gn!regressor! reader x cg! mel medarda x babysitter! elora

reader is referred to as: darling, little one, sweetheart, and my love. mel is referred to as mommy.

content warnings: descriptions of anxiety from reader and moments of overstimulation/overwhelm ((stay safe little firelights, you can always come back to this when you're ready))

"Now now darling I'll only be gone for a short while." Mel swept her hand across your cheek and slid down to your chin, giving you a slight tap with her slender finger to the very tip of your nose. Your caregiver had reminded you that she was going away to a council meeting for the majority of the day. "Elora will be here to provide you with anything that you'll need." Mel would look over to reveal the presence of her assistant, the woman giving you a slight nod of acknowledgment and a shy wave as to not startle you further. "You'll be a brave little one for me, won't you?" Despite the thousands of ways you wanted to beg her to stay, you knew that her work was important to her, but being without your caregiver for so long presented a new form of unease. Before you could protest further the door had already locked into place, the sound of the great marble echoing in the open air. Elora adjusted her posture before straightening once again, "I think it's quite a lovely day to go outside, don't you?" She paused, stretching beyond where you stood to retrieve your comfort plush off of the floor, eyeing the other toys and miscellaneous gifts scattered aimlessly, noting to have the place cleaned and organized before Councilor Medarda's return. "And, maybe if you feel up to it I heard there was a lovely spot near the marketplace to find a new outfit for you and your stuffie." Shuffling you weighed your options, and though it would have been wonderful on its own to stay inside and let the thoughts of missing your mommy persist, a day out couldn't hurt? The extravagant doors swung open again, much more persistent than when the two of you had exited the room moments prior. You had no idea where to go, but the overwhelming urge to curl up and cry overtook you as the room spun with you in place. You quickly launched yourself into bed, your ears tickled with the strain of picking up every beat and sound around you. Elora moved with ease throughout the room, resetting the environment to make it as quiet and calming as she physically could. Despite your best efforts, the town square was bustling with activities, unexpected noises, and situations you weren't prepared for. It was too much, and without Mel around to help it didn't take much for the churning in your stomach to become unbearable. The only other person present that brought you a sense of familiarity was now down to a side sitting position. "Hey sweetheart.." she cooed at the edge of the luxurious bed, guiding a pillow and blanket beside you, unrolling the silk should you need easy access to it. "Take as much time as you need. I let Mel know about the situation and she'll be here as soon as she possibly can." she spoke almost in a whisper, the pen in her hand being flipped between each finger back and forth. Her eyes flipped through the tiered bookshelf that rested not too far away from your bedside. "How about I read to you until she gets here. When you feel ready, pick whichever one you like while I get you something to drink." Time was lost in the countless titles that graced your collection, and through small sniffles, you gathered the energy to select a few. You draw a hand lovingly over the worn copy of The Short Tales of a Fox and Their Warren. You loved the way your mommy would effortlessly paint the images of the once lonely fox and how, after discovering another lone rabbit out in the forest, would create a warren of their own. You clutched the book tightly in your arms, another exhale to calm your restless mind. Elora poked her head gingerly into the doorway, the warm, freshly sweet scent of chamomile lingered in the air. The cartoonish mug stood tall and proud contrasted to the elegant tray. Elora bent down to hand you the heated vessel. "Drink slowly, it's still a bit hot." You took short but wide gulps of the tea. It was just what you needed and you exhaled deeply as it warmed your aching body.

Swaddled together in your bed she finishes, "And then, the once lonely fox smiled. For they knew that though this newfound family was different in many ways, they had finally found what they had been looking for: A place to belong. The End." She motioned to close the book, letting the spine crackle before it set into place. She looked down at you; rather fond of the way you clutched onto her side as you slept. Suddenly her attention was taken to the doorway, smiling at the sound of the approaching (and all too familiar) hasty footsteps. "Perfect timing. We had just finished storytime. They finally felt safe enough to rest." she greeted Mel with a gentle nod, sliding herself out of the bed to let the frazzled woman swiftly replace her position and slink into your arms. She looked around at the spotless room and sighed in relief to the peaceful atmosphere. "Thank you Elora. As always, you have done wonderfully. Tomorrow morning please have the rest of the day scheduled in my absence. I think I've had enough excitement for one day." She leans over, brushing aside the strands of hair that fell over your face. Already striking each event from the list, Elora bids the councilor a good evening and closes the door behind her. It didn't take long for you to feel the golden bangles around your mommy's waist, slowly bringing yourself to meet her gaze. "I missed you; so so much mommy." You whine, holding her tighter and burrowing your face deeper into her. She chuckles, wiping the dampness from your cheeks and placing your soft friend in your arms. "I missed you too. You did so well today, my love. Come, let's get you freshened up and ready for bed."

[saviourkingslut]

Hi! I saw that you mentionned scrivener in your latest post and I've been meaning to try it. Is it good? I'm a one-doc-per-chapter kind of person so I wonder if it would work for me.

hi, sorry for the somewhat late reply, i wanted to include some screenshots to make my explanation a little clearer but didn't have the energy to sit down for it properly before now. if you're a one-doc-per-chapter writer i definitely think you should consider it! scrivener's most important feature, i think, is that it gives you:

the opportunity to split up your writing any way you want, whether per chapter, per scene, or even per paragraph...

...but all your writing is always within immediate reach, and you can restructure it whichever way you want.

to make that a little clearer, i've included a picture from my own work. scrivener is mostly geared towards creative writing, but i use it for my dissertation and that works very well too. this is the general interface, where you can see i've been writing an introduction:

scrivener's most important feature, to me, is its 'binder', which is this bit:

at the top, you'll see 'draft' - this is the entirety of the project you're working on. in this case, that's my dissertation. underneath, you see a little book, called 'introduction' - that's a main part of the draft. and underneath that, you can see a couple of folders and documents. that's all the different parts of my introduction. you can create as many folders and put as many different documents in those folders as you want. what i find incredible about this, is that i have an overview of all my topics, and that i can switch between all my different topics without having to open different documents OR put all my shit in one big document, which always makes me lose my way completely. and if i feel like restructuring my text? well, i can go to the binder, and drag the texts to another spot there.

since you like to work by chapter, you could just structure your binder like that in a way that works for you, but you'd still have access to all your other work if there's ever a moment when you need to refer back to it. or if you're working on multiple chapters at the same time, you can just switch between them.

