#BEHOLD my bad editing skills!!!!!

[pepperangers]

“not this time.”

*

thinking very intensely about the corbett brothers tonight

[bbubblerum]

My Problem with Paladins

Okay so, this is gonna be a long post not like much I've done before but I must RANT haha! This will be specifically focusing on the 5e(2014) version of Paladins because I have not played anything 2024 and probably won't.

So a bit of background. I have been a DM for dnd for about 6 years at this point, running for at least 10 Paladins and Playing a Paladin once. So in risk of being overconfident, I know what Paladins are like and I(think?) I know what I am talking about! Over this time I have gained a strong dislike for Paladins as a class, and in fact I believe it is the worst designed class in 5e by FAR.

This is not to tell you that you should not play Paladin. I am not your DM. It is just for you to read and think about as either a DM or PC.

Explanation:

My problem with Paladins is that each class is based off a Core Class Fantasy. Rogue is the Thief, walking through the shadows and scouting locations, Fighter is a skilled warrior who is capable in almost any scenario, Wizard is a master of the arcane who is knowledgeable on many subjects and always has a spell for any situation etc. Paladin's Core Fantasy as a class is the Holy Warrior, Arthurian Knight etc. That is a very strong Core Fantasy. But this is not what brings a lot of people to this class because the fantasy has shifted with 5e.

My understanding is that previous editions had stricter requirements for becoming a Paladin(being a certain alignment etc) and so it was a bit more powerful to compensate. 5e removed these requirements rightfully because they were boring and unnecessarily restricted character concepts. But 5e in an attempt to stay in line with other editions kept them as unusually powerful.

Each class is good at certain things by default, Druid is good at Support and Control. Healing or buffing party members and laying down spells like spike growth to control the battlefield. Fighters have decent Armour Class, Decent Hit Points and Decent Damage. Wizards are good at Damage and Control etc. This is where the Paladin stands out from other classes, it is good at too much.

The Paladin has the BEST Support ability in the game in Aura of Protection, which if a player knows to put a 20 in Charisma throws off the balance of the game so much that it actually breaks. Spellcasters by the book simply no longer function. No spell or saving throw effect will be reliable in any capacity against most of the group. Having a single Paladin in a group throws out creatures like Beholders(a very iconic and fun creature) because they use almost exclusively Saving Throws.

They also have the single best Damage ability in the game in Divine Smite. A Feature where you can add up to 6d8 after you hit. Allowing you to essentially destroy critical hits as a mechanic. This feature quickly outperforms almost all other damage features and spells in the game, and single handedly breaks multiclassing. A Sorcerer or any other spellcaster can multiclass for 2 levels at any point past 9th level and get the ability to use this ability on the level of a 17th level Paladin. God forbid you ever come across a Bladesinger/Paladin multiclass, because that will stretch your sanity as a DM.

On top of these game breaking abilities, Paladin's Hit Points are only outclassed by Barbarians. Tied with Fighter and Ranger at a d10 Hit Dice. Along with this, they also get proficiency with Heavy Armour and Shields, allowing them some of the highest Armour Class in 5e. They do TOO much. This has caused the shift in the Core Fantasy of Paladins. Their fantasy in what I have seen is no longer a Knight or Holy Warrior or anything of the sort, it is being the Best. The Paladin is the best class in 5e, because it was not designed well. Its only shortcoming mechanically is what, movement speed? Stealth(unless you go for the equally as powerful Dexterity based Paladin)?

Why This Is Bad:

The reason I have a problem with all this is not because I hate powergaming or minmaxing. Frankly that is kind of ingrained in my group at this point. We have all been playing and DM-ing for many years and we like to exploit parts of the system within reason. I have had many Assassin Rogue/Gloomstalker Rangers and Swords Bard Archers in my group and it has always been a lot of fun. My problem with Paladins is honestly just how much they increase the work of the DM to make combat tolerable. Because of how good their Saving Throws and Damage are, you have three choices:

Buff your monsters Saving Throw DCs and Hit Points

Use Higher Level Monsters

Let your party Steamroll every combat

All of these have their own problems. Buffing your monsters and using higher level monsters results in 1-Shotting anyone outside of the Paladin's Aura of Protection, and turns most fights into a Hit Point Slog. But not doing either of these results in all fights being over in less than 2 rounds and essentially giving into the Paladin's Core Fantasy of being OP and getting to live out an empty Powerfantasy. I have tried all of these, and it is an incredibly difficult balancing act that means if you screw up even slightly, the combat is deeply unfun.

Paladin is profoundly Anti-Fun in its design. The only person having a good time is the Paladin and even then that doesn't last past the first few times they 1-shot a god haha. Paladin is one of my favorite classes in fiction, I love the IDEA of Paladins but the mechanics are just "What is the Best Thing we can give a Player Character?"

What I will Be Doing In the Future:

Okay so we are out of the weeds of my rant, now I will be actually be giving advice and explaining what I am doing with my statement.

I have been very much considering straight up banning Paladin in my games. This is a pretty brute force method of dealing with this and people won't like it, but I do really think that it will make the games I run better. Banning is not fun, but this class has legitimately caused me IRL stress.

However, I do think I have it in me to "Fix" Paladins. I love the 4e version and its sister class the Avenger. I think I am good enough to Homebrew a version of this class that maintains the class fantasy but has less of the problems I have discussed because this class has a LOT to offer! I love the flavour of the class, and I think the Subclasses of the Paladin are some of if not the best designed in the game. It actually feels like the subclasses were made by a completely different company. The fact that your subclass determines your 20th level feature is genius and I love every one of them. With a special place in my heart for the Oath of Conquest and Oath of Ancients.

I will likely be banning the class at some point in the future until I can homebrew and playtest a new version. Because I think honestly just tweaking Divine Smite and Aura of Protection can save this pile of burning tires. If you have read this far, thank you for putting up with me and please let me know what you agree/disagree with I am very open to new points of view on this.

Why You Should Not Listen To Me:

In my current campaign I have let my Paladin player Smite on Bow Attacks and given his character an Oathbow that has been buffed significantly. They are level 12 and they are 1-shotting Tarrasques. <3

[crowngamer901]

My Splatoon OCs' GrandFest outfits: The Concepts and the Final Models

(I’m looking at the last three with the names and I’m realizing how bad my hand-writing looks lol)

(Also I have no clue how long of a post Tumblr will allow me to make so this may be broken up into multiple posts/reblogs)

So a while back, everyone was designing GrandFest outfits for their OCs. Me, being a Blender user, was like "WHOA THAT'S SUCH A COOL IDEA I WANT TO JOIN IN!!!!" but obviously I have no modeling-from-scratch skills yet. The only thing I know how to do in Blender is how to attach Splatoon 2 clothing to a Splatoon 3 model and how to use Edit Mode to cut away pieces from a model.

BUT I WAS DETERMINED TO DO SOMETHING REGARDLESS OF MY ART SKILLS

So I quickly rendered the first render with Autumn (who wears a custom hairstyle of Haircut + Megalobraid here), Jewel, Derek, Monica, and Hunter - my agents - with the intent of just making outfits for them. I saved the aforementioned render to my iPad, opened Procreate, and began drawing. I wasn’t really going for any kind of theme for any of the outfits, and wanted to do some really custom clothing that didn’t exist in-game. I did, however, take inspiration from some of the clothing that already existed but that was about it.

It took two days to finish (as you can tell by Jewel and Derek having one date and Autumn, Monica, and Hunter having a different date) but it was fun! So fun, in fact, that I decided to make more outfits. 10 MORE OUTFITS, IN FACT. But that comes later, as one day I got bored and decided to actually attempt to model the outfits in Blender! And that was also fun! Yeah, it took the whole day but more importantly it was fun! So fun, in fact, that it only pushed me to make those 10 more outfits. So now we have everyone else’s outfit concepts (with actual existing clothing in mind), and the resulting Blender versions.

BEHOLD!

Jewel/Agent 3 (with a bonus bald pic showing her earrings)

Derek/Agent 5 and Kelly, with their matching rings (I LOVE THIS SHIP SO MUCH)

Found family brother-sister duo of I-Wei and Priscilla

Autumn/Agent 4 (with her usual hair) and Monica/Agent 8 with matching glasses

Hunter/Neo Agent 3 and Stitches, the two shortest characters in the line-up

Alecs, Kimberly, Ezra, and Morgan

And last but not least, Jeremy and Kaden

(Everyone's expressions in these screenshots match the ones I picked for the drawings)

I am SO HYPED to actually render everyone in their outfits but first I gotta go texture the GrandFest venues *cries*

Happy to answer any questions you might have about their outfits (like what clothing I used for everyone)

[lemonsrosesandlavender]

2024 Reflections

Thanks for the tag, @redroomroaving . I was literally reading Lia’s version of this at that exact moment, thinking that I might pinch the format without a tag - and then lo and behold, you pop up in my notifications ;) I'll tag the usual suspects, @forget-me-maybe @dutifullylazybread and @darkurgetrash <3

What's been your biggest learning point this past year?

I've learnt a lot of things about writing.

I can push through a writers' block. Sprints are the answer, and I may go in several wrong directions until I get through, but I will get there. And when it starts flowing again, it will ALL be worth it.

No amount of sprints can make me exceed a certain writing speed, or stop editing as I go completely. I've practised, and I've got better at just writing [synonym for hot] or whatever in brackets when I can't pin down the exact word I'm after - but writing stuff I'm really annoyed by will throw me off my rhythm and I just have to exorcise the issue. 500-600 "good" words in an hour is a pretty decent top speed, and I'm happy with what I'm writing, so I've learnt to accept the slower pace I work at than some people I know in fandom!

Relatedly, I'll never have time to write everything I'd like to, and I have to accept that and prioritise accordingly. Early in the year, I happily offered to take SFW prompts, did a few, and realised that although I liked what I'd written, my heart was not truly in it and therefore it wasn't sustainable. NSFW ones I find more easy to do; it's a fun and filthy way of giving back to my followers, which is one of the main reasons I like doing it. (And also there's been some DELICIOUS ideas that I wouldn't have come up with on my own!). But I've let myself be more judicious about it, picking ones that really inspire me to write whole ficlets/fics for, and trying not to stress about the pile.

I also found a process for my own fic ideas that I love and desperately want to write, but don't think I have time for: I make notes, discuss eagerly with @krawwan ... and then leave it to sit. The germs of the story are safely written down, and the idea will either grow roots or disappear. If it grows, I'll probably open my computer at some point and find I have one of those top-speed writing sessions, and win-win, it's a WIP now. If not, that's alright! There's always a chance it'll sprout in the future, but for now it's clearly not captivating enough to spend time on.

