#Halo: Legacy Collection

[tieflingsfingers]

Exquisite Corpse

Exquisite Corpse: (noun) a game and/or method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled

(Character exploration and scene rewrite.)

Word Count: 4737

Pairing: Astarion x Tav (oc, half-drow bard, Thomasin.)

Summary: Rewrite of the first bite scene, fleshing out my character lore and diving more into a character study of Astarion in the moment. I always imagined it as two elves fumbling and bumbling mostly. (3 drafts and about a month of writing in my spare time.)

Warnings: Adjacent to horror/angst/humor/the seed planting of fluff. Vague mentions of abuse/trauma/whiskey. Two scrappy folks trying to not 1v1 each other and play nice. Wyll is the only adjusted one here.

Far into the depth of Faerun, lived proof of a forbidden courtship blossomed. Proof sprouting from its bud. The birth of an honest lovechild. An infant whose cheeks were pink and supple. Raspberries stained flesh, always grown on the same acre of farmland. The same acre as her mother and her mother before her. A lineage built feminine yet sturdy. 

The child was of half-drow descent, bathed by light not afforded to her father. Her mother would daydream about teaching her to braid her hair and tend crops. They’d one day read books about traveling lands beyond even her own comprehension. Tangible blessings. 

From the half-elf's first moments, she was adorned with a ribbon of pink undertones. Settled beneath her flesh, risen with every laugh the infant mirrored. Her mother would imprint her love with a nestle. Skin that was decorated by a labor of love. Sunkissed, speckled, and pressed against her child’s cheek.

"There’s so much to see in every plane, Thomasin,” her mother whispered.

The legacy of Thomasin’s father seemed to get swept away into the Underdark. Far off tales. His complexion was described as deepened in silver tints. A tall gentleman who wore a gentle expression. One whose light was never fostered. Yet, he still knew where the light resided. Ideas and vagaries never to be spoken aloud.

 It merely settled in his chest. Muddled and confusing to define, but important enough to carry over the years. Memories of his presence were left like breadcrumbs. Morsels that only found themselves within letters and anecdotal praise of her childhood. Memories that tried their best to not be muddied. To not be tainted. These weren’t documentations of Drow pillaging and contemporary misinformation. He was folklore she'd grow to cherish.

Now Thomasin marched on her own, keeping the tale ever-expanding. Adventures on the topsoil her mother birthed her upon. Proven as fruitful as they were merciless.

Tucked away under a thick quilt slept Thomasin, lifetimes away from her original roots. Dark hair sprawled around her head like a halo. Strands entwined and unfurled from restless slumber in the throes of her tent. Her mind clung to the background noise of new acquaintances. Their words mingled amongst one another, recounting anecdotes or playful jabs. Wine often was the foundation of dinner. Even without hearty meals, they bonded over the fire and warmth in their bellies. Each crackling pop of its flames became a countdown to silence.

Her body rest. Every night, flames eventually simmered down to a flicker. One by one, newfound companions retired to their sleeping mats, lulled by the alcohol slumped in their core. Only the light shuffling of whoever had been appointed lookout would be left. And so, under the awning of an old oak tree, she drifted back into what sleep she could muster. 

Within her confines, limbs wrapped themselves into the fetal position. Forty-fives years of age and her hands had documented such. Rings adorned each of her fingers, clanking against one another, twisting round and round like the rings of a tree. Encrusted gems wore generous scuffs and gold-plated metals revealed their true lacking luster. Prized as ever, nonetheless.

Her frame was worn but strong. Travel brought forth steady inclines, grassy hills, and whatever could be foraged from the land before her. She’d decorate herself with curated fashion tastes, pigments, scars from unfortunate scraps. Hips wide when the seasons were plentiful and a posture curated over decades of structure. When the journey grew tedious, laborious for the soul, there was comfort in her nest. 

Her satchel had a thick leather exterior, propping itself up like a presence of its own. 

Inside were only the essentials: 

A tiny stoneware bowl, gifted from past friends. Scarves made of fine stolen silk, whose weave snagged from nature’s long undeniable embrace. Books with split bindings lovingly re-bound by hand. Meticulous and maintained, threaded bundles of pages becoming whole once more. They bore anthologies of tales from the mouths of Faerun and guides to the edible flora in untamed territory.

Tchotchkes and tucked away keepsakes. Bottled liquids and lotions, floral and earthy scents slipping past cork with the faintest aroma. A violin whose strings had been plucked, popped, and rewound more times than she could count. An instrument beaten and babied all in the name of livelihood. Her comforts. Her essentials.

Images of tea times with loved ones and anxious liminal space leaked into her brain. Nighttime often plagued her with contentment and groveling in tandem, but it felt all too mundane these days. What was left would soon be filled with ideas for limericks anyhow. The thought alone found some sort of peace. It stretched itself thin and relaxed her stiffened joints. The glossier the top coat, the more fulfilling her slumber. 

Despite swaddling herself as if curled beside a hearth, awareness of her surroundings rarely faltered. Noises would always harmonize. Rustling leaves. Native berries plucked by the gust. As her mother always said, “We are a guest to nature. The nocturnal world has always lived with us, just as the light does."

Even then she wasn’t prepared. 

The nocturnal had entered her home.

Air began to feel thicker, heavier. The weight of cast shadows had an ever faint density atop her skin. There was no consideration for what or who was lurking. Only survival, a split second to allow her eyes to open and catch a glimpse of the grey and black shadow hovering above her. They darted back and forth to soak in the silhouette whilst her right eye inferred behind its cloudy cornea.

A pit formed deep within her chest. 

Before her was only reassurance of common fears. 

Domineering men and strategic company.

There was no hesitation in her reflexes, however. No need to process anxieties. No time. Muscles tensed, but words fled from her lips in rapid unnatural succession. A spell that slept so readily inside her in case of emergency. Reciting broken Drow language, texts of her youth, and vague horrific promises. The whispers trickled their way from her tongue into a river of flowing smoke. Cryptic, glowing only the faintest blue haze. A haunted melodic had snaked its way into the elven man's skull.

It crept through his ears, igniting any inkling of apprehension into a full blown panic. He gasped. It was only a mere few seconds, but the pressure entangled within his temples. Sharpened ephemeral claws wrapped around his brain's already wrought and battered disposition. The terror swirled until it managed to escape through his tear ducts and ever so slightly agape mouth. 

Into the darkness outside her tent, Astarion stumbled. He flung himself backward, landing square on his palms, disillusioned by sudden backlash.

Thomasin's breathing was ragged. She had managed to scuttle to the mouth of her tent, a small dagger unsheathed from her thigh. It became embedded within her fingers through an unyielding grip. A brilliant strategy if it weren't for the woman's shaking hands. Chips and wear along its metal mumbled its victims' names. One by one, few and far between, until they were inaudible with the next sharpening. The old blade had become a beacon of last resort use.

From the base of her other palm, mellowed light appeared. It bobbed about, rhythmic in its sway, and glinting upon both elves untimely unpolish. Before her, the perpetrator had been illuminated. Astarion was shivering in place, unable to grasp emotion beyond the familiarity of magical cruelty.

He knew he had to simply endure. The clutches of the Weave always dissolved before he did. Luckily, Thomasin had little intent to prolong such anguish. She knew, in this short stretch of vulnerability, she could approach him with caution. Like a writhing animal peeking with curiosity at another writhing beast. Quills plunged their way into the other's side in fright in a sort of comical mercy.

Astarion’s knuckles appeared speckled in shades of purple like a bruised plum. Its exterior had been tumbled and prodded, hitting the ground before it was truly ripe. Stabilizing his breath shone how his posture looked uncomfortable to maintain. His frame ached under the weight of its growing hunger. Worry wore heavy on an aching jaw and his pallid skin tone spoke of unrevealed pangs.

Although a hint of relief seemed to wash over Astarion. Gradual, but all too welcomed, he had begun to melt back into his previous state. His fingers eased from their strain in the dirt as eyes flicked back up to hers. Exhausted predation.

“Gods—shit,” he muttered. “It’s not–”

Words clamored to be set free from Thomasin’s throat, vicious and vitriolic, but adrenaline kept her frozen. Syllables bashed against her teeth, grinding them down until the unbridled anger settled into something meek sneaking from her lips. Uncharacteristically so. 

“Please, don’t do this. Whatever you-Whatever that was about to be,” Thomasin interupted. 

“You don’t have to use that, truly. Honestly. Aren’t blades and gutting a friend on sight a tad passé these days?” His voice cracked. 

