#i'm in love with this game even though i've never been into dnd before!!!!!

[elviradreaminess]

i think imma make some baldur's gate fanart

[munson-blurbs]

Hello! Would it be alright to request something where the reader joins Hellfire because she wants to get closer to and spend more time with Eddie and all of the guys figured that out except for Eddie who remains completely oblivious till the end?

Warnings: lil bit of language, fluffy fluffy fluff with a smidge of angst, fem reader

WC: 1.3k

A/N: this combines two of my favorite fluff tropes--clueless Eddie x clueless Reader in love + meddling friends <3 let me know what you think!

--

It was actually Robin's idea for you to join Hellfire.

You'd been working at Family Video with her and Steve for the last few months, trying to save up some money for college. It's where you'd formed a friendship with the unlikely duo.

It's also where you'd gotten to know Eddie Munson.

He'd come in a couple of times a week, mostly just to talk to Steve and Robin, though he'd occasionally rent a movie. Your heart fluttered every time he'd come in and lean against the counter, biceps flexing under his denim jacket.

"Y/N, this is Eddie Munson," Steve had introduced you the first time he came in during your shift. "Munson, this is Y/N. Be nice to her, please."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "I'm always nice, Harrington," he retorts, "especially to pretty girls."

You'd felt a heat creep up your neck. You didn't say much for the rest of the evening, but you listened intently as he talked about the Dungeons & Dragons campaigns he was planning. You were smitten.

After months of watching you make heart eyes at the gorgeous metalhead, Robin puts her hands on her hips and says, "Oh my God, just ask him out already!"

"Me?" you squeak. "Ask him out?" You shook your head. "I don't even know if he likes me."

"Well, let's ask the jury," she replies, turning to Steve. "Has Munson said anything about Y/N?"

Steve nods. "He thinks you're really cute, but quiet. Wants to get to know you better."

"How do I do that?" you ask, basically pleading for an answer.

Robin purses her lips, considering. "What about joining Hellfire?"

"I've never played DnD before, though," you protest. "Aren't they, like, experts?"

"So he can teach you! It's perfect." She claps her hands together.

~

The next time Eddie comes into Family Video, Robin doesn't waste any time.

"Hey, Munson," she calls him over, "Y/N wants to learn how to play DnD. Got any room in that devil cult of yours for a new player?"

His eyes widen. "Uh, yeah, of course. Always." He looks at you. "You've really never played?"

"No," you admit shyly, "but it sounds like fun. At least from how you describe it."

Eddie flashes a huge grin. "Well, we meet on Fridays right after school in the drama room, if you can make it."

Robin cuts in before you can respond. "Yeah, but she needs someone to teach her how to play before she just jumps right in," she bats her eyelashes at Eddie and puts her hands on your shoulders.

"Oh!" he says. "Are you free tomorrow after school? We can hang out in the library or somethin'."

"She's free," Robin says for you, smiling from ear to ear.

~

But when you show up to the library the next day, Dustin Henderson and Mike Wheeler are there in Eddie's place.

"Y/N, right?" Mike asks, continuing when you nod your head. "Eddie said you needed someone to teach you game rules."

"Oh, uh," you stammer, trying to hide your disappointment, "y-yeah. I was thinking about joining Hellfire."

"You wanna join Hellfire but you've never played DnD?" Mike questions suspiciously, eyes narrowing.

Dustin's jaw drops. "You like Eddie!" he shouts. "Oh my God, you like Eddie!"

"Shut up!" you hiss. "Y'know what? Never mind. I shouldn't have let Robin convince me this was a good idea."

"No, wait!" Dustin clears his throat. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make fun of you. I just got excited because Eddie keeps talking about how sweet and pretty you are and..."

"We can teach you," Mike jumps in, saving Dustin from further rambles.

"Thank you," you smile gratefully. "Please don't tell Eddie that I like him." He may have complimented you to his friends, but he couldn't even be bothered to show up today, so how did he really feel about you?

Mike and Dustin nod, with zero intention of keeping that promise.

~

Eddie's sitting on his bed, strumming his guitar mindlessly, when he's startled by a pounding on his trailer door.

"Eddie! Open up!" Dustin screeches. "Open this door!"

Eddie flies out of the room, expecting the kid to be in imminent danger. Instead, Dustin is completely fine, just annoyed.

"Henderson, I thought you were dying!" Eddie exhales, putting his hands on his knees and scowling.

"No, but I'm about to kill you!" Dustin shouts.

That kid has one volume: loud, Eddie thinks. "Why? What'd I do?"

Dustin sighs. "You sent me and Mike to teach Y/N. But she likes you and you like her, you dumbass!"

"Wait, what?" Eddie can't hide his smile. "I thought she was afraid of me."

"Why would you think that?" Dustin asks, exasperated.

"Because!" Eddie sputters. "She barely talks to me when I visit her at work, which is all the time, and Robin was the one who had to set up the whole Hellfire thing. I thought I was doing her a favor by leaving her alone!"

"She's not scared," Dustin explains. "She's nervous. Because she LIKES you!" When Eddie just stares at him, shell-shocked, he orders: "Go fix it, idiot!"

Eddie nods, grabbing his jacket. "Is she still at the library?"

"Yeah, she's with Mike. I caught Steve before he drove Robin home and asked him to drop me off here. Told Y/N that I left my rulebook at home."

"Okay," Eddie says. His heart feels like it'll pound right out of his chest.

Dustin claps a hand on his back. "Let's go get you a girlfriend, big guy."

~

Mike is trying to explain the different creatures and how they interact during gameplay while Dustin runs back home to grab his book. Your head is spinning with information, but you're trying your best to follow along.

Your concentration is broken by the library doors flinging open. Dustin's back; this time, with a surprise guest.

"Eddie." You feel like the wind's been knocked out of you. "I thought you were busy."

"N-no, I..." he looks over at Dustin sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Christ, do I have to do everything around here?" Dustin rolls his eyes. "Fine. Eddie thought you were afraid of him because you don't talk to him when he visits you at Family Video."

"Oh," you say with a giggle, because the idea is so ridiculous. "No, I'm not afraid of you, Eddie."

"I told you!" Dustin yells, immediately shushed by the librarian. He nudges Mike, and they leave you and Eddie alone.

"So if you're not scared of me," Eddie starts, biting his lower lip shyly, "why don't you talk to me?"

"I guess, you do scare me, in a way," you mumble. "But because I'm afraid of saying something stupid in front of you."

"In front of me?" He laughs. "I'm the king of saying dumb things. Just ask...well, any of my friends."

You laugh, too, feeling a bit lighter. "Yeah, but you look cute when you say dumb things." Did you really just say that?

Eddie looks just as surprised as you feel. "You think I'm cute?"

You can only nod, unable to make eye contact.

"Well," he says finally. "If you think I'm cute, and I think you're cute, then we should probably do something about that."

Your head snaps up at that. "You think I'm cute?" Sure, Steve had said that Eddie thought that, but you never believed he was telling the truth.

"Sweetheart," Eddie takes your hand, lacing his fingers with yours. "I like talking to Buckley and Harrington, but not enough to visit them that much." He clears his throat and smiles. "D'you wanna grab some pizza or somethin'?"

"Only after you teach me how to play DnD," you tell him. "You look extra cute when you talk about your campaigns."

Eddie sighs contently. Oh, he's falling fast for you.

--

[theladyragnell]

i have my first ever dnd session next week and i’m. nervous-excited! any tips?

