#zen cube

[mescalinartofnoiseblog]

The cube (Provence - France)

Fuji XT20

[eebie]

UNCLE IROH VOICES AKU… LEAVES FROM THE VINE ……..

[floral-hex]

me, sitting on the corner of my bed in just a tshirt, eating cold lo mein: i’m in a good place 😬 mentally

[tinygayproductions]

i made doodles of human orisa while i try to make sense of her ow n ow2 design

[alasse-earfalas]

hands each of the Chain a scrambled Rubik's Cube to solve

This is assuming that an average, unassisted (no manual, no methods taught, etc) first-time solve takes about three hours.

Four: All the other colors get shut down; Four leans completely into his logic, completely quiet, contemplative, examining carefully. Solves it after about ninety minutes. Is constantly fiddling with it afterwards.

Time: Sets aside everything else to focus on solving it. Tackles it by experimenting. Figures out & jots down out algorithms first. Once that's done it takes him about twenty minutes to actually solve. Full process takes about two hours.

Twilight: He can't tell you how he solved it, only that it took him about two hours. Very casual about it, works on it during conversations and other downtime. Will occasionally pick it back up and play around with it once it's solved.

Sky: Intimidated at first. Once he starts turning, though, he gets sucked into a hyperfocus flow-state where he tries anything and everything that comes to mind and snaps whenever he's interrupted. Solves it in a single, intense, hour and ten minute stretch.

Wind: Three hours. Refuses to put it down until he's got it solved, complains loudly at every frustration and cheers at every triumph.

Wild: Disassembles it and puts it back together. The others say that's cheating and doesn't count.

Legend: Drops into a chill zen state and solves it in about twenty minutes. Has to swear to the others on his honor as a hero that he's never seen one before, nor anything like it, for them to believe him. Some of them are still suspicious.

Warriors: Looks it over once, says "huh, that's nice", and hands it to Wild to solve "the intended way". (Wild snaps a picture of Time's algorithm notes and uses that to solve it in about thirty minutes. Everyone still says it's cheating.)

Hyrule: The epic saga of the humble Hero of Hyrule versus the multicolored puzzle cube lasts an entire week, full of twists and turns, highs and lows, an impossible challenge and sheer determination. His dedication, stubbornness, and sheer spite eventually leads him to victory, and his band of brothers celebrates the triumph with him!

[queersrus]

Winter theme

[winter theme]

(Nick)Names:

Avalanche, arctic, apricity, andri, aspen, alaska, artica, antartic, antarctic, antartica, antarctica blizzard, bylur cold, coldine, coldina, coldette, coldetta, coldelle, coldella, coldino, coldetto, coldellie, coldello, chill, chilli/chillie/chilly, coat, chan, cherith, cheimónas, claus, cypress demetria, diamond, december evergreen, eira, eirwen, edur, eryi frigid, freeze, freezine, freezina, freezino, freezelle, freezellie, freezella, freezette, freezetta, freezetto, frost, frosty/frostie, freezing, frozen, frozone, frozette, frozetta, frozetto, frozelle, frozellie, frozella, frozello, frozine, frozina, frozino, frosta, frostette, frostetta, frostetto, frostelle, frostellie, frostello, frostella, frostine, frostina, frostino, flake, flykra, fannar, February glaze, glacia, glacial, glacier, gwyneira hail, haukea, haunani, hiver ice, icey/icie, icicle, icestorm, icette, icelle, icetta, icella, icine, icina, iciclette, icicletta, icetto, icellie, icellie, icetto, icino, icicline, iciclino, iciclina, iciclelle, iciclella, iciclello, iceberg, inverno, invierno, iarnă, isolde janus, janara, january, juniper kis, kari lumi, lixue miyuki neve, nevis, nieves, nivia, noel/noelle, noella, nic/nick, nichol/nichole, nicholas/nicolas/nickolas/nikolas, north, norther, northern, november, nevada, neva quilo snow, snowelle, snowette, snowella, snowetta, snowy/snowie, snowflake, snowfall, snowstorm, snowine, snowline, snowina, snowlina, snowellie, snowello, snowlino, snowetto, snowino, sleet, squal, snowdrift snowfield, snowpack, snowcap, snowcone, snowslide, slush, snowbank, solstice, skadi talvi, tuhin, tushar vinter, viola, violet/violette, violetta/violeta winter/wynter, winterelle, winterella, winterello, winterellie, winterina, winterine, winterino, winterette, winteretta, winteretto, wintertide, wintry, wintery, wintertime, warrin, wren xue yuki, yukina, yukio, yule, yuletide zima/zyma, zane

1stp prns: i/me/my/mine/myself

wi/winte/winters/wine(wintine)/winterself sni/sne/snowy/snowine/snowself ni/nove/novy/novembrine/novemberself di/de/decemby/decemberine/decemberself yi/yule/yuly/yuline(yuletine)/yuleself ni/northe/northy/northine/northself i/ice/icy/icine/iceself gli/glace/glacy/glacine/glacialself fri/fre/freezy/frozine/frozenself(freezeself)

2ndp prns: you/your/yours/yourself

wo/winter/winters/winterself sno/snower/snowers/snowerself no/november/novembers/novemberself no/nor/northerns/nothernerself do/december/decembers/decemberself yo/yuler/yulers/yulerself io/icer/icers/icerself glo/glacier/glaciers/glacierself fro/freezer/freezers/freezerself