something else that has helped me a lot is the 'research' part of the binder:

the 'research' part is meant for you as a writer to put down all your resources - your pdfs, your images, whatever you're using as reference while you're writing. now, because im writing an academic text and need more references than the average (fan)fiction writer, im using zotero as a reference manager. instead, im using the reserach folder to store my writing plans so i can reference and update them there. you see that 'reorganisation' folder there: it's also where i store my texts when i notice that the current structure is not working at all and i need to start over - but in such cases i don't need to write all the text itself from scratch again. this way i can keep everything within easy reach and copy-paste in the same document (you can split your screen within the program, and work in two documents at once).

what's also great are the tools. in programs like word or google docs you'll find some of these, but not all. as you can see, the first symbol leads to a sidebar where you can put a synopsis for the specific text you're working on, and it lets you add notes. the second one lets you add bookmarks to your text, like texts or references you want within reach immediately. the third one lets you add specific metadata or tags. the fourth lets you make snapshots; scrivener saves all your work immediately, but if you're about to make a big change, you can create a snapshot and roll back to that if it's not working out after all. finally, there's the comments, which speak for itself. all the way down the bar you'll also see that you can label texts ('no label' here, there's a colour system) and note what part of the writing progress this part of the text is at.

what i personally like very much is the bar at the top that now says 'opening 2.0'. you can see a light blue bar at the bottom of it: that indicates my writing progress. you can set a writing goal in number of words for your project. for my entire 'introduction', that's 8000 words, and as you can see im nearly there. if you hover over the 'opening 2.0' bar, it'll shift to show you the number of words you've written AND the number of words you've written in that specific writing session like so: 7300/8000 | 345. what i like is that it counts the actual words written - if i've deleted a sentence, my count goes down again. that's useful for me because i tend to think 'oh i've written so much today' while all i've been doing is tiny edits for 2 hours, but not actually put down more words.

there's MUCH more that scrivener offers, but i can't explain it all here. they offer a free trial for 30 days, and it comes with a practice document that explains all the features to you by making you work in the program. id recommend giving that a try if you're interested! the program is expensive (it cost me 70 euros) but it's absolutely been worth it for me. i used to have long-ass documents with half-finished paragraphs and snippets of thoughts and sentences all over, and this has helped me structure my texts more easily while also not cluttering my workspace with loose thoughts and ideas because i have more places to put them now.

[throughtrialbyfire]

Fic Author Self-Rec!

tagged by the lovely @mareenavee , thank you so much!! <3

tagging @dirty-bosmer @orfeoarte @gilgamish @umbracirrus @totally-not-deacon @v1ctory-or-sovngarde @thequeenofthewinter and YOU!! no pressure to participate, and if you haven't written 5 fics, feel free to just talk about whichever ones you have!!

Rules:

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love!

i'm going to paste each fics summary, and then go on my tangents!

An Inner Sanctity

Two months after attempting to utilize the Eye of Magnus and gain it's power, Ancano wakes up in an unfamiliar cottage, being cared for by the very person he intended to destroy. Navigating their strange and new dynamic, the Thalmor agent finds he may be offered second chance at life, but whether or not he takes it is another story.

this fic is a huge work of exploration into what indoctrination can do to someone who has never known any different, and how that can affect things as broad as worldviews and as personal as one-on-one dynamics with people. it's also partially catharsis-fic, as giving ancano some of my own mental and physical issues and dialing it up to 10000000000% is a hell of a lot of fun. i love seeing that old man suffer and then earn his rise from the ashes. plus, using athenath in a fic where they cant rely on the other two of the trio - as this is in an AU i call the "athenath solo run" - forces me to think of how they would handle situations on his own. spoiler? not too well.

it's on a hiatus at the moment despite having a pretty long backlog, i just don't have the motivation right now to edit and write more for it, but that definitely will change in the future, because i really love exploring ancano's psyche and how he begins to grow and change.

also the fic title comes from the song "Twilight" by Bôa, while that doesnt have anything to do with the fic, i loved the line "you give me an inner sanctity", sooooo <3

The Mark You Left

Two scientists realize, upon losing contact with Dr. Richtofen, that they are truly alone in the aftermath of their actions.

i don't have 5 fics for TES, so have my singular CoD Zombies fic as well! i've had a special interest in the ultimis timeline of CoD Zombies since uhhhh 2011? maybe? sometimes it lays dormant for months and then all of the sudden i think about it daily, especially the dynamics between Dr. Schuster, Dr. Richtofen, and Dr. Groph. so, i wrote this as a bit of a loveletter to a fandom i no longer am part of, but still have a lot of fondness for. it's a quick read that hits on this concept of ultimate betrayal in the aftermath of literally betraying someone else for that person. two people dealing with that, processing that, and what they'll do in the wake of all of this.

the title for this fic comes from the song "Birds" by BENN, who used to make CoD Zombies-based songs before rewriting/redoing them for his own original work!!

Portraits Under Forgotten Suns

A collection of short one-shot fics done for TESFest 2023. A werewolf in his cage, a Bosmer alchemists' first memory, a Dunmer mage's quiet contemplation, a humble keeper's last look at the place he's called home, a sailor's fate at the wreck of the Brinehammer, and an Altmer bard's fond summer memory.

as it says on the tin! its a series of one-shots i initially published to tumblr, then moved to Ao3 to make them more accessible and have a ready archive of them! i loved working on each of these, getting into different perspectives, and figuring out how to convey the narratives of the characters i worked with. i liked writing up details of my dragonborn trio's pasts, too, and the story for "Forgotten/Devotion" was a hell of a lot of fun, getting to pull the wreck of the brinehammer into a fic!

