#especially for games i am this enthused about :D

[blackjackkent]

Looking at the patch notes for patch 5! This is the first set of patch notes I've actively paid attention to and man, it's fucking huge!

Honestly, reading through this, I am just mind-boggled all over again about the scale and ambition of this game. Obviously there were (and probably still are) quite a few bugs, unexpected interactions, etc., but Larian have worked their fucking tails off to make a fully functional automated D&D combat system and a story that has a monumental amount of potential variables, and speaking as a programmer it makes my head hurt just thinking about all of the moving parts that must be involved in making this work.

And they seem to be blasting through fixes at an incredible rate too. This is a good development team who seem to have a brilliant combination of technical know-how, good humor, community-mindedness, and passion for their source material, and I'm incredibly impressed even in the short amount of time that I've been playing the game so far.

Obviously I already knew about the addition of the epilogues, which it sounds like makes the ending much more satisfying overall, but some other things that stuck out to me:

"While at camp, you can now access and manage the inventories of companions who aren't in your active party." Yesssss; this has been one of the more annoying aspects of the game up to this point.

"You can now sell and barter items inside containers when trading." This will simplify things for me given I have a System involving Karlach and Shadowheart each carrying a Bag Of Crap to sell.

"Improved grouping and sorting of items in containers while trading." Please tell me this means all the dyes will finally be grouped together when I try to buy them for hoarding.

"A romanced Minthara can now refer to her bond with you using a drow word for deep, unbreakable love." Minthara is probably coming a good deal later in priority on my playthroughs but this is cute.

"Withers will sneakily resurrect any dead companions that fell before the final battle so they can join the ending cinematics. What a helpful skeleton." Good job, Withers.

"The loading screen art now unlocks gradually as you progress through the game." That's a neat touch.

"Fixed occasional T-poses and frozen animations related to the Incapacitated condition." No more T-posing drunk goblins!

"Fixed the combat UI not automatically skipping to the next available party member after a controlled character dies." I think this was why Hector's whole party almost died to the Selune lasers. XD

"Two new play modes: Honour Mode and Custom Mode." No idea what that implies at all but I'm intrigued. More content!

"Improved Astarion's Ascendant route at-will gnome kiss for masculine body types." This is not relevant to any playthrough I'm currently doing but just reinforces what I was talking about above, regarding the incredible number of variables this game juggles (for the most part super successfully).

Also quite a lot of updates that just made me laugh:

"Boo will no longer take damage when thrown."

"When players start a combat inside the Elfsong Tavern, all the patrons will now cower instead of continuing to drink."

"You can no longer use the awesome force of bombs to flip the switch behind the final door in the Gauntlet of Shar to force the door to open."

"You can no longer loot the entire inventory of unconscious traders - instead you have access to a limited selection, as with dead traders. Nice try, pacifists."

"Added the intensely satisfying 'Ahhh' sound for players who Short Rest using a keybind rather than a UI button."

"Shar is now aware of Shadowheart's actions even if she is using Disguise Self."

"Using the lift in the House of Healing when in Turn-Based Mode no longer causes it to loop between floors indefinitely upon exiting Turn-Based Mode."

"Fixed a rare bug where Halsin would decide to turn into a bear whenever you went to talk to him at camp in the Shadow-Cursed Lands."

"If Wyll somehow managed to avoid Mizora's punishment for keeping Karlach alive, he'll be punished retroactively."

"Fixed Astarion accidentally telling the Dark Urge's future."

"Astarion no longer asks the Dark Urge about killing Isobel even if they didn't."

"You no longer comment on Mol if you haven't met her before."

"Locke no longer blames Zevlor for his death if Zevlor died in Act I."

"Fixed several instances of sleeping goblins waking up wanting a chat when they should have been hostile."

"Halsin will no longer forget about saving Thaniel if you travel back to Act I while he's waiting at the lakeside. Focus, Halsin."

"Players who arrive to the Ketheric showdown shape-shifted will have to face him person-to-person, not apostle-to-badger."

"If Isobel is thrown off her balcony, she'll make more of an effort to get back upstairs again."

"Fixed some beggars in the Brampton District facing the wrong way when asking for coin."

"Dame Aylin no longer waits ten days to bring up the time she killed Ketheric Thorm."

"We have convinced Shadowheart not to join the final nautiloid combat if she is already dead."

"Umberlee's worshippers are now considerably more security-conscious about the donations in the Water Queen's House. "

"Fixed a state where the Chamber of Insight trial could be both succeeded and failed."

"Apprentice Laridda will no longer assume you to be the bearer of bad (break-up) news if you didn't bring her the break-up message."

"Ravengard should now use the correct pronouns when addressing you during the ceremony in Wyrm's Rock."

"Karlach no longer thinks she's left the Hells when you explore the rocky outcrop near Hope's prison."

"Added a profanity filter for custom map markers. You'll have to find more creative ways to label the kennel master."

"Splitting a green dye stack in the Traveller's Chest at camp will no longer change the dye's rarity from Uncommon to Very Rare."

"The hanging cages in Cazador's dungeon will no longer tell you they're safe to step on, only to drop you to your death in the chasm below."

"Fixed Mirkon sometimes cowering in fairly deep water when you talk to him while he's running away from the harpies."

"Improved Cazador's home security by locking a chest and a door."

"Locked one of the Caza-doors."

"Fixed padded armour sometimes appearing as underwear on bigger body types. "

"A dead fisherman on the beach will no longer hint that you can find Shadowheart just ahead if you are, in fact, Shadowheart."

"Minthara's haughty stare will now correctly look at players she's talking to towards the end of the game. "

V excited to continue my playthrough, even more than I was already. Feels like we're in good hands. :)

[multifunctionalnitroglycerin]

I haven't yet watched the second season of Blood of Zeus, and honestly, I am a bit scared to do so.

Not because I expect it to be any accurate retelling or anything, far from it. It was fun exploring a different course and not sticking to the mythos and not pretending to stick to the mythos.

I am not watching it for the plot and all its at times glaring insufficiencies, but for the art style and character designs, which are in many cases superb ( yes, I want a curvaceous Aphrodite that is vengeful and can sure as heck yield a sword, yes I want an Ares that isn't half naked and wears armor and a helmet ( no talks abt accuracy here I am not out to get them) a Demeter that looks like everyone's aunt that will force you to eat some more, has a green thumb and a heck of a temper, and frankly one of my favorite Athena designs in modern animated media )

What I do worry about, however, is the plot. Which yeah is all fun and games as far as myths themselves go, but even from the trailer I see Heron suffering main character and plot armor syndrome and I am a bit less than enthused.

S1 was bad enough with Zeus playing favorites among his bastard children, and being like, you are not a mortal you are my son.

Ehhmm sir, what are Apollo and Hermes and Ares then?

And they are present in the scene. So either Zeus is supposed to be an even more huge prick, clearly favoring his mortal offpsirng from the immortal ones. Who have backed him up. In several occasions in the show. Or well, plot.

And then we have the trailer with Heron fist fighting Ares I think, and getting 4 solid hits in. Which okay fun if you like Heron, but my dudes. You won't win a fist fight against the God of War. But he is the son of Zeus! And so is half the Pantheon.

And I am afraid we are going to overlook many 'logical' things, and nerf a lot of gods to make Heron seem as idk the rightful heir to the throne of Olympus or idk and yeah... it ll take a lot from the show.

Because wether we like it or not, Heron is a demigod. Not a God. And he has lived only a handful of years in comparison to the rest. I have trouble thinking that any of the gods would back down from taking the lead and giving it to Heron. Who will? Athena? Ares? Poseidon? Hera?

Especially in a time of unrest. Where supposedly Hades is behind the coup and wants to take over Olympus. Well, buddy, I wouldn't want to be stuck down there and constantly being a footnote, either. I can understand why he snapped within the premises for the show.

And it introduces an interesting theme. Civil War among the gods. Not the first time it has happened, but it has the potential to be interesting. I want to see them struggle, and fight while trying to organize a sort of defense against Hades and Persephone. I want Athena and Ares to fight over how to station their forces and who should lead them. I want to see the power struggle between the Queen of Olympus, the King's brother, and his first son. The power vacuum is delicious.

And I definitely want to see more of Apollo and Artemis and Hermes. Who I feel will more readily accept Heron among their ranks. On principle of their personalities in tandem with their status.

Anyway, bottom line I don't want to see an overpowered Heron for example and an Artemis that misses 3 shots out of 5, and Ares that can barely hold his own, a Hermes thats like a Flash lookalike, a himbo Apollo with little functionality and a goddess of battle strategy that cannot do battle strategy, all for the purpose of making the main character look better.