3rdp prns: they/them/theirs/themselves

wi/winter, win/ter, winter/winters, winter/wonderland, winter/solstice sno/ow, sno/snows, snow/snows, snow/flake, snow/shoe, snow/pile, snow/fall, snow/snowy, snow/snowing no/november, no/vember, nov/ember, november/novembers, no/north, nor/th, north/norths, nor/north, north/northern, northern/light, north/ern, northern/northerns, north/pole de/cember, dec/ember, decem/ber, december/decembers, dec/december, dece/december yu/le, yu/yule, yule/yules, yule/yuletide i/ce, ice/ices, ice/icy, ice/iced, ice/icicle, ice/icle, icicle/icicles, ice/cube gla/cier, gla/cial, gla/glacier, gla/glacial, glac/ier, glac/ial, glacier/glaciers, glacial/glacials fro/zen, fro/frozen, froze/frozen, frozen/frozens, fre/freeze, free/freeze, fre/eze, free/ze, freeze/freezes, freeze/freezing, free/zing, freezing/freezings, fro/frost, fro/st, fro/ost, frost/frosts, frost/frosted

Titles

the cold season, the living north, the snowflake, the fallen snow, the winter monarch/king/queen, the snow queen/king/monarch, the frozen golem, the frozen being of the snowplanes, the dweller of the snowbanks, the snowman, the icicle, the dweller of the frozen late

winter embodied, winter personified, winter incarnate

*one who lives benieth the frozen waters, one who burrows in snow, one who rules winter, one who adors the chilly season, one who celebrates yule, one who was born in the cold months

[zerogate]

In one of her talks the American Zen teacher Charlotte Joko Beck compared the nature of ordinary human beings to ice cubes, giving the metaphor a psychological reading:

To protect ourselves we freeze as hard as we can and hope that when we collide with others, they will shatter before we do. We freeze because we’re afraid. Our fear makes us rigid, fixed, and hard, and we create mayhem as we bump into others. Any obstacle or unexpected difficulty is likely to shatter us. The positive side of this is that ice can melt, through the practice of meditation. Eventually what we are as ice cubes is destroyed. But if the ice cube has become a puddle, is it truly destroyed? We could say that it’s no longer an ice cube, but its essential self is realized.

-- Sam van Schaik, The Spirit of Zen

[safetycar-restart]

okay so please tell me i’m not the only one where temperature play screams mick? like after watching the video from ROC where he’s in that ice bath hole in like a lake or whatever it was and he seemed so in control and like zen. i feel like he would love ice play! like teasing him and telling him he can’t cum until the ice cube you placed on his chest melts and if it falls off before then he has to start over? so excited for the rest of kinktober!

love,

🔙🦴

AW YES!! I'm so glad I finally have the time to answer some of the older kinktober asks because this is just so so good (backbone anon, please know I would die for you and you are the MVP of kinktober).

So firstly, I think Mick likes anything that gives him a challenge? Make no mistake, sometimes he does need to just be treated softly and be praised, but often he wants to work for it so that when you praise him, he feels like he's really earned it. You never give him tasks that he wouldn't be able to accomplish though. You arent setting him up for failure, you'd never do that.

And temperature play is perfect for this.

Mick loves experiencing different sensations, especially ice.

So when you say you're going to edge him until an ice cube on his chest melts, he's so excited.

You know this will be difficult for him, because Mick is a squirmy darling. Often you'll restrain him in some way before you have your way with him, but you don't restrain him this time because him having to stay still enough to not make the ice cube fall off is part of the problem.

He gets about halfway through the first ice cube, water starting to run down his chest and pool at his tummy, before he wriggles too much the ice cube falls.

You smirk, telling him he's going to have to try again.

He whines, but he doesn't say a thing. He loves this type of challenge, and he knows he can do it.

He starts to make more noise the second time, starting to get really desperate to cum and he feels like the ice cube is taking an age to finally melt.

He manages to let the ice cube melt properly this time, and he's so so proud of himself. When you praise him, he smiles at you, throwing his head back as you touch his cock again because he knows this time he'll be able to cum.

So yeah, he's a big fan of temperature play.

[alienidolism]

hi hi hello! can i request some portal (game series :P) themed npts please ? i don’t have any specific character in mind, anyone works!

hi of course !! i promise ill get into it one day :cry: . i tried to do them based on the series as a whole instead of focusing on a character ..

names

turret , sphere , ray , mel , atlas , ferry , caroline , henry , neuron , doug , diane , sci , cake , sparky , blanc , bomb , moon , zen

pronouns

portal/portals , con/constructs , cube/cubes , gun/guns , ray/rays , beam/beams , cryo/cryos , cake/cakes , whit/whittys , scrap/scraps , test/tests , lab/labs , break/breaks , code/codes , sen/sentience

titles

the party escort bot , the one with the companion cube , the space/adventure/fact sphere , the morality/curiosity/intelligence/anger sphere , (prn) who is trapped in the aperture science facility , the one with the portal guns , the lab rat , (prn) who became self aware on bring your daughter to work day , the genetic lifeform and disk operating system (GLaDOS) , (prn) who lied about the cake , the Intelligence Dampening Sphere , the one with bombs for throwing at you , the test subject , the sentient one , the one with the four part plan

very sorry about the lack of names or pronouns , i got carried away with titles haha .. still , i hope you like them !! thank you for requesting !!

[nitewrighter]

i remember back in the day seeing fanart of zenyatta hanging out with dva cuz they were the youngest heroes in the game, can uou write something like that? where dva finds out zen is 20 and is like "do you want to form an alliance with me?" (i desperately need him to have more friends anyways love your stuff)

Hana hardly ever got to just walk around Gibraltar. Usually when things had gone quiet enough at the Watchpoint and there was no immediate danger to go flying off to, that was when she'd head back to Busan for however long she might have to check in with the Meka squad and Dae-hyun, or she'd be hosting a stream--but today she was too burnt out for either of that. Unfortunately here she was standing, in her silly little bucket hat and sunglasses (for celebrity anonymity of course) and feeling that old anxiety of A stream wouldn't be that much energy, what am I even doing here? But the sheer unfamiliarity of Gibraltar's streets more or less answered the question for her--she had barely gotten the chance to get outside since joining Overwatch, and she had been pouring virtually all of her free time into maintaining her online presence. Usually Lúcio would be her wingman for a day out like this, but he was taking care of some business back in Rio--could she have volunteered to help out with that? No.. no... she was supposed to be taking a break. She sullenly sipped her grass jelly milk tea as she walked down the street, and then held her free hand in front of herself, watching her own fingers twitch unconsciously, constantly expecting all those split-second reactions either gaming or piloting would demand. She sighed into the straw, sending up a grumpy burble of bubbles amidst the cubes of grass jelly and ice.