Thomasin’s brow furrowed. Almost incredulous. Silence to allow him to consider literally any better defense.

“Perhaps my reputation precedes me, but I promise I wasn’t trying to hurt you. Do you see me as some kind of– oh, I don’t know. Some ne’er-do-well? I’ll admit, I’m a little hurt,” he whispered almost as audibly as his speaking voice. The lilt in his cadence was slithering its way back in. 

Astarion rolled his shoulder, shifting weight to straighten his spine and tend to the impact onto his wrists. His answers were temperate. Collected, if it weren’t for stutters and awkward laughter forcing themselves to the forefront. Every crack would be blanketed by familiar social cues and overcompensating charisma. Thomasin recognized it. There was little left to hide the fatigue he pressed down, as if forcibly pulverized against the weight of an ever-rotating stone wheel. Nothing left but powdered iron and rust. 

“There are few things I have a difficult time wording,” Astarion continued. A breath in and out, perhaps for dramatics. “Nothing awful, terrible, of course. I wouldn’t dare ruin the company we keep. Only those most mild of con–”

She watched as his entire body tensed up once more. Pale elven ears drooped down the moment he caught a glimpse of another in their proximity. Wyll had peeked from his tent in the near distance. He was hunched over and clinging to the slumber he’d been awoken from. Like a concerned mother investigating neighborly spats, too far to piece together what was occurring.

“Is everything alright?” he asked in his own hushed tone.

Astarion laughed. Each chuckle punctuated itself as if to convince his audience of good tidings. His unregulated volume rang even unnatural to him, and he immediately quieted himself. Before he could dig himself deeper into the metaphorical grave, his prey spoke up.

“It’s nothing,” she said, tucking her dagger delicately within her sleeve. “Seems Astarion spooked himself. Spooked me too with all the noise.”

This earned a smile from Wyll. And then a yawn.

“You two need not worry. The forests are just as bustling as the city streets, I can assure you. It’s probably the wind. Wake me and the others if trouble is afoot.”

“Aha, yes. Afoot,” Astarion managed.

Thomasin sighed. For a man that often boasted of suave proclivities, he was doing himself little favors. 

“Of course, don’t let him infringe on the Blade’s beauty sleep. I’ll stay up for a little while until he gets his barings,” she reassured before nodding to the gentle horned man. Enough to quell the situation and bid sweet dreams between the three. 

As the coast was clear, Astarion’s uncertainty made subtle changes upon his face. His ears never fully rose, now unsure what he was dealing with. He found himself thrust into his prey’s tent by the scruff of his shirt collar, white linens now bathed in full bloom of blues and calm violets. The infallible expression of confidence on his lips juxtaposed the cramped corner he pushed himself into. In fact, as her dagger grazed the crook of his neck, he appeared almost enthused.

Thomasin sighed. The closed quarters between them seemed to not intimidate as planned. She recoiled the act just enough to speak genuinely.

“What the fuck were you doing?”

“Alright, darling. Alright, don’t behead me before you’ve even let me have my peace. Sharing is caring, you know, and-” He laid out both of his hands before her, gesturing to his next suggestion as fact. “We know you do secretly care about me.”

Thomasin rolled her eyes. She had moved her position a mere inch before he piped up again, preparing his rebuttal after every previous rebuttal. 

“Fine, fine. You’ve pulled my leg enough. You know- There’s that ghastly sight we saw on our walk earlier in the week. Hog had those curious little wounds on his neck.” The man continued to smile, but his voice betrayed him. It wracked his nerves to say such aloud. “Perhaps… the stories of creatures going bump in the night aren’t entirely as they seem. That-Perhaps… Perhaps! Just maybe, vampire spawn live amongst you just as your peers.”

Astarion watched as her chest jolted with sudden inhalation. This was subdued fear he’d witnessed all too often in his two centuries prowling the night. However, this was different. No masters or gods to tell the elf what to do or how to act. No higher powers to blame as he could always do on script. 

He found himself leaning forward, grasping any form of recovery.

“Thomasin, darling. I am not in this state of being out of my volition. I-I-There are powerful people in Baldur’s Gate, an evil powerful man that I had the luck of being plucked from.” He swallowed hard. Visibly painful yet still attempting to be dignified. “That does not… quench me of my hunger, I’m afraid.”

Despite every part of her intuition pleading her to not give in, she felt her limbs ease. She hadn’t simply forgiven him, but he sat there unguarded. Unprotected in a manner no single person at the campsite had ever observed.  

“So… you feed on animals? That doesn’t explain…”

He averted his eyes. “I won’t be saccharine about all of this. Every day I grow weaker, everyday it gets more and more difficult to fight beside you all and hide such ailments. Color me desperate.”

They both offered the other a weak laugh in near unison, like it was their individual responsibility to squash this heavy reality. Her mirth surprised Astarion though. She had no reason to spare him the quickened death of a dagger through his chest. The obvious answer was self-preservation. He found her hesitance almost more frightening.  

 “Miscommunication is going to kill you before that big bad man does…But, it seems my familiarity with vampirism isn’t riddled with tales of rabid monsters, after all,” she finally said in the midst of silence. Nervousness pinkened her cheeks, but she spoke with quiet, unexpected reassurance. “If I allow you to drink from me, will you feel better?”

His gaze intensified in its confusion. Every fiber of his being had subconsciously prepared itself for another infinite living death. There could be a stake planted deep against his ribcage. Withering starvation in unfamiliar forests. Everything his master had promised would happen upon his escape. The camp could rise up and make a spectacle of it. Why wouldn’t there be theatrics, even in death? It’d amuse everyone he’d left in Baldur’s Gate.

His lashes fluttered as he blinked away all the unholy thoughts. He was as alive as he could be, gathering what was left of his energy to sit up and appear cordial.

“Of course, dear. Not a drop more than what you are willing to give. Only consensual blood between traveling companions. I promise over your dead–my dead– Imagine a much more pleasant metaphor.”

Thomasin had begun to chew at the thin skin of her lip. Whilst her decision making never had the best track record, there was coziness in the unconventional path. Dangers had always felt more perilous than the man sitting before her. And so, she took a deep breath, as if releasing all of those logical worried feelings.

 By the gods, she hoped she wasn’t to regret this. Her parents must’ve been rolling in their assumed graves, surely. If only they could cover their eyes.

“Alright,” she whispered, slipping her blade back into its sheath. She shifted back and pulled her knees closer to her chest. “What should I do?”

Astarion's movements were slow. He'd slink around her to position himself behind, her shoulders encouraged to rest against his chest. The vampire never had the luxury of indulgence. Never an artery so willing and gifted. Centuries of punishment still tugged at his strings though.

  There was never anyone to teach him how this operated. How to properly feed upon a victim. Where to bite, how to ensure preservation, leeching life without the inevitable corpse left in its wake. 

Thomasin hadn't heard him speak a word since she granted him permission. Only his arm wrapping around her waist in support as he brushed aside long strands of hair. They ran down her clavicle, cascading like a curtain to reveal her neck. The mere sight awoke something feral in his brain. Some dying animal careening to its waterhole for sustenance. 

Suppressed enough to keep control. Remain in control. He wasn't uncouth, just thankful for the dim lighting. Gold filling to hide the hairline cracks in his pottery.

"Is this going to hurt badly?" she asked. Her hands found their way to the sleeve pressed against her abdomen. Seconds went by, no answer. Only the visible shift in her muscles as she tensed up. She heard his sharpened inhale.

"No, no, no. Just- Let yourself relax against me. I'll keep you steady."

"Is this good? What if you go on a count? I breathe in and out a few times? You think that'll help?"

His voice grew quiet, hurried yet somewhat consoling. 

“Yes, yes. It's only a pinch. A nick, even. Just…” His words trailed off, finding himself hesitating at the touch of her warm hand on his forearm. 

One, two-- and not another syllable more. 

Puncturing into flesh felt like the hissing of an unkempt fire. Dried kindling snapping and sparking against moisture in the air. She yelped. Muffled by her own bite, screwed tight to keep herself from squirming too hard. The wound in her neck pulsated in a way she'd never experienced, uncomfortable and siphoned. Excitement of the unknown had all but culminated into panic.

Thomsin’s nails dug into his shirt, fingers pawing at the linens and cold embrace. They searched for any semblance of safety. Through the creases and cuffed folds, landing at his wrist and forearm in search of relief. 

Unbeknownst to the half-elf, there was a deep seated desire to keep going. Something in her subconscious she hadn't acknowledged enough to decipher. Whatever it was, she knew she could endure. Using his arms as a brace, every scuffed gem and gold plated scratch made its own codex into his skin. If there was anything left of her, she'd leave a legacy behind somehow. 