I might be going off a mile here, but I have learned to expect the worst usually, so forgive me. I d very much prefer to be pleasantly surprised, so fingers crossed for that.

[daybloomcrow]

super late pinned post of a tired cat

hey!! if you've stumbled across my little nook on the internet, i'm so sorry!! unless you're in the know... then haiiiiiii~ ^-^ :3c i'm tenille, a 20-year old trans woman and biological sciences student who uses she/it pronouns. i'm romantically lesbian (for my most wonderful girlfriend who is not on this website) and asexual! some of my many embarrassing hobbies include: gushing about my girlfriend, pestering my girlfriend, constantly thinking of my girlfriend, and being gay for my girlfriend. glad we understand! ...on a serious note i love reading, especially mythology and folklore books!! romance is a close second because i am a sappy FIEND - i also enjoy several (wow!) video games, including but not limited to: the binding of isaac: repentance, cattails: wildwood story, super lesbian animal rpg, and several paradox map games (bad habits die hard...) please enthuse me about ANYTHING though because i love to talk and will be intrigued no matter the topic :D anyways, you can go away now if you're not a freak! if you are, follow me and perhaps shoot me a message on here or discord (also @daybloomcrow)!

[seth-whumps]

HI KIA! ok so. i know you didnt post the ask game but i was just wondering if i could ask one question from it to your darlings... /nf

for both morri and jj, 12) does your oc enjoy a particular gesture of affection? does it calm them?

completely no pressure!! if you dont wanna answer dont worry about it!! i just saw the question and the gears started turning about your sillies....

HIYA BUG!!! no worries I am always glad seeing you in my askbox do not fret. i am happy to answer. enthused, even. /gen

JJ: He finds physical affection a bit stifling or claustrophobic at times, so having Morri around is a good way to mitigate that as they don't seem to register it much. However. There's just something about hands to him. Holding hands, covering their hand with his for comfort, that thing where you both grab each other's wrists--it's just immediately grounding, and it's easy for him to feel comfortable with.

Morrigan: Well, they're not programmed to enjoy things, they're programmed to do things. So they find any contact or gesture entirely neutral, especially when they were first made. But JJ has an endearing habit of asking before doing. "Can I touch your arm?", "Can I check your bandages?", "Can I see your hand for a sec?", all these little moments that treat Morri as something more than a machine. The contact itself doesn't do much. But the constant reassurance that JJ cares to ask first? That makes them feel more human than anything.

thank you for the ask!!!! you are the best bug :D

[bespectacled-panda]

after seeing dumpywoof’s post I was inspired to do a tier list of my own!!! and boy howdy do I have some hot takes of the century it turns out,,,

the seasons are more or less organized in descending order within the same row as well (e.g. MC 4 > MC 5). also, shamefully copying dumpywoof & putting a detailed & overly verbose explanation for each season:

S Tier

Terraria 3: For me, absolutely nothing compares to Terraria 3. No other season combines such perfect participant dynamics with such heart-wrenching drama—not to mention the existence of Team New Kids who make me cry on a daily basis, or the incredible fake twist ending. It would be a sin to put this season anywhere but alone at the very top. Also props for being the only (1 of 2) post-show that actually includes all of the cast.

 A Tier

Minecraft 4: This is the best season for shenanigans alone, hands-down. It’s largely just the participants shooting the shit together, especially in the latter half of the season when it gets down to just the four of them. & I have a huge soft spot for men being wholesomely foolish together I suppose, so here it goes fhdhfhd.

Minecraft 5: To be honest, I have not seen this season since it released, which is a crime, I know, I’m sorry :orb: But I remember it being very very good, & I cannot imagine my taste will have changed that dramatically in just a few years, so. in truth, this one might be actually better than MC 4, but as I have not seen it in many years I can’t say that for certain. Either way, though, it’s definitely one of the best seasons out there.

MineZ 1: To me, MineZ 1 is the reverse of MC 4: low on shenanigans & high on drama. It’s pre-Todd era, but the editing in this one is honestly Todd-level, I would say. It’s so incredibly tense, especially the scene with McJones & PBG trying to escape the caves, and I feel like the sheer stress of it all brought out a new side of a lot of the participants, most notably Dean—who sounded genuinely agonized at times. A very very quality season all around, IMO.

Terraria 2: This season probably objectively deserves to be B tier, but I am it giving A tier for personal bias. I just,,, love the dynamics okay. Jeff & McJones especially made for a killer duo. It was a rare instance of McJones being the funny man himself rather than being the straight man to someone else’s funny man; he was super uncharacteristically goofy & almost borderline flirtatious at times, it really made for some good moments fhdhfjd. Plus then you got McJones solo commentary at the end which I greatly enjoyed. Just,, a very enjoyable season, very mid-HC era, very light & easy to watch, all that good stuff.

Diablo II: Man,,,,this absolutely 100% does not deserve A tier, I know, I’m sorry, but I just can’t bring myself to put it lower. I have A tier love for it :orb: Admittedly, the game is horrendously ugly and confusing to watch, but the shenanigans + the cast dynamics win me over in the end. Paul especially was great in this, & I hope he makes a return someday. Loving fathers Paul & Jirard with their sorceress son McJones making their way through the end-game just cannot be beaten. (Anti-shoutouts to Ross though, I don’t know anything about him, I am sure he is a lovely man, but GOD. WHY DID HE KEEP RUNNING OFF ON HIS OWN & GETTING LOST BUT THEN FORCEFULLY REFUSING HELP,,, ROSS YOU ARE THE WORST DHDHFJDJD)

 B Tier

Minecraft 7: Boy,,, this is going to be a controversial take fhhfjdjf. I just don’t know how to explain it, but something about MC7 felt,,,, Very off. I don’t know what it was, just something about the season seemed very,,, almost like you could tell things were falling apart behind the scenes, & they were trying to pull it back together but weren’t quite succeeding. It’s not a bad season in any regards, of course, I just,, don’t enjoy it nearly as much as a lot of others,, it’s missing that crucial spark of life in my opinion,, also Dean leaving to go to work was kind of strange,, I get it, it’s probably difficult to work around his real-life job,, but it felt strange,, he got like temporary immunity. Nothing like that had ever happened before I don’t think. And also they never even explained why Dean wasn’t there for like three episodes fjdjfjhd,,

Minecraft 3: God I feel like I just keep digging myself into a deeper & deeper hole here fhsjfjd,,, but man, I did like MC3 to be honest. It wasn’t the best season, it kind of went nowhere, but I liked the cast & there was a lot of good funnymoments. Smooth & Shane were very good guests who I feel like really rounded out the season, & Jontron did not come off as terribly overbearing as I believe that he has in other seasons. Overall, pretty decent, I’d say.

 C Tier

Minecraft 2: MC 2 & MC 3 are very similar, but I think MC 2 is slightly worse, both in terms of entertainment & cast. NCS & Kyrak did not hit like Smooth & Shane did,,, and I feel like just everything that happened in this one was fairly forgettable. I was torn as to whether this should be a B or a C, but I put it here in the end just to drive home that I really don’t like it as much as MC 3, I don’t believe.

Minecraft 6: Oh lord, this is a nuclear take fhdjfjd. Again, this isn’t a bad season at all, it has its good moments, especially Chad & Dodger, they are angels & I love them & want them back. But boy,,, just. Many things went wrong here. None of the twists panned out like,, at all, which I know isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, the concept of this twist & of twists in general is very good. But it fell so flat here, especially with the revival. There was,, no debate at all about what to do. They hyped it up like they had this big decision to make, but then nobody made any effort to dramatize it at all. It was basically just Dean deciding by himself and everyone just sitting back & letting him. For the record, I have no qualms with the fact that Dodger was revived, I fully agree that she deserved it over McJones, but it was not played well at all IMO,,,      I do have to admit, though, with a fair amount of sheepishness, that the thing that most sullies this season for me is McJones’s death. Just,,, his horrible, so so avoidable, insanely early death, coupled with his retirement shortly thereafter & him becoming so jaded with hc that he expressed borderline hostility & hatred towards it just,,, hurts. I kinda don’t wanna see the events of MC 6 now knowing the aftermath. I understand fully that this particular point is not something most people care about to say the least dhfhdjd, but,,, in all honesty, I really don’t have any desire to rewatch this one, as objectively good as it might be. It was a win but it felt like a loss, if that makes sense. Also the post-show lacked all three people I actually wanted to hear from fhdjfjd neither the two people who could’ve been revived nor the actual person who did the reviving were there to share their insight & perspectives on it :pensive: 

 D Tier

Starbound: man,,, starbound. This is a very mixed bag for me. On one hand, I disagree with people who say that it was boring or that nothing happened, I found it very tense, Todd’s editing had me on edge throughout every episode. But on the other hand,,, man. Very few memorable moments, what even happened in this one,, also I feel like the game mechanics/plot weren’t explained very well, I feel like I remember being vaguely confused all the time as to what was happening. Probably will not ever rewatch either.