I could go shopping, she thought to herself, I'm pretty sure I've been cycling through the same four outfits for my streams since coming to Gibraltar and that's not good for--oh my god, I'm still thinking about the streams.

She slumped her back against a building, rocking back on her heels as she drew in another long sip, trying to clear her mind and just people-watch. It was a wonder how Gibraltar still managed to have so many tourists despite how many of the locals were freaked out by the Watchpoint. Hana paused mid-sip as she saw a single, familiar figure standing in front of a shop window. The shiny chrome-dome of an omnic donning some well-worn monk's clothing. Zenyatta was standing, hands clasped behind his back like an old man, staring into a shop window. The sun was glaring on the glass from her angle, so she made her way over to see what he was looking at. She blinked several times and glanced back at Zen, unsuccessfully trying to gauge his expression before looking back to the window display. In the window was a mannequin posing in a stylish jogger-inspired outfit that honestly wasn't a far cry from the hardy, lovingly draped styles of the Shambali. It featured a cropped jacket with somewhat bulky pockets on the chest, and high-waisted pants that cinched at the ankles, all in a warm fallow tone. Holos on the glass flashed "NEW" and "SALE" and "100% SUSTAINABLE AND FAIR-TRADE MATERIALS." She looked at Zen again.

A longing, yet thoughtful, "Hmm..." slipped out of Zen.

"So... are you going to try it on?" said Hana folding her arms.

Zen visibly startled. "Oh--My apologies, Hana, I was lost in thought. What did you mean?"

"The outfit you've been staring at," Hana shrugged, "I mean you have the waist for it."

"Really?" Zenyatta glanced back at the window display, then seemed to catch himself. "I--" Zenyatta hesitated, "I was merely admiring it. Obviously I have no need for such a... such..." he trailed off, still staring at the

"Come on," Hana tugged him by the elbow into the store.

---

"I don't carry money," Zenyatta said from inside the dressing room.

"Don't worry about it," said Hana, leafing through a clothes rack herself.

"Omnics don't need to eat or drink, and our requirements for shelter are more... minimal.. than humans."

"Uh huh," D.Va pulled a shirt off the rack and examined it. Truth be told, the clothes here were a bit too 'hippie' or 'military surplus' or 'military surplus hippie' to be her style, and it wasn't exactly Meka's sleek, sporty brand, either--You're doing it again... she thought to herself.

"Is there something you wished to talk about?" asked Zenyatta.

"Not really," Hana shrugged, "I mostly came out here to clear my head. And it's easier to shop with someone than just shop alone."

"I see," said Zenyatta, "And how are you doing in that endeavor?"

"Shopping?" Hana held up a faded blue sleeveless shirtdress skeptically.

"Clearing your mind," Zenyatta spoke up from inside the dressing room.

"You know you don't have to do that all the time, right?" Hana grinned.

"I don't understand."

"Do the whole... counselor thing with everyone."

"I believe caring about one's allies is not limited to one's duty to a team. I can care about you as an individual, Hana."

D.Va snorted. "Are you going to show me the outfit or not?" she put one hand on her hip.

The dressing room door swung open and Zenyatta carefully stepped out, smoothing the jacket and slightly readjusting the waistband of the pants. Hana's eyes widened. He really did have the

"...okay you can't not get that," she said, gesturing at the outfit with her drink.

"I am quite capable of not getting it as I do not carry money," said Zenyatta.

"Psh. No problem," said Hana with a shrug, "Meka has like, a CRAZY line of credit and I'm so bad at remembering to use it. I'll just buy it for you!"

"As a monk, I must embrace a life of humility and simplicity, and it is not within my --" Zenyatta started, but realized Hana was giving him a raised eyebrow, 'come on' look. "I... suppose... it would be more outside of my beliefs as a monk to refuse a gift from a friend."

Hana snorted a little.

"Thank you, Hana, truly," Zenyatta gave a slight bow of his head.

"It's not a big deal... Hana said, glancing off and itching at her cheek with a fingernail.

He wore it out of the store, and got more than a few glances and rubbernecks as he and Hana walked together. His shoulders bunched up as someone wolf-whistled from across the street. Hana just snickered. It was fun seeing someone else snag a lot of attention for once.

"I told ya you have the waist for it," Hana elbowed him.

"Quite remarkable," Zenyatta fidgeted with the cuffs of the jacket.

"Well, you have good taste," she tossed her drink in a nearby trashcan.

"I was reflecting more of the fact that, despite the fact that you said you were taking time for yourself today, you went out of your way to do something kind for someone else."

"It's just a little bit of shopping! It's not a big deal," Hana pocketed her hands.

"You did not answer my question, earlier," Zenyatta glanced toward her. It was already a little off-putting seeing him walking rather than floating, and the fact that he was taller than her when standing only compounded that.

"What question?"

"About your experience in clearing your mind."

Hana huffed. "Of course you're still hung up on that."

"Naturally. I care about my friend."

Hana gave him a frustrated pout before interlacing her fingers behind her head and sighing. "I'm really bad at it, honestly."

"Oh?"

"I keep thinking about the Meka squad, or maybe that I could be running diagnostics on Tokki and sending notes back to Dae-hyun, or maybe I could be streaming and telling my fans that Overwatch is doing a good job--we're doing a good job, right?"

Zenyatta shrugged.

"So I'm thinking about all that even though I'm just supposed to be here, and I'm just supposed to be having a good time, and then I just--I just bullied you into getting a tracksuit just to distract myself!"

"You bought this tracksuit," Zenyatta offered, "And I do appreciate it, greatly."