Astarion's body writhed against her in pure unbridled instinct. One of his palms pressed up against Thomasin’s jawline to keep her in place, learning how to lead in this macabre dance. Never had the finer tastes in life been in such abundance. Firing up his senses and lighting every vein within him, his thirst quenched for the first time felt like newfound riches. His eyes had nearly glazed over until the sharp pain in his wrist brought him back. Thomasin's composure seemed to be crumbling.

Just as her jewels deepened their imprint, she felt him pause. He had pulled his head back. Only an inch or so. How she caught his attention was a miracle, he thought. Tongue coated in blackened blood, pooling to his lips with unabashed hedonism. Whether he'd revel in his deeds later were of no concern right now. 

"Please, keep counting, darling,” he managed to utter.

As he began once more, the pain that once seized her adapted, evolved. The half-elf felt herself venturing into a bloodless calm.  Hearts beating in near sync, quick to bypass one another. His aggravated fervor and her descent into the dirt. The oozing ebb and flow of building delirium. An amalgamation of every misstep and the bottles of whiskey that couldn’t quite wrap them in creature comforts.

And so, she did as she was told. Her body followed, creeping into a languid state, limp wrists and head rolling in any which direction he pleased. Back to counting. 

Two. Three. Four.

The numbers coinciding felt more like concepts than measurements.

Five. Six. Seven.

Internal dialogues had begun to devolve. Abstraction. It washed over her. Abrupt and startling like tumbling into a cold bath. Somewhere, contentment began to leak in. Whether it was the making of his presence or her own phantasms, mysteries for another day.

Eight. Nine. Ten.

Thomasin clutched onto him as a safety net. She ran her fingers along his clothing. Over every stitch, discovering mending and clinging to hidden patchwork. Every bump and valley. 

By now, the sounds of appetite and neglected vigor happening in her ear were fading into recollection. How his words always felt sticky with innuendo. Lines he must've told every living being that entered his vicinity. It was never as off-putting as she put forth though. She was drawn to the act, thankfully not always out of naivety.

Decades of elven living could spoil and sour even the most headstrong. Every dark alleyway, every social situation. Put under examination for survival. Erecting this statue of overconfidence often made the most sense. Even if she knew little of the gory details that crafted him, Thomasin sensed the act fizzling out.

She focused on sensations, careful to not get lost in every other countdown. The threads. The slowing of her heart beat. The amount of unsubstantial seconds that had gone by.

It beckoned her forward with warm euphoric dreams and brighter pasts, melding into undefined emotion deep within her chest. Color illustrations of bedtime stories and the sound of cobblestone walkways. Dust particles existing indefinitely against a window, evening light peering through. The knits of her favorite sweater and scents of perfume from close friends. 

The protective glow from oil street lamps and air bubbles popping in steins of beer. Fogged mirrors from hot baths and the way sounds muffled when sunk into a wooden tub. Stories told under the covers, fairytales to unfiltered confessions, until the magic illumination fell asleep too. 

These all lived in a hypothetical mist that rolled in, similar to early mornings of her childhood. Thickening, more of a fog. How they'd begun the exchange was unimportant. Details melting into something viscous. Consuming how the two had even met. 

Her fingers were still moving as far as she could understand. Coordination unsteady, but they lived with their own memories and habits. Operating as their own entities despite feeling the weight of the atmosphere weighing down on them. 

The repetitive motions. The color palette. The air. The pressure. The darkness.

Enveloping darkness.

“Stop,” she mumbled. “Please.” Words seemed warped from her lips, unsure she had even spoken them aloud. They felt incorporeal. Crawling towards what momentum was left.

Astarion noticed his eyes had adjusted to near pitch black.

 Her bulb of light had extinguished, blues and violets now deathly quiet. The seas livened and dulled over the course of what felt like hours for the two. A man coursing with vitality and adrenaline he had never fully endured feeling the shallow gasps for air in his arms. As much as Astarion wanted to celebrate, he cursed. Repeating them over and over, scooting backward to let her head lay in his lap. He slapped her cheek twice, printing her blood against her flesh in a hasty spattering. 

"C'mon, damn it. Now is not the time to be stubborn."

Each word tripped over another. He snapped his fingers over her shut eyes, suddenly noticing the thin red ribbons staining his hands and the drips collecting along her neck. Pathways and riverways intertwining, making their route down his arms and dying both of their clothing. He pressed his hand into her neck, hoping to calm the flow he had unleashed. After what he had consumed, anything trickling was important.

“Wake. Up.” He jostled her. “Don’t make me start asking gods for favors.”

Faint pulsing was felt beneath his bracing of her neck, but responses were absent. He couldn’t hold his gaze for long, seeing his own parallels across the young woman’s face in a way that stung. His focus darted about, looking for anything that could stop this escalation. A potion, a salve. A cleric deity with a worrying sense of humor.  

“I fear I may not be on good terms with them anyhow,” he half-heartedly joke, rummaging around until he spotted her backpack. Glass bottles clanking around in leather. Within a diamond shaped bottle glittered liquid he easily recognized. Commonly consumed among mortals for hangovers, bar fights, or the lucky escape from an owlbear. Healing minor injuries and illnesses in a foul swoop. Thomasin’s sickness was more dire than half a bottle, but it was more than enough to toast to.

“Aha, there you go. Watch your pretty little head.”

He tucked a pillow between his thigh and her head, creating elevation. Down came a gentle tug by the pad of his thumb. He pressed on her lower lip to part them and the elixir ran thin down her throat. 

It took a minute or so, but Thomasin’s eyes finally flickered, settling shut once more before her consciousness revved back up. Harsh, haggard, getting unceremoniously shoved back into the realm of the living. Where she lay with a veil of red strewn across her face and the soil smelling of iron richer than she remembered.

“Do you know how irritating these stains are going to be to get out?” Astarion said, taunting her, egging her on to get a single word. Expecting little reaction. 

Thomasin’s body suddenly flinched. A laugh. Still dazed, but somewhat responsive.

“That was nice though,” she whispered, nearly inaudible. 

Astarion’s ears perked up as he was prompt to pull a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the remains from her body. Wringing the tainted water into a bowl, applying fresh from her canteen, and persisting with a gentle touch.  

He watched as she gradually resigned to the cushion of her bedroll. He took his time, cleaning what was left of his feast. Being alone in such a bizarre twist of fate. He figured he’d appreciate the stillness, running his hand carefully along her cheek, stopping to try and identify patterns laid across her brow. A small series of shapes and probable letters that were almost entirely hidden by long fringe. The same color as her hair, although time and resistance had faded its ink a tinge. 

“Huh. Little rugged of a design for classical violin, don’t you think?”

 He twisted and tilted his head every which way, trying to figure out its meaning. “Artists.” He snickered, everything hitting him gradually. There was success in both his snark and of not committing murder. The absurdity of how his life path was now diverging. His jokes were all weightless though. No one to praise or scoff at him. Only silence making reality far more grounded than he liked.

He wiped his own face with the damp cloth, sneaking self-indulgent licks of what was left on his forearm. It was only then he realized he was shaking a little, but in the dead night, it was a vulnerability he could conceal. Away from judgemental eyes. The solace in that alone tickled him.

In the darkness, he dragged Thomasin’s quilt over her, stopping just above the waist.  Distracted by the way her body gently rose and fell, rickety but alive. He left her partially uncovered, but respectfully settled at the furthest end of her small tent to keep an eye on her. Making the best of his sleeping quarters was child’s play at this point. Curled up, knees to his chest as he’d spent many nights in cold chambers.

Astarion rubbed his forehead. Emotions in intense situations had become muddled and hard to identify over the years. Perhaps it was amusement. Fatigue, relief,  mild disbelief. Fed. 

“By the fucking hells.”

[thedroneranger]

The Drone Ranger's Be Kind Rewind ⏪ startrekfangirl2233 Edition!

A rec reblog series dedicated to the fics that we love so much, we've re-read them!

The Be Kind Rewind is back with @startrekfangirl2233! Star! You were so thoughtful in the presentation of your re-reads and so appreciative of the creators—thank you!

While we continue to churn out amazing new content, let's be kind and rewind to some of the OG content we love! And don't forget to reblog when you re-read! Continue to show your comfort fics and favorite creators some love. It helps keep the fresh content coming :)

To keep this going throughout the summer, I'll continue to invite friends—other creators and readers—to share their lists. Stay tuned!