 Have Not Seen

DayZ: I will not ever be watching this season both because I do not know anything about DayZ & because from what I’ve heard it was an absolute disaster, I’m just not interested in getting involved in that fhdhfjdk

Terraria 1: There’s not really a reason I haven’t watched this one. Just,, I haven’t made my way down to the earliest seasons yet. Although as mentioned before, I have seen a few clips of this season, & Jontron seems to be pretty obnoxious in this one, so I don’t how much I’ll enjoy the parts with him in it, but I definitely do want to watch it someday.

Minecraft 1: The same as Terraria 1, I just happen to not have seen this one by chance. But unlike T1, I am much more looking forward to actually watching it, it seems really good, I want to experience that legendary very first season at last dhdhfjd

MineZ 2: Man,,, many things about the behind-the-scenes of this season make me sort of uncomfortable honestly. Just,,, the visceral second-hand shame & embarrassment of someone in the hc fandom being so rude & bothersome to the cast,, somehow it makes me feel personally responsible even though I didn’t do anything fhdjfj,,, Also,, once again continuing with the trend of me being saddened by McJones expressing dislike for seasons fhdjfjd,, I do recall him saying, regarding this season, something like “I think it would’ve been better if we just never did this,” which,,, ow. That doesn’t make me particularly enthused to watch it fhdjfjd. I probably will end up watching this season someday to be honest, but I’m not looking forward to feeling the cast’s frustration & unhappiness with the situation,, (EDIT: I want to be clear that there is no actual drama surrounding minez 2!!! it is a perfectly fine season, there is nothing wrong with it, it just happens that I personally am bothered by the fact that there was a lot of like,,, frustration coming from the participants regarding the player who was stalking them. this in no way means that minez 2 is an objectively bad or problematic season!! if minez 2 is your favorite season I completely respect you, there is nothing wrong with that!! there is a lot to like about the season as a whole!!! I just personally care too much about mcjones having a bad time in seasons bc it’s what ultimately led to his retirement, & that makes me sad fjdhfjdjd. but it has come to my attention that my wording made it sound like there was drama about minez 2, which there never actually was, I am very very sorry for my unintentional yet poor choice of words.)

[bromberryx]

Picnic Part 2 - Steve Rogers x Reader

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: {2nd Part} You´re new to the Avengers team, Steve´s room is next to yours and you want to get to know him better. After the picnic, Wanda invites you to a girls-night in the whirlpool. But there´s a surprise.

A/N: I really hope you´re enjoying these ^^, I´m still trying to figure out how Tumblr works. 

There will be a Masterlist really soon!! Little reminder: English isn´t my native language, so feel free to correct me :)

Word count: 1,844

Warnings: Alcohol, fluff, mentions of sex, mentions of loss, tea

***

After the picture was taken, everyone packed their things and the group started to leave the park.

You looked for Steve, but instead Wanda jumped next to you.

„So.. you and Steve?“ she grinned. 

You could feel heat rising to your ears, did Wanda see you?

I mean, you two didn´t kiss or something like that. You were just.. taking a close look at his beautiful eyes…

„Nope, I don´t know what you mean. He just asked me if it´d be okay if he´d sit with me. And I said yes…“ you looked to the ground, grinning.

*** 5 weeks later ***

Wanda knocked on your door. It was late afternoon and you were laying on your bed, listening to music.

 „Hi Y/N! Nat and I thought about going into the Whirlpool tonight, wanna join?“

You mood lightened. You were starting to feel comfortable in the group. The team welcomed you so warmly and you could feel that they, especially Wanda, really wanted to comfort you and include you in everything.

„You guys have a WHIRLPOOL?“ You squeaked. „Definetly!! Yes!!“ 

Wanda laughed. Her hand lightly touching your shoulder. 

*** later that night, 8 pm***

Swimming in a whirlpool was an experience you never got to have. 

You grew up in a small town close to New York. Your father left your family when you were just 7 years old. Since then, your mother had to raise a child on her own. 

You never had the money to buy a whirlpool.

Your excitement was overwhelming, a girls night at a whirlpool! 

But, of course, Tony didn´t tell you to bring a swimsuit when you were moving in. 

But luckily, Wanda had two. 

Since Nat didn´t wear bikinis, one was left for you.

The cups were triangle-shaped and under them there were 2 cuffs. 

You would never describe your body as a „perfect bikini-body“, but this bikini did look very cute on you.

You put the two-piece on and put a red towel around your body. Your feet slipped into some pair of flip-flops, you grabbed your phone and started walking outside your apartment.

In the elevator up to the roof, you started to feel a little dizzy, you were nervous.

When you arrived at the door, you could hear footsteps running towards you from behind. You turned around and look into the face of..

„Steve!“ You swallowed. Wasn´t this supposed to be a girls-night? Sweat started to run down your body and your heartbeat started to rise. You went on some missions together in the last weeks and spend some evenings together. Either just talking or you showed him how to play video games. But you didn´t get a chance to get closer to each other - besides, you didn´t get to see him without a top on yet.

Steve only wore a pair of swim trunks, they fit really tight around his lower parts. And so you couldn´t help yourself but stare.

The door behind you opened. „There you are, come in!“ Nat sounded amused. 

They didn´t tell you.

The two of you stepped in. The room was quite dark, blue LED-lights bringing some light into the room. In the background there was some music played. The song „oh baby“ by LCD Soundsystem was playing. 

You looked at Wanda, who smirked at you. You looked at her as saying „You didn´t tell me on purpose, did you?“ She nodded slightly, still with a big grin on her face. 

Nat was pouring Champagne into glasses.

 „Only 3?“ you asked, confused if Steve was just an illusion of your enthusing self. „But we are 4 people right? Or is someone about to leave?“

Steve started to giggle „No honey, alcohol doesn´t affect me at all. Because of the super-soldier.serum and stuff.“

„Oh.“ You couldn´t say any more. This has been the second time Steve called you „honey“. And everytime he says it, it was feeling like butterflies were flying inside of your belly.

Nat handed you the champagne and grabbed your wrist „Let´s go into the pool! You will love it, all the bubbles and stuff, just like heaven!“ You smiled. 

But you didn´t want to take the towel off, you were starting to feel uncomfortable. Nat and Wanda had taken theirs off already and you looked at two perfectly trained bodies. 

Normally, you didn´t have a problem with showing your body, but tonight everything was different, you felt like you weren´t as pretty as your friends.

A big, warm hand settled on your shoulder. „Are you okay, Y/N?“ Steve was looking down at you. Again, you melted into these steel-blue eyes. „´You felling uncomfortable? You don´t need to hide that body, I´m sure you look beautiful without it!“ 

Somehow, Steve´s words gave you a boost of confidence. Slowly you were taking the towel off your body.

The gaze of Steve told you that you looked stunning, but he didn´t stare. Instead, he reached out for your hand, looked into your eyes and led you into the pool.

The water was hot and the bubbles were tickling you a little. The champagne still in one of your hands, you raised your glass and said „Cheers!“ The sound of clinking glass fulfilled the room.

„So, how about you guys tell me a bit about missions you´ve been on. I want to know everything!“ You looked at the others, full of excitement, the champagne already starting to kick in a bit.

„Ladys first.“ Steve raised his hands in innocence. 

„Alright, let me start.“ Nat raised her voice. „So one time, Steve and I were on a secret mission. We got a secret USB drive from Nick Fury and -“

„Technically, he gave it to ME and I hid the drive in a vending machine and Romanoff took it without permission.“ Steve interrupted her.

„You left it at a hospital, you should be thankful that I took it before someone other took it.“ 

„You know what, Romanoff…“

„Enough! Nat, tell the story!“ Wanda barked.

„Okay, so I took it and we went into a shopping centre to see what´s on it. We were undercover and suddenly Hydra agents were all around us.“ She took a big sip of her drink. „And so we had to use so special techniques to hide from them.“

„Which are?“ You were impatient. 

„She pulled me into a kiss.“ Steve giggled. 

„Yeah, but that´s not the point.“ Nat took another sip, the glass was now empty. 

She went on while stepping out of the water to refill it.