"Hrmgh," Hana folded her elbows forward from her interlaced fingers with exasperation.

"From the sound of it, however, it would seem that you do have a great awareness of your own thoughts," he mused.

"Eh?" Hana glanced at him.

"Well, when most think of honing one's mental focus, of clearing one's mind, the typical image is of the monk on the mountaintop in perfect concentration."

"You mean... you," Hana said with a slight finger-gun gesture.

"Possibly. But to ask the mind not to think is to ask a fish not to swim. Even the electrical brain of an omnic is constantly running multiple algorithms simply to maintain our systems and our sensory intake."

"So what's the trick?"

"...what you have been doing all afternoon--noticing when your mind is going in a direction you don't want it to go, and course-correcting."

Hana stared at him for a few seconds. "That's it?"

"That's it," Zenyatta shrugged.

"No--no--no--there's gotta be more," Hana scratched under the brim of her bucket hat.

"Well.. to make it easier, you can come up with a mantra."

"Okay, there it is," said Hana.

"'Mantra' simply translates to 'mind tool.' It is only a short phrase you employ to re-center yourself when you find your thoughts wandering beyond your control."

"Right. 'Om.'"

"It doesn't have to be 'om.'"

"It doesn't?"

"It can be virtually any phrase that emphasizes that this space within your mind is a space you can return to for peace and clarity. It can be something you associate with a good memory, or simply a phrase that comforts you to hear, or something that is unique enough to break you out of negative thought patterns."

"Liiiike... 'grass jelly tea?'" Hana was winding a strand of hair around her finger thoughtfully.

"If that is what works. The mind is wonderfully unique, is it not?"

"Yeah..." Hana said, glancing off. A few long seconds passed before she suddenly perked up. "You did it again," she said, pouting.

"Hm?"

"You don't have to keep doing it, you know!" Hana splayed her hands, pacing in front of Zenyatta.

"...talking to you?" Zenyatta tilted his head.

"Yeah--I mean no--I mean yeah--I mean we can just hang out! You don't need to be doing all the... 'meditation mantra training' thing!"

"No, but... I do very much appreciate your curiosity. And it makes me happy to offer advice to my friend."

"Well yeah, but--" Hana huffed. "Do you ever turn off?"

"Omnics can enter a low-power mode," Zenyatta said blithely.

"I mean the whole selfless, self-sacrificing thing," Hana said flatly.

"I could ask you the same thing," Zenyatta responded, "I suppose we could simply both learn to course-correct together."

----

About a week and a half had passed since that day, and Zenyatta was quietly meditating in one of his favorite spots on the watchpoint cliffs overlooking the sea. He heard someone clear their throat behind him and glanced over his shoulder.

"Uh--hey," Hana gave an awkward wave. "Room for one more?"

Zenyatta wordlessly scooted to one side and Hana plopped down next to him. She closed her eyes and took a long steady breath.

"Grass jelly tea," she said, very quietly to herself, "Grass jelly tea..."

She opened one eye at Zenyatta, expectantly.

"You're doing fine," said Zenyatta, "Though, of course, you are a better judge of your own thoughts than I am. Your mantra is your companion. It is not a bludgeon against your other thoughts."

"Okay, okay, okay--" Hana shut both her eyes and took another deep breath. "Grass jelly tea..." she said again.

"Hana?" Zenyatta spoke up.

"What? What am I doing wrong? It's the mantra. I knew it. The mantra's dumb, isn't it?"

"I like your mantra," said Zenyatta, "I simply wished to say that I watched your stream last night, and I enjoyed it greatly. It is wonderful to see how loved you are by your fans."

Hana blinked a few times. "Th-thanks... you could join the next one, if you want."

"That would be interesting..." said Zenyatta, "Now--as we were?"

Hana took another deep breath and settled where she was seated. "Grass jelly tea..." she said again.

[blackjackkent]

The building the fisherman sent us to is a large warehouse sitting right on the edge of the water.

Hm.

This oil-vs-blood thing is very strange. I'm still sticking with my theory that there's some fucked up Steel Watcher going around murdering people, but I don't think it's actually correct.

The warehouse is called Flymm Cargo, and its door is locked. Unlocking it reveals a bunch of dead goblins and some very, very angry worgs.

Not pictured, a number of local refugees who panicked when the fight started, which is super reasonable, and ran straight INTO the building and disappeared, which is not.

Not a terribly difficult fight. The worgs were named Gristle, Snarrrl, Rrrripper, Snapp, and Cuddleface(!), and stayed mostly grouped up so Minsc's AOE throw with Nyrulna did a lot of work. Also tried having him throw Boo into the fray for the first time; I'm not positive it had any tactical benefit but it was quite satisfying to see Boo squeaking his way through the air and slamming into an enemy.

Minsc also shouted "Buttkicking for goodness!" which brought my heart a lot of joy.

The combination of Hector, Karlach, and Minsc really makes for a juggernaut team comp (with Jaheira often alongside as a panther bc I am being a disappointment to Zen's guidance and making her go murder kitty all the time even though it's not optimal). XD

The warehouse seems to be otherwise abandoned except for the aforementioned dead goblins, who I assume owned the worgs. Hector was able to perceive a trapdoor under some cargo containers which seems to be the only likely path forward.

This at first led to what seemed like a fairly nondescript basement until I realized that it is lined with what appear to be prison cells. O.o Not sure what Flymm Cargo is hauling but it seems maybe a smidge concerning.

Thankfully there don't seem to be any people in any of the cells. (Or anything for that matter, except for one propaganda pamphlet about Gortash's new regime.) One small mystery solved, though - I now know where that "A Greasy, Smelly Climb Up..." area transition in the sewers would have led to:

Lovely. Thankfully we don't have to go that way; there's one other main door out of this area.

Hm. Machines that leak oil that looks like blood, perhaps?

Inside Machine Parts Storage we find:

Thieves' tools

Infernal iron (is there any point to carting this around anymore?)