How has your writing developed this past year?

I've got better at layering subplots. I think, anyway. I've got better at outlining, that's for damned sure! I've also had fun trying out small tweaks to style/voice.

Finally, I've tackled heavier subjects. That isn't to say all writing should - but I feel like whilst Sharp Teeth and its follow ups took a pretty light touch, Planar Tears has given me the space to explore. Depression, guilt, grief and racism/oppression (via Rolan's story) all come up at various times, and we're going to run face-first into Lorroakan all too soon.

(That's not to say a light touch isn't good too; fantasy adventure stories tend to err on the light side as a genre, and I'm writing in a world full of conniving hags and tentacle-waving baddies. I don't think Sharp Teeth would have benefited from anything more "difficult"; sometimes you don't need to dwell on a theme in detail for it to be evident, and I've been a bit worried that some of Planar Tear's more intense discussions have been too heavy in tone. But that's all part of developing as a writer, or so I keep telling myself; you have to experiment to find out).

Bad writing habits?

Writing too late at night.

Convincing myself that THIS is the time I've really gone and lost my writing skills for good when I've got writers' block.

Yapping every three sentences about my writing when I should just be writing.

Mmmm... I wouldn't say it's "bad" per se, but sometimes I realise that either I make an interesting decision, that requires time and thought and research, or I make a simple, easy one, and get something finished. (It's hard to point to exact examples, because I often forget them afterwards, but it's definitely a feeling I've had several times). I think many writers find themselves trying to nail their own personal equilibrium between "good" and "finished", and sometimes I think I let the lure of the posting button summon me a little early.

Favorite thing you wrote?

Every time I say Planar Tears, lol. But honestly, I'm proud of everything I've got up on AO3; I've re-read and enjoyed them all.

Biggest win?

More than having written a lot (and of consistent quality)? Finding a (small in the scale of the BG3 fandom) audience who enjoy my writing. I love seeing returning commenters and kudos-ers across my different works and Rolan pairings. On the occasion I've got comments like "I was supposed to go to bed and then I got THIS EMAIL", I've felt both very happy and very lucky. It's one thing for someone to stumble over my fics and enjoy it enough to kudos it once; it's another for them to like it so much they sign up for emails and chew through all the stuff I've written. That's amazing and inspiring and wonderful.

(It's also very motivating in terms of knowing that if I post, someone's probably going to crack it open pretty soon and take a good look!)

Goals for the new year?

Be a little more balanced about writing. Balance is not a thing I am good at; I'm an obsessive person, an all-or-nothing person, forever burning the candle at both ends. My real life job is also a lot of mental work, and between that and writing I went hard this year. The job is a non-negotiable, and very important to me - so whilst I've got through this year, I've got to be more sensible. (Don't worry, my job is fine - but taking care of myself fell by the wayside a bit)

OOOOOOOOOONNNNNNN THE OTHER HAND, it is so easy to feel guilty about writing fanfiction for a hobby, especially smut. It's easy to put down every cold to some karmic punishment for having stayed up too late writing the perfect orgasm - when plenty of people are cutting into their sleep with more regular hobbies like Netflix or early morning runs or whatever. Naturally, I think I suck more than all of these people.

So I'd like to pry apart the twisted braids of "genuinely having so much creative energy that I want to expend on stuff I love", "needing to post constantly because I love being productive to a pathological degree", "cleaning out the vestiges of shame and general societal opinion about my hobby" and "literally just go the fuck to bed please". We'll see how well I do!

(Oh yes, and finish Planar Tears!)

Your favorite words of the year, aka the words you check each chapter for, making sure you didn't repeat them 788 times?

Rolan has an allotted amount of scowling, and Catrin only SO many lip twitches, that they're allowed to do in each installment of Planar Tears. Calm it down, kids.

I also love a filthy smut noise, and have to do the moaned/groaned/gasped/whimpered comb-through to check I haven't repeated them in close succession. Rolan will do all four basically every time though, I've got no shame about that.

What are you excited for in the new year?

Finishing WIPs! I've got three oneshots 50-70% drafted, and I know they'll be so satisfying to finish. I'd like to clear the decks before I crack open my NEXT bunch of short fic ideas.

Returning to give Fae Bindings and In Service of Magic new chapters. I love these fics, and I'm very grateful for the readers who care about them despite the updates being on the slow side. (I do think it's less urgent in very smut-oriented fics, because although I care too much about the plot of both of them, you don't need to be following it particularly closely to get horny about it... is my attempt to reassure myself anyway lmao).

Life stuff. I'm going on a short holiday soon to meet a beloved tumblr friend, and that's very exciting. My work is also going to be a big focus of this year, and I'm feeling very positive about what I might be able to accomplish.

In short - exciting things <3

[c0nn3ctr13ss]

hi! tell us about yourself if ur comfy? im asking a bunch of editblr blogs this bc people tend to look past the person behind them and see them more as a resource yk?

i live in indonesia, gmt+8 but that's all i'm disclosing. i plan to leave this godforsaken country when i'm in college

one of the main reasons why i suspect i have adhd is because my memory has deteriorated though not so much that i forget the entire thing itself. like i could jot down in my notebook whatever homework i have and STILL forget it, but my brain would have a sense of "oh there's homework ((i think)) but idk what it's about" ifykwim

i'm a (closeted) demigirl, bisexual demisexual and panromantic! what's funny is that i had a crush on my wife even though we just met... and LO AND BEHOLD SHE GIVES ME A PAPER RING AND MY DUMBASS THOUGHT IT WAS A FRIENDSHIP BRACELET CAUSE OF HOW BIG IT WAS. i SWEAR im not that dense anymore

im hyperfixated on forsaken and other roblox games/args/myths! also includes, but not limited to.... DEEMO II, Project Moon games, In Stars and Time, psychological horror stuff and indie games in general!!

my editing + editblr addiction/pos wouldn't have happened if i wasn't so demotivated to draw and learn about tumblr. i love being a perfectionist on my only skills (genetics...) so editing was literally. the easiest thing to do

i like competitions that don't require you to focus too much... which is why i've entered multiple spelling bees and won them, yet so awful at debating even in the most trivial of matters.

i'm an infp 4w5 interpret that as you'd like

i. LOVE noodles. especially ramen. you can pry that glorious food out of my COLD DEAD HANDS

i hate hate hate HATE it everytime my mom says that i look like my dad. 90% because he's a neglectful asshole who STILL goes to my important school events despite having never paid child support + he already has a new wife and kids.

my phone addiction has gotten so bad i have minus 4 and 3 including astigmatism on both eyes. also i've created an entirely different persona on the internet

okay that's it,,,

[adventuretolkienlover]

The Journey's Just Begun (Chapter 3: Good Impressions)

I DID IT!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Intro: Lol. 🤣 This chapter isn't as long or as good as the others I fear. But hopefully good enough for you guys! On a side note, I wish I had the skill and the patience to make full illustrations and covers for these. Maybe some day I'll revamp them. Actually, if anyone wants to make art for this fic, feel free to do so! I'd love to see it! And also, ROMANCE IS DANG HARD TO WRITE! Even for just a married couple!!! Yeesh! I hope I get better at that! I feel kind bad about not adding more Ulla into this chapter. Hopefully I can do that with future chapters. Alright, peace out my dudes. *Collapses*😂 (P.S Per usual, this isn't a Varigo story. Just Alchemy Bros. So please don't tag as such. Thank you!) EDIT: Fixed some Grammer! All better now!

Chapter 2 ⬅️

Beginning

Summary: Hugo struggles to interact normally with Quirin and tries not look like a nervous freak while doing it. That's pretty much it. Gosh, this so bad. Please may the next chapter be better. Lol.🤣🙏

Trigger Warnings: Brief depictions of PSTD. Nothing to heavy though I think.

"Here it is!" said Varian as he led Hugo into the entrance hall.

Hugo took in all the space around him. It was so grand. And yet, something warm and comforting about it. He liked it very much.

Varian began pointing out different rooms. "My room's right up those stairs." Varian pointed at a stairway that seemed to lead up to the tower Hugo had seen out side. "And we got guest rooms. A stable. The great hall. An armoury. My lab. Anything in particular you want to see?"

"I'm not even sure we're to start." said Hugo truthfully.

"Well, if you ask me, my lab is the best room to check out." said Varian. "I - I mean, We don't HAVE to go there. But it is cool! I'm only suggesting. You know?" Hugo smirked and looked at Varian. He wasn't fooling anyone. The younger alchemist had been very eager to show him his lab. It seemed he couldn't stop talking about it. Not the he minded. He did want to see it. But he decided to play around with Varian. Just a little. After all, he wouldn't be Hugo if he didn't. Would he now?

"Oh, I don't know. The kitchen sounds very interesting."

"Whaaaaaaat? Are you kidding? You're telling me you'd rather check out the kitchen then run around in a high tech laboratory? You, Hugo?"

"Well I am hungry." said Hugo glancing at the hallway leading to the kitchen. He gave Varian a mischievous smirk.

"Uh huh. Right." At this point, Varian knew Hugo was playing around. Per usual.

Hugo laughed. "I'm just kidding Goggles. Come on. Show me!"

"Great! It's over in here! Follow me!" Varian grabbed Hugo's hand and began to quickly lead him through the house. After going through the Great Hall, and few hallways, they reached the kitchen. Varian then led him downstairs and into the basement. And there they came to a door with a sign on it that said Varian's Lab. Varian unlocked the door and flung it open enthusiastically! "Behold! My lab!"

Varian lab, while impressive, was bit of a mess. Books, tools, and papers were all over the place! And the mere force of the door being opened caused a single beaker to roll across his desk and clink to the floor.

"Oh. Uh, wow. I guess I left it kinda mess." said he as he brushed his finger through some dust on a shelf. "Heh. I was so eager to study my mom's journal and leave to find the library. It's not usually this cluttered. Trust me. So, whadda think?"

"Wow!" said Hugo. He stepped into the lab and looked around. It was cluttered. Yes. But there was so many interesting pieces of equipment. He was surprised. The only way he'd been able to get some of these things was through Donella.

"How'd you get all this?" he asked.

"All sorts of places. I got plenty of connections." said Varian proudly. "And a lot of the stuff I got from my friend Xavier. Ooh! Let me show this invention I made! It's the one I made a whole new element with!"

"Cassandrium?" asked Hugo with a grin.

"Uh, yeah." Varian blushed and muttered to himself as he began looking around the lab for the invention. "Let's see. I know I left it somewhere."

While Varian was up to his searching Hugo walked about the lab, admiring it's equipment. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't just a little bit jealous. It was very well thought out and had everything an alchemist could ask for. He noticed something shiny and cylindrical leaned up against the wall behind a few crates. He walked over to it in curiosity.