„Later that day, I asked him if that was his first kiss since the 1940´s.“

You and Wanda burst into laughter. Steve rolled his eyes, shaking his head. „Of course not!“ 

Which made you laugh even more. 

„You don´t have to lie, Stevie, it´s okay.“ Nat giggled. „We all know that..“ She stopped, her facial expressions looked like she had to throw up every second.

„Nat, are you alright? You don´t look so good…“ Wanda moved closer to her, grabbing her arms and lifting her up. „Slowly, Nat. We´re going to the bathroom. I hope we´ll be back soon.“ You were looking at the two women leaving the room and closing the door. 

Awkward silence. You and Steve both look at the shimmering water, blue lights reflecting. 

„You didn´t tell us.“ 

„Sorry?“ he looked at you, his eyebrows drawn in confusion.

„Was that your last kiss since 1940?“ A little smile. He looks at you now. You, still focused on the bubbling water, insisted on your question. „Hm?“

„Yes.“ You knew it. His reaction spoke for itself.

You looked at his face. His perfectly white teeth shining in the light. 

„But you could have had the chance to kiss someone, right? I mean you´re nice and polite and .. a little attractive.. maybe. There must have been plenty of girls wanting to date you..“ You stuttered.

„Oh, you think so?“ He smirked. „Yes! Hundreds of girls! They all set up tents in front of the Stark tower. And they all screamed „Steve, come out, we want you!““ 

After you chuckled for a moment, he moved his toned body closer to you, your arms were touching. 

Your hand slowly moved towards his´. Your face red from the heat of the water and because of the fire that burned inside you. And it wanted to get out, even more than that evening at the picnic. 

„Steve..“ you whispered. „I´m really excited that we´re neighbors.“ 

Your lips were almost touching his´. His hot breath warming your bottom lip, looking at each other eye in eye.

„So am I“ A voice sounded, but it wasn´t Steve´s, it was Wanda. She was looking at you, eyebrows raised in expectation and hands on her hips.

*** the next morning***

„Mornin´“ Sam captured you, still in your pyjamas. You weren´t a morning person.

Even though you already put some make-up on - you still wanted to make a good impression- you looked nearly dead. Dark circles under your eyes that even Sam from the other side of the room could see.

Before you could wish him a good morning too, Wanda and Nat plunged into the kitchen. Wanda with a big smile on her red lips, Nat still a bit tired looking. She seemed to have a hangover from yesterday´s actions.

„Have you heard about the newest tea, Sammy?“ 

He shrugged. „Don´t call me that.“ 

Nat didn´t answer. „Anyways. Y/N and Steve made out in the pool yesterday.“

„They did wha- Oh. Wait, did you guys just f*ck in the pool?“

„No! We just … nearly ..kissed.“ You were overwhelmed by all the pressure pushing down on you. Tears starting to fill your eyes. You were ashamed. You could´ve kissed him, if only not in front of others. Confusion filled your head with questions such as: Will they judge me? 

Sam sighed. Nat sat down next to you. „Hey, I´m sorry.. it´s just a joke, but maybe I´ve gone too far.“ She hugged you. Tears now running down your face.

Steve joined with a happy „Morning, children!“ His happy mood stopped immediately when he saw you cry, asking what´s wrong. 

„Maybe you two should talk.“ Sam mumbles, eating a piece of toast.

You two left the kitchen, your cheeks still wet from your tears.

Steve looked down on you, moving his hand to your jaw, rubbing your cheeks with bis thumb.

„Honey, what´s going on?“ 

You told him about the rumor that Nat spread this morning.

He slowly pulls you to his chest, hugging you tight. „It´s okay, honey. It´s okay…“ 

Silence, only your quiet sobs filled the room. „Do you like me?“ You asked, still surrounded by the warmth of his big arms. 

„Of course I do, honey.“ 

[thornswithroses]

I’ve been a ghost in this hellsite, and I decided to do a book questionnaire based on @dhaaruni‘s own take on the New Yorker’s “By the Book.” 

Here we go.

What books are on your nightstand? 

I used to keep what I’m currently reading on my nightstand, but unfortunately, said nightstand is too small for the number of books I am reading. Right now, the nightstand holds my sleeping mask, bookmarks in a box, hand cream, and my Himalayan salt lamp. 

Marie Kondo has been a blessing for my bedroom, so I keep all the books that I have, including library books, on my shelves.

What’s the last book that really excited you?

Oh, so many. I’ve checked out from my library the Jacob Tobias memoir, Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story. I am close to done with Patricia A. McKillip’s elegant Alphabet of Thorn. I also checked out We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee. There is also California dreamin' by Penelope Bagieu. 

And to show off just how often I abuse my library card, I also have on interlibrary loan: The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher, The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis, and House of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topography of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films by Kier-La Janisse.

I recently bought two titles that I am enthused to read as soon as I get the chance. Olivia Waite’s The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics and C.S.E. Cooney’s Desdemona and the Deep.

Now you can see what I meant about my nightstand being too small! 

What’s your favorite book no one else has heard of?

Oh, lord, too many to name! Angela Carter has been getting more notice as of late, but I still think she needs more recognition. I feel the same way about Caitlín R. Kiernan. I also think everybody should give Sarah Monette/Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor a try!

What book should everybody read before the age of 21?

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter. 

What book would you recommend to people over 40?

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. I can’t say precisely how, but it feels like it captures the pain of youth. I think they should also read Francesca Lia Block. I think she captures what young women dream about and what they hurt over really well.

Which writers — novelists, playwrights, critics, journalists, poets — working today do you admire most?

C.S.E. Cooney is marvelous. I have also been enjoying Courtney Milan’s romances as well as her contemporaries’ works. There is Sarah Monette, Sarah Waters, Donna Tartt, Beverly Jenkins, so many women to admire. If anyone ever decries writing today as not being “good as it used to be,” they’re fucking hacks.

What moves you most in a work of literature?

When a character realizes they deserve better, especially if it’s a woman that recognizes this.

Do you prefer books that reach you emotionally or intellectually?

I think they have to be intelligent to know how to get to me emotionally. There is no distinct line between emotion and intelligence, in fact, it can be argued that you cannot have one without the other. Otherwise, intelligence just becomes a coldness, and emotionality becomes hysteria.

What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a book recently?

I think Marie Kondo’s work really taught me to value the things I own. When I was doing the KonMari method, I discovered these birthday cards that my late grandfather had given to me as a child. They had been buried under useless papers that I never bothered to toss aside. It is scary to think about U.S. consumerism, but then again, I do have socialist leanings so hah. 

Which genres do you especially enjoy reading? And which do you avoid?

I love romance. I am a romantic person, so I always get excited about romance in a romance novel, or within a horror story, fantasy, and so forth. I like reading about different relationships, such as siblings, parents-and-children, in-laws, friendships, and so forth. I think the complexities of human relations is essential to me as a reader.

I don’t like Westerns, I will be honest. I see them, and I think propaganda. I’m Mexican and Palestinian, and I can’t unsee the subtext of white people moving to the west, using God as a tool to justify taking from Native Americans. John Wayne is no hero.

I think the closest to a Western I have ever enjoyed was the anime, Trigun. And that deals with human beings of all backgrounds settling in a new planet, so there you go.

What’s the best book you’ve ever received as a gift?

My dad got me a book that was entire of Grimm’ fairy tales, from the famous ones to the least-known. And these stories were the version where Cinderella’s doves took out the eyes of her sisters. So, you can imagine how this influenced eight-year-old me to become the person I am today. 

Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine? Your favorite antihero or villain?

Oh, this is hard. I’m going to have to give a cop-out answer and say there are too many to name. 

What kind of reader were you as a child? Which childhood books and authors stick with you most?

I was a late-bloomer. All the kids in my first-grade class already knew to read since kindergarten. I did not. I had these two fantastic reading teachers that eventually taught me. I may have started later than all my classmates, but I ended up becoming more well-read than they did. I would go to the elementary school library three-to-four times a week to check out books. The librarians really enjoyed me. 

I was bullied a lot growing up, so books were my way to heal. Francesca Lia Block’s Violet and Claire really shaped me as did fairy tales and Greek mythology. I also read Blood and Chocolate in middle school, and I had never met a main character as unapologetically sexual as Vivian. I think that book really influenced some of my feminism, despite its other issues. There was also The Witch from Blackbird Pond. Oh, and the Animorphs series. There was also the Babysitter’s Club books, which really made me want female friendships portrayed more often in other stories. A Corner of the Universe, which is also by Ann M. Martin, really impacted me--it is troubling how much I ended up relating to Adam in that story.

