#very helpful to newer players!

[dailyadventureprompts]

Want to know my spiciest d&d take as someone who introduces a lot of people to the game?

Classes (and subclasses) should be rated for complexity, and newer players should be steered away from overly complex options so that they're not asked to do double or triple the work of memorization of other players. This is especially true if the player is going to be slower to pick up on game mechanics, be they young, old, or simply not someone who's very experienced with games in general.

Think about it this way: everyone at the table is expected to learn the base game (what dice to roll, how to pilot their character by talking, actions in combat), some of which is written down but the rest being vibes based and mostly communicated through gentle coaching by the DM. On top of that a portion of your players are going to have to learn how spells work, effectively doubling or trippling their early game class features. This is to say nothing of druids, who not only have to learn all the base features and spells but also have to keep several different statblocks on hand when it comes time to turn into animals/summon familiars. If you have my luck, it's always going to be the shyest/most anxious player at the table who selects the most complicated class, paradoxically meaning the player who's least likely to ask for help is usually in most need of it.

I'm not saying we should restrict all new players to only playing vanilla human champion fighters, but I think a level of oversight is absolutely necessary when guiding new folks into the game. Consider running a trial adventure that's limited to martial classes, introducing a few magic items half way through to give them a taste of what spellcasting could be like.

Forget about the traditional Tank/dps/expert/support/caster party balance, that shit is for experienced players who know what they're doing.

#dnd meta #dm advice #dm tips #dapper digresses

[mapiforpresident]

32 with Lucy, but completely platonic? so where r is a younger player that just needs some support and Lucy wants to help

nws if you don’t want to do platonic stuff :)

"Why won't you let me in?"

Lucy Bronze x reader (platonic)

warnings: homesickness

summary: You feel homesick after moving to Barcelona

Barcelona had been your dream club since you first started playing football. You grew up wearing the jerseys and watching as many games as you could. That was why, as soon as you received an offer from them, you said yes immediately. You knew leaving Arsenal and saying goodbye to all your teammates would be incredibly difficult, but you could not turn down an offer from Barcelona.

You felt fine the first couple of weeks after you left your home country of England. It had almost felt like going off to another tournament and that you would be back soon. However, after two months, the novelty started to wear off, and you began to feel homesick. You didn't want to worry any of your teammates, especially your English teammates, who you knew would be very concerned if they knew how you were feeling. Lucy had always sort of taken you under her wing, and she did no different at Barcelona. However, now that she was in a newer relationship with Ona, she spent less time with you than she would have liked, and you didn't want to feel like a burden to her.

You had just approached the training grounds in your club-provided car, ready to make your way into training, but you didn't have your usual enthusiasm and energy. Once you stepped onto the grounds, you realized Lucy had been waiting for you by the door, which made you smile a little bit.

"Hey kid, you ready for another day of me running circles around you?" Lucy ruffled your hair a bit as you led the way to the locker room.

"You wish you could keep up with me; you're practically ancient at this point." You opened the locker room door as a bunch of teammates turned to greet you.

"You are getting older, amor; you can't keep up with us younger ones anymore," Ona said as she came and kissed Lucy on the cheek. Lucy playfully frowned but allowed Ona to pull her towards her cubby to get ready. Just like that, you were back to being alone in your thoughts and feeling homesick. You wanted to text Leah, but you didn't want to bother her, knowing she was busy with her own recovery and training, so you kept all your emotions bottled inside.

Throughout training, your teammates were confused why you weren't acting like yourself. Normally, you were off joking with Pina and Patri or getting babied by Ale or Lucy, but instead, you mostly kept to yourself, even partnering up with Ingrid, which Mapi wasn't happy about because you knew she wouldn't ask you any questions.

"You okay, kid? You're not getting sick or anything, are you? You seem exhausted and stuff," Lucy asked as she approached you with a water bottle during a break in training.

"All good, just thinking about how many times I'm going to nutmeg you during the next drill." Lucy gave you a look after you said this, like she knew you were lying, but before she could respond, Ale called out to you, claiming she wanted you on her team for the 5v5.

The rest of practice, Lucy kept an eye on you, realizing more and more how weird you were acting, even saying no to Mapi asking to take you to get ice cream after practice, which you had never done before. She continued to not-so-subtly ask you questions about what's wrong, including if you had gotten enough sleep or if someone had broken up with you, although she had told you that you weren't allowed to date for another ten years anyway. You kept brushing her questions off, claiming that you just needed a nap when you got home, not wanting her to see you break down or be vulnerable, especially in front of the whole team.

Practice had finally ended, and you were thankful you had avoided the questions well enough for Lucy not to drag you back to her apartment, although she knew you didn't like going over there anyway after you caught her and Ona doing not-so-child-friendly things on the couch. You had just packed up all your things, ready to make a beeline to your car and go home so you could finally cry and let all your emotions out and then hopefully take a nap. Just as you were about to grab the last of your things from your cubby to head to your car, you got an Instagram notification. Leah had posted a selfie with a couple of your old Arsenal teammates with the caption "Best teammates in the world. Love playing alongside you guys every day." Normally, you would like it and think it's cute and message Leah about how she was so soft and cheesy, but today it was your final straw.

Your face dropped immediately, and you don't know why, but you bolted out of the room until you got to a secluded hallway where you thought no one would find you, and you just broke down. Sobs racked your body as you wanted nothing more than to be back in your home country with your childhood team. You knew the language, you knew the people, everything was easy and predictable. What you didn't know is that Lucy saw the entire thing from how your face dropped to how you had sprinted out the door. She quickly followed you, knowing you shouldn't be alone right now.

What she saw when she found you broke her heart. She had never seen you look so small and dejected. You were sniffling, now curled in on yourself and slightly rocking.

You glanced up, startled by her sudden presence.

As Lucy approached you, she could see the frustration etched on your face, the weight of uncertainty heavy in your eyes. She stopped in front of you, noticing the way you seemed to be wrestling with something internally.

"Talk to me, bubs," Lucy whispered as she sat down next to you and started to rub your back lightly, something she knew comforted you greatly.

"It's nothing, I'm okay. I think I just need a good nap."

"This is clearly not nothing. You know I won't judge you for anything you say. Do you want me to call Leah?" Lucy said as she continued to rub your back soothingly.

"No, please don't bother her, seriously. It's really not that big of a deal, and you know how worried she gets."

Lucy could sense your reluctance to open up, but she wasn't about to let you push her away. She knew you needed someone to lean on, even if you didn't realize it yourself.

"Hey, it's okay to not be okay," Lucy said gently, her voice filled with understanding. "You don't have to carry this burden alone. We're teammates, we're friends, and we're here for each other."

You continued to just sit there and shake your head, thinking Lucy will just think less of you if she knew you were making all this fuss over just being homesick.

"Why won't you let me in, bubs? It's just me. Let me help you. I'll even come to your apartment, and you can beat me at Mario Kart again." You let out a soft chuckle at this, which made Lucy relax a little bit.

"I... I don't know if I can do this," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "I'm new here, and I just... I feel like I'm drowning, like I don't belong."

"I'm homesick, and all this change was new and exciting at first, but I miss home."

"Oh, bubs, why didn't you say anything sooner? It's completely okay to feel homesick. Barcelona can be a lot. There are so many new people, two new languages, a new style of play. It's completely normal to miss all the things that feel normal and familiar."

"How about this," Lucy continued, her tone gentle yet determined. "I'll call Keira, and she can meet us at your apartment. We'll cook a full English meal, and we can even Facetime Leah and Georgia. We'll have a Lionesses night, just like old times. How does that sound?"

A sense of relief washed over you, knowing that Lucy was there to support you through the tough moments. You nodded gratefully, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

"Incredible," you whispered, gratitude swelling within you. "Thank you, Lucy. For everything."

With Lucy by your side, ready to help you navigate the challenges of adapting to a new life in Barcelona, you finally felt a glimmer of optimism for the future. And as you leaned into her comforting embrace, you knew that no matter how far from home you were, you had found a true friend in Lucy.

#lucy bronze #lucy bronze x reader #lucy bronze imagine #woso #fcb femení #woso x reader #fcb femení x reader #fc barcelona femeni #keira walsh #alexia putellas #mapi leon #leah williamson

[nanamimizz]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝚬 𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝚬.

tags: 18+ minors dni, fem reader, established relationship, pro soccer player kunigami, closet sex, fingering, making out, penetrative and oral sex hinted, jealousy and possessive themes, mention of unwanted flirting and physical touch - let me know if i missed something !

synopsis: what is kunigmai rensuke’s is kunigami rensuke’s, and nothing will change that even your stupid co-worker who can’t keep his hands to himself.

If Kunigami had it his way, he'd make it so you would never have to lift a finger. He’s overpaid doing what he lives for - going pro was everything he wanted, and it soothes an ugly green part of himself that knows he can provide for you. But you are too kind for that kind of life, you still try to pay for things despite how he always pre-pays for dinners or straight up takes your cards out of your wallet when you go out shopping. You work a normal job, something usual and consistent. You like it that way and he tries to respect that very much. 

He thinks he’s done an excellent job of it until you bring him to a corporate party and all that goes out the window. It starts normally enough, you show him around your office and it makes him smile that you have a framed jersey with his number on it, a poster of his team, and a framed photo of him holding you at a championship game - the first one of his pro career. It’s sweet, it fills him with such pride to know you carry him with you each day you clock into the office. He meets your co-workers - most are older than you as you are one of the newer hires and they all gawk over him with wide eyes and gasping lips.

You had told your office your boyfriend was a pro athlete but didn’t explicitly say your boyfriend and Kunigami Rensuke were the same. It didn’t bother him in retrospect, you’ve always been the quieter one between the two of you - all attempts for privacy came from you, and you never wanted Kunigmai to feel as if you were with him for fame or money.

You love Kunigami Rensuke with all your soul and it is there in the most subtle of ways that exist only for the two of you to bear witness to. The polaroid of your blacked-out silhouettes from New years on the back of your phone case and the locket around his neck that holds the photos of your engagement shoot that he kisses before he’s out on the pitch. The way you have a homemade book filled with recipes for when he goes on his diet to help him bulk up or slim down when the soccer season rolls around. The way he has a list of which chocolate and jam spread brands you like for when you have your cravings. 

These things, these actions are eternal in an otherwise epithermal world and Kunigami knows damn well that he does not stand for on the international stage to play for something like his country’s pride. He plays for you and for you alone, for the beading of tears that shine in your eyes whenever he succeeds - his pride is yours and his joy is yours too. And for the most part, you two have had your relatively peaceful love lives, your e  waits for the two of you in the summer of next year and it’s blissful in a way that he doesn’t have the words to describe. Maybe that’s why you always nagged him to pay attention in his Classics class, then he would have the words to describe all that he feels for you the way you always know what to say to him whenever he needs it.

And he would have all the words to say what he feels when he hears what your co-worker, a relatively handsome man your age, calls you - “Hey work-wife”. Kunigmai already does not like him, he feels the way you tense from where your arm is tucked into his elbow - he was raised to be a gentleman by a strict mother and an even stricter older sister who has been handed too many douchey men so she made sure to raise him right (He hears her bragging to you about his manners too many times to count when he brings you over for family dinners). He can see why you tense up because the minute you're on your own - you wanted to get something to drink and when he offered to get it instead, you gave him that pout that speaks to your want to do things on your own. It never fails to be cute to him so he laughs softly and lets you go with a nod of his head and a final squeeze of your hand. Any joy evaporates and tastes of ash when he sees your younger co-worker come up to you and place his arm around your shoulders - tugging you close, too close in his opinion which sours further when he sees how you tense under his touch.