If by Sun and Moon I Swore

With the Empire's victory in the Skyrim Civil War, Hadvar has been quietly readjusting to regular life. When an old friend turns up at his door, that quiet he'd hoped for comes to a halt.

i love hadvar/ralof with all my wretched pining heart okay. i cannot deny this pair has a vice grip on me! and working with them, two soldiers touched by war on opposite sides who once had something (in this case, used to be (and still are) in love), can be something both so tragic and so healing. pulling this pair back together, giving them some form of comfort, even if it's brief, is such a joy. i have intentions of writing more for this couple in the future, but that's likely going to be a while. still, i'll be sure to let you guys know if i do get around to it!!

this fics title is from "Like The Dawn" by The Oh Hellos! its my quintessential hadvar/ralof song for sure <3

Cycle of the Serpent

Surviving Helgen by the skin of their teeth, three elves find themselves tossed into the middle of ancient legends, a civil war, and a hell of a lot of problems. They may all have different reasons for being in Skyrim, but if they have any hope of reaching their destinations alive, it lies in learning to trust their strange new companions… no matter what. From the ruins of Helgen to the plains of Whiterun, from the seas of Solitude to the grim frost of Winterhold, and everywhere sprawling beyond, the unlikely trio will find that being chosen by Akatosh is more than they've ever bargained for. And with their own histories crawling back, and secrets slowly spilled, the trio may find that there's little they can do to escape the cycles they've made.

this longfic is… a huge undertaking. "An Inner Sanctity" focuses on two very flawed people coming to love one another. "Cycle of the Serpent" focuses on three very flawed, extremely fucked up people learning to trust one another and face whatever fate awaits them together, even when that trust is tested, even when the world is cruel, even when trauma batters and bruises them in the current and then rises up from the briny depths of the past to tug them back down beneath. it's about sustained and sometimes self-fulfilling cycles of hurt, anger, and sometimes vengeance, and it's about love and joy and companionship and friendship that lives within it all.

in short, this longfic is one of my biggest undertakings in a very long time.

i started this as a bit of a joke. the idea of there being more than one LDB was a fun idea, and then i created three elves, and those three elves gave me their family histories and their childhood friendships and their previous travels and how it changed them all prior to helgen and i went… yeah i can't just not write this and go insane about it. these three and their various methods for dealing with situations, their triumphs and defeats, and how they bounce off one another became so organic and real to me that i feel continuously pulled to keep their narrative going. this story forced me to write my first ever combat scenes (posted the snippet of my second ever real combat scene tonight!) and learn how to navigate keeping it within TES lore, while also breaking out of some of the stale writing in skyrim itself. i have plans to rewrite/overhaul entire questlines and characters to give them more life, and i've got dozens of OCs lined up - at least one of whom is hinted at within the first chapter. i have this story and these characters arcs planned out, and they do get particularly grim at points, but i never want this story to go into "there is no hope" territory. there's always hope, it just lies in learning to break your own cycles, even if it feels like it may kill you.

the title of this fic was taken from the song "Pillar of Na" by Saintseneca, i very heavily envision emeros as the first verse, athenath as the second, wyndrelis as the third, with the fourth being all three of them, and the fifth (the "eternal, eternal, eternity round…") being a sort of ensemble of all the places and people they've touched in their lives.

woooooooooooooooo!! that was long-winded. thank you for listening to me ramble on these, and thank you so much again for tagging me, mareena!! i hope everyone is having a lovely wednesday/thursday!! <3333

[river-in-the-woods]

I’ve just begun studying the Tao (as a philosophy) and I’ve had this feeling I might also need to study Buddhism as well. There’s been moments I feel like the two paths intersect, but provided different perspectives of the same, or, similar picture.

As a Buddhist practitioner, would you say Taoism and Buddhism are two sides of the same coin?

Ah, how are you finding it?

I wouldn't say they're two sides of the same coin. More like they are siblings who have shared experiences, but are also individual and complete in their own right. Both Taoism and Buddhism have philosophies that engage the intellect, as well as their respective social, political, cultural and spiritual aspects. My impression is that they tackle life's issues with slightly different mindsets. Different perspectives, as you say.

I'd encourage you to study both if you have the interest, but I do believe they ultimately lead toward the same thing. Being kind, wise, honourable and skillful, with vast knowledge of the world and deep understanding of themselves, and the will to elevate others – these are qualities of both the Taoist sage and the Bodhisattva.

The thing is, I am a practitioner, not a scholar 😄. I see the value in philosophy and lore insofar as I can understand it and put it to use. If you talk to me about philosophy, I will ask you how it can be used in everyday life.

In that regard, I would say Buddhism is a lot more accessible than Taoism. By and large, Buddhists seem to have a much greater interest in outreach, in spreading the teachings and holding events and gatherings worldwide. With Taoism, one has to invest a lot more time and resources to go beyond a reading list or making offerings at a shrine.

In any case, I encourage you to supplement your learning with action and practice, with others to guide you. These are not only philosophies to be studied, debated or understood only intellectually, but also semantically, experientially. They are meant to engage mind, body, heart and spirit, all.

What you do not learn in the textbook, you will learn from reflection, practice, and engaging with your community. Whichever you choose to pursue should be the one that inspires you to live more fully.

[wistfulwisp]

The introduction of the Psyche-Locks! I love it! It brings that interrogation gameplay out of the courtroom which is super fun, I think it’s great and I’m glad to see the Magatama in my inventory for Bigtop, so I know it’s something they continue to use. They took some getting used to, especially when you couldn’t solve them right away, but I really enjoyed that it brought more interactive gameplay into the investigation. The presenting of profiles is also a fun addition, though honestly I’m not used to being able to access that so I keep forgetting it’s there :( my bad.

One thing I will say I didn’t love about this case, and I swear I feel like I’m gaslighting myself even as I’m writing this but… I feel like this case didn’t have the same sort of spunk that the other cases have had thus far? By that I mean I felt like it wasn’t as comedic and absurdist as the other cases have been. The ending of this case was by far my favourite part, just the ending reveal was extremely ace attorney core — just when I thought I had it all figured out, it throws me a giant curveball and I totally ate it up. But, a lot of the investigation portions felt kind of stilted to me. It felt a little more meandering and had a little less personality than some of the other cases did. Now, I played this case at a busy time for me, so I’m really not sure if my personal life was playing into my perceptions at all. But, I think if it’s something that’s in game… a large portion of that actually has to do… with Phoenix.

