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Catch Up Thursday
Dec. 23rd, 2021 11:43 pmAnd I can say that I definitely caught up on everything I've been meaning to do --
1. Finish off final edits on Chapter 3 of “Londerland Bloodlines: Santa Monica’s Vale Of Tears” and get the chapter posted: Check! Took a little bit (managed to catch some weird spacing issues before you could, Gigs!), but Chapter 3 of “Londerland Bloodlines: Santa Monica’s Vale Of Tears” is up! Including our single Victor scene for this entire story, which is probably weirding out everyone who knows me as the Valice writer. XD What can I say – Heather’s only briefly part of the Santa Monica stuff! Getting to finally write him and Alice TOGETHER is a good reason for me to keep going with this ginormous fic project. XD Anyway, hope you all enjoy!
2. Catch up on YouTube Subs and keep up on OXmas Challenges: Check – though this was depressingly easy because I actually HAD NO SUBS today – Gray is Member’s Only today; James didn’t upload; and KEVIN didn’t upload because YouTube kept flagging his latest video and he couldn’t figure out why. *heavy sigh* Sorry Kevin – hopefully you can get a video up tomorrow without all this bullshit! But in the meantime. . .
A) Started before lunch with Call Me Kevin and the Five Night’s At Freddy’s: Security Breach video from Tuesday, which I – more listened to than watched, because, again, creepy animatronics. . .except the ones in this one aren’t actually that creepy? At least, they’re not that freaky in the opening cutscene, I mostly saw everyone’s knees from that point because of how I chose to watch the video (a small chunk of the bottom so I could just about tell what was going on). Also, you’re playing as a kid, NOT a security guard? And the actual security guard is someone you need to AVOID? And you’re escaping a mall, with a daycare? And there’s all sorts of weird robot cleaners and whatnot? And YOU’RE BEING HELPED BY FREDDY?! Does – does anyone remember when the first game came out and it was basically just murder robots in a jumpscare game. That happened, right? Well, at least this means that the video probably won’t keep me up tonight. Especially since Kevin kept mocking the game’s unscary nature and making fun of the glitches (such as one genuinely-freaky-looking enemy constantly walking into things as they tried to stalk the main character, Gregory). *shakehead* The HELL has happened to FNAF. . .
B) Then it was over to GrayStillPlays and the two entries I missed out on Tuesday and Wednesday –
I. The Baby In Yellow is back! I remember his initial playthrough, where he was only minorly concerned about the baby being either the scion of or the incarnation of some eldritch being – but apparently the game has updated, and it’s time to see if The Baby can get Gray’s heart rate to rise!
. . .well, considering the game now REWARDS him for putting the baby in the oven with fun rocket-powered baby adventures (and even the BABY seems to enjoy it), I don’t think so! They also put in a basketball hoop that you can DUNK THE BABY THROUGH to get points, and a toy box that you can open by releasing the trapped souls the baby has put throughout the house, and spawn infinite basketballs from (Gray literally filled the kid’s room with them). XD This game is like the perfect mix of genuine horror and absolutely goofiness. XD It also has expanded – you have to take care of and then exorcise the baby as in the original, but now there’s a whole secondary chase sequence portion where you have to escape the baby in the halls by following the “white rabbit” signs, unlocking doors, avoiding the baby in his “Triffid” form (as he will gnaw your face off), and yeeting him when appropriate. It’s great, and apparently MORE updates are planned for 2022. XD New annual Christmas game for Gray?