He knows you, and he knows how much you hate anyone’s touch other than his own.

Kunigami is on his feet faster than ever and your work best friend sputters after him as their polite but meaningless conversation goes to dust as he leaves with a barely-there excuse. He is at your side faster than you can blink, long legs and speed training make it so. His hand is warm and familiar - firm as he loops it around your waist, tugging you until you are flushed to him, free from your co-worker’s touch.

“Wow, easy tiger - is this the infamous famous boyfriend? I thought you were fibbin’ about him bein’ a pro soccer player?” The man grins at you in a way that was supposed to be charming but looks more like a grimace and his accent reminds Kunigami of Karasu so he concludes he is from Osaka. Auburn eyes light into a blaze as he tilts his head, sizing up his prey and he is glad when he sees the other swallow thickly at the sight of him. Kunigami has always been imposing - with each centimeter he grows and each kg he gains it only adds to how easily he can intimidate the people around him.

So he delights when he sees how the other man’s confidence withers and dies, turning to bone and ash before his very eyes - it worsens when Kunigami can see the familiar glint of jealousy that burns like acid when Kunigami tightens his hold on your waist; drawing you closer to his side until he feels your warmth through your clothes. Kunigami’s ego only soars on two occasions when he scores and when he has you in his arms in front of someone who so badly wants what is so rightfully his.

Kunigami doesn’t say anything - he doesn’t have to, the other man knows the battle is lost. He never had a chance to begin with, not when your man is Kunigami Rensuke himself. You let him take you to the lobby of the building, far from the party and there is a look of distress on your face that Kunigami can’t stand - he has half the mind to go back to the party and punch your shitty coworker himself. With a quick sweep around the lobby, he snorts when his gaze lands on the opened coat closet that would be the perfect place to take this to where he wants. Still leading the way he pushes you inside it, locking the door behind him and he finds that it isn’t as cramped as he thought. It still lets him push himself up against your smaller form - crowding you against the wall in a way that he knows makes you tongue-tied.

“Are you mad at me?” You ask and he says a quick no because he’s not - jealous and possessiveness dance along his spine but that can wait until you are comforted.

“Does he always talk to you like that - touches you like that? When you don’t want to be?” He asks and he tilts his head so you can see a single searing auburn eye among the shadow of how his hair falls. You nod, bringing a hand to your face, and rub at your temples in exhaustion.

“Y-yeah he does - I thought it would go away if I started talking about you but when that didn’t work I started bringing some of your merchandise from home to here, you know to show that I’m dedicated to you and stuff.” You pause to take a shuddering breath as you remember how the man’s touch felt on your skin - stinging like acid rain and rancid like sulfur, you only wanted Kunigami to be able to touch you like that. He hums, leaning back against the door so that he can hear it creak a little under his weight.

“I thought - I already wanted to bring you along but I thought if you came he’d finally give up his stupid delusion of always flirting with me, calling me stupid things like his work wife and stuff.” You finish and your shoulders are by your ears like they do when you are about to cry so he draws near, wrapping a bulky arm around your tense shoulders. You are brought in close to where you can almost taste the notes of his cologne and all it does is make you nuzzle into his skin in the way you know tickles him. He chuckles into your ear and his hand that rubs at your shoulders relaxes you into his body.

“Guys like that are assholes, they don’t give up - thought you would have known that from being around me all the time and the team,” Kunigami mutters, throwing a tease in there to make you laugh. It’s to his relief that it does and you snort into the color of his shirt, your voice muffled against his strong body.

“You aren’t an asshole,” you defend him and he huffs amusedly at your claim.

“The others are - and I’m not an asshole to you.” He remarks pulling away just to look at you with a barely there smile that was a little too proud of what he is saying. You look at him with a stern expression, though there is some amusement in your eyes and he’s glad he still can cheer you up.

“Your teammates aren’t that bad, and neither are you.” Kunigami smiles slightly and butts his head with you like the way dogs do when they want your attention and your affection.

“That’s why guys like that always think they’ve got a chance with you - always so sweet even to shitty losers who don’t deserve it.”  You pull away to look up at him, raising a finger to point in his face with something stubborn in your eyes.

“You better not be put in that category of a shitty loser Kunigami Rensuke, you hear me?” You warn, voice firm and he smiles a little wider - the sort of self-satisfied and dripping in ego that he most reserves for being out on the field but he gives it to you too sometimes. 

“Don’t worry sweetheart. I got you, there's no way I’m a shitty loser when I get to take you home every night.” His smug reply and the rolling of your eyes are cut off by the heated kiss he presses to your lips. It tastes of him - the snowy peaks of his hometown and the fire of his veins you can only latch onto the front of his shirt when you feel his tongue slip into your gasping mouth. It feels right, it feels true Kunigami is the only man who is allowed to touch you, to taste you and that is how it must be. His hands don’t keep to themselves, they slip under the skirt of your dress. A simple long-sleeved dress but it makes him hungry all the same, gluttony and greed paint his hands as you feel them come up to the curve of your ass - his fingers follow the lace trail of your panties, stockings, and garters with the same worshiping haze of a devoted acolyte.

Devotion can be tasted and love can be felt as your hands do not remain idle, they are in his hair and cradling his jaw. When he pulls away Kunigami hates that he can’t sustain himself on you alone but your lipstick is on his lips and your perfume coils around him like a fog and he thinks that’s good enough for now. You’re panting, his hands haven’t stopped just because the kiss has and you whine something startled when you feel his fingers trace the gusset of your panties with something wicked in his autumn eyes.

“I thought you said you weren’t mad -”

“I’m not,” He says with certainty but there’s evil in the way he half smiles at you, “just competitive.”

 What you wish to say never comes as you gasp when you feel the skirt of your dress being rucked up and the too-cool air of your office dancing around your heated lower half. The garters squeeze into the plush of your skin and Kunigami can’t stop the groan that tugs from his chest even if he wants to. Rough fingers pull back the soft satin material of your panties, and your cunt weaves its silk webs of wanting that follow the damp fabric until they snap and his fingers are tracing the petals of your pussy with newfound hunger. The curls of your pelvis part and cling to your slick, Kunigami fights the urge to drop to his knees to lick you clean but this isn’t the place for that - the closet is too narrow and the walls too thin, they can barely conceal what it is he is doing to you now. Strong fingers find your puffy clit and you hide your whine into his beck, your form crumpling and shaking under the sudden but all-encompassing pleasure that laps at your ankles up to your neck. 

“You’re mine, yeah? Doesn’t matter what any shithead calls you - you’re mine.” His words are like magma that course through the earth and you can only nod and whine and nod some more with each declaration he murmurs into your ear as you lose more of your sanity in the flow and ebb of having your cunt played with. Kunigami is nothing but demanding and now that he’s shed his polite outer layer all he is left with is the beast within. He ensures to ensnare you with his claws as if there is anywhere else you would rather be.

 You feel his hair tickle your temples as his head turns - Kunigami twisting his head until his mouth is level with your neck - tender is the flesh and ripe for his white teeth to dig into the skin. You gasp, a third finger has slipped it along with the burning sting of his teeth digging into your neck you can’t help but sigh his name in utter adoration - “Rensuke!”

The fingers inside you curl and Kunigami sucks at your neck, the flesh darkening and flushing the same color as the lust shared between the two of you. Your chest aches, from your heart to the peaks of your nipples that grow tight still confide in your dress because this isn’t enough despite the burning twine of pleasure in your stomach.

You want for more - his tongue, his cock, and then his fingers again, it all feels so good; this does not feel like enough. Your words are clipped and breath but they reach him, your prayers for your lover of a god.

“Please - please Rensuke! I want more, please give me more!” You whisper to him, nerves fried and everything feels like a blur except for how your thighs tremble as the pleasure becomes more and more unbearable. His fingers, thick and long and so very cruel, keep their pace, curl inside of you the final time and you cum with his tongue in your mouth. It feels dirty and indecent - it could be because the setting of where your cunt was finger fucked into a haze is finally setting in but you can’t even put two in two together until you feel Kunigami’s hard-on pressed up against you. Your stockings feel soaked through from sweat and slick, your heels make you feel unstable and you can only blink up at him barely as he pressed his mouth to your ear again.

“You’re gonna go out there - say your goodbyes like the sweet thing you are with your cute cunt fucked by my fingers and with my marks on your skin. Get your things, take longer than ten and I won’t let you come all night long.”  A promise whispered, made with the following action of his hands following the curve of your ass as Kunigami smoothes down your pretty dress to give some decency after the indecent things both said and done in this small space. The prospect of punishment weighs heavy on the tongue but a part of him is delighted in your choppy nod and starry eyes. He opens the door but not without pressing a final kiss to your bitten lips and with a final reach of his hand to sweep your hair to the side - where the mark of his teeth screams all the possession he carries in his heart.

As you walk out of the closet with unsteady steps he can’t help but let his palm meets your behind in a quick swipe - it makes him half grin, a cruel tease as you jump and rub at your ass. Kunigami holds up the car keys and tilts his head in the direction of the parking lot.

“I’ll be outside - don’t keep me waiting.”

#lamb.writes #kunigami smut #kunigami rensuke smut #blue lock smut #bllk smut

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

chapter 1.

Note: a brand new fic no one asked for :)

Warnings: none I can think of, we're just getting started here, it's all fluff ;)

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f)

summary: Sihtric, the bass player of your favourite band, suddenly remembers you when you meet again after 7 years.

wordcount: 4,5k

Masterlist

'Wait! Have we met before?'

Seven Kings, one of the most popular alternative rock bands of the last few years, were playing a show in your hometown, which was actually also the band's hometown, but you knew all members had moved away after their break through. When you saw the tour announcement, which only had eight dates, you immediately called your best friend, Gisela, and you were hysterically screaming on the phone. When she finally understood what you were saying, she screamed just as hard. You both have been a fan since the very start of the band's career, seeing them at their very first free show in your city at a pub. And after that, you both went to every show near you, while the band became more popular and the venues bigger. 

The band hadn't toured for a whole year and a half, as they had been recording new music and dealt with some personal issues back home. Sihtric, the bass player and your favourite member, went through a divorce last year, while Osferth, their guitarist, made headlines when word came out he was to become a father; of two different children, by two different ladies. It always baffled you how Osferth seemed so shy, yet he was a real ladies killer. Their other members, Finan, the drummer, and Uhtred, the singer/guitarist and Gisela's favourite member, seemed to have no struggles going on. And you were already excited when they announced their new album, a few weeks before the tour announcement dropped.

You and Gisela immediately stressed over the ticket sale. As the band had gotten more popular, the ticket sales became more horrifying. However, you couldn't complain, you always managed to get tickets, but it was always a bit of a punch in the gut you could never see your favourite band up close again. The newer fans randomly started to camp out for shows a few years ago, two days before the actual show sometimes, and you and Gisela drew the line there. You had no problem with getting to the venue early in the morning and queueing, but sleeping outside? For a show? Absolutely not. And so you both bitterly accepted your front row days were over. 

