#but since half of it are spoilers for PA

[tblsomedoodles]

More FW Venus doodles as i get used to doodling her

I needed to draw her and jennika bonding time. And work out how her clothes work. (ie. braided sash instead of a braided bandanna b/c she doesn't do ninja stuff.) Also, her and jennika's dynamic would be absolutely hilarious. Shy big sister with gremlin child little sister. <3

[pink-ninja]

Dragons rising s2 part 2 spoilers and a bit of a rant about arin

Honestly I could rant about it for a long time but to me Arin acted just so selfishly this entire half of the season, I get it, he wants to find his parents, but he's not the only one who lost someone important to them.

It made me so mad that he threw a fit and ignored Sora for half the episodes cause she "lied to him about his object spinjitzu" like no Arin, the world was at stake and nobody could afford for you to miss that throw, she didn't tell you about it because your self confidence in your skills was low and she didn't want to make it worse. And don't get me started on him thinking that Lloyd promised Arin they'd find his parents but haven't yet after he heard Lloyd promising Nya they'd go look for Jay after the tournament.

I get the ninja are arin's idols, but sometimes it seems like he forgets the ninja are way more than what the public sees, etc all the stuff they did before they got famous, how they were super young when they became ninja. And Lloyd from the very start told Arin he couldn't be their master, that he wasn't good enough to be one, he agreed to be their teacher but constantly insisted they need master Wu, obviously he couldn't give them the best training from the start because he'd never trained anyone and was just trying to use Wu's old teachings because that's how all the other ninja were taught. Lloyd never lied to Arin and gave him false promises (like Wu telling Morro he'd be the green ninja) he told Arin he has amazing potential, Lloyd never said he was some amazing teacher, he was transparent about his doubts from the start. But in my opinion Arin is still idolizing the ninja, and obviously they can't do everything at once like finding arin's parents, Lloyd mentioned from the very start they still didn't know everything about the new merged realms or how the merge happened. Plus Arin isn't the only one who lost someone, Zane is still missing pixal, wyldfyre misses Kai, Nya is clearly distraught over Jay, I'm sure they'd want nothing more than to go out looking for the people they care about, but they don't because they know they a responsibility to keep the world safe (as asked of them by a source dragon who went down to the mortal world specifically to ask them)

My other beef with Arin is after the ghost of sensei Wu appeared, he asked if sensei Wu was responsible for the merge, Wu said yes, Arin then proceeds to tell Lloyd in the middle of a pretty chaotic fight where one of the five has pretty much all the elemental powers, we can tell Lloyd is shocked by the information, but he quickly burries those thoughts because he knows he has to focus on the current situation. Even Zane tells Arin it's a lot to process, Arin should know that they have to stop the 5 and protect the source dragons but instead he chooses to hold a grudge against Lloyd for focusing on their current situation instead of something nobody can change, especially at the current moment, and then chooses to side with Ras, even after everything Ras had done to them in the past, just because Ras told him part of the truth, Arin didn't take a moment to wonder if Ras was hiding something else, because he's after the source dragons and then says he only trusts Ras now. Like I get it Arin wants to find his parents, but Lloyd never forced Arin to become a ninja, Arin started calling Lloyd his master, Arin was the one that wanted to train to be a ninja first

And maybe I'm a little biased cause Lloyd is my favorite (but I also love jaya so if Nya could pause her search for Jay because she knows she's needed elsewhere) Arin should be able to understand that the ninja's first priority is to keep the world safe, one of lloyd's biggest priorities since a bunch of things about the merge are tied to his grandfather and the source dragons (plus he's the conduit) and that even if they wanted to the ninja can't just drop everything and search the entire merged realms for arin's parents.

Like I want nothing more than to give Arin a well needed lecture about how he is the one that wanted to join the ninja in the first place and honestly he could've easily told Lloyd "hey I'm leaving on a journey to go find my parents because unlike you, finding my parents is my top priority, not saving the world"

I know I've got a long rant but ever since I finished the last episode of season 2 it's been on my mind, and of course this is just a personal opinion

[the-record]

ALL MY LOVE

SUMMARY: a ghost from your past finds herself back home

PAIRING: nell jackson x reader

WARNINGS: some show spoilers!!!

A/N: if you haven’t watched renegade nell, please go watch it now its literally fantastic and i havent stopped thinking about it since

‘THERE AINT A DROP OF BAD BLOOD ITS ALL MY LOVE’

word tends to spread fast in tottenham.

“sam trotter’s girl? back from the dead?” the ladies gossip wasn’t exactly quiet, though they tried. “how’s that bloody possible?”

you couldn’t help but listen in, not your fault they couldn’t whisper. “sorry,” you interrupted, “did you say sam trotter’s girl?” 

they nodded. “back from the dead she is.” you tuned them out as their words clicked. 

half a gasp before you ran off, leaving the ladies in shock. you shoved past people, yelling out ‘sorry’s as you went. it had been quite some time since you went to the tavern, not since nelly left you all, but you knew the path like the back of your hand.

the door slammed as you looked around, finding only george amongst the customers. a silent question in your eyes as you stared. 

"she's in the back with pa."

you nodded and ran off, george smiling as you whipped past her. 

time stopped when you saw her, you thought your heart might just burst. 

"nell?" voice just above a whisper but she heard you. you threw yourself at her when she smiled. her breath caught as she caught you, winding her arms around your waist and pulling tight. you pulled back and slapped her arm. "you're s'posed to be dead."

she faked a hurt gasp but pulled you back in. “can’t believe youre still ‘ere. thought you might’ve married some rich fella and ran off.” she teased. your eyes found her lip, split and dry. you followed it down, taking in her clothes.

“and what are these?” you gestured to her pants. “not very ladylike.” 

nell huffed a laugh, “d’you think?” her hands ran up and down your arms. “i’ve missed ya.”

she hissed as you dabbed at her lip with a damp towel, but you just smiled and hushed her. “you always were a baby.” nell rolled her eyes but sat still again. “so what have you been doin’ all these years, hm?” 

“beating up highwaymen.” she laughed but your face was serious. “busy playing wife and nurse for captain jackson,” she played with the ring on her left hand.

“can’t believe you married before me.” you forced a small smile. “sorry by the way, ‘bout him.” 

nell shook her head. “don’t be.” she took your wrist in her hand, stopping your gentle ministrations. “thought about you everyday.” you shook your head and sighed, looking away, but nell insisted. “i did, truly.”

her eyes searched your face and stopped on your lips. “nell…” when you turned back she was already staring. “we can’t.” you whispered. her sisters were right next door for god’s sake.

“oh c’mon, for old times sake. for me.” she stared deeply. “hm?” 

god, she could be so convincing.

“just like that, huh?” you yelled as you stomped up to nell. roxy and sam backed up, giving the two of you space. “no goodbye again?” she stared at her boots and shook her head “and what’s this i hear about you roughing up thomas blancheford? you can’t afford to do that.”

you stood in-front of her with your arms crossed across your chest. “i’m just fine.” she continued fixing the saddle on her horse. “and i did say goodbye last time.”

“yes, a goodbye see you tomorrow if i remember right.” you huffed a laugh. “was gonna say i can’t believe this, but i guess i can huh?” you stepped close, toe to toe. “just like you to up and leave. never cared much for anyone else’s feelings, did ya?”

you knew it hurt her, but she hurt you first. when she laughed you wanted to slap her, teach her right then. “are you kidding me nell? you serious?”

“didn’t even give me the chance to ask you to come with.” 

‘YOU GOT ALL MY LOVE, I’M STILL OUT HERE’

[thefanficmonster]

Are you still doing Carmy requests? Can you do one where he maybe goes to the the pharmacy with Richie or someone else and he develops a crush on a worker?

Hi dear! Yup I'm accepting requests for all characters from The Bear. Thank you so much for your request! I hope you enjoy the fic 💌

Happenstance

Carmen Berzatto x Reader (Gender Neutral - They/Them) [The Bear]

Warnings: Swearing, Minor Injury, Minor Spoilers for The Bear

Genre: FLUFF

Summary: see request above

NOTE: This fic takes place during season 1

He's driving without a license, sweating profusely. His hands are clenched tightly around the wheel, his eyes tranced on the road ahead as he tries his best to block out Richie's annoying rambling as he wills muscle memory not to fail him now. He never got his license, never really needed to, considering everything was within walking distance in Chicago growing up and whenever he needed to get anywhere further out of the walking radius, transport was always easily accessible. New York too. He can't remember if anyone he worked with even had a license.

Michael and Richie both got their hands on a license and a steering wheel as soon as they could and tried talking Carmy and Sugar into doing the same. The former never showed any interest but still listened to their freely offered lessons just in case the skill of driving could come in handy one day.

Today happens to be that day.

It's been years since these aforementioned lessons took place, though. So, it's safe to say he's struggling.

The day started off like any other, the usual chaotic monotony of The Beef running through the motions. And then, suddenly, it was interrupted.

A man Carmy did not recognize approached the restaurant with a rigid demeanor, hostility written all over his face. Unlike him, Richie was all too familiar with this asshole. He was a debt collector, a grifter almost, one of many breathing down Mikey's neck while he was alive and Richie's now that he isn't.

To be fair, Richie could've approached and maybe even handled the situation with just slightly more tact. But come on now, we're talking about Richie, so of course he didn't.

That's how he ended up here, in the passenger seat of his own car, with a swelling black eye he can't see out of, still yelling stubbornly.

"Cousin, shut the fuck up! You're literally half blind right now and you still wanna argue?! You don't wanna see out of neither of your eyes!?" Carmy finally snaps, the adrenaline and anxiety of the situation getting too much to bear. He has to put up with the loud-mouth next to him, focus on the road and keep them alive with what little memory he has of driving lessons he barely paid any mind to, and be wary of a potential fine and legal trouble if he gets caught.

He can't remember how or who convinced him to drive in the insanity of the brawl's aftermath. He hates whoever it may be, although he did this to himself.

"Oh what?! You're gonna punch me, asshole?!" Richie provokes him further, poking the bear - no pun intended - with a stick.

"Maybe I fucking will if you don't shut your trap!" Carmy's voice booms in the small space in the car, somehow managing to out-yell his cousin who has now miraculously actually shut the fuck up.

They drive in peace for a solid five minutes before a voice once again fills the car.

"Can you pull up to that pharmacy? Grab me some painkillers?"

Given that what's coming out of his mouth is reasonable for a change, Carmy obliges with nothing more than a nod. When the car comes to a stop, he unbuckles his seatbelt with still shaky hands, "Stay in the car. I don't want you traumatizing the workers inside."

He feels a hand give him a light shove as he gets out but he lets it go, retaliating with a slam of the car door before heading inside.

The bell above the entrance dings, alerting the clerk to his presence. They give him a polite nod and smile, greeting him with their standard professional and courteous "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Uh, I'm supposed to get painkillers." He says, suddenly a little flustered. The extent of his life outside the restaurant only involves his commute to and from it. He hasn't exactly had any proper human interactions without the usual workplace yelling and disagreements.

Luckily the pharmacist, who he'll admit isn't helping his nervousness with their attractiveness, meets him halfway in his panic, their warm and comforting aura shining through their smile, "Ok, no problem. What kind?"

"Whatever kind is best for a black eye." His response breaks their professional composure, making them laugh a little before they catch themself, clearing their throat.