You’re a digital native, and your publisher describes you as “what Susan Sontag would have been like if she had brain damage from the internet.” Do you find it difficult to tune out distractions and sink into a book?

I do, mostly I blame it on graduate school burning me out. I also work full-time, so my brain sometimes just wants to shut off, and I look up stupid stuff on the Internet. I think I am getting a little better about it though. I try to clean my space as much as possible, and that helps clear my mind.

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: What book did you feel as if you were supposed to like, and didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic. I mean, I did end up liking it, but not too much. I actually forgot most of the plot. I can say that I like Kell and Holland a lot. The rest of the book had great ideas and mostly good executions of those ideas, but the narrative had an air of superficiality that I just couldn’t get over. Also, I was legitimately frustrated by Lila Bard. She had to be one of the cheapest depictions of Strong Female Character I’ve seen in a long time. I couldn’t get into the Hunger Games either. I gave up on A Song of Ice and Fire halfway through. 

What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?

I don’t get embarrassed as much about that sort of thing these days. I do want to read Angela Carter’s entire bibliography one day. I also want to read the unread books on my shelves.

What do you plan to read next?

Angela Carter and some progressive Catholic works, hopefully. 

[xaeneron]

On Path of Fire

I haven’t done one of these in a while (or rather I wrote them and then forgot to post them lel), so maybe I’ll actually post this one for the new GW2 expansion after spending the week running around.

Overall, I found the expansion to be pretty solid; the maps are beautiful, the mounts are hilarious and well-implemented, the story was interesting and decently paced, and I’m still experimenting with the new elite specs.  Massive spoilers below the cut!

Questions on anything I wrote, thoughts of your own?  Feel free to boop me; I know I wrote a lot.  

But really, don’t say I didn’t warn you.  There are a LOT of bullet points beneath that cut.  xD

On the maps

Obligatory: they are huge.  It’s fitting since they were designed against HoT’s verticality and more geared towards the use of mounts, so it’s more of an observation, less of a complaint.  There’s a lot of detail and a lot of little things here and there, and it’s incredibly fun to see what you can get away with using mounts to get around the terrain.

That being said I do miss the verticality of HoT maps.  Maybe a combination of both pls? :3

I kind of wish there were more large obvious meta events, but I haven’t gotten to see all of the sort of meta events that go on in the PoF zones. I do think the large metas add replay value, but again a balance is a good thing.

We spur-of-the-moment yolo’ed the Ruptured Heart meta with 11 people.  It was actually pretty fun.  Also so many cannonades ;-;

Hearts feel like they take just a little bit too long.  Some of them are amusing, but when trekking through zones doing map comp (or redoing hearts to get collection items) they drag on a bit.  Guild chatter about hearts was fantastic though:

“These nobles are useless.  What should I do with the chamber pot, throw it off the side or throw it at one of them?”

“I’m throwing flowers at people and making them happy?”

“Matchmaker heart best heart.”

Bounties are hilariously fun?  Sometimes you get unfortunate bullshit combinations of modifiers (anti-stacking fleas + pls stack in the bubble to actually be able to hit the boss mob, I’m looking at you), but overall they’re quite fun.  We spent a good few hours trekking through all five zones murdering things and getting murdered.

These actually look super promising for replayability; our goal/challenge as a group has always been to optimize and work together, so it should be fun to go track down bounties and see what kind of dumb shenanigans we can get up to.

I actually find these really fun in small groups of 5-10.  Zergs sound...unfun.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The caffeinated skritt is...kind of annoying.  Mostly because it doesn’t operate like the treasure mushroom in HoT and you have to be on the class you want the collection item on, and the maps are so large someone could trigger a chest and no one would be the wiser.

A tip though for people wanting to complete multiple collections: you only need to loot the last bag it drops.  If you’re wandering around with friends and they’re nice enough to chill at the bag, you can reload with other characters and grab the bag again for another collection item (until it despawns).  I have no idea if this was intended, but I burned a few TP to friends on this for the lulz.

I had a lot of GW1 feels running through these maps, especially going down to the Desolation and Vabbi.  I appreciate that these places still exist but have changed with the years, and it’s nice to see what happened.  

Although Vabbi is one weird-ass place now.

BUUUUUUT Zomoros’ lair was hilarious.

I haven’t explored for the sake of exploring in a very long time and it was really, really nice.

CHOYA PINATA.

On the elite specializations

I haven’t actually gotten to try all of them yet, but I’m also not super enthused about all of them (Spellbreaker, I’m looking at you).  Also a gentle reminder that my opinions are mainly based on my background as a PvE player and moreso as a raider.  Also they’re just initial opinions.  Opinions change.  

I started with thief (duh), and proceeded to do the entire story with Daredevil.  I’m not particularly a fan of Deadeye; I appreciate the archetype but I don’t really see rifle having a place with a game designed more around active response in combat.  Also as someone who still can’t shake the seaweed salad dance, rifle just feels really static and dull to me.  But we’ll see.  Maybe I’ll have to make the Predator hue. D/D Deadeye also felt strange, so idk.  But we’ll keep fiddling with it.

Mirage still feels kind of odd but I need to get poor Naois the spec since he’s actually specced for condi, unlike Eet.  It seems like an upgrade to condi mesmer, and the triple blink is hilarious.

I really hope Scourge ends up with some sort of place.  Initial benchmarks look hilarious (but then, so did Soulbeast/Weaver/Firebrand ones), but I took out Richter again for Scourge and I’m actually really happy to play him again.  It’s been so long ;-;

My brother told me, “do yourself a favor and put down a sand shade near some enemies, then press F4.”  I tried it.  I laughed pretty hard.

Weaver is so much button-pressing but it’s really fun?  I’m still getting the hang of it but I do like it a lot.  At least it’s more challenging than condi tempest. *grumbles eternally*

Soulbeast looks promising, although I hope it doesn’t lead to another “let’s use condi ranger/thief on absolutely everything” situation again.  The new pets are also...interesting.  

Although when it comes to ranger I’m a druid at heart, so we’ll see.  Not that I’m usually conscripted for DPS roles anyway

Firebrand looks silly.  And broken.  I’m all for alternative sources of quickness (and alacrity in the case of other specs), but I don’t really want to see raid meta go to 2x PS 2x druid 2x chrono 2x firebrand (or something like that) with only 2 flex spots.  That doesn’t sound fun at all.

Also I’m guessing Firebrand will be the first to get the nerfbat.  The damage numbers people are getting are bonkers.

And hey look, they got the nerfbat.  Down to 33-35k.  At least that’s better than 50k? Ugh.

Renegade feels pretty decent.  Revenant has always been in a weird “built around elite specs” class, and that hasn’t changed.  I’m not sure how I feel about condi rev being more of a thing and less of a meme, but ayyy

Holosmith seems like it would be a lot more relevant if the transform wasn’t currently borked.  Scaling damage to a level 76 fine weapon is...sad.  If it’s fixed power Holosmith could be something legit?  Maybe?  Overall though I like the theme and look of it.  Also lol lightsaber.

Spellbreaker I...idk.  Thematically I like it a lot; I was a big fan of mesmer and shut down mechanics in GW1 and I like the idea of Spellbreaker, but from a mostly PvE perspective, it’s just kind of...eh? WvW and PvP I see it being incredibly useful but with limited boons to nom in PvE it doesn’t really look particularly great (especially with condi berserker getting tuned through the roof).

On mounts

I keep dyeing them funny colors.  Yes Quill’s are all some shade of yellow.

I honestly think they were well done.  I was never a supporter of adding them to the game (not against, but not for them either), but now that they’re here, I’m pretty okay with them.  

I like that each mount is useful in some specific capacity - raptor for flat open stretches, springer for verticality, skimmer for no touchy floor, jackal for portals and evasion through high mob density areas, and griffon for the absolute lulz of flying.  

I keep getting the “mount doesn’t render so your character model is riding away sunk in the ground while your camera remains in place” bug (I think it’s attached to trying to mount up before things are completely loaded), and while it’s funny, it’s kind of frustrating.

Mount swapping is a bit awkward, although binding each mount to its own key helps a lot.

I appreciate that the starting mount (the raptor) is still relevant even when you pick up the other three (four), as it’s definitely the fastest mount on flat ground and it’s improved leap is hilariously long.

Also it’s a giant scaly puppy so I have no problems with this.

The springer is hilarious.  And super terrain-breaking.  High cliff?  No problem, bunny hop.  Core and HoT map comp probably just got much, much simpler.  Also JPs that don’t have mount restrictions.