Oh, wonderful! I was about to demur and say I'm not an expert and take everything with a grain of salt, and then remembered I've been playing a game most weeks for most of the past decade and played two 1-20 campaigns and am now DMing another. So I guess maybe I do have some right to give advice?

Engage! Truly, this is the biggest piece of advice I can give you. You and your table are telling a story together, and it's a better story the more engaged people are. Be the kind of character who picks up plot threads the DM leaves dangling and chats with NPCs, be the kind of character who asks their party members about themselves, even if your charisma score isn't high. It doesn't take improv skills unless you're playing at a table that's recording a podcast or something, just a willingness to be curious, and it makes a huge difference.

Communicate. With your DM especially, but with your fellow players too. Let them know you're feeling nervous and might be a little shy but that you want to engage! If someone tries to engage you in roleplay, go for it and don't worry if you feel a little silly doing it. If you aren't having fun with an aspect of your character ("whoops, I should have taken a different rogue subclass") or the game ("heyyy, I didn't realize that killing wolves and elk would bother me so much, is there a plan to fight more magical monsters I'll feel less guilty about in the future?"), chat with your DM before it gets to be a bigger problem. And hopefully your table has chatted about triggers and systems to make sure you're all safe around that, a lot of tables do these days, but don't be shy about your needs.

Try to go with the tone presented! Hopefully your DM has told you what kind of game you're in, but a lot of table frictions can come when one player is playing Smeef Smeekle, jolly halfling weed dealer whose goal is to get into as much trouble as possible, and everyone else is playing A Team Of Heroes. Or, for that matter, when one person is playing Bluhdborne Pahth'ojenn, world's angstiest rogue, and everyone else is a fantasy k(obold)-pop band that fell into a dungeon (though comedy games do love a straight man, so that's mostly not fun for Bluhdborne).

Give kudos! When the DM or another player does something cool or creative, improvs a line that gives you chills, anything like that, let them know it! Either in the moment quickly, or after the session in some way. It can be a bit of an emotionally intense hobby, and it's nice to check in with your fellow players and tell them how awesome they are.

And last, some Common D&D Good Manners Things: in combat, have some idea of what your action is going to be before your turn comes around (some players make flowcharts, which I have never tried but might be your jam). Know your abilities as much as is realistic, and have descriptions of abilities and spells close to hand so your DM can ask you instead of looking them up. Take notes if you're playing longer than a one-shot, even if it's only a few words, both to keep yourself engaged and to give yourself the assist later when you need to remember whether this shopkeeper likes you or hates you.

Okay, that got very wordy! But really, just jump into the story, communicate with your table, and come at it with curiosity and collaboration, and it's hard to go wrong if your table is on the same page as you.

Enjoy!

[illarian-rambling]

Hello! I heard you like DnD!

What has been your favorite campaign so far? My current friend group is completing a 5e WotC one, but I have also seen some great homebrews done. Do you prefer WotC campaigns, or homebrews? What were some memorable moments? ✨

Oh god, you've got me started, now I'm never gonna shut up >:)

So, I've played in four games and ran one, all homebrew, over the course of my time. My first campaign I was a life cleric with a pet goat that I saved from being a sacrifice. I didn't really know what I was doing, as it was my first game, but I had fun. My second game, I was a rogue snakeoil (and crack) salesman, which started the trend of all my characters selling drugs. Game three, I played an evangelist artificer and fell in love with the class. I adore robots, what can I say? In my current game (which is an original story, but in the planescape setting), I play a barb/fighter hazily struck out of time. She's up to three mystery voices in her head now, one being the sword of Kas, sells drugs via cranium rats, and was in a pro-wrestling tournament.

Probably one of my most memorable moments was perma-killing my artificer, Gillaria. To start, Gillaria was a bit of dunce. She was smart, yeah, but had balls wisdom and even worse charisma. She tried to fly into a portal to hell once on a wooden broom so she could take an energy reading. She got kidnapped in like three separate alleyways and gave her full, legal name to a devil. This is all to preface with the fact that this character didn't make the smartest choices.

The other thing about Gillaria was that she was a priest of Relhan, the setting's god of innovation. She and her two robot buddies, Anatolius and Aenira, would preach the word of this dying god on street corners, since the main temple to him had been destroyed. Usually, given that the highest charisma score between them was an 8, this ended up with tomatoes being thrown.

Anyways, though the campaign was supposed to go a little while longer, our dm got a new job, so we had to end early. The party decided that our last hurrah would be to raid the Golden Trident, a rival faction we'd been eyeing for some time.

One Gillaria project she wanted to get done before the end of the campaign as well was the squirrel laser. The construction of such a laser is as follows:

The druid Awakens 6 squirrels with their magic staff. The squirrels are now sentient.

Our warlock signs these squirrels onto warlock pacts. The squirrels can now cast the cantrip Bonfire.

Gillaria has a Decanter of Endless Water and the spell Magic Mouth

Infinite steam power has been achieved

We did the math and we would've been able to power a railgun with this set-up, so our dm decided, fuck it, campaign's almost over, they can have a death laser. It was decided it would be a DC 16 dex save against being zapped into ash.

Anyways, cut to us raiding the Golden Trident. Our level 10 warlock is being chased by an anctient dragon, our barbarian fell off the airship (We had a dragon ghost powered airship. Long story, also Gillaria's fault) and we're being chased by the enemy's airship.

Gillaria tells Anatolius, her steel defender with an intellect headband that she treats like a son, to point the laser at the enemy skyship, ready to fire once it warms up in four rounds. Gillaria then flies over to the enemy ship, hoping to disable its engines. However, like any good artificer, she's immediately enamored by the engines themselves. At this point, I the player forget I have a four round count down.

Yeah, you can see where this is going... The dm has me pick high or low on a d100 to see what part of the ship my laser hits, and I invariably pick wrong. And that is how Gillaria got blasted to ash by her own automaton, wielding her own laser, atop her own airship. Her final consolation was finding out that her god was not, in fact, dead and being reincarnated into his steel and steam avatar.

This is one of sooo many dumbass stories for this character, she was a piece of work. Thanks for asking though, I love talking about dnd! Feel free to share a story of your own or ask any questions :)

[korgbelmont]

Choices Insiders January 2024

Happy new year everyone! Hope you all enjoyed and are looking forward to the year ahead!

Actually back this time with this month's Insiders. Apologies for not doing my normal post on the December Insiders, but I was just too ill to be able to focus so decided it was best to leave it.

Anyway! Here we go. New year, new post.

So I chose other and this is what I put;

Found it while scrolling for games on the playstore and thought "yeah, give that a go".

That was in 2018 and here I am haha

I haven't seen anything on Unbridled as to what people think of it, so I won't say much. I'll give it a go when it begins it's release and see what it's like.

Same as above. I'll give it a go when it begins it's release and see what it's like. Other than that, I can't say much.

Let me know what you think of both this and Unbridled if you have played them!

So slight confession with both of these. I've only got to the first two chapters of Ship of Dreams when it began it's release and I've only played the first Chapter of Cursed Heart 2. It's that thing of forgetting one week and then just keep forgetting. I am planning to catch up with it over the weekend as I am intrigued by it and even though for me it's only been one chapter, I'm interested by new characters Oleander and Jack.

I never actually attempted this. I had thought about it, but I can't remember why, but I decided not to have a go. Congrats to those who saw it all the way through!

