It's a long, quiet night, you're at your friends house, his home is always rather gloomy, and, well Hess been very distant lately, he was acting odd when you two were playing video games earlier and even weirder when you brought up college, almost sad, or ... or depressed. He's been so off, so you decide to snool around for a bit, walking into his room while he's sleeping, going through his things... You find a bottle of pills and a note in his nightstand.
Hey! Looking for someone to play a dark, depressing rp with me! I have no idea why I want to do such a dark rp, just please be wary
Looking for people who are comfortable with hurt/comfort
(Warning, depressing themes such as, SH, suicide and addiction will be included. Please, if you have any triggers or any issues do not respond)

So I know usually you have family or friends planning the baby shower for you, but being that this will probably be our first and last (due to some medical issues) I very much want to be a part of the planning. I already have a theme I want, I have an idea how I want it all to go (like games, diaper raffle, etc) and I said so to my bonus mom. She responded with “so you’re basically planning your own shower?”
Well.. yeah? I don’t want to just show up to my shower and have no idea what’s going on and it be nothing like I pictured. Am I way out of line? I feel like I shouldn’t have to give up control being that I’m carrying the baby and it’s technically more of a party for ME than it is anything else. I mean sure you get baby stuff, but every shower I’ve been to was talking about how to be a first time mom, breastfeeding tips or sharing stories of the best practices for them. Is anyone else having a hand in how their baby shower will go? Or plan to be at least? Thanks in advance for any responses!

In my Campaign I have a flower shopkeeper who sells magical flowers that can be used as consumables, particularly in the form of tea.
So far I only have Flowers that bestow certain Damage buffs, resistances and immunities
It should be noted that this shop is supposed to be the main source for consumable magic items and pretty much the only one that possesses something similar to healing potions

My wife has chronic pain and has tried a bit of my buds, she says she likes the pain relief and calmness but doesn't like the high feel, we both tried a delta 8 cake vape (realized soon after it was not good idea) anyways, she liked the taste of the cake vape it was like strawberry flavored, so are there any CBD vapes (that aren't filled with metals) that have flavored options we can try out?

Oh boy here comes another downvote marathon
So, the Magical Turnabout is the first case 2 that pulls a 1-day investigation and 1-day trial. I think this is actually good because it makes the godawful case end faster.
No but really, making it only 1 day was a terrible idea. The pacing was absolutely trash in this case. Since there's only one investigation, they have to cram every character into it, and the whole evil-Bonny thing failed to make any impact because there was zero buildup. Also, the threat of bankruptcy was a pretty lame attempt to add stakes to the trial, like pretty much the rest of SoJ. Idk why it felt the need to go "win the trial or the universe implodes" in every case.
Although I will admit, maybe they had to make case 2 short like case 4 because the Khura'in plotline is stretched between those and the game needs the player to remember what's happening with Wright without taking too long in the filler cases. Another example of why the Spirit of Justice pacing sucks.
The revelations in the trial itself also were very meh. The "two Bonnys" revelation completely fell flat because, again, zero buildup. This is why there needs to be two trial days. All the character revelations are very impactful if the game can pace its trial day 1 properly, such as the identity of the Amazing Nine-Tails. Honestly, Monstrous had really good pacing and is probably the 2nd best case 2, just behind Reunion, but that's a different war to wage. With two trial days, the Bonny twist can maybe work in the first trial day near the end of the trial, but either way, it happens way too soon in the actual game.
Also Retinz was the most obvious "mistaken identity" case 2 character. No shot anyone didn't see him and go "wow it's Mr. Reus". The Great Mr. Reus, as a whole, is also a pretty bad added-on backstory to the Troupe Gramarye saga. Like, each character in Troupe Gramarye symbolized one of the four poker card suits. Given the significance of playing cards and reading/perceiving poker faces in AJ (one of the reasons AJ is good is how all the themes and imagery are connected), I find it really irking that they just tack on another guy who has nothing to do with cards to shatter the perfection of the poker imagery. He could have been the Joker card, I feel like if they had made his design more jester-like and pushed the Joker card a bit more, but they didn't. No, the mask doesn't count because there was no Joker broach. So it may not feel like retconning Troupe Gramarye, but it did not do it any favours either.
Plus the flanderization of Trucy's character by making her cry in front of everyone was the worst characterization in the game. One of her most compelling character traits was her stoicism in AJ. This completely ruins that just for an "awwww" moment. Even worse than Phoenix Wright in Revolution.
I think AJ as a whole is just too tightly-knit and, for lack of a better word, perfect on its own. Any attempt to bring an AJ plotline outside the game fails. Capcom seems to understand that, given how they don't touch the Jurist system or Wright's mastermind persona, but then they go and pull a stunt like Magical.