II. Then, after lunch, it was time for more Happy Wheels! Starting with a chaotic blue bottle flip (featuring “Poopy Playtime,” the carrot pufferfish, and an MLG that was a bit of a pain in the ass to get, but Gray managed), then moving onto Bike Dad and Tom Hardy playing Godzilla (smashing down all sorts of buildings on their quest to get the coin!); a simple rainbow spike fall (which Gray got impaled on more than he should have thanks to not getting his jump right); a simple pogo coin robbery (old hat for Gray – except when he briefly got stuck to the floor a couple of times thanks to ONE ARROW stuck in his chest XD); a rather less simple thumbnail hole rope swing (Gray needed a few swings for this one to account for Nixon’s long legs); an “impossible jump” (where Gray got minced a few times by spikes and harpoons before getting the hover just right); a quick “Don’t Move” board (always Gray’s favorite, I’m sure, even if it costs him a few limbs); a ride on a rocket (with the trick being to pump the fuse so you’re not instantly levitating up into the spikes); a “bottle run” which was actually just a killer obstacle course (which, uh, Gray had to go BACK and check out later because he made the jump he was supposed to miss and got the early secret win); a rampage in a Ferrari (what it says on the tin); before ending with a hobo’s trip through New York getting caught up in Spider-Man shenanigans (it starts with the guy being taken across the street by Spidey, and ends with him, Spidey, and a random woman dangling off the Green Goblin’s glider so he’ll crash). Good times, as always! XD
C) Then, after gaming and wrapping presents (see below), plus a little tumblr catch-up, it was time for the final Subs video I missed earlier this week – James Turner doing a Sims 4 shell challenge! Or, rather, him deciding on a whim to build an abandoned factory to renovate into something else later, and then putting it up on the Gallery for other people to use as a sort of “shell challenge” – the damn place is so big that he’s in favor of completely redoing the interior, he just wants the exterior walls to stay where they are. At any rate, it’s a pretty awesome build – he used platforms to create a properly-proportioned “loading dock” (with the unloading area level with the truck bed) full of shelving, then did a “workshop” on the other side with a truss to hang stuff on (his idea is that this used to be a furniture workshop of sorts). He also did a nice second office level, with a boss office overlooking the factory floor and lines of no-privacy desks. And there was lots of cracks and stains and stuff to show the place’s age, and some sized-down chimneys, and even a sign grabbed from the debug menu! It was all very cool and I’m looking forward to seeing the renovation – or renovationS, if James decides to show off other people’s take on the updated factory. :D
D) And then, finally, after getting up my precious chapter (above), it was time for the OXmas Challenges –
I. Day Eleven of the OXBox Xmas Challenges, and Andy drew the “Sea Of Thieves Sailing Home For Xmas” Challenge! Yes, pirate-loving Andy got the pirate challenge – but it WAS a challenge. In that he had to sail a GALLEON (the biggest ship in the game, meant for multiplayer crews of four) from one outpost to another, WITH the flag raised so everyone in the game could see where he was and try to attack him if they wanted. Andy was – less than pleased. But he got himself a nice galleon with a Duke figurehead (with crossed glowing swords) at Dagger Tooth Outpost, and Jane and Mike selected Golden Sands Outpost as his destination (as it sounded like a nice holiday place). So Andy hoisted the main, the “Reaper’s Mark” flag (to show everyone where he was), and set sail!
And had – a largely uneventful trip between the two outposts! There was a brief tense moment where he ended up “chasing” another ship while working his way around a few islands in the way of his goal, but fortunately they weren’t interested in engaging him, and he was able to make his slow and steady way to the Golden Sands Outpost. Much to the irritation of Mike, who was complaining a lot near the end about how slowly Andy was going as to not wreck his ship. XD And then he ALMOST got him when he said Andy couldn’t paddle his way to the jetty, only for Andy to just fire himself out of a cannon instead. And then play the hurdy-gurdy and do a ridiculous song and dance to celebrate. XD One Christmas point for Andy, knocking Mike off his throne for good. So now the only question remaining is – can Jane win her last challenge to force a Christmas tiebreak? Tune in tomorrow. . .
II. Day Six of the OXtra Xmas Challenges, and Santa gave Luke and Ellen another race – the “GTA Online Bike Race to Fake Chiliad” Challenge! The pair had to race on bikes from the actual Mt. Chiliad to the mountain they MISTOOK for Mt. Chiliad in their very first GTA Online race challenge (I believe it’s Mt. Josiah, given they did a little note mentioning “yeah, okay, we actually did something kinda similar back in 2017” after setting the challenge.) After confirming they WERE okay with shooting each other, they met up in-game in one of the stores by a main road –
And some jerk promptly hijacked a car next to them, then blew it up on top of Ellen’s bike! Fortunately the bike was not lost, but it did set the tone – once the two reached the top of Mt. Chiliad, they agreed on a chaotic run, where the only winning condition was “be on the top of Fake Chiliad on a bike” – how they GOT there was up to them. XD Luke promptly declared his intention to get a car, drive to the top, kill Ellen once she got there, and take her bike. And he stuck to that plan!
