#but anyways I think this is still one of my favorite comms I've ever done

[thefirstknife]

I just finished RoN last night and I think the core if this raid makes things "easier" is that imo its smoother.

Like no contradictory mechanics, no memorizing symbols. Its more about pattern recognition and timing then twitch reflexes and pure dps.

So ppl like me who have trouble memorizing symbols but are really good at remembering sequences & patterns had a blast while something like say Vow is an absolute slog for me.

It's interesting to me that Root & Garden both have bad reputations with streames when they both seem to be the most puzzle focused

(me thinks streamers dont like showing their lack of patient to their veiwers)

Root of Nightmares is honestly my favorite Raid I've ever done. Its the first one i want to attempt to get the seal for!

And bc its a different skillset then past raids that i can have an easier time replaying it and enjoying over and over

Yeah, absolutely! The mechanics in Root are simple to understand, but still require a lot of practice and team coordination to execute. You can have one runner do everything smoothly, but if the second runner doesn't, it's a wipe. If add clear doesn't do their job and the adds disrupt the runner, it's a wipe. Pretty much every encounter requires a more or less perfect attempt to succeed. Very little space for mistakes.

To compensate, the mechanics are straightforward and smooth. Not too much juggling of different roles, not too much comm chatter. A lot of people mistake "no need for comms" as "no need for coordination" because they can only concieve of coordination when there's 6 gamer dudebros yelling in their mics and, most importantly for them, when someone has to be a "leader." For Root, you just need every person to understand their role, to sync up with teammates and coordinate through gameplay itself, not comms. Comms are always useful, but for Root you can have multiple people with no mics and minimal need to type something down.

I've seen this mentality with other games as well, most often in competitive pvp. People think that if your comms don't sound like there's 16 monkeys trapped in a cage with a taser, that means there's no team coordination or that something is easy. In most cases, best comms are few and simple so you can focus on your gameplay.

And even with all their yelling about the raid being "easy," dozens of these streamers have not figured out mechanics on the final boss. I sat through Salty's clear actively pulling my hair over the whole team's refusal to LOOK and PAY ATTENTION. Instead, they spent the whole boss fight bitching about things "not making sense," "probably being bugged" and being "a joke encounter with easy dps." All this while actively talking about how they're obviously missing something.

And you know what? Bungie is so committed to inclusivity and accessibility that they made the encounter possible to complete by skipping a mechanic so the streamers can finish the raid. Clearly these streamers are so averse to paying attention and doing a mechanic, and Bungie knows that, so they made an option for speedrunners to do it without having to break their brains on a mechanic that involves one person having to break a boss' crit and telling the team which colour he glows. And btw, skipping a mechanic isn't anything new; for example, being able to completely ignore the scanner augment on Taniks is a feature to speed up the encounter. In both cases, you can skip a part of the encounter and make things go faster, BUT it involves a significant risk and can result in no supers and not enough ammo.

Anyway, Bungie released the numbers!

Total players that entered the raid: 582,428

Unique players that cleared the full raid – i.e., players that got all 4 reward events: 190,459

That's 32%! Barely a third of everyone who tried. This might seem like a lot, especially to elitist goblins, but only one third of everyone who tried, in 48 hours, is not a lot. Also I kept seeing people saying that the number would be higher. Like, people out there genuinely believe that the day 1 was cleared by something like 80% of those who tried. That doesn't even account for hundreds of thousands of players who still aren't trying or raiding at all.

This is a MUCH healthier number for something that is meant to be a community contest and a one of a kind experience that should motivate people to participate. Streamers have invented an arbitrary number of people who are "allowed" to clear day 1 and for them it's 5%. It's a completely imaginary "limit" that only makes sense to them and that Bungie never implied in any way, shape or form. I'm sure Bungie is much happier with more people making attempts (about 130k more players tried Root than KF) and more people successfully finishing it. Streamers can stick 5% up their ass.

[imtryingmybeskar]

Congrats on the follower milestone, you 100% deserve it! I get the fuzzies when I get a notification because I know I'm in for a treat. If it hasn't been requested could you do something with 13 (how much of this did you hear?) tied with 21 (I want to help you, so please let me) with a f!reader?

I see that being either Din fluff (reader is a fellow bounty hunter traveling on the Crest to help with Grogu and gets a comm from an old friend/family about trouble at home with raiders or Imps and since he has the big feels that she don't know about he wants to make sure she's safe) or maybe something with Marcus Pike (reader owns his favorite small bookstore/cafe and has a family member treating them like crap and he's the softest so he refuses to let someone walk all over his secret crush)

I'm sorry this has taken so long my lovely! And I still might do the Din prompt (honestly, I've already started writing it😅)

But for now here's Marcus Pike x Reader. Word count 2187. Warnings for swearing and familial emotional and psychological abuse.