Meanwhile, Varian wasn't having any luck finding what he was looking for. "Argh! Where is it?" He exclaimed as he pushed aside more equipment. Ruddigar poked his nose through the doorway and saw his owner digging around. He ran up to him and pawed at his pant leg. "Hm? Oh hi Ruddigar." said Varian. Ruddigar leaped up onto his usual spot on Varian's shoulder. "Hey, have you seen my elemental remogrifier?" The raccoon nodded and led Varian behind some crates of parts. Ruddigar pulled a sheet of an object. The machine was right underneath. "Great! Thanks Buddy." said Varian.

"Woah!" yelled Hugo!

Varian jumped in surprise and gasped. He whirled around. "What is it?!" exclaimed! He saw Hugo was holding the Amber Bazooka.

"What is this?! A cannon?" said Hugo excitedly.

"Oh yeah! That!" said Varian. "That's the Amber Blaster 2.0. The last one got damaged so I built a new one. I haven't gotten around to testing it yet."

"Oh we have to try this out!" said Hugo. He posed with the cannon like he was firing it. "So how far does it shoot?"

"Pretty far. I do have a designated firing ground that I tested it on-"

Hugo gasped excitedly. "Can we go try it out? Please?"

Hugo looked so excited. Varian hadn't seen him this way before. How could he possibly refuse? Besides, this could be fun! It would be like when he was testing the first cannon with Eugene. "Yeah! Sure!" Varian said.

Hugo punched the air excitedly. "Yes!"

Varian started grabbing various tools from around the lab. "I'll calibrate the system!" Varian said. "Then I can go grab some of the Amber Solution from my supply hut. It'll only take me a second. Hey! Could you get my other screwdriver from upstairs? I'll need it to insert the cartages. It's in my backpack."

"Sure! I'll back in sec." Hugo replied. He put down the bazooka and walked out the door.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Hugo strolled out the basement door, when suddenly he heard something. "CHOP!" went a knife on a cutting board. He jumped and looked toward the noise frightened. It was Quirin. He was chopping some carrots. Quirin looked up at Hugo. They both stared at each other awkwardly. Hugo cleared his throat and gave a tiny wave. "Um... Hi?" he said sheepishly.

Quirin raised an eyebrow. "Hello?" he said.

Hugo glanced at the door, then back at Quirin. "I'm uh..." He started making his way across the kitchen. "I'm just gonna go get something.". he said. As soon as Hugo touched the doorknob, he turned around and sighed in relief. He made it. He was just turning the doorknob when...

"So, where's Varian?" Quirin asked. Hugo froze again. He nervously turned around and tried to look normal. He eyed the knife warily as some bad memories came rushing back to him. "Oh, uh. He's downstairs. I was just getting his screwdriver."

"Hm." said Quirin. He chopped the last carrot and began pouring the slices into a bowl. "Well," Quirin picked up the bowl and turned around with a smile. "I'm happy to know Varian has made a new fr-" Quirin stopped at the sight of Hugo's anxious expression. At the same time, Hugo also tensed up at Quirin looking at him and that didn't help in the least. He looked like a nervous wreck.

"Are you okay?" Quirin asked in concern.

Hugo gulped and beads of sweat began to form on his brow. "Y-Yeah!" he stammered. "Just fine!" He put on a big grin in attempt to cover up his fear. Quirin wasn't convinced and he stared at him suspiciously.

"You seem... Nervous. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Nervous?" Hugo laughed anxiously. "Who's nervous? I'm nervous! I MEAN NOT! I'm not- I'm not nervous! Not nervous at all!" He fake laughed and tried to lean on the counter to seem at ease. But he missed and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Quirin flinched at the painful sound. Hugo could just laid there. He felt incredibly embarrassed. In fact, Quirin noticed Hugo's face flushing red from it.

"Ow." Hugo said quietly.

"Um, here," Quirin bent down to the very embarrassed alchemist. "Let me help you up." Quirin picked Hugo up off the ground. He kinda forgot his own strength and lifted Hugo clear into the air. For a second, Hugo inwardly panicked and almost ceased to breath! Quirin placed a very shaky Hugo on his feet.

"There you go. Better?" Quirin said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Y-Yeah! I'm good! Thanks!" Hugo said as he scrambled away from Quirin and pressed his back against the door. Being suddenly lifted into the air like that was quite disturbing for him. Suddenly Varian swung the basement door open.

"Hey Hugo!" Varian shouted! "Did You-"

Hugo inhaled sharply and jumped at the loud noise.

"Oh! Wait you're here!" Varian said realizing his mistake. "Oh, hey dad." he added with a smile.

Hugo felt awkward again and turned toward the door. "I gotta get the screwdriver!" he blurted out. Then quickly ran out the door and disappeared. Quirin looked at Varian questioningly. Varian was a little surprised at Hugo reaction too. He looked at Quirin and chuckled nervously.

"Er, nerves I guess? Heh." he said. Quirin nodded and looked toward the door.

"Hmmm. Varian?" Quirin asked.

"Yes?"

"Hugo seems very anxious. Is he alright?"

"Oh. Uh, well..." Varian shifted his feet. "He's a little nervous. About meeting you that is."

Quirin looked at him surprised.

"I-It's nothing you did!" Varian said frantically. "He's just uh... Well, I think he's a little intimidated by you. You know. Since you're a lot bigger and stronger than him."

"Oh. I see." said Quirin. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well," Quirin turned back to his cooking. "I'd better finish this soup. Make sure you and Hugo come back in time for dinner."

"Oh. Okay." Varian said. He turned to go back downstairs to get the bazooka. Before he left, he took one more look at Quirin. Varian was worried. Did he handle that right? He closed the door.

Meanwhile, Quirin poured the veggies into a pot of soup he had on the stove. Ulla wandered past the doorway with her nose in a book. She stopped, poked her head into the kitchen, and sniffed the air. The soup smelled delicious. "Mmm. Hi Honey." she said brightly as she she walked up to Quirin.

Quirin looked up from the pot and smiled at her lovingly. "Hello."

Ulla left her book on the counter and went over to look in the pot. "Making soup?" she asked.

"Yes." said Quirin. "Would you mind stirring that for a moment? I need to find a certain spice."

"Oh, sure!" Ulla said and grabbed the spoon as Quirin began digging through cabinets. "Soooo..." she started. "How have you been?"

Quirin found the spice he was looking for and walked back to the stove. "Better now that your home." he replied as he took back the spoon. He pulled her into a side hug and planted a kiss on her head. Ulla blushed and sighed happily. Somehow, he could still make her feel butterflies. Even after all these years. She only pulled away so Quirin could continue cooking. She picked up her book again and leaned against the counter.

"I heard you and Hugo from the other room. How you two getting on?" she asked.

Quirin sighed. "Not great." he said as he sprinkled some spices into the pot. "He seems scared of me for some reason. And... very jumpy? It's odd. I'd like to get to know him better, for Varian's sake. But how to go about it? I'm not sure."

Ulla thought for a moment before speaking. "It will be alright." she started. "Just give it some time. You two will get along fine I'm sure. Maybe once he gets to know you more, he won't be so nervous and it will be easier for you to talk to him."

Quirin thought about this as he got down two bowls from a shelf. "You think so?" he said as he handed them to Ulla.

"Definitely." she said with a grin. She sat the bowls down on the counter and Quirin ladled some soup into them. He placed them on a tray, along with some thick bread slices. "Well, we'll see." Quirin lifted up the tray. "Where would you like to eat?" Quirin asked. "There's some nice sunlight in the great hall right now."

"Actually," Ulla said shyly. "I was thinking maybe we could sit in the library?"

Quirin raised an eyebrow. "You sure? I thought maybe you'd not want to be around books right now. Since... You know."

Ulla giggled. "You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

Quirin shook his head and chuckled as the two of them headed for the library.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Hugo followed Varian through the farmland. They were on their way to the testing sight. Varian had the bazooka strapped to his back in a handy backpack-like harness. Cheese and Ruddigar were chasing each other around just ahead of them. By now, Hugo had calmed down. He felt much safer now that it was just the four of them again.

The last time Hugo had come through here, he was racing Varian to the house. Now that he just walking through, he could really take in the sights. It was in short, peaceful. If tranquility was a place, this would be it. It was so much more laid back than the capital. They walked past animal pastures, fields, and orchards. He was enjoying himself immensely.

"You have a nice home here Varian." he commented as the passed some wheat fields. "It's so quiet."

"Yeah. It's really nice. I love it here." Varian said. They grew silent again. For a moment.

"You know, I really would like it if you'd stay with us for good. I'd miss you if you left." Varian said. "I'd really like it if you became my full time brother. You know?"

Hugo snorted and chuckled. "I'm twenty years old Varian. I doubt your parents would be interested in adopting me." he said. "Especially Quirin." he added under his breath.

Varian gave him a confident smile. "Oh, I don't know. My mom really likes you. And I'm pretty sure we could convince dad to let you stay too."

As much as Hugo wanted it to be true, it seemed too unrealistic. And he had worries of what misfortunes that staying here could bring. But he didn't want to bring down Varian's hopes. "We'll see Hairstripe." he replied.

After awhile, they reached the testing sight. It was a nice flat field, further away from the main village. Varian noticed here was a barn built next to it that wasn't there before.

"Huh. I don't remember that being there." Varian commented as he put down the bazooka. "They must have built it since I was gone."

"Should we go somewhere else?" Hugo asked.

"Eh. If we aim away from it, we should be fine. This thing fires really accurately. I made sure to give the best guiding system possible. I worked on it for months." Varian bragged.

Hugo smirked and handed him the bag of viles. "Oh really now?" he said.

Varian took the bag of Amber Solution viles from Hugo. "Oh yes. Wait and see." he said with smug grin.

Ruddigar and Cheese took a seat on a nearby rock to watch them. The two boys loaded the bazooka. Then Varian showed Hugo how to hold and fire it. "Alright. Just look through the eye piece there and when it's on the target, fire!"

Hugo nodded in concentration. He aimed at the hay bale. Then fired! It was direct hit! Varian's jaw dropped. Even Hugo was surprised.

"Woah! Great shot!" Varian exclaimed.

"Heh. Thanks." said Hugo breathlessly.

Soon they were both firing the the bazooka and having a blast making new challenges for each other and laying new target distances. It wasn't long before they ran out of Amber Solution.

"I'll have to grab us some more." Varian said as he looked at the now empty bag. "I have some more in the supply hut. I'll be right back."