If you're interested in participating in the Be Kind Rewind, message me. The more, the merrier—let's keep this going as long as we can!

If you want to know when a new Rewind drops, join the tag list, and check out previous Rewinds!

fics below the cut (listed in alphabetical order by title)

A Gun Amongst Daggers, Jake Seresin, @desert-fern This fic is amazing! What would you say if I told you that Jake finally met his match? That match is none other than SEALs Team Leader and the most badass bitch of them all, Bear. He's whipped. Whipped, I tell you. It's so refreshing to see Jake's soft side and to see his dynamic with a woman who knows exactly what she wants and how to go get it, too!

Ghost, Jake Seresin, @dakotakazansky Dakota Kazansky has a legacy behind her surname and her dad's blood runs through her veins. It's no surprise then that she ends up flying. On her journey to Top Gun, she meets one Jake. They're instant friends, but what happens when they take the jump from friends to something more?

Hang Your Halo, Jake Seresin, @mayhemmanaged This series is amazing! Secret missions, angst, fluff, smut and more?! Hell yes. Also, Jake and Beckham have one of the best relationships I've ever read!

Is It Working for You? (+ Roo x Baby Girl universe), Bradley Bradshaw, @roosterforme Alright, so next up, I want you all to meet the queen of the Roo-nicorns. Em is a unicorn of an author and a unicorn of a person. Everything she writes is amazing! With Roo and Baby Girl, she creates the richest, most beautiful universe I've ever read.

Landslide, Bradley Bradshaw, @roosterbruiser So if you guys are in the Top Gun fandom at all, then you 100% should read Landslide. Millie is one of the best author's and sweetest people you'll ever interact with. And this story? It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry, and it will 100% make you want to throttle some people.

Opposites Attract universe, Jake Seresin + assorted daggers, @topguncortez This series is amazing! G covers such a wide array of relationships so beautifully! Whether you read this for Coyote and Val, Jake and Shy!Wifey, Cerberus and Phoenix, or Dragon and Rooster, you will not regret it.

Red, White, and Rooster, Bradley Bradshaw, @cherrycola27 It's politics + the Daggers. But this AU has a sexy President Bradshaw and an equally sexy Vice President Seresin. This fic has its fair share of jaw-dropping, angst-inducing moments, and I loved every minute of this rollercoaster ride. Wise-woman is one of the most powerful female characters, and I adore her.

To-Do List collection, Jake Seresin, @thedroneranger In addition to curating this Be Kind Rewind, Jay is also one of the most amazing writers in this entire fandom. Her entire To-Do List collection is beautiful. Jake and Mrs. Seresin have a relationship that defies the ages and is way too damn sexy to boot. The chemistry these two have with each other? It's electric!

Creator's Own

Sometimes All You Need (A Getaway Car), Jake Seresin Jake's a getaway car driver and the sweetest man in the world in this series. I'm obsessed with him, and it's not just because I wrote him the way he is! 🤭

Tag list and friends: @petcr3 @desert-fern @Sagittarius-Lovewitch @mygyn  @sweetwhispersofchaos  @horseshoegirl  @the-annoying-fan  @dingochef  @moon42flight @thecitysgraveyard @ereardon  @roosterforme  @cherrycola27 @galaxy-of-stories  @taytaylala12  @malindacath  @violyn20  @awildewit  @potato-girl99981  @shanimallina87  @blue-aconite  @djs8891  @linkpk88  @furiousladyking  @daggerspare-standingby  @princess76179  @jstarr86  @hecate-steps-on-me  @darkheartcherry  @soulmates8  @roosters-girl  @dempy  @roosterisdaddy36  @hangmanscoming  @s-u-t  @mavrellover91  @chicomonks @averyhotchner 

A kind reminder, this is a 18+ blog. While not all stories in the recommendation list are 18+, please respect boundaries and do not interact unless you are 18 years of age or older.

[crystalsandbubbletea]

So I realized since it's summer break, I can make poor life choices without worry about school

Then again, I already made a poor life choice last night working on Legacies until 3 AM XP

Now it's time for Poor Life Choices 2: Electric Bogaloo

AKA me staying up late playing Halo in chronological order X3

Squeak is in on it too, at least until my dad collects her for her bedtime X3

[datcloudboi]

List of Video Games Turning 20 Years Old in 2024

Alien Hominid (started off life as a Flash game and graduated to a real game.)

Army Men: Sarge's War (the sequel to the Sarge’s Heroes games, but this one was rated T for Teen and used realistic guns instead of plastic ones)

Astro Boy: Omega Factor (seriously, if you have a chance to play this, take it. This game is AMAZING)

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

The Bard's Tale (the 2004 version with the guy who played Wesley in The Princess Bride)

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings & the Lost Ocean (hey! That collection with this game and it's follow-up is out on the Switch now! Go get it!)

Blinx 2: Masters of Time and Space

Blood Will Tell: Tezuka Osamu's Dororo

BloodRayne 2

Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django (this GBA game had a special cartridge that required you to go outside into the sunlight to power up your character in game)

Breakdown

Bujingai: The Forsaken City (the game where you play as Gackt)

Burnout 3: Takedown

Call of Duty: United Offensive

Call of Duty: Finest Hour (a side story to the original Call of Duty, which came out the year before)

Capcom Fighting Evolution (the darkest of the dark age of fighting games)

Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums (a full-on adventure game where you play as the mascot of a series of edutainment games)

Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (the rare movie-in game that's not only really good, but is actually better than the movie it's based on)

Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage + Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy

Crash Twinsanity (a childhood favorite)

Crimson Tears

Crusader Kings

Custom Robo (the first one in the series to release in North America)

Cy Girls

Dead Man's Hand

Dead or Alive Ultimate (remakes of Dead or Alive 1 and Dead or Alive 2)

Def Jam: Fight for NY (the vastly superior sequel to Vendetta)

Dog's Life

Doom 3 (the original version. Hope you've got a flashlight on you...)

Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors

Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury (the final game in the Legacy of Goku series)

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3

Drakengard (Yoko Taro's debut as a game director)

Driver 3

Evil Genius

Fable (another childhood favorite)

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (the last Fallout game made by Interplay before Bethesda acquired the IP.)

Far Cry (the very first one.)

Feel the Magic: XY/XX (a launch title for the Nintendo DS)

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (the only Final Fantasy game to release for the GameCube)

Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (remakes of the first two mainline Final Fantasy games)

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone

Front Mission 4

F-Zero: GP Legend (the last F-Zero game to release for almost 2 decades, until F-Zero 99 released in 2023.)

Galleon

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (the PS2 one. There was another version of SAC that released for the PSP a year later that is completely different.)

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2

Ghosthunter

Godzilla: Save the World

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent

Gradius V (the last mainline Gradius game)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto Advance (yes, there was a GTA game on the GBA.)

Growlanser Generations

Guilty Gear Isuka

.hack//Quarantine

Half-Life 2

Halo 2

Hitman: Contracts (the third one)

Hot Shots Golf Fore! (yet another childhood favorite)

It's Mr. Pants (Rareware made this for the GBA after being acquired by Microsoft)

Jak 3

James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing

Katamari Damacy (the very first Katamari game)

Killzone (PlayStation's supposed "Halo killer".)

KOF: Maximum Impact

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Lifeline (a microphone-based survival horror game for the PS2 by Konami.)

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (a turn-based RPG that uses the exact same battle system as Final Fantasy X.)

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth

Mario Golf: Advance Tour

Mario Party 6

Mario Pinball Land

Mario Power Tennis (not to be confused with "Mario Golf: Power Tour" for the GBA.)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (the first one, which is getting a remake for the Switch in February!)

Maximo vs. Army of Zin

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault

Mega Man: Battle Chip Challenge

Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun/Blue Moon

Mega Man X: Command Mission

Mega Man Zero 3

Mega Man X8 (yeah, there was a lot of Mega Man stuff in 2004.)

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid for the GameCube)

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (SNAAAAAKE EATERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR)

Metal Wolf Chaos (LET'S PARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY)

Metroid: Zero Mission (a remake of the original Metroid for the GBA.)

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Monster Hunter (the very first one)

Mortal Kombat: Deception

Mushihimesama ((a bullet hell that you’ve probably seen a lot of if you search for “HARDEST GAME OF ALL TIME?????” on YouTube)

Myst IV: Revelation

Need for Speed: Underground 2

Ninja Gaiden (the reboot from the Dead or Alive devs)

The Nintendo DS

Onimusha 3: Demon Siege

Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors (an action-adventure hack & slash made by FromSoftware)

Painkiller

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (can you believe this is getting a remake this year??)