Rescue Me

Marcus Pike enjoyed routine. His job could be so unpredictable day to day that he found that the older he got, the more he craved stability in his private life. Perhaps that's why he was so desperate to be married again, he mused. No. Desperate was the wrong word. He didn't want to marry just anyone of course. They had to be special, or at the very least love him for who he was. He didn't think that was too much to ask, though with the way his love life was going perhaps he was wrong about that...

"Penny for them."

"Huh?" Marcus startled and then grinned sheepishly when he saw who had spoken to him.

"Penny for your thoughts," you repeated. "Or have you suddenly developed a fascination with-" you craned your neck to look at the spines of the books facing Marcus "-heavy agricultural machinery?"

"No, I'm...I'm just a million miles away today. I was wandering through the shelves and somehow ended up here. Why do you have books on this stuff anyway?" he asked. You laughed and the sound drew his grin wider over his face.

"Marcus, you know I'm convinced that this bookshop contains a portal to some other place. I swear I don't remember ordering half of the things back here. That's why they're under "Miscellaneous", so I don't have to keep an eye on them!" You winked conspiratorially at him. "Can I recommend something that's just come in that might be more to your taste?"

Marcus nodded and followed you through the maze of bookshelves that made up your shop. He liked it here - had done ever since he had come in some six months back looking for some holiday reading (the break sorely needed after his heartbreak over Theresa). You had been enthusiastic and helpful and the shop had delighted him - the barely controlled chaos and cosiness speaking to something in his soul. Well...it looked like barely controlled chaos to his eyes, but you always seemed to know precisely where everything was, even if you claimed you had no knowledge of where it had appeared from.

You hummed softly as you led him over to the horror section and handed him a book that you yourself had read and enjoyed only the previous week.

"A ghost story?" he said dubiously. "I dunno…"

"Do you trust me?" you asked.

Marcus's breath caught in his chest. The two of you had developed a rapport since he had started to come in regularly, had made the bookshop part of his routine. He knew that the question was an innocent one on your part, but the crush on you that he had discovered lurking within him wouldn't let him believe that entirely. Oh crap. He had to answer, before he looked like a weirdo.

"Yes," he exclaimed a little too forcefully.

"Good," you smiled. "Then how about you sit right here and take in a chapter? If you hate it, we'll say no more and I'll let you get back to your tractors!" Marcus allowed himself to be steered toward one of the comfortable looking chairs at the front of the store. "I was just about to make myself a tea. Would you like some?"

Marcus was a little surprised. This was new territory. On occasion he had sat and perused the books he had intended to purchase, using it as an excuse to glance up at you occasionally as you dealt with other customers and generally ran the shop. But he'd never been invited to have tea before. He eagerly accepted before he could talk himself out of it and you smiled broadly at him again, causing a flare of heat to ignite in his chest.

"Peppermint okay?"

"Perfect," he replied before sinking into the soft velvety embrace of the comfortable chair. He opened the book and tried to focus on the opening paragraph. It was no good - his mind kept sliding from the words on the page back to you. To the warmth of your smile, to the waft of vanilla he would get whenever he was close to you, to the way your eyes lit up when you discussed literature with him. And his thoughts drifted further - speculating on what this could mean. Did you want to spend more time with him? Would you sit and have tea opposite him? Almost like a...date? Or was this merely customer care? A friendly overture to ensure he came back again?

Marcus realised he had been staring unseeing at the book for several minutes while the cogs in his mind turned and contemplated you. Contemplated this. He was also aware that you had been gone for a while and he was starting to become a little concerned. He made his way toward the slightly ajar door that proclaimed to lead to the "Staff Only" area, intent on calling out to you.

Instead his heart gave a painful squeeze in his chest as he recognised your voice - not full of joy and laughter as it usually was, but hitching with sobs that you were clearly trying to contain. He knew that he really shouldn't listen to whatever you were in the middle of, but the shock of hearing you so upset seemed to have rooted him to the spot temporarily.

"-can't do this," you were saying in a low and desperate tone of voice. "You-" Marcus heard the muffled reply at the other end and even from here could tell that the reply was both terse and irritated. "But...where will I go?" you whispered. "What shall I-" At this point it seemed that whomever you were talking to lost their temper. Even from this distance, Marcus could very clearly hear the shouting as you held the phone away from your ear to get some distance from the deafening screams.

"That's YOUR problem! You should have thought about that before you opened that stupid fucking shop. In fact, why don't you sleep there? This is so like you. Never thinking of anyone but yourself! Selfish, stupid, waste of fucking oxygen!"

Then they hung up.

Marcus could just about see you through the gap of the slightly open door, leaning over the kitchen counter into your folded arms, your shoulders shaking with silent misery. He couldn't bear it..