"Alright!" Hugo called as Varian took off toward the house. Ruddigar ran after him. Hugo looked down at the bazooka. It one more shot left. Hugo looked through the finder and aimed for the target. Suddenly, the sound of a squeaking wheel caught his attention. He glanced to his left and saw Quirin in the distance. He was pushing a wheelbarrow full of apples toward a barn. Hugo felt a pang of fear shoot through him. He secretly hoped Quirin wouldn't notice him. He stepped back.

He tripped.

"WAAAAAA!"

Cheese whirred and took cover! As Hugo fell, his finger pulled the trigger! "BAM!" The Amber solution exploded out the barrel!

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Quirin wiped his hand and brushed his brow. Suddenly, he heard a loud explosion behind him! He whirled around and saw a smoke plume rising from a barn in the distance. He watched in shock, then groaned.

"Varian." he muttered.

"Yeah dad?"

Quirin jumped a little and looked behind himself. Varian was right behind him. He had a crate of Amber Solution viles and was looking at him curiously. Quirin looked between the explosion site and Varian bewildered. "Varian?" he said, in utter confusion.

Just then, Varian saw the plume of amber colored smoke too. He gasped and dropped the crate. "Hugo!" he shouted! And he ran toward the barn!

"Varian wait!" said Quirin, as he ran after him. "What's going on?!"

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Hugo had fallen on his back in the grass. He sat up with a groan and pushed the Amber Bazooka off himself. And shielded his eyes from the sun. Wait. That wasn't the sunlight glinting. It was Amber. Hugo's eyes widened and he looked up.

A giant Amber crystal was jutting out of the barn.

He gave out a tiny terrified gasp and covered his mouth with both hands. He sat there for a moment, staring at what he'd done. And then, he ran. He didn't even know why. He just ran and hid behind an tree. He sat behind it. His was chest heaving. And his hands were shaking violently. What should he do?! Suddenly he heard people approaching. Villagers. Mostly the people that had been working the fields. And they were talking about the barn. They must have seen everything. Hugo peeked out from behind the tree and watched.

"What happened here?!" he heard a man shout!

"Somebody get Quirin! I can't believe this!"

"That kid! The minute he gets home he's back to blowing things up!"

Hugo realized they hadn't seen everything. They hadn't seen him! They thought Varian did it! Suddenly he heard someone else.

"Jasper! What's going on here!" he heard someone shout. He froze. That was Quirin's voice. He peeked around the tree cautiously and saw Quirin and Varian amongst the crowd. The man he assumed was Jasper, walked up to Quirin in a seething rage.

"Someone, shot some alchemy into my family's barn! And I think I know who did it! Well Varian?" he said. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I didn't do this!" said Varian!

"Yeah right!"

"I DIDN'T!" Varian angrily protested.

"Varian! Lower your voice." said Quirin. "But it's true. He was with me."

"Well who else could have-"

"WAIT!" Hugo shouted!

Everyone turned and looked. Hugo ran out from behind the tree and into the open! "I DID IT!" he blurted out!

"You did?!" asked Jasper surprised.

"Yes." said Hugo. "So if your going to get mad at someone, get mad at me!"

The man growled and got up in Hugo's face. "Do you realize how much time it's gonna take to fix that?!"

"He said it was an accident!" Varian yelled. And he got in-between them and shielded Hugo protectively.

"It's always an accident!" yelled back Jasper.

"Enough!" Quirin shouted!

It was so loud, even Varian jumped! Hugo looked terrified. It was so quiet, you could hear the wind rustling the grass. Quirin sighed and rubbed his temples. He looked up at the barn. The crystal wasn't sunk into the ground. Just stuck to the roof. They could remove it and rebuild the barn were it was. But Jasper was right. It would take time and money. Quirin walked up to the boys with a sigh.

"Hugo-" he raised his hand to gesture. To his surprise, Hugo flinched. Quirin stopped. He slowly lowered his hand. That wasn't normal. Quirin looked at Hugo in curiosity. Hugo just stared back wide eyed, fearful, and expectant. Something wasn't right with why Hugo was always jumping or flinching around him. He felt in his gut. This wasn't just nervous. This was scared. His parental instincts were going wild. But this wasn't the place to discuss it. He shook his head. "You and Varian go back to the house." He said with a wave of his hand. "I'll handle this."

Hugo nodded and watched as Quirin walked back toward the crowd. Varian put his hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. Hugo gave him a half hearted smile. It faded quickly.

Hugo picked up the Amber Bazooka and was just about to walk away when Quirin put his hand on his shoulder. "Oh, and Hugo?" Hugo froze and looked wide eyed at Quirin. "I want to talk to you in a little while. Okay?" Hugo stood there, unable to speak.

"Okay." He replied quietly.

After Quirin walked away, Hugo hurriedly walked past Varian. Varian saw he looked a bit pale in the face. Frankly, he didn't feel much better himself. What would happen next? He followed after Hugo, a million thoughts running through his head.

"Great! Another kid blowing things up around here." said Jasper. And he walked away shaking his head and muttering to himself about "Those stupid kids."

The crowd dispersed. Quirin was left alone with the barn and amber. Quirin looked up at the amber again. He saw his reflection staring back at him. His mind began to harken back to painful memories. Days and nights stuck in some sort of dreadful limbo. Not knowing what was happening at all. Quirin turned away and sighed. He walked away toward home, leaving the Amber crystal behind.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Hugo at on the front porch, watching the sunset. To say he was upset was an understatement. He felt absolutely awful. If he was trying to make a good impression, he just about failed. He looked at the amber crystal jutting out of the barn in the distance. He hugged himself and subconsciously dug his fingers into his arm. How could he have let that happen? Just then, he heard the door creak. He looked behind himself and saw Quirin standing in the doorway. Hugo held his breath. He was terrified. To his surprise, Quirin smiled at him. He sat down next to him and looked out over the valley.

Ulla and Varian peaked out from behind the door and watched them. Quirin and Hugo didn't know they were even there. Varian was worried. He knew his father was very generous and kind. But Hugo did cause a big mess. Even if it was just an accident. Jasper's barn wouldn't fix itself. He hoped that his father would be understanding. Varian looked up at Ulla for reassurance. She gave him a sideways smile and nodded. Even though she herself was just as nervous. She closed the door a bit more and they watched quietly.

Meanwhile, Quirin and Hugo still hadn't said a thing to each other. Hugo wasn't sure what he was in for. What would happen? Finally he couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry." Hugo said in a voice that was almost a whisper. He waited for a response. He didn't have the courage to look Quirin in the eye. "I didn't mean to fire that Amber into the barn. I feel really bad. I... I don't even know what to say really..."

"It's alright. It was an accident." Quirin replied. He tried to keep his voice soft, so as not to scare him. "That was very brave you to come forward."

Hugo perked up. That caught his attention. He looked at him in surprise. "Huh?"

"You could've placed the blame on something else. Even Varian. It's likely most people would've believed it too."

"You're... You're not mad?" Hugo asked.

"No. Of course not. But, that being said, it would be nice if you helped fix Jasper's barn. Since you did blast the hole in it."

Hugo stared at him dumbfounded, before realizing he needed to answer. "Oh! Oh yeah! No problem! I can do that."

"And of course to do that, you'll have to stay for awhile, right? So, I don't see why you couldn't stay here with us, hm?"

Hugo's eye's widened. "You're not going to kick me out?" he asked.

"Of course not." Quirin said "Why would we do that?"

Hugo's face fell and he looked away. "Well I... I don't know. I thought... Um." Ulla leaned forward in interest. Hugo sighed. "It's nothing..."

Ulla's brow furrowed. There was that word again. Nothing. I couldn't be nothing. Could it? Something was bothering Hugo and it made her worried. Quirin was having similar thoughts. But he decided not to press. He gave a deep sigh.

"Well, just know that we don't do those kinds of things here. Accidents are certainly not grounds for kicking people out. There are way worse things to warrant that."

Hugo gave a small smile. "Thank you." he said.

Quirin smiled and laid a hand on Hugo's shoulder. "Your welcome." Hugo looked at Quirin's hand on his shoulder, then at Quirin. He grinned. Just then they both heard the door creak. They looked and saw Ulla and Varian quickly dash out of sight. Followed by the sounds of muffled laughter, hushed words, and scuffling feet. Quirin grinned.

"Alright you two. You can come out." Varian ran out, and slammed into Hugo, hugging him tightly. He used so much force that he was almost knocked over. Hugo laughed and hugged him back. Ulla sat down next to Quirin.

Varian pulled away from the hug and looked between Hugo and Quirin. "So uh, you guys worked everything out?" he asked hopefully.

"I think so." Quirin said.

"Yeah. We did." Hugo said as he ruffled Varian's hair.

Varian laughed and pushed his hand away. "Stop!" he chuckled.

Quirin smiled as he watched the two boys. Their closeness reminded him of distant happy memories. He glanced up at the horizon line. The sun was gone now and all that was left was the glow of twilight. He stood up from the steps and sighed. "Well, it's time we all go back inside for dinner." he began. "You and Hugo head in. We'll be right there."

"Alright." said Varian as he got up. "Come on."

Varian walked inside. Hugo was just about to follow when he stopped and turned to Quirin.

"Hey, Quirin? Thanks again." he said

Quirin smiled. "You're welcome."

Hugo beamed and walked inside. Quirin was just going to follow them, when he noticed Ulla. She was standing up and looking out over the mountains in deep thought. The night breeze was softly blowing her hair. And she was biting her lip. Something she sometimes did when thinking. It was starting to sink in that she didn't really know that much about Hugo. Or even Varian. And they seemed to be dodging her questions about key points of their journey. What was this Mad Scientist Lady she kept hearing about? And why did they keep saying the would tell her about it later or it was nothing? We're they in trouble? And why was Hugo so scared? There where so many questions she wanted to ask. It bothered her relentlessly.

"Everything all right?" Quirin asked. Ulla sighed and brushed back her bangs. They flopped back into face. Much like Varian's.

"I don't know." she started. "I feel like... People are holding out on me on some stuff that happened. I mean I get it. I've been gone a long time and a lot of stuff has changed. But I still want to be aware of everything that's passed. Sure, it may be upsetting. But I'll have to know eventually. I can tell something really bad must have happened. I just I wish I knew what. But at the same time I don't want to push them talk about things they aren't comfortable with. And I just..."

Ulla stopped rambling. Then sighed and sat back down on the steps. Quirin became concerned. "Ulla?"

Ulla took a deep breath and looked at Quirin. She gave a small smile. "Well... I guess everything will be figured out eventually." she said with a sigh. Quirin looked at her lovingly and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Of course love." he said.