Today's games repulse me with their copycat, timid and shallow character. Though it seems like there is a variety of concepts flashing around, in practice games revolve around the same half-dozen tropes. Their hallmark sign is that it is nothing that is not seen on TV. If the game's idea is not a reflection of the modern world from someone who, by all appearances, has never read a real book or has experience to share, then it's Pirates in Some Carribean, or the Victorian Age When Jack the Ripper Roamed in a Black Cab, or the Middle Ages with Standard Treachery, or Abstract Space Exploration. I was sick and tired of this a few years ago, now I have all but given up on this art form. Even when the concept is interesting, it is rarely taken far or with force. Neutered developers are afraid to give offense and as a result make bland, short-breathing stuff, but I think the sharp edges are never there to begin with anymore. I don't know anybody who sets out to defy the world, stand apart from its simulations and blandishments and spit a good gob in its ugly square face.
I have never had an opportunity to make a game of my own (it takes a team besides everything else), but I have made mods for a very old RPG for years - new mechanics, plots, magic, quests, effects, scripts, writing and so on. I have more or less put that old engine on its head, though I know hardly anyone will ever find out about my efforts. This is to say that I am not a pure theorist. Some time in the winter, bored and exasperated, I decided to do a quick marathon of game ideas - for RPG, quests, simulations, something in-between - and see how many I can whip out on the run. I would like something from here picked up by a company, but I am not advertising. I realize that is probably not something that might happen. It was a good exercise for me, however. Here are the results for all to see. I did ten first, then three more occurred to me.
1) Circa Caotica
You play the role of Jabsh, a clown of a traveling circus, who suddenly discovers that he is no orphan but the son (Raka, daughter for female players) of the director, Maestro Leotardi. Minutes later after making the sobbing confession the boss is swallowed by the Crocodile Man in a suspicious accident. You have to own up to his legacy and step into the tight and tall boots of the director. Your responsibility is to keep the circus going by fine-tuning and inventing acts based on ideas solicited over regular all-troupe brainstorming sessions despite little starting respect from the others, who have decided to unionize as well (the mentalist takes notes). You must keep drawing in crowds to avert the bankruptcy, earn respect and manipulation points and find the truth behind Leotardi's death and the disappearance of the Big Green cashbox with everyone's last year salary and the medallion that supposedly bears the face of your mother the same evening. All the while you still have to perform in regular clown acts with your partner. You can play as a red clown or a white clown, and the other type will be your foil.
2) Nachtwaffe
"Ah, count. Decided to join me for a walk?" Vampires steal planes from the Nazi airforce to zoom through the dark skies over the Balkans and turn humans to make more of their own. You start out as a single nosferatu, converted from an arrogant German, and must find and raid small airports and landing strips across the forests and mountains of Roumania, impersonate a living officer to get supplies and fuel, avoid communist guerillas, find and build places to hide during the day and choose which humans to turn to expand your force. Naturally, it is all quite a dead end, as the war is bound to finish sooner or later, which radio broadcasts confirm, and what then will happen to the vampiric empire? But this is something that the gameplay begins to convey to the player gradually. Hopefully the fate of someone who has no future but still does his all will touch some dormant strings in players' hearts.
3) Yuck!
The sleepy Tibetan village of Dongtso is unaware of what lurks in the bushes and the mountains: you, the desperately lonely yak-man. Born with a big head and two horns, you have only one connection to civilization: the gold ring in your nose. Squinting cross-eyed, you can just make out some kind of symbols on it, and a banner over the village shrine features ones like them. This must be the key. You have to lurk about the supersititious hamlet, helping the folk at night and out of sight with small chores and evesdropping on their reactions and conversations until you can pick up a few words, including, at some point, "Hello." Since this is a game about Tibet and shaping up something rebellious, let the tongue be one of Tibet's many and accompanied by Tibetan script. You can train to pronounce the words when you dare show yourself to children, old people and widows, to improve from mooing to legible speech, but until then you have to dodge men's hunting parties and survive. With enough good deeds and a few friends, you might win the folk's confidence and stand before the village council so that someone might teach you to read. The quest becomes complicated, however, by the appearance of the army of People's Republic of China that establishes a base in the village in its push to subdue Tibet. The year is 1952. One of the newcomers is a local - a renegade llama who, the villagers say, has been on many supernatural journeys in the mountains, but is now wearing the uniform of Tibet's conquerors. The writing on the ring, deciphered, identifies him as your father.
4) Footlocker
This is a soccer-themed RPG, but you view the sport from the point of view of a bookie besieged on all sides by mafia. To pay back his debt he resolves on a colossal set-up: first get control of an underdog team, then bring them at least to the regional semi-finals and, with the bets in their favor, make them lose in a big way. The thugs are ready to provide cash handouts, leg-breaking, knuckle sandwiches, addictive opioids and more to get the right people on the team and stubborn elements out, but at the cost of increased control and cut of the profits. You must balance their appetities with placating sports authorities, the press, sponsors and police. In the final match a dilemma presents itself: go through with the plan and ruin the team or defy the gangsters and take your chances on the right side of the tracks?
5) And See It Again For the First Time
Starting out from your homeland on three caravels, you unfurl the sails and set out to circumnavigate the world. The globe is randomly generated every time and rolls away at the horizon, with the map, continents and straits unknown beforehand, in the manner of River Raid. Your characters are the three ships and their crews, condition and supplies are their stats. Dropping anchor at strange shores and dealing with natives will be necessary but dangerous as they fight with each other, shuffle and migrate like microbes. Loss of crew can't be repaired. At least one of the ships must find the passages and make it to the fabulous Gate of Makhamedi, enter it from the far side and begin the journey home.
6) The Person and the Essence
In the beginning chapter you play Sauqin, second-in-command to general Varziranga, head of the army of the Arcolan Empire sent to quash the rebellion of Panlaa, who has tried to bring his province to secede. The imperial army has crushed Panlaa'a troops a fortnight ago and has got him shut in the Ravine of the Gold Specks. Complete victory is near, but the commander has been acting strangely since the battle. On this decisive night his behavior spins out of control just as Panlaa makes a sudden sally from his trap, causing great confusion. As his lieutenant, it falls to you to maintain order in dealing with the various officers as well as the clerics of the One, who insist that Panlaa, a lapsed pagan, be given to them for execution once he is captured. The ending of the chapter will determine whether Panlaa ends in the emperor's prison in the capital, Hotharsoom, alive or dead at the clerics' hands, whether Varziranga will be simply demoted or disgraced.
Chapter two will take place in the capital city. You will have been promoted to a top military command for your performance, only to become embroiled in an intrigue involving the emperor's controlling mother, a consequential schism in the church of the One over whether the head of state is eternally the same person reincarnated or a series of persons, demagogues in the public and lurking pagans with unclear motives. Other chapters will follow, and the endings will determine who sits on the throne and who stands behind it, whether state policy is in principle subject to revision and criticism or not and whether the pagan faiths are crushed without mercy or adopted into the church of the One. The material here is Byzantium, Egypt with the notion of the pharaoh as incarnate Horus and the empires of southeast Asia. Some early Christian heresies also deserve to be revivified.
7) Of Rats and Men
You are a rat trapped in the gears of the Trumpet of Doom, the hugest, heaviest and most advanced steam ship ever to paddle the Grumuous Sea. This basin is famously salty enough to let even an iron float for a time, which, the public money finally gathered, made it the perfect road to carry the 25-inch-gunned ("24 + 1 for Paterland!") Trumpet to the shores of Festaly and at last give those Festalians what for! The citizenry is cheering with patriotic joy, the brass bands are blowing. The ship rats are less happy, especially you, who were captain Reissenpouf's pet before you managed to scramble through a porthole and below the desk as he was buttering a toast. You are nearly panicky with fright. Unlike the locals there, you have spent time locked with the diagrams in the captain's safe and know that the battleship is very weakly armored below the waterline. Someone must have made a good bit of business during the construction selling the metal. When the Trumpet comes up against the Festalians with their triton suicides or their rumored counterpart ship, the Rough Musician, not even the Grumuous Sea will keep it from ending up as a gigantic, barnacled wreck on the ocean floor.