"Hey," he said softly. "Are you okay?" He winced at the stupidity and awkwardness of the question, but allowed it to hang nonetheless. He was looking firmly at the floor now, not wanting to make you embarrassed on top of everything else.

"I'm fine," you replied in a quavery voice, clearly not fine in the slightest. "Just give me a sec." There were some rustling, shuffling sounds and then the door opened fully to reveal you, looking dishevelled and miserable. As if you had been punctured and all the joy was leaking out of you. "How much of this did you hear?" you asked bluntly in a miserable tone of voice.

"Enough," he replied softly. "What happened? He hadn't expected you to actually answer him, had expected another polite declaration that you were just fine, but it was as if a boil was being lanced and all of the poison just gushed from you.

"Its my parents," you confessed. "I live in a little annexe at the end of their garden. I can't afford my own place yet because...well you know city prices. And I took out a loan to get this place up and running and I stupidly borrowed money from them too. And between the rent they charge and both loan repayments its tough. But I was getting by. This place is finally starting to turn a profit and I tutor kids on the side in English and History so that was a little more income, and I had just about scraped a deposit together to finally start looking for somewhere by myself. But now..." Your eyes filled with tears again and Marcus stepped forward, intending to hug you but thinking the better of it last minute and placing what he hoped was a reassuring hand on your shoulder instead. You wiped the tears away and continued, your voice still wobbly. "They just told me that I have to get out. Now. Tonight. They've already moved all my stuff on to the lawn. They want to move my brother in there. He lost his job because of his drinking and his marriage just broke up because of his cheating, but he's still their golden baby boy and I...I'm just a fucking irritation to them. A loser. Who will never amount to anything. I have no other family here and nowhere to go and even if I do manage to find somewhere to rent I don't know how I'm going to live because they're demanding I pay the entire loan back in a month so that my brother has money to live on. And they...they brought my cat to the shelter. This is going to sound so pathetic but she was my one friend, you know. They begrudged me having her, but it meant I bothered them less so they tolerated it. And they just...gave her up. Like...like..."

You dissolved into tears again and this time Marcus did hug you, wrapping his arms tight around your back and letting you cry everything out until you were a sodden, hiccupping mess on him. Then he drew you back gently and looked into your eyes as he spoke, desperately wanting you to truly understand and accept what he was telling you. "You are not a waste of space. You're thoughtful and kind and forgive me for saying it, but your family sounds like they're monsters. You don't deserve what they've put you through in the past and you don't deserve what they're putting you through now. I...have a few ideas of how we can make this better."

You gave him a defeated, slightly incredulous look. "You're very kind Marcus, but I couldn't impose upon you. I'm sorry I blurted all that out just now. And for crying on you. And...oh god your suit is all gross now-" You made as if to brush his lapel down and Marcus caught your hand gently. Your eyes raised to his once more.

"I want to help you. So please let me." You held his gaze for a few moments and he could see your eyes soften from flinty rejection to a wary trust. You swallowed thickly and nodded your assent. "Thank you," he said, sincerely. "First of all, you can stay at my place. No arguments," he added as you began to protest. "I have a two bed apartment, but I'm happy to stay in a hotel until you get your feet under you again. I don't want anything in return. Its not like that. I just...I want you to be okay. Secondly my apartment allows pets, so we're going to drive to the shelter and get your cat back as soon as you've locked up for the night." At this your chin wobbled madly again and the tears started falling freely down your face. "Hey, its okay. It's all okay," he reassured you, holding your upper arms gently. "Thirdly, I'm going to drive you to your parents house and help you collect all your stuff. I uh...I moved to DC in a hurry. I had a much bigger place when I lived in Texas and I've been renting a storage unit to store stuff so you can use that too."

"Marcus," you whispered. "Thank you. I mean...I don't know what to say apart from that. You're amazing. Literally saving me right now!"

"Hey, its what I do," he smiled casually, and at your confused look he elaborated. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I work for the FBI. Art fraud, so I save paintings more than people, but still. That brings me on to my fourth point. I assume you have some sort of contract with your parents about all of this?" At your nod of affirmation, he smiled again. "I know a few legal experts to say the least. If you want to, we can pursue this further once you feel up to it. No one's family should treat them this way. Not when you're so-" He stopped himself abruptly. He was about to say how lovely you were, but felt perhaps it would be taking advantage of you in your vulnerable state, so he left the sentence hanging. But you seemed to understand because you gave him the most true smile he'd seen since you'd offered him tea.

"Thank you Marcus," you said again, your voice a little hoarse from crying. "Thank you for everything. And...um...I don't want you to get that hotel. It wouldn't feel right me kicking you out of your own apartment when you've been so kind."

"You might change your mind once you taste my cooking," he joked and was rewarded with a choked laughed that was still half a sob. "Come on," he said gently. "Let's get you out of there."

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