The skimmer is adorable, and riding it around is strangely...calming?  idk.  Also as one of my guildies put it: “maybe this is Anet’s answer to underwater combat: glide right over it.”  rip.

Of the four core mounts I think the jackal (blink doge) is my favorite.  It has a gorgeous design and the blink/portals are super cool.  Although the blink can get a bit titchy if you’re trigger happy with the jump button.

Of course I have the griffon.

IT’S SO FLUFFY.

I think it handles a little strangely (esp when you can’t dismount quickly, although you can divebomb), but it’s pretty solid.  And adorable.

250g was entirely worth it.

Also that Tahlkora cameo hit me right in the feels.

On the story

I’d get here eventually!  Eventually...;-;

All salad-shaped biases aside, the male sylvari VO is still my favorite and no one can convince me otherwise.  There was a good amount of sass, seriousness, and everything inbetween.  Ive is one to take everything with a “hahahaha you’re kidding what am I doing here help,” so overall the voice acting and dialogue fit him fairly well.

I’m a little disappointed by the lack of race-specific dialogue.  Humans don’t seem to have any special dialogue with or concerning Balthazar, and everyone else doesn’t really have a chance to comment as an outsider.  I know it’s more work and I still enjoyed the story as is, but it would have been a nice touch.

Like Ive would literally not give a shit about half of the things brought up.  Not because he doesn’t care about others, but because he has no clue what anyone is talking about.

This was particularly funny with Joko in the Domain of the Lost, because his whole tirade about the PC not knowing who he is could quickly be shut down with “I’m a salad, I have no idea who the fuck you are.”

The “decisions” were interesting, although unsurprisingly they had very little impact on the game as a whole (maybe in the future?  Doubt it).  I did appreciate that depending on the order the “decide on Amnoon’s independence” steps are done in, the dialogue changes.

I admit that I’ve gotten a little less partial to Taimi as she’s edged closer to Deus Ex Machina territory, but her dialogue and conversations (both with the PC and with others like Phlunt later on) are quite funny.

I wish there were more Vlast/Gleam before he died.  It’s sad that he showed up and just...died, but I can understand why they chose that path as well.  

Although some of that was my own fault; the chapter with the Exalted and Vlast’s upbringing I got supremely distracted by the jumping puzzle and spinning around on my new skimmer.

Still.  More Vlast!

RYTLOCK.  RYTLOCK WHY.  Nice job breaking it hero.  Surely you would know better than to accept help in the Mists from a random shackled man who CONVENIENTLY knows how to relight your magic sword.  Sigh.

I thought a lot about the Herald of Balthazar after finding the notes in Night of Fires.  I went back to it after talking to my brother and came to a very similar conclusion as a theorizer on the GW2 subreddit.  If that theory is true, that makes me very sad.

Pls say it’s true I like gut-punch feels.

Speaking of gut-punch feels, The Departing was amazing.  It was super disorienting not having access to the inventory or the minimap, but it was a very well-done instance and I enjoyed it immensely.  I appreciated that they stuck to the “you lost your name and purpose” thing to the point of replacing your character name (including in the hero panel) with Lost Spirit.

Balthazar murdering the PC was pretty neat. 

Also Aurene showing up exactly on time was both cliche and NO BALTHAZAR BAD STAY AWAY FROM BABY DRAGON. 

This, like a few other story missions later on, is super awkward to do as a group.  It’s supposed to be rather personal, and so the not-instance owners are reduced to buffing wisps (like later on in the thrall party instance, not-instance owners are just awakened thralls), and idk I was lucky I was instance owner but that seems rather :|

Ive had a lot of feels hearing everyone’s voices again.  Also the feels of him not exactly remembering everything and having to follow his purpose through his own memories and not quite remembering everything.  Including Trahearne.  

Also tfw the story mission is essentially Full Circle (as a sub-section of Closure) with a bit of bonus Balthazar.

Joko is being very obviously set up as a “you left me in a cage I swear vengeance rahhhhhh” villain.  Or Anet is going to pull a fast one and he will never show up again, which would be hilarious.

Bonus feels for everyone else surviving and Ive being the only one dead (think Eet).

Backtracking slightly, I’ve never liked Kormir.  I still don’t like Kormir.  And the human gods are miserably terrible people.  At this point there’s not much questioning as to whether or not they exist, but with the extent of their influence, their decision to just kind of peace is...rather appropriately god-like, for better or for worse.

Seriously though, gods pls.  I can see some of the logic of “world will be destroyed anyway if god attempts to fight god,” but surely there are other things that need be maintained.  

Also I like how Kormir notes that Balthazar had been stripped of his powers, and yet he still curbstomps the PC (unless it was entirely the imprisonment in the Mists that just locked his powers away, but Kormir’s dialogue suggests otherwise).

I would kill for a library like that.  Seriously.  So jelly.

The “let’s disguise ourselves as the Archon and go and convince Palawa Joko’s army to fight for us” part was so incredibly stupid that of course it worked.  We spent the entire time laughing at how incredulous it was.

The battle at Kodash Bazaar was actually kind of awesome?  There was stuff everywhere and my only inclination for the first part of the instance was “go hit things.”  

It was incredibly weird to just have Sohothin for the entire instance.  Yes I’m aware I could have dropped it.  But it was hilarious in a Caladbolg sort of way.  With less idiotic knockback, and more 300s cooldown skills.  

AURENE.  Balthazar stop hurting my dragon >:(

Also because he just yolo killed her other brother before she had a chance to meet him in person?  rip.

Although now that I think about it, how would that meeting even go?  Talking to the Exalted indicates that Vlast was isolated and not well-acclimated to the world around him, so by the time they realized he should be interacting with other races it was too late for him to form any empathy for anyone.  His dialogue seems to imply that his motivation was simply the fulfillment of a goal; he seemed far more interested in fulfilling his legacy as Glint’s son than the reason why she needed him and Aurene to do anything in particular.  He doesn’t really have a reason for what he’s doing, he just does.

Aurene is implied to have an empathic link with Vlast similar to her connection to the PC, but idk, it just seems like any actual meeting between the two of them would just be incredibly awkward.

I very much enjoyed both the penultimate and ultimate fight against Balthazar.  Also because if you turned around, you could see Kralkatorrik’s massive face just chilling in the sky because oh shit angry elder dragon.  It was...quite something.

I understand the PC’s current caution about killing elder dragons because of magic imbalance, and I also understand the need to stop Balthazar from being a total moron.  I also understand that there’s not much you can do to stop a mad god besides killing him (since those with the means to imprison him decided to float on).  But uh.  I’m not sure what anyone expected would happen if you kill the god who absorbed two dragons’ worth of magic with another dragon just chilling nearby.  Surely Kralkatorrik absorbing everything and flying off into the sunset while extending the Brand wasn’t a surprise.  

Seriously though what did you think was going to happen.

Baby dragon absorb magik and is not quite so baby anymore.  Aurene come back I miss you already ;-;

I commend you if you actually read all of that.  xD

Overall, a solid expansion with quite a bit of content.  We’ll see how replayable it ends up being as time goes on, but I am still quite amused by it and have plenty to do as it stands.  The story was fairly solid (although sometimes strange with questionable logic, as always), and I’m looking forward to where they take it with LWS4.  

[aceparson-blog]

Keep an Eye on the Pie | Patater & Ransom

CHARACTERS: Alexei Mashkov, Kent Parson, Justin Oluransi LOCATION: Haus Kitchen DATE: Jan. 22, 2016 (Morning of Epikegster 2016, directly after “Tater Visits the Haus”) NOTES: Kent and Tater keep an eye on some pies and Ransom definitely does not suspect anything about their relationship. Nope. Not at all.

KENT Kent followed Bitty to the kitchen and froze in the doorway, smiling brightly. "Lyosha! What are you doing here?" He went up to his boyfriend and kissed him briefly. He waved absently when Bitty left the room and then he kissed Tater again. "I was going to surprise you in Providence tomorrow. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

TATER Tater grinned brightly and wrapped his arms around Kent's waist, kissing him the second time with a hum. "You were to surprise me? Is so nice of you." He said and hugged Kent tightly, glad to finally see his boyfriend again, even if the situation was a bit confusing. "I am here to bake with Bitty." He said, gesturing to the countertop and stove. "Why you are here?"

RANSOM Ransom had just gotten in from spending the night at March's and was about to trudge up to the attic (praying to god Holster wasn't there) when he saw the light was on in the Haus kitchen. The promise of pancakes and mini pies was too great to pass up, so he slid into the kitchen behind another figure he presumed was Bitty. 

It was not. Well, it was, but it was also - his jaw literally dropped.