I haven't played DnD in years, last time was not long before everything hit and my friends and I could no longer meet up to do so. But if we do decide to, I may have a look at the sheets on the wiki and pop a character in to play as haha

Having seen the official cover for Hot Shot, I know which one was used. But to be honest, a majority of covers these days are very similar, so I don't think much.

One thing I would be interested to know is what lead to choosing Ice Hockey as the sport.

Given that they mentioned the shower in particular, I'm guessing there is a scene with the MC and Love Interest in the shower.

The third image makes me think that it is going to be from the CG that is usually seen in the first chapter. Maybe the Love Interest intercepting it or something...

Putting these two as I wanted to discuss a couple things about Blades 3. Firstly, I am surprised a BK3 is happening. This one I feel is the final one as usually they only go up to 3. The second bit is that I am surprised at how early it has been currently scheduled. I can see it changing as it did happen with BK2, but yeah. Same with Crimes 3 to be honest on both points.

Okay, so a couple of new titles, but first I want to speak about The Deadliest Game as when I opened up this morning, I found out about the VIP Exclusive prequel. It has me wondering if we will see this more often or if it just a one off. It does mean though that it looks like it has something related to gambling.

Right, next up is Along Came Treble and The Ghost of Us which were announced last month. I've seen people say about how it is a music book (maybe it's meant to be a mature version of Platinum). I'll give it a go when it begins it's wide release.

The Ghost of Us sounds like a book that could be a book set in two time periods about two lovers reincarnated and their ghosts of their past selves guiding them to the other. Not much information other than the title to go on at the moment.

So the first new new title here is Filthy Rich, and to be honest, it screams that it's a more mature book.

The other new title is Hearts of Fire. I think I remember them saying about a Firefighter book at somepoint last year, and here it is.

But before all of that, there is Immortal Desires 2. I am really looking forward to this one. It was such a welcome surprise to see the 180 and have a sequel greenlit. Looking forward to more Gabriela and curious to see who the villains of this one are.

First Wide Release isn't until next month. I am curious as to why it got pushed back, maybe they're trying to keep with their VIP release schedule and keep double month releases together...

That's it for this month. As always, I will do my best to nab screenshots from one of their other social accounts and post on here.

Keep safe everyone!

[beeleafinurself]

still on my byler bullshit and I've had something that's really been bothering me and I kinda want to put it out there.

so I've seen a lot of... aggression towards the idea of stranger things having mostly queer characters. it's so new to me and something I had never seen in fandom before. It got me thinking "why are there so many people dead set on mileven being endgame?"

I loved season 1 and 2 mileven, it was sweet and Mike looked at El like she was his world. Now though, it seems less real, Mike seems very disengaged, much more engaged in preserving some sort of relationship with Will (and trying not to seem gay).

This post really got me thinking. Stranger Things, through it's entire run time, has been about not conforming and sticking behind the people who matter most to you.

We all know the eyewitness byler reference, but eyewitness isn't very mainstream, it's another one of those shows catered for the queers, it's a gay show! That reference being made in Stranger Things was targeting a specific demographic; queer people (or fans of queer media).

I propose this goes a bit deeper than that one reference, I propose this show wasn't made for the straight people at all. You may think it sounds crazy, but it really does irk me to even discuss Stranger things with people who aren't fellow "freaks and weirdos." The conversation is typically frustrating, these people just don't understand.

Like with my brother! My brother is my best friend but this instance describes my point well. I was talking about my current DnD character and my brother said "DnD? Like the stranger things board game?" Uh.... no?? I think you mean DnD like the biggest RP table top game ever created??? He just didn't know it! And why would he?! I'm the nerd in this family, not him! But something about him saying that rubbed me wrong.

What the hell am I getting at? I'm saying that Stranger things wasn't for my brother, just like like how his sports documentaries aren't for me. I think that stranger things is one of the most extreme cases of media going outside it's demographic. It was supposed to be a sense8, or a heartstopper, but it went too far outside it's intended audience.

So I guess that's why some mileven fans are viscerally upset by the progression of byler. I think this sort of feels like a reverse queerbait, a hetbait if you will. Straight people usually just get what they want, super popular shows don't have gay main characters! But I don't think Stranger things was wrote to be popular in the first place! It was for the weirdos, the nerds, the gays. Hell, one of S4s villains is a white Christian basketball captain, I really don't think the show was made for other white Christian basketball captains to watch!

Just, I don't want to gatekeep, I hate that shit. But I know that if byler had be advertised from the start so many of the fans now wouldn't have even touched it. So I guess I just feel like these people that weren't even Invited need to calm. Down. You weren't even supposed to be here, don't blame us for you not figuring it out sooner, I've shipped byler since season 2 idk where you've been!

TL;DR:

edit: this is sort of mileven neg but PLEASE mileven shippers give me your thoughts, I would genuinely to hear your perspective!

[horrorstolemyheart]

Cliché

Notes: CLICHE AS FUCK! Hence the title. But I guess that's ok sometimes, definitely has a run of the mill person A and person B like each other but they both never act on it, Yada Yada yada... I know. But I'm in the process of dragging myself out of writers block. Also I hope this isn’t as bad as I think, a mixture of my first time writing for this character, and the fact that I’ve tweaked and re-read this fic so much that I’m starting to hate it a little. And this is the first thing I've written in a while. But I hope that it isn’t too messy lol.

Warnings: Cursing

Pairing(s): Eddie Munson x reader

Every damn time.

His heart skipped a beat when you joined the group of boys at lunch. The smile upon your lips made his face turn a shade of pink, not unnoticed by Jeff and Gareth. He felt a kick to the ankle from under the table and scowled. They were just two of the people who’d been trying to get him to ask you out for ages.

You were funny, smart, and one of the few people who didn’t think he was a freak. Eddie was head over heels.

“Gentlemen.” You greeted with a small bow.

He grinned, “Y/N.”

“Eddie” you always gave him a separate acknowledgement. Unknown to him, your heart also skipped that one beat upon seeing him. It was anything but subtle. Both completely entranced with the other and yet so oblivious to it.

All your friends knew that you and Eddie were smitten from the start. Gareth and Jeff poked fun at the Dungeon Master and he'd scrunch up his face, refusing the onslaught of teases. He wasn't even safe from the freshmen. Dustin, Mike, and Lucas had even had their fun with their fellow Hellfire Club member. You, on the other hand, had Steve and Robin to deal with at work. Both of whom were savvy to your crush on Eddie.

God, it was cliché. Which is probably why you ignored the feelings of attraction, it was a dumb high school crush. You were a senior and this would probably be the year he would graduate as well and then what? You'd both walk across the stage, accept your diplomas, and then maybe see each other a few times after graduation. So you made a promise you’d keep those feelings hidden. The fact that you even got to be friends with the guy was enough for you. Or that’s what you told yourself.

Most lunch periods you brought your sketchbook along. You'd been friends with Johnathan Byers which initially drew the four, now three, younger DnD players to you. And you were happy to turn their imagined scenes into a reality. Nowadays though, it was usually Dustin asking for sketches.

“Y/N! Ok, ok, so I have another request,” Dustin quipped as you pulled your sketchbook out.

“Yes, great artificer.”

Oh, and you were an incredible artist. Another reason the metal head was in love with you. You did wonders in bringing the scenes described to life. You may not have played the game, but as Dungeon Master, he had declared you an honorary Hellfire Club member. His explanation was that seeing the game played may spark some inspiration, obviously this was only part of the reason.

Lunch had flown by quickly. Students began packing up their stuff just before the bell rang, signaling everyone back to their classes. Back to the droning of teachers' lectures and scanning through textbooks.