"Give me a second." They smile, shaking their head before briefly disappearing out of view, behind a shelf of medication one their side of the counter. When they return, they set down a bottle of pills, an ice cold water bottle and some cloth bandages. "Knock two of these back..." they begin, pointing to the pills, "...then soak the bandages in cold water and apply to the wound. And, lastly..." They take a pause to chuckle, "Drive to urgent care, please."

"All sound advice. However..." A loud honk of a car horn interrupts him, causing him to cringe, "....my cousin is a little particular."

The pharmacist laughs again, shaking their head in understanding, "I see. Well, hope you sort it out." They ring up his pills and tell him the price. Only seventeen dollars, which causes him to glance at them with a quirked eyebrow, evidently puzzled. They immediately pick up on what he's confused about, "The bandages and water are on the house."

Expressing his gratitude with a bright grin and nod, he takes the items and leaves the pharmacy, waving a quick goodbye to the clerk. The smile doesn't drop from his face even once he enters the car to more yelling from Richie, asking what had taken so long. He quiets him down by tossing the products at him, all thankfully avoiding his face and falling in his lap. All the while, he remains grinning like an idiot at the luckt happenstance of finding his new go-to pharmacy.

Who cares that it's forty-five minutes from his place? That's a small distance to travel for a man who believes he might have just developed a little crush.

[fallen-gravity]

One Call Away

It's 1982. Somewhere in New Mexico, Stan recieves a phone call from not-quite his brother. Someone is threatening to take his life. Whether Ford himself is desperately reaching out for help, or someone else entirely has him at gunpoint, Stan knows one thing for sure: He needs to find him and fast.

Alternatively: An AU where the payphone Bill used to call Stan while posessing Ford worked, and Stan is actually forced to listen to his "brother" threaten to kill himself.

Notes:

Caution: This fic has MAJOR spoilers for The Book of Bill. Proceed with caution.

Author's Note 2 Electric Boogaloo: God, this book has had a huge grip on my psyche all week. I'm losing my mind. I'm going absolutely feral. I lost my shit at the section of the Missing Journal 3 Pages where Ford revealed that Bill tried to make a phone call in his name to Stan threatening to kill himself. I audibly gasped. I read it three times. God. I'm insane.

No character death tag because nobody dies! This fic ends on a positive note, I promise :')

AO3 Link

Or under the cut:

When you’ve been scamming suckers out of their money as long as Stan has, you come to learn to expect that anything can happen. You learn to tend to your own injuries, you learn the best escape routes, you learn as many languages as you can in case you need to flee the country, you learn to disappear without a trace; when you expect everything, you learn to let nothing surprise you.

When you have a public phone line that anyone can call, you learn to expect that only about half of those calls are gonna be potential new customers eager to try out your products. When you’ve been relying on these new customers to provide the money for your next meal, you tend to pay attention to patterns; you notice when your commercials air, how many customers are likely to call in, and how long it takes for customers to realize they’ve been scammed and call back demanding their money back. To most, it looks like the world’s most elaborately thought out scam they’ve ever seen. To you, it’s survival.

Expect everything so you can be prepared for anything. That’s how Stan sees it, anyway. As long as he’s prepared, nothing can catch him off guard. If he knows what’s coming, he’ll never have to wake up in the trunk of a car with his hands tied behind his back ever again.

Unfortunately for Stan, though, that means being hyper-alert at all times, even in his sleep, so even the most mundane of noises can wake him up. If the couple in the hotel room next to him drops a bottle of shampoo in the shower, he’s gonna hear it and wake up. 

If the phone starts ringing at god-knows-when in the morning, he’s going to shoot up awake, even if it just turns out to be some dumb telemarketer trying to reach him about his car’s extended warranty.

The alarm clock on the hotel nightstand tells him it’s nearing four-thirty in the morning when the complimentary phone in his hotel room starts ringing. 

That’s…strange. There’s no way that could be a customer, because Stan never bothered to buy commercial spots for late night and prime time television. For one, prime time is incredibly expensive and has too many competitors who are selling actual products, and secondly, Stan’s found that he has the most success when he advertises on the daytime soap opera channels, because that’s when all the bored housewives and old folks’ homes are likely watching TV. 

Could it be someone he’s pissed off? No, that doesn’t make any sense either, because they don’t usually have the courtesy to call before they show up with a shotgun or twelve. It can’t be Ma, since she usually calls when Pa goes away on his weekend trips to Atlantic City. 

Nothing’s adding up. Every fiber in his being is telling him not to answer.

And yet… 

He fears more for what will happen to him if he doesn’t answer. 

He pats his hair down, takes a deep breath, and picks up the receiver. 

“You’ve reached Stan-Co! Totally authentic and worthwhile products. If you need it, I have it. Stan’s your man. How can I legitimately help you today?”

“Stanley!” replies an all-too familiar voice, one he hasn’t heard in nearly ten years. “Just the man I wanted to see!” he says, despite not being able to see him and having been the one who called first. 

“Wh- Stanford?!? The hell are you doin’ calling my infomercial line?” Stan splutters, too shocked to even bother trying to keep his voice down. 

“Awww, that’s not a very nice hello for your favorite brother, is it?” Ford’s voice replies, sounding like he’s suppressing hysterical laughter. 

Something’s wrong.

 Stan may not have spoken to his brother in years, but he can instantly tell that something’s wrong.

“Stanford, what the hell is going on?”

There’s a short pause, and then Ford blows a raspberry into the receiver. “You’re no fun! I thought for sure you’d cry like a baby when I called!” 

Yeah, okay, something is definitely wrong. “Why won’t you tell me what’s going on, Ford? Why the hell are you calling me so late? Why me? I thought you hated my guts!”

“Oh, I do!” Ford replies without a drop of hesitation, giggling like a madman. “But I don’t have much time, and there’s something really important I need to say, and you’re the only person I want hearing what I’m about to say.” There’s something…off about the way he sounds, not quite the slur of someone who’s drunk and far too energetic to be that of someone lacking sleep. But there’s something almost garbled about it, like he’s not all that aware of what he’s saying, and if Stan listens close enough he’s sure that he can hear an echo.

But Stan can recognize the cheap, static-y sound of someone calling from a payphone anywhere. Wherever Ford is, he’s calling from outside, and the last time Stan checked the only places outside that echoed were either very high up, very dangerous, or both of them put together. Stan does his best to repress the lump forming in his throat trying to imagine what kind of danger he possibly could’ve gotten himself into, especially if he felt the need to call him, rather than the cops, but he still can’t quite shake the tremble in his voice when he replies.

“Not much time? C’mon, Ford, don’t say that! I can help you! Screw this cold shoulder bullshit! I can help you! Just tell me what’s going on so we can figure this out together!”

An eerily long pause, and the next time Ford speaks it’s as if he brought the phone as close to his mouth as he possibly could. 

“You’re too late,” he replies, colder and more dismissive as Stan’s ever heard in his entire life. “I’m going to take a swim in the frozen lake tomorrow, and I might not ever come back, so if you don’t hear from me, I just want you to know that it’s because I never loved you. Buh-Byeeeeee!” 

“WAIT!” Stan screeches, and thankfully it’s enough to stop Ford from hanging up. “Ford, c’mon, there’s gotta be something I can do! You’re acting crazy! I’m not asking anymore, I’m begging! Where the hell are you?”

Another pause. 

Then, a voice that doesn’t sound anything like Ford’s.

“Oh, goody! An audience! You want to watch him die so badly, that’s fine by me! I’ll even hold off just for you!” An ear-shatteringly high pitched cackle. “Gravity Falls, Oregon. If you want him, come and get him.”

“Him?! Who the hell is-” Stan snaps, but before he can ask any more questions, Ford hangs up, and all Stan is left with is the droning buzz of the dial tone.

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. Either Ford’s lost his mind and really is planning to off himself, or someone else is threatening to do it for him. Shit. Shit. Stan has to go now. Everything else be damned, if he doesn’t leave before this other maniac gets bored of waiting then Ford’s not gonna be there at all when he finally makes it to Oregon. That’s nearly halfway across the country from his hotel in New Mexico as is, so he already doesn’t have any time to spare.

He leaps out of bed, reaching underneath until he finds his duffle bag, and practically tears the place apart trying to get all of his belongings together. There’s something in his gut telling him he’s not coming back any time soon, and even if Ford had miraculously said he was only one state over, Stan isn’t willing to risk leaving behind anything important, weaponry included. How’s Stan supposed to know what kind of bullshit Ford got himself into? How could he live with himself if he assumed all was well and left his brass knuckles behind, only to find his brother half-dead in an alleyway somewhere? 

He’s not risking it. Even if everything is fine, and Ford had only sounded like that because he was drunk off his ass and had no idea what he was actually saying, Stan’s not risking it.

Even if Ford doesn’t want him in his life, Stan’s not willing to risk losing him. Not again. Not permanently. 

Once he has all his stuff together, Stan scribbles down a half-assed apology for housekeeping and tapes it to the door alongside a twenty dollar bill. He hastily tosses all of his stuff in the back of the car, and speeds off out of the hotel parking lot as if it were his own life on the line. He doesn’t want to think about the worst case scenarios, so for now he focuses only on the road signs for directions to the closest pit stop and hopefully enough energy drinks to last him the twenty-something hour drive he’s about to make. 

Thankfully, the closest one is less than an hour away and open 24/7 to boot, so Stan is sure that his luck is turning around; all he has to do is pop in, grab a few things, and be on his way. He’ll be in Oregon before he knows it.

That is, of course, until he realizes that none of the maps at the place even have a so-called Gravity Falls listed on any of them.

“Uh, hey,” Stan calls out to the worker behind the cash register, who looks like he’s falling asleep where he stands. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Gravity Falls is, do you? Gravity Falls, Oregon?” 

At first Stan’s not entirely sure if the poor guy even heard him, but then the worker eyes him up and down and sighs heavily. “You makin’ fun of me or something?”

Stan blinks. “What? No, A’course not!” he sighs, pinching at the bridge of his nose. “Look, I don’t exactly have a lot of time here! I don’t know why I can’t find it on any of your brochure maps, but I’ve got a gut feeling that someone I love is in a lot of danger and I need to get there as fast as I possibly can. Do you know where it is or not?”

For a brief moment the man still doesn’t answer, eyeing him up and down again, before he sighs and leans forward, like the information he’s about to give him is top-secret government information. “Alright,” he whispers, and glances around the store to make sure the two of them are alone. “I’ve heard things. Rumors. Crazy stories about ghouls and goblins and people who come and go without a trace of memory of who they were before they entered that town. I’ve got a general idea of where it is, but I’m not confident. If you’re willing to listen, I’ve got theories.”

Under any other circumstances, Stan would wave him off as insane and book it out of there as fast as he could, but he’s desperate for any information he can get, and he’s not entirely sure when the next time he’ll find anyone even remotely familiar with the town will even be. So Stan agrees, and does his best not to show how insane he thinks this worker is as he starts going off about the supernatural and monsters that sound like they belong in a Saturday morning cartoon. 

If Ford really is anywhere near any kind of place that fits this man’s stories, it’s no wonder he sounded like he was starting to lose his mind. 

After listening to the man ramble on for god knows how long and watching him draw circles in the map where he thinks the town could be, Stan thanks him by actually paying for what he came in for before jumping back into his car and speeding down the highway as fast as he possibly can. 