Phantom Brave

Pikmin 2

Pitfall: The Lost Expedition (the last game in an series that started all the back in 1982 on the Atari 2600)

Pokemon Colosseum

Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (the 3rd one)

Red Dead Revolver (the predecessor to Red Dead Redemption.)

Resident Evil Outbreak

R-Type Final

Sacred

Samurai Warriors

Scaler

American McGee Presents: Scrapland

Second Sight

Serious Sam: Next Encounter

Shadow Hearts: Covenant

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (you know that “Featuring Dante from the Devil May Cry series” meme you guys love so much? This is where that came from.)

Silent Hill 4: The Room

Siren (a spirital successor to Silent Hill from the same creative director)

Sly 2: Band of Thieves

Sonic Heroes

Sonic Battle (an arena fighter for the GBA.)

Sonic Advance 3

Spider-Man 2 ((based on the movie of the same name. The one with the really good web-slinging)

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (the 2nd one)

Spyro: A Hero's Tail (the 5th one)

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (the 3rd one)

Star Wars: Battlefront (the one that everyone liked)

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords

Steel Battalion: Line of Contact ((this, and the original Steel Battalion two years prior, used a special controller called the Mega-Jockey 9000, which had 44 buttons, two joysticks, a throttle handle, a radio channel dial, five switches, an eject button, and three foot pedals.)

Sudeki

The Suffering

Super Mario 64 DS

Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (the 4th one)

Tales of Symphonia

Thief: Deadly Shadows (the 3rd one)

Tony Hawk's Underground 2

Total War: Rome

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Viewtiful Joe 2

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

X-Men Legends

[werewolf-cuddles]

You know how most companies will rerelease their old games bundled together in collections?

Y'know, stuff like the various Sonic compilations, the Mega Man legacy collections, the Halo Master Chief Collection, etc.

Yeah, what the fuck is Square's excuse for doing this with the Final Fantasy re-releases?

I understand that these are "remastered" versions, but come the fuck on. Expecting people to buy these games individually when they could just offer a Final Fantasy Classics collection or something is fucking absurd.

Like, these games are fucking ancient. Like, late 80s/early 90s. There's literally no good reason to rerelease them in this fashion.

[randomthefox]

What exactly is your stance on remakes? I don't mean ports that are 99% the same with added content or old games with remastered graphics/remastered graphics options available, but actual, from-the-ground-up remakes? Me personally, I don't think remakes can ever replace a game from 5th gen and up (as well as SNES/Genesis remakes of NES games; those always look weird as hell).

As a general rule I think remakes are not only unnecessary, but actively harmful. People will often treat a remake as a replacement for the original game, or see the original as obsolete because a remake exists, which impacts the discussion about the game or series and creates that problem where two fans ostensibly talking about the same piece of media will be talking at cross purposes about two completely different things. They are also damaging to the efforts of media preservation and archival efforts, because companies will treat the remake as more recent and valuable and thus not bother with rerelease efforts for the original.

In general, ports and remasters are good. Whatever word or method you wanna use that just means taking the same game that existed before, and releasing it on new consoles and platforms to make it more accessible to modern audiences. That's preservation. That's making sure everyone is talking about the same game. Personally, I don't even mind if they do waste everyone's time on a remake AS LONG AS the original game is made accessible, like with Konami remaking Metal Gear Solid 3 well at least they released the Legacy Collection so everyone can just play the original, or with Final Fantasy 7 the remake(s) might be there but the original is right on the digital store space as well and folks have zero excuse for why they can't just play it.

I also wouldn't mind a release that completely changes the graphics of the original as long as an option to experience those original graphics is made available, like the Tomb Raider Remasters and Halo Anniversary Edition. Spyro Reignited, much as I love it, fails in this regard.

On the whole I think remakes are bad and unnecessary, because they're pretty much only ever done for greedy short sighted reasons and not artistic ambition. They choose to remake a game because the game was already good and of significant importance, and thus they know they'll get a lot of buzz and sales for remaking it. If they were remaking arguably bad games and improving a flawed experience, that'd be one thing (I would argue Resident Evil REmake and to a lesser extent Yakuza Kiwami are both examples of this). But that's almost never what they're trying to do, they're often just going "HEY REMEMBER THIS COOL OLD GAME EVERYONE LOVES, WELL HERE IT IS AGAIN BUT WITH FANCY NEW GRAPHICS AND SHITTY NEW GAMEPLAY AND CELEBRITY VOICE ACTING!!!" and it's like fucking put a gun in my fucking mouth.

[theplottdump]

I just started reading your legacy a few days ago and I just wanted to say I love it so much it's so darn good, but also your sims are absolute gorgeous! what skin overlay do you use?

Hi!! First off, THANK YOU! Ah! That makes me so happy to hear, welcome to the circus.

To answer your question I use Halo by Magicbats as my default skin as well as a loose assortment of face overlays I've collected from my friends sims' trays like STDs.

I mostly use Miiko's Skin Details, Nesurii's face overlays , I like this honey overlay by AJDuckie a lot too, and Val and Chad both have this RemusSiron Male Skin 12 Overlay.

Hope that helps! Thank you so much for reading friend!

xo, Anne

[nouxplum]

The Sims 4 TV Show Legacy Challenge

@elleejayy

Original by: Elleejayy’s Simming Adventures

Converted by: Nouxplum

Generation One - Elena Gilbert

The Vampire Diaries

Traits: Family-Oriented, Romantic, Good

Aspiration: Any

Career: Any

(Do not have to complete career or aspiration)

Start in a fresh, untouched save file

Have 2 BFF’s

Fall in love with a sim

The fall in love with their sibling

Have 2 children (2 boys) with second sim

Die as an adult. Accidental or on purpose

Following your death, your partner has a one night stand that results in a baby

Generation Two - Dean Winchester

Supernatural

Traits: Family-Oriented, Goofball, Hot-Headed

Aspiration: Big Happy Family

Career: Any

Move to a new town as a teen

Never have any close relationships except your younger brother

Have a negative relationship with your father

Meet your half-sibling as a YA

Move out with your brother

Meet the lover of your life at a bar

Have 5 children with them

Have a one night stand with a werewolf, results in a baby (HEIR)

Generation Three - Niklaus Mikaelson

The Originals

Traits: Mean, Kleptomaniac, Erratic

Aspiration: Werewolf Initiate

Career: NOT Allowed

Start as a teen

Have a negative relationship with father, step-mother and half-siblings

Earn all of your money through hunting/collecting as a werewolf

Have an affair with a siblings partner, results in a baby (Heir)

Adopt a teenager, turn them into a werewolf

Only have a close relationship with your children

Generation Four - Jace Herondale

ShadowHunters

Traits: Outgoing, Goofball, Athletic

Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Career: Doctor

If you are a werewolf, get cured. You don’t want to harm anyone

As a young adult, disown your werewolf parent

Meet the love of your life at work

Have 2 children

Have 2 BFF’S who are siblings, your adoptive family

Generation FIVE - Cleo Sertori

H2O JUST ADD WATER

Traits: Loner, Family-Oriented, Romantic

Aspiration: Beach Life

Career: Not Allowed

Move to Sulani as a Teen

Make 2 Best Friends

Find an abandoned beach

Fall in love with a visitor to the beach

Have as many children as desired

Optional: Become a mermaid

Generation Six - Lucifer Morningstar

Lucifer

Traits: Party Animal, Romantic,  Adventurous

Aspiration: Renaissance Sim

Career: Detective

Move Town

Master Mixology

Become a casanova

Throw a party at least once a week

Have as many children as desired

Generation Seven - Fallon Carrington

Dynasty

Traits: Outgoing, Perfectionist, Proper

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Career: Business

Master Charisma

Max Business Career

Throw a dinner party once a season

Have 5 children 4 boys & 1 girl

Generation Eight - Thomas Shelby

Peaky Blinders

Traits: Athletic, Hot-Headed, Romantic

Aspiration: Serial Romantic

Career: Criminal

Master Athletic

Endless failed relationships, until you meet the one when you’re days away from becoming an adult

Have twins (Use Cheats/Mods)

When the twins are teens, one must dies (or disappear)

Generation Nine - Cheryl Blossom

Riverdale

Traits: Erratic, Romantic, Self Absorbed

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Career: Any

Be best friends with your twin before they die/disappear

Find love as a teen with a rebel

Have as many children as desired

Generation Ten - Sheldon Cooper

The Big Bang Theory

Traits: Genius, Loner, Socially Awkward

Aspiration: Nerd Brain

Career: Science

Must attend university

Always keep an A in School

Perfect GPA

Master Logic

Master Gardening

Master Handiness

Master Fishing

Have an alien baby (HEIR)