Your most prized possessions are the photos you have with all the members, when you met them for the first and last time, seven years ago, when they opened up for a bigger band. You got to meet Seven Kings at their merch table, after the show. They had all been so lovely, which was a big reason why you kept supporting them. You pretty much grew up with them, as you were around the same age, and their music had helped you through various heartbreaks. But your heart was also somewhat broken when word got out that Sihtric got married, years ago. You and Gisela always joked how you belonged with Sihtric, and how she belonged with Uhtred. But then Sihtric got married, and you felt crushed for a day or two, but then life went on. It's not like you ever had a chance with the guy anyway. Uhtred was forever single, always whoring around with the groupies, as was Finan, and well… Osferth definitely too. Gisela said she'd still marry Uhtred if she could, and you couldn't blame her. 

When the news broke last year that Sihtric was single again, Gisela blew up your phone with texts. You both chuckled at your delusions of marrying your favourite pretty boys, but never took it seriously, as they were famous, and truthfully, you barely knew anything about them.

On the day of the ticket sale you managed to score floor tickets, and you and Gisela were ecstatic. The show was already in a few months, and the album would be released in a few weeks. You both counted down the days and, when the album dropped, you and Gisela had a sleepover, listening to the record all night while desperately gushing over how good "your boys" looked in that new video, even though you both knew it was shot a while ago, as Finan's hair was short in the video, and you knew it was longer now.

'Did you hear you can win meet and greet tickets?' you suddenly asked.

'For real?' Gisela gasped, 'how?'

'All you have to do is enter your email address on their website, and a few winners get picked at random for each show.'

'Oh my god!' Gisela squealed, 'can you imagine?! We both have to enter!'

And so you both entered the competition. You knew chances were slim, their fanbase was huge, and many fans travelled to multiple shows, so they would try for every show they'd go to. You could only afford to go to one show, the one in your city, which was also the first show of the tour. You kept thinking of trying to get tickets for the last show of the tour, which was two weeks after your show, in a city which was only an hour away from you, but you never got them.

The concert was in two days. You and Gisela were already going crazy with excitement, and when you suddenly received an email from their record label, saying you were one of the meet and greet winners, you were sure your entire city could hear you and Gisela scream.

'Oh my god, what do I wear?' you panicked.

'I need to buy new clothes!' Gisela cried.

'I have to dye my hair! Look at these roots!' you gasped as you looked at yourself in the mirror.

You and Gisela went shopping the day before the show, and you fixed up each other's hair, hoping you'd both look a little presentable among the other fans who had won. 

'I wonder how many others there will be,' Gisela dreamed the night before the show, as she stared at her phone, looking at pictures of Uhtred, 'and I wonder what the guys will be wearing!'

'I'm so afraid it will be so rushed,' you pouted, scrolling through Sihtric's instagram, 'and me too, I can't wait to see their new look- oh my god!' you suddenly shouted.

'What?' Gisela jumped up.

'Sihtric just posted a selfie on his story!' you squealed, 'look! Oh my god, he has long hair now! Oh god, that smile!' you cried.

'Oh god,' Gisela snorted, knowing you were a sucker for tall, lean guys with shoulder length hair, 'you won't survive tomorrow.'

Luckily for you, Gisela had the same meltdown when Uhtred posted a new selfie too, revealing his new look as well, and you thought Gisela was about to faint. You both 'awww'ed' at Osferth and Finan's reveals, them always being cute and handsome, and after that, you desperately tried to get some sleep, as tomorrow was the day.

'Is my hair okay?' you asked nervously, standing in front of the venue.

'Yeah, yeah, you look good,' Gisela said, 'mine?'

'You're always pretty, shut up,' you scowled.

You looked down at your outfit; black boots, black skinny jeans, and a comfy shirt of Seven Kings, which was actually their very first tour shirt, which you had always been very careful with. The shirt still fitted perfectly, but you did cut off the sleeves years ago, making it a sleeveless top. You anxiously looked around, confused, as there were only a handful of other fans who also won, and then you all figured there were no more than five winners, each allowed to bring a friend, so it truly was an exclusive thing. Gisela kept pulling at her little black dress. She heard that Uhtred apparently likes ladies in short dresses, so she went for it. You actually had no idea what type of girl Sihtric was into, as he was rather private and quiet in interviews. And his instagram page mainly had professional photos of him, taken during live shows or for promo, and if it wasn't that, it was a photo of another new bass guitar he got his tattooed hands on.

You all froze when suddenly a door opened, and your tickets got checked. Terrified that something was wrong with your ticket, your trembling hands showed the venue employee your papers. You all got cleared, ushered inside, and were told to wait in a comfortable lounge room.

'Okay,' Ragnar, the band's manager, said as he walked in the door, 'first of all, congratulations,' he smiled, and you all cheered quietly.

'The band will come out in a moment,' he said, 'and please… just… behave,' Ragnar sighed, 'no pushing or pulling, there is no need, there's only ten of you and you guys have almost an hour here with them, if you all behave that is,' Ragnar said sternly. 'Also,' he continued, 'no asking for kisses and there will be no boob signatures if you are underage,' he glanced quickly at a few girls who were absolutely no older than 16.

You and Gisela gave each other a sly smile, but you both felt you were too old for that kind of behaviour, so you wouldn't ask for anything like that anyway.

'Before you take your selfies with the guys, we ask you to just chill out and chat, get some albums signed and all that, the more relaxed you are, the better your pictures will be, okay?' Ragnar chuckled, 'those boys are all ugly anyway, so I don't even know why you are all here,' he snorted and left the room.

The younger girls gasped while you and Gisela laughed at the manager's sneer. Everyone adjusted their outfits before you all perked up at the sound of Finan's laughter closing in. And there they were. Finan got in the room first, grinning, wearing a sleeveless black shirt with denim jeans and sneakers. Osferth followed, in his white fishnet top, black jeans and leather boots. You heard Gisela exhale sharply next to you when Uhtred appeared, with a hint of eyeliner, a leather jacket with no shirt underneath, leather jeans and black boots. You looked at Gisela, who was blushing at the sight of her favourite, and you snorted. But when you looked back up, you saw Sihtric, his hair loose and wild, wearing a black leather dungarees with a black mesh shirt underneath, his dungarees tucked in his black Doctor Martens. Your heart skipped about five beats when you locked eyes with his mismatched pair for a second.

'Oh my god,' you breathed softly, grabbing Gisela's hand. 

Then Ragnar walked in again and frowned at all of you, frozen on the sofas. 'Well, what are you waiting for?' he chuckled, 'they don't bite!'

'Maybe we do,' Finan grinned.

Then you all jumped up and, as expected, most girls ran over to Osferth and Uhtred, while Finan earned some company too. Because Sihtric was always the quiet one, he took a slight step back from the others, which is why some of the other hesitant fans didn't dare walk up to him, and turned to the other members. But this was your chance, you thought, so you went for it, while Gisela already left your side and stood next to Uhtred.

You took a deep breath and walked up to the handsome, slightly scarred Dane, who grabbed himself a bottle of water and sat up on a table, keeping to himself. When his eyes met yours again as you approached him, a sweet smile appeared on his face and he leaned back.

'Hello,' he simply said, with that soft, low voice you love so much, and he took a sip of water.

'H-hi,' you smiled, trying your best to not show your nerves, 'how are you doing?'

'Nervous,' Sihtric confessed with a chuckle, then tilted his head, 'and how are you, lady?'

'Nervous,' you laughed softly, which earned you another sweet smile from Sihtric.

'Surely not because of me, I hope?' Sihtric asked as he sat up, quickly looking you up and down with a sly smile.

'Maybe,' you half joked, feeling your face heat up when his eyes darted over you.

'Ah, don't be nervous for me,' Sihtric smiled and squinted his eyes a little, 'I like your shirt. Is it an original?' he asked and leaned in, his fingers brushing your shoulder as he felt the fabric.

'It is,' you smiled, 'I got it at the actual tour back then.'

'No way,' Sihtric said with big eyes and let go of your shirt, 'you stuck around all that time?'

'Even longer,' you giggled shyly, 'I first saw you guys at that free show here in the city, at the Irish pub.'

'At Clancy's?' Sihtric frowned, 'damn.'

'Yeah, but I had to leave early that evening,' you said, 'and I got this shirt when you opened up for that other band, you guys were at the merch-'

'Wait! Have we met before?' he gasped softly.

'Eh, actually, yeah,' you felt your cheeks heat up again and took out your phone, showing him the seven year old selfie.

'Gods!' Sihtric stared at your screen. He took your hand in his while you held your phone up to him, to get a better look. 'Yeah… I remember that night, I also remember you now.'

'What? No way,' you looked down at your feet.

'Yeah, yeah,' Sihtric said as he let go of your hand, 'you were the girl who told me you liked the metal chain I use as a bass guitar strap,' he smiled, 'because it reminded you of Peter Steele.'

'Oh my god,' you snorted, 'yeah, that was me. And you told me you stole the idea-' 

'From Peter Steele,' Sihtric laughed, 'because I am the most unoriginal bastard.'

You both laughed at the memory, and suddenly Sihtric held his arms open to you. 'Come here, bring it in,' he smiled, 'you deserve a hug for still putting up with our music.'

You allowed Sihtric to pull you in, wrapping his arms around you, and he lightly stroked your back with his big, warm hands as you were pressed against his muscular chest. You could die peacefully now, you thought. You tried to pull back, but Sihtric held on a little longer before he let go, licking his lips with a soft smile when he looked at you again.

'You been to all our tours ever since?' he asked.

'Yeah, but more and more in the back of the venue, as you guys became more popular. I refuse to camp out for a good spot.'

'Ah,' Sihtric clicked his tongue, 'yeah, fandom behaviour got, eh, quite intense the last few years. People camp out, some even figure out our hotels, it's crazy,' he said, 'that's why I'm not that active on social media. You post one thing and suddenly a shit ton of people find out where you are.'

'Sorry to hear that,' you gave him a compassionate look, 'me and my friend also took a step back from the fanbase because of that,' you looked a little sad, 'people have no limits anymore these days. It's weird as shit.'

'Truly,' Sihtric nodded, 'but good to see we still got some decently behaving people who like us,' he winked and poked your shoulder.

'Oh, thanks,' you smiled shyly.

'So, can I sign anything for you or…?'

'Ehh, my ticket?' you smiled sheepishly, 'I forgot to bring my album.'

'You did not,' Sihtric snorted, 'really?'

You gave him a shy nod and buried your face in your hands, to which Sihtric laughed.

'Okay, hold on,' Sihtric smiled and got off the table, towering over you as he put his feet on the ground, and his fingers brushed over your arm, 'come,' he said, 'I'll get you another one.'

You hesitantly moved your feet towards the door Sihtric held open for you.

'But… I don't want to get in trouble,' you looked back at Ragnar, who was on his phone, 'I can just wait here?'

Trouble?' Sihtric shook his head with a smile, 'you won't get in any trouble, come,' he beckoned you over.

He didn't have to ask you again. You followed Sihtric through the empty hallway, to their merch stand, where he opened a few boxes.

'You had a cd or a vinyl?'

'Cd,' you said, 'the coloured vinyl was a little too pricey,' you blurted out by accident, not meaning to fish for anything or come off rude.

'I agree,' Sihtric sighed and looked up at you, 'we told the label to cut down that price. We don't even need that income anymore, to be honest,' he quickly grimaced, 'sorry, don't mean to boast or anything. But yeah, the record looks sick, but that price tag is ridiculous.'