Dustin glanced over your shoulder at his drawing in progress, which you covered up.

“Ah, ah! Patience is a virtue young man,” you smirk, “I’ll have it to you in a day or two.”

“Alright, alright. I can’t wait, I know it’s gonna be awesome! See ya later , Y/N!” With that the boy ran to catch up with Mike.

You began to place your sketchbook back into your bag, and double checked you had all your effects in order. The seat opposite you creaked as Eddie sat down gently. It was clear he wanted something.

“Alright, spit it out," you inquire, letting out a snicker, "I can tell you wanna say something, you’re terrible at hiding it.”

“I just… wanted to say that I think you’re an amazing artist." Eddie pressed his lips into a thin line.

“Um, thank you. I’m not that good, but that means a lot Eddie,” You turn to face him square on, “But let’s cut the bullshit. What do you want?”

“Bullshit? No, I mean it, Y/N, every word!" anxiously, he fiddles with his rings, "Sooo… I was just wondering…”

You nod for him to go on.

“Well. um, would you possibly… I dunno,” he pauses and a blush begins to grow on his face, “If you would possibly design a tattoo for me?”

It takes a moment to set in, and you have to admit you’re a bit shocked, “R-really?”

Studying his face it was easy to tell the shaggy-haired boy was being serious. Eddie was, afterall, a man of his word. With that you decided to push the envelope a bit. After a moment you stood up as if to leave, catching Eddie off guard. Draping your bag over your shoulder, you tap your chin in mock contemplation over the request.

“Hm, I don’t know. It’ll cost you…” Eddie stood up as well, desperate to hear what you had in mind.

“What? Dustin doesn't have to pay, but I do?”

"No, no. I'm not asking for money. I’ll design you a tattoo," drawing out a pause for effect, all your promises to yourself flew out the window.

"If you take me on a date.”

Those words had spilled out before they could be stopped. Fuck. Desperately you tried to save yourself from further humiliation.

"Shit. Uh, y-you know, that was a joke right? I just, uh… I wanted to...” The act was over before it had begun. How could you be so stupid? The thudding of your heart could be heard in your ears.

Eddie’s eyes widened, "Wait... you really want me to take you on a date?"

"Eddie, please don't fuck with me. Look, just forget it, ok? I don't need anything in return for a drawing." the only thing on your mind was salvaging a possibly ruined friendship.

His face was sympathetic, "Sounded like a win-win situation, if I’m being honest. But, I'd love to take you out, Y/N. I just… never knew if you’d want to go out with me.” It was clear he was just as nervous to admit his feelings as you’d been.

"God, you don’t know how relieved I am. I’ve wanted to go out with you since we met! But it just felt so cliche. I figured it'd probably turn out as one of those situations where you didn't reciprocate and then I would have ruined our friendship and–"

"Y/N. You talk too much."

Eddie’s gaze shifted between you and the exit door. Grabbing your hand, he yanked you along with him.

“C’mon.”

"Eddie, where the hell are you taking me?"

"Uh, on a date?"

"You're gonna skip school to take me out? I thought you wanted to graduate this year?"

"I've been a good boy. I've been coming to school, one day won't stop me."

"Plus," he turns to face you, eyes gleaming, "You are much more important."

You give in, “Mm… fine.”

"Just remember you owe me some new ink for this date, and for making me ditch school,"

This earned him a smack on the arm with the hand currently not being held.

"Oh, haha! More like making me ditch school!" You both try to suppress the giggles as you rush out the exit doors. And all it took was him asking for a drawing. Your friends were not going to let either of you live this down.

[terriedirewolf]

Wasteland 3 was on sale a little while back and I've been wanting to play that since I saw it existed. Most people don't know this game series existed. Those who do, know it from fallout, and probably never touched the games before. Those who know it from fallout know it from old fallout. Back when they was 2d and played like a point and click that threw the simple item puzzles into the sun and decided to dungeon master a dnd game but with guns and robots. Plus, the original game is archaic and has graphics that more resemble a board game than a video game, and the second game came out like 20 years later. I mean I'm all over ancient and archaic games, and I only have managed to ever scrape my way through half of that thing. I even used a guide. I beat zelda nes without pulling a guide out until that teleport maze in the final dungeon.

So anyway, wasteland 3 is now my favorite rpg, and I've been reevaluating a few of my projects because of it. I have a number of games that can be loosely crammed into the definitions of RPG. And I missed something crutial with my party based one: specialization. Now I missed wasteland 2, but my previous favorite rpg was fallout 1. And that game only let you directly control and stat manage one character. You could get companions, but they didn't factor into things the same way. Wasteland, having always been a game where you control a team of post nuclear idealists with government issued integrity, does not let you make a god teir character like in fallout. The third game makes you make a team. This team can and will be more effective than any single player rpg protagonist for a number of reasons, and it is very hard to fuck it up. I love the shit out of how well they get this across. Like, I could go into depth about how wasteland 3's opening bit is one of the best tutorials ever crafted. Rides a real nice balence of understanding what players might expect going into that, making them rethink their approach, and showing off just how fun and rewarding that all can be. Sort of un-hack-and-slashing the rpg system, while also making sure to be as brutal and rediculous as possible.

Funny thing is, I already kind of understood the importance of this kind of specialization when designing concepts for a real-time tactical third person shooter. Trying to lean into the mmo tank, healer, hitter trio that seems so inexcapable. Healers and tanks are tricky, if possible to do in wasteland 3 though, and that's what I think is really facinating. As far as I can tell, you can't do that without fundementally changing how these kinds of games function, but this does it pretty well, at least early on, and I'm trying to work out exactly how? Healers are somewhat negated by the fact that it's hard to play that kind of support role. Meaning every character that would be put in risky situations frequently, has to be capable of healing themselves. Tanks are less viable cause the combat relies a lot on cover and damage mitigation by default, meaning everyone again, kind of has to do all of that themselves. I think what's going on is what happens outside of combat.

Wasteland stats are funny, cause they were a fucking mess in the 80s game. You had to roll the damn characters, then tag a number of skills. And it was not clear what all of them did. And half of them might not actually do anything. Fallout used a similar system, with atributes and skills, but in a much more coherent way. The details of the SPECIAL system has been praised before, just know it used to be significantly more in depth than the nonsense in fallout 3 and onwards. Wasteland 3, and from what I can tell, 2 as well, uses a similar system, this time spelling CLASSIC cause tradition at this point. Comes complete with perks and backgrounds to further customize your rangers with little tweeks like doing more damage in exchange for getting hit for more damage, or getting more action points when you kill an enemy. The long winded point I was getting to is that the vast majority of skills are not combat skills, but exploration skills. Arguably, the only reason combat skills are seperated out so much is to keep everyone using different ammo pools. If you want a good balenced squad, you want one, maybe two combat skills per char, and the rest going into stuff like the speech and trading skills, repair and computers. Maybe some weapons experts or power armor mechanics. Cause these let you avoid fights. Or at least help getting better gear and the jump on things you have to fight.

Game isn't perfect, but it's by far one of the best designed crpg's I've ever touched, and very fun in a lot of ways. Almost makes me actually enjoy math. That's hard to do. I only math when I need to, and it takes all the energy my two brain cells can squeeze out.

And like, drawings here later maybe. I keep not drawing as much as I want to. There's a ton of cool stuff I'd like to show off, but I didn't get around to sketching the mf's out yet. Hopefully I get around to doing that and whoever's here can look at more than my badly structured ramblings.