Die a virgin

Generation Eleven - Master Chief

Halo

Traits: Athletic, Genius, Ambitious

Aspiration: Bodybuilder

Career: Military

Live in StrangerVille

Master Athletic

Master Handiness

Find love with a supernatural sim

Have as many children as desired

Generation Twelve - Hope Mikaelson

The Originals

Traits: Genius, Family-Oriented, Loner

Aspiration, Purveyor of Potions

Career: any

As a teen you focus on learning more about your supernatural abilities

Earn money from selling potions

Have as many children as desired

Generation Thirteen - Derek Hale

Teen Wolf

Traits: Gloomy, Good, Self-Assured

Aspiration: Werewolf Initiate

Career: Any

Become a werewolf as a teen

Turn a few sims on a full moon

Become an alpha

Have a single child later in life, (Older Adult)

Generation Fourteen - Allison Dilaurentis

Pretty Little Liars

Traits: Ambitious, Outgoing, Snob

Aspiration: Any

Career: Professor

Optional: Cure Lycanthropy

Move to a new town after your parent dies of old age

Have 4 best friends

Date and marry one of your best friends

Adopt one child, due to fertility issues

Generation Fifthteen - Rachel Berry

Glee

Traits: Self Absorbed, Creative, Music Lover

Aspiration: World-Famous Celebrity

Career: Entertainer

Live in Del-Sol Valley

Master Singing

Have 3 Friends

Be a 5-star celebrity

Marry someone with athletic trait

Have as many children as desired

Generation Sixteen - Rick Grimes

The Walking Dead

Traits: Outgoing, Self-Assured, Family-Oriented

Aspiration: Friend of the World

Career: Detective

Move to Brindleton Bay

Master Logic

Master Athletic

Have 1 best friend

Get married to a townie

Have 1 child with the townie

Your partner has an affair resulting in a baby

Raise the baby as your own

[squishycheekanon]

Favorites for video games? Hack and Slash, rpg, adventure, sandbox, slice of life, metroidvsnia? For categories

Okay so I’ll just list them off, Minecraft is an all time favourite of mine. I’ve been playing it since it came out in 2009, I remember back when all the blocks looked so different and there was no creative. I played it with my sister all the time growing up. Even right this second I’m watching ezY survive 2000 days in hardcore lol😝

Next up is Fortnite, I used to absolutely hate it. Then one day I was bored with nothing to do and decided why the fuck not. I died within two minutes because I did not know about the storm and circle part of the game. I really got into Fortnite and again I got my sister to play it with me, we were duo queens💅🏽 I am very disappointed with how the game has developed, i think it started to go down hill when they did the whole primal dinosaur chapter. I even stopped playing for a bit. But when they did the OG map I started playing again and I am still playing today. I got a solo win earlier😝

I really like among us but I feel like it’s better when there’s a big group of people over mics instead of taking forever to type with a controller, there was never a group of people who wanted to do that so I don’t play that really anymore. But still one of my favourites. I loved being imposter.

Sims. Sims 1, sims 2, sims 3, sims 3 pets and sims 4. These are elite. The progress they’ve made over the years, I grew up with sims and I can’t wait for sims 5. Fingers crossed they finally add multiplayer.

GTA as well as RDR 1 and 2 these are really fun to play with a group, I get bored playing this alone. Online play is the best in my opinion for these games. I haven’t played in a few weeks I don’t think.

Grounded, I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game. I got very frustrated when I died though and the spiders were fucking scary as fuck! But I recommend playing this one, especially with other people I had so much fun.

Gang beasts is another one I play, I only really play when I want to laugh my ass off uncontrollably though. Still very good and a favourite.

The trusty viva piñata, very good game.

Okay now, Hogwarts Legacy was fucking epic! An absolute masterpiece! The gameplay, the cinematography, the music, the characters, all of it. I fell in love with the story. And as a lover of the Harry Potter books and movies, being able to walk around Hogwarts in that much detail even in a game and being able to fly around on a broom was so amazing to me. I loved this game so much. I played it for a month straight and It did take me a solid week to defeat the boss, and I got very angry every time I died but it was so good.

Dreamlight valley, as someone who grew up watching Disney and cried my fucking eyes out watching the Disney parade at Disney World, being able to play in a Disney world with all your favourite characters is so cool. Being able to make it what you want, it’s such a good game. I am a little disappointed that you now have to pay for expansion packs in the game but the company’s have to make their money somehow I guess.

Halo, another one I grew up playing. I remember when it first came out. I remember playing it on the Xbox 360. And I have continued to play it all the way through to today. Replayed the second game last week. Love all of the masterchief collection.

Those were my favourites but I enjoy playing these too; Jax and daxter, spyro, all the assassins creed games, COD modern warfare, the cave, ark, dead or alive, Batman Arkham collection, fall guys, goat simulator😭🤣, plants vs zombies, sea of thieves, sunset overdrive, stranded deep and uno online.

[dustedmagazine]

John Cale — Mercy (Domino)

Photo by P. Cornett

John Cale’s Mercy is a maximalist edifice, its moody, drifting atmospherics bolstered by sweeping arrangements (strings, layered vocals, glitchy beats), its credits studded with the cream of young mainstream indie and its length impressive at over 70 minutes. The songs themselves stake out considerable territory, running five, six, even slightly over seven minutes in length. They are never in any hurry to reach a climax, but rather clank on in desolate, reverb-swathed caverns, touching on dance, EDM, quiet storm soul and Talk Talk-ish orchestra epiphany. The man who did more than anyone to herd a nascent rock ‘n roll into droning, dissonant art-song seems content here to let sounds billow and surge and recede like natural currents.

Cale has been out of the foreground for quite a while. His last solo album was 2016’s M:Fans, which may or may not count, depending on how you feel about remakes; it re-envisioned songs from Music for a New Society, released in 1982. His last album of new, original solo material, Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood, came out over a decade ago, when he was a septuagenarian, not an octagenerian. Time flies at all ages, apparently. 

But it’s not like John Cale has to do much to ensure his legacy. That was largely sealed by the 1960s, when the artist lit an experimental fire under the proto-punk Velvet Underground and set rock music off in an entirely unexpected direction. Solo work, like Paris 1919, and production duties for the Stooges, Nico, the Modern Lovers and others further assured his place in music history. At 80, he has very little to prove. 

And so, it is really inspiring to see Cale reaching out in all directions, enlisting electronics innovators like Laurel Halo, rock experimenters like Animal Collective and indie rock mainstays like Sylvan Esso and Weyes Blood to broaden and renew his art. It would be even better if he let them do more. 

Despite the variety of collaborators, the main problem with Mercy is that it sounds too much the same from track to track. The guests get a line of vocals at most, a la Panda Bear’s aching, twitching intro to “Everlasting Days” or Sylvan Esso’s Amanda Meath’s sighing counterpart in “Time Stands Still.” They’re swallowed in a moment, and we’re back to Cale’s mordant, echo-sheathed baritone, swirling in a mix of electronic beats, supple strings or runs of evocative piano. 

The one exception to this trend is “Story of Blood,” which puts Cale on ruminative jazz piano and Natalie Mering at the mic, at least intermittently. As the jazz cabaret fades out and twitch-y squiggly synth riffs enter in, Mering wraps Cale’s lead in a dreaming, swooning shroud. Both are overdubbed, so that they come at you from all directions. It is dizzying, cathedral-large and beautiful. 

All of which is to say, it’s not that these songs are bad, just that they sound a lot alike: elegant, chilled, full of foreboding.  They touch elliptically on the events of the last few years, plague, division, isolation, death. They are murky and resonant and stirring. But they go on and on, without a lot of variation, either within the tunes or between them. More isn’t always better. 

Jennifer Kelly

[frostehburr]

I Platinumed Hogwarts Legacy and Here's What I Have to Say About the Game

Alright.... So....

Yes, I am a trans woman.

No, I do not support JK or her views.

Hogwarts Legacy was given to me as a gift for my birthday. The person who gave me the gift was not aware of JK... in general. Like, they have zero idea who she even is.

We're well pass the point of harassing people over the franchise so please remain chill or move on to a different post, please.

Now, Hogwarts Legacy as a game is... mid at best. It's average and does well occupying your time. Majority of the trophies were collection based which my 1990s neuron activated on. What can I say? Everyone who played games in the 90s were hooked on collectathons like Banjo Kazooie, Sly Cooper, and Kirby.