All of the games, you’re stuck in phoenix’s head. And I’ve talked before about how much I enjoy Phoenix as a character — he’s realistic but open to new people, intuitive but empathetic, emotional but logical. He’s someone that’s really easy to get behind, and has had great character development moments in the past (such as in Turnabout Goodbyes, which I’m sure I’ll stop mentioning eventually). However, I found that in this case a lot of those qualities were kind of lost? Not completely, but I found his humorous comments kind of bordered on mean-spirited sometimes, and his inner dialogue didn’t have the same enthusiasm that it normally does. My theory is that either this was a) intentional Especially with the situation he’s in right now, this type of character shift would be completely in character. He’s lost both Edgeworth and Maya in not a long period of time, and that would wear anyone down. or b) unintentional Remember when I said that I was surprised Maya was leaving and how the Phoenix monologue would sound without someone to banter off of? Well, we kind of get that here, and without a side character to make comments or balance out Phoenix’s realist perspective, it may make his dialogue come off as more cold than it actually is. I’m not entirely sure. Or, I’ve gaslit myself entirely. Whichever one. Regardless, I do think that this kind of interferes with the arc of defending someone and believing that they are truly innocent until proven guilty. Phoenix has a great way of displaying his passion for the stories of others through both his courtroom defense and also his interactions with other characters, but I honestly didn’t see much of it here.

[jomiddlemarch]

Except you enthrall me, never shall be free

He would have been too late if the Fjerdan assassin hadn’t wanted Alina to die in the gravest torment. The belly wound she’d suffered was a lethal injury and the man had dragged her to the edge of the trees, where she wouldn’t easily have been found, where no one would have heard her faint cries. She would have died slowly, blood loss and infection warring within her, possibly injured a second time by a hungry wolf errant from its pack; if he had only wanted her dead as quickly as possible, he would have cut her throat and there would have been nothing left for Aleksander to do but turn the howling abyss inside himself into something far more devastating than the Fold.

The Fjerdan was a monster among monsters, cruel and glorying in his cruelty, and Aleksander dispatched him with greater mercy than the man deserved, wielding the Cut in a sudden blow that the assassin and his comrades never saw coming. Alina, watching, looked less afraid than Aleksander would have expected and more disinterested, which meant she was very near to death, occupied with her own agony and the need to cast it off.

“Miss Starkov,” he said, crouching over her, a finger laid at the pulse in her throat. She started to close her eyes and he feared she would not open them again. He began again, leaning closer to her, speaking softly but very clearly, “Alina, moya golubka, stay with me. Stay with me. I’m here, I’ll help you, just don’t go—”

“Hurts,” she mumbled. “Cold.”

If the Fjerdan had slashed her throat, there would be no words left. None for Alina to murmur, almost to herself, and none for Aleksander to use to coax her, to prepare as an incantation. Aleksander realized, in this moment, that he lived in a world of miracles, and he thanked whichever Saint was responsible. The Fjerdan dagger protruded from the dirty red wool of the spare kefta she’d been given, her blood staining the fabric only a darker color, almost the black of his own kefta and cloak. She was bleeding steadily and she wouldn’t survive transport to the nearest Healer, not even if one were only across the meadow or within shouting distance. He had a matter of minutes, possibly only seconds, and he was a passable medic after his centuries of battlefield experience, but he hadn’t a Healer’s power to repair the grievous wounds she’d suffered.

What he did have was access to colossal power. What he had was merzost and trancework and years of study in libraries and hovels and grand Imperial suites. What he had was the memory of Luda’s face as she worked to save a young girl and how she had felt in his arms afterwards, how his shadows could be a balm when she was spent.

What he had was Alina Starkov, her belly pierced by a silver dagger, her blood on his hands and her dark eyes regarding him with something like faith. He had his own knife and his own blood to spill, he had his shadows and their ability to coax forth her fading light, the affinity of two Summoners and the unnamable connection that had existed between them since they’d met. There was no time to waste, he would have to act, and together they would have to bear the consequence of his decision if she lived. If she lived, he would explain what he could and accept that she might argue he should not have chosen as he did. She would be alive then, to argue with him, even to turn her back and let him have the taste of her bitterness in his mouth without her kiss. She had burned maps to cross the Fold and had lit up the Fold to save her friend; how could he do less for the person he had been waiting for his whole life? She would have to forgive him or she would stay angry. He would rather spend every night of his life sleepless, knowing she dreamed of his destruction.

He laid a hand on her cheek and slipped the other beneath her sodden kefta, to rest lightly where the dagger had been thrust. He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering himself, and heard the effort of her faint inhalation. He stroked the Fjerdan blade and felt his own blood well and begin to mix with hers.

“This won’t take very long, Alina, and I will be with you,” he said. “You won’t understand what I’m saying, but I’ll tell you later what every word meant.”

She only looked at him. He could not wait for her to nod or try to form the word yes or no or please. He could only begin, holding her dark gaze with his own, feeling the ancient words new on his tongue lotzen zaitut, ene maitea, the incantation coming slowly at first and then taking on its own rhythm like a song he was remembering from his childhood returning to him without the accompaniment of a domra or kaval. Indeed, he spoke and then he sang, his voice rough, as if he swallowed his tears, or had had surrounded them both with smoke instead of shadow. It took forever and only a few moments and then he was finished. The Fjerdan dagger came away as if it had never stabbed into her belly and he let it fall to the ground beside her. He looked down and saw the wound was healed, not as if it had ever happened, but in such a way as would perplex the most expert Grisha Healers. The poison that had stirred within her was still. He blew out a breath and their mingled blood flew away like the finest dust, though there remained a dried streak across her cheek. He drew the sides of the kefta together, grimacing at the heaviness of the fabric with her blood and bodily fluids caking the wool. She would never wear it again, he knew that, though it could not be disposed of, as he’d made it a relic.

“Better now, neshama?” he asked, hoping she would speak before she slept.

“It doesn’t hurt, not much,” she said. He tried to smile at her, as he hadn’t when he had cut her with the silver ring and her light had poured forth like the dawn over the horizon. To be kind, because she had needed that and he had withheld it, even after discovering who she was. It was little enough to give to her now, but he gave it, wanting her to be soothed.

“That’s good,” he said. “I don’t want you to be in pain—”

“What did you do—are you a Healer too? Not just the Shadow Summoner? Or does being the Shadow Summoner mean you can heal as well?” she said, trying to sit up but too weak to accomplish it. He put his arm around her back and helped, but kept her in his arms, her head in the crook of his elbow, cradled like a lover.

“It means you and I, Sun and Shadow Summoners, can do for each other, with each other, what others cannot. If we will it, so mote it be,” he said. He would keep the explanation simple now and share the treatises that went into greater depth when they were safely at the Little Palace, her heart assessed by the Chief Healer and senior Heart-render. He could only pray that what he did was something neither of them came to rue. She’d told him she was a map-maker, however junior; she would understand that there were regions unexplored, that could hold terrors or marvels. Or both.

“I didn’t do anything,” she said. “Except not die.”