[iantimony]

tuesdaypost evening

if i have to do any more homework i'm for real going to super mario throw myself into the sun

listening: more borodin...some breaking benjamin...FINALLY FINISHED FRIENDS AT THE TABLE PARTIZAN HOLIDAY EPISODES......what a fucking episode dude. i was doing dishes while i listened to that and fully stopped and stood there for like 10 minutes while The Scene with clem and gur sevraq played...the music in that scene.....just wow. incredible. i did not know that jack and keith played different characters for the rest of the season so i'm looking forward to meeting them, first arc after the holiday special is thisbe valence and si so i haven't seen either of them yet...very excited for that though.

reading: Why Don't We Just Kill the Kid In the Omelas Hole" by Isabel J. Kim - very neat short story. commentary on the way we live these days. ough.

watching: managed to tune into some of the fatt stream tonight haha...very fun...more dunmesh and kill la kill...

playing: i keep forgetting to put ttrpg stuff here. unfortunately it is all dnd at the moment. every other week i do dnd 3 days in a row which might kill me actually! two of them are online, one of which i run, and the one i do in person i'm just a player, so it's like ... not THAT bad ..... this past weekend one of the three got moved so it was just the one i run and the one in-person. the one i run is. well. first of all i'm stealing at least my initial story stuff from mdzs. second of all wow these are some guys of all time. tl;dr, we are talking some romance subplots that are frankly none of my business, god bless 'em, they can go do their love triangle (quadrangle??) in the out-of-game rp channel on the discord, and also there is the biggest tittied bird lady you could possibly imagine.

making: english paper piecing!!! gonna do a border in a solid teal fabric and then do the lining! this is going to be a dice bag probably? :)

oh! and pottery from last week! technically these came out of the kiln before the new year but i didn't get back to the studio til last wednesday.

first: what i'm affectionately calling my Mold Bowl because it looks like. this.

then eye bowl number one, which needs to go back in the kiln actually because a little bit of ? kiln medium ??? got flung into it and it's not smooth so i need to dremel it down and re-glaze the little spot

and finally, eye bowl number two, more of a cup really! i really really love how the inside glaze came out. i'm gonna make a little set of teacups like this but with all that glaze.

eating: roommate made a braised eggplant, pork, and mushroom thing that i've been eating for like three days. sooo good. i also got some chocolates from a local candy shop, including hot pepper dark chocolate stars (they are quite spicy!) and 'chocolate covered honeycomb candy' which i never had before but am now obsessed with. the texture...

misc: the amount of busy work i have to do this semester to finish the masters degree requirements? terrible. agony. i miss free time.

[cloudmancy]

i know your posts about starstruck odyssey are old but do you think it's worth it to watch it? i'm new to dimension 20 and i was enjoying the first episode and was really excited because norman's asian and i am as well but then i read about what happens to him and it made me a bit upset (i've been really trying to come to terms with the fact i'll never really see myself in d&d and other tabletop games recently), sorry for rambling but the other seasons i've watched are fun so does it get better?

starstruck odyssey is a fun season and I would definitely not recommend against it just for norman takamori not getting to have a proper character arc. it's a genuinely fun setting, the characters have lovely dynamics with each other, it's a solidly watchable dnd show for you to put on in the background or consume as a evening treat.

and that's all it's meant to be! is it annoying that a starstruck odyssey spends all season exploring the theme of autonomy and completely fail to follow through with it? yeah, but at the end of the day it's a comedy dungeons and dragons show, you know?

at the end of the day, I think as long as you watch it knowing norman's not going to get any sort of grace from the players at all + it's a complex dnd show and therefore terribly equipped to handle complex themes in the first place, a starstruck odyssey is a perfectly watchable season. don't get bogged down too much by that! (d&d canon and white nerd culture in general is Not very kind to asian cultures, you are right... erika ishii, lily du, and mike trapp have all been on dimension 20 sidequests before though, if you're looking for asian players in the ttrpg space :)

[empressxmachina]

"Kindred Spirit to a Kind Hand" by me (Also on DA)

"This looks familiar." No, it doesn't. One cannot be obsessed with media they've never personally interacted with. Right? 😅

Anyway, when I'm not going gaga over clips and let's-plays of the goated DnD game and the camp vamp in it (and everyone else, really, but mostly him because DUH) or watching the VAs play the game they're in, I'm re-reading the fanfics of the game from various, based lovelies here - you know who you are, and thank you for existing - and imagining only tangentially related scenes like this.

(Some headcanons and the stock references under the cut.)

My initial vision for this was that some person - this person, the player character, if you will - pissed somebody off to get cursed with a size reduction, horns where their eyes should be, and other 'weaknesses,' likely with some magic, too, if the Intimidation stat actually means something in their state. However, the idea that they had/have always been like this and have been surviving amidst their mutations, rarities, etc., fits into my ever-growing cache of underdog protagonists, which could work, too. In any case, in this 'I Have No Eyes and I Must Cry'-ass tale, the small soul crosses paths or gets caught in the crossfire of and maybe even rescued by a (certain, with similar 'deformity') swordsman with a good heart as open as, well, the hand in the pic. 

For all intents and purposes, I have a few more ideas on similar lines to this, maybe even doing more with this character/model. If I come to create them, I'm thinking to put them together in a gallery/group called "Spoiled Homebrew" or something like that. Get it? Homebrew? D&D? Beer? I'll leave.

Shadow [Devil] Money Gang ~Autodesk Sketchbook ~Photopea ~~FYI: The font used here is Quando if you're curious. It's a close fit and it's free. Like the Hells I'm paying $88 or whatever to get the actual font used. ~[helping hand] "Helping hands reaching charity gesture" - Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik ~little and languished ~blade in the back ~[grassy bg] "Forest landscape" by Mircea Iancu is in the Public Domain, CC0

Circa 2023... extremely barely by an hour or so before 2024.

- The goal was to make this quite coded without being the reference, mostly for copyrights. Though if one's headcanon somehow works well enough with this and him to imagine such a scene in-game or inspire something else, then I'm flattered. - I've no clue how small they are; I just get giddy when a small soul can be fully handheld. - Really, though, could you imagine being able or having to cry in silence without tears? Just chest heaving, chills, and a weakening desire to live? Oof. Now, that sounds familiar. 🙃 (Not me; I'm thriving with pride.)

[hiccanna-tidbits]

HICCANNA MONTH WEEK 1, DAY 1 - TAYLOR SWIFT I'D LIE

***

I don't think that passenger's seat Has ever looked this good to me He tells me about his night And I count the colors in his eyes

He'll never fall in love, he swears, As he runs his fingers through his hair I'm laughing 'cause I hope he's wrong And I don't think it ever crossed his mind He tells a joke, I fake a smile But I know all his favorite songs

And I could tell you His favorite color's green He loves to argue Born on the seventeenth His sister's beautiful He has his father's eyes And if you ask me if I love him I'd lie

He looks around the room Innocently overlooks the truth Shouldn't a light go on? Doesn't he know that I've had him memorized for so long?