It’s an agonizing two day drive, only stopped by the times Stan fell asleep at the wheel and forced himself to pull over and take a nap, and the time he was so desperate for food that he pulled off at some truck stop (with admittedly the grossest food he’s eaten since becoming homeless) for a hot meal. If it were up to him, he would’ve done the whole drive in one go, but it was when he nearly careened his car off a cliff trying to stay awake that he realized that he wouldn’t be any good to his brother dead, so he resolved to also take short driving breaks here and there to make sure he kept his energy up; if he really does need to fight someone when he gets there, he’s gonna need all the strength he can get. 

Thankfully, upon arrival at Gravity Falls, Ford’s place of residence is much easier to find than Stan had feared; for a guy who’d been longing for a place he belonged since early childhood, Ford sure likes to stick out like a sore thumb wherever he goes. As soon as Stan goes around town asking townsfolk if anyone had seen anyone who looked like him “except a lot smarter, I guess,” nearly every single person he asks points off in the same direction of the woods and gives him the same confused sort of I think he lives somewhere in there. If he hadn’t gotten it from at least five separate people, Stan would’ve been sure that they were all screwing with him. 

And, as it turns out…every single one of them is right. It doesn’t take that much venturing in the woods for Stan to come across the giant cabin aglow in eerie blue lighting and surrounded by tall fences of barbed wire with pieces of cardboard stapled to it and “KEEP OUT” written on them in shaky handwriting. If Ford is anywhere, it’s here. 

Now…breaking into somewhere he’s not allowed? Stan can do that in his sleep. He’s done it hundreds of times, and he’ll probably do it another hundreds of thousands of times again before he dies.

But… 

Seeing his brother again? 

That terrifies him to his very core. Reason for driving all the way out here aside, there’s still a very real chance Ford’s gonna tell him he still never wants to see him again and slam the door in his face, and then Stan’s really gonna have nowhere to go. After everything, if Stan rescues Ford from whatever’s after him and he still tells him to leave and never come back?

What then?

…No. That’s not what matters right now. He can worry about that later.

With a shake of his head to brush off his thoughts, Stan rams his car into the fence hard and fast enough to topple it to the ground. He drives down the path until he’s close enough to the front entrance that he can hop out of his car as quickly as he can, but hidden enough that he won’t be seen if someone (or something) tries to escape.

Stan takes a deep breath as he exits his car and makes his way to the front door, and finds himself hesitating to knock the door as soon as he’s on the porch steps.

It’s for his own good, Stan tells himself. It’s for his own good. I’m just trying to help. It’s for his own good. 

He stamps down on any last remnants of hesitation and knocks on the door, loud enough for Ford to hear but gently enough to hopefully assure him that it isn’t anyone who wants to hurt him. Almost instantaneously, Stan can hear the sound of objects falling and glass shattering from inside, like a spooked deer trying to dodge the headlights of an oncoming truck. Stan’s sure he can hear the sound of someone muttering, and he’s relieved beyond comparison that it’s the only voice he can hear coming from inside.  

Because he can tell that it’s Ford’s voice. 

Which means he’s still alive.

Stan huffs out a huge sigh of relief, and subconsciously begins patting down the wrinkles in his clothes to make himself more presentable. He waits, and he waits, but despite Stan knowing he heard Ford stumbling around inside, he never comes to answer the door. 

Stan frowns. This is going to be even harder than he thought. Stan tries again, this time knocking exactly six times in the hopes that it’ll clue Ford in on the fact that it’s just him at the door.

As it turns out, though, that seems to be an even bigger mistake than knocking normally, because now the noises coming from inside sound even more frightened. From inside, Stan can hear a muffled string of curse words, followed by the sound of some piece of furniture being knocked over, and finally, the sound of feet trying and failing to sneakily run across a squeaky hardwood floor.  Stan’s about to give up, head into town, and try reaching Ford from a payphone instead, but the door slowly starts to creak open before Stan has the chance to step down from the porch and get back in his car. 

“Stay back!” Ford shrieks, his voice trembling. Stan still can’t quite see him, because he’s too distracted by the crossbow being shoved in his face. “I don’t care who you’re pretending to be, I will shoot if you try anything!”

Ford finally steps out into view, and Stan’s heart falls to his stomach. Sweet Moses, he looks so much worse than Stan ever could’ve imagined. His hair is a wreck, sticking up in some places and sticking to the side of his face in others. His eyes are bloodshot and puffy, which Stan can only hope is from crying and not something…worse. There’s a dried streak of blood running down from his right eye, and there’s scratches and cuts splattered around his face. He’s wearing a ratty trench coat, and the white shirt underneath is practically falling off of his body, concerningly torn to bits at the chest area. And from what’s left of the poor shirt, there’s splotches of vomit mixed with some other…unrecognizable liquids.

Stan can feel a foul-tasting bile rising in his throat at the sight of him. Surely anyone else would flee, thinking him to be clinically insane, but Stan refuses to sit around and ignore whatever caused his brother to turn out like…this. 

“Stanford?” Stan splutters, failing to keep the shock out of his voice. “What the ever-loving  fuck is going on?” 

Somehow, that of all things is what seems to snap Ford out of his trance. He’s still clinging to his crossbow, but his fingers aren’t on the trigger anymore and his eyes are already looking less foggy than when he’d opened the door a minute prior. He blinks and rubs at his eyes, and takes a cautious, shaky step forward, like he’s afraid the ground will shatter like glass under his feet if he moves too quickly. 

“S-Stanley?” Ford whispers, more to himself than to Stan, but Stan can’t help the sigh of relief that escapes him. 

He’s not too far gone. There’s still hope. Stan goes to take another step forward, but before he has the chance, all the color drains from Ford’s face.

“Oh no,” Ford whispers, and the crossbow slips from his hand. “Oh no no no no no no no,” he mumbles, retreating back inside without closing the door. He comes back out moments later, gripping a flashlight in one hand and a VHS tape in the other. 

Out of nowhere, Ford grabs Stan by the shoulders, prompting a surprised yelp out of him, and even more out of nowhere, Ford takes the flashlight and flashes it in his eyes. 

“Ow! What gives!?” Stan exclaims, pulling himself out of Ford’s grip and rubbing at his eyes with his wrist. When his vision finally readjusts from the assault, he’s surprised to see that Ford’s whole posture has relaxed significantly. Sure, he still looks frightened out of his mind, but he doesn’t look like he’s about to shatter to pieces anymore. 

“How long have you been here?” Ford asks, completely ignoring Stan’s previous questions. 

“Uhh…” Stan pauses, admittedly taken aback by the question. “About an hour, I think?” he shrugs. “Had some trouble finding you, since some of the folks I asked around town didn’t seem to know who I was talking about when I asked about you.”

Ford’s eyes widen in horror. “You asked around town about me?” He splutters, but then clears his throat to regain his composure. “Did anyone try to get anything out of you? Were you followed?” 

Stan snorts. “Puh-lease. The most dangerous person around here is probably me, and I haven’t eaten a healthy meal in weeks.” He shakes his head. “Nobody said anything. And if I was followed, I’d know. It’s something you learn to look out for when you’ve been living on the streets for ten years.” There’s a shred more resentment in his tone than he meant for it to be, but it seems to get the message across well enough. Ford sighs, and gestures inside. 

“Come in,” Ford mumbles, his gaze falling to the ground. “I’m afraid I don’t have much time.” Without waiting for Stan, Ford turns heel and hastily returns inside. Stan does his best to follow close behind, but stops dead in his tracks as soon as he steps foot inside. 

The whole place is trashed. 

Trashed far beyond what Stan thought a single human could ever be capable of. There’s papers scattered everywhere, bottles of ink spilled and pooling everywhere, cupboards with holes smashed into the doors, broken plates and twisted rusty nails scattered all over the floor, a concerningly bloodied hammer on the kitchen countertop, multiple windows boarded up with splintered wood, and empty boxes of instant coffee mix strewn all around the kitchen.

Most concerningly of all, there’s a door that leads somewhere that’s covered with scratches and dripping with blood, and Stan’s not entirely sure whether that means something wanted in or if something was desperate to get out. 

Stan’s not entirely sure which thought he prefers. 

He doesn’t have too much time to stew on that, though, because he’s pulled from his thoughts by the loud thwack of plastic being smacked against the wall. He turns to the source of the noise, and he’s surprised to find Ford desperately trying to break the VHS tape in half. When that doesn’t work, he groans in frustration and resolves to throwing it on the ground. 

“Uh…Stanford?” Stan tries, and reaches out to place a gentle hand on his shoulder, but Ford moves swiftly in another direction before he can reach him.

“I can’t do it,” Ford’s voice wavers with emotion. His head droops in defeat, and though his back is turned, Stan can see him cover his face with his hands. “I can’t do it. I’m too late. I can’t do it.”  He starts to shake even harder, like his body wants him to cry but he’s forcing it not to happen because he needs to stay strong.

For who? Himself? For Stan? For someone else?

“Hey, hey…” Stan drops his voice to a whisper, hoping a calmer tone of voice will be more likely to get a proper reply out of Ford. Stan is one-hundred percent not calm, and is in fact getting more and more freaked out the longer he doesn’t get a reply, but the last thing he needs is to stress Ford out even more than he already is. “S’alright. I’m here, okay? Whatever it is I can help you with. I don’t even care if it involves any nerdy-smarts stuff. I can learn it for you. I can help you.”

For a few brief moments, Ford’s heavy breathing pauses. He turns to look at Stan, and it’s hard not to flinch at the fact that he’s looking more and more like a kicked, abused puppy. He looks like he’s genuinely considering replying, even goes to open his mouth, but clamps down on that moments later when another thought seemingly comes to him. 

“I…” he stammers, and violently shakes his head again. “I can’t. I could never.” He starts pacing back and forth in place, rubbing his arms up and down together in a failed attempt to self-sooth. “I wish I could, but…” he trails off, but stops before he can allow himself to finish. He violently shakes his head again, like he’s not allowing himself to even think that things could possibly get better. 

Stan scowls. That’s the last straw. 

“Stanford.” Stan speaks firmly, and grabs at both of his brother’s shoulders. His grip is gentle enough not to hurt him, but strong enough to prevent him from squirming away. As it turns out, though, the strength isn’t very necessary, since Ford practically goes limp in his arms at the touch. 

“Stanford,” Stan repeats as he turns Ford around to force him to look him in the eyes. “I’m not asking anymore. Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on. I know for a fact that I didn’t just haul my ass all the way out to Oregon from New Mexico worried sick to death that my brother was going to kill himself just for him to push me away again. I don’t know if something happened to you after you got rejected from that fancy nerd school, or if someone’s after you, or if you really are thinking about killing yourself. I don’t care if that phone call from the other day was a threat or just a drunk dial you made after watching too much Galaxy Sci-Fi Wars, or what, but I don’t need any of that to see how much trouble you’re in! You’re shaking! You’re hurt! Your house looks like it was hit by every single natural disaster all at once! I don’t care how it happened, I care that it happened. Talk to me, Stanford. I’m not leaving until you talk.”

There’s a heavy pause. Ford’s eyes are darting all around Stan’s face, and Stan’s not quite sure what he’s looking for. He doesn’t look angry or offended, but he doesn’t look all that convinced, either. It’s almost as if there’s a deep-rooted sadness in his gaze, like Ford’s not fully convinced of his honesty, and that breaks Stan’s heart more than anything else.

“You wouldn’t understand,” Ford finally replies, breaking eye contact but not bothering to break out of Stan’s grip.