“That was all you needed to do. There is no tally sheet to square the sum between us, neshama,” he said. He had expected to feel the bond, to feel drawn to her most powerfully, from the first instant when he’d cut her open and then when he’d sealed them to each other, but the surge of affectionate tenderness that overtook him as he looked down at her, so delicate, pale from blood-loss and the wasting sickness but still lovely, curious and intrepid despite all she’d been through, was a shock. He wanted her, in a way he hadn’t wanted anyone in years beyond counting, and he knew he could not ask anything of her when they were as they were, before she understood the world and her place in it. He would tell her the truth, as much as she could bear, bite by bite, given to her like a sustaining broth, to taste and hold before she swallowed.

“What does that mean? What you called me just now?”

“It’s an old word, from a language no one speaks anymore. It means ‘my soul,’” he said.

“You said it. You must speak it,” she said.

“I did,” he said. “In a few minutes, we’ll try to see if you can stand. I need to get us back to Os Alta. It will not be the easiest ride, but we’ll manage.”

“Will you teach me?” she asked. She could have asked anything, she could have complained about the journey or protested his instructions. She could have fainted as soon as he’d finished the chant, but her eyes were bright, even if her lips were chapped and bitten.

“To ride?”

“To speak it with you,” she said. “I think, I don’t know why but I think we must be able to. I admit, I’m not very good at languages, I only speak Ravkan and a little of the dialect from Keramzin. I won’t be the best student.”

“I won’t be the best teacher,” he said.

“I never wanted this, to be Grisha,” she offered. Or was it a confession? He was quiet, waiting for her to go on. “I—we hid, when they came to test us, I cut my hand so they couldn’t tell. And now—”

“And now? You are Grisha. You are not alone,” he said.

“Do you mean because I am one of many? Or do you mean us?”

“You are the one among the many. And we are never alone, we won’t be, you and I,” he said.

“Because of what you did,” she said.

Fleetingly, he wondered whether he would remember her saying what you did, the kernel of an accusation hidden within the three words. What he had done was only merzost but was of it, and well he knew how merzost could not be undone, only grappled with. When he was Eryk, he would not have made such an observation, nor when he’d answered to Zuzen or Khenbish. What names would Alina take in their future? She’d lived to choose and that had to be worthwhile.

“Yes. I will teach you the old language. It has many obscenities. Some of them are quite…vivid. You shall be able to curse me in a thousand ways, if you want,” he said. It was an admission, one he made gladly, though he didn’t dare risk letting her see his lips curve.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said. She tried again to exert herself and ended up wincing. Not much clearly did not mean she was comfortable. It meant she had been told not to complain, had been left to suffer even if she did. “I don’t see how we’re getting back to the city. I don’t think I can ride, I’ve got no experience and I’m still—”

“I’ll take care of that. Of you,” he said. The words resonated inside him, a bell struck out to tell the people of a birth, a death. A great fire coming in across the sea, an impossible mystery.

“It sounds like a promise, but it might be a threat. Or a warning,” she said.

“It could be all of those or none. A reassurance. One I make to you, make to myself,” he said.

“I don’t understand,” she replied, but she turned her face so her cheek pressed against his arm, seeking the solace he could give her. Did she know how sweet he found it to be so regarded?

“Neither do I, neshama. I’m a man who has bartered my soul for the world and yet here you are and here am I,” he said.

He held her against him all the way into Os Alta, his thighs pressed against hers, his arm wrapped around her waist. He could not hold her too tightly where she had been wounded, but he could not risk her falling from the saddle. After an hour, she let her head drop back to rest against his shoulder, the tang of her blood in every breath he took. She slept, when the moon rose and the city was still a league away, and when they rode in through the central avenue, the linden trees dark against the night-sky. He allowed Ivan to help her down from his horse but his deputy saw what was necessary in his General’s face and then Alina was back in his arms, blinking drowsily.

“We’re home,” he said. “Here you are and here am I, neshama. Home.”

He decided to leave any havoc to the dawn.

[krsonmar]

Okay you know what I don't have Spotify and I haven't found a way to post fan playlists with annotations that I like yet so guess what here this is in a text post with links like how we used to roll on Ye Olde LiveJournal

This is my OFMD S1 playlist. Loosely follows the season plot. Here we go:

1.) Come Sail Away by Styx

Because duh like why have they not used this in official promos yet but also very call-to-adventure and with vibes of midlife angst

2.) Fraud by Jonathan Coulton

Every playlist needs some JoCo because there's JoCo for every occasion. Fans debate about what this song is about--I think it's very plainly about imposter syndrome as it relates to the creative process--but here I'm applying it more generally to the feeling that everyone can tell you're faking it. In other words, very early-season Stede.

3.) Royals by Lorde

INTRODUCING BLACKBEARD

(Also I did not know until looking this link up just now that Lorde is also a Kiwi! I am out of touch.) 4.) We're Going to Be Friends by The White Stripes

This song always breaks my heart (in a good way) with its sweet tale about childhood innocence and ease of making fast friends. When I was making this playlist, this track made me think of Ed and Stede's ease of "falling into friendship"...because making a new friend who gets you really can be another kind of falling, just like romantic love, can't it?

5.) My Favorite Things by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

Pirates like nice things, and they don't ask for what they want...they TAKE IT!!! This is a cover of the Sound of Music song, but made appropriate for the anarchy of a raid by this aptly-named punk rock band.

6.) You're My Best Friend by Queen

I had to get some Queen in here, and this song has always hinted at a slightly-more-than-just-two-friends dynamic to me. The French talk about all kinds of relationships as involving some type of seduction, not just sexual or romantic ones, and for me this track evokes Ed and Stede falling deeper for each other.

7.) Heathens by Twenty-One Pilots OR the cover by Boston Manor

I realized when I was constructing this list to put on my MP3 player (yes, I still have one, can't you tell by now that I'm old-school) that I don't actually own a copy of Heathens by the original band (and yes, I still buy and…ahem…otherwise own copies of the music I like). I did have access to the metal cover off of Punk Goes Pop vol 7, and I think the rawness of that version fits Ed's moment to Stede of "You were always going to find out what I am" quite well. Whichever you, the listener, prefer, I think this is an appropriate spot in the playlist for Stede to be reminded that Ed does have a history, and they are all, after all, pirates.