To avoid this fate you only have so much time to organize the other rats for systematic sabotage. The game's world is the enormous ship below and above the deck. The humans of the crew are, of course, adamant in their resolve to get themselves killed, so they will repair the servos, the cables turning the massive gears, the ball bearings, the hydraulics and the rest almost as quickly as those are destroyed. This effort will be headed by the near-transparent, monochrome spindle of a man, Admiral Hel, the leader of the expedition, always of his private high deck, sipping his black milk and staring through his spectacles ahead to where TOD's fate awaits it. If all of you ratfolk together gnaw through and spoil enough of the ship's devices, however, the captain might just have the authority to radio Kaiser Walzer of the decision to turn back... though you personally may also have to sneak back into his cabin to sit on his pillow and intone suggestions as he sleeps. The fact that you are an albino rat and at first come across as a crazy visionary doesn't help, and neither does being a female rat and having to give birth to a litter every so often. The current mate can be deputied on tasks while lactating. Other ships may sometimes be encountered in the sea, with different results, and you may improve your reputation in the murine community by predicting these encounters, if you check the looking glass often enough. The length of the game, and hence the difficulty, depends on the distance to Festalian waters - from two weeks' journey to three months.
8) Cosmic Choir
You play as one of the planets of the solar system. The other actors and your partners are the thieving and scurrilous Mercury, the lusty and sly Venus, the militant braggart Mars and so on. And you are the meh-in-the-middle Earth, and in this group of strong personalities stand out with your unique ability of Rational Decision (it would be nice to get Woody Allen for the voice acting, were he younger). Other planets have other powers, and all of them certain characteristics and appetites (for tasty meteorites, for more intimate or more standoffish orbits and so on). The plot revolves around the announcement of the Sun that it has had enough of burning hydrogen and wants to retire, going immediately into the red giant phase, which would, of course, burn up all of the inner planets and kick the outer planets way out. For this the star has recruited a planet-sized asteroid, large enough to pull most of the star fuel away so that the moribund transformation may be set in motion. The euthanatic dark planet is whirring ever closer. Before it gets on a near enough orbit to disrupt the Sun the other planets must find out what caused this sudden depression and persuade their ruler and source of life otherwise. (The answer is that the Sun has always dreamt of going nova but lacks substance.) Playing as the only inhabited planet, you must also keep the life forms on you alive through all of the maneuvering. If you can get Mars to cooperate, however, you may shorten the distance enough for humanity and some of the ecosystems to make the leap and found Musk City there, and then you won't have to care about your surface anymore.
9) Paris, 1245 A.D.
A meticulously researched simulation of the criminal underworld of medieval Paris and the worlds that abutted on it: those of the church, guilds, city watch, the university, lepers, the court and so on. No shortcuts and simplifications for babies who can't tell a Benedictine from a Cistercian. A dynamically filled encyclopedia may be included, though, and remain permanently unlocked for later replays. The main character is a vagrant and a thief. This may be a persistent sandbox, possibly a multiplayer RPG, or it may have a plot, but strictly within historical realities.
10) The Last Supper
You play the role of Jesus, son of God, in the company of the twelve disciples. The game should probably be in first person. (The Sermon of the Mount and such may be shown in cutscenes, or they may be challenges in quiz form.) The time period is your wanderings in Judea after the baptism and until the last night before the arrest. The background is the Judaic society at the time and its Roman controllers, somewhat historically accurate. This is a detective story, a wholldoit where you need to figure out who is best suited to betray you in due time so that you may prep him for the job and finally give him the impetus to "do it quicker" at the Last Supper. For Christ certainly needed someone to betray him. It's not always Judas: the identity of the potential traitor, along with his motives, will vary randomly between playthroughs. Incidents and encounters along the road, both recorded in the Bible and invented, will liven up the experience and better inform you about the personalities of the disciples, building on but going beyond what is known (Peter with his short temper, the lofty John an so on).
11) Cuadrophobia
Ships and the sea again. This time you are a typical sailor with an atypically strong survival instinct on one of the vessels in a colossal game of Battleship between Our Guy and the Other Player. Accordingly, there are two grids firing at each other: your side's and the enemy's, though you only get to travel across your own. The ship you begin on is chosen at random: it may be anything in size from a single-squarer to a five-squarer. Smaller ships are less likely to be hit, of course, but when a ship is finished, it sinks, and you with it. The purpose of the game is to survive until Our Guy's victory, which programmatically is likely but not guaranteed and happens about 70% of the time. To do this you must desert on a regular basis, setting out in a dinghy to a ship more favored in the current situation. However, the dinghy only travels three squares per turn, and you can only spend two turns in the open sea before dying. You also need time on board ships to access their radio broadcasts, which, besides playing some inspirational propaganda, update the picture of the grid as the battle rages. Without it you are limited to paddling to vessels that you can directly see. The role-playing element comes from dealing with ship commanders, who all take their duties and titles - captain of Cruiser! captain of Battleship! - very seriously, from picking up supplies in floating debris and from acquiring special abilities that let you, for example, paddle an extra square farther. Is war evil? Is it to be hated, or is our side to be cheered on? After all, if Our Guy loses, this will all have been in vain.
12) Standardom
In this game of life, dedicated to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), you must pass through all of the Gates of Conformity to win your ultimate prize - death from old age, as opposed to suicide. The option to kill yourself is always available in the menu. Being the hero and chickenshit that you are, though, you are determined to submit to every humiliation just so you can press forward. The world of the game is a vertical platform that moves with you along the Y axis, which represents time from some random year forwards: you may begin at 100 B.C., 1824 A.D., 12749 j-Spec and so on. It is really all the same where on the timeline you are dropped off. As with other platformers, once the screen has moved, there is no going back. You can walk freely to the left and right, however, pick up bonuses, disarm threats and converse with characters. Going up, every so often the screen is intersected by a wall with a gate in it. Your character's silhouette must either match the cut of the gate or be smaller to pass through. You start out small as a baby, a little circle, but very soon handicaps such as Discovery of Talent, Unusual Upbringing, Independent Spirit or Love of Sex will begin to rush at you to complicate your silhouette with Г, & and other such protrusions. You will also grow in size until your late 20s. Luckily, opportunities will also present themselves to prune some of this exotica: Family, Steady Job, Political Engagement, Puppy, Human Interest and other bonuses can be found or obtained from conversations to simplify your puzzle to a manageable cut until such time as the years pile on and the worst is behind you. You will become smaller and smaller and able to rush through the checkpoints one after the other to the finish line.
13) Six Handshakes to Liberty
The country is suffering under a cruel dictatorship. Ar-Parason, the president-for-life, has wrung the last of resources from the nation and has now thrown it into a disastrous war. In his palace he is surrounded by guards armed to the teeth and without a shred of conscience to shoot the bastard. What can you, a humble microbiologist living in the suburbs, do about this? Nothing, it seems, until you discover a strain of bacteria that is absolutely deadly within weeks and immune to all known antibiotics except one, still not fully developed. The microbe is passed along by touch. Alas, you discover it when you become infected with it. You still have the resources to finish the research on the antibiotic and save yourself, but now you realize that you possess the perfect secret weapon to rid the country of the tyrant. Although you can't get so close to Ar-Parason in person, someone must enjoy that intimacy...
Every day you do your research at the computer, look through the press, then put on gloves and go out in search of people in contact with other people who will, you hope, ultimately carry the strain to its target. You have to follow news to figure out whose hands to shake and who to sleep with - secretaries, daughters of generals, corrupt officials - and many times the scheme will fall short of success. The chain of handshakes will terminate early somewhere, and these intermediaries will just die. But all those sacrifices are worth it, aren't they? You keep several intrigues going at once, determined to see one of them to the end. Meanwhile an epidemic is beginning in the country, Ar-Parason is starting to take precautions, and your own remaining time that could be spent on finishing the antibiotic is also running short. What is more important: life, revenge, justice, survival, honor? Your actions will be your decisions.