To his EXTREME detriment. From insisting on trying to murder Ellen right at the starting line instead of actually racing, to stopping once she WAS downed to do laps and try to set up a trap bike, allowing her to snipe him and steal his bike, to insisting on starting things with the local law enforcement to try and steal one of their cars, to running up to the cult compound looking for a car, to – well. Basically Luke did everything BUT race while Ellen put all her energy into actually getting to the top of Fake Chiliad. XD He DID eventually get his paws on a car, drive up to Ellen, kill her, and take her bike, but it was WAAAY too late to win by then. So they just played “King of the Mountain” for a little while, with Luke actually scoring a pretty epic car kill on Ellen as she tried to shoot him with a missile launcher. XD Christmas point to Ellen, and that is technically the contest to her – she’s got four, while the best Luke can get is three. So Day Seven is just seeing how MUCH she beats him by – and they were mentioning in the intro a certain Electric-type Pokemon has not yet made an appearance. . .
3. Play Bloodlines and get past at least the werewolf: Check, and I got much farther than that! :D Crystal headed up to Griffith Park to meet with Nines, as per my last play session, and of course her meeting was interrupted by the werewolves! I died twice to the damn thing for starters – once while trying to see if Blood Boil would slow it down at all (nope), and once after running into the wrong building. But after getting my wits about me, and realizing this was probably the last combat encounter that Blood Shield would be useful on, I got Crystal to kite around the darn thing, lose it briefly around the back of the Observatory, then get the power back on, cut through the Observatory, get the telescope doors open, and then lure it to her position to crush it. :D Game, set, MATCH! Then she just had to wait a couple of minutes for the tram to arrive (still covered in blood, mind – the werewolf didn’t hit her often enough to dispel her shield), then swing down to meet up with Jack (and finally get the Blood Shield dispelled by cutscene). They hid out for the day in her shitty Santa Monica haven, then Jack sent her to make her away across town to the cab driver. Crystal had some fun exploding a few vampires before taking down the rest with her Tal’Mehe’Ra blade (though I did have to redo one section because I stupidly decided to attack one Toreador in the parking garage without trying a sneak attack – survived the ensuing battle, but with so little health I decided it would be easier to just redo the fight than sit around and wait for my health to regen). She made to the Cabbie, where she decided to side with Strauss and the Chantry and headed over there to tell him of her woes. He dispatched her to take out Ming-Xiao, then the prince, so after a quick swing by Mercurio’s – to sell a few weapons and pick up a bit of ammo – off to the temple she went! She and Yukie teamed up to take out the – you know, I’m gonna say HUMAN guards outside, simply because you can feed on them – and then Crystal plunged into the temple below, murdering more guards and sneaking around the base looking for the right path. After finally using her guns to actually take out a few people in the water wheel room, then remembering to crouch-jump down there, she found the pressure-plate room with the secret staircase under the statue and opened it up. I’ve left her at the very beginning of the Temple Basement, to find the statues that will open up the boss fight with Ming-Xiao! I should get past that and start the fight up Venture Tower next time I play. Almost done with this playthrough!
4. Get in a workout: Check – another evening on the bike, and the end of the Oxventure “Stop Hammer Time!” The gang set up the ring of fire for the skeletons to battle it out in, but after some confusion about how the battle was going to commence – with someone from the audience suggesting all of the Oxventurers take on “teams” of ten skeletons each (with ten “referee” skeletons for Johnny’s “team”) – it was eventually decided that the Oxventurers just square off against the skeletons directly in the ring. Twenty skeletons mounted the first assault, while the other forty hung back (Dob/Luke joking that they were making a giant skeleton mech of some sort). Corazon promptly cast Grease to trip up as many skeletons as he could (getting four out of the five who got snagged by the grease), while Prudence unfortunately failed to deliver on an Eldritch Blast. The skeletons then attacked, hitting everyone for some pretty gnarly damage (especially poor Prudence, who was disemboweled AGAIN – see “A Fishmas Carol” for the last time that happened). Fortunately, the remaining members of the team managed to dish out the pain – Merilwen got into position and cast Spike Growth, hoping to bring back the meat grinder as a bone grinder; Egbert just ROASTED them with his flame breath; and Dob –
Well. After a hasty discussion with his teammates, Dob grabbed Ethelridge’s hammer, tied a rope to it, hit the business end with Heat Metal, told his friends to duck, and then began swinging it around like a hammer throw, spinning in circles around the skeletons and just ANNIHILATING them. :D Redemption arc! LITERALLY! XD Anyway, that took care of the first twenty skeletons –
And then the other forty rocked up, having formed themselves into a giant Minotaur skeleton. XD At this point, Johnny broke character for a moment to accuse Luke of looking at his notes because he’d basically guessed everything important to happen in this adventure (Mending the door, the hammer in the tomb, Skeleton Voltron, and even – in conjunction with Mike – thinking the hammer might be the only thing to really hurt the skeletons). XD So yes, giant Minotaur skeleton! What do?