'I agree,' you scoffed lightly, 'but, well, it is what it is.'

'Mhm,' Sihtric hummed as he grabbed a vinyl, 'it is what it is,' he smiled and got up again, 'what's your name, love?' he asked as he grabbed a silver marker out of a drawer and ripped the plastic off the vinyl cover.

You told him your name and stared at the vinyl, confused, then you suddenly realised Sihtric was writing your name on the record.

'W-wait,' you chuckled nervously, 'I… I can't afford that-'

'Shush,' Sihtric hushed sweetly and winked at you, 'I'm giving it to you, so it's a gift,' he shrugged and continued to scribble on the cover.

'Oh… o-okay,' you felt yourself blushing again, 'thank you.'

Sihtric smiled and silently nodded his head while looking down at the record, accepting your thanks. He closed the marker again and flung it in the drawer, then leaned in on the merch table, opposite of you, staring into your eyes with a soft smile.

'Can I get you anything else, pretty lady?' he asked, carefully pushing the vinyl your way.

'N-no,' you said with big eyes.

'Hm, what's your size?'

'No,' you chuckled, 'I… I will not steal any more merchandise.'

'You're not stealing any merch,' Sihtric laughed, 'tell me your shirt size,' he bit down on his lip.

'I will not,' you protested while butterflies marched through your stomach, because of Sihtric's playful voice and smile.

He suddenly made his way around the merch table and, before you realised what happened, you felt his rough fingers touching your neck, as he took the collar of your shirt and looked at the label.

'Got you,' Sihtric whispered in your ear before he hopped back to the merchandise. 

He pulled out a sweater and two shirts in your size and pushed them in your hands, along with the signed vinyl.

'Sihtric, I-'

'Let's go, lady,' Sihtric chuckled as he looked around. He placed his hand on your lower back, guiding you with him, 'if anyone asks,' he looked at the pile of merch in your arms, 'you already had it. It's just our secret as to how you got it,' he winked, opened the door for you, and you stepped back into the lounge room.

Luckily, everyone else had been so occupied, no one even noticed that you and Sihtric had left the room for quite a few minutes.

'Thank you,' you said as Sihtric sat back on the table again, and he took another sip of his water.

'For what?' he grinned, then held his water bottle out to you, 'sip?'

Sharing a drink? With the man of your dreams? You'd be foolish if you didn't.

'Eh, sure,' you smiled and took the bottle out of his hand, taking a small sip.

You handed it back to Sihtric, who took another few sips before he closed the half empty bottle again, and handed it back to you.

'Keep it,' he smiled, 'so, you want a new photo? Now that we're both older?'

'Of course,' you said, taking out your phone again, fumbling as your arms were overloaded with everything Sihtric had given you.

Sihtric chuckled and grabbed your phone when he saw your struggle. 'Put the stuff on the table, love,' he smiled and then pulled you close, his arm around your neck, leaning heavily against you, and he flashed a sly smile as he snapped a few photos.

'Those good?' he asked, swiping through the selfies, keeping his arm around you.

'Yeah,' you smiled, feeling lightheaded at how close you were. You could even smell his cologne, which had hints of mint and cedarwood. You were absolutely smitten.

Sihtric handed you your phone and took a step back, his hand still on your shoulder, but before either of you could say something, another fan finally walked up to Sihtric. You noticed her and you stepped away, but Sihtric's eyes lingered on you before he looked at the other lady, and he somewhat reluctantly let go of your shoulder. 

'I'll see you around,' Sihtric said with a sweet smile.

You returned the smile and walked up to the other members, joining Gisela again, who frowned at your arms full of merch.

'How did you get that?' she asked with big eyes as the other men were busy chatting with someone else.

'Sihtric gave it to me,' you whispered.

'Are you serious?'

'Yeah,' you smiled and told her what happened. Gisela couldn't believe it and kept saying how Sihtric must have liked you, but you shrugged it off. 'He's just really nice,' you said.

'Nice, my ass,' Gisela frowned, 'he keeps looking at you,' she said, upset, because Uhtred didn't pay her much attention apparently.

'No, he's not,' you scoffed, then looked over your shoulder and locked eyes with Sihtric, as someone else was talking to him, and a smile appeared on his face. 'O-okay, maybe he just looked now,' you stammered.

'What did he write on that record?' Gisela tried to get a look at it.

'Oh, shit, I have no idea,' you said, completely forgetting about that after everything that happened.

You looked at the vinyl cover and smiled at the way he wrote your name so gracefully, and had continued with;

Hope you stick around for another seven years, and longer... 

Love you to death ;) 

XO

Sihtric

'Love you to death?' Gisela's mouth fell open.

'No! It's not what you think!' you said, 'you know his guitar strap? The metal chain?' 

Gisela nodded, her jaw still dropped.

'He stole that idea from Peter Steele, who was the bass player and singer for Type O Negative,' you explained, 'and one of their most famous songs is called Love You to Death. It's obviously a nod to the first time I met Sihtric, and said the metal chain reminded me of Peter, which we just talked about. Oh my god, I didn't even tell you yet!' you gasped, 'he remembered me when I showed him the photo we took years ago!'

'Oh my god,' was all Gisela could bring out.

The rest of the meet and greet was a blur really. You just couldn't grasp your interaction with Sihtric, and Gisela kept telling you how Sihtric was constantly looking at you. You chatted and took pictures with the other guys too, who were just as friendly as the first time you had met, but your eyes kept wandering back to Sihtric, and you always found him looking at you from across the room. When the meet and greet was over, everyone just waved goodbye to each other, but Sihtric was quick to run up to you, to give you another firm hug before leaving, and said if he found you in the crowd, he'd throw you one of his guitar picks. 

And before you knew it, you found yourself in the hot crowd. You were kinda close to the stage at first, but the crowd was constantly pushing and pulling, so you and Gisela moved further back halfway through the set.

As always, the show was fantastic, but when you left the venue you were sad you never got that guitar pick, as you had been too far away. Back home, you both couldn't stop staring at the pictures you got with your favourite member, and you posted your selfies separately on your instagram, tagging all members in their own photo. About an hour later you suddenly screamed, startling Gisela, who jumped up next to you on the couch.

'What happened?' she asked.

'S…S…S-Sihtric liked our selfie,' you wheezed, and just as you both looked at your screen, another notification popped up.

sihtric.kjartansson commented: beauty & the beast x

You felt dizzy and laid down on the floor, while Gisela took your phone to read the comment properly.

'Oh my god,' she laughed, 'he's totally into you!'

'Impossible,' you groaned, hiding your face behind your hands.

'Oh come on, we all stalk their pages, we know none of them ever comment. They rarely even like the posts they are tagged in!' Gisela said, 'you gotta dm him! He's totally flirting!'

'I thought about it, to… you know, thank him again in private but… I don't know…'

'You should!' she said, 'you should send a picture of you wearing one of those shirts he gave you, telling him it fits,' she giggled.

'Should I?' you frowned.

After some bickering, you finally agreed. You put on the comfy hoodie, which was the perfect amount of oversized, and you took a cute picture in the mirror. 

You: The merch fits! Thanks for everything. Had a great time meeting you again, sad I didn't get that guitar pick though, the crowd was rough. Great show regardless! :) 

You hit send and locked your phone. It was getting late and you were tired, so you decided to go home and sleep, figuring Sihtric would never reply anyway.

The next morning you woke up and you had a near heart attack when you looked at your phone. Sihtric had liked your message and even replied. With shaking hands you opened your dms.

Sihtric: looking good lady x

Sihtric: sad I couldn't find you either, the crowd was indeed rowdy. hope you didn't get stuck in that mosh pit...

Sihtric: let me know if you're going to another show, I'll fix that pick for you x

You gasped, screamed and nearly cried. You screenshotted the messages and texted Gisela, who went feral too, and she asked what you were going to reply with. You had no idea yet, you needed some time to think. You also cursed yourself when you saw he had replied only 5 minutes after you had messaged him last night, while you were in bed already, trying to sleep. You figured he'd never reply again now, after 10 hours had passed by now, and you felt you had wasted the opportunity. 

After an hour you finally gathered your courage and replied.

You: I know better than to get near a mosh pit haha! unfortunately last night was the only show I'll be at, I couldn't get tickets for the last show :( better luck next tour maybe!

You locked your phone again and got back under your covers, and a minute later your phone buzzed. You thought it was Gisela, but your heart skipped another beat with you saw it was Sihtric again.

'Oh my fucking god,' you breathed and opened the message.

Sihtric: damn, lady. Definitely hit me up next time you're seeing us, yeah? x

You replied with trembling hands again.

You: will do :) thanks again! x

Right after you pressed send, it showed that Sihtric had seen the message, and he started typing. Your head was spinning, how was any of this even real. Sihtric, out of all members, was the one who used his social media the least. Yet here he was, responding to you within seconds.

Sihtric: no worries love

Sihtric: was lovely meeting you again

Sihtric: how are you doing today then? x

taglist: @clairacassidy @finanmoghra @uunotheangel @hb8301 @bathedinheat @neonhairspray @anaeve @bubblyabs @travelingmypassion @sylasthegrim @bubbles-for-all-of-us @andakth @bel-bottoms @willowbrookesblog @lady-targaryens-world @skyofficialxx @diosademuerte @elle4404 @alexagirlie @sweetxime @solango @gemini-mama @cheyennep3107 @little-diable @jennifer0305 @drwstarkeyy @mrsarnasdelicious @verenahx @urmomsgirlfriend1

#sihtric x reader #sihtric x you #sihtric kjartansson #the last kingdom #the last kingdom fic #sihtric fic #sihtric #tlk #modern!sihtric

[m0ckest]

🌏 Palia — Games I've been playing

Cozy & casual MMO set in a growing world full of lore

For PC & Nintendo Switch; always free

Playful character design, dialogue, & relationships (including romance)

Improve skills by fishing, foraging, mining, logging trees, catching bugs, hunting, farming, and building/decorating your home

No combat, few time restraints

Only sharing because I genuinely love it and I want others to possibly enjoy it too! The game just launched for Switch and there are some fun things happening:

Use my friend sign-up link* to join and get a free fruit basket item

Link your Palia account to your Switch game** to get a cute-ass mushroom outfit and some other stuff

Watch Twitch streams with drops enabled for some exclusive items

Feel free to ask me any questions if you're curious. Their discord is really helpful as well. Have fun, my friends (And feel free to add me as your friend! My username is m0ckest) 🥰

* I get literally nothing from this but some cute in-game items lol ** Note for Switch players: When you open the game for the first time on your Switch, make sure you link your Palia account when prompted. You can not link again if you skip the first time.

The developers have said that this will continue to be a free-to-play game. The only real-money purchases are for cutesy outfits. Nothing purchased with real-money will ever give gameplay advantages.

While Singularity 6 is a newer company formed by previous employees from large MMOs, it is still a big company; I want to be transparent that this isn't a tiny indie game.

That said, the developers are very transparent about game progress and have proven to be extremely receptive to player input. The game is in beta testing. Each update brings new content as well as fixes, and I've enjoyed every one!

#sorry for the boring ass info afterward i just dont want anyone coming for me lol #nonsims #palia #palia game #palia open beta #palia code #mmo #mmorpg #mmo gaming #online games #cozy games #cozy gaming community #free to play #free game #medieval fantasy #high fantasy #games to play

[oddballwriter]

You Spin Me Round

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

Summary: Steven has a crush on the vinyl record shop owner. 