Something called "G-Cube Lube"

Gross. Please tell me that's not what all the grease down in the sewers was.

Further on... I think we might have hit the jackpot.

...Is that a submarine? O.O

The area has one guard and is full of steaming pipes and cranking gears and seems very industrial compared to much of the city. There's a journal sitting on a desk in one corner:

Hm. First of all - Clockwork Escape Kayak is my new rock band name. Second - I'm assuming the "Cap" is the submarine, and I'm guessing to that it has something to do with the attack on Holli. What else around here would have made the sort of big wake that the fisherman was describing?

The journal is labeled "Redhammer's Journal" and the man by the sub is named "Redhammer the Deviser" so I'm guessing he's the man in charge.

"Oi, what's this? You ain't supposed to be down here, mate!"

Narrator: You spot a curious metal contraption - a submersible.

Hector has a few more intimidating/conflict-oriented dialogues here, but to start with he's just going to sate his own curiosity until the man tries to throw him out physically. "That submersible - why is it here? What is this place?"

"The only port in this whole bleedin' city that matters," the dwarf answers, unhelpfully. "Now why are you here? Did Gortash send you?"

As usual, Hector has no interest in lying, nor would he be much good at it. "You killed one of those servants of Umberlee," he says matter-of-factly. "Now they want you dead."

The dwarf raises an eyebrow - wary, but not afraid. "Oh yeah? And are you here to make good on that?"

Hector hesitates. Is he? Certainly he needs more information to know if he wants to kill this man in cold blood - his only true goals here are to impede Gortash's operation and to prevent any more innocent Umberlants from getting killed out in the water.

"I just want to know what happens in this port," he says firmly.

"Nothing without Lord Gortash's go-ahead," Redhammer says impatiently. "I transport whoever he needs taken to the Iron Throne. It's an underwater prison - most secure in the Realms. Lord Gortash keeps some Gondians there. Collateral to keep those working in the Steel Watch Foundry under control."

Hector's eyes widen. Oh, shit...

His brain starts working rapidly, parsing together a number of different facts all at once.

The Iron Throne - he knows from his own historical reading - is a name that goes back more than a century. Originally it belonged to a so-called merchant organization which orchestrated the iron crisis in Nashkel, a plan which was co-opted by the Bhaalspawn Sarevok in his attempted takeover of Baldur's Gate. How long has there been a prison named for it? Is it an official one, or a new one constructed under Gortash's leadership? Was the name a dark joke on Gortash's part? Or perhaps on Orin's?

And the Gondians...

He feels a flash of brutal vindication. He was right, and Wulbren was wrong. The Gondians are being coerced - their compatriots, or perhaps loved ones, being held imprisoned to secure their loyalty. To destroy the foundry wholesale would have been to kill trapped innocents.

And though he came here with the vague thought of assisting the Umberlants in their revenge, that thought has been replaced by another, far more important plan. Those prisoners need to be set free.

Not just because it is the right thing to do (though it is), but by doing so, they would destroy Gortash's leverage over the Gondians, and destroy the Foundry's support system. Having done that - it follows, theoretically at least - the Steel Watch will crumble, or at least be significantly weakened.

Hector feels a pulse of excitement starting to thud under his jaw - though his control holds, and none of it shows in his face. "You're going to take me to the Iron Throne," he says coolly. ""m getting the prisoners out."

The dwarf examines his impassive expression for a moment in silence, then shrugs. "I'll take you in," he agrees. Whether he is afraid of Hector's threat or simply doesn't give a shit is unclear; Hector supposes he'd take either. "But look-- there's some bad shit going down in there. You don't want to get involved. Neither did I, but it was them or me."

Hector opens his mouth to ask for clarification, but Redhammer turns away, shrugging him off. "I'll get Cap warmed up. Get in when you're ready."

-----

They all eye the little submersible rather warily as it starts to hum with power in the water.

"We are to go beneath the waves?" Minsc asks, some of his usual jovial humor missing from the question. "It is not that Minsc is afraid, you understand, but Boo does so very much dislike being wet..."

Hector smiles slightly. "I can't say I blame him, Minsc. On the bright side... this man is clearly as self-interested as they come, and therefore would likely not trust his own hide to that machine if it were not safe."

"The only true constant in the world," Jaheira murmurs dryly.

"Cheer up, Minsc," Karlach says with a grin from Hector's other side. She has been visibly excited to get a chance to talk to their new ranger companion whenever the opportunity presents, and this is no different; he can see the way her eyes are glowing with energy. "You heard what the dwarf said. It's an evil prison, and that means evil guards. You know what that means!"

Minsc brightens up at once and Boo, on his shoulder, gives a loud squeak. "You are right, my fiery friend! That is ever so many evil butts we may kick with both boots!"

[sehnis]

top songs - june 2024

Ngồi Tựa Mạn Thuyền // Hali

Breakdown // Ms. Boogie

Верю я // Bravo

undankbar // makko

Mawvhpe // Puel Kona

Holm // Emel

Stotis // Sož

Achub Fi // Parisa Fouladi

MEEKU // Olivia Komahcheet

Leave It All Behind // Bumpy

Gloomy Love - Falake - Xinjiang Tajik Folk Songs // Aizimu·Huxi Dili, Guli Naer·Ahong Jiang