Stan wants to laugh. If the situation were less dire, he would laugh. “Wouldn’t understand?” he replies, gently shaking Ford’s shoulders. “Wouldn’t understand what? Having a target on your back wherever you go? An expensive bounty on your head? You think I don’t understand having to sleep with one eye open? With having to pack everything up as soon as possible because you might not survive the night if you don’t leave? Or do you think I don’t understand being too scared to try leaving, because you feel like the moment you’re out of a so-called ‘safe zone’ is the moment someone’s gonna kidnap you? Or throw you in the trunk of their car? Or do something much, much worse to you? Just because you pissed off the wrong guy? Do y’really think I don’t understand that, Ford? I understand that better than anybody. I understand that better than I’m willing to admit.” 

One final pause, and then Ford sighs heavily enough that Stan can feel the tension slumping off of his body.  Stan finally releases his grip on him, and Stan is hugely relieved to notice that Ford’s posture already looks significantly more relaxed. 

“You’re right,” Ford mumbles, and stretches his arms into the air to try and release any extra remaining tension. “You’re right,” he repeats, and nervously scratches at his chin. “Plus, uh…it probably would be easier to deal with this alongside someone else. I’ve…” he trails off, as if too embarrassed to finish. “I’ve been alone with my…thoughts for far too long. Some human company might do me some good.” 

Stan snorts. “Ha! Listen to yourself. Human company might do me some good. If I’d shown up any later you would’ve turned into a full-time nerd robot!”

Ford cracks the tiniest of smiles at that, whether he’s aware of it or not, and then it’s right back to business as usual. “Alright, fine. You got me.” He rubs at the back of his head. “There’s…someone after me. Someone who wants me dead. I don’t really know how to explain it to you, but it wasn’t exactly…me that called you the other night. I mean, it technically was, since I was the one who was speaking, but it was more like…he was forcing me to say those things. There’s something of mine that he wants, but I’m afraid that if he gets his hands on it, it’s going to hurt a lot of people. No, scratch that, I know it’s going to hurt a lot of people. I know that, and he knows that, and that’s why he wants it. But that’s also why I refuse to give it to him. It’s a big vicious game of cat and mouse. He wants it, I don’t give it to him, he retaliates with violence. There’s no winning.” He takes a deep breath, clearly trying his damn hardest not to spiral again. “Either I give him what he wants or he kills me taking it by force.” He buries his face into his hands. “I can’t do it.” He whimpers. “There’s nothing I can do.”

“...Bullshit.” 

Stan doesn’t even realize he’d blurted that out loud until Ford pulls his face from his hands to stare at him slack-jawed. “Come again?” 

“I said that’s total bullshit.” Stan replies, firmly standing his ground. “Listen, Ford, I’ve been dealing with his type for a lot longer than I’m willing to admit, and lemme tell you something; that’s just what he wants you to think. He wants you to give up and assume everything’s hopeless, because the moment you lose hope and stop fighting is the moment he’ll strike. He wants you to think he’s got no weakness, because that makes it so much easier to exploit yours. Everyone’s got ‘em, Sixer, but only the cockiest and most powerful aren’t willing to admit that they’ve got ‘em, too. And you wanna know a secret? They don’t like to admit they’ve got weaknesses because they know what it does to them. They know the second anyone finds out about their weakness that they’re just like the rest of us. If we know their weaknesses, we can fight back, and that terrifies those suckers to their very core. That’s the kind of stuff that sends them running home to their mamas. If there’s even an inkling of a chance that someone’s gonna knock them off of their pedestal, or that nobody’s afraid of them anymore because we’ve got ‘em figured out, that’s what gets them. They get so obsessed over the power they have on others that they forget to stop and consider that others can have power over them.”

“I’m telling you, Sixer, no matter what this guy tries to convince you, he’s just sayin’ it to keep you complacent. He wants you to think he’s got no weakness because he’s terrified at the idea of losing his power over you. Once you stop letting him control you, he’ll have nowhere else to stand. Once he loses you, he loses everything. It’s not about whether or not you can fight back, it’s about how you’re gonna fight back. Because once you fight back and you take control, he’s gonna have nowhere to run, and then he’s gonna be the one backed into a corner. You can fight back. You can tell him no.”

“B-but-” 

“Up up up, I don’t wanna hear it” Stan waggles a finger in his face. “If I’m still alive after all I’ve been through, I sure as hell know that you’re gonna make it, too. If I can chew my way out of the trunk of a car and tunnel my way out of a Colombian prison using nothing but cheap plastic cutlery, you can break away from whatever hold this guy has on you. Don’t sit around and wait for this guy to strike, you gotta stand up and strike first. He’ll never see it coming.” He slaps Ford on the back. “You’re a smart guy, Sixer, I’m sure that you of all people could figure out how to outsmart this guy. 

Ford looks like he wants to believe him, like he wants to hope that things are gonna be okay, but there’s something that’s still tethering him to his fears. There’s the briefest spark of hope in his eyes, but it’s gone just as quickly as it arrived.

“I wish I could believe you, Stanley, but Bill, he’s-” Ford starts, but flinches like he’s been shot when he accidentally uses this other guy’s name. It breaks Stan’s heart to see his brother so fearful for his life, but it also makes his blood boil over with rage thinking about the power this guy’s got over him.

 What, is saying his name gonna summon him or something? Did this Bill guy plant bugged cameras all over the house so he could keep a constant eye on Ford so he’ll know if he’s ever thinking of pulling something over his eyes? Is that why Ford’s place is so trashed? Did he tear the place apart looking for secret cameras and hidden microphones? What gives?  

Ford freezes, as if he’s actually expecting this guy to kick his door in, and when nothing happens he audibly sighs in relief. 

Stan crosses his arms. “But what? This Bill guy’s supposed to be different? More powerful? I’m tellin’ ya, he’s no different than any of the other jerks I’ve had to deal with.” He jabs another finger in Ford’s direction. “And even if he was, by some chance? Even if this guy is somehow the most powerful and feared dictator in the whole universe, what’s the first thing I said when I got here?”

Ford goes to respond, but then his cheeks burn red and stops, a clear sign that he’s forgotten. 

“I said I’m here for you. I’m here because I want to help you. I could stand here and lecture you about crime lords all day, but nothing’s ever going to change if you don’t let me help you. I don’t care how big and tough this guy thinks he is! You’re my brother, Stanford. Nothing else matters more to me than my family. You even said it yourself earlier!” Stan throws his arms into the air in an exasperated manner. “Two heads are always gonna be better than one. Two pairs of fists are also always gonna be better in a fight. You don’t have to magically stop being afraid of this guy, but I’m telling you that it’s gonna be a lot easier if you have someone fightin’ the good fight with you. I wish I had someone when I was on the run from Rico and his gang.” 

Ford frowns. “Stanley…” 

“Point is,” Stan waves him off before he can go down a guilt-ridden spiral. “I’m not leaving. Matter of fact, I’m not asking you anymore. I’m telling you. I’m staying. Until we get this whole thing sorted out and send this Bill guy running for the hills, I’m not leaving. Protest all you want, but I’m gonna stay right here by your side until you feel safe again. Hell, I’ll even sleep on the front porch as lookout if you need me to! I’m tellin’ ya, I’m done asking nicely. I won’t let you kick me out this time, Ford. I’m here for ya through thick and thin.” 

For a few painstakingly long moments, Ford doesn’t respond. But he does look like he’s deep in thought, which is a hell of a lot better than all of the flinching and nervous pacing he’s been doing since Stan arrived. If nothing else, that in itself is a huge improvement. But before Stan can start again, Ford pulls a polaroid out of his trench coat pocket, and despite a gentle tear at the corner seemingly from age, it’s looking like the most well-kept object in the entire house. Stan doesn’t bother sneaking a peek out of fear of breaking what little trust he seems to successfully be rebuilding with Ford, but whatever it is seems to bring him a lot of comfort; he only looks at it for a moment, but those few moments are enough to sneak a soft, nostalgic sort of smile onto his face.

“You’re right,” Ford finally says, the calmest he’s sounded all day. “I don’t think there’s any way I could tackle this on my own. But with some help?” He smiles sheepishly. “I think there’s something we could do.”

“There he is!” Stan exclaims, grabbing his brother in a chokehold and giving his hair a rough noogie. “I knew my brother was still in there somewhere!” he grins, and tussles him up one more time before letting go. “And hey, maybe after all this is over you can give Ma a call, eh? She’s worried sick about you, I just know it.”

“Hah!” Ford laughs, tiny sparks of confidence returning to his tone and posture. “Now that’s someone I’m really afraid of upsetting.”

Stan grins, and gives Ford a gentle slug on the shoulder. As hard as Ford’s trying not to show it, Stan can tell he’s starting to enjoy the company. As much as Stan really doesn’t want to admit it, he was desperate for this kind of company again. He watches for a moment as Ford starts to go around cleaning some things off the floor, and Stan can’t help but crack a smile as he goes to join him.

If there’s one thing Stan does want to admit, it’s that he never wants to lose this sort of companionship ever again. Situation be damned, he has his brother back, and that’s more than any material goods he could ever ask for.

Given the situation?

Well, he said he’d stay until Ford wasn’t afraid of this Bill character anymore. But if things were completely up to Stan?

Stan won’t stop until the guy’s dead for daring to mess with his family. 

[moxpunk]

Moxie's Big-Ass Retrospective on Games She Played This Year

There's going to be a lot of games under the break, and I'm going full-hog on spoilers. Honestly, I'm going stream-of-consciousness with these, so there's not going to be a clear point made for some of them. Just how I remember them and how I feel now looking back.

Final Fantasy XIV This is my current MMO of choice, and it's been this massive part of how I spent my time this year. The patches and content continue to be great, even if I breeze through it all in a few days after the patch when plugins/mods are back up. I've definitely noticed a dip in my interest lately. I think it's because we've hit a good stopping-point for the plot and junk, so most of us are just waiting until the pre-patch of the new expansion next year. RP continues to get fucking worse and worse for someone that plays a lalafell, since the community at-large (especially the modding community) is actively hostile towards lalafells and their players. Having to check every single venue to see if my middle-aged potato is going to be treated like a child by the hosts gets exhausting after the umpteenth time. Still love the game and I poke at it on a regular basis.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom One of my favorite games I've played this year, but also one of the most frustrating in hindsight. There was a ton of lost opportunity in multiple aspects in this game, and it's sorta the thing I keep coming back to in my head. I loved the exploration and fucking around with physics and just getting to play around in Hyrule. It's a magical experience that I think transcends the fact that 2/3rds of the map is essentially re-used. The Underground was a missed opportunity to shove lore of ancient civilizations in there, Ganondorf was a missed opportunity to finally depict him as a tragic hero with Hyrule being the villains for once, and no plans for DLC or even a Hero Mode is a massive miss for me wanting to return to the world.