He sees everything in black and white Never let nobody see him cry I don't let nobody see me wishing he was mine

I could tell you His favorite color's green He loves to argue Born on the seventeenth His sister's beautiful He has his father's eyes And if you ask me if I love him I'd lie

He stands there, then walks away My God, if I could only say I'm holding every breath for you

He'd never tell you, but he can play guitar I think he can see through everything but my heart First thought when I wake up Is "My God, he's beautiful" So I put on my make-up And pray for a miracle

Yes, I could tell you His favorite color's green He loves to argue Oh, and he kills me His sister's beautiful He has his father's eyes And if you ask me if I love him If you ask me if I love him I'd lie

***

Anna has been best friends with twins Hiccup and Rapunzel for as long as she can remember. When their no-nonsense kindergarten teacher forced the inseparable siblings to make friends besides each other, the off-kilter redhead eating glitter glue in the corner of the room was the one they made a beeline for.

Now, the three of them do everything together. DnD campaigns. Video game nights. Getting themselves sick off candy and junk food when their parents travel out of town and leave them with meal funds they're told to "spend wisely". Hanging out with Hiccup and Rapunzel's spirited shelter dog Toothless, so enormous, gangly, and overzealous that many of the other kids at school are scared of him.

Not Anna, though. She makes it no secret she would die for Toothless and every single one of his lopsided teeth, and to hell with anyone who doesn't love him like he deserves.

Going into their junior year of high school, their friendship is so solid that it's almost unthinkable to imagine it as anything else. Might throw the universe out of whack, even.

Which is why Anna is keeping a potentially world-shattering secret tucked away where no one will ever find it: A name in a heart-shaped box under her bed.

*

"I am never falling in love," Hiccup tells her dejectedly one morning in Weights class. As he trains with the smallest barbels available, his gaze flits to where Astrid Hofferson is pumping iron across the room.

Anna snickers. "Little late for that," she teases.

"No." Hiccup scoffs. "I was only crushing on her. I got out of that situation before it was too late. I'm fine now."

Ah. Still taking the rugby captain's rejection hard, Anna sees. When Hiccup finally gathered the courage to ask Astrid to Homecoming the previous month, she'd told him she preferred dates with a little more meat on their bones.

Hiccup's attempts to make that happen were not going well.

"I'm only trying to show her what she missed out on," he says snidely. "To hell with dating, honestly. Too much drama. And love? Good gods, as if I need that kind of emotional rollercoaster in my life."

"I don't know. Could be fun."

Anna puts down her barbel. Despite not being quite ready, she graduates to the next one.

Maybe if she speed-runs the curriculum for this class, she'll be lifting the same weights as Astrid in a couple months.

"Sure, until they get tired of you." Hiccup sighs. "Then oh boy! It's time to spiral, and not get any scholarships because you were too busy moping about getting dumped to apply!"

Anna forces a chuckle. He's not always the comedic genius he thinks he is, but far be it from her to ever let him know that.

A whistle blows. With some relief, Anna starts to pack up.

"Hey, you never told me how Spiderman 4 was," she says. She didn't make it to the movie with Hiccup and Punz--too much damn trigonometry homework--but she hoped they'd had a good time.

"Oh, it was great!" Hiccup brightens up immediately. "I have to show it to you. You said you don't care about spoilers, right? Because there's this Mysterio and Kingpin teamup that's fucking awesome, and this really shady new mentor figure shows up and tries to bribe Peter with an Uncle Ben clone, and--"

Hiccup has really pretty eyes.

A deep, rich fir tree green around the rims, and a more gleaming, vibrant ferny color in a blot around the pupil. Like sunshine glowing through summer leaves. Unreasonably gorgeous, really.

"Uh...earth to Anna?"

She blinks several times, shaking off embarrassment. "Right! Sorry."

"You good? You were staring off into the void for a while."

At least he didn't notice what exactly I was staring at.

"Yeah, yeah." She sighs. "Just tired. Insomnia, my old foe, our battle never ends!"

Hiccup is, fortunately, none the wiser. But trouble strikes again after school.

Hiccup can't make it to their weekly Friday night Bad Movie Marathon. That in itself is understandable enough--he has an AP Bio exam on Monday, and like hell he's going to screw up his GPA. But when she and Rapunzel drop Hiccup off on the way to her place, Anna apparently looked after him a little too long.

"So." Rapunzel gets a smug look on her face that Anna does not like.

They've been going home from school together since elementary. Their houses are a couple blocks apart--a 10-minute walk, at most.

Nonetheless, Anna gets the distinct feeling this otherwise ordinary stroll is going to feel very long. And very unpleasant.

"When were you planning on telling me you're in love with my brother?"

"What?" Anna snorts as loudly and dismissively as she possibly can. "Punz, that's ridiculous. Where even did you get an idea like that?!"

Because it is ridiculous! ...right?

Maybe if she says it with enough conviction, she can will it into reality.

Rapunzel laughs airily, shaking her head. "It's all over your face, Ans!"

Anna just scoffs. "The only thing that's all over my face is acne and concealer. I mean yeah, you and Hiccup are my best friends, but I don't love him like that. That would be weird."

It very definitely would be. Hiccup's own sister was sure to think that more than anyone.

Would it complicate their friendship if Rapunzel became her sister in law? If Rapunzel ever had kids, would Anna be an honorary aunt, or...and actual by-marriage aunt?!

It's all very strange to think about. Anna aggressively banishes the notions to her head's most isolated corners.

"Okay, then." Rapunzel turns, crossing her arms and blocking Anna's path. Her smug grin deepens.

Anna's chest fills with dread.

"What's his favorite color?"

"Dark green." Anna answers without even thinking.

"Favorite food?"

"Crabcakes."

"Favorite animal?"

"Oh, easy. Crocodile skinks."

"Planned college major?"

"Torn between engineering and herpetology. He likes herpetology more, but engineering jobs are more in demand right now."

"Favorite DnD class to play?"

"Druid."

"Dream hiking spot?"

"Amazon rainforest."

"Dream car?"

"He thinks cars are dumb and every city should install high-speed rail immediately. But if held at gunpoint, he'd want an electric one--preferably one that doesn't randomly catch on fire like your average Tesla."

"Scented candle of choice?"

"Something piney, or kind of a subtle earthy or berry scent. Also sandalwood."

"Instrument of choice?"

"He's not crazy about any of them, but...you two took guitar lessons for a while when you were little. If pressed, he can play a bit. But he doesn't like it because he's got sensory issues with the finger callouses and he feels kind of self-conscious about using a pick."

"Favorite band?"

"Probably Linkin Park, but he'd never openly admit to being that much of an edgelord."

"Birthday?"

"Leap year, but he celebrates on the 28th. He's technically only 4 years old."

"Perfect." Rapunzel is now looking like a cat that devoured no less than 10 canaries, and Anna does not like it one bit. "Now! Do all of those for me, your other totally platonic best friend."

Oh shit.

Rapunzel clearly revels in the panic that flashes across Anna's face. Nonetheless, Anna takes a breath and does as asked.

"Your favorite color's lavender. Your favorite foods are hazelnut soup and cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Your favorite animals are chameleons, but you have a soft spot for horses, too. Your planned college major is communications, but what you really wish you could do is art history. Your favorite DnD class is cleric. Your dream hiking spot is the Black Forest in Germany. Your dream car is a hybrid--you don't care what type as long as you can get a cute pink or purple paint job. Your scented candle of choice is something flowery but subtle, like...magnolia with a tinge of lilac or something. Your instrument of choice is also guitar, except you don't care about the callous thing. Your favorite band is Walk the Moon. Your birthday is--hey, that's a trick question! You're twins--you have the same birthday!"

Rapunzel snickers, and Anna glares at her. "What are you laughing about? I answered all the stuff you wanted me to!"

"Yeah, but...you hesitated."