I had a brilliant idea and decided to ask Chat Gpt to brainstorm a plot for Mass Effect 4, and boy, was I blown away!
The AI came up with an incredible concept set in a post-Reaper galaxy:
Title: Mass Effect: Shattered Horizons
Plot Summary: Mass Effect: Shattered Horizons takes place 50 years after the Reaper War, in a Milky Way galaxy that has struggled to rebuild and find its footing. The Council races and other species are still recovering from the aftermath, with political tensions and power struggles threatening the fragile peace.
Amidst this backdrop, a mysterious and immensely powerful alien race, known as the "Astrum," suddenly appears. The Astrum's motives and origins are shrouded in secrecy, but their advanced technology and enigmatic agenda raise alarms across the galaxy. As Commander Shepard's successor, you are tasked with leading a new team to investigate the Astrum and uncover the truth behind their arrival.
The game begins with the player assembling a diverse crew of talented individuals, each with their own unique skills and perspectives. Among them are former allies and familiar faces from the original trilogy, as well as new allies who bring fresh insights into the galactic landscape.
Your journey takes you across the galaxy, exploring stunning and diverse worlds. From bustling citadels to remote outposts, you encounter various factions, both old and new, struggling to find their place in the post-Reaper galaxy. Your choices and actions shape the alliances and rivalries that emerge, influencing the overall state of the Milky Way.
As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the Astrum possesses knowledge and capabilities that could reshape the galaxy's destiny. Your mission leads you to unravel the secrets of their origins and true intentions. Along the way, you engage in intense combat encounters, employ diplomacy, and solve intricate puzzles to progress.
Additionally, personal narratives and relationships play a crucial role in Mass Effect: Shattered Horizons. The protagonist's backstory is explored, allowing players to make choices that shape their identity and impact their relationships with crew members. Deep bonds are formed, old wounds resurface, and the weight of leadership tests your resolve.
The game delves into thought-provoking themes such as the consequences of past actions, the search for meaning and purpose in a post-war galaxy, and the complexities of diplomacy and political maneuvering. Players are confronted with difficult decisions that have far-reaching consequences, making each playthrough a unique and personal experience.
Mass Effect: Shattered Horizons aims to captivate players with its rich storytelling, stunning visuals, and immersive gameplay. It combines the best elements of the original trilogy while introducing fresh ideas, new characters, and exciting gameplay mechanics. Prepare for a galactic odyssey that challenges your perceptions, tests your morality, and shapes the future of the Milky Way.