Baldur's Gate 3 Hands-down my favorite game of the year by a massive margin, but like TOTK, an immensely frustrating experience. The game is half-cooked in so many areas, and the bugs are plentiful to the extent that they can't really be ignored. The pathing system continues to be the Larian Special of being jank as all hell, with my characters running in the opposite direction of the path it lays out for them. I played this one on stream, and I cannot remember a single stream where I didn't have at least a handful of frustrations with the combat system. Hell, I had to completely restart my file in the middle of Act 2 because Karlach's romance bugged out. I continue to be very upset and frustrated at how goblins are treated, doubly so since in order to pursue the Good Route with Halsin, you have to attack fucking children. I don't care if they're goblins, they're kids. Also very disappointing we don't get a single short-race origin character, meanwhile half of the cast is some form of elf. At least it's nice letting me be full-on cock-out trans. Despite that, the writing and characterizations in this game are unparalleled. It's immensely refreshing to finally have a RPG where you fucking roleplay, after years of it being dialogue that doesn't matter in the slightest other than "points towards the good/evil ending". I love the Brain Slug Squad immensely. This game is probably going to become part of my "play this every year" list because there's just so many different ways to play through this game.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Been waiting for this game (or a game like it) for fuckin' years, and it's everything I wanted and expected. I know a lot of people went into the game expecting some massive thing that lasted hours and hours, but my memories of JSR/JSRF was a game that I could reasonably beat in an afternoon or two because I just get into the flow and know what I'm doing. Cyberfunk is the purest successor to JSF that I can thing of where it just adds to the fun formula of the past. Incredible game, love seeing the mods coming out for it, hope we get another game in the universe since Team Reptile said they aren't doing DLC.

Pizza Tower Love this game, adore the movement and the music, absolutely fell off at about the halfway mark. I think it's because a lot of stuff was coming out at the time, and I just kinda played those instead. One of these days, I'll beat it and be very satisfied, but for now my gremlin-brain that demands collecting every single collectable and getting at least an A-rank on every stage gets exhausted just thinking about it.

Elden Ring Opened the game up after upgrading to a new PC, marveled that I could run it on Ultra with the game keeping a smooth framerate, killed a few enemies, remembered about the fucking giant ants in this game and how there are zero mods to remove/change them, and then turned the game off and uninstalled. Begging someone to make a mod that gets rid of the fucking ants. Please. I've already gotten every trophy in the game last year, so any incentive I have to return is predicated on that.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty So, I'm going to give my thoughts about the base game and the DLC, since I played both. The base game continues to be this utter fascination to me where my brain adores just existing in the cyberhell future of nonstop advertising (if I have to hear YO YO YO MY CHEWERS SHROOMERS AND FUMERS! one more time I'm going to fucking strangle someone to death) and ultraviolence. The game continues to ride that weird line of "might as well do every side-quest because they're quick enough to get to and there's hardly any compared to Witcher 3" and "oh my god I do not care about these fucking sidequests other than I have gremlin-brain". Doing anything with sniper rifles or heavy machine guns is an exercise in frustration thanks to there being zero silenced sniper rifle until late-game and there being no unique HMGs.The DLC is... fine. It's fun antagonizing Idris Alba, it's not fun that the DLC is based around a stealth build, it's extremely not fun that the changed ending is deeply unsatisfying from a narrative standpoint.

Pseudoregalia An adorable little game that I enjoyed quite a bit for the very short time I got to fool around with it. Love the movement, love the style of the graphics, love the little pieces of story. Game doesn't get enough love, so here's me giving it some more.

Potionomics I fucking adore this game. I think what helped endear me was getting to do all the voices on-stream, but who cares this is my retrospective and I get to be biased. Loved the romances and characters in there. I absolutely headcanon Xid as being trans, Roxanne turns me into a babbling idiot, and I relate to Luna so hard it almost hurts. I enjoy that characters remain your friend if you already picked a partner, and you have to have a conversation about "hey, you were kinda flirty for a while and I feel a little weird about that now" for each of them. Breaking the economy by the third competition was immensely satisfying.

Paradise Killer I slammed through this game over the course of a single sleepless night thanks to Super Depression. Love the character designs and how bold they are, love the lore behind the world, got kinda sick of it taking so long to travel from place to place, gremlin-brain refused to let me part with the game until I collected everything. Hope to see a prequel/sequel of some sort, because Lady Love Dies is such an interesting character and I liked the bugfuck-weird world.

Peglin It's Peggle, you're a goblin, you get funky ball powerups, adore playing this game on my phone in short bursts. Not much more to say, it's my potato-chip game.

Rimworld Friend gifted this to me and I got horribly obsessed for like a week. It's a lot easier to grok than Dwarf Fortress thanks to the UI and information being easier to comprehend. I never know how to do the crazy shit in these games, I usually peak at having a little self-sustaining settlement with like 4 characters that live their little lives until a plague or bandit raid sweep through and kill everyone.

Halo: Master Chief Collection Another series of games I got obsessed with and pounded out before dropping it. Halo 1 is like twice as long as I remember, Halo 2's remastered cutscenes are fucking gorgeous and it continues to be my favorite out of the series, Halo 3 I'm lukewarm on it's whatever, Halo Reach is... eh I don't care, ODST I petered out of thanks to playing it with an ex that does not understand videogames, Halo 4 is a slog. Didn't do any multiplayer.

Helltaker Finally played it, beat it in like 2 hours, thought the puzzles were fun and the art continues to rattle around in my noggin.

A Hat In Time Another game that I finally beat after owning it for like the better part of a decade. Cute little game, I don't have a clue what any of the updates and junk do these days. The big mountain level is a fucking nightmare to navigate and explore and that's why I fell off last time.

Puzzle Agent Played this one on-stream because I'm Minnesotan as all fuck and I enjoy Professor Layton puzzles. It's just as good as I remember, even if it's incredibly short.

Kingsway Love the premise, adore that it takes me back to the Windows XP era of using my parents' computer. I had like one good run that died in the middle of things, and I never really went back. I should do this game again at some point.

Loop Hero Another procedural game where progress is usually bottlenecked by gathering base resources in each run so you have a fighting chance. All my runs sorta ended up the same by a certain point and I wasn't really having much fun anymore.

Lethal Company Game scares the absolute shit out of me, I cannot play this game for extended periods because I get heartburn from fear. Excellent experience with friends.

Super Mario RPG I didn't have a SNES growing up, so I never got a chance to play the original. So far, I've been greatly enjoying the remake! I don't have much to say because I've only played like four hours of it on stream.

Katamari Reroll Just beat this game again on stream last week. Extremely fun, extremely short, Lonely Rolling Star continues to make me get emotional and cry, my memories get mixed-up with We ♥️ Katamari when it comes to the final sequence of levels.

World of Warcraft I made the return, and holy shit have things changed in-game. The UI actually looks like it's part of a cohesive artstyle, catching up with the story and questlines after bouncing in the middle of Shadowlands is honestly kind of exhausting, and the RP community is still splintered and fractured between Retail and Epsilon. Controller-support has been my biggest gripe since XIV's is fucking stellar and I do not have the wrists/hands for putting my abilities on the keyboard anymore, I either have to use my janked-out mouse buttons or a controller using ConsolePort which is... serviceable but nowhere near good. Uh, I don't particularly care for the dragon-stuff in WoW's lore, and I still haven't done a single dungeon since I play Brewmaster and I'm so out of whack with WoW tanking that I just don't bother. I'm usually doing RP on my endless ranks of characters if I'm not playing with my girlfriend. Season of Discovery has been a fun thing to do with my friend and our guild, it's sorta what I wanted out of Classic when they announced it. The "No Changes" thing was stupid because we'll never get back the lack of information and endless time we had back then, so I'm very happy to have World Of Warcraft Chopped And Screwed Edition. As much as I still have massive, major gripes with Blizzard and ABK in general... Azeroth is still home for me. It's been important to me as a person. Wouldn't have realized I was trans or poly without it.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT My thinks and feelings on all the games I played this year in 2023. I guess to sum up the year in general? It's been a real shit year for me. Went through like three big breakups, my art output's been dogshit in quantity thanks to mental-health issues, and for the first half of the year people just sorta generally treated me poorly which exaserbated a lot of problems. I'm recovering, but I've noticed it's been a lot slower than it has been in the past. Games are a huge hobby of mine, so I'm glad I've gotten to play some bangers this year. Being more active on Tumblr's been good for my mental health, since I finally feel like I've got a community again after not really feeling like I've had one in forever. Love you guys, stay weird. 💖💖💖

Sorry not sorry for this being so long.

[misseligon]

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY TO THE HELL TO PAY PILOT!!

God, a whole year just went by??? Doesn't feel real honestly... I didn't expect to jump from just 15 subscribers on youtube to 739 in just a year! A lot has happened over the year. I graduated from college and got my Bachelor's Degree, I got to see my mom's side of the family for the first time in my life. And my peepee brain was busy taking a half year hiatus whilst also hyper fixating on a lot of different crap.

I got to brainstorm more what I want for Hell to Pay. Ik you guys were asking for a full animated series but i'm gonna be honest here... the pilot was written and animated all by me, and I had my online and college friends help voice act the pilot for a final. I don't really intend to continue the series animated-wise because that requires a bigger team and a budget and I... don't have the latter.

I've always wanted to continue the story as a webcomic b/c I have an easier time getting the story out at a faster pace compared to another 40-minute animatic episode that'll take another half year to get done... and trust me if I continued at that pace I think Hell to Pay would be incomplete by the time I turn 80 years old and keel over.

Unfortunately for my little baby project's first birthday, I don't exactly have much to give here, since i've been extremely busy storyboarding and drawing concepts for the next episode. But for you guys I can give you the synopsis of the first 5-ish episodes!

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SUMMONING

In his second day in the afterlife, Profundus has to learn the ways of haunting in order to make a living not only from the three demons whom he met yesterday, but 10 more demons who Mollis brought in for extra help. Meeting new faces, witnessing more traumatic ways how to torture the living, Profundus finds out that being summoned by the living could bring him closer to finding his home universe and locate his wife Honey. But what happens if the first time he's summoned he gets trapped by a group of demon-worshipping college students?

CE N'EST PAS UN TRAVAIL

Profundus needs to find a job on top of his haunting duties in order to make a much more stable living, starting from rock bottom. After failing to find a suitable job from his "friends", he's offered a job as a still-life model from a self-proclaimed "Dadaist" named Clades. Upon hearing the demoness' name, Infortunii and co. warn of how infamous and dangerous Clades can be. Can Profundus quit his job on time before Clades and her followers lead Profundus into certain death?

PRISONER OF THE BODY

Attending classes on spells for newly deceased demons, Mollis teaches the easiest lesson for demons, possession. Concocting a plan to find a way into his universe and get a chance to speak to Honey one last time, Profundus plans to possess a mortal and meet up with Honey as said mortal. But plans go awry once Profundus accidentally kills the body of the man he was possessing and is trapped inside his body. Can the gang help pull Profundus out of this predicament?

BOX BITCH

Having no choice, Infortunii has to let an old acquaintance move in with her and Profundus after Box Bitch's landlord kicks them out (Fyi, their name is not actually Box Bitch, that's Infortunii's unaffectionate nickname for them). Times get tough when Box Bitch becomes an unbearable roommate and troubles both demons living under her roof, but tension rises once Box Bitch brings up that Infortunii used to be the life of a party, now she's a sanitized wet blanket, which easily ticks her off. What happened to Infortunii that soured her relationship with an old friend?

-SPOILER EPISODE, ONCE REVEALED POST BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SUMMONING-

FALLEN

News riles up in the afterlife, an angel has been banished from Caelestia and has fallen down to Damnatio! Taken in by Mollis and into safety, the fallen angel introduces herself as Lapis. Seeing her as the closest thing to a holy being, Profundus tries to bond with Lapis, claiming both have common ground in this hellish afterlife. Selfish motives aside, could Profundus and co. help and protect a struggling Lapis adjust in the afterlife?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hell to Pay as a series is planned to have 4 seasons/books. The first season/book is planned to have 33 chapters, idk how long it'll take to finish the first book, but a few years is definitely the most realistic expectation.