KENT Kent stroked Tater's face and smiled. "You bake with Bitty? That is fucking adorable." He ran his hand down Tater's arm and squeezed his hand. "I'm here for the kegster tonight and then I was going to drive over to your place tomorrow." Kent licked his lips and glanced at the door, about to tell Tater about the whole making-out thing when his eyes fell on the man in question. Not wanting to out his boyfriend, Kent dropped Tater's hand quickly and plastered on a wide media-smile. "Ransom! Good to see you, man. Have you met Tates?"

TATER Chuckling at that, Tater was about to lean down again to kiss Kent, but the blonde spoke before he could, alerting Tater that they weren't alone. The Russian man stepped back to be behind Kent and looked at the person Kent had addressed as 'Ransom'. "Hello." He greeted and stepped forward, offering his hand to shake the other's.

RANSOM All Ransom could do was stare down at the hand extended towards him, sure that his face was almost purple with how hard he was blushing. "H-hi," he said, forcing himself to do something other than stare adoringly, god, could he not be embarrassing for like thirty seconds, "hello, Mr. Tater Mashkov Sir, it's so good to meet you I am a huge fan and I really hope Kent didn't let you into the attic because I really would've wanted to put away my Tater action figure beforehand but I guess that's kind of a moot point now that I've just told you about it." Ransom stopped to breathe, because that apparently was something he still needed to do. He had been shaking Tater's hand for, like, over a minute so he figured he needed to wrap it up before it got weird...er. "...I'm Justin. R-ransom. Jack and I used to play together."

KENT Kent snorted and clapped Ransom on the shoulder. "Okay, hotshot, don't forget to breathe there." He nudged Tater in the side and fake-whispered, "I think Ransom has a thing for you, Tates. He definitely seems to like holding your hand." He winked at Ransom. "Not that I can blame him."

TATER Alexei furrowed his eyebrows whenever Ransom kept shaking his hand far longer than he should have, and called him about 4 different names. He thought it was charming, if anything, and took his hand back once the other let go of it. "Good to meet you.. Jack tell me about you and.. Um.. Holster? Yes, good d-men." He said and scratched the back of his head at Kent's statement, giving a forced smile and watching the other two for a moment. He clapped his hands together and looked back to the oven. "I am to watch the pies.."

RANSOM Ransom's eyes were wide as hockey pucks at Kent's words, for multiple reasons because, for one thing, could Kent just...do... that? Flirt with Tater? Was Tater cool with that? Did Tater know about Jack? Did Tater think he was the biggest idiot in the whole world because he was saying nothing? His stomach swooped at the mention of Holster, but he pushed past it, scrambling for a spare bit of paper in his pocket. "Sorry, Mr. Mashkov, this is probably so annoying especially since you have to..uh.. watch the pies, but do you think you could sign an autograph for Holster? He'd probably sit on me for about an hour if he knew I saw you and I didn't get one, and he's over two hundred pounds so that's not an optimal situation for obvious reasons."

KENT Kent rolled his eyes. "Oh my god. 'Mr. Mashkov?' Seriously, dude?" He shook his head and nudged Tater again. "You better sign that thing for him, Alyosha. I'm afraid he's gonna spontaneously combust. Or maybe hyperventilate." He glanced at the oven and tilted his head. "Do the pies really need to be...watched? Can't they just bake themselves?"

TATER Looking down at the other he smiled a bit and nodded, patting his pockets before he held up a finger to the other. "I have something in car." He said before he untied the apron that Bitty had put on him earlier and left it on the counter. "Bitty tell me to watch pies. You can watch pies for me? I be right back." He asked Kent softly, setting a hand on his boyfriend's waist for a moment. After jogging out to his car, he came back with one of the Falconers collectors cards that George had given him - he kept the stack in his glove box because fans normally ran into him outside the rink. "For Holster, yes?" He asked after entering the kitchen again, popping the cap off of his Sharpie and holding the lid between his teeth. "Here." He said, passing the Mashkov card to Ransom after he'd signed the back.

RANSOM Ransom eyed the hand Tater placed on Kent's waist because, okay, seriously? Was every person Ransom was in love with also in love with Guy Who Would Be Eternally Cooler Than Him AKA Kent Parson? The awkward jealousy was wiped clean away when Tater came back and signed the collector's card for Holster, and Ransom couldn't bring himself to wipe the over-enthused expression from his face. "Oh my god, he's gonna..." well, Ransom didn't know what Holster was going to do because their friendship was in a weird place, so he didn't finish, instead letting out a hurried, "just, thank you. So much. You are so cool on and off the ice, and I really didn't meant to bother you guys, uh..." He looked between Tater and Kent carefully, "hanging out?"

KENT Kent kept a dutiful eye on the pies while Tater ran out to his car and his heart melted a little when he saw what he brought back in. Kent was so fucking lucky to be with this man. So lucky and so in love it was ridiculous. He wanted nothing more than to kiss him then and there, company be damned, but he didn't want to do something that Tater was uncomfortable with. So instead he clapped Tater's shoulder and said, "That was really cool of you, Alyosha." He turned back to Ransom and waved his hand. "Nah, dude, it's okay. We were just, uh. Catching up."

TATER "Is no problem. Jack telling me you are very good with hockey, hopefully will get to play with you some time. I give Bitty tickets for team to come to game so bring your skates." He said with a nod at the other. Tater smiled down at Kent and put the cap back onto his Sharpie before putting it in his pocket, humming as he stepped back towards the blonde. His eyes flickered over Kent's face, nearly forgetting that the other was even there because of how taken he was. "Yes - were just catching up.. Has been too long." He noted to Kent.

RANSOM Ransom wanted to be a little salty about Tater and Kent, he really did, but the way they were looking at each other at that particular moment... Ransom's chest ached with it. He had it, with March, but he couldn't help but feel like there was something...missing. "I see," Ransom said casually, making his way to the Haus fridge, "have you guys had breakfast?" The question was a formality, he was already pulling things out of the fridge. "I was gonna make frittatas. They'll be done before pie duty's up. And they're super healthy, 100% NHL nutritionist approved. Trust me, I'm pre-med."

KENT Kent was pretty sure his stomach rumbled the minute Ransom mentioned breakfast. He squeezed Tater's shoulder and tilted his head to the side. "You hungry, big guy? I don't know about you but I feel like I could eat about six frittatas on my own." He let his hand linger a little longer than necessary and then turned to Ransom. "You need help with any of that, dude? I make an excellent sous chef."

TATER Tater wound his own hand around Kent's waist as he spoke, hoping it didn't look too obvious - but Ransom was turned towards the fridge so he decided that it was alright. "No.. Have to be watching pies." He said and gestured to the oven. No way was he about to let Bitty's pies burn.

RANSOM Ugh, they were gross, and Ransom wanted to kiss March's forehead so so bad. He also wanted his own giant boyfriend, and the two desires didn't seem to conflict in his head. Fuck his life, even if he was standing in a kitchen with Alexei Mashkov. "Oh, pie watching and frittata eating don't sound like mutually exclusive activities. Especially for someone as talented as you, Mr. Mashkov," Ransom smiled, pointedly not looking at the arm Tater had looped around Kent's waist, instead directing his attention to throwing together breakfast. "Stay where you are, Parse," Ransom flashed Kent a faux stern look, "this is a one man job. 15 minutes tops, don't lose your appetite."

KENT "Yeah, ba--uh--Tates, you can eat while you watch. Piece of cake." He laughed to himself. "Or piece of pie, really." He leaned into Tater unconsciously, his body just gravitating toward the other man. Since Tater was the one initiating the contact Kent decided not to worry about it. He looked into the little window on the oven door and nodded. "Well if you insist," he said to Ransom. "It's probably best for me to help this guy watch Bitty's pies. Apparently it's a two-man job."

TATER Chuckling at Kent's antics, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Kent's lips - unable to resist it. He hadn't seen him in too long, and he just wanted to be close to him. "Bitty teach me how to make pies." He told Kent in a whisper, letting his nose brush over the blonde's temple affectionately.

RANSOM Ransom remained faced towards the stove, though he could see Kent and Tater from the corner of his eye and it was...stupid cute. God, he missed Holster. How long had it been since he'd said more than a few sentences to him? It felt like years. "Yeah, we take Bitty's pies very seriously around here. Dropping one is a hefty fine." Ransom shot a quick text off to the SMH group chat while Kent and Tater were...occupied, telling them a repairman was there to take a look at their garbage disposal, and to steer clear of the kitchen. He retrieved a few of the least cracked plates from over the sink and set them in front of Kent and Tater, along with forks and a few paper towels as well. "Either of you vegetarian?"