Eden // Arekta Rock Band

Sinaran // Sheila Majid

Afio Ane Loa // Tree

DIE 4 YOU // DEAN

Raindrops Cleansing It All // Zen Life Relax

Super Star // AP$ENT

峇里島 (電影《誰先愛上他的》探尋情愛��歌) // DJ Didilong

Кукушка // Кино

Idemo do hodnika // Buč Kesidi

Дежавю // kizaru

Rogelia // Valgur

Se Solta // Madayati

Check Yo Self // Ice Cube

Anunciação // Alceu Valença

Zhanyma kel // Shiza, Serik Gamza-zade

По пятам // Лиса

Folon // Salif Keita

Tisíc dnů mezi námi // Nerez

Lobanja // Kobrica

Woñi // Blick Bassy

Fara Control // Jean Gavril, NOSFE

Iswat // Dag Tenere

Bklyn Masala (Featuring Leschea) // Masta Ace, Leschea

Kothbiro // Ayub Ogada

Pwede Ba // Lola Amour

ALA - Basqa // Shiza

Anmar Bendagnoniggo // Omar Herrera, Olaideginya

Siarad // Parisa Fouladi

Kwijt // Froukje

請你滾 kigey mona // 野東西

Диабло // Truwer

Скрипка-лиса // Igor Sarukhanov

Ana Le Habiby // Fairuz

Violet Crazy // DPR IAN

Silný refrén // Horkýže Slíže

Bubblegum Bitch // MARINA

Перизада // Джамила Залова

Ms. Jackson // Outkast

上海灘 - 無線電視劇[上海灘]主題曲 // Frances Yip

[unoisveimved-un-proffesional]

Going on dangerous levels of copium looking for evidence at when Portal 2 takes place just so I can feed my faith in a possible portal-gravity gun hybrid.

Honestly I’ve just been going on a massive Half-Life and Portal trip. I mean I’ve been fucking rocking back and forth in my seat. I’ve been thinking about Adrian Shephard and Doug Rattmann, Exile Vilify 24/7, WITH the in game audio quality like it was being played out of a thousand year old radio, pondering over the Ghost Of Rattmann audio, why it was included, the meaning of the companion cube, writing up scenarios where Adrian and Gordon fight, thinking of a source game starring Adrian Shepherd, and the Nihilanth’s story and the creatures of Zen…

Every couple years I get like this. I’ll forget all about Valve and then BOOM, I’m playing through Half-Life and Portal all over again, I’m binging old and new deep dives on code and lore, and I don’t know when this bout of Valve Mania will end this time! It’s the worst it’s ever been!

Every morning I wake up, and when I open my eyes, it’s like Hazardous Environments, the song that plays at the beginning of Valve Source games and in the original Half-Life, just goes off, the beat drops as I open my eyes. I hear G-mod ragdoll sounds everywhere, like the world is clipping into itself. Whenever I trip and fall or stub my tone I have to catch myself before I say “Damn Source Engine Jank.”

Now I can’t even touch G-mod… it scares me… wha

I’m trying to hold myself back from releasing my Half-Life 3 idea documents, I shant let the world see!! DAMN YOU VALVE!!!

I’m not even going to mention TF2. The big Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress, the big three, 3! Ack!

Luckily I am one of the most reserved and self shaming people alive, and no matter how much I cry and thrash and make notes upon notes in the inside, it is unlikely to ever breach containment. Consider this a report from the front lines, the battle has not yet reached this blog entirely.

[somediyprojects]

DIY Miniature Tin Gardens

Project by Kate Pruitt:

my house is not a great home for plants because of how little light it gets, but it is earth day and i wanted to bring a little nature to my work desk. these mini zen gardens combine several of my favorite things, including my love of anything miniature. the faux wood contact paper gives it a little todd oldham mod feel too, which i love. these take no time to make and are a good little gift idea for moms, or anyone special. have fun! –kate

What You’ll Need: 1. altoids tins 2. scissors 3. ruler 4. pen 5. florists foam (comes in cubes of all sizes, available at craft stores, you just need a small rectangle for the tin) 6. dried moss (also available at craft or floral supply stores) 7. tiny balsa wood strip (available at craft stores) 8. 3 bamboo bbq sticks 9. low temp glue gun 10. knife 11. sand 12. dried flowers (i found most of my greens around my yard, the billy bobs are dried and leftover from a bouquet) 13. rocks (i picked these up from around my neighborhood) 14. faux wood contact paper/drawer liner paper (available at hardware stores) 15. pliers

Instructions: 1. remove the tops of the tins. clean the bases and dry. flatten the back hinges with a pair of pliers. 2. trace the base on the contact paper and cut out the shape. 3. measure a strip of contact paper that is 1.5″ wide and long enough to wrap around the tin with a little overlap. cut out the strip 4. stick the bottom panel on first and smooth out any air bubbles. 5. start the strip in the middle of the back of the tin. stick the strip flat, lined up against the bottom edge of the sides. wrap tightly around all four sides and overlap slightly at the back. cut off any leftover length of the strip. 6. fold the top of the strip over the top edges of the tin into the inside and flatten along the inside edges. there will be slight wrinkles in the corners but it will flatten nicely. smooth out all wrinkles.

for the rock garden: 1. fill with sand and rocks. 2.. to make the tiny rake, cut the balsa strip into two pieces: one .5″ long and one 2″ long. cut the tips off of three bbq sticks (about .25″) and glue these tips to the .5″ strip. hold the 2″ strip at a slight angle and glue to the back of the .5″ strip. for the flower garden: 1. trace the altoids tin onto the foam block and slice the block with a knife. cut it down to about .5″ thick and cut down sides until it fits in the tin. glue the foam down. 2. cover the foam with moss pieces and glue those down. snip off any moss hanging over the edges. 3. cut your desired dried plants and flowers down to size and stick into the foam. practice your ikebana skills as much as you want because the foam is very forgiving.

YOU’RE DONE!!

[meggannn]

2022

I didn't read a lot of books, or write a lot of fic, or even watch a lot of TV, but I did play a lot of video games!

my real life is a bit of a controlled mess right now, this year I had a medical procedure and a minor breakdown and moved suddenly because covid malfeasance in the city terrified me and I think I need to be with family right now after we've had several family deaths over the years. one day I'd like to move back there but only when I can afford to live alone, which is definitely not in the cards any time soon with how the rental market is looking.