Thank you guys so much again for all your support and dedication! I'd like to thank all my friends and partners who made this whole project become a reality, and I hope to see you guys again soon! Check back on my tumblr for more future news about Hell to Pay! See you guys real soon!

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[kilfeur]

Je viens de terminer Apollo Justice (bien que j'avais regardé un let's play du jeu il y a longtemps) et là je m'attaque à Dual Destinies. Mais quelque chose me taraude l'esprit en ce qui concerne Apollo. Alors je sais que Vérité et lui sont demi frère et soeur et que leur mère est Thalassa. Tandis que le père d'Apollo est mort un an après leur mariage, lors d'un accident sur scène. Et vu qu'Apollo ne fait aucune mention de sa famille dans AA4. Est ce que ça veut dire qu'il a été placé dans un orphelinat ? Je veux pas de spoils car je sais pas si la trilogie abordera ce passif concernant Apollo. Mais le fait, est que sa mère ne l'a jamais recueilli à la troupe Grimoire. Donc techniquement c'est un orphelin non ? Qu'est ce qui s'est passé durant son enfance ?!

I've just finished Apollo Justice (although I'd watched a let's play of the game a long time ago) and now I'm starting Dual Destinies. But something's on my mind about Apollo. So I know that he and Trucy are half-siblings and that their mother is Thalassa. Whereas Apollo's father died a year after their wedding, in a stage accident. And since Apollo makes no mention of his family in AA4. Does that mean he was placed in an orphanage? I don't want any spoilers because I don't know if the trilogy will address this passif concerning Apollo. But the fact is, his mother never took him in at the Grimoire troupe. So technically he's an orphan, isn't he? What happened during his childhood?!

[weirdlotiel]

Ahsoka ep 5. (Involves cursing and spoilers. Not necessarily in that order)

Did I say I love music in this series?

Last week I was talking with my dad and explained what was happening in the series and he asked if Ahsoka Hera and the team will use Pergills to find their way to Ezra and Thrawn. Not a bad idea…

Even more Jacen!!! Yay😍😍😍

I totally forgot to notice it earlier bur he has his dad’s… arm thing.

Huyang with Sabine’s helmet 😭. And how he tild them to stay together. He was so sad😭😭😭

Ahsoka has this thing with crossing her arms.

Anakin gives me uneasy feeling.

What does “finishing her training “ means?

Wait, live or die? Really? Well, that was quite… obvious.

Jacen knows something. I mean, why would he sit at the edge of the cliff?

I love how Huyang is half right half wrong.😂

Hera, listen to your baby!!!! He knows something!!!!!

And she listens! Or at least tries to. I love this duo.

Wait… Jacen hears what is happening on “the other side”???? I love that boy😭😭😭😍😍😍(and he made me cry!!!)

Carson: what am I missing? What just happened?

Huyang: Jacen has abilities. His father, Kanan Jarrus, was a jedi.

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 (that was literally my reaction to this conversation)

Carson: okay, we better get on it then.

You mention jedi, they listen 😂

But still, why did Hera leave Jacen and Chopper alone ot there? What if some kind of beast appears? Or whatever?

Ahsoka- falls down through the clouds.

Me: don’t tell me there will be younger Soka?

Younger Ahsoka- appears.

Me: oh, she’s cute😂

Nice training btw… well, dealing with your past is almost never easy.

Was that a random clone she sat next to? Probably yeah. Sad.

The talk with anakin, right after that… isn’t this a real dialogue from Clone wars? Or at least part of it? When they tried to get through the blocade to Ryloth? (I was watching this ep few days ago)

I knew there was something wrong!!! Vader is there! Be careful Snips!!!

I do love Huyang talking about Ahsoka and Ani. 😂

What did Chopper sense? Maybe a Pergill?

Oh, Siege of Mandalore? Just great.

Ani is dark. Is that a darke side tempting her?

Yup. Red lightsaber. But it’s not temptation… a test? Maybe.

I do love seeing more Vader side of Anakin. Although it pains me. (Btw idk how about the rest of you guys, but I had a feeling since the previous episode that we’ll see him today)

Yay, Ani is Ani again!!!!

No, he disappeared.

Haha, Ahsoka was just floating under the water. I should’ve known.😂

Jacen’s face when he saw the Ghost coming back with Ahsoka😍. I love this boy.

Jacen wants a lightaber. Of course he does.

Learning the past through touching objects? I didn’t know Ahsoka could do that.

I think she’s disappointed. At least a lil bit.

Ouch, Hera is in trouble. I hope she’s gonna be fine. (I hate most of thise politicians, did I mention that?)

Soka saw Pergills!!!!!!

Hey, you fucking senators, Hera is the general. End of discussion.

Why do I have a feeling me and my pa were right about the Pergills?😂

I love our big, soace Whales. (I need an amoji for them😂)

Dang, that Pergill is huge!!!!

Carson: I respectfully disagree.

My translation: Go fuck yourself you idiots.

So Ahsoka is gonna pull Jonah’s trick. (Now which story am I talking about? Who’s gonna tell me?)

Although I wish Hera went too. (And I do hope we’ll still se her in next episodes.)

This episode made me more emotional than I wish it did. (Especially because there was a lot of Jacen. Yes, Imma keep talking about this baby boi. And because we have more Pergills)

[rhetoricalrogue]

Having thoughts about the Astrid, Tony, Markus trio and how I’d fit them into Astrid’s story

Markus would be Normal and send a small, tasteful vase of flowers congratulating Astrid on her promotion to Detective. Tony sent 12 dozen boxes of doughnuts to the office. Everyone had a field day eating them, but they had to share half with the fire department next door

Tony being the one to sense that Something Was Wrong because as part fey he can sense when someone is lying and Astrid has *never* lied to him (small ones everyone does without thinking, sure, but never outright lies) in all the years that he’s known her, but when he asked her how work was going in their regular weekly phone calls, she was telling some huge ones.

“So she knows about the supernatural world now. We should tell her about us.” and panic over if their best friend since forever will reject them or not. This is mostly from Tony, but Markus has that fear too

“So you’re a werewolf? Is it a social faux pas to ask if I can scritch you behind the ears?” (Spoiler: Astrid takes it all in stride and even goes “this explains SO MUCH about you both.”)

“I cannot believe you hid this from me.”/“we didn’t mean to…”/“I mean, you spilled the beans on my surprise birthday party when I turned 21 because you said I looked at you funny, but you can keep THIS quiet for this long?”

Astrid picking up Sir Cashew and looking him dead in the eyes “if you turn out to be some middle aged gnome in cat form whose litter box I’ve been cleaning for the past five years, I’m going to scream.” and Cashie just giving her a confused sounding honk because he just looks like he should be some otherworldly being but he’s actually just a cat that has ears and legs too long for his body.

There is a very big cuddle pile in the Facility’s hospital room when they find out Astrid almost got used as a Capri-Sun and how she beat Murphy’s face in with some rebar after practically biting his nose off a few hours previous. If Markus and Tony hadn’t already designated her as the group badass years ago, she would have gotten that title then.

Markus being cool with Unit Bravo because his little sister Penny is in Unit Charlie. Tony not trusting them at all and even less after Astrid got kidnapped and hurt. Tony also constantly missing bumping into his absentee grandpa Nicky in hallways by minutes and it not clicking with him that everyone greeting him with “hey, Morelli” was because he looks eerily similar to Nicky that they thought he was him and not because he figures that the Facility keeps tabs on all supernatural beings and that’s how they know his last name

Markus sneaking Cashew into the Facility hospital by tucking him under his shirt. Elidor sees right through it but pretends he doesn’t because he instantly fell in love with that broken bicycle horn/noodle mix of a cat the second he heard him honk for the first time.

[asirensrambles]

Boiling Point (pt. 2/2)

A commotion at Martle Square grabs the builder's attention after a late night of exploring under the church with Grace.

Part 1

Spoilers for Knives Out

Pen never stood a chance. Between Justice, Logan, and Serena, they had him worn down, and good. When he stopped to grand stand, it was easy for Elsie to get the drop on him.

"Take THAT you big treacherous Chalupa!" she exclaimed, as Pen fell to the ground unconscious.

"Hey Else, long time," Logan greeted her.

Hearing the nickname made something unpleasant twist in Serena's stomach. What on earth? Deciding now was not the time to deal with that, Serena mentally shoved it into a box and closed the lid tight. While she was at it, the near electric eye contact from earlier got shoved in the box too. As Trudy, Justice, and Logan were talking about Logan's sentencing, Grace interjected,

"Say, where do you all think Miguel commissioned his water stealing contraptions?"

Justice answered, "Commerce Guild, on the double. Let's move!"

To no ones surprise, Yan tried to make a run for it. The amount of joy Serena felt at getting to deck him in the face with Rocky was probably unhealthy, but she couldn't bring herself to care. It felt too damn good to give that asshole his just desserts. Justice handcuffed Yan and marched him back to Martle Square, where Miguel and Pen were restrained.

The moment they saw each other, the men started bickering. Serena barely heard them as she started crashing from the adrenaline high she'd been riding since first seeing Haru in the Square. She crossed her arms tightly to hide her now shaking hands. Unsuur was back from taking Minister Matilda to Fang, and helped Justice coral the prisoners off to the Civil Corps building. Watching them go, it finally started to sink in that everything was over. Logan's voice startled Serena out of her thoughts,

"I don't know how, but we did it! With your help, Serena, we saved Sandrock! How long has it been..." he wondered aloud. Serena watched those blue eyes of his scan the town around them, lingering in some places longer than other. A lot must have changed in Sandrock since he'd last been here. Hell, there was a lot that had changed in the town since Serena arrived; a lot of it her own handiwork too. Eventually, Logan returned his attention to Serena,

"Finally, I can rest my head easy for the first time in what feels like forever. And my Pa..." his voice trailed off.

The pain of losing his Pa was still evident on Logan's face, even half hidden behind the mask as it was. Serena wanted nothing more than to do something, anything, to try and take some of that grief away. It rolled off him in waves. Had Logan been able to truly mourn the loss of his father at all? As far as she knew, he'd gone straight from trying to rescue Howlett, to running off into the desert with Haru trying to suss out what "Duvos" meant. It didn't seem like there was much time for grief in there. Logan gathered himself and continued,

"This is...this is what it was all for. This town, these people, these lands. From here on out, it's on us to make the most of it."

"And we will," Serena said with conviction, "We will make the most of it."

There was a warmth to the crinkling of Logan's eyes as he smiled that Serena hadn't seen before. Not, she acknowledged to herself, that she'd seen all that much of him to begin with. Whatever moment they were having was interrupted by Mayor Trudy asking them both to come up to the front of City Hall. She then addressed the Sandrockers and explained what would be happening with Logan going forward, as well as Pen, Miguel, and the entire Duvos issue.

At the end of her address, the crowd of people slowly began to disperse. Elsie and Ernest both rushed up toward Logan asking questions a million miles a minute, while he did his best to answer them. A few people came up to Haru and started talking to him as well. For her part, Serena was glad to not be the center of attention for once. She leaned against the railing of City Hall trying to process everything that had just happened.