Warnings: Nothing that I actually know of. Steven being a bit of a simp /light hearted. 

Author’s Snip: Had this thought since I've been collecting and listening to vinyls.

Notes: This was not proof-read so if theres any errors then that's why 

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

At first, it was genuine. The recent dozen times he's been here. It was just for you.

Steven fancied himself some vinyls. It adds to the whole vintage-things-in-the-attic feel that he had to his flat. Not to mention that vinyls are just fun in general. He had a collection going but it was still pretty small compared to most and would like to add to it.

He'd usually get his at a regular store that sold newer copies, but he found that most were by modern artists while he enjoyed older music, and also the store he usually bought from was being renovated, painfully slow. It was at that point that Steven thought of maybe looking for an actual vinyl and record store for the more authentic feel. That's how he managed to find your little store and business.

You were settled in the down town area in one of those storefront apartment buildings. It was a bit squished with the more larger buildings that you were between but it gave your shop a little cozy nook feeling. There was a large front window facing the street that read the name of the store in window paint with a nice design and penmanship. A changeable sign that displayed when you were opened or closed and the work hours. The door had a little bell that would cute little jingle sound when opened.

The inside was lovely too. You had a scent diffuser that gave the whole place a nice smell but didn't over power anything. You had a few racks that held all of your products with of course consisted of mostly vinyl records, both new, thrifted, and vintage, but there were also other things like portable record players, record needles, and cover protectors.

And then of course there was you. Steven wouldn't say he got hit by love at first sight, but he defiantly fell hard on his face pretty quickly. You were so polite, with your warm smile and telling him how to find any specific things that he might be looking for.

"The vinyls are in alphabetical order via artist. Thrift is here, new arrivals are there, and supplies are down there. And if you need something don't be afraid to ask!".

He actually talked to you the very first time he came, despite him usually having issues talking to new people, but he manage to find it in himself to strike up some nice conversation. He found out that this little business of yours new and that you're just starting to be known around town.

Steven managed to leave with a few new vinyls, and a free sticker or two since he's a new comer, and a big fat crush on you.

He didn't really want to admit to himself that he liked the cute little record shop owner, he just liked the feeling your place had's all. But every time he came the warm fuzzy feeling just got stronger and he would always find out something new about you like your favorite music genre, artists, and bands, your other interests and hobbies. All that. Not to mention that every time he came he'd find a way to buy something so that he could be close to you. He bought a vintage B-52's vinyl, which wasn't too out of place for him. Steven definitely liked and heard a few of their songs.

But another time he bought a Nirvana sticker from you. Steven doesn't listen to Nirvana. He doesn't need a Nirvana sticker. The only song he can name is Smells Like Teen Spirit and he only knows the first couple of seconds. Where is he meant to put the sticker?

"I'm just helping a small business." is what Steven always tells himself when he buys something he didn't really need at all from you.

Steven just denied his crush every time. But it wasn't until he started listening to your favorite band while he was at his flat. Your favorite band, which wasn't in any of the same genres as Steven's favorite bands and singers. Not at all. That's when he knew. He had it so bad.

#moon knight #moonknight #moon knight x reader #moonknight x reader #steven grant #steven grant x reader #blurb

[kanonavi]

Something that will never cease to rot my brain is just how brilliantly mhy have developed Xiao's character over the past three years. I'm lucky enough to have started playing Genshin before he was added to the game (which does of course mean newer players have probably had a different experience of him, I'll get into that later) so I've been there for every single moment that Xiao appeared and it's always so amazing to me just how much effort has been put into him. (Long rant and Mild Spoilers for the Poetry Gala Event below lol)

Xiao in the Archon quest and in 1.3 (both in his character quest and 1.3 Lantern Rite) compared to Xiao in the most recent event is truly like night and day, and what's most impressive about that is that how he acts in the poetry event feels completely true to his character. Xiao has earned this gentleness over the past three years, as the traveler but also the other people he's met have urged him to open up and interact with others more often.

This really couldn't have been achieved without mhy taking advantage of every scrap of screen time Xiao has gotten. They absolutely have favorites and Xiao is for sure one of them. I'll use Moonchase as a comparison to the Poetry Gala. Back then we saw Xiao on screen for maybe 5 minutes at most, appearing because the traveler called him, tasting Xiangling's dish and giving her a compliment (at least for his standards for giving compliments) and then disappearing. But now we see him at the poetry event being invited to join by Venti and Hu Tao (and him not outright refusing!!), and then staying to socialize with Chongyun's group when everyone (not just the traveler) asks him to.

3.4 Lantern Rite and the Poetry Gala have felt like the biggest steps due to the fact that we see Xiao actively participating in activities of his own volition. Most of his appearances before 3.4 (and even after, counting Baizhu's quest) are dictated by about 2.5 factors. The first is his duty: protecting Liyue from evil, more specifically keeping its people safe from these evils. The second is being called by the traveler, an act which I would consider a symbol of their friendship later on, but in the beginning and probably still in a lingering capacity now I think can be attributed to a sense of debt towards them. They helped save Liyue in a time of crisis, after having no obligation to do so, and someone like Xiao who takes his duties in protecting Liyue so seriously would absolutely feel like he owes a complete outsider like the traveler a debt after they kinda did his job for him. So much of Xiao's character is about debts, after all. That even ties into the 2.5th reason, where he would probably feel some obligation to appear at Lantern Rite because Zhongli would be there, though it's unclear if Hu Tao mentioned he would be so it might not even count in that case.

Now we see Xiao participating in events on the invitation of Hu Tao and Venti who are seeking him out because they see him as a friend. We see him taking not only the traveler's feelings into account when asked to participate, but also Chongyun and Diona's. It's such a far cry from his "I don't associate with mortals" attitude that we saw back in 2021.

That barely even touches the shift we've seen in his demeanor either. Back in 2021, Xiao always spoke very curtly and in as few words as possible, always seeming displeased any time he had to hold a conversation, but now he's loosened up so much that the difference is honestly staggering. It even shows through in his birthday letters from 2021 vs. 2023 (And even here we see him going out of his way to socialize of his own volition, so proud of him!):

I've gone back and forth between EN and CN voiceovers in the past year, so some of Xiao's appearances I've only experienced in CN, but hearing him in the Poetry Gala event in EN I can only give his voice actress a thousand kudos for how amazing her performance is. Xiao's voice has softened with time, and it's such a small detail, but I honestly think that it's what hammers his growth home more than anything else for me. He's not only willing to have full conversations with people he's less familiar with now, but he also doesn't feel the need to speak as harshly to them either, and that's really amazing to hear play out in the game.

Xiao's voicelines are so fascinating to me for that very reason, because they act as a time capsule for how he was back in 2021, and that's just not what he sounds like anymore. Obviously, voice actors' performances of their characters will shift with time but Xiao is the only character for which I can say that his demeanor really has just changed with time. Of course, I think that in some cases this does actually make sense, namely if a newer player pulls Xiao and has only gotten to experience the Archon Quest and maybe his Character Quest. In that case, all of the time that has passed simply doesn't exist. But at the same time I can only imagine how funny it would be for a long-time player who simply never pulled Xiao for one reason or another to pull him and listen to his lines and hear his older, edgier self lol

Though on that note I do also need to point out the biggest downside of all of this, and what is perhaps my greatest sadness about Xiao's character development, which is that new Genshin players simply won't have the chance to experience it. There are many characters who get the short end of the stick with the nature of Genshin's serialized storytelling and limited-time events (Albedo, Kazuha, and a plethora of 4 stars who don't get featured much, just to name a few), but I think Xiao's actually saddens me the most, because I believe the time that has passed is the greatest strength when it comes to this development. People will get to see his arc from the Archon Quest to Perilous Trail (and thank god they preserved Perilous Trail as an Interlude), but even that is still a shadow of Xiao's actual progression over the years.

These days, newer Genshin players may have only seen Xiao in the Liyue Archon Quest before playing the Poetry Gala event (unless Perilous Trail is a prereq, which I don't know off the top of my head), and I can't even imagine how jarring it would be to see how he acts there and then immediately see him in this event. The way that time works in this case would probably just make it seem like mhy doesn't know what they're doing with Xiao when in reality three years of development have been compressed into a matter of weeks. Knowing that, I'm grateful to have been able to experience his story in its truest form, but it also cannot go unacknowledged that some aspects of Genshin's story have a shorter shelf life than others. It's a major problem with the game, from some perspectives, but at the same time it's just a consequence of how it's being developed.

Anyway, I just needed to gush after seeing Xiao absolutely steal the show in part 2 of the quest with his quiet participation and little smile (crying). He's so good and I love him so much, and it's so nice to see what they've done with him after he finally got some semblance of closure after Perilous Trail <3

#genshin impact #xiao #navi gets meta #Don't mind me just out here having rabid blorbo thoughts #I am holding him in my cupped hands so so much #I can't wait for part 3 of this event I want to see him again #I am the target audience for this whole event and man do I feel targeted #Four of my all time favorite characters are here and they expect me to not be ill about it? Impossible.

[minecraft]

Usually complicated games have fandom wikis or guides written or discord servers etc by other players to help newer players succeed easier but I kind of like the idea of a game where for whatever reason that behavior is strongly discouraged and the inverse behavior, gatekeeping, keeping secrets, misinformation, lying, betrayal, etc is rewarded by the system of the game itself. This, along with player-driven lore choices that change how the game is played over time (probably weekly or monthly changes), could result in a highly insular and unhealthy ecosystem that (while I personally wouldn't like to be a part of,) would be very interesting to observe from an omnipresent admin perspective.

#I think animyst is a bit like this already actually #also this text post was written after watching the lethal company iceberg video so its probably semirelated to that game

[an00dleb00]

In Defense of Magnificus

A very very long rant by me. Originally from a rant I posted in a discord server in 2022, modified to be a little more concise. I have to apologize if some of this stuff is incredibly outdated, I haven't really bothered to catch up with newer stuff about the game outside of the game itself yknow... Like twitch streams from the dev and such.

I saw a theory that Magnificus was originally intended to be the villain of the original, in lore Inscryption, but through the rush of making the game as a coverup and developers like Kaycee not making much progress on the development because of said rush, he didn't get finished. And I think if you really analyze his character, everything about him FEELS unfinished.

His character design is super simple compared to the other scrybes. His deck is weak; there are not a lot of hard hitting cards aside from the Stim Mage, and the Magiks system itself feels wonky, as if they didn't have enough time to balance it out. His tower feels empty (Specially that damned bathroom. It haunts me.) His letter stops before its completed, he suddenly disappears mid-sentence... He's the only scrybe to not get a proper 3D version, as the game was mostly deleted by the time we got to him in Act 4, and he might've been the only scrybe that never became hegemon. We don't get to finish his battle, and he doesn't even get a handshake.

And going back to originally being a villain? Maybe that's why he was made to be so cruel to his pupils. P03 is also mean to his subordinates, but they're robots, they're not mean to gain as much sympathy from the player. Meanwhile, Magnificus is established to be mean and perhaps downright evil by the dialogue we get through Act 2. Rebecha speaks about him by saying he's mysterious, stating "Some say he wants... No, it's too terrible to say." But we never know what that refers to, and if it's coded dialogue or her own speech.