For those who missed it, Part 1 can be found here. Hope you all enjoy Part 2!
​
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were still working as an insurance clerk and police officer when they competed at the 1980 Olympics. The pair, who expressed great admiration for 1980 Olympic bronze medalists Moiseeva/Minenkov, were able to finish in 5th. With a close 4th place finish at Worlds, Torvill/Dean decided to quit their day jobs and dedicate their lives to skating in the years leading up to the Olympics in Sarajevo.
Betty Callaway had already been making her mark as a coach before coaching Regoczy/Sallay to a World title. Her choreography was innovative for the time, with the pauses while changing music incorporated into the choreography of the dance rather than putting unnatural pauses throughout the program. Her work with Regoczy/Sallay made her the perfect backbone to Torvill/Dean’s sport-altering programs to come.
One thing to note about Torvill/Dean that many seem to overlook is that, while glimpses of their future innovation shone through on the ice in 1980 and 1981, their programs were not exactly eye-opening in terms of composition or choreography. When Torvill/Dean skated their way to a World title in 1981, their style was a cross between Regoczy/Sallay’s and Moiseeva/Minenkov’s in a lot of ways. Their movements were sharp but with a hint of gentleness. Their music changed throughout their routine, much alike the style of the Russians before them. But one thing that Torvill/Dean became immediately known for was their speed and coverage on the ice. They were able to race across the ice to a degree that was eye-catching and impressive. Their 1981 win was the first for Britain in 12 years.
Underneath Torvill/Dean, Natalia Bestemianova/Andrei Bukin, coached by Tatiana Tarasova, earned bronze with a similar style as the Soviets before them. Tarasova choreography featured repeated movements across the length of the ice, akin to older Moiseeva/Minenkov programs. Bestemianova/Bukin spent much of their 1981 program repeating movements that left Bestemianova draped across Bukin or lifted in the air, coupled with fast, repeating footwork. The fiercely dramatic skaters were set to stay in the sport for years to come.
Torvill/Dean’s idols Moiseeva/Minenkov, coached by Natalia Dubova for their final season, competed in their last 2 seasons in 1981 and 1982, earning a silver and bronze before retiring to start their family. It seems only fitting for Torvill/Dean’s greatest idols to see the product of their inspiration when Torvill/Dean changed ice dance forever in the 1982 season.
The 1982 season saw the introduction of the Original Set Pattern (OSP) dance (or at the very least, the first recorded instance of its competition), which boils down to a dance where the skaters and their coach would create a compulsory-like dance set to a specific kind of music. For the inaugural season, blues was the genre of choice. In their first of many innovative decisions, Torvill/Dean decided to skate to Summertime, which had the slowest allowed tempo, making it an incredibly difficult song to skate to. Of course, they accomplished this with flying colors, setting the standard for all OSPs to follow. But what was truly innovative was their FD of the same year.
In a year where Bestemianova/Bukin skated to several fast, dynamic pieces of music (and…a dramatic version of “What Is The Youth”?) and Moiseeva/Minenkov appeared to skate in a style more similar to the late 1970s than anything else with a medley of songs that included Bolero (no, really), the idea of a program being cohesive and featuring similar music was almost foreign. The closest program to come to any sort of cohesive idea was when Americans Judy Blumberg and Michael Seibert dressed in costumes inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. But ultimately, their FD still featured several songs stitched together with no real similarity between them, other than all coming from the 1930s, which I suppose was a minor innovation in comparison to the other medalists.
When Torvill/Dean debuted their 1982 FD, it changed ice dance forever. Instead of using several pieces of music to meet the changing tempo requirements, Torvill/Dean chose a single song, the Overture for the musical “Mack and Mabel,” to fulfill the requirement, completely unheard of. To complement the music, Torvill/Dean decided to choreograph a routine with their coach Betty Callaway that called to mind dancing you’d find on the West End. The FD was universally beloved by judges, earning 8 6.0s in performance at Europeans and 5 6.0s at Worlds that year (out of the 7 judges). The FD completely changed the perception of what a program could do on the ice and inspired the rest of the field to up their ability to portray different types of dances on ice while just focusing on one type. It was a breakthrough moment in ice dance and one we take sorely for granted in an age where cohesive programs are the norm.
Torvill/Dean continued their dominance in 1983, taking the World title in an easy enough manner with their Rock n’ Roll OSP and FD based on an American musical named Barnum, a musical about a traveling circus troupe (I’m not making this up I swear). Torvill/Dean decided that their FD should include more difficult lifts to accurately call to mind the circus. Christopher Dean is often cited as the mastermind behind the choreography for the pair and his inspired view of what ice dance choreography could be is on full display for this one, as the idea of portraying a musical or ballet on ice had simply never been done before.
Bestemianova/Bukin meanwhile were performing choreography that featured quick turns and repetition, choreographed entirely by Tarasova. Their programs still featured numerous music switches but were less dramatic in tone switches as was normal prior to the previous year. Blumberg/Seibert, meanwhile, earned their first bronze medal by repeating their FD from the previous year.
The 1984 Olympics are known, by and large, as Torvill/Dean’s crowning moment in ice dance, a culmination of their previous 4 years changing the sport. As it should be. But on a grander scale, this was the first Olympics to feature all of the top four dancers skating to 1 song or idea each in the FD. Again, taken for granted now, but huge for the time and reinforced the idea that ice dance could survive and flourish while focusing more intently on conveying a theme and feeling than in just recreating the dance styles of several different types of music.
The most iconic ice dance routine, of course, is Torvill/Dean’s Bolero. But their OSP of the same year is equally as amazing, with Torvill/Dean and Callaway deciding that, instead of recreating the ballroom dance of the paso doble, they would instead recreate the origins of the dance itself: bull taming. Jayne acted as a cape to Chris’s matador, making it one of the most easily recognizable ice dance routines today. And then Bolero. In a time when FDs had to be a strict 4 minutes long, Torvill/Dean refused to cut a single moment of Bolero. And so they bent the rules, realizing that the timer would only start when their blades hit the ice. For the first 20 seconds or so of the program, Jayne and Chris knelt on the ice instead of skating, effectively getting the full music in. It was innovative, it was bonkers, it was an outright refusal to take no for an answer. And it was brilliant. Torvill/Dean earned straight 6.0s in performance en route to their Olympic title.
Of course, an Olympic ice dance competition would simply not be the same without controversy. Bestemianova/Bukin performed a polka/folk FD (with…costumes to match) to earn the silver medal but the FD had a mistake early. However, Bestemianova/Bukin’s technical prowess in the compulsories (for 2 were performed in competition now) and OSP allowed them to hang on.
The true controversy was for the bronze, when the Natalia Dubova-coached team of Marina Klimova/Sergei Ponomarenko surpassed Blumberg/Seibert for the bronze medal at the young ages of 17 and 23 respectively. Klimova/Ponomarenko were in 4th going into their free dance and floated across the ice to classical music to earn their first Olympic medal, a differing Soviet style on display with their longer edges and more balletic movements. But Blumberg/Seibert, skating to Scheherazade, were decidedly miffed. In a sport that was already earning a reputation for “waiting your turn,” they had waited and were instead supplanted by a young team making their debut due to an Italian judge deciding that their music was not appropriate for ice dance and forcing a tiebreaker after giving a low score in the free. Beating Klimova/Ponomarenko at Worlds the next month didn’t improve their mood.
It was also a judge statement, on wanting the balletic to counter the more theatrical nature of Torvill/Dean and Bestemianova/Bukin. Already the Soviets were working their political magic through Natalia Dubova. And truly, what better way to segue into the next 15 years of Soviet/Russian domination than that?