I am proud that I started posting and finished Tides, Receding this year. because I started writing it... three years ago? oh god I just looked it up and it was Feb 2020 that I made the post that ended up spawning the fic. and I told myself 2022 was the year I'd get it done, it's been sitting in my lap too long, and I did it. (party horn noise)

anyway my 2022 game list is under the cut, check it out for recs or whatever. this does not include the games i replayed, which included HZD, DAI, and FE3H, but lbr I'm always replaying those games in my heart

Puzzle games:

The Last Campfire (4/5): Play as a little... thing...? lost from its companions trying to find its way home. Some of the puzzles were a little too simple but this was a short and sweet game.

TOEM (5/5): Play as a tourist taking photos around various places and cities. perfect little photography game with cute side objectives and diverse landscapes.

Inscryption: I ended up abandoning this one during Part 2 because it just didn't hook me and I was hanging on by a thread with the creepiness as it was, but Part 1 was a lot of fun and I'd recommend it for anyone who's a fan of card games, escape rooms, horror, or Yugioh.

Unpacking (4.5/5): Unpack the protagonist's life across various moves. I loved this, my only criticism is that it was too short; I'd love more levels.

Into the Breach (4.5/5): Play as groups of time travelers trying to stop aliens from taking over several war-torn archipelagos in a turn-based combat system. the actual game (till the end credits) is great, the combat system is clear and intuitive. the story is pretty short, but progress carries over at the end cause time-travel. I could've gotten more mileage out of this one, but ultimately burned out cause I wanted to do more than just play the same levels all over again with different units.

FRAMED collection (3.5/5): I guess? for a cool concept—adjust comic panels and strips to help the characters progress through levels—it was a bit forgettable. still, nice for a few hours and probably cool for big comic fans.

Please Touch the Artwork (3/5): An abstract game that combines puzzles with modern art. Oof. I had to give some stars for effort cause I felt like the concept was cool, but I just couldn't get into this one. someone who enjoys both might like it?

Elli (3.5/5): Play as a guardian in a 3D platformer, search for gems and coins, try not to get swallowed by the time rifts. I remember really enjoying this this fall, but now that I'm writing this wrap-up, I barely remember playing it. I liked the puzzles a lot but I think it went on a little long.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (4.5/5): You're a turnip. You rip up taxes in a sentient veggie world. need I say more.

Later Alligator (3.5/5): Play as an Alligator in Alligator New York City and do puzzles and solve crimes. it's adorable, it is, but I wish it was a little more forgiving; if you fuck up a puzzle, you lose so much time in an already limited day cycle.

Rain on Your Parade (4/5): Play as a cloud. Rain on people's parades, wedding days, office parties, whatever. Snow, thunder, acidic goo, you name it. go goblin mode. probably ideal for kids.

Moncage (3.5/5): solve environmental puzzles within a six-sided cube matching elements up across different sides of the cube to affect the scene. very similar to Goragoa, for the three other people who've played that game. short, beautiful, zen game, but man was it hard sometimes or I’m just an idiot. thank goodness for the hint system

Narrative games:

Heaven's Vault (3.5/5): You play as a young woman charged with tracking down a missing archaeologist across the galaxy with a robot companion. Really cool mechanic in this one where you decipher an ancient language as the main gameplay. RPG style choices set across make me want to rate it higher than I have, but some clunkiness (like not being able to revisit sites once you've left) knock it down. Someone once called this made by people who "want to bring archaeology to games but don't known how to make a game" which I agree with.

Tacoma (5/5): You explore an abandoned corporate space station trying to figure out what happened. Honestly, no notes. Interesting narrative, easy mechanics, great writing, doesn't overstep or overstay its bounds.

When the Past Was Around (3.5/5): got stuck on a couple dumb things that the game wouldn't let me interact with, and some other things were really not that intuitive, but other than that I thought this was short and serviceable, good for an afternoon with a sad story.

Wytchwood (4/5): Play as a witch who's charged with collecting twelve souls to deliver to a talking goat in a fairy-tale world. not really a narrative game but it's not puzzle or an RPG, so here it goes. anyway I had a lot of fun with this game. some of the backtracking was annoying and I wish the resource management was a little easier to, well, manage, but overall I enjoyed it.

Forgotten Fields (3/5): Play as a young author traveling home as his family decides whether to sell their home. Honestly a bit let down by this, there were some clunky mechanics I couldn't get over but it had interesting topics about moving on and finding artistic inspiration.

Adios (4/5): A pig farmer decides to quit his job disposing bodies for the mafia. Great voice work in this one, I enjoyed it; even though you know how it's going to end, they still managed to make it suspenseful.

RPGs/Open-world:

Horizon Forbidden West (3.5/5): I think I've already expressed my thoughts on this one this year but overall: great open-world game, mechanically and visually impressive; just OK story, unless you were a big fan of the first game, in which case the story was a big letdown.

Sable (4.5/5): Play as a young girl on her rite of passage as she travels a harsh world called Midden. hard for me to rate any open-world game as perfect because eventually some parts of it somewhere feel like padding, but despite some technical hiccups, Sable is the peak for me. non-combat, vibes-only, beautiful graphics, incredible soundtrack, easy recommend.

Control (3.5/5): Play as Jesse Faden, who arrives at the Federal Bureau of Control looking for her brother after his disappearance several years ago. this never wow'd me the way it was clearly trying to but I did enjoy it, whenever I could get over my fear of anything that moved. gameplay itself was great and i loved the oldest house as a setting. probably fans of the supernatural/horror genre could appreciate it better.

Citizen Sleeper (4/5): play as a cyborg who arrives on a space station and tries to make their way in the corporate underworld. a bit like Disco Elysium meets Murderbot Diaries. there's no combat, so I'd recommend this to fans of the RPG genre.

Paradise Killer (4.5/5): Play as Lady Love Dies in an island out of time, full of gods and demons and human sacrifices tired of being human sacrifices. Someone has been murdered in Paradise and you have to find out who did it. I had SO much fun with this one and the soundtrack is admittedly a huge reason why. (I'm serious listen to Ego 24-7 and tell me it doesn't get you pumped.)