Corazon cast Grease. And, thanks to Johnny getting a 1, the damn thing tripped and fell over. Giving Prudence the ability to spot its mystical “weak spot” via a 20. Dob slid the hammer over to her in a super-cool way, and she stuffed her insides back in and went for the killing blow, with Cthulhu’s blessing. XD The skeletons shattered into dust, and the injured group briefly celebrated their victory –
And then the townsfolk showed up with torches and pitchforks, officially Done with their shenanigans, chasing them out of town and forcing Corazon to heal them on the run via the power of his harmonica. (Did I mention Andy now has a harmonica that he’s using to try and creep on Dob’s magic music?) XD Another delightful adventure ended. I do love these guys.
5. Keep up on tumblr queues: Check – got the link for the LB:SMVoT chapter into my Victor Luvs Alice queue, and three ask replies over on Valice Multiverse. Set for another night!
Additionally:
-->Wrapped presents! One for Mom, one for Dad – after Mom showed me where the wrapping paper was, anyway. And after refilling the tape dispenser. XD Did that this afternoon, so I’m all good on that front, at least. :)
Nice. :) I mean, little sad I didn't have anything new in the Subs, but it DID let me catch up on all the old videos without issue, sooo. . .
And now, as my week-off bedtime looms, I must set up my Christmas Eve to-do list and then hit the sheets:
1. Free Writing Day! Work on whatever I want
2. Keep up with YouTube Subs, OXmas Christmas Challenges, and AT4W Christmas episodes in the Watch Later
3. Play Fallout 4 and work some more on Sanctuary
4. Get in a workout
5. Keep up on tumblr queues
That last is especially important, as tomorrow evening I need to queue up all the gift fics that are going on tumblr. . .and I definitely need to get an early start on some of the videos, as my mom suggested watching Hogfather tomorrow, which is a three-hour two-part special, sooo. . .yeah. Earlyish bedtime is key. Night all!
1. Finish off final edits on Chapter 3 of “Londerland Bloodlines: Santa Monica’s Vale Of Tears” and get the chapter posted: Check! Took a little bit (managed to catch some weird spacing issues before you could, Gigs!), but Chapter 3 of “Londerland Bloodlines: Santa Monica’s Vale Of Tears” is up! Including our single Victor scene for this entire story, which is probably weirding out everyone who knows me as the Valice writer. XD What can I say – Heather’s only briefly part of the Santa Monica stuff! Getting to finally write him and Alice TOGETHER is a good reason for me to keep going with this ginormous fic project. XD Anyway, hope you all enjoy!
2. Catch up on YouTube Subs and keep up on OXmas Challenges: Check – though this was depressingly easy because I actually HAD NO SUBS today – Gray is Member’s Only today; James didn’t upload; and KEVIN didn’t upload because YouTube kept flagging his latest video and he couldn’t figure out why. *heavy sigh* Sorry Kevin – hopefully you can get a video up tomorrow without all this bullshit! But in the meantime. . .
A) Started before lunch with Call Me Kevin and the Five Night’s At Freddy’s: Security Breach video from Tuesday, which I – more listened to than watched, because, again, creepy animatronics. . .except the ones in this one aren’t actually that creepy? At least, they’re not that freaky in the opening cutscene, I mostly saw everyone’s knees from that point because of how I chose to watch the video (a small chunk of the bottom so I could just about tell what was going on). Also, you’re playing as a kid, NOT a security guard? And the actual security guard is someone you need to AVOID? And you’re escaping a mall, with a daycare? And there’s all sorts of weird robot cleaners and whatnot? And YOU’RE BEING HELPED BY FREDDY?! Does – does anyone remember when the first game came out and it was basically just murder robots in a jumpscare game. That happened, right? Well, at least this means that the video probably won’t keep me up tonight. Especially since Kevin kept mocking the game’s unscary nature and making fun of the glitches (such as one genuinely-freaky-looking enemy constantly walking into things as they tried to stalk the main character, Gregory). *shakehead* The HELL has happened to FNAF. . .
B) Then it was over to GrayStillPlays and the two entries I missed out on Tuesday and Wednesday –
I. The Baby In Yellow is back! I remember his initial playthrough, where he was only minorly concerned about the baby being either the scion of or the incarnation of some eldritch being – but apparently the game has updated, and it’s time to see if The Baby can get Gray’s heart rate to rise!