An indignant snort caught Serena's attention. Boogaloo was still standing to the side of Martle Square where she'd left him, although he was prancing in place a bit. Heaving herself off the railing, Serena walked over to the horse. It didn't seem like she'd be going home any time soon. Not wanting to leave him out under Sandrock's bright sun for too long, Serena walked Boogaloo over to the stable in front of City Hall. Once Boogaloo was secure, Serena made her way back towards the square.

 It seemed like most everyone had gone on their way by this point, leaving it much emptier than before. Logan and Haru were standing next to Andy, who was facing away from them. Even from this distance, Serena recognized Andy's hunched posture. It was the same one he got after Miguel had given him a particularly harsh scolding and he was trying to be brave. Realizing that Miguel had been a Duvos spy, and that close to Andy for so long, sent ice through Serena's veins. It didn't matter now; Andy was safe and that was what mattered. Logan said to Andy,

"Hey kid. How you holdin' up?"

He was met with silence.

Haru said, "A well fought victory, all. I noticed Elsie seems to have picked up a few new moves. I was impressed. That last attack...did she learn it from you?"

Logan shook his head, "No...that's something my Pa used to do..."

"I see. So she really is dedicated to learning how to fight. Maybe we should ask her to join our gang."

Andy spun around, "Would you coots listen to yourselves?!" he exploded. The hurt in his voice made Serena want to scoop him up in a hug. Andy kept going, "Talkin' about new moves and recruits right in front of me!? Yeah, we're bandits, but I thought we were at least above torturin' one of our own! Let me back in the gang! Teach me your Pa's moves!" he pleaded.

If Serena had her way, Andy would never be in a position to need any of those moves, but she knew that wasn't realistic. Besides, it wasn't really learning to fight like Howlett that Andy wanted. He wanted back into his family. She wondered if Logan knew just how deeply getting kicked out of the gang had cut Andy. Even though it had been for the best and to keep him safe, the poor kid had taken it to heart.

Andy's words from the day Logan made off with the Supershock Shield and left him behind were seared into her memory, "So that's it! I'm out! I got nobody now...I'm all alone. Again..." After that exchange, Serena was even more determined to keep doing everything in her power to make sure Andy never felt alone as long as he was in Sandrock.

"Yeah. 'Course you're back in. Thought that went without sayin'," Logan said.

Andy sniffed, "Y-yeah? Well. You shoulda said something'! If you ain't say it, it ain't official!"

Logan stroked Andy's hair. The tender care in his gesture blatantly contrasted with how Pen had done something similar so shortly ago.

"Look. Things were gettin' gummed up. I needed you here. Out of the line of fire, but still keepin' an eye on things. You did good, kid." Andy glowed under the praise, despite his wobbling chin. Serena knew Logan had just been trying to protect him, but wondered if he knew how Andy really viewed him and Haru.

"Well! You're welcome! It weren't easy! Some of the Sanrockers're alright but...I had to use manners, learn chores...they even made me, yech, learn stuff!" Andy's voice got steadier as he went on, "Oh yeah, one more thing! Let's not forget: if it weren't for me, you all'd be sandfish food! Pen's relic weapon, anyone...?"

Haru replied, "That was amazing! Yeah, I don't know if we could've handled Pen without your help. You'll have to tell us how you manged it sometime."

Andy pointed at Serena, "She taught me! Well, not about Pen's relic weapon, but how relics in general work. Without the power source or one of the micro-thing-a-ma-jigs, the old stuff's pretty much useless!"

Haru and Logan turned to look at Serena. Her cheeks flamed at having been caught eavesdropping. Technically, they were in a public place, but the conversation still seemed private. Haru tilted his head quizzically, and Logan's eyes were full of questions. Serena shrugged as nonchalantly as she could manage,

"There were worse ways for him to run off extra energy than being an unofficial builder's apprentice."

Andy started chattering away about other things he'd learned in her workshop. When he finally stopped to catch his breath, Logan pulled Andy into a hug,

"We...missed you, kid. It was borin' not havin' you around. So...yeah. Welcome back," he said, voice thick.

Andy returned the hug fiercely for a moment, before squirming his way out and punching the air, "Alright, it's official, then! The gang's back together! Woohoo!" he cheered. Haru and Andy then started to debate if they could technically still call themselves a 'gang,' before settling on being a monster hunting gang. Andy tugged on Haru's arm, dragging him off towards Serena's workshop, presumably to show off some of the things he'd made.

Excitement and pride bubbled out of the boy's small frame, too much to be contained. Haru smiled and let himself be led off. Serena waved after them. Once Boogaloo was retrieved from the stable, she'd follow after them. Logan fell in step behind her as Serena went to get her horse. It seemed like there was something he was working up to say. It wasn't until Serena was undoing the tie on Boogaloo's reins that he finally spoke,

"Thanks for watching out for Andy."

Serena's hands stilled on the reins before resuming their task. Logan needed to understand what he meant to Andy. Taking a deep breath, she asked,

"Do you know what Andy said to me that day you left with the shield?"

Logan shook his head.

Trying to keep the tremble from her voice, Serena continued, "He told me he was alone. Again. If it wasn't for me, he'd never have been caught and still be with his friends. With his family."

Serena looked over at Logan to see his reaction as she led Boogaloo out of the stable. He looked like he'd been struck. Under the mask, his jaw worked, trying to find the words to say. Taking pity on him, Serena broke the silence,

"I take it you didn't know he felt that way?"

"No," Logan's voice was strangled. Serena started to lead her horse back to the workshop, trusting Logan would follow. He did, shaking his head, "If I knew that's how he felt...that Andy thought of us as family...shit," -he scrubbed his hands over his eyes- "I wouldn't have said it like that, promise."

It almost seemed like Logan was trying to convince her of his sincerity. As far as Serena was concerned, that wasn't necessary. A blind person could see how much the former outlaw cared about Andy.

"I know," she said softly. "Just from the way he talked about you and Haru, it's obvious how much you two cared for him. I told him as much too."

Logan shook his head, "You're somethin' else builder, ya know that?" His tone was light, but there was a thickness to Logan's voice that betrayed just how much Serena's benefit of the doubt meant to him.

Serena grinned, "Might have heard it a time or two."

The corners of Logan's eyes crinkled and were once again filled with that warmth she was beginning to associate with a smile under his mask.

"C'mon, we should probably rescue Haru. Plus, I'm sure Andy would love to show you his stuff too," Serena said.

"Lead on."

They started walking back to Serena's workshop. Here and there, she pointed out some of the things she or Mi-an had built for the town. Logan seemed impressed by the changes and improvements the two builders had made. As they walked up to Serena's workshop, a blonde haired bullet flew into Logan's legs. Andy dragged grabbed his hand and dragged Logan into her yard, over to the chest she'd set aside just for him. Logan listened intently as Andy rattled on about his projects while Haru inspected the neat rows of equipment. Serena walked Boogaloo over to the stable, her heart full and at peace for the first time in weeks.

[arthurcxllahan]

Name: Arthur Morgan Date of Birth: 22nd June 1863 Gender: Male Orientation: Bisexual Species: Human Honour Level: Neutral-High FC: Ian Bohen 

BIOGRAPHY

Parents

Born in 1863 to Beatrice and Lyle Morgan, Arthur Morgan was a sweet child. They lived in the Northern US, moving around for his pa's work. When he was five, his ma died of unknown causes.

Left in Lyle's care, Arthur started to help him with his crimes. Any failure led to harsh punishment. More than once, Arthur fantasised about killing his pa.  

In 1874, Lyle got arrested for larceny. He charmed his way out of the noose and fled back north with Arthur. He blamed Arthur for his arrest. On the road, Arthur witnessed Lyle's death. As much as he hated him, he has worn his hat since.

A New Family

1877, Arthur was living on the streets. Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews needed a kid to help with a planned con. Dutch chose Arthur, much to Hosea's hesitance. The job went perfectly, so Hosea and Dutch adopted Arthur into their family. Arthur fell in love with the Robin Hood fairytale Dutch painted. And the pair taught them everything they knew to make him a formidable gunslinger and a founding member of the Van der Linde Gang.

He was around seventeen when Arthur first met and fell in love with Mary Gillis. They had an on-off relationship due to his way of life.

But Arthur swore to Mary that he would marry her one day. 

In 1885, John Marston joined the gang. Arthur took him under his wing like a big brother. Over the years, Arthur and John became solidified as Dutch's sons.

Crimes

In 1887, Arthur, Dutch and Hosea did the gang's first bank robbery. This event gave Arthur his first bounty.

Fatherhood

In 1888, Arthur finally proposed to Mary. He had the whole thing planned, including a fancy meal and a photograph taken. He claimed the ring was his ma’s (when it was actually one he kept after a robbery). 

Weeks after Mary accepted the proposal, she returned the ring and revealed that she would no longer be seeing him. Heartbroken, Arthur became reckless. 

That same year, Arthur’s recklessness led him to sleep with a nineteen-year-old waitress called Eliza. When she told him she was pregnant, he promised to do right by her and their son. 

Isaac was his pride and joy. He would visit every few months, bringing money and gifts to help support them. And for the weeks he stayed, he would be the perfect father. He tried to teach the young’un to fish and read. 

Three years later, he arrived on one such visit to find their graves outside the home. He later learned robbers killed them for ten dollars. He never grew out of the pain. His focus turned to the gang. That would be his only family.

In 1894, Abigail Roberts joined the gang. Arthur (and many other men in camp), frequently slept with her. Arthur even considered proposing. However, she had fallen in love with John. And a part of Arthur knew Abigail needed someone who loved her, not just someone who settled for her. Mary, Isaac and Eliza were still too raw to make him a good family man, either way. 

Arthur became an uncle to John and Abigail's son. But when John refused to accept Jack as his own, Arthur lost what little respect he had for him.

The betrayal became worse when John fled the gang. When he returned after a year, everyone except Arthur accepted him back. Real men don't abandon their families.

The Fire

[WIP]

1899

Spoilers for Red Dead 2

[WIP]

STATS

Eyes: Blue with yellow around the pupil Hair: Dirty blond Height: 6′1 ft Occupation: Lead Enforcer of the Van Der Linde Gang Birthplace: ‘North’ USA Residence: Transient Mother: Beatrice Morgan* Father: Lyle Morgan* Parental Figures: Dutch Van Der Linde; Hosea Matthews Siblings: None; Adoptive, John Marston Partners: ; Eliza (ex.)*; Mary Linton (ex.) Children: Isaac Morgan* Horses: • Boadicea* (Liver Chestnut Hungarian Half-Bred); • Eli (O’Driscoll Tenessee Walker); • Buell (Dutch Warmblood) Pets: Copper* Positive Traits: Loyal, Unwavering, Proficient Flaws: Self-Depricating, Hard, Ferocious

[conceptalbummultiverse]

Part 3 of Strange Fascination: A Love Story is now up in its entirety on AO3!

Only took about six months for me to finish it... but at least I got it finished at last...

Strange Fascination: A Love Story is a work set in the Concept Album Multiverse, where the plots of several concept albums collide. It tells the story of Pink Floyd and Ziggy Stardust's growing relationship as they record and tour together in the wake of an ensuing apocalypse. Part 2 ended with them meeting a juvenile delinquent named Rael, who burned down their tour bus out of resentment for their privileged existence. To keep Rael out of jail, Ziggy hired him as a PA, and now they're traveling to their next destination. Little do they know that their troubles are only just beginning, thanks to the plot of an album called Mylo Xyloto, which in my interpretation concerns a war between a bunch of teenage runaways, and a biker gang...