Outside of the CODED IN lore behind his pupils suffering, we don't see him being evil AT ALL. In Act 1 he is practically our savior; his throughout preparing was able to get us the film roll, and if we take too long he sends the player VISIONS to guide us in the right way. In Act 2 he attempts to warn the player about P03, his paint leads around to secrets to clue in about the OLD_DATA as well as perhaps serving as warnings for it. At the end of the game he is the only one who is distraught about everything being deleted; Grimora and Leshy accept their deaths, but Magnificus REFUSES to.

But wouldn't a villain rejoice about people dying? About, in his own words, an entire world being destroyed? It's like the original plan for his villainy was there, but he doesn't WANT to be one.

Now as to why he seems to continue to treat his pupils badly. I think it's just.. guilt. I believe he didn't have a choice in making them suffer, they were all just coded into what we know of Act 2. They were all created with the pupils being in torturous states and the game code telling them "It's Magnificus' fault". I think he himself believes this. I believe he could have tried to fix it before. But the thing is that, even if he ever did fix it, if he stopped their pain, it would all be for nothing... because the game resets. The only times it doesn't do this is when a scrybe takes over, which is something he has supposedly never been able to do. And if he were to help them outside of being hegemon they'd just go back to their original state once the new game card was used. I think he simply gave up upon realizing this and instead chose to bury his own grief that comes from it by playing into the character he was originally meant to be; the villain. That, and I think he just doesn't want to look at them... It hurts him to. I believe this is why he painted bleach over Goobert's painting.

I think him being originally an unfinished villain plays into him always being prepared. As I stated before, people often forget how helpful he is- it's due to his preparations that we are able to leave Act 1, he warns about The Great Transcendence in Act 2, warns Luke about the OLD_DATA, and warns him about the fate he'd encounter if he looked upon it. I think Magnificus wants to make up for his "villainy" by being the one the other scrybes and npcs can rely on in a time of need, so he spends every hour of everyday getting ready for the worst, and foreseeing what is gonna happen next.

Thing is that, he never stops anything from happening. He prepares a way out of Leshy's hegemony, but he can't stop it from happening in the first place. It's very probable that he was the one that planned how to stop P03 in Act 3, as we see he has been preparing since at least Act 2. But not only does the P03 hegemony happen, but he is ultimately unable to stop the Great Transcendence once it is in progress. Same thing for the game's deletion, which I believe it is at that point he truly panicked, because he couldn't foresee it or plan for it beforehand. It all feels like... An unfinished character arc. He never got to do anything he wanted.

I think he feels powerless.

Magnificus is often regarded as the worst scrybe. But in a sense, there's no real reason why that should be the case, at least not compared to the others. Like... Leshy took over the game and put the other scrybes into cards. He had good intentions, sure, but that doesn't mean his actions were good. Magnificus lost his eye, Grimora lost her memory, P03.... Was having a bad time...

Hell, the reason people hate Magnificus so much so often is because of the treatment of his pupils... But Leshy isn't all innocent there either. He puts Goobert in a bottle (At least, maybe he does. It's not clear whether it was him or Mags), which we know Goobert REALLY doesn't like, and he also put Goobert's description in the rulebook as "Failure". He also threw the bottle into the river as stated by himself in Kaycee's Mod.

P03... I don't gotta explain this one we know it is an asshole.

...And Grimora deleted the game, which basically killed everyone in it. While she had good intentions, it really only led to the discovery of the OLD_DATA and the subsequent assassination of Luke.

Now, what did Magnificus do? Nothing. Like... Really. He didn't GET to do anything. People dislike him because of his treatment of his pupils, but as I talked about before, I really don't think he can do anything about that, even if he wanted to.

So why do people so easily hate him? Circles back to the theory: Because he's unfinished. Everything about him is unfinished. The other scrybes are loved because we got to finish their arcs... We get to know why they each do what they did.

P03 not so much, but... P03 is a villain of sorts, people like villains and don't need them to be "good" to like them, which I agree with cuz villains are fun! P03 does have some sympathy points somewhere, though, which I'm not gonna go into here.

I'm gonna focus on Grimora and Leshy instead. Their farewells were perfect closure:

Grimora spoke about why she chose to delete the game, and we as the player come to understand her. It was right after her doing it in the first place, so we didn't even get to really build anger towards her. She talks about it being a necessary action- perhaps something we can agree with after knowing everything about the OLD_DATA. She laments not being able to play more with us, but she accepts her death and says goodbye.

Leshy talks about just.. wanting to play. That's all he wants, he just wanted to give us a good story. The original Inscryption is rushed and weird- Act 1, his hegemony, was his attempt to make it better and enjoyable (Which, considering it is the Act people love most, he succeeded.)

The player probably misses him by this point- playing cards with him feels somber, sad, and nostalgic. At this point we consider him a friend. And then he gets deleted after complementing our past deck, speaking about how much he enjoyed his time with us, and saying farewell. It's not something that leaves us with any possible anger towards him.

Magnificus though... He doesn't get that. We never get to talk to him properly, he never speaks about how he feels or why he does things. In Act 1 he spends most of the time in the clock, in Act 2 he gets cut off when trying to speak to us, Act 3 he only speaks a few sentences, and in Act 4..

His farewell is different than the other two. Leshy and Grimora accept their deaths... Magnificus doesn't. He doesn't talk about his feelings or justify his actions, because if you have been holding in your feelings, that is something you do when you can no longer do so. You let them go when you know you're going to die soon.

But he doesn't want to. He doesn't want to die, he can't accept it.

The game he played with us wasn't complete- the scales were gone, so we weren't even supposed to play against him. It was his opportunity to just say what he needed to say before he was gone, but he refused to accept his upcoming death. So instead he tried prolonging the process by using unrealistically high numbers instead of scales (The bigger the number, the longer the game will take, right..?). Even as he felt himself getting deleted he refused to end the game, or even talk to the player properly. For once, he couldn't prepare for the worst, and he was in denial- he was completely powerless and he didn't want to accept it. Instead, he speaks to us about the game deleting. He blames the player for it. He tries to guilt us; "You even allowed my goo mage to get deleted... I thought you two were becoming friends!"

And he doesn't get a handshake. He tried to push his deletion away for so long that he ended up not even being able to finish the match or get the same, proper farewell that Grimora and Leshy got.

I think by now I've said what I needed to say, but I wanna add that... Yeah, I think he's one of the most tragic characters in the game. I think he spends a lot of time being anxious- we don't get a clear answer on if he can see the future or if he is just able to predict it, but either way he lives with a lot of anxiety because of it.

I think the worst part is the deletion of the game and his farewell. He isn't able to let go because he's scared to, and because he has spent his whole life trying to prevent bad things from happening; trying to help his friends to get out of bad situations they caused themselves. But this time he's not able to, he can't do ANYTHING about it, and he's terrified because that means his whole existence and work is just... Gone. He spent all his days preparing for the worst scenarios, only for it all to be thrown away. He WASTED his life for nothing. And it hurts me that the fandom never saw that.

Or maybe I'm overthinking all of it. Maybe this has all already been directly disproven. But I still wanted to share this.

#inscryption #magnificus #ah... this took so long to rewrite and revise and agh! #i just... have a lot of thoughts about him #a lot of strong thoughts #it genuinely hurts me when people hate him #call me a snowflake or whatever I really don't care #hes a character very dear to me #i hope this might make someone like him a little more #or at least consider it #hm

[blueskittlesart]

how do u play zelda games... or are u just very familiar w the lore without having played all of them? i only have a switch and have played botw and totk it's the only console i've ever had and i'd like to play more games like ocarina of time and wind waker and majoras mask but idk how to access them and also. expensive 😭

i've played every game I talk about on here! I try not to talk about ones i havent played bc i don't have a full understanding of them lol. for me it's been about 10 years since I started playing zelda games so I've had some time to get this many under my belt but I can definitely recommend some good games & methods for new players!

since you said you only have a switch, i'll start with legal ways to get older zelda games on the switch. many of these will be expensive and arent actually the method i recommend to play them but. for the sake of being thorough. im gonna mention them.

skyward sword HD remake (highly recommend!!) this game would probably be a pretty good starting point after botw and the remake is notably easier to play than the original. it is $60 tho when the original game was $30. so

NES and SNES virtual consoles which are free with a nintendo online subscription have the original zelda, zelda II, and a link to the past on them. as a new player i wouldnt SUPER recommend any of these but alttp is definitely worth it if you DO end up liking some of the more modern games in the series.

the dreaded n64 virtual console has oot on it but im just straight up gonna tell you not to buy that shit. oot is a must play but there are millions of better ways to play it

the fucking $60 links awakening remaster. don't buy this

the way I personally played most of my games is either via console or hacked console. if you're willing to invest in a secondhand wii to hack you can emulate basically any console that came before it, including the n64 for oot and the gamecube for wind waker. if you're willing to invest in OR you have an old 3ds lying around (preferably that hasnt been updated recently but you can get around that) you can hack it to play GB/GBA/DS/3DS games, which includes link's awakening, minish cap, albw, oot 3d, and majora's mask 3d!

if you're looking for a COMPLETELY free option, my next suggestion is emulation. you want a decent PC to be able to run most of this shit without speed drops, and some newer consoles won't run perfectly no matter what. wii games especially are really dicey because of their reliance on motion control so there's not a lot of emulators out there for them.

for anything before the N64 (majora & any game released before it) I recommend the MAME vintage game emulator. this thing was originally built for arcade games but runs a lot of vintage consoles pretty well too and is generally intuitive and user-friendly.

Visual Boy Advance is a good option for GBA games (link's awakening, 4 swords, minish cap, oracle games.) these may also work on MAME

Desmume for DS games (phantom hourgass, spirit tracks)

Citra for 3DS games (requires high processing speed & decent graphics card, most laptops will not run it) (oot & mm 3d, albw)

for gamecube (wind waker) I used dolphin emulator on my hacked wii so I can't vouch for how it'll run on anything else but i believe it should also be able to emulate wii games? (sksw, tp)

hope this helps fuel your loz adventures! if you ever have specific questions about emulation or hacking i might be able to help also lol i hate paying for games so i do this a lot

#asks #i always recommend oot as a starting point for botw players who want to try other zelda games but now that everyone thinks its fifty dollar #thats way more annoying to do. thank you nintendo

[idollandhero]

I think in a year we'll look back at our time with Idol Land and think of it like a weird dream. A time when there wasn't a Pretty Series show announced and everything was in limbo. A time where King of Prism was a dead franchise. A time when songs were performed at Pretty Series live shows that wouldn't premier in the anime for years. The game teaser in every single Pretty Series announcement only for it to be delayed again. The YEARS long gap between episodes 2 and 3. The DISASTROUS launch. When we realized it was just a reskinned version of the switch game. Or when we discovered that it was mostly made by some unrelated dev who had only made one failed mobile otome game before Idol Land.

The Pretty Series' pivot to focusing on AiPri & KinPri instead of Idol Land & DanPri makes the past few years of Idol Land content, and the past less than a year of Idol Land actually being out, feel like an illusion.

It's frustrating because the concept of a PriPara mobile game sounds fantastic! When I play games like SIF2 or Idolish7 or whatever I think about what could have been. Was it money problems? or time problems? Or some combination of both. Regardless I can't help but yearn for a game with a budget that this franchise deserves.