8.) The Ship Song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

I love how we all, as a fandom, seem to have discovered this song independently of each other but because of this fandom. And what a fantastic, devastating song it is! It's not just about a relationship that crashes and burns, it's about your own ideals, dearly-held illusions, and self-respect going right along with it. And how it grows to be predictable. I don't really understand the concept of "a good cry", but if I did, I think this song would do it for me.

9.) I Crush Everything by Jonathan Coulton

The second requisite JoCo song of the playlist. This one is literally about a giant squid that hates itself, but I defy you not to be smacked viciously about the head with the Kraken vibes of it.

10.) You've Got To Hide Your Love Away by The Beatles

We've all been there. The fake-it-til-you-make-it "I definitely am doing better now :'-)" phase of a heartbreak. This is Ed's floral nightgown being hidden away and replaced by black eyeliner and kohl; this is Stede's determination to grit his teeth and return to the life he hated and now no longer can even fake his way through. The Beatles always knew what they were doing. (That said, as a note, this is about to be four kinda downer songs in a row on this playlist, and the order does matter, so since the next and last heart-wringer is about to roll up, if the tear-jerkers are getting to be too much for you by this point of the playlist, I suggest omitting this one. The Fab Four will understand.)

11.) Samson by Matthew Luke Sandoval

This is a cover I found on YouTube of the Regina Spektor song, sung with such beauty, emotionality, and earnestness by a male vocalist with an angelic voice. The cover is over 10 years old at this point, and it looks like this guy suffered an apartment fire a little while after uploading this video and ended up not getting his singing career off the ground like he would have if this world knew any sense of justice. I tracked a copy of this song down to a mostly-defunct MySpace page and if my Google-fu is accurate, Mr. Sandoval still lives in NYC and is now an accountant or CPA of some type. I hope he hasn't truly given up on his singing dreams, but sometimes doing so makes life more liveable, so I get it if he has.

That said, this song about the bittersweet regret of knowing a relationship just wasn't going to work although it was magic while it lasted seemed appropriate, especially those famous, poetic lines about "the history books forgot about us". Apply that to a fictional reimagining of a man who history knows more as legend than as flesh-and-blood fact, and his protegee, a starry-eyed would-be adventurer, and how they both went down in flames along with a golden age of rebellion against a vicious status quo, and this tender dirge for a love that couldn't be, sung with a masculine vulnerability, gains a new layer.

Yes, I am very proud of this selection.

12.) Beyond The Sea by Bobby Darin

Okay, time to scrape you up off the floor and wipe your nose. Here's a blanket and a cup of something warm. This is, AFAIK, the original version in English of this song (although it was originally written in French), and it has the right musical and lyrical cautious optimism to not only ease you up out of that Pit Of Despair I just put you in, but also to suggest the wistful hopefulness of knowing you'll see your lover again soon, it's just a matter of waiting until the tides and currents and the sea winds align to bring you back to each other. I compiled this playlist earlier this year, and as of this writing we are 10 days away from season 2 premiering, so I am of course conjecturing and self-soothing somewhat here. That said, it's a romance, we know they'll get back together!!

13.) My Favorite Things by Sarah Vaughan

I call this The "Maybe The Nice Things We Wanted Were Actually Feelings and Relationships All Along" Reprise. Another gentle healing song, one that makes me think of cautious but eager reunions and teary-eyed reconciliations.

14.) Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix

This show loves to use purple imagery to show when Ed is falling more in love with Stede, and while the show creators have said they're thinking more along the lines of Prince (and I declare, right now, before all maybe four of you reading this, that I want to bet actual real-world student-loan-paying money on Blackbonnet's canon reunion scene being set to Purple Rain, you saw it here, mark my words, etc.) if the very last scene of the show doesn't have our boys sailing off into the sunset set to the most famous misheard lyric in rock history, what are we all even doing here?

*****

Would love your thoughts or reactions, I haven't shared a fan playlist before, so I'd love any and all thoughts including things like YOU HEARTLESS BITCH NOW I HAVE TO REAPPLY MY MASCARA or anything else you please! :-) ❤

[bmaxwell]

Game of the Year 2023: The Top 10

2023 was a great year for the videogames industry. A lot of great videogames were released in 2023. It was a fucking lousy year for the industry if you had a career there. It has been deeply disappointing to see record sales and critical acclaim alongside frequent layoff announcements. It feels like the pursuit of endless profit, whatever the cost. It's not sustainable and, as someone who has loved this hobby for my entire life, seeing the people who create games treated as disposable is disgusting. So, as much as this post and this blog are about YAY GAMES, there's also an undercurrent of filth that we have to keep in mind.

Apart from that, 2023 had its usual ups and downs for me. I played non-mobile games on my phone more than ever, thanks to two things: I got a Razr Kishi adapter to clamp onto my phone, turning it into a tiny Switch. Oh, and I got a pretty decent new phone. And Honkai Star Rail hooked me. That's three things.

Speaking of HSR, the ability to access cloud saves from my phone and my desktop PC was a godsend. This is true for Game Pass as well. Frequently I'd pull out my phone in the breakroom at work and pickup whichever game I'd been playing on Xbox, and it worked surprisingly well. I played a lot of Dead Cells this way, and finished Fuga 2 and Dordogne there.

If you'd told me at the start of the year that my best experiences of the year would include Baldur's Gate, a Harry Potter title, and an ALAN WAKE game, I'd have been pretty skeptical. But here we are. Also, if you're a theater kid I feel like this year had a couple of really special moments for you.

2023 also marked a return - at least somewhat - to the hobby of boardgaming. I was neck deep in the hobby from 2008 - 2015. I recently picked up Wingspan and it became a Sunday afternoon staple for myself, my wife, and our youngest child. I've missed the tactile non-digital experience of boardgames. It's nice to be back.

10. Honkai Star Rail

Well. You win universe. A gross free to play mobile game chock full of microtransactions and gacha mechanics is one of my favorite games of the year. The Genshin Impact people made a turn based RPG, see. And it's stylish as hell, and music is great, and when you get a new character from the loot boxes you get this little dopamine hit, and...

The game's events have been really surprising and well done. There's one involving staffing and stocking a museum, one involves shipping logistics, one's themed around ghost hunting. I wish I could have the $70 version of this game that isn't compromised by trying to squeeze players for money. The problem with that, of course, is that this game would not exist without all the bullshit.