. . .well, considering the game now REWARDS him for putting the baby in the oven with fun rocket-powered baby adventures (and even the BABY seems to enjoy it), I don’t think so! They also put in a basketball hoop that you can DUNK THE BABY THROUGH to get points, and a toy box that you can open by releasing the trapped souls the baby has put throughout the house, and spawn infinite basketballs from (Gray literally filled the kid’s room with them). XD This game is like the perfect mix of genuine horror and absolutely goofiness. XD It also has expanded – you have to take care of and then exorcise the baby as in the original, but now there’s a whole secondary chase sequence portion where you have to escape the baby in the halls by following the “white rabbit” signs, unlocking doors, avoiding the baby in his “Triffid” form (as he will gnaw your face off), and yeeting him when appropriate. It’s great, and apparently MORE updates are planned for 2022. XD New annual Christmas game for Gray?
II. Then, after lunch, it was time for more Happy Wheels! Starting with a chaotic blue bottle flip (featuring “Poopy Playtime,” the carrot pufferfish, and an MLG that was a bit of a pain in the ass to get, but Gray managed), then moving onto Bike Dad and Tom Hardy playing Godzilla (smashing down all sorts of buildings on their quest to get the coin!); a simple rainbow spike fall (which Gray got impaled on more than he should have thanks to not getting his jump right); a simple pogo coin robbery (old hat for Gray – except when he briefly got stuck to the floor a couple of times thanks to ONE ARROW stuck in his chest XD); a rather less simple thumbnail hole rope swing (Gray needed a few swings for this one to account for Nixon’s long legs); an “impossible jump” (where Gray got minced a few times by spikes and harpoons before getting the hover just right); a quick “Don’t Move” board (always Gray’s favorite, I’m sure, even if it costs him a few limbs); a ride on a rocket (with the trick being to pump the fuse so you’re not instantly levitating up into the spikes); a “bottle run” which was actually just a killer obstacle course (which, uh, Gray had to go BACK and check out later because he made the jump he was supposed to miss and got the early secret win); a rampage in a Ferrari (what it says on the tin); before ending with a hobo’s trip through New York getting caught up in Spider-Man shenanigans (it starts with the guy being taken across the street by Spidey, and ends with him, Spidey, and a random woman dangling off the Green Goblin’s glider so he’ll crash). Good times, as always! XD
C) Then, after gaming and wrapping presents (see below), plus a little tumblr catch-up, it was time for the final Subs video I missed earlier this week – James Turner doing a Sims 4 shell challenge! Or, rather, him deciding on a whim to build an abandoned factory to renovate into something else later, and then putting it up on the Gallery for other people to use as a sort of “shell challenge” – the damn place is so big that he’s in favor of completely redoing the interior, he just wants the exterior walls to stay where they are. At any rate, it’s a pretty awesome build – he used platforms to create a properly-proportioned “loading dock” (with the unloading area level with the truck bed) full of shelving, then did a “workshop” on the other side with a truss to hang stuff on (his idea is that this used to be a furniture workshop of sorts). He also did a nice second office level, with a boss office overlooking the factory floor and lines of no-privacy desks. And there was lots of cracks and stains and stuff to show the place’s age, and some sized-down chimneys, and even a sign grabbed from the debug menu! It was all very cool and I’m looking forward to seeing the renovation – or renovationS, if James decides to show off other people’s take on the updated factory. :D
D) And then, finally, after getting up my precious chapter (above), it was time for the OXmas Challenges –
I. Day Eleven of the OXBox Xmas Challenges, and Andy drew the “Sea Of Thieves Sailing Home For Xmas” Challenge! Yes, pirate-loving Andy got the pirate challenge – but it WAS a challenge. In that he had to sail a GALLEON (the biggest ship in the game, meant for multiplayer crews of four) from one outpost to another, WITH the flag raised so everyone in the game could see where he was and try to attack him if they wanted. Andy was – less than pleased. But he got himself a nice galleon with a Duke figurehead (with crossed glowing swords) at Dagger Tooth Outpost, and Jane and Mike selected Golden Sands Outpost as his destination (as it sounded like a nice holiday place). So Andy hoisted the main, the “Reaper’s Mark” flag (to show everyone where he was), and set sail!