Persona 5 Royal (4.5/5): the Phantom Thieves steal the hearts of corrupt people throughout Tokyo with their inner Pokemon-like demons and man this concept is cool, the soundtrack is killer, the only thing that fucking sucks is the unapologetic sexism that is unavoidable and irritating AF. (am I a little bitter I paid full price for this only a week before it went on sale for half off, yes. but I got a lot of mileage out of this that week during which when I was preparing for a medical procedure, so.)

God of War (4.5/5): Kratos and Boy travel to the highest peak in the realms to spread his wife's ashes. honestly? it's best enjoyed as a guy who enjoys puzzling going on a long walk with his son. as an action game it's meh.

Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered (5/5): I am PETER PARKER and I can throw MANHOLE COVERS at people while insulting their OUTFITS it is hard to top that

still playing:

Phoenotopia Awakening: A young woman named Gale sets on a journey to rescue the adults in her village after they are all mysteriously kidnapped. I haven't finished this one yet cause I hit a wall but ugh I just want to recommend it somewhere. there is so much love in the little details in this game, so many characters and puzzles and enemy types and history, you can tell so much heart went into this that I'm disappointed it won't get a sequel. my biggest criticism for it is that it is HARD, unnecessarily so at times, and there are no difficulty settings which sucks. but it might be good for Zelda fans or people who are good at 2D platforming, which I am not.

Eastward: Sam and John live in an underground town where travel to the surface is forbidden, until a mysterious event triggers Sam's magical powers and the mayor banishes them... eastward. I want to like this more than I am, the post-apocalyptic concept is very in-line with what I like, but jesus this writing feels like it never saw an editor. it just drags. I don't know how many times I can button-mash past Sam saying "Come on, John!" the game is beautiful, the designers and animators really earned their paychecks, but IDK the jury's still out.

[citybops]

1. mana -a gothic manwha. zion is a girl who forms a contract with a ghost and starts a business as a shaman. we follow her through different paranormal situations, learning a little bit about korean culture and superstition. the art is really good, the characters are very likeable and the little hunting adventures are ok, but... it feels very amateurish, the direction it wants to take isn't clear and the end is way too rushed. still, is a good fast reading and the fashion is serving and slaying absolute penis. 6/10

2. alichino -a gothic fantasy manga. alichinos are supernatural beings that feeds on human souls in order to become strong in exchange for a wish. tsugiri hates them, he's a "bond" (the purest soul above all) so he's been chased by humans and alichinos alike throughout all his life. the prettiest art I've ever seen like literally there's not a single bad panel or a sloppy silly drawing... the story is intriguing and it has lots of potential in exploring concepts or good and evil, loneliness and isolation BUT i only has three volumes and it's been discontinued so fuck our silly baka lives i guess. 9/10

3. fairy cube -gothic fantasy manga. this one is about the world of humans and the world of fairies and monsters and ravens and etc etc everything u mind can imagine. ian is a kid that can see fairies but no one ever believes him, he also can see another him, an ian with blue eyes and green hair that is focused on making his life miserable. it has 18 chapters, the lore is not complicated and it has various twist and turns that keep u entertained, so it is a very easy read... nothing too much. 6/10

4. vampire girl - well, this is a gorhic-ish manga abt vampires what do u expected. wana has fallen in love with this mysterious guy she often sees in the streets and after some time ahe musters up the courage to talk to him the next time she sees him. trigger warnings for blood, death and sexual assault. i liked this one a lot, the pacing and writing is really good, it doesn't feel heavy or boring and it flows nicely. as expected from this author, the art is also really pretty. i dont wanna spoil too much so this review is kinda vague, but this is because i really want u to read it and then come and complain to me abt the absolute mindfuck that is the ending. 9/10

5. R.i.p -a gothic-ish lolita manga. transylvanian rose (lmfao) is an angel bored of being in heaven so she travels down below where she encounters a boy commiting suicide. she finds him extremely cute so she rips off one of her wings and gives it to him in order to save him from eternal damnation. this one is short, funny, sweet and very fashionable. recommended for times when you're bored out of your mind and don't know what to do. also, god is a hot vkei man. 7/10

6. dokuhime -a gothic-ish lolita fantasy manga. poison princesses are made by taking a baby and feeding her poison little by little so they grew used to it. these girls are the kingdom's greatest weapons, a kiss, a tear, or even living in close proximity with them, will slowly kill you. this one was really intriguing, the plot is interesting and it builds anticipation and suspence nicely, the art, once again, is splendid like these bitches are serving looks after looks. HOWEVER.... this manga's fatal flaw is the depiction of this one tribal desert based kingdom. it is pretty bad and distasteful. 6/10

7. akusaga -kind of gothic-ish mystery manga. zen is the most wanted criminal of the country; he's cruel, has superhuman abilities and doesn't hesitate to kill and destroy everything that's gets in his way. this rebellious quality of his seems to attract all kinds of people, so he gets stuck with some companions along the way. ok... zen is saurrr pretty, that's why all bitches want him. this manga is very short, only 8 chapters, but thats enough to to flesh out his, and only his, story and character so you're left wishing the author had developed some other points, etc, etc. this one talk about war and class so u can expect some fucked up things that needed more exploring and questioning. 6/10

8. innocent -a gothic historical manga. this is the story of two siblings of the sanson family, a family of executioners, years prior to the french revolution. this manga is on the lengthier side with around 90 chapters, but it is still an easy read as the story has a pretty good flow. the art here is soooo pretty and the characters so intriguing !!! the story is a serious one so it hooks you up pretty easily but it still has its what the hell moments that helps break the tension here and there. it isn't a read for the faint of heart though as it is pretty guresome... but what we expected this is a story abt a man who killed around 3000 convicts. there's some moments where the author handles class, gender and race issues rather poorly though. this manga has a sequel but tbh it's not worth it so i recommend just reading this one. 8/10