And the web anime was great! But only 12 episodes, and its own budget problems, plus the games delay keeping it finished and in limbo for 2 years! (+ the lack of any western fansubs picking it up, seriously how is do we still only have subs for up to episode 6) meant that it never got the place in the spotlight it deserved. Some people speculated that it was meant to air on TV because the episodes are formatted as such, but with AiPri starting in that slot the same month the show is ending that doesn't seem to be true.

It's hard to say where PriPara is going from here. It's the series 10th anniversary and the arcade game is being shuttered to push players towards AiPri Verse instead. Idol Land's anime finale is going to air to little applause because it's stuck on an app with less than 20,000 active users, and in the same month as the launch of the new series that's slated to be a real PreCure competitor.

Idol Land's EOS hasn't been announced yet, but the missing Nino birthday coord, the April monthly update with entirely rerun coords, and the fact that Idol Land is getting very VERY close to running out of content from the switch game. Well, if not EOS I expect this game to go into maintenance mode pretty soon.

Yeah idk what my point here was exactly, but man Idol Land really was a blur. Sometimes I think we understate exactly how inexperienced the devs really were. The game doesn't have any type of Google Play integration, and when the game launched the account recovery only lasted 15 minutes. I have a newer phone and the game isn't compatible with my hole punch front camera. There's just a black bar there. I only have this problem with older games, anything made in the last 4 years doesn't have this problem except for Idol Land. I honestly think the lack of region locking is because the dev doesn't know how to turn it on. Someone on discord reported that they've been buying gold, and then contacting Google and asking for a Play Store refund. It's worked multiple times and they are not banned. How is a ban for chargebacks not something they implemented day one. Also this game doesn't have any deals or discounts, ever. It's hard to believe that, like every game I've ever played has a buy two and get 50% off the second one bundle. But it's like the devs don't know how to implement anything past basic gacha mechanics. I could also ramble about how expensive the prices are, but I've done it before I won't do it again. Also the photo room, it's implemented pretty badly. You upload a photo for the background and it crops it weird and squishes it and makes it blurry. I didn't know this at launch because it was a paid feature for like six months. The pass itself was a horrible value unless you were buying it specifically to get the episodes early, you got exactly how the amount of gold you paid for. Why not just buy the gold then. But they either realized that, or were preparing for end of service; because they took it down. I'm rambling about things the devs messed up but I haven't even mentioned the first three months of the game. There's been so many points in this game's history where playing a promise was borderline impossible for one reason or another. This game didn't feel finished until that November update that included immediate promises. God there's so much more. The photo competitions just being about editing for some reason. Also they went away, so clearly those didn't work. The amount of coords they've implemented that were broken in some way. Sometimes it was the wrong coord entirely, sometimes the cylume didn't work. It's like the dev team is so small that there's no QA people. Also on that note, Open Dream Land was just fixed in the mid March update. The game went more than 6 months where one of its two unique charts was off sync. Also remember the voice bug, that lasted forever.

I'm sorry I just started rambling lmao. This is the problem when I write posts with speech to text, I say way too much. Ultimately I enjoyed my time with Idol Land, but it's existence feels surreal. Especially because 80% of the features from this game I can turn on my switch after end of service and play, and it's free because I already paid once and never have to pay again. I even have Waku Waku O'Clock on Switch. One day, probably soon from the way things are going, I'm going to wake up and not be able to play Idol Land on my phone ever again. But instead of reminiscing of this game, I will think about the game that could have been if Idol Land got as much love as Prism Rush did.

KASHIKOMA ✌️

#hero text posting

[mx-metronome]

Meditations on Eden 3

I talk a lot about moths. Eye of Eden spoilers under the cut, naturally

I used to make the pilgrimage much more often. All 63. Once a week. I hammered out the ascended candles I needed to purchase every single wing buff. Then all the Elder Masks when they were first introduced. But now? Now Eden provides no tangible currency that means anything to me. There’s only one reward for me left of any significance:

I go for the moths.

I was a very independent moth, veterans never had the opportunity to guide me. Perhaps it was because they turned their nose up at me, a greenhorn, a nuisance. Perhaps it was simply because I never sat still long enough to let them help me. At this point, it isn’t my business to know.

I remember my first ascension. I remember large swaths of sky kids traveling up the mountain together, not even giving me a passing glance. I tried to follow their footsteps but they were much too fast.

I didn’t struggle with the krill, but I did struggle with the flying rocks. I knew there was a rhythm to them, I didn’t know that there were places you could take cover. Lost plenty of winged light to the rocks.

The final hallway was where I lost the most wings. The rocks would knock me down and while I was on the ground the krill would pour salt on the wound. That was frustration unlike any other kind. The mass of winged light inside the hallway soothed me a little bit, but I was still angry. The only thing that could quench my ire were answers, purpose, anything. I needed to see what was at the end of the road that would make this entire struggle worth it.

Inside the Stormlock, it didn’t take me very long to figure out what I was meant to do. My winged light count was falling, both by flying stones and by self sacrifice. The truth of my inevitable death sank in very quickly, so I rushed to do the best I could before I hit 0 and the darkness took me.

I did all of this alone. And I often wonder how much more efficient about it I would’ve been, how much more or less impactful it would’ve been, had I had a companion with me.

So three years later, long after ascended candles have stopped meaning anything to me, I still go.

I go for the moths.

Eden is dark and scary, it scars and scathes and tries to beat down your hopes and your innocence. But it’s a lot less scary when you have a friend with you.

Every time I ascend now - every time - I meet a newer player on the way up and look after them as we both march to the end. Most quickly learn to cling to me, follow in my footsteps, and I always trek slowly enough that they can keep up. I can keep them safe, for a time.

But I can’t tell them. Without unlocking the chat function on the friendship tree, no combination of emotes on my part could ever convey to them that they are going to die. They simply and blindly trust me that we will be okay in the end, that whatever is happening is for the best, that I’m leading them to someplace nice.

It’s like leading an innocent lamb to slaughter.

After the death, after the heavenly flight back to the Womb, after the rebirth back into the kingdom of Sky, I like to think everything makes sense to those poor moths afterwards. Like they attained this enlightenment by my actions alone and all of this was as intended. If they hadn’t, I like to think that seeing the credits roll, or suddenly seeing seasonal spirits in the familiar realms, or advancing the Aviary quests would clue them in.

On rare occasions I’ll get the opportunity to continue to bond with them, even after I sentenced them to death. After all, they trusted me this much with their life, and I clearly know what I’m doing.

But usually I don’t get that chance.

I go for the moths,

but a lot of the time, the moths don’t come back for me.

I can’t say I blame them too much.

#sky children of the light #sky cotl #thatskygame #sky spoilers #eden spoilers #meditations on Eden #I’ve been making a lot of back to back runs lately #and every time I’ve adopted moths on the way up #recently one of them returned to me and introduced themselves #and now we’re SUPER tight #they’ve chosen me as their vet and that is not a title I take lightly #they’re like a little sibling now #I will show them everything

[manonamora-if]

The Interactive Fiction DataBase - IFDB

What is the IFDB?

The IFDB, or Interactive Fiction DataBase, is a game catalogue, recommendation engine, and a platform to play games requiring an interpreter (to run the code).

As a catalogue, the IFDB is meant as a place to create a bibliography of IF games created throughout the years (over 12 thousands!), to leave a trace that these existed. It is maintained by its members. Anyone can join and add a listing or fix a mistake. You can also find listing for past IF competitions!

As a recommendation engine, the IFDB provides not only lists of the best-rated entries, but will show you games that you may enjoy based on the ones you've played/rated or what other members have played/rated. Entries are also categorised by tags, which are all searchable. Members are also able to create lists to recommende games they've enjoyed! Or leave reviews of those games too!

Finally, some games may require an interpreting engine to run. Those interpreters can be sometimes difficult to track down or to set up, especially for new players. The IFDB has a system that will allow you to play those games directly in your browser by clicking the button : Play Online (only available if the game has been uploaded through the IF Archive).

Why is the IFDB important?

The internet is a rapidly changing place. Preserving information is not only important for future generations, but can help current generations find information about what is happening now. Archiving creates a historical record of what the IF landscape looked like.

Along with the IF Archive (which archives IF games), the IFDB makes viewing the history of IF much easier to browse.

However, the IFDB lacks in many aspects. Not every IF community is aware of the database, which means many projects do not appear in this catalogue. While the IFDB has currently over 12k listings, the VNDB (the Visual Novel DataBase) has over 40k! The IFDB is also lacking in entries in languages other than English...

The IFDB accepts any listing for games, made in any program, as long as said game is an Interactive Fiction game and has had a playable version available somewhere at some point (so it accepts WIPs with demo). /!\ Do not create a page for announced project without a release ! /!\

Why create an IFDB page for your game?

Aside from being part of preserving the history of IF (which is the big thing), and be able to share your work to a different part of the community, the IFDB is a great place to get and leave long-form reviews for entries.

If your project was coded in a program that requires an interpreter, it is a great place to host your game without worrying about newer players having to find and set up an interpreter.

If you have been part of an IF competition, or received accolades for your project, this is also a good way to showcase those achievements.

Finally, the IFDB is also a point of reference for IF Awards like the XYZZY and the IFDB Awards.

How do you create an IFDB page?

/!\ Please check that the game listing you want to add has not been added first! /!\

To create an IFDB page, you need to set up an account and be logged in.

Then click on Add a Game Listing, on the right menu in the main page. You will get the following page:

(You should read through the Guidelines the first time you add a listing, they are located at the top of the page)

Though it looks long, there are only very few information required to create a page:

The title

The name(s) of the author(s)

It is recommended to fill in the date of first publication, development system (program used to code), language, IFID (if available) description of the game, and genre.

As for being able to play the game, you have two (non-exclusive) options:

list the URL of the website where the game is hosted

list the download URL of the game (can be done through the IF Archive, only if you are the author of the game!)

Note sure what something is? A description (or a link towards explanations) of what is expected is included for almost all items. You can also include information that is not listed in the drop-down case (like the System or language).

When you are happy with it, click Save changes.

You can also fix, edit, or delete information at any moment. You just need to click on the link Edit This Page at the bottom of the game page.

How do you add Ratings, Reviews and Game Suggestions ?

Logged in with your account, you have the possibility of leaving ratings and reviews on a game page. You can also help the IFDB algorithm by suggesting similar games to an entry.

The process is fairly straight-forward (clicking on the stars for the rating, clicking Review it for the review, and clicking Suggest similar games, for the suggestions). Thought you can find further explanations here, if you follow what the website is asking, you should not have any difficulty to complete the task !

If you review enough games, your name can end up on the main page!

How do I create a Competition Page?

Have you participated or organised an IF competition? Or are you cataloguing previous editions?

You can create a separate page for a Competition by clicking on Add a Competition Page on the right menu of the main page. You will then get the following page:

Then it is a matter of filling the different relevant items.

The Competition Page allows for divisions within competitions (e.g. : the EctoComp had 2 categories, made under 4h and over 4h) and, if needs be, ranking.

Important Note: the competition entries need to already be listed in the IFDB to be added to a competition page.

What are Lists and Polls?

Lists and Polls are two other tools that interact with game entries.

Lists, also called Recommendation Lists, are lists a member will curate with games they are recommending to other members or viewers of the IFDB. Some are general (like best game ever) while others are more specific (like games with an AI that is nice). They are akin to public collections on Itch.io.