She grinned. Then she leaped up into his arms and hugged him. Quirin sighed and melted into her embrace. The two looked each other in the eyes before sharing a kiss. Unfortunately their romantic moment was interrupted by some very loud barking. The couple looked behind themselves bewildered. And saw Buttercup being chased over the bridge by Frankie, who was absolutely covered in chicken feathers. The pups ran past them and into the house. They could hear Varian and Hugo exclaiming in surprise at their appearance.

"Wha- Frankie?! What do you do?!" Varian shouted! "Stop chasing Buttercup!"

"Why is he covered with chicken feathers?" Hugo asked.

"Oh no." Varian groaned.

Ulla and Quirin looked at each other and tried not to laugh. They weren't sure whether to be confused or amused. "Uh, Varian? I think you still need to explain a few things." Quirin called as him and Ulla headed inside.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Miles away from Old Corona, the deep woods stood dark and foreboding in the midnight shadow. Owls hooted in the trees and insects chirps and clicked in the bushes. An eerie whistling breeze blew through the tree branches, sound like the moans of the dead. A crumbled fortress lay broken and abandoned. A few black rocks pierced whatever rubble was left. Near one wing of the fortress, a large group of men scavenged for whatever they could find. They were a rough looking lot. All gangsters or criminals. Indeed, they once worked for the evil mistress that controlled this mighty castle. Now they answered to a new master. One very deadly.

One of the men dragged a machine from the rubble. A weapon of some kind.

"Nice." he said with a toothy grin. He chucked it onto the pile of loot. "How much more of this junk we taking?" he asked.

"Until we have it all!" a man's voice rang out.

The men turned around in surprise. Cyrus stood behind him.

"Boss! Good to see you!" he quickly spat out. "We've collected plenty!"

"Excellent." Cyrus said as he strode over to the pile and began looking through the items. All sorts of dangerous and expensive items had been collected. Money, treasure, and gold had been taken from the vaults. Inventions had been taken from the labs. Mostly weapons. They had no use for scientific instruments. Instead, metal from those machines had been ripped off and would be melted down for weapons or money. Cyrus picked up an especially shiney gold and bejeweled necklace and admired it.

"Yes. Perfect." he sneered. He dropped the necklace and turned to the gang. "With all this gear and loot, we'll be the most powerful criminals in this entire country!"

The gang erupted with shouts, laughter and cheers or excitement. One man clanged his sword blades together enthusiastically, eager for a fight.

"We'll set up a base in the caves far from the capital of Corona!" Cyrus continued. "And once we've made sure that the guards can't find us, we'll be set for life!" Cyrus unsheathed his sword and held it high. "And then we'll rule the land with an iron fist!"

For this, the gang cheered louder then before. They also raised their blades and weapons in allegiance!

"Boss!" a man shouted over the noise. He ran up to Cyrus and presented him with a book. "I found this in Donella's own office."

"A book!" another man shouted. "That's the best you can do?!"

"On the contrairy," Cyrus said as he turned the pages, grinning all the while. "This is quite precious." He shut the book with a loud clap.

"I'm fairly certain none of you are good at break-ins, are you?"

"Doug here can break into anything!" someone shouted. Doug, a giant of a man, (And seemingly little brain,) smirked and slammed his fists together menacingly.

"I mean, sneaking in to places you fools!" Cyrus shouted. This was met with most saying "Oooooooooh." and other sounds of realization. Cyrus facepalmed and groaned.

"Well, luckily for you numbskulls, Donella has provided us with the perfect tool for such deeds. We just need to find him."

To Be Continued.

[bitethyflirt]

Scene: “Battle of the Bards – Totato Edition”

The festival is in full swing: lanterns shaped like glowing potatoes bob in the breeze, villagers buzz with wine and root-themed merriment, and somewhere near the cider stall, someone is dressed as Totato and handing out sparkly beet chips.

Suddenly, a hush falls.

A tall figure in a crushed velvet cloak leaps onto the fountain, lute slung over one shoulder and dramatic eyeliner just slightly too perfect.

> “Behold! I am Viridan the Verseblade, famed in four realms, seducer of syllables, master of rhyme. And I challenge you—”

He points a long, jeweled finger directly at Gareth, who’s mid-mouthful of roasted yam kebab.

“—to a Totato Rap Battle for the soul of this crowd!”

Gareth freezes. Swallows.

“…The what now?”

Fandral, barely containing laughter:

> “Don’t back down. You’ve trained for this. Every sarcastic limerick, every passive-aggressive haiku—this is your moment.”

Astrid crosses her arms, watching with amused menace.

> “If you lose, I’m making you wear the ‘Kiss the Spud’ apron tomorrow.”

Totato floats nearby, pulsing a slow, encouraging glow.

Round One: Viridan the Verseblade

> “From the Depths of Durn and the Heights of Elshado,

I bring fire and flair like a lyrical shadow.

I rhyme with precision, my cadence is fate—

You’re just a sidekick with snacks and bad gait.”

(The crowd gasps. Someone throws a turnip in solidarity.)

Round Two: Gareth “The Reluctant”

Gareth steps forward, brushes crumbs off his tunic, and lifts a single eyebrow.

> “You call that flair? I call it fluff.

My rhymes hit harder, my wit’s more rough.

Totato chose us, we didn’t beg—

You’re just jealous of our magic veg.”

The crowd roars. A small child yells, “He rhymed veg!”

Round Three: Viridan (angrily strumming his lute)

> “My words are sharp, like a dragon’s breath,

Your jokes are stale like a bard’s last death.

Your party’s chaos, no skill or tact—

You probably think ‘iambic’ is a sword attack.”

Fandral leans to Astrid. “It does sound like one.”

Round Four: Gareth (adjusting his imaginary cravat)

> “Your rhymes may sparkle, your lines may twist,

But we’ve got heart—and a spud that glows like mist.

We’ve braved storms, griffins, and a truth spell’s sting—

You? You rhyme ‘breath’ with ‘death.’ Real original thing.”

> “Totato’s more loved than your overplayed verse—

He floats, he glows, and he’s weirdly diverse.

So pack up your ego and your glittering coat—

‘Cause Totato’s Chosen? We already wrote that note.”

Totato flashes like a disco lantern. The crowd erupts.

Someone yells, “DROP THE LUTE!”

Viridan wilts under the pressure. “Fine! But this isn’t over!”

He flips his cloak, trips over a beet crate, and dramatically exits to scattered sympathy claps.

Astrid hands Gareth a celebratory mug.

> “You’re insufferable. And I’m impressed.”

Gareth grins, breathless.

> “Totato believes in me. That’s all I need.”

Totato spins in the air and releases a satisfied sparkle-fart.

[evanescentjasmine]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @shinyopals nearly half a year ago and promptly forgot about it oh my GOD, what is the passage of time, anyway I'm procrastinating on work and remembered it again so here we are

1. how many works do you have on Ao3?

ten

2. what’s your total Ao3 word count?

248,255

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Currently? Pathologic and probably soon Tian Guan Ci Fu/Heaven Official's Blessing. Mmmmmaybe Wushuang/Peerless, depending on how one plot bunny resolves itself in my brain. Previously? The Magnus Archives (which, who knows, I still have wips in the folder I might circle back 'round to one day), and in the olden days there was Code Geass and The Fandom That Must Not Be Named

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

this, alone (TMA, gen, M for graphic depictions of Martin finding his alt universe self wormed by Prentiss and burying him in the Lonely)

runaway scars (TMA, gen, M) These two belong to a series that I have...tbh not finished, but I think can still stand together even without the conclusion. It's about Martin dimension-hopping from the apocalypse into another world to warn the Archives gang, only to discover his Jon had locked him here and so takes the role of the recently-wormed Martin of this dimension while he figures things out. Featuring: a very Beholding Sasha James, and fun times with our good friend Gerry Keay.

another turn of the page (TMA, gen, T) - this one baffles me, considering I wrote it in an evening and threw it up on ao3 with minimal edits. It's built on an existing tma statement though so I guess there's that? AU wherein Jon is a mysterious recurring figure in statements.

genius loci (pathologic, burakhovsky, M) - Patho daemon au, my beloved!

salvage (pathologic, background burakhovsky, M) - Wherein Daniil Dankovsky is aware of the game's time mechanics and savescumming to try and get a good ending. May or may not be inspired by my own perfectionistic tendencies when playing this game.

5. do you respond to comments?

I try to! Some I miss, and if someone comments on every chapter in a binge (which I love! please keep doing this!) I might not respond to every single one, but I try my best to respond to them all, and be sure I read them all either way.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

So uh...hi, I'm jas and I'm an angst gremlin. It's...kind of my thing.

If I had to choose, I'd say there is no escape, my TMA with the trappings of Hades AU wherein Jon takes on powers from the various fears to try and escape the Archives, if only because...well, the title says it. But youth dipped in folly, my GerryOliver AU, might be a close contender. The number of pained, wailing comments I've seen on it delights me.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh maybe this, alone? If only because it ends on a hopeful "we're together and no one died this time! and maybe we'll beat the bad guy!" note.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully, no.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nothing that I've shared publicly, no. Writing good smut is a skill I do not yet possess. Also I forget sex is a thing half the time so it genuinely often doesn't occur to me.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

OH BOY DO I.

I like to write crossovers where the characters from one media are in the world/plot/trappings of another, as opposed to the characters from two properties meeting, and pretty much whatever I read/play while in a hyperfixation will probably result in a crossover, at least in my brain.

Published, I only have a TMA Hades fic and TMA Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell fic, and of the two, the former is definitely weirder. In my drafts, I also have:

TMA Doctor Who AU (Gertrude regenerates into Jon while Tim and Martin are attempting to help the Archivist escape Elias' clutches)

Pathologic Dishonored AU (Artemy is gifted strange powers by the Outsider, who just looks like a capital dandy in a snakeskin coat, weird for a supposedly evil figure)

Pathologic Disco Elysium AU (ngl unlikely to finish this, because this is more a fun exercise than something that has a plot, for me, but the snakeskin coat instead of the ugly necktie is very fun)

Pathologic Fear & Hunger Termina AU (Artemy, Daniil, and the Utopians and Apple Basket Gang and Yulia arriving on the same train and forced into a battle royale. Fascinating and brutal. NEED to finish it one of these days)

Pathologic Thaumaturge AU (because I'm currently playing Thaumaturge and, look, they gave me a magical system that has implications on who a character is and fucks up everyone around them if misused and and expected me to not drag it into other fandoms? because good god Daniil needs the Audacity Flaw SO bad, SO BAD)

TGCF sort of Scum Villain AU (and I say sort of because it's more a transmigration au, but it takes many trappings and flavouings from SVSSS. There is also, technically, three of this, because I couldn't decide who should be the transmigrator between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng and promptly ended up with an AU where it's Xie Lian, an AU where it's Hua Cheng, and an AU where it's both of them. Save me from myself)

Wushuang/Peerless TGCF AU (because if anyone deserves to be a Ghost King it's Cui "Fuck you I'm not going" Buqu, and Feng Xiao NEEDS to be a martial god of the sort that beats up his followers if his statues aren't pretty enough)

Oh, and I guess daemon aus count as crossovers? Technically? Since they belong to the His Dark Materials universe. I tend to think of them as a separate fanfic trope at this point though, esp when I often disregard HDM worldbuilding entirely, but just in case: there's my Patho daemon AU and also a TGCF daemon AU in the works.