Since getting my own place, my partner and I have been hosting all the halloween parties and on occasion have had some fancy dress themed parties.
I'm trying to brainstorm for the next one we have coming up soon-ish, and want to dress up as a wrestler. Only thing being, I don't want to be the obvious choices (Mankind, Kane, Cena, Hogan, Undertaker, etc) as a few friends have done them in the past.
Are there any suggestions you guys can make where the costume isn't too hard to make, but also recognisable if you mention them or show a reference pic?
Edit: One idea I had was for me and a few friends to each dress as a Dudley from their ECW days. Tie dye, dungarees, glasses, etc.

I have no color coordination & can’t decorate to save my life. I need some help & guidance decorating my baby nursery. I’m enjoy putting it together, but trying to figure out if it comes together is so dang stressful - I don’t want it to be hodge podge. I just want someone to tell me yes or no to things I pick out.
I’d love to know what YOU would do. All suggestions are more than welcome!
Theme: Dino jungle theme for our girl Goal: Colorful, but not tacky - light & bold colors
Room Specs: * Wall Color - Yellowish? * Carpet Color - Tan-ish * ~10’x13.5’ * Rocker Wall * Dresser Wall * Small Bookcase Wall - may be too small for a book case - if so, will put bookcase beside crib * Crib Wall
Already Have: * Crib * Rocker - don’t mind buying a new one if this one is an eye sore, also have pink cushions * Dresser - drawers are painted green now too * Planning on peel & stick wallpaper on sides of drawers, maybe a type of darker blue? Or plants? No dinos for this. * A friend mentioned stenciling leaves on the front, darker blue?
Need: * Curtains - dark vs light? dino vs plants? * Idea 1 * Idea 2 * Rug - dino vs plants * Bookcase * Dresser Handles - just some ideas, want something fun & will cover the existing two holes/drawer * Will probably have 2 hanging pathos in macrame above the windows, would love more plants! * Should I do an accent wall? * Idea 1 * Idea 2 * Idea 3 * Idea 4 * Idea 5 * Idea 6 * Idea 7
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read this. I’m so excited for our girl & just want to make a nice nursery.

Edit: I've added a new link to the form that should work :D
(Hi, I'm Ben! I'm posting this for my friend and DM, K (she/they) and I'll be helping a bit in the process of finding players)
Welcome to Fold The Deck! It's a campaign in a homebrewed world that I began to design...somewhat recently? But due to my hyperfixation, I already have a ton of it done (most of it, really). In this world, you'll be playing as somebody of high social standing, someone that has to weave their way through the delicate nature of high society while also keeping your allies close and your enemies closer. In addition to this, there's a sinister plot going on in the background that you, and your newly found companions, just might have to stop in order to save your own skin.
We have two players currently! Each player is using one of the archetypes from Good Society as the launch point of their character; so far, the Heir and the Cornerstone have both been picked! Other than that, any of the archetypes are available as a starting point (again, that is as I'm writing up this message, so keep 1-3 in mind that you might want to play as! Your options, just in case you're unaware, include the following; The Socialite, The Dowager, The Dependant, The New Arrival, The first code word is Gambit, The Meddler, The Hedonist, The Tutor, and The Careerist).
The whole base concept of this is similar to the base concept for Dimension 20's 'A Crown of Candy', though I can promise that this will be nowhere near that brutal (at least, in terms of combat)! Except instead of Candy Land, this world (or at least, the society you're all playing in) is based on playing cards; more specifically, the game War (in which Aces are the most powerful (those are the gods of this realm), and 2s are the least powerful (the poorest of commoners)). So the social hierarchy is Aces (again, the gods of this realm; deity is the second code word), then the royal families (Kings, Queens, Jacks, and 10s), the nobility (9s, 8s, and 7s), the middle class (6s and 5s), and then the lower class (4s, 3s, and 2s). Your character will end up being a 6 at the very lowest!
The campaign will be beginning on the day before the most important event of the year, for commonfolk and royalty alike; The Festival, which is a one-month-long huge holiday event that happens during the exact middle of the year! I plan to have the campaign run through two separate festivals, so for at least a year and a month. And years last for 15 months in this world, so for at least 16 in-game months! Though we can certainly do more if the party wants to! I've had a lot of fun developing this world so far, and I can definitely find ways to expand upon the plot!
The reason for the rating is due to mature themes; also, myself and the current players are all adults, and we have an adult sense of humor. Also, there are themes that I don't feel comfortable exploring with minors, so if you're not 18 or older, please don't apply! Also, please don't apply if you're over 30; this is just a personal preference, I don't want to play with people that are more than a decade older than me, you know? Oh! Also! The final code phrase is 'The Horror, The Cat, and The Crow'. Thank you so much for reading my little posting! Oh, and here's the link to the Google application form! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_UNjzhVxuHGqiUilztlK18Xf5_gC7qlBPbcMhV8YSgDgXPQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
​
(If the long link doesn't work try this one)
https://forms.gle/pwDyyiH2hbQMe3AFA