But it feels good to play, it looks incredible, and I can swap between playing on my PC and my phone pretty effortlessly. So, despite the predatory MTX bullshit, I have really enjoyed my time with Honkai Star Rail this year.

I think my second biggest issue with live service games is that I don't get a sense of closure. I can't Finish Honkai Star Rail. And I'm not going to play it forever. So I get really into it for awhile (most of the year in this case) and just kind of...stop.

9. Goodbye Volcano High

This one is reminiscent of Night in the Woods; it's a coming-of-age story about anthropomorphic dinosaurs graduating high school, with all the fears and doubts that come with that. Some folks seem to have their entire future mapped out, some are just gonna work an hourly wage job and play D&D, and your character is serious about making a career in music. More serious than her bandmates are. Also, there's a meteor coming and it looks like it might hit Earth.

This game resonated with me on a few levels. The writing is great, the characters are well written and, unlike Stray Gods, the music landed for me. It does a great job of showing us different attitudes and values clashing into one another while making each of them relatable. The hope, resentment, and willful blindness of "My friends aren't invested in this thing we're doing together as much as I am" really blindsided me. It dredged up some feelings I haven't examined in years, both for better and worse. I didn't have much in the way of expectations for this game, but Goodbye Volcano High wormed its way into my heart. Goodbye Volcano High is the game mostly likely to be the game where I look back in the future and regret putting it outside of my top 10 for the year.

Hah! Suck it, me! Top 10 babyyyyy!

8. Pikmin 4

I've never really engaged with Pikmin, but this one was a blast. It does the Honey I Shrunk the Kids thing of "tiny dudes in a normal environment so it looks all big" thing that I love. Solve lots of puzzles by throwing little plant being at them. I love that the inspiration for the series was Miyamoto watching ants carrying leaves in his yard. It still has that feeling all these years later.

It feels odd to call Pikmin a relaxing experience, as you can and will lose Pikmin. Sometimes due to the natural attrition that comes with war, sometimes when the wrong little doofuses wander into water or fire, etc. There's also a timer, which is usually a dealbreaker for me. And the story revolves around rescuing fellow space travelers who have been transforming into mute plant people on this hostile planet. In fact the whole thing sounds like a pitch for a horror game. Despite all that, there's an easy charm to Pikmin. Your little astronaut dorks keep their spirits high, and there's playful music as you explore this huge, colorful world. I found it to be a great way to unwind at the end of the day for a couple of months this year.

7. Persona 5 Tactica

Persona 5 achieved mainstream success that the games before it never reached. Atlus has been milking it for all it's worth too - Persona 5 Dancing in the Moonlight, Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Strikers, and an upcoming Persona 5 mobile game. Some folks are feeling understandably burned out - I didn't get into dancing or strikers, and didn't play Royal (after putting 120 hours into Persona 5) so I was geeked when they announced a Persona 5 tactics game. On paper it's a strong pitch for me.

And in execution it's every bit as good as I'd hoped. My only complaint is the chibi art style. It isn't bad, just not to my taste. Beyond that? It's got the Persona charm, the banging music, and good solid tactical gameplay with just enough of a twist to not feel dull.

The "one more" mechanic from the series is key here, allowing the members of your 3-person team extra movement and actions. This is especially important because of the game's version of the all-out attack, which forms a triangle between your 3 party members and deals heavy damage to enemies caught inside. This makes combat an experience that rewards putting thought into. The game even has some side battles that are basically puzzles, giving you one turn to finish.

The game's new characters - Toshiro and Erina - are a welcome addition to the Phantom Thieves crew as well. I came around on Toshiro in a big way and was immediately in love with Erina. The game is about fighting against oppression and finding your courage to resist. Your friends are there for you when times are tough. It's hammy and melodramatic in the way that Persona is, and I love it. I love the game's revolutionary aesthetic, even if it's largely window dressing.

The DLC has been great so far too, starring Akechi and Kasumi in gameplay I can only describe if "What if Persona and Splatoon had a tactics baby?"

6. Diablo IV

The Diablo series has been the most consistently great video game series for me. I love the first 3 games and spent a TON of time with each. Diablo IV has the worst longevity of the series, but the best campaign. Now, I have to add a bunch of qualifiers here. The "best campaign" is a pretty low bar to clear. Diablo has always been - and continues to be - find new gear/numbers go up. The cutscenes are, as usual, top notch. While the story wasn't necessarily riveting, it was nice to have an antagonist with a personality and some ideas beyond RAWR I AM VERY EVIL RAWR. In fact, I was half-expecting the game to ask if I wanted to side with Lilith near the end, and I just might have done so. And the cinematic of the human army marching into hell while Lilith and Imperius have a philosophical discussion was incredible.

As for the replay value, maybe they'll find their way much like Diablo III did. My main issue with Diablo IV is the way new content is handcuffed to new seasons, how seasonal characters are siloed off from the rest of your characters, and how the game feels like it was built around microtransactions and milking money out of the player.

The game feels good to play. Abilities feel powerful and interesting, the loot grind is fun, and exploring the variety between the classes is a joy. Diablo IV is one of the best games released this year, it's just a shame that, like a lot of modern games, Diablo IV feels compromised, it feels like a Product in a gross way. Still, every previous game in the series has had a long tail for me, so I'm not counting Diablo IV out yet.

5. Darkest Dungeon II

Darkest Dungeon is my favorite game. I have a tattoo of it on my arm. It's impossible to expect a sequel to improve on that or even meet it. Subsequent journeys into a fiction can never be special in the same way that first one is, and Darkest Dungeon II is no exception.

The game is immediately recognizable - you'll see some familiar faces lined up in a tug-of-war formation against a group of enemies. A row of skills at the bottom of the screen, a torch at the top. Artwork with thick, dark lines and plenty of shading. The moment-to-moment gameplay IS a lot like the first game, but the trappings around it are not.

Gone is the persistent campaign of the first game, replaced by a more familiar roguelike structure. You embark on runs that either end in victory or failure, unlocking new things between runs. This makes the game more approachable and forgiving, but it means the lows are less low and the highs are not quite as high. In the original title losing your veteran Crusader you've sunk hours and hours into feels like a real gut punch, but by the same token finally - FINALLY - conquering the darkest dungeon feels incredible. Those extremes are lost in the sequel, and that probably makes for an objectively better game.