11. has any of your work been stolen?

Not fic, not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

If it has, do tell me! But nope, not that I know of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not a completed one yet. There have been a few attempts with friends that fell through for various reasons of time, energy, spoons, losing interest in the fandom, etc, but it's always been a blast and I'd really love to do it again! I love co-writing and co-creating. I've spent many many years in forum roleplaying spaces and collaborative creation is a thing I actively miss. Writing's pretty solitary otherwise. Plus, it's fun to see your smart talented friends flex their smarts and talents and see how their brains work!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I have to mirror shinyopals here and say, whatever my OTP is at the time. Burakhovsky from Pathologic certainly have me by the throat for the many myriad ways their relationship can go, from bitter rivals a la Changeling route to 'you're the only one who understands the depth of this trauma' as I tend to write. I also just love a narrative foil, god.

But there's also Hualian from TGCF! 800 years of devotion, holy shit! The sheer intensity of them!

And also the hilarity of FengCui from Wushuang/Peerless as a bitch4bitch, will never admit feelings on the pain of death pairing is hard to beat.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

-stares into the abyss that is my wip folder- How long you got?

I am, due to work writing and also just brain nonsense, an unfortunately very slow writer, made even more unfortunate by the fact I tend towards big ideas and adore turning points in a narrative and what ifs. Realistically this means that unless it's one of the first fics I do in a fandom, and unless a fic contains itself to less than 10k words, a wip is very unlikely to be finished.

I'm trying to get ahead of this by not posting most of my wips until they're closer to done but, considering how much I will edit and fix and tinker, I'm tempted to just yeet things sometimes and hope the Pressure will get some writing out of me. Or maybe I'll learn how to write short again! Who knows!

But, uh, short answer: all of them.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm pretty good at character, at keeping them in-character and in line with their canon selves. I'm also told I'm apparently good at humor and my writing voice can be funny, which is, I suppose, how people can tolerate the angsty angsty shit that comes with it.

I also tend towards pretty clean first drafts!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

d e s c r i p t o n s and, as a result, physical blocking!

I can't visualise very well? Usually characters exist in a formless void for me, so I have to figure out visual details by logicking it out or deciding what seems fitting for the scene. But things that require physicality, like fight scenes or sex scenes, god, just...hate them. Hate hate.

Also, first drafts. I may write clean, but it's a struggle every moment and often includes a lot of back-tracking as I'm writing or redoing altogether. This may or may not be why they're clean.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't tend to do it myself. Like it's fine if a writer does, but I see no need to include entire lines of dialogue in another language personally. If the PoV character understands it, then inserting something the reader might not, or needs a footnote to understand, breaks the flow, imo. If the point is that the PoV character can't understand it, that's fair, but I'd still almost always rather just say "the other characters carried on with a conversation PoV Character couldn't understand," or something even if the other language is one I speak and am confident in myself.

This only goes for full lines of dialogue, though, as opposed to things like titles or place names or concepts that would be awkward or weird to translate.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Fandom That Must Not Be Named. I was ten years old and just came off bingeing Prisoner of Azkaban. Thinking back on it, even that first fic had a tragic, angsty end lmfao

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Do not make me choose between my babies this way, how dare.

...that said, I'm really proud of salvage. It's one of those fics where I could feel myself levellng up a bit as I wrote, description-wise and just atmosphere-wise. Unsurprisingly, it's also a very difficult fic to write, which why updates have been so slow.

I'm also proud of how youth dipped in folly came out, considering I needed to gut it and rebuild it entirely in the second draft. I like the urban fantasy magical worldbuilding it has a lot, what with Gerry Keay essentially being an urban fantasy protagonist in the background of a horror podcast.

and as for favourite for sheer vibes, I think my unnamed unposted Hong-er never fell au that I'm currently working on is filling that role, because I fucking love writing in second person, it's so fun.

phew okay I think that's everything. tagging @kneesntoess and @smallhorizons (two in one day I know I'm sorry) and also @inkpot-demigod (yes this is revenge, I am not sorry), and whoever would like to give this a go!

[melodaia]

my thoughts on episode 13

[orieriee]

Going on a date with one piece men + their wardrobe!

Author's note: it has been a long time since I posted but I have these random date hcs I like to imagine from time to time for a thousand notes/reblogs special! Thank you liking and supporting my work! Also sorry for the cringey outfit edits, it's for visual purposes only.

Pairings! Ace, Zoro, Sabo, Law x GN! Reader. Fluff.

Portgas D. Ace:

Probably wears an old white T-shirt, an outer (specifically yellow for this one) so that when you're cold he could give that to you, and jeans with a pair of old sneakers.

He doesn't own that many sets of outfit but he's giving me very chill but extroverted, casual skater boy vibes. (And yes, I headcanon he does actually skate)

Spring is the season of love so it is spring every day with Ace. Man is a clingy golden retriever boyfriend

It's a good day today so he's taking you to the nearby park to feed the swans and the geese! His favorite part of the date is getting to hold your hand ofc!

Don't forget the picnic basket, he has been planning on going picnic with you in his favorite park for WEEKS

He didn't cook the meals because of how clumsy he was in the kitchen but still wanted to help so behold his messy strawberry jam sandwiches

Wipes the corner of your mouth because there's some strawberry jam and then eats it

Or better, you're wiping the corner of his mouth but instead of wiping it with a hand/handkerchief, you kissed the corner of his mouth, tasting the strawberry jam

Ace would be so flustered and turns as red as the fresh strawberry jam

Tries to kiss you back on the cheek but missed because you move to lay on your back

Still flustered but joins you anyway, spending quality time staring at the pink and orange-yellowy sky

Oh look! The swans!

Roronoa Zoro:

Tbh, his closet's color palette is a mess but there's definitely green. He usually wears sport jackets with nothing underneath but sometimes he does wear sweater underneath when it's cold

Loves to collect sport shoes so you know how he is, sport is his passion on this one. Or should I say fashion? Get it? Passion and fashion? Nevermind.

Let's you wear whatever you want, feel free to borrow his clothes

The chill but protective boyfriend

You wanted to go to the skating rink but since he's terribly bad at it and doesn't want you to see him make a mess out of himself, he's taking you to the bowling alley instead!

He's not bad in bowling but he's also not that good either. It all depends on his throwing skills... But mostly luck he says

Wear your sportwears, something a bit tight. That'll get him distracted for sure. Although he tries to be respectful.

But when someone decided to do the same (aka, staring), he'll make sure the other person does not anymore by shooting death glares and sending them threat*ning aura

"What's up, babe?" you took the bowling ball from his hands while he's looking to the other person

"Nothing. Just some creeps." he said as he's tying his jacket around your waist, covering your bottom

He says that he's sorry for bringing you to the bowling alley, saying that he should've bring you to another place for the date so that you can be more comfortable

Honestly a gentleman behavior

Sabo & Law under the cut!

Sabo:

Definitely academia aesthetic. He likes shirts, with the collar and all. Also coats. The colors may vary but an outfit put together has to be from the same palette so it looks more neat and, well, put together🤷‍♀️

Actually collects hats but only wear them on special occasions

He may seem like a funny and chill going guy but behind your back, he's kinda possessive

Like, if you're talking to another person (where the other person shows interest in you but you're just trying to be friendly), he'll appear behind your back quietly and shoot threatening glare + smile to the person in front of you

Speaking of him appearing, he promised you to go on a full planned out date so the first thing he did was taking you for lunch at a cozy cafe that belongs to one of his friends!

He kept asking whether you find the food delicious or not and making sure to take notes on what you like and don't like so that when you two decide to come back here again, he'll order it for you

After the delicious lunch, he's taking you to the cinema to watch his/your favorite movie! He likes documentary types of movie and a bit of sci-fi and historical. You'll see him geek out about it after the movie. It is even better if he gets to geek out with you

But if you don't like these types of movie, he'll pick your favorite to watch and eventually learn to like it and geek about it with you

Exiting the cinema while holding hands, both of you walk down a few blocks to the amusement park

The highlight part of the date was enjoying the sunset from the top of the ferris wheel

Usually you two have deep talks, sharing about each other's day or confessing love to one another while the sky's the color of cotton candy

Who knows, maybe you two might share a kiss or two in the ferris wheel ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Trafalgar Law:

Mostly black aesthetic with a touch of silver or gold. He likes turtlenecks, coats, and long sleeves. Sometimes he wears glasses to read but not usually. Also belt is a must.

Sometimes wear something grey or navy. Own some colors but never too bright

This man might appear cold on the outside, but the type to immediately melts the moment he's with his spouse--No, not the mushy type but you can definitely feel the temperature difference ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (get it?)

Law is actually very protective if he really finds the right person, so if you are one for him, you'll soon find him and yourself having a heart-warming conversation about your future house and how many cats/dogs you would want to have

So he's taking you for a ride to see the beautiful estate with gorgeous mountain/sea views

But before that, he's stopping by at a bookstore to pick up some new books to read, his house has a corner dedicated to his medical books as well as some sora;warrior of the sea comics hidden in the shelf

The bookstore has a cafe nearby so both of you warm up with some coffee before heading to the estate

The estate is a little far from here since it's a countryside estate, but the views are amazing so both of you figured that buying a house there would be nice

And Law's driving skills, oh gosh, imagine his one of his tattoed arms on the steering wheel while the other grabbing the persneling-- sorry I have a thing for Law's smexy arms ✋😔

Arriving there, you two talked with the estate agent before they're taking you to one of the houses to see the interior

The house itself is pretty big, with the backyard immediately faces the sea views with mountains surrounding the area. Law's already thinking about living the rest of his life here with you if you don't mind, he's quietly having butterflies in his stomach

Man who plans ahead with you in their future >>> 😩

[therentyoupay]

Hi, I was just wondering if technical difficulties is abandoned?

I hope you’re doing well!