yes. you read that right.
hetalia.
i know, i know! irrelevant, niche, and maybe a little cringy? i don’t care, i adore these characters! i’m looking for an 18+ discord role playing partner who is just as enthusiastic about writing and plotting as i am! i would consider myself an advanced to literate writer, who averages 3-6 (sometimes more!) paragraphs per post. i appreciate someone who puts in an equal amount of effort.
about me? mae, she/her, 29! <3
i highly prefer modern aus over canon or historical settings. i enjoy themes such as hurt, comfort, angst, conflict and resolution, character development, pining (be it mutual or initially one-sided)… the list goes on, but you get the vibe. cliche au settings i enjoy would be things such as: soulmates, high school, adults trying to figure shit out, cafe/coffee shop, ski resort/beach house (or any sort of vacation destination really). it may also be obvious that many of my ships are very “opposites attract,” so i also enjoy plots that lean into that, such as celebrity/fan, socialite/caterer, artist/muse. as a throwback to the edgy early days of rp, i’m stupid for stalkevictim role plays idc idc. throw anything at me, and once we get the ideas rolling i’m the type who is consistently coming up with new plot points/twists/milestones. (bonus: i’ll absolutely end up making rp playlists so you can expect me to send you music, oops!)
now, onto the ships. which is the best part, let’s be real. the listed ships and characters are the only ones that i’m currently looking for.
i write s. italy, you write: prussia france nyo!belarus mmmaybe portugal? interesting…..
i write n. italy, you write: austria! sorry germany. ;(
i write china, you write: rome.
i write greece, you write: turkey.
i write sweden, you write: finland.
i write prussia, you write: poland
and thaaaats about it, folks! hope to hear from someone out there in the void! if you are also a literate writer and you’re looking for some nostalgic rp don’t hesitate to message me! :D

yes. you read that right.
hetalia.
i know, i know! irrelevant, niche, and maybe a little cringy? i don’t care, i adore these characters! i’m looking for an 18+ discord role playing partner who is just as enthusiastic about writing and plotting as i am! i would consider myself an advanced to literate writer, who averages 3-6 (sometimes more!) paragraphs per post. i appreciate someone who puts in an equal amount of effort.
about me? mae, she/her, 29! <3
i highly prefer modern aus over canon or historical settings. i enjoy themes such as hurt, comfort, angst, conflict and resolution, character development, pining (be it mutual or initially one-sided)… the list goes on, but you get the vibe. cliche au settings i enjoy would be things such as: soulmates, high school, adults trying to figure shit out, cafe/coffee shop, ski resort/beach house (or any sort of vacation destination really). it may also be obvious that many of my ships are very “opposites attract,” so i also enjoy plots that lean into that, such as celebrity/fan, socialite/caterer, artist/muse. as a throwback to the edgy early days of rp, i’m stupid for stalkevictim role plays idc idc. throw anything at me, and once we get the ideas rolling i’m the type who is consistently coming up with new plot points/twists/milestones. (bonus: i’ll absolutely end up making rp playlists so you can expect me to send you music, oops!)
now, onto the ships. which is the best part, let’s be real. the listed ships and characters are the only ones that i’m currently looking for.
i write s. italy, you write: prussia france nyo!belarus mmmaybe portugal? interesting…..
i write n. italy, you write: austria! sorry germany. ;(
i write china, you write: rome.
i write greece, you write: turkey.
i write sweden, you write: finland.
i write prussia, you write: poland
and thaaaats about it, folks! hope to hear from someone out there in the void! if you are also a literate writer and you’re looking for some nostalgic rp don’t hesitate to message me! :D

yes. you read that right.
hetalia.
i know, i know! irrelevant, niche, and maybe a little cringy? i don’t care, i adore these characters! i’m looking for an 18+ discord role playing partner who is just as enthusiastic about writing and plotting as i am! i would consider myself an advanced to literate writer, who averages 3-6 (sometimes more!) paragraphs per post. i appreciate someone who puts in an equal amount of effort.
about me? mae, she/her, 29! <3
i highly prefer modern aus over canon or historical settings. i enjoy themes such as hurt, comfort, angst, conflict and resolution, character development, pining (be it mutual or initially one-sided)… the list goes on, but you get the vibe. cliche au settings i enjoy would be things such as: soulmates, high school, adults trying to figure shit out, cafe/coffee shop, ski resort/beach house (or any sort of vacation destination really). it may also be obvious that many of my ships are very “opposites attract,” so i also enjoy plots that lean into that, such as celebrity/fan, socialite/caterer, artist/muse. as a throwback to the edgy early days of rp, i’m stupid for stalkevictim role plays idc idc. throw anything at me, and once we get the ideas rolling i’m the type who is consistently coming up with new plot points/twists/milestones. (bonus: i’ll absolutely end up making rp playlists so you can expect me to send you music, oops!)
now, onto the ships. which is the best part, let’s be real. the listed ships and characters are the only ones that i’m currently looking for.
i write s. italy, you write: prussia france nyo!belarus mmmaybe portugal? interesting…..
i write n. italy, you write: austria! sorry germany. ;(
i write china, you write: rome.
i write greece, you write: turkey.
i write sweden, you write: finland.
i write prussia, you write: poland
and thaaaats about it, folks! hope to hear from someone out there in the void! if you are also a literate writer and you’re looking for some nostalgic rp don’t hesitate to message me! :D