Polls are... polls.

Note: If a game is included in a poll and/or a list, these will appear on the game's page.

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TLDR: create an account, help preserve the IF landscape by recording its history, review games too :P

If I missed something, or something is unclear, let me know so I can edit it!

#ifdb #internet archive #Interactive Fiction DataBase #manonamora

[anamoon63]

Your TS3 gameplay really does inspire me to give that game another shot. Are there specific mods you use to make sure the game runs smoothly/is stable? What mods/cc are the best to use so the sims look good?

Hi, Marci! 😊

First of all, thank you very much for your ask. Knowing that my sims and/or my gameplay can inspire other simmers to play means a lot to me cause The Sims 3 is my favorite game in the whole Sims series. Plus, I love my sims, so this makes me twice as happy. 🤗💖

That said, it is my duty to warn you that The Sims 3 is not an easy game to maintain, it requires a lot of care and patience, even from the moment of its installation. You ask me what it takes to make it run smoothly and make it stable, well I'm no expert, but what helped me with that is all contained in this Steam post. I believe these tips you can follow even if you don't have your game on Steam. I followed all these steps when I reinstalled my game back in 2017-18, and I have never had a problem like lag or crashes since then.

It's thanks to the amazing person who wrote that post and to talented modders like @lazyduchess and Twallan (Nraas Mods), whose mods I consider indispensable, that I have been able to play The Sims 3 without problems for years now. I may have had a couple of crashes due to some wrong or corrupt cc, but that's on me because I download a lot of stuff. In those cases, it's a matter of locating the bad cc, taking it out, and that's it. The game runs great, even with a ton of mods installed. (I have a 9 GB mods folder, and I've had more than that at times, lol, but I try to keep in less than 10 GB always).

As for what mods and cc's to use to make the sims look good, well, that would depend on your taste, or as they say now, on the aesthetics of your game or your sims.

For what it's worth, I have always used Ephemera's E-WEAK skin as default. I also use some other Ephemera's like E-Skin Natural MIX, Asia and Fresh. I use some by Kurasoberina too.

I think Ephemera's site doesn't exist anymore, but the E-WEAK skins I use can be downloaded on MTS here. Kurasoberina TS3 skins you can find them here along with more of their fabulous content.

I'm sure there are other skins much newer, and super nice too, but these are the ones I use, cause they give my sims the look they are known for. 😊

Also I use Tifa N38 default eyes, as well as Buhudain's You Are Real body and face maps replacements to give some realism to my sims' skins/bodies. Neither Tifa's nor Buhudain's sites exist anymore, unfortunately, but you can still find Buhudain's archives on this SFS page. And those of Tifa in this other one in Mega. (I hope I am not doing wrong by sharing them, otherwise I will remove them).

There's also this stunning version of Buhudain's You are Real by @nectar-cellar named You are Hyperreal. :)

As for the rest, if I start listing all the other content I use such as hair, clothes and makeup I would never finish, I'd gladly share my whole mods folder, but I don't want to piss off the creators, or blow-up other players' computers, lol. I'm WCIF friendly, though, so feel free to ask for any specific content, of any type, CAS or Buy/Build, I got my custom content well documented, so I'll provide you with links to any of them.

For the time being, here is this link to my custom Content List on my Blogger. I have kept this list for many years, and I still use most of that content; it may be a little outdated of course, cause I have a lot of new stuff now, so my intention is to update the page soon when/if I have the time. Also, some of the links may not work anymore, if so just let me know and I'll fix them for you if I'm able.

I hope this answer has helped you. Sorry for taking so long to reply, but I wanted to make this post as detailed as possible. If you have any other questions about The Sims 3, I'll be here whenever you need me. Good luck and happy simming! 😉💗

#the sims 3 #ask me anything #sims 3 simblr #simblr ask #the sims 3 cc #ts3 cc

[dimeadoesnt]

So i tried my hand at spy for the first time last night, and i cannot believe how incredibly sweet the other spy on my team was being. ive never played spy before, so it was a huge learning curve, but this dude was all kinds of encouraging and helpful. made sure i went back for health and stuck with me while leaving spawn, showed me the fastest ways to get around, and made a generally very nice effort to help a newer player get a feel for the class

At one point he came on voice chat just to say ’hey wait spy come back’ when i left spawn, and when i got to him he just went ’lets go kill these guys, okay? :)’ and i couldve cried fr

#I wish I’d gotten his steam name #if you’re out there friendly spy you have my eternal love #tf2 spy #spy tf2 #game stuff

[epicspheal]

So I finally did the whole “gym leader inspection” last night to see where the fandom is getting their “Evil Geeta” vibes from. And while the jury is still out on her until the DLC the bad blood between Geeta and the leaders isn’t striking me immediately as proof that she’s evil. Let’s start with the whole “Most of the gym leaders are anxious about the inspection” thing. Speaking as someone who has had a full time job, performance reviews are always a little nerve-wracking no matter what type of boss you may have. There is always room for improvement, let alone there’s always a chance you’re going to be told you need to do more. Not really sure how other leagues are ran but I could guarantee you that gym leaders from Kanto to Galar would also feel the same level of anxiety about a performance review and it honestly shouldn’t be used as proof that Geeta is evil. Rather proof that performance reviews suck and anxiety inducing. Now let’s go into some of the individual reactions. Brassius quite frankly really didn’t seem to care. He was more concerned about his new inspiration for art than the inspection. If anything being a gym leader is more of a side-gig to his art career. Neither did Iono as she’s far more concerned about her streams and viewer numbers moreso than the inspection itself. In fact she seemed very impressed that Geeta trusted the player to do the inspection Kofu probably takes this the best because he’s a restaurant owner. He understands that at times people judging him may be harsh and to not take it personally. This is an important skill that you have to learn as an adult in the working world and it’s easier said than done especially if you’re sensitive. I’m quite sensitive myself and it’s taken me a lot to get even to half of where Kofu is in regards to criticism especially if it’s not given tactfully in my opinion. Him saying Geeta is harsh doesn’t necessarily imply he thinks she’s bad at all. And I think if anything he welcomes any harshness because it helps him improve. Again, that’s a skill that’s hard to develop and hard to conceptualize if you haven’t been put in a position where you’ve been dealt harsh criticism. It certainly sucks to be on the receiving end and yes tactful delivery is still key but you can’t always expect “room for improvement” talks to always be delivered gently. Then there’s Katy who is bored of being the first gym leader and being told to go soft on Geeta. Honestly Geeta telling her to be softer on her opponents isn’t a bad thing. Gym leaders are supposed to be tests, not nigh-insurmountable obstacles. While going too soft on people isn’t great, crushing new trainers off the bat isn’t helpful either as you can indeed squander potential talent doing that. Something Geeta recognizes. Katy here is in her feelings but it is understandable. No one likes losing, and with her being a bug type specialist there is probably the added sting of feeling like she’s conforming to the stereotype that Bug types are week. However, Geeta isn’t in the wrong for what she said. Rather it’s up to Katy to do something about it if she’s so discontent from being the first gym leader. She can up her challenge a bit, going soft doesn’t mean being a cakewalk. Or if this really bothers her, get better at being a trainer so she can become a leader that’s recommended to be faced later on despite being so close to Mesagoza. And to her credit, Katy does at least recognize that after the battle with the intent of battling at a higher level. Whether that means not being as soft on newer trainers or just trying to make sure she gets a higher rank we’re not sure, but she has the maturity to not really blame Then you have Tulip who says she’s not Geeta’s biggest fan because she dislikes how bewitching Geeta’s aura is compared to her own. Now some people may have latched on to the bewitching as proof that she’s evil but when you look at the definition of bewitching it means “enchanting or delightful” or in other words “so beautiful or attractive that you cannot think of anything else”. This actually kind of implies Tulip might be a bit jealous of Geeta and how she carries herself rather Geeta being malicious. She compares Geeta’s aura to her own and calls it similarly bewitching implying that both of them have an enchanting way about them. And often when two people of similar vibes meet they may end up clashing. I think the whole ESP gym test makes people perhaps read a bit more into the bewitching thing because Tulip may have psychic powers we don’t know and so maybe she knows something we don’t. And it very well may be shown in the DLC that Tulip’s words were foreshadowing. But the bewitching line to me at least at the moment, strikes me more as a “I’m a bit envious of the chairwoman” over “the chairwoman is evil” Then you have Ryme who is rather blatantly insulted that Geeta sends the player to do the inspection rather than herself. She even states that she had been looking forward to proving the strength of ghost-types to her and felt a bit robbed. Now again this really isn’t a “Geeta is evil” type thing. Sure it probably would’ve been nicer to have Geeta mention that she was sending someone else as a courtesy. But I think Ryme’s feelings of being insulted come from a place of insecurity. She’s only been the leader for a year and a half and she does enjoy the job. Again like I said earlier, performance reviews will make any employee nervous but especially newer ones who haven’t been on the job all that long. So I can definitely see why Ryme was upset as she probably felt like this was a snub and as someone who has been a new employee I can sympathize with her feelings. But it doesn’t make Geeta bad that this happen. The only bad thing Geeta did was just not tell everyone she was sending someone else. Next is Grusha who during the inspection talks about being worried that he’ll lose his job and the only other thing he has talent for. Again much like Ryme is this is definitely coming more from insecurity on the part of Grusha over Geeta being a bad boss. Like Ryme it also comes from an understandable place. He suffered a great loss in losing his ability to snowboard and knowing that his gym leader position is a job that can be lost as well is certainly anxiety inducing. Especially for someone like himself who tends to wrap their identity in their talents. I don’t even think he actually dislikes Geeta he’s just terrified of potentially of not doing well enough to stay in his position. Again that’s something extremely relatable but not necessarily a mark on Geeta herself. Finally there is Larry who has the most outright grievances towards Geeta. Him having outright grievances doesn’t mean she’s evil though. A lot of people have grievances with their bosses and it could be that their boss is bad, it could be they themselves are the bad ones, or maybe neither are bad and they just don’t mesh. And honestly even though they clearly have beef Geeta does tell him to stop doing overtime. She may not be the world’s best boss but her telling him to chill on the overtime does count for something when there are plenty of bosses who will happily let you work overtime, even unpaid overtime. And also yes, she does ask him to use a different type when battling as an Elite Four member but honestly that’s not a bad boss thing. One it makes sense that if you’re going to use someone as both a gym leader and elite four member (who are generally all type specialists) to switch things up to keep challengers on their toes. After all the Champion’s Test is an assessment. And as Larry himself states, he understands why she asked him to switch things up. He realizes that he misses a lot of growth by just staying in one lane with one type and he’ll become stronger as a trainer if he takes different approaches. Yeah he still doesn’t like her but he’s mature enough as an adult to realize when she’s making good points and that’s important although again a tough point to get to. Because it’s often really hard to hear good points from someone you’re not the biggest fan of. So honestly if anything Geeta and the gym leader’s relationship really resembles real life workplaces. Not everyone is buddy-buddy. People get anxiety when performance reviews or big meetings are called. People have insecurities that tend to get poked in certain situations. It doesn’t necessarily mean any one person is good or bad.

#champion geeta #gym leader grusha #gym leader ryme #gym leader iono #gym leader brassius #gym leader kofu #gym leader larry #gym leader katy #gym leader tulip #sv spoilers #character analysis