*drops in after 5 years and 4 months with a technical difficulties chapter update*

*disappears*

cover art made by @angel-gidget ♡

03/08/23. HELLO, HELLO, HELLO, ALL, LONG LONG LONG TIME, NO SEE. ♡ Can you believe it? When I first published this story (first to tumblr, then to ao3), I had just moved to Japan! When I posted ch. 7, I was still living in Japan, and would stay there for another 7ish months... and in the 5 years and 4 months since posting the last chapter, I have moved to three different cities in the United States and started a Ph.D. program. (I am currently halfway through my PhD program!!!!!) What a wild ride. Also, we lived through the pandemic?! And I bought a house! Over the summer! The market was vicious.

So, then how did I get the inspiration/time/energy/motivation to write Ch. 8, you ask? Marvelous question. I lied down in bed last night to go to sleep "early" and ended up reading an utterly hilarious play-by-play commentary on Bad Books, Good Times of a popular fantasy novel series—and I'm not quite sure what it was about "poorly written books explained by hilariously clever book lovers" but I suddenly had a craving for fanfiction, so I opened up my Books app on my phone, and my eyes fell upon a sudden recommendation for my downloaded copy of technical difficulties. And I thought, "Am I suddenly and weirdly in the mood to jot down some notes to start Ch. 7 right now? By golly, I think I am."

4.5 hours later, I'd written the whole damn thing from scratch on my phone in my Notes app. (Messily! Half-assed! But I wrote all of it down!) I then spent another 6.5 hours today filling in the gaps and "editing." This chapter (and the one that will follow it) has been in my head for more than half a decade, but I just haven't had the space to get it out until now!!

I think one of the most beautiful parts of getting a PhD is how completely it blows your perfectionism tendencies utterly to bits, and one of the really interesting byproducts that has come up in my acdemic writing is just how quickly I can crank out decent-enough writing (skill-building!!). In my case, I think so much of it has to do with just being able to word vomit fairly well while not trying to fix anything until the whole damn thing is basically done. So, I applied that knowledge here! Behold!

This isn't to say that I'll be writing the final chapter anytime soon—I may be on spring break right now and may have had a stroke of Writing Inspiration in the Wild™ last night, but I'm still finishing my last semester of classes and learning advanced Python and working on my milestone paper for my doctoral program and preparing to present at my next conference in June and preparing my proposal for my dissertation next fall. BUT! The important thing is that I will post the last chapter of this story (and all my other stories)! Eventually!! ;)

No BETA for this chapter because I gotta THROW this out onto the internet and get back to coding, so bear with! I may do minor edits for it in the near or distant future. Also, please note that I have not watched any episodes of Miraculous Ladybug after the finale of Season 1, so this fic is very much a ~time capsule~ from the past. If there is any additional lore that might otherwise apply to the plot of this fic, please know that I don't know about it, and I am keeping myself selectively ignorant on all matters of Miraculous Ladybug season 2 and beyond until after I finish this story the way I originally intended. ♡ Woo!

as for, tumblr, sadly, to be honest, I'm never really online anymore! I'll respond to comments here on ao3 ASAP, though. ♡ LOVE YOU ALL, THANK YOU. ♡♡♡

[catgirl-catboy]

I've seen a lot of posts insisting that new users should change from the default icon and why, but never what they should change it to! Sometimes changing your icon feels like a big decision, I get it.

So behold: some ideas for what your tumblr icon could be! (Most of these have little-to-no editing skills needed.)

Your pride flag. Its quick! Its easy! Why not?

Your favorite emoji.

A picture of your pet/a cute animal!

An intentionally bad MSpaint drawing. Maybe of a stick woman with comically large tits if you'd like an example.

Just make it entirely one color. Maybe the color of your top? Idk.

Gollum from Lord of the Rings. He's a funny little guy.

Your favorite FOOD.

A lot of people pick a fictional character to represent them, but that offers far too many choices, you know? Then again, if you have a little guy in mind.

A screenshot from Never Gonna Give You Up. Classic.

Or you can go with your favorite meme template!

And if you try one of my suggestions and decide you hate it, then you can change it later! ^-^

[romancesources]

FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS SERIES, ARCADE GANNON EDITION. (some of these are edited for general use, while some keep their context for the overarching fallout universe. feel free to change them around to suit your needs.)

what? did you expect me to applaud your efforts to support a deranged warlord?

you are bad for helping them. please stop.

if you can find a way to push them out of the picture as well, i think everyone will be better off.

the only way to ensure relative safety and independence for the people here is to prevent others from taking control of the region.

i'll be here. just don't expect me to fend off a gang of super mutants while you're gone.

just as a warning, my covert bandaging skills are a little rusty.

i'm not standing here because i'm overburdened with emotion. take some of this stuff off of me so i can move a little more easily.

hmmm. might need some antidote here.

yep. that's poison.

will the medical wonders of the post-apocalyptic world never cease?

if you could spare any ammunition, that would be really terrific.

it is my medical opinion that that could have gone better.

i could use a syringe of med-x or two... or eight.

back to the tomb, i suppose. If you need me, et cetera.

i'm hardly a whirlwind of death when left to my own devices, but all right.

we are coming for you. run, and we will catch you. hide, and we will find you. no matter what you do, you are all going to die.

fighting's not my strong suit, but i'll see what i can do.

if there's one thing there's no shortage of in the mojave, it's violence.

it would be nice if things could stop tearing each other apart around here.

did someone slip psycho into your water or are you just naturally berserk?

we have enough problems around here!

i thought my charm could win you over, but i guess it wasn't meant to be. are you sure you want me to go?

you have quite the menagerie at your disposal.

i'm just saying that if it were to fall into a lake and be irreparably damaged... and if you threw an emp grenade in after it...

well, there are worse things happening in the world, right?

thanks for asking. i appreciate it, i do.

back in your good graces again? i knew you'd see the light.

i'm really very boring. you'd get better stories out of a junkie.

i don't want to be... alarmist or anything, but maybe you should ditch that thing.

okay. don't have to make a decision now. just... sleep on it or something.

i guess they don't make 'em like they used to.

physician, heal thyself... guess it's a good thing they invented stims.

i don't think you need to worry about the specifics. basically, expect a lot of firepower and dead bodies.

let's just say it's truly a sight to behold.

it's the least i could do. all i ask is that you put it to good use.

i may not be the one to help stop him here, but you are.

fortis fortuna adiuvat. good luck, and good bye.

i'd rather they have it than allow all that knowledge to disappear.

i'd just prefer that it goes to an organization who are less likely to use it for... violent purposes.

that's a grim deal to make.

not all sacrifices are made by the willing.

but where is the lamb for this burnt offering?

that was their decision to make, not yours.

there are other ways to punish people, other ways to condemn their actions.

what we always do. whatever we can.

i was an only child and spent most of my time with my mother.

my father died when i was young and i never got over it.

oh... and i like medicine and reading books about failed socioeconomic policies.

right now, i'm sure you're asking yourself, 'why hasn't some lucky man scooped this bachelor off his feet?' like i said, i'm very boring.

some people do. i just... don't.

look, i appreciate that you're trying to be friendly, but i'd just rather not discuss it.

why do they need more power?

hmm. that's a valid point.

i'm not really behind them in all of this, but the last thing i want is panic in the streets.

i'm thinking that i'm leaving because you are a sociopath. good riddance.

what's changed since then?

there's something i need to go do, but i'll catch up with you later. thanks again for your help with the others. it means a lot to me.

you can't hold onto a past you've never had.

what's the point of surviving the war?

no way are they getting away with this. i'm not letting it happen. you're not letting it happen.

they abdicate responsibility to a myth of historical inevitability.

i suppose you're right. when you're part of something for that long, maybe it's impossible to let go without losing part of yourself.

i'll always feel like something is missing from my life.

not everyone dreams of being a revolutionary, i suppose. maybe we can't all change the world.

maybe it's enough just to do good for the short time that we're here.

it seems presumptuous of me to think that i could join the fight, even if this is a cause worth fighting for.

if you lose your humanity, then i suppose that is all that's left.

victrix causa deis placuit sed victa catoni.

in the words of socrates, 'go fornicate yourself.'

okay. i just wanted you to confirm that i'm traveling in the company of an insane fascist. thanks.

the people who live here don't deserve to be victims of your misguided attempts at political engineering. or are they just collateral damage?

great! you're either unimaginably cruel or profoundly insane!

i hope you get everything that's coming to you.

all i know is that you are a bad person and i don't want to be around you anymore.

because everyone would be conscripted or enslaved. and the people who are unfit for military service or slavery would be put down.

overt flirtation will get you everywhere, you know.

caveat samaritanus.

oh, you know. finding alternative treatments for common illnesses and injuries.

there are worse things one can be, though i do admit, it is a bit boring.

don't mind me. i'm just voicing my thoughts so they don't burrow out of my skull in a fit of abject despondency.

i'm enthusiastic about helping people, but nihil novi sub sole.

but the side effect of medical success is that more people live longer. funny how that works.

cuts, lacerations, broken bones. infections resulting from all of the above. common cold, influenza. take your pick.

there are plenty of ways to die out here, and most of them, surprisingly, don't have anything to do with war. just common human fragility.

no offense intended, but why should i go anywhere with you?

short of canceling our imminent travel plans, that's the best thing you could have said.

no disrespect intended, but you aren't the first person to dream up the idea.

i can't say i understand your obsession, but for that i suppose i'd have to spend a night in your grave.

i'm here because of you, so i figure you're the one most deserving of it.

why don't you make like odysseus and get lost?

for as lack of adornment is said to become some women, so will this place, without your presence, bring delight.

interesting way of handling things. very sub rosa.

it's hard to find justice in all of this, but i suppose this is as close as it gets.

i'd like to assume that we're tiptoeing into the mouth of hell out of academic curiosity, but i'm not so open-minded that i've lost my brains.

i'm no botanist, but i think this may not be entirely natural.

it's a shame what happened up here. i understand arguments about the 'fog of war,' but that can't be much consolation to the survivors.

i'm not exactly a mercenary, but taking out scumbags of this magnitude wouldn't cause me to lose any sleep.

what a load of brahmin shit! can you believe that guy?

[lorkynn]

Pathfinder 2e vs. Dungeons & Dragons 5e

And why I switched to PF2e from D&D5e.

In all honesty, I wasn’t sure if this blog-post was ever gonna happen. I was sure if I was gonna put on my main blog or my side blog, Mindelves. I feel like it should go here because I am probably not gonna use my main blog for its original purpose anymore. Though I’ve rambled long enough, time to actually get to the meat-and-potatoes--or rather the pen-and-paper--of this blog.