So first of all, I just want to thank Sanderson, I have no idea if he'll see it(probbly not), but nonetheless, I still want to thank him for creating such amazing books. It's a few days early, but I started reading Way of Kings exactly one year ago, in June 2022, when my medical condition gradually worsened and I found myself with cancer despite my young age(21). I spent the majority of this year in hospitals, doing tests, CTs, MRIs, chemotheraphy and a surgery, these books kept me sane, they helped me relax at times, they helped passed the nights were I couldn't sleep due to various medical reasons and such, they helped me pass the time, though it seemed to stand still, when I felt my life were "stuck" due to my condition while my friends started working, etc. So anyway, my condition is a lot better now and continuing to improve, so I just to say "thanks" to Sanderaon and this amazing community.
So after that, I'll share my highlights from Rhythm of War. Keep in mind that's just me rambling.
First of all, I love how this book focused on Navani, how she grew, how she became a better person, a true scholer, a woman who made great discoveries like the anti-Voidlight and anti-Stormlight(though I now wonder if the new Odium will try to create anti-Lifelight?), the pure tones of Roshar, etc, and how she sought to understand the Singers, their culture., and her relationship with the Sibiling(how is the Sibiling gonna react in future books to Navani's relationship with Dalinar, the Stormfather's Bondsmith?🤣🤣🤣 that would be funny to see.)
Also, at first I thought Raboniel to be some kind of a manipulative bitch(which she IS), but I've grown to like her, her intention, her goals, and her relationship with Navani, she's an amazingly-written character.
I loved Shallan's and Adolin journey in Shadesmar, though the honorspren WERE assholes throughout much of it, I saw how Adolin started to grow, to become the man he wants to be, not Dalinar's shadow, and of course Maya !!!! Holy shit Maya! Can't believe she spoke and shut them all up!
I loved seeing how Shallan started to confront herself again, finally picking sides - cutting ties of the Ghostbloods and this "Master Thakiddar"-something, finally picking sides. I can't believe she really gave Mraize Wit's message! I laughed so hard at that. I'll miss Veil but she'd done her part, and I hope Shallan can help Testament heal.
I loved seeing Dalinar experimenting with his powers, his conversation with Ishar was..... weird. I think he took most of the burnt(besides poor Taln) and truly went nuts. It's scary how OP is Bondsmithing when it's "unchained", terrifying to think what Dalinar would be able to do is he reached his 5th Ideal.
Jasnah and Wit. Oh I loved to see Jasnah's character getting more focus, being developed, confronting her insecurities, trying to truly lead her people, and of course it's always amazing seeing Wit. I LOVED their relationship, how Jaanah doesn't understand emotion, I wanna see more of THAT.
FUCK MOASH!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO TEFT DIRTY LIKE THAT?!?! HE WAS FINALLY FORGIVEN, HE FINALLY BECAME THE MAN HE WANTED TO ME!!!!! WHY SANDERSON WHY?!?!
Wow Kaladin's arc in this book was amazing, how he dealt with his depression, trying to fix his relationship with his family, eventually reconciling with his father, how he overcame his weakness, trying to heal himself over and over only to fall deeper and climb back up with Tien's help. just AMAZING. I could kinda guess what was the theme of 4th Ideal from the start of the book but it was still SO GOOD!!!!!! So the 4th Ideal gives a Radiant his Plate which is made from certain types of spren(like windspren for Windrunners), eh? I also have a theory for what the 5th Windrunner Ideal would be, it's based on the Skybreakers' 5th Ideal - "I'm the Law", I thought it would be "I will lead" or something along these theme as it is consistent with Jerizen and the Windrunners theme of honor, protection and leading, a Windrunner of the 5th Ideal would decide what is right, what is moral.
And finally Wit's meeting with the new Odium(T-Odium?), anyway weird to see Wit being ouplayed. Also I saw some weird things in the books, terms like "Breaths", the white sand, Zhael's weird powers, Nightblood, and many more, guess I'll learn more as I keep reading the cosmere. I think some of it is related to other types of Investure of other Shards.
I'm still a bit confused on Dalinar's and Odium deal, could some explain it to me just in case?
Now I think I'll start reading Warbreaker and then Mistborn era 1, then maybe the two novellas as Stormlight was my first Sanderson.

yes. you read that right.
hetalia.
i know, i know! irrelevant, niche, and maybe a little cringy? i don’t care, i adore these characters! i’m looking for an 18+ discord role playing partner who is just as enthusiastic about writing and plotting as i am! i would consider myself an advanced to literate writer, who averages 3-6 (sometimes more!) paragraphs per post. i appreciate someone who puts in an equal amount of effort.
about me? mae, she/her, 29! <3
i highly prefer modern aus over canon or historical settings. i enjoy themes such as hurt, comfort, angst, conflict and resolution, character development, pining (be it mutual or initially one-sided)… the list goes on, but you get the vibe. cliche au settings i enjoy would be things such as: soulmates, high school, adults trying to figure shit out, cafe/coffee shop, ski resort/beach house (or any sort of vacation destination really). it may also be obvious that many of my ships are very “opposites attract,” so i also enjoy plots that lean into that, such as celebrity/fan, socialite/caterer, artist/muse. as a throwback to the edgy early days of rp, i’m stupid for stalkevictim role plays idc idc. throw anything at me, and once we get the ideas rolling i’m the type who is consistently coming up with new plot points/twists/milestones. (bonus: i’ll absolutely end up making rp playlists so you can expect me to send you music, oops!)
now, onto the ships. which is the best part, let’s be real. the listed ships and characters are the only ones that i’m currently looking for.
i write s. italy, you write: prussia france nyo!belarus mmmaybe portugal? interesting…..
i write n. italy, you write: austria! sorry germany. ;(
i write china, you write: rome.
i write greece, you write: turkey.
i write sweden, you write: finland.
i write prussia, you write: poland
and thaaaats about it, folks! hope to hear from someone out there in the void! if you are also a literate writer and you’re looking for some nostalgic rp don’t hesitate to message me! :D

This new thread should be used as a place for discussion to hopefully cut down on all of the new threads that are being created for different ideas. We all appreciate the activity, there are just too many similar posts going on right now.
Info & Overview:
Arsenal was released on Tuesday May 9th.
Patch Notes: Arsenal Patch Notes + Patch Notes Reddit Thread
Ranked Updates: Ranked Updates Info
Gameplay Trailer: Gameplay Trailer
Battle Pass: Battle Pass Trailer
Ranked Explained: EA - How Ranked Works
Ranking: Live Ranked Leaderboard
This thread will be moderated as is everything on the sub, but it will be a place to discuss other ideas with a little bit less restrictions.
Sort by "New" to see new comments or sort by "Hot" to see highly debated topics.
Additionally: If you do want to go off on the wildest of tangents, please feel free to join our Discord for more live discussion!