Unless you enjoy obsessively collecting everything and the kitchen sink, you're probably not going to enjoy the game much less going for the platinum trophy.

Really, this is a game made for a very specific target audience and it's a target audience I'm a part of. That being fans of the Harry Potter books and movies. Mostly movies.

See, back in the era where everyone got along because politics was boring old people sitting around smelling their own farts (little changed since then) and no one wanted to get into that bull. Kids to teenagers enjoyed a magical series of stories adapted to the silver screen. And it was in this era collectathon platformers were king of the game industry... until Halo happened.

I think Portkey games figured out what people who enjoyed Harry Potter would have played when JK actually kept her fat mouth shut.

Collectathons! Where the player goes out to gather a set number of items for an award. Which is why a large portion of the trophies are "collect all the _____"

There must've been good foresight at Portkey because the Revelio spell saved me a lot of time gathering all of the stuff. From spells to chests to flying pieces of paper. I had a lot of fun exploring the castle and area outside. But I absolutely recognize not many people will enjoy that.

Exploring the castle and grounds is something the target audience (aka Wizarding World fans) really wanted most out of the game. We wanted to be immersed in the world and point to the screen like Leo whenever we notice a reference to the movies or books. We actively log in to pottermore to get our house colors and shiny new wand with glee. Completely ignorant of the world outside the fantasy. Be honest, you don't want to deal with the crisis the last few years have been. Portkey tailored the game to be our escape for just the few hours we needed.

Adding more to that. We also wanted to see all the Hogwarts houses on the inside... except Griffindore. Gryffindoor sucks.

Personally, the Ravenclaw dorm room was everything I ever wanted. The blue and bronze mixed with marble pillars and statues made me happy. It gave me a few decorating ideas for my own room!

The other houses had to be seen... except Gryffendorm. I was extremely reluctant to go in Gryfindorm. And incentive was given in the form of four separate trophies for each Hogwarts house.

You see, there's one quest that changes for each house. Ravenclaw gets an owl puzzle. I very much enjoyed it, Slytherin feeds toast to a kraken mosaic. Hufflepuff gets sent to Azkaban. and the last one parties with a bunch of ghosts. Three of them were quite enjoyable but my enjoyment came from walking around the other dorms.

While walking around Slytherin's aquatic scenery and Hufflepuff's cozy cottage were delights, I still preferred Ravenclaw's sky view tower with starry ceilings. I'm a true blue Ravenclaw.

Even though I loved exploring the castle and everything, it was quite painful to collect every single item for the collector trophy.

I had finished all side quests, all revelio pages, even the trials and demiguise statues! Yet I was still missing a single collection chest. Really did not help the map showed all chests had been found. The butterfly chests are hidden from the map. So I ended up wiping the entire map clean and tripled check back and forth only to discover that the single chest I was missing was in the back of the swamp terrarium in the Room of Requirement.

That was the biggest frustration out of the entire game. Not a bad trade off for all the fun I had. However, not many people will feel the same. Particularly if they were never invested in the Wizarding World.

Hogwarts Legacy is definitely a great game for a specific target audience. For everyone else, it's an easy passable mild distraction. Whoever wanted to play this game already got it. Despite the hell storm that followed it.

Portkey games did a fantastic job with a hot button title but it's only good if you actually want it. If you're no fan of collectathons, Wizarding World, or wondering around for hours then do yourself a favor and avoid this game. If you do like those three things then go ahead! Just try to be patient if you're going to go for platinum.

[ageless-aislynn]

Comfort Movie Tag Game

rules: list your top ten favourite comfort flicks.

I was tagged by the ever lovely and awesome @time-converges Thanks so much! 🤗

In random order

1. Twilight

2. Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring

3. Ladyhawke

4. The Mummy (1999)

5. Beauty and the Beast (live action or animated)

6. Wall-E

7. Jurassic Park/World (any of them)

8. Star Wars (any of them)

9. TRON (1981 or Legacy)

10. Halo: The Master Chief Collection (okay, so this one is a set of 6 video games, not movies but the MCC is my happy place these days so I felt it deserved a spot here 🤷‍♀️😇😉)

My brain is too fogged with this blasted cold to tag right now but if you’re reading this and would like to do it, as always consider this a tag from me... *sprays self down with Lysol then boops your nose politely* 🤗

[sollb]

🌻Sol🌻

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[xolta]

Games part 5

Xolta's Big old recommended games list Part 5 gen 6-7

Dreamcast: Illbled(mind fuck/ surivival horror) Sonic Adventure 1&2(platformer) Chu chu rocket(puzzle) Crazy taxi1&2(taxi em up) Dynamite cop(beat em up) Jet Set Radio( 3d platforming) Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (adventure) Power Stone 1&2(platform fighter) SoulCalibur(fighting) Space channle 5(rythm)

Game Boy Advance: Advance Guardian Heroes(beat em up) Advance Wars(Tatics) Astro Boy: Omega Factor (anime em up) Bomberman Max 2(bomber man) Bomberman Tournament(zelda like rpg) Bubble Bobble: Old & New (singel screen platformer) Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (metroidvania) Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure (platformer) Digimon Battle Spirit 2(platform fighter) Drill Dozer (platformer) F-Zero: Maximum Velocity (Future racing) Fire Emblem (Srpg) Game & Watch Gallery 4 (mixed bag) Godzilla: Domination! (kaiju fighting) Golden Sun (rpg) Gunstar Super Heroes (Run and gun platforming) Justice League Heroes: The Flash (im speed em up) Konami Krazy Racers (kart racing) Metal Slug Advance (run and gun) Metroid Fusion (metroidvania) Pinball of the Dead (pinball) Mario advance series(platformer) Sonic Advance series(platformer/ bullshit pits) Summon Night 1&2(rpg/Gay charters in the 2000s) Super Puzzle Fighter II (puzzle) Wario Land 4(platformer)

Xbox (og): Beyond Good & Evil (adventure) Blinx: The Time Sweeper(platformer) Breakdown(first person action) Burnout 3 (raceing) Crazy taxi 3(taxi em up) Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge(plane fighting action/plup em up) Fable(rpg) Gladius(rpg) Halo 1&2(fps/ i perfer the pc port) Jet Set Radio Future(action 3d platforming) Ninja Gaiden Black (charater action) Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (Fps/tps) Panzer Dragoon Orta(on rails shooter) Phantom Dust (action/wackey) Psychonauts (platformer) Super monkey ball deluxe(ball rolling/rage)

PlayStation 2: The Adventures of Cookie & Cream(platformer) Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance(action rpg) BCV: Battle Construction Vehicle(janky vehicle combat) Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (3d metroidvania) Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (3d metrovania) DarkWatch(fps) Final Fantasy X-2 (jrpg) Final Fantasy XII (jrpg) Gitaroo Man (rythm) God Hand (charater acrion) God of war(charater action) Grand Theft Auto 2-3(sandbox action) GunGrave (big dumb action game) IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix (combat racing) Katamari Damacy (Ball rolling action) Killzone (fps) Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (platformer) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (hack n slash) Maximo vs. Army of Zin (Platformer) Metal Slug Anthology(collection) Namco Museum: 50th Anniversary (mixed bag) Nightshade(action hack and slash platformer/Ninja ass and tits) OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast(raceing) King Kong(adventure) The Punisher(tps) The Red Star(beat em up/shooter) Samurai Western(samuri em up) Sega Classics Collection(collection) Shadow Hearts series (jrpg) Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1&2 (jrpg) Shinobi (action platformer/Ninja ass and Dick) Soul Calibur 2&3(fighting) TimeSplitters 1&2(fps) War of the Monsters (3d kaiju fighting) The Warriors(beat em up) We heart Katamari(ball rolling) Dragon quest 8 (jrpg) Viewtiful Joe 1&2(CRAZY ACTION/i perfer the gamecube versions)

Gamecube: Alien Hominid (run and gun) Animal Crossing (life sim) Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and The Lost Ocean (jrpg) Beyond Good & Evil (action adventure) Bloody Roar: Primal Fury(fighting) Custom Robo (mecha combat) Donkey Konga (rythm) DragonBall Z: Budokai 1&2(anime fighting) F-Zero GX (future racing) Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles(action rpg) Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (tatics rpg) Gauntlet: Dark Legacy(hack n slash/warrior needs food badly) Kirby Air Ride (racing) Lost Kingdoms (jpg) Mario Kart: Double Dash (kart racing) Mario Superstar Baseball (baseball) Mega Man Anniversary Collection (collection) Metroid Prime 1&2 (fps/3d metroidvania) Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (rpg) Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (platformer) Puyo Pop Fever (puzzle) Resident Evil 4 (surivial horror) The Simpsons Road Rage (crazy taxi clone) Skies of Arcadia Legends (jprg) Sonic adventure 1 &2(platformer) Super Monkey Ball (ball rolling/rage) Super Smash Bros. Melee(platform fighter) TubeSlider(future racing) Ultimate Muscle( Wrestling) Viewtiful Joe 1&2(CRAZY ACTION) X-Men Legends (action rpg) Sonic heroes(platformer)