The Second Interlude, which brings American Idiot back into the story, will be posted a week from today, and I aim to post at least the first half of Part 4 (my favorite part- we're going back on Suffragette City) by November 1st to commemorate 11 years since I first did NaNoWriMo (with a concept album story).

Story stats below.

Title: Strange Fascination: A Love Story (Part 3)

Fandoms: Pink Floyd The Wall, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Mylo Xyloto, American Idiot

Rating: T for swearing, violence, character death, one scene depicting mild self-harm and internalized ableism

Word Count: 76,411 (for this part alone)

Pairings: Mylo/Xyloto, eventual Pink/Ziggy (that's not a spoiler, it's literally called A Love Story)

[yozh1]

spoilers -- spiraling thoughts

We are in the 2nd year(?) of NGS and we're finally at Chapter 5. Honestly, I did not have any high hopes for this chapter. Perhaps I've been used to SEGA's complacency with the game or used to being disappointed with each content update. --I kind of enjoyed this one though.

This chapter introduces a lot of concepts that were foreshadowed within the environment of NGS. (the artificial-ty of everything) With everything actually being a 300~ year simulation to fight off the starless. My thoughts before this revelation? I thought Garoa would return because his death was sudden but I guess this story has an addiction to sudden deaths because we got another one with Zephetto.

The simulation part being a real simulation makes the story way tragic. A lot of deaths happened just for this to take place and.. it worked. Makes you wonder.. just how strong are the Starless for him to actually take it this far? Or rather how weak were the past ARKS for them to be easily defeated? Also, was that the Oracle fleet being destroyed? Are there more Resurgent ARKS out there??

I've seen a lot of discussion in the subreddit and thought the multiple planets thing was interesting with the H-Alpha thing. Will there be a Hbeta, lol. Can we make this planet into a new ship please?

Anyway, Zephetto. The skull color reminds me of Xiao. That's all.

But to be real, I wanted more of that character. SEGA really likes killing off new characters for some reason, haha. (or will he come back?) I think I really wanted to know if there were more in the Resurgent ARKS chain of command. (thirsty for more talkative villains like the Photoners) So, I'm pretty disappointed in that front since we only got two and they really aren't the true villains! Welp, back to eldritch disasters coming possibly soon.

My theory, IF everyone in the oracle ship is dead, is that we get "reincarnations" of base PSO2 characters in NGS through cloning. I'd like to see if any of them survived the Starless attack and are in hiding somewhere in space too. The story after Chapter 5 has a lot more questions to what's happening out there. Here's to hoping we get to answer some of them in the Ultra Evo update.

I really wish we could explore Leciel as an open world environment though. (Photo Mode place!!)

Slayer

Along with Chapter 5 is Slayer, the class that fucking buffs a lot of the other classes with the crit buff and PP per crit thing. And also being a good damage dealer and insanely mobile..

(no sound)

Charged Stage 1 > Normal is a really good gap closer if you have no PP for your bread and butter gap closer.

I ain't good with this class but I do enjoy playing it with how infrequent the animation locks seem to be. I think they happen during the end of the 2nd half of Flowing Sirius. I really did not like most of the classes in NGS because I usually go into a PA but have to immediately block/counter then die to an animation lock. (skill issue) It's a really fun class though and it really invigorated my will to play the game again, lol.

Headcanon with this class is that they found records of Luster in the database and tried to emulate the style but got Slayer instead which is why there is only 1 style.

With Duel Quests coming up in a few days, I wish we got more static group content other than geolab and purples!!! Then again a lot of base PSO2 was solo quests. 🥲

SEGA update the other classes too!

BTW I think my mouse is breaking with this class. 😭

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Family Of Cats & Spiders 🕷🤍 | Post NWH Series Masterlist

Contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home

Pairings and Characters: Tobey!Peter Parker x female!reader/Black Cat (romantic), Benny Parker OC, Harry Parker OC, Mary Jane Watson x John Jameson, Gwen Stacy, J. Jonah Jameson

Read ‘Quiet As A Cat, Sneaky As A Spider’ first before this one.

The Cat & Her Spider | Spider-Man 1-3 Prequel Series (in progress 📝)

Premise: It’s been quite the adventure for Peter Parker, his wife and former masked vigilante Y/N L/N-Parker, and their 16-year-old twin sons Benny & Harry. After returning back to their universe following the battle of the Sinister Six, the couple are back to their daily lives consisting of running the genetic and scientific research division at Oscorp, Peter’s part time work for the Daily Bugle, and keeping the streets of New York safe—all while raising twin boys who are eager to follow in their footsteps. What’s it like for a family full of cats & spiders? Well you’ll just have to read and find out.

Content Warnings: fluff, slight angst, spoilers for SMNWH, profanity. Mentions of violence and death. Slight nsfw (will say if explicit) and sexual tension though innuendoes. Flirtatious banter.

Pinterest board dedicated to this series.

Spotify playlist

Note: I do not own any characters associated with Marvel and Marvel studios. All rights go to its owners. This is fanfiction and not to be taken seriously, it is for the enjoyment of fans and readers. This series is a compilation of imagines following the events of my NWH series surrounding the life of Spider-Man, y/n insert of Black Cat, and their little family. Comment to be added to the tag list.

Series Chapter List (Completed 💌)

The Parkers Take New York (slight nsfw): The Parkers are home and in need of a night off after traveling to another universe and defeating former enemies--well at least Y/N and Peter do. What better way for the vigilante couple and their sons to kick back than to hit the streets of NYC. Nothing could possibly go wrong....right?

Bring Your Kids To Work Day: It’s day one being back from the alternate world, and former costumed crime fighting anti-hero Y/n L/n-Parker is having to get right back to work as co-head of the genetic and scientific research division at Oscorp along side her costumed superhero husband Peter Parker. It just so happens that day is also an in-service day for their twin boys, Benny and Harry—who are in a heap of trouble for using none-approved tech gadgets behind their parents back. The boys should’ve known they wouldn’t be have a relaxing day home from school—not when you have Peter and Y/n Parker as your parents.

Just Like Old Times: It was a quiet night on patrol for Peter Parker—but once you use the word quiet to describe something then all hell breaks loose. The vigilante finds himself in a pickle, but with the help of a certain long retired Cat it’s as if time hadn’t even passed since the last the duo last kept the streets of New York safe from harms way.

Cheers To Eighteen Years, Spider (slight nsfw): It’s a special day for crime fighting couple Peter & Y/n Parker. Their relationship has had quite the journey including a small term breakup which kinda makes people question if they’ve been together for as long as they say. But despite the obstacles, they preserved and while the marriage has only been half as long, they can say cheers to eighteen years.

You Can Run Into Anyone These Days: Ever have those moments where someone from the past pops up out of nowhere & you don’t know what to say? Yeah it seems like it’s one of those days for the Parkers. A day off of relaxation seems to not be in the cards because everyone and their momma decided to make reacquaintance

Typical Parker Christmas: Christmas Day has arrived and the Parkers are in full festive spirit. Pop the bubbly, eat some good food, and giving gifts is all that’s needed in a typical Parker Christmas.

Surprise Litter: A few weeks after their amazing vacation, married vigilante couple Peter & Y/n Parker come home to find their teenage sons have taken a box of stray kittens to nurse and find loving homes. It was quite the shock to come home to, but little do they know it isn’t the only surprise litter in store for the family.

A Family Of Cats & Spiders: It’s been a long nine months for the Parker family with the anticipating arrival of a new member. Peter has taken a break as Spider-Man, Y/n put Black Cat in the past & their twin sons are eager to take on the mantle of New York’s crime fighting superheroes. They’ve had quite the journey and while some chapters come to an end, new beginnings are in store for Queens’ favorite family

Outtakes & Extras

The Gangs All Here: Guess there was more trouble in the multiverse than the Parkers expected, because to their surprise some unexpected guests arrived just in time to meet the newest member from the family of cats & spiders.

_______

Tag list: @secretsthathauntus, @eternalharry

[endlessnightlock]

Here’s a first look at the epilogue for A New Path. Unedited and subject to change. No major spoilers.

One Year Later

The bell on the tanner shop door jingles as we walk in, and we aren't left waiting long before the old man appears from the back half of his shop. "As I live and breathe, it's Katniss Everdeen," Jonah says, wiping his hands on a cloth that frankly looks dirtier than his hands did. 

"The one and only," I say, laughing under my breath, setting my game back on the shop floor; it's heavy with smaller skins. Distribution lines still aren't up and running the way they were prewar. When I ran into Jonah while looking for new boots in the shoe store last week, he practically begged for anything I could give him. Said he could work enough squirrel skins and stitch them together to make something sale-able in this market.

"Been a long time since I saw you in here," Jonah says, peering over my shoulder like he hadn't approached me for goods. "And I'll be. Is this your beau? Don't reckon we've been introduced."

Rye snorts as he walks around me and drops the deer hides onto the countertop. "Not hardly," he says. "That would be my brother."

"They do look alike," I admit. Peeta and Rye are dead ringers for each other, but there couldn't be two brothers less alike than them. "It's an easy mistake."

"Well, make sure you bring the real one around next time. I want to meet him. So, not her boyfriend..."

"I'm Rye."

"Oh, the baker's kid. I know who you all are now." Jonah frowns, sucking on his teeth. "How's your ma and pa doing in Seven? I wondered about them, picking up and starting over the way they did."

"They like the cooler climate. My wife and I are going out there with them pretty soon. Say there's lots of work to be had that ain't making stuff or digging coal," Rye says, disgusted as if manual labor is beneath him.

"So, why were you roped into helping her today?" Jonah asks, looking through the smaller pelts I'm laying on the counter for him while he talks to Rye. That's fine with me. Rye's the chief bullshitter in Twelve. I'll let him do his job while I do mine.

"Peet is busy with a few new hires for the bakery. The sooner he gets them trained, the sooner Dels and I are out of this shithole district," Rye explains.

"You're an ass," I tell him.

"An ass you're going to miss like crazy when I'm gone."

I sigh, refraining from goading him on more. "So, what do you want to keep," I ask Jonah. He's looking more than a little amused by my animosity toward my future brother-in-law.

"Your kills are so clean, Katniss. The skins are almost completely intact. I'm impressed," Jonah says. "I'll take them all, and gladly."

"Okay, so let's talk price," I say.

kpkpkpkpkp

Outside the shop, Delly waits for us against the side of the building. She straightens up, smiling when we reappear.

"Did Jonah treat you fair?" she asks. Rye slips his arm around her waist, and I fall into step beside them.

"more than I would've gotten last year, I think." Digging in my pocket, I pull out a small coin and hand it to Rye. "here's your part of the haul."

"Thank you-" Rye begins, but Delly slaps his hand away, glaring at him. "Don't you dare take Katniss's money! All you did was walk something over for her. Family doesn't pay family to help out with little things."

"Or big things sometimes," I murmur, putting the coin back in my pants pocket for safekeeping. Peeta worked enough hours in the bakery over the last year. He was never adequately paid for his time. I didn't think Rye deserved the money, honestly. I was testing him to see what he would do if I offered.

"What are you going to do with that money?" Rye asks.

"Eat," I say, picking up the pace and putting some distance between the three of us. "If you're going by the bakery, would you tell Peeta I'll be home in a few hours?"

"Do I look like your messenger boy?"

Delly smacks his arm flirtatiously, and I'm happy to be on my way out to avoid any more of their obnoxious behavior. I have too much to take care of today to bother with them.