KENT Kent glanced a little nervously at Ransom but he figured that it was up to Tater if he wanted to take the risk. He kissed him back gently and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the closeness. When it looked like the food would be ready soon, Kent nodded at the table. "Want to sit? I'm sure you can keep an eye on the pies from the table." He glanced up at Ransom and chuckled. "Definitely not vegetarian. Give me all the meat, my man."

TATER Tater smiled into the kiss and set his hands onto Kent's waist, having missed his west coast boyfriend a lot in the last month. "What is this? Vegetarian? Oh, is like when are not eating animals?" He asked and looked towards Ransom, shaking his head at the question. "No, am not the vegetarian." He confirmed before sitting down at the table, being sure he could still look over and make sure the pies were okay - as if they were going to burst into flame the minute they became too hot.

RANSOM Ransom really hoped they were more careful around other people if they were actually trying to keep that whole thing a secret, because seriously. What a mushy. He sort of understood, though. He incurred his fair share of fines whenever March came around the house, it was hard to keep his hands to himself when he knew he was allowed to touch. "Don't get too excited, Parse," Ransom warned, tossing various pre cut vegetables and meat into his frying pan (he did Frittata prep at the beginning of every week), "it's just grilled chicken. And a little sausage. A little." He paused, contemplating the correct way to go about his next words. "Breakfast is a great time to, uh... catch up, you know? Especially in the Haus kitchen right now, since we're all headed to..brunch... at Jerry's. This space should be empty for an hour or two."

KENT "Chicken is good. Sausage is definitely good. I'm just hungry, dude, I'll eat whatever you make." Kent raised an eyebrow at Ransom's careful words. "You're /all/ headed to brunch? Seems like someone would've mentioned it when I said I'd be here this morning." He narrowed his eyes at Ransom. "You know something, don't you?" He glanced at Tater and then back at Ransom. "What do you know?"

TATER Tater was too busy eating the leftover blueberries that Bitty had left a bowl of on the table, looking at Kent when he felt like he was being addressed with the stare, then back to looking at Ransom. "..?" He furrowed his eyebrows at Kent and ignored his cheek full of berries, chewing as he listened.

RANSOM Ransom slid the frittatas out of the pan and onto the plates in front of Kent and Tater, grabbing a bottle of Sriracha from the top shelf in the cabinet just in case they happened to be kindred spirits. "A lot about human anatomy and pathology, my dude. I'm a simple guy," Ransom answered, evasive and charming as ever. "Seriously, though, why the paranoia, Parson? Team brunch is a regular occurrence for the occupants of the SMH. And those that won't be in attendance are in their rooms, for sure, trying to get a jump start on the semester." Popping a blueberry from the bowl in his mouth, he winked at Parse and spared one last glance at The Alexei Mashkov Actually In His Kitchen Eating From A Bowl That Would Never Be Washed Again. "It was so good to meet you, Mr. Mashkov. That whole don't touch your idols with a ten foot pole thing is total B.S., I can attest to it now." And with that, Ransom strolled idly out of the kitchen, throwing a "we'll all be back in ONE HOUR, have fun catching up" tossed carelessly over his shoulder.

KENT Kent took a bite of the fritatta and hummed. "Oh man, this is great. Thanks, dude!" He tilted his head and frowned a little as Ransom made his hasty retreat. Turning to Tater he said, "I think he knows. About us. I mean, he knows I'm into guys and he was acting really weird and...I think he knows." He bit his lip and squeezed Tater's knee. "I'm sorry, babe."

TATER Tater stood to thank Ransom and offered his hand to shake again, setting his other hand on the other's shoulder firmly and looked at him with a smile. "Keep playing good, yeah? Good to meet you." He said before sitting back down next to Kent. He was a nice guy, but he seemed to be acting a little strange. Tater took a bite of his breakfast before he looked over to Kent, chewing slowly. "Oh? He will tell people? If he is not to tell people I do not be seeing problem." Tater said with a shrug, leaning over a bit to kiss Kent's cheek before he went back to eating.

KENT Kent relaxed with Tater's words and smiled. "I'm sure he won't tell anyone, babe." He chewed his food for a moment and then reached over to place his hand on Tater's knee, squeezing gently. "Hey. I'm glad I got to see you this morning. Even if it did ruin my surprise."

TATER "Was big surprise enough just to be seeing you." Tater said softly, leaning over and pecking Kent's lips softly before he set his free arm over the back of Kent's chair, glad to finally have some time with his boyfriend.

[farfromdaylight]

critical role ep 81 spoilers, general thoughts on the episode under the cut (mostly rambling) (gosh this episode was an Experience)

edit: holy shit this got long

i'm just gonna bulletpoint this because god. GOD. what an episode

first of all scanlan going off on vax gave me life lmao it was everything i wanted after the past few weeks. less enthused about vax's response but it's about what i expected.

honestly i'm gonna have to rewatch to get a solid opinion on most of the vax and keyleth (and vaxleth) stuff; i didn't enjoy most of it but i am fairly biased against it at this point given the lead-up.

i was also really not thrilled that kerr was coming in for this episode; i really wanted this to be focused on vox machina dealing with the aftermath, not Vox Machina Plus Special Guest! it was fine for the most part but there were some parts (esp in the first hour) that i was just like, ugh, this is not what i was hoping for, i wanted a focus on the VM relationship.

STILL, THERE WAS SO MUCH GREAT SHIT IN THIS EPISODE THAT I DON'T EVEN MIND.

first of all: HOLY FUCK, SCANLAN TAKING THE SUUDE

SCANLAN OVERDOSING ON THE SUUDE

scanlan putting the suude IN THE FUCKING FLUTE and TAKING IT WRONG THE FIRST TIME and then FUCKING OD'ING ON IT

vox machina coming across UNCONSCIOUS SCANLAN

im just. the entire sequence was incredible. i cant. i dont.

THE DECK OF MANY THINGS. HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

i NEVER thought matt would put it in the game, especially after what happened in that one charity stream. HOLY FUCK. the entire discord chat was SCREAMING THE ENTIRE TIME. AND FOR GROG TO BE THE ONE TO FIND IT?? AND FOR TRAVIS TO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT DID? OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD.

literally all i want to know is who in emon owned the fucking deck of many things

J'MON AND GILMORE. WHAT WERE THEY TALKING ABOUT. HOLY FUCK??? also jumping ahead but RUNECHILD???? MY GOD???? IS THIS WHY HE LEFT MARQUET???

matt wasn't kidding when he said he'd come up with gilmore's whole backstory jfc

magic carpet: i'm actually not thrilled about this; vm not having a carpet helped spur vex's character arc and forced them to not use the carpet as a crutch (as they did in many, many, many situations prior to losing it). i had a feeling it would return because they can now afford the price of repair but i never thought they'd straight up find a new one. i hope it doesn't become a crutch again.

really loved the description from matt of VM walking out of the city; it was a really great bit from him. i actually thought he was going to end the episode there and i'm so glad he didn't.

breaking here because this is becoming a wall of text lmao... more bullets!

RAISHAN!! OH MAN, SUPER INTERESTED IN WHAT SHE'S UP TO. IS SHE THE ONE TRYING TO BECOME A DRACOLICH??? all this talk of necromancy makes me think so but I'M NOT SURE.

also i'm really proud of them for actually figuring out where she was in the same episode, that was some A+ sleuthing. also that nat20 from percy lmao

percy hugging his sister :") yes good. cassandra needs all the hugs

SCANLAN. SCANLAN AND JARRET. SCANLAN CASTING MODIFY MEMORY.

holy shit he truly is going down this path

if this is breaking bard then he's walter and

does that make jarret jesse

i think it does

(i need a breaking bad au yesterday, alright)

(i just sat here for like three minutes trying to think about how this au would work I CAN'T DO THIS OK)

(but seriously, i need it)

now, the true highlight:

the scene with vax and percy was weird and awkward and i honestly have no idea what it was even about because it all flew out of my head the MOMENT laura spoke. i seriously laughed for three minutes straight. it has eclipsed yelping as the funniest moment in critical role for me. holy fuck, laura bailey. you are a gift.

as for the rest of the episode:

drunk kerr was lovely. i love that grog forces the sandkeg on everyone now.

DRUNK ALLURA WAS EVEN BETTER THOUGH.

i can't believe they genuinely debated going and fighting raishan that long SHE HAS GOD DAMN POISON BREATH, YOU WOULD HAVE ALL DIED

but that's vox machina for you :")

tl;dr this episode was an Experience. i love this show.