Anna hopes to every god that might exist that the blood isn't rushing to her face. "What are you talking about?"

"You answers for Hiccup were a lot faster. Completely instinctual, almost. You took a liiiiittle longer to remember all the same stuff about me."

"So what?" Anna bristles. "That doesn't mean anything!"

"I think it does," Rapunzel sings. She giggles and twirls like a silly anime schoolgirl, relishing the victory Anna has no intention of actually giving her.

Anna puts on her sourest pout. "You're nuts, Punzel. Like I'd ever be in love with your dorky brother."

God. Anna feels a pit in her stomach, glancing back and forth between the Haddock household and her aggravatingly self-satisfied friend.

I'm such a fucking liar.

***

YO, HAPPY FIRST DAY OF HICCANNA MONTH YALL

So I actually almost decided to forego TSwift day because I have pretty much maxed out making posts for all the Taylor songs I think are the most Hiccanna-coded, BUT!!! Then I realized I almost forgot I'd Lie, the OG Hiccanna TSwift bop that practically describes Hiccup to a T!!! So naturally I had to make a Thing about it. And, of course, I had to make the moodboard green-themed, since, well...his favorite color's green 💚

Even if that's not actually Hiccup's favorite color, it might as well be, for how much it's worked into his character color motifs and such aksjhdksufhuyh

I usually have Toothless as a cat in modern AUs (or maybe a pet lizard, if I'm feeling especially adventurous) because I just generally don't think he's that dog-coded, BUT! When I found a pic of a ginger cuddling an absolute dog!Toothless if I ever did see one, what was I supposed to do??? Like this dog looks like a lanky little ink gremlin, I wanna be his best friend, too :O Also, the girl with periwinkle nails holding his paw off to the side is Rapunzel, of course!

Speaking of which! It's funny, I've always seen Rapunzel and Hiccup as having a sibling-like relationship (they are just so Dipper and Mabel coded fr), but I've never actually tried writing them as siblings. BUT THEN with the "his sister's beautiful" bit...I needed a sister for Hiccup anyways, so I took a stab at writing him and Punz as twins! Ironically I'm not usually a big of the "falling for your best friend's brother" trope (mainly because if I had any siblings, I would feel like...SUPER weird about them macking on my friends with tongue lmao). But with Punz and Hiccup, I feel like they'd have a pretty close and good relationship, even among some typical sibling squabbles, and would be equally close with Anna. So Rapunzel wouldn't be that put off by Anna being into her brother. In fact, she'd be a little shit about it, I think >:D

Putting that chocolate in the moodboard was a mistake. Now I'm hungry for sugary foods, and my mom's already started giving me enough of a hard time about getting fat XD Luckily I'm poor, so I don't have much extraneous cash to spend on the kind of junk food I write about my blorbos eating!

Although I still smell A Little Treat incoming the next time I go to the grocery store, RIP

Pic credits available upon request!

[faejilly]

@walks-the-ages [Beauty and the Beast (1987) post]

You should definitely read them. They're really good, and if you do not have Beauty and the beast on DVD, send me a PM, and I can give you a link :) Also, at this point somebody might have uploaded the actual TV series to the archive but I have to check when I get home.

I have read the first one already and it's great! The second one will probably happen while sitting at the dr's office next week 🤣 (And I think I know someone with the DVDs, but if not, I will let you know when we get to the end of the current Colombo season. <3)

Also thanks for the tag on the updated post, that was very helpful.

@thievinghippo replied to your post “Seriously y'all I have never played a BG game and...”:

Join us! It's been so fun to geek out about a game again

​That is definitely a kind of fun I miss, so this is very compelling 😆🤣😅

@msviolacea replied to your post “Seriously y'all I have never played a BG game and...”:

I haven't played any of the others either, and it's fine. This game is a giant combination of Dragon Age and D&D and Divinity Original Sin, and so if you like any one of those things it's absolutely worth it.

I have not played Divinity, though I've seen it when Thing 1 checked it out and it seemed quite good, and I do like TTRPG's and have a passing familiarity with other people playing D&D specifically? And we both know I love DA so... ALSO A COMPELLING ARGUMENT!

@pameluke replied to your post “Seriously y'all I have never played a BG game and...”:

Meme has been having a lot of fun with it AND I WANT TO JOIN THE FUN, but I've never played this kind of RPG game before and historically I have been Bad At Figuring Out Problems (looking at you Lara Croft) but on the other hand i love DnD so....

I'll admit that the mechanics of the original BG is mostly why I never played it; too many dice rolls behind the scenes. Like, I love TTRPG's but I've never been good at keeping track of the actual rules I just bullshit with people I like a lot? Randomness/dice karma is fun when it's people, I find it less fun in CRPG's... I like to know WHY I failed or succeeded at things in computer games and what in theory is possible if I played differently.

@angstmongertina replied to your post “Seriously y'all I have never played a BG game and...”:

It looks pretty and fun but I’m very bad at that kind of game so I may just sit and enjoy everyone else’s enjoyment of it lol.

Fair! If I do break down and get it I will probably also break down and find some mods to figure out some of the mechanics for me for much the same reason :D

@shadoedseptmbr replied to your post “Seriously y'all I have never played a BG game and...”:

i loved the old baldur's gate games with a love vying my love for DA but i'm hesitating on this one and i don't know why

ALSO FAIR. I have done that with many things that sounded like stuff I would like or were related to things I knew I liked, so.

#mood

I have found that even if I eventually break down and try the thing and like it, I am usually pretty sure that I wouldn't have been as in to it at the time that my gut went idk meh blurgh? so. Probably a good idea to trust your gut, no matter how incomprehensible it is. <3

[autisticempathydaemon]

Have never done anything like this before but I wanted to participate because why not!

Hope I'm doing this right- this is for the RedactedAudio Match-up :)

1 - Ok so I have 2 song fixations, first one is "Used to the Darkness" by Des Rocs and the other is "Morning Coffee" by Chevy and Nalba

For Used to the Darkness the specific verse is the chorus, it's a bit long for tumblr but I'll give my reasoning. I've always loved this kind of rock because it reminds me of the 90s rebellion kind of era and this verse strikes me as 'society has forced me down by its standards and is leaving me in the dust because I've "made a mistake", but I'm going to fight because my life hasn't started yet and I'm too young to simply give up'. Every time I hear that chorus it gives me a second wind of sorts and reminds me to just keep going, to keep being stubborn and to keep being me unapologetically.

For Morning Coffee there is no specific line because I resonate with the whole song lol. I'm a very big coffee addict, like I need coffee or tea every day to make it feel right. The reason being is that it's a small comfort treat to help me feel better especially when some days just aren't the best and I need a pick me up to feel better, even if it's a little bit. I listen to this every morning on my commute and every afternoon on the way back home, it's such a big comfort song that I keep on repeat.

2 - 6! (subtype sp) 3 - I love a good video essay! My favourite ones are a bit niche but I especially love SovietWomble's essay about "The Forest" because it's a deep dive critique and explanation of what happens when lore is added to a game post-release and why it's so important to develop it as a whole rather than doing it in bits as it can be the difference of an amazing or completely underwhelming experience. As someone who writes for fun and loves to play games soley for the lore sometimes, I found it useful to develop and hone my skills in world-building and making my stories more coherent. Also because he did a face reveal at the end BUT THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT!