I was an early adopter of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (D&D5e), because I was not happy with the state of Pathfinder 1e. It was just too bloated and the power creep was pretty much identical to the issues with D&D3/3.5. My other issues with pf1e was it was way too easy to get locked into a dead build that was no longer fun to play because it wasn’t optimal. D&D5e offered a fresh take on the zeitgeist of the Dungeon Crawling Fantasy that Dungeons & Dragons popularized.

In the beginning, before the adoption of it in pop-culture, the game was fun and it honestly shook things up like they needed to be. Skills were simplified into proficiency bonuses and this worked extremely well. Spellcaster Cantrips were made into at-will abilities, identical to how they worked in Pathfinder 1e, and the classes + archetype design worked well. Outside of these changes, they made pretty safe choices and didn’t rock the boat much.

Early on, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) was focusing heavily on Modules instead of expanding on character choices. Which was good in the beginning, but it slowly caught up to them. Now, the biggest issue is that WotC is too busy listening their Shareholders and the Beholder/Mindflayer know as Social Media & Twitter. The game isn’t fun, the adventure paths make you’re rushing through to get to the “good parts” of the adventures. They’re also too scared to do anything that might upset the Twitter Gods, so they back-peddle on every decisions that gets the tiniest push back. To add insult to injury, the last few releases, weren’t just bad, they constantly contradict themselves in the same book. Success through Pop Culture really ruined the system.

As for Pathfinder 2e(PF2e), I wasn’t impressed with at first. Every review that I had seen of it painted the picture of it being different for different’s sake. I wanted nothing to do with that mindset. The irony is, PF2e saw that the D&D3.75 just wasn’t working anymore and they really needed to do their own thing. They changed Races into Ancestries & Heritages. There is no longer the standard action economy, and we now have the Three-Action Economy, and I tell you what, it makes it hard going back to older/other systems. It just works, and it makes you think far more tactically and strategically.

Classes are highly customizable. In the beginning the customization was an issue because it was very easy for all the classes to repeat builds because there wasn’t much options. Now, Paizo has two-years under the belt with pf2e and it shows. The have released multiple Adventure Paths and the Lost Omens books. This has given PF2e the much needed injection of options that the original release just didn’t have. Paizo themselves are doing a great job listening to their community instead of the people that don’t actually play their game, and it shows in their products.

Sadly, I haven’t ran a custom campaign or I would speak of that full here.

My friends and I have been playing PF2e with Foundry through Forge, and I gotta say, using virtual tabletop(VTT) definitely makes a lot of the tedious stuff easier to swallow. Normally I hate keeping track of weight and ammo, but because the VTT does all this for you automatically as you play, it makes for a much smoother and enjoyable experience.

Will I ever go back to D&D5e after having played PF2e? Probably not. The changes that the Three-Action-Economy does too much good for the game for me to even think about trying to old Action-Economy anymore. If you have the time to try it, I recommend giving Pathfinder 2e a try, especially since all the rules are up for free through Archives of Nethys. WotC are now trying to charge you a subscription service, and they still refuse to produce PDFs of their books. The next version of D&D, One D&D, is already looking like a train-wreck that is only there please shareholders and the twitter zeitgeist.

[boowoomuu]

Behold my really bad editing skills!

[prof-peach]

If you could cross over two of your favorite games, which would you choose? Please explain, why that crossover would be a good match.

Oh you’re going to regret asking this one, I’m bout to GET SERIOUS.

So Pokemon, obvs, I love the whole world it’s built in, but the games imo are REALLY boring, I haven’t enjoyed one a lot since gale of darkness, the main ones just are a little too linear obvious plots, pretty standard setups for story and style. Speaking of style, the games lack personality, the models aren’t animated well, moves have no dynamic energy or visual difference at times, and the turn based battle style just feels kind of, I don’t know, old? Slow? Just doesn’t suit what I enjoy personally, gives me a FInal Fantasy vibe and I just cannot stand the speed at which things happen in those games, plus not into 3rd person ‘let’s build a team of people’ much, but that’s a problem for another time. With this all in mind, the game I wish would happen is like gen20 Pokemon, far future sadly, I doubt I’d see it in my lifetime but god I’d be happy if I did!

Ok so take the newest Zelda graphics, the visual treat that was BOTW, open world, puzzles, not JUST combat, you got side missions, hunt the chickens, find missing pets, parcels, items, whatever. Love it! The horse taming?! Amazing you funky little game. Now take the bad guys and beasts from that. And put Pokemon in instead. Give them the diversity, the life and believable natures that BOTW gave the animals, I followed a frog in BOTW for 15 minutes, and it was a great experience, it felt like it was believable. Above world spawning, ACTUAL difficult gameplay, rare spawn rates, make dragons hard to get again, cmon, it’s too easy now, make it so we need a certain set of Pokemon for certain tasks. Water types big enough to carry you will be able to get you to new areas, rock types that can help you climb mountains faster, or break through blocking boulders. Actual towns with more than 4 houses in them, shops, barns, farms, homes. Like little link with the heat, maybe ice types would struggle in volcano areas, or bug Pokemon not be so comfortable in gale force winds. Give the weather more of an effect on your partners. Mounts, don’t even get me started that Pokemon Let’s go had you able to ride any of the larger species, but swsh did not???? Bitch please, give me my rideable Pokemon. The wild area too was far too closed, limited, online was laggy and a mess, camping is limited, let me do more with my team. Pokemon for me is all about the actual creatures, how they live with humans, and the many wonderful things they’re capable of. Yes of course it’s cool they can fight, but like what else you know?

I’d love a game that lets me buy a plot of land, maybe plant things, custom build things. I’m a sucker for the fallout4 settlement builds when they’re modded to hell and back, they’re fun! It can be a really calm and creative process. If I could do that and skip the main campaign and all the battles for a bit? Amazing, it sound perfect for me. I am that distracted hoe collecting flowers while the kingdom burns in the background. Side quests are everything to me. Let me give homeless people enough money to get them in a home? Let me adopt Pokemon that are stray around the town? Plz oh plz bring me a Pokemon game that allows me to work WITH my team to do more than KO other species. I want to save and buy a plow for my buddy gogoat, and grow amazing foods to sell to get currency to spend in decorations, to spoil my team. Give me actual game consequence, if I ignore that sick and injured Pokemon I find in the wild, later maybe it’s family don’t want to help me out with a different problem, too stricken from grief. I am all about the average bits, the old women who need help, the lost pets board in town, the general day to day stuff. Let me get cosmetic items for the Pokemon I keep, cute outfits, special gemstone items, let me actually live with them, or even feel remotely like they’re realistic.

Ok so in game, if it’s looking like BOTW it’s pretty beautiful but also stylised, I’d have it so you can send out a maximum of 3 Pokemon from your 6, using bumpers and such to throw them out. If you hit the trigger you switch from controlling the human trainer, to the Pokemon you’ve targeted with a standard lock on targeting system. You then can be the leader, but be the Pokemon. You could technically defeat the game without a human if you wanted, which incorporates the mystery dungeon games I think, and caters to that crowd. I’d love to see the use of attacks out of battle, things like using water gun to grow plants, using ember to start a campfire faster and stave off the cold. There’s no consequence to Pokemon anymore, and I think that’s where it’s lost me. I have to admit I miss the days of a poisoned pokemon fainting if you don’t heal them soon enough, I miss gym battles that were actually tough, damn, try picking charmander in red and beating brock without grinding in viridian forest first, it’s not easy. And I loved that. Yes it’s a child’s game, it will never be difficult again, but god it’d be nice to have a bit of a challenge, or maybe a difficulty setting, so some could play it with hostility turned off, great for kids, or you can be n adult like I know so many Pokemon fans are, and play it on expert mode and ACTUALLY have to work hard to beat the game. Alternate skill trees anyone? Train gun a fire type to ACUTALLy combat water moves?? Please! Cmon! It frustrated me that every challenger has pretty much a systematic set of moves to use to win. Grass opponent? Fire attack spam until you win. It’s dull, so at least with very difficult tricks to either find or learn in game would make it more achievable if you can send that fire type in and I don’t know, train them so much the heat evaporates the water mid-battle and you suddenly have a shot at winning. Pokemon has taught me that if you work hard enough you can achieve something, but the games just have such strict ways to win. Feels wrong.

In terms of battling, let us BE the Pokemon, let us learn to dodge, train our speed, train our defence, make a team of truly tough Pokemon instead of just, average? Some species have a cap on their skills, a squirtle has lower stat points than a Charizard, but you can’t ever change that? Let me choose the Pokemon I believe in, and let me work with them until they’re just as good, if not better than the game tanks. This would also make online battles more interesting. Everyone picks the top trio. Fairy, dragon, legendaries. And yknow what? It’s boring. That one IRL fight with the monster Pacharisu that won in the world tournament with follow me and the situs Berry? Unbelievable, I love that little rat so much because of this, so let us all have a chance to build a team that’s strategically viable, strong, and potentially a winner formula, even if they aren’t fully evolved, or the biggest Pokemon in the world. Yeah maybe you have to grind way harder with your unevolved Pokemon, but you get to the end game and win, because you put love and time into species that you enjoy, not just good fighters.

Unfortunately I am beholdent to Todd-idiot-Howard, and I love the Eldrescrolls and fallout games (before they got dumb, not that I don’t play the new ones. 76 I’m looking at you, you big asshole game.) honestly I hate online games, so none of that junk, just a good old fashioned open world sandbox game is plenty. Games for me are an escape from others, not an invitation to socialise. To each their own of course, and I do play online games sometimes, just pretty short lived ones, over watch and rdr2 for example. Would they be sometimes better on private servers? Yes of course, fallout76? Want to play with others? No. I do not. Please leave me alone. And if you buy a private server you’re feeding the monster that is Todd Howard, the man the myth the asshole, then we’ll get more bad games like 76. I just so desperately want the Pokemon company to see what a beautiful potential game they’ve got on their hands, that could be suitable for far greater audiences, but instead they’ve focused on the kids. It’s fine, it’s functional, but it’s lost to the fans from day 1, that are all 20+ years old now and want something meatier to play, something far more broad and inclusive. I also hate that there’s no wheelchair option in any Pokemon game. Like cmon, it’s not hard to include that.

In short, BOTW + Pokemon, with a sprinkle of open world sandbox to it, less fighting, more fun. Or, at least both options. Sure, go fight everything, great, but I want to farm carrots over here with 6sunflora, plz let me have some peace.

Edit: I forgot about harvest moon, chuck some of that in there too.

SECOND EDIT: someone in the comments mentioned to put this in Unova? Plz love yourselves, this game would be ALL MAPS. Stuff one singular location, this is the ideal game, put every map in it, join them, put islands in, make them more explorable, more detailed!