Nintendo DS: Advance Wars: Dual Strike(tatics) Advance Wars: Days of Ruin(tatics) Aliens: Infestation(metroidvania) Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow(action rpg) Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow(metroidvania) Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin(metroidvania) Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia(metroidvania) Contra 4(run and gun/hard) Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies(jrpg) Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime(action adventure) Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker(monster rasing rpg) Elite Beat Agents(rythm) Final Fantasy Tactics A2(srpg) Izuna 1 & 2(rouge like/rpg) Kirby Canvas Curse( kirby rolling) Kirby Squeak Squad(platformer) Kirby Super Star Ultra(platformer) The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass(advenutre/ gimmicks abound) The Legendary Starfy(platformer) Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ(shoot em up) Metriod prime pinball(pinball) Lunar Knights(action adventure) Mario kart ds(kart racing) Metal Slug 7(run and gun) New Super Mario Bros.(platformer/bah bah sim) Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword(charater action) Okamiden(adventure) Pokémon Platinum& daimond(monster rasing rpg) Pokemon soul sliver and heart gold(monster rasing rpg) Pokémon Black and White 1&2( monster rasing rpg) Scribblenauts 1&2(puzzle) Scurge: Hive(metroidvania) SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters DS(tgc) Sonic Rush (platformer) Sonic colors(platformer) Super Mario 64 DS(3d platformer) The World Ends With You(action rpg) WarioWare: Touched!(mirco games)

Xbox 360: Bayonetta (charater action) Beautiful Katamari(ball rolling) BioShock 1&2 (fps with some rpg elements) Blue Dragon(rpg) Burnout Paradise (raceing) Crackdown1&2(Sandbox tps) Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage (manily anime em up) Halo 3(fps/I perfer the pc version) Lost Planet 1&2(tps) Tekken Tag Tournament 2(fighting) Vanquish (tps/Exploding knees) Viva Piñata(life sim) Sonic Generations(platformer) Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (action adventure) F.E.A.R. (fps/horror) Forza Motorsport 3(sim racing) Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (kart racing) Call of Duty: Black Ops 1&2(fps) Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2&3(fps)

Wii: Animal Crossing: City Folk(life sim) Battalion Wars 2 (rts/tps) The Conduit (fps) de Blob (platformer) Donkey Kong Country Returns (platformer/ i perfer the 3ds version) Epic Mickey (3d platfroming/Bad camera) Excite Truck (racing) Excitebots: Trick Racing (racing) Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn(Srpg) The House of the Dead: Overkill (light gun) Kirby's Epic Yarn(platformer) Kirby's Return to Dream Land(platformer) MadWorld (charater action) Mario kart wii(kart racing) Metal Slug Anthology (run and gun) Metroid Prime Trilogy (fps/3d metroidvania) Monster Hunter 3 Tri(monster hunting) Muramasa: The Demon Blade (action) NEW Super Mario Bros. Wii(platformer) NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (flying/jank) No More Heroes 1&2(action/ i hear other versions are better) Okami ( adventure) Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers( hack and slash jank cheese cake fest) Rodea the Sky Soldier (flying platformer/ dont play the wiiu version its trash) Sin & Punishment: Star Successor(rail shooter) Sonic Colors (platformer) Super Mario Galaxy 1&2(3d platfromer) Super Smash Bros. Brawl (platform fighter) Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars(fighting) Wario Land: Shake It(greed) Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure(puzzle adventure) Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law (law em up)

psp: Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (paltformer) Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (fighting) Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law (law em up) Metal Slug XX (run and gun) Power Stone Collection (platfrom fighter) Wipeout Pure(future racing) Wipe out pluse( future racing)

[owlixx]

Mega Man Ideal Game (for me)

So, playing Mega Man 11 made me realize what my ideal Mega Man game looks like.

Basically: Mega Man Universe/Powered Up meets Halo: The Master Chief Collection

From Mega Man 11/Powered Up/Universe

Cutsey, chibi-ish, 2.5D art style

Lots of options for controls, playable characters, etc.

Maybe even just uses the MM11 engine

Double gear system as option (circle back later)

Opposite philosophy from the Legacy Collections - more about representing the old games rather than preserving

From Master Chief Collection (especially when it went to PC):

Unite the entire series under a single application

Start early access, adding one game at a time

Universal controls and settings

Introducing new levels of customization not seen before in original games

Singular hub the whole thing, universal features

Cross-game playlists (all ice levels back to back, that kind of thing)

Tons of leaderboards and achievements

Unique timed challenges

Incentives to play all the games in every style

So more specifically, I don't really need any more robot masters or plot. I feel like we have covered all the bases already. Instead, I want to see every Mega Man game rebuilt from the ground up in a unified engine. They could be sold as a la carte DLC, or perhaps in chunks of "season passes" with maybe 3 games coming out a year. Capcom already does something similar with their arcade collections. Just like those, I want tons of accessibility options and challenge modes across the board, universal screen filters, cute unlocks tied to achievements.

I would settle for something like the recent retro remakes that just redo the graphics but let you toggle with a button, but I'd prefer to have deeper QoL changes.

Specifically, my vision for this game hingers on encouraging players to replay these games over and over again with something a little different every time. Not just by offering achievements, but by offering a myriad of modes that don't actually require huge changes to implement, but make the games feel very different.

This is why I would want the games rebuilt in a new engine, almost like a map pack for Mega Man 11: so that we can add something like Roll as a playable character without having to hard code that into every single game. Admittedly, 7-8 and (hopefully included) MM&Bass are different enough to require some more work, but I think this isn't an impossible vision.

Again, here is just an example of what I am imagining: you go to boot up any of the Mega Man games, 1-11, and you are presented with an overwhelming grid of options, like:

Playable characters: Mega Man (with variants for his ability sets, maybe we can find a way to dynamically alter stage obstacles when he doesn't have slide, for example. Maybe that is asking too much, but the folks in the Metroid/Zelda randomizer communities seem to know a thing or two about stretching games to their limits without making them unplayable), Roll (again, just give her one tiny change like a double jump or altered buster to give her a totally different feel), Proto, Bass, Duo, maybe even X/Zero, maybe even Mega Man.EXE and Volnutt if we are getting crazy, or even potentially every single robot master like Powered Up does. Again, that would require reworking the stages, which wouldn't be manually feasible, but I am sure there is a way this could be accommodated. I would also love the ability to specifically go through each Mega Man game as a fully powered Mega Man from any other game, but again that demands reworking stages, especially ones like Sword Man that use earlier abilities.

Modes: hardcode in restricted modes like buster only, weakness only, no weakness, no charge shot, no slide, one hit, etc. as well as toggles for stuff like pits, spikes, higher health, etc. plus challenges like randomized weapons, reverse screen, time trials, boss rush, things like that.

Even just those two things alone could multiply to create a nearly unlimited amount of new replay value.

As for new QoL changes, I basically just want to see everything from Mega Man 11: hotswapping with buttons or right stick, new character model for each weapon, expanded tutorial, lots of difficulty options, auto shoot, auto charge, optional dedicated slide button, and I would love to see the option to bring the double gear system (or at least the speed gear in the form of a limited-use slowdown) in all the old games as an optional mode. Same with having the slide in 1-2, charge shot in 1-3, jetpack in earlier games, characters in games they shouldn't be in, etc.

TLDR: I want a unified remake of the Mega Man 1-10 in the MM11 engine.

I feel like The X series is too all-over-the-place to do this with, while the Zero and ZX games are too similar to be worth cross-pollinating this way, although again I would love to see X and Zero adapted to classic Mega Man, even if they end up being overpowered.

The other pitch for this game is basically to just...make Mega Man Universe and have it contain the official levels packed-in. Mario Maker has really proven how to do a AAA retro DIY game already, and so has the fangame Mega Man Maker as far as I can tell.

Alternatively, just make something like Power Fighters but include all 88 robot masters. That is still a hefty game, especially if you can build any kind of replay value in.

[maximumbouquetearthquake]

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