4 - Gosh I haven't talked about my imaginary friend in a bit, her face evades me but I remember she would always help me sleep or play with me when no one else did (so everyday basically). She always wore a yellow dress and had her hair up in pigtails. I never gave her a name because she never needed one, I just called her 'friend', I miss her

5 - Put on a redacted audio vid and fall asleep to that lmfao (usually a david vid)

6 - I honestly don't know what I'd change my name to, sometimes I just wish I didn't really have a name because my self identity fluctuates so much

7 - Favourite redacted audio, hm, tbh any of David's audios. I find myself always returning to one of his videos but I think I like his camping one the most, I cry every time but hearing the stories makes my heart so full and like I genuinely want to comfort him.

8 - Huxley maybe? I love his pairing with Damien but I've never really liked or gotten into his story much, might just be a me thing- but hey he's gay so that's fun

9 - RWBY! Specifically volumes 1-3 because they're so iconic, love the entire series though, I quote it a lot to myself.

10 - Guy, he's as much as a dumbass and gremlin as I am and I THRIVE off of the chaotic energy so much. Plus he can make me pizza while we hang out so that's fun!

11 - Memes, I will start quoting memes. Either that or "Which character would win in xyz situation? A or B?" 12 - 7-11 hot chocolate but instead of milk I put a latte in it

13 - Karu's "How To Train Your Dragon" orchestra cover playlist 14 - smutty audios... idk I just find it fun to scour for a good audio on reddit lmfao

15 - I'm very argumentative and will debate anyone on any topic (I've been a debater for years), but I'm also very much a people pleaser because I like to give people gifts and do acts of service. Uh- does a plushie addiction count as something that'll tell you who I am? I like dnd and Critical Role

Thank you!

Ooh, I love you; you gave me so much information to work with! There were a good amount of possibilities I was working with, but if you’re an argumentative Six, who else can I pair you with but Avior?

You’re both similar in a lot of ways- a love of debate, prone to Acts of Service, Type Sixes who are loyal, thoughtful, and reliable. It’s these similarities but also the differences that make me think you’d be compatible. Avior and his sarcastic, sharp nature would be good at keeping your people-pleasing chaos in check. Your love of storytelling and narratives would be new and so refreshing to him as he’s never put so much thought into fantasy and fiction. He learns to accept your gifts graciously because he wants you to be happy even though he’s not used to it.

Your life together would be so fun; you’d make his life so fun. Avior does not understand your plushie collection, but he tolerates it and comes to terms with their watching eyes every day because he loves you. He also doesn’t understand any of your memes either; he pretends he thinks they’re insipid and pointless, but he actually thinks they and you are cute and silly when you quote them. Also, you’re totally coffee/tea addicts together, and you’ve got the best stocked caffeine cupboards in all of Dahlia.

Song:

Just tea for two and two for tea/ Me for you and you for me alone/ Nobody near us/ To see us or hear us/ No friends or relations/ On weekend vacations/ We won't have it known, dear/ That we own a telephone (oh, I hate telephones) (yeah, me too)

I couldn’t help it; you gave me a coffee song, so I had to give you a tea song in return! I also like it for you, because it’s cute, it’s sweet, it’s singable. It’s not just about tea but love and being together, having tea side by side for the rest of your lives. It’s the kind of song you could sing at Avior, and he’d have to try really hard to not be charmed.

Runner-Ups:

If you’re a DnD fan, I’ve got to give you Lasko as a runner-up; my brain would not allow otherwise! The two of you could write together and be so cute. Asher is your other contender because you’re similar in a lot of ways that would be really fun but more in a platonic, best friend way than romantic like Avior.

note: thank you so much for waiting~! I hope you like your match-up!

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[weirdmissoula]

I've been gone forever, I'm back now, and don't know if that's going to be consistent or not. I don't entirely know what I wanna say: I put Shahs on hiatus about a year before the pandemic started and now I don't know if I ever want to play live music again. That's not really related to being afraid of anything, I got COVID at least a couple times in the last three years. I was already retreating from the world about a year before that even happened…

I'm sure some folks that know me close already know this but friends…I am not a well person. Never really have been. I'd been wrapping myself up in that warm motherly blanket of alcohol for hours, days, and sometimes years at a time. I still frequently relapse. I often oscillate between thinking I can find a way to enjoy the nice things (wine at dinner, a well-made craft beer) and still keep it in check but I dunno, I wonder if all that worry and attention just means it needs to be something that joins Logjam Presents into the dustbin of history.

Oh cliches! I love you all, please know I do. Life has been hard in the last (checks notes) foly huck six years (!?!?!) since I last posted anything on here. I went back to school, got my first Associates of Science degree and now work IT for a reputable firm. The ball is rolling up. I've embraced the nerd I'd been hiding for decades during the pandemic, embracing my role as a Game Master for a sprawling group of weirdos playing Dungeons & Dragons, Cyberpunk Red, and some other tabletop-roleplaying-games during this time. I'm a budding DnD miniatures painter now too, go figure. I won't lie, I am not on the pulse of anything, Missoula's music scene or otherwise, and haven't been for quite some time. I'm fucking 40 now, dude. I'm the dude I used to think was weird explaining psychedelics at the house show to a bunch of children. I don't actually think you're children, btw. I let hyperbole get the better of me more often than not. That said, I've been listening to loads of Alice Coltrane, wishing well upon my fellow humans, but still the world seems to be getting constantly worse!

I'll play with y'all though. At the very least I need to keep going with the records A-Z project because that's fun for me. We. Shall. See. Lemme know A) if you even read this and B) how that makes you feel.

Kisses.

-WM

[stardustedknuckles]

I've got another dnd character I can't wait to write fanfiction about. He's a halfling farmer boy who raises dragons and teaches them how to survive, and the concept was batted around with me and my group but driven home with my DM when they suggested that my boy raised a couple of clutches of eggs before coming across one that wouldn't hatch. A stillborn, one that still felt all of the care and affection my boy was putting in to its siblings and decided through sheer force of will or other unknown means that it wasn't ready to go beyond. It wanted to stay in some capacity and see what of life it could taste through companionship with my character before it was ready to pass into the cycle. Even a long halfling life is a short dragon life, and though adventuring was never a life my boy sought there is so much life to show his best friend and they're not going to find it all in this same old routine. So off and out he goes, spirit dragon by his side and determined to live a life worth living vicariously for as long as his friend wants to or is able to stay with him.

And since I'm a small race, I'll be able to ride my dragon starting at level seven when it grows to size medium instead of waiting til it gets to large. My inner middle school kid is screaming. We wrote so many stories like this during classes and now I get to play it.

So much to plan. Two names to create, plus any relevant backstory characters. I'm so, so excited.

As a bonus - I got to send my monk off in the last session of this arc in such a perfect way. None of us knew when her original party went into the feywild that the campaign would end there and they would never make it back (within the story we were telling). Thinking this would be a short arc, I swapped characters and accidentally ended the narrative with her left behind and waiting for them. I played her once more during the time she was on the material plane and they were not, and at the end it turned out that the little old lady we helped was a gold dragon in disguise. When my monk looked dejected at the piles of treasure and shinies, it was because it had been weeks without her friends and she didn't even know if they were okay. Granny gave her a mirror to scry on them and when my monk looked visibly happysad (impressive when you're in the form of a small kenku child) she offered to send her right to them.

So that's how her canon story has officially ended. She got time to return to the family that thought her dead for two years, and then she was able to join her friends (including the storm cleric I was playing in that arc) in the feywild and be where she really belonged.

Even though we aren't playing that party anymore and never will again, it felt good and right to send my monk to them as a proper ending for her.

God I love this game.