It's not just the same run every time; there are 5 chapters to conquer, each themed with a personal failing: Denial, Resentment, Obsession, Ambition, and Cowardice. The game's personality is still here in full force thanks to Wayne June's narration, Stuart Chatwood's music, that incredible artwork and gallows humor that I love so much. Each of the characters is treated as an individual with their own dark backstory this time around, each crafted in loving detail and unfolding by way of cutscenes and/or interactive gameplay moments. The stress mechanism is still here but takes a bit of a backseat, while relationships between characters are brought to the forefront.

Darkest Dungeon II is just what I wanted from a sequel to my favorite game. I'm glad they didn't just make the same again but prettier, but still kept the game's bones intact.

4. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Yakuza has become one of my favorite game series over the past few years. I'm down for whatever they throw at us. Bringing Kiryu back yet again? Sure. New protagonist? I'm down. A period piece starring the cast as historical figures? Fucking bring it on.

I love the series. The melodrama that hits me in my feels, the never-ending parade of lovable weirdoes and freaks in Kamurocho, the deep well of fleshed-out side games like bowling, pocket circuit racing, and karaoke - it's all here. I'm not tired of it. I thought I would be, but I'm not.

Kiryu is a lovable, stoic doofus with a strict moral code and penchant for helping out anyone who needs a hand. This time they gave him a Clark Kent disguise after faking his death, and also a bunch of James Bond Spider-Man gadgets. Let's go.

I will never get tired of my big hearted himbo beating people with bicycles and helping out folks in need. And I got misty-eyed at the ending. I was not prepared for my stoic boy to full on ugly cry. Still waters run deep.

3. Hogwarts Legacy

In the years since JK Rowling outed herself as a human shaped pile of garbage, I've distanced myself from the Harry Potter universe. And when Hogwarts Legacy released, the game was a lightning rod for controversy. I decided to see for myself, and was treated to a wonderful, smartly written game that managed to capture the magic of the world without constantly referencing the movies and books that everyone knows. It's the same trick that Jedi Fallen Order pulled a few years ago, and it works every bit as well here.

The school feels massive and detailed, and it was a joy to explore or just get lost in. The game world outside the school was unexpectedly huge as well, and the broomstick flight felt so good and natural that I rarely bothered to travel by floo. Optional side activities like growing your own plants for your potion brewing, decorating your Room of Requirement, and breeding creatures were all pleasant distractions that served to flesh out the world of Hogwarts.

The game's cast is fairly diverse, and most students felt like real people rather than caricatures of their Hogwarts houses. Most students do have their house traits, but they're not constantly front and center. The side stories and main story kept me engaged throughout my time with Hogwarts Legacy, and I was a little sad to see it end. It's a shame the IP has JK Rowling's stench on it, and that a lot of people will miss this game because of that.

2. Alan Wake II

Alan Wake and Control are both posterchildren for games with incredible world building and lousy game play. I've started both multiple times only to end up walking away in frustration. Alan Wake 2 largely fixes my complaint with those previous games by letting me explore and become immersed in the world without throwing frequent contextless fights in my way.

Alan Wake 2's combat isn't necessarily more engaging, but there's far less of it. What you're left with is the good stuff, a Twin Peaks-like horror mystery in a small town where everything and everyone feels a little bit off. Sometimes a lot off. It's a game where the characters play everything straight, but there are plenty of winks and nods in the margins. The game is full of wonderful freaks and weirdoes, many of whom had me frequently grinning like a fool. Alex Casey. Warlin Door. The Koskela brothers. Rose. Odin and Tor. Alan and Saga. Ahti. Thomas Zane. All hamming it up in a story that gets entirely up its own ass in the best way.

The Herald of Darkness scene is one of the best things I've ever seen. Ditto for the late game scene on the lakeshore. Hell, the game had me sitting and watching a short Finnish art house film at one point. It's a game full of glee and confidence from a studio with the belief in itself and its fans that allow it to swing for the fences. Not every part of it works for me, but the parts that do are so effective that the whole experience is lifted up on high. I wish Remedy's gameplay worked for me, which is never has. But this is a terrific work of art, and the good stuff far outweighs the bad.

Baldur's Gate III

My love of Baldur's Gate and the CRPG genre was something I'd left long in the past. Despite playing excellent modern entries like Divinity Original Sin, and Pillars of Eternity I hadn't been captivated by one of these in some 20 years.

It's hard to put into words what a triumph Baldur's Gate 3 is. I can't name a single thing it really does to revolutionize the genre but Larian executed on every single element of the game. Starting with the story, they make the stakes incredibly personal on top of the usual "Oh shit the world is in danger!" thing we always see. A mindflayer puts a parasite in your brain at the beginning of the game. World saving aside, getting that out of you feels pretty important.

Or not! You can decide to lean into it, and the writers did a great job of mixing viewpoints into the story. Mindflayers are horrible monsters but wait. Are they really though? Your party members will have their own opinions on the matter, as well as their own traumas and baggage and backstories. The writing and voicework for these party members are the best part of one of the best games ever made.

The game's ensemble cast might be the best of any game. By the game's end my party was my Tav, Karlach, Jaheira, and Astarion/Gale depending on the situation. There are party members I missed, and one I may or may not have killed (I regret nothing). Baldur's Gate III's story branches in so many ways, it all feels like it's a hair away from collapsing in on itself but it never does. My friends and I were exchanging stories about what we'd seen and done in the game as we played, and the variance is impressive. Baldur's Gate III is like a dude spinning plates while juggling chainsaws, and people keep tossing stuff into the mix and you think "Well no WAY can he keep all this going!" but goddammit, it all keeps going.

The way the game rolls with whatever choices you make (or dumb shit you want to try) whether in or out of combat, is truly incredible. It feels closer to having a DM than anything I've ever played. If you want to do something weird or dumb, the game does an incredible job of yes and-ing you. And it's not without consequences, the game reacts to the wide array of shit you can do within the D&D ruleset. The game sets up storylines both big and small early on, and manages to pay them off in interesting ways before it wraps up.

The combat was a sticking point for me in Divinity Original Sin 2. It's not that it was bad, but it was overwhelming. Combat could be long and difficult, and losing after an hour only to reload a save was incredibly deflating. Baldur's Gate 3 threaded this needle almost perfectly for me. Most combats were challenging but not crushing, and did not overstay their welcome.

I kept waiting for the game to drag and lose its momentum, but it never happened. I was glued to it for the entire 100+ hours it took me to roll credits. I fully plan on replaying it one day.