And had – a largely uneventful trip between the two outposts! There was a brief tense moment where he ended up “chasing” another ship while working his way around a few islands in the way of his goal, but fortunately they weren’t interested in engaging him, and he was able to make his slow and steady way to the Golden Sands Outpost. Much to the irritation of Mike, who was complaining a lot near the end about how slowly Andy was going as to not wreck his ship. XD And then he ALMOST got him when he said Andy couldn’t paddle his way to the jetty, only for Andy to just fire himself out of a cannon instead. And then play the hurdy-gurdy and do a ridiculous song and dance to celebrate. XD One Christmas point for Andy, knocking Mike off his throne for good. So now the only question remaining is – can Jane win her last challenge to force a Christmas tiebreak? Tune in tomorrow. . .
II. Day Six of the OXtra Xmas Challenges, and Santa gave Luke and Ellen another race – the “GTA Online Bike Race to Fake Chiliad” Challenge! The pair had to race on bikes from the actual Mt. Chiliad to the mountain they MISTOOK for Mt. Chiliad in their very first GTA Online race challenge (I believe it’s Mt. Josiah, given they did a little note mentioning “yeah, okay, we actually did something kinda similar back in 2017” after setting the challenge.) After confirming they WERE okay with shooting each other, they met up in-game in one of the stores by a main road –
And some jerk promptly hijacked a car next to them, then blew it up on top of Ellen’s bike! Fortunately the bike was not lost, but it did set the tone – once the two reached the top of Mt. Chiliad, they agreed on a chaotic run, where the only winning condition was “be on the top of Fake Chiliad on a bike” – how they GOT there was up to them. XD Luke promptly declared his intention to get a car, drive to the top, kill Ellen once she got there, and take her bike. And he stuck to that plan!
To his EXTREME detriment. From insisting on trying to murder Ellen right at the starting line instead of actually racing, to stopping once she WAS downed to do laps and try to set up a trap bike, allowing her to snipe him and steal his bike, to insisting on starting things with the local law enforcement to try and steal one of their cars, to running up to the cult compound looking for a car, to – well. Basically Luke did everything BUT race while Ellen put all her energy into actually getting to the top of Fake Chiliad. XD He DID eventually get his paws on a car, drive up to Ellen, kill her, and take her bike, but it was WAAAY too late to win by then. So they just played “King of the Mountain” for a little while, with Luke actually scoring a pretty epic car kill on Ellen as she tried to shoot him with a missile launcher. XD Christmas point to Ellen, and that is technically the contest to her – she’s got four, while the best Luke can get is three. So Day Seven is just seeing how MUCH she beats him by – and they were mentioning in the intro a certain Electric-type Pokemon has not yet made an appearance. . .
3. Play Bloodlines and get past at least the werewolf: Check, and I got much farther than that! :D Crystal headed up to Griffith Park to meet with Nines, as per my last play session, and of course her meeting was interrupted by the werewolves! I died twice to the damn thing for starters – once while trying to see if Blood Boil would slow it down at all (nope), and once after running into the wrong building. But after getting my wits about me, and realizing this was probably the last combat encounter that Blood Shield would be useful on, I got Crystal to kite around the darn thing, lose it briefly around the back of the Observatory, then get the power back on, cut through the Observatory, get the telescope doors open, and then lure it to her position to crush it. :D Game, set, MATCH! Then she just had to wait a couple of minutes for the tram to arrive (still covered in blood, mind – the werewolf didn’t hit her often enough to dispel her shield), then swing down to meet up with Jack (and finally get the Blood Shield dispelled by cutscene). They hid out for the day in her shitty Santa Monica haven, then Jack sent her to make her away across town to the cab driver. Crystal had some fun exploding a few vampires before taking down the rest with her Tal’Mehe’Ra blade (though I did have to redo one section because I stupidly decided to attack one Toreador in the parking garage without trying a sneak attack – survived the ensuing battle, but with so little health I decided it would be easier to just redo the fight than sit around and wait for my health to regen). She made to the Cabbie, where she decided to side with Strauss and the Chantry and headed over there to tell him of her woes. He dispatched her to take out Ming-Xiao, then the prince, so after a quick swing by Mercurio’s – to sell a few weapons and pick up a bit of ammo – off to the temple she went! She and Yukie teamed up to take out the – you know, I’m gonna say HUMAN guards outside, simply because you can feed on them – and then Crystal plunged into the temple below, murdering more guards and sneaking around the base looking for the right path. After finally using her guns to actually take out a few people in the water wheel room, then remembering to crouch-jump down there, she found the pressure-plate room with the secret staircase under the statue and opened it up. I’ve left her at the very beginning of the Temple Basement, to find the statues that will open up the boss fight with Ming-Xiao! I should get past that and start the fight up Venture Tower next time I play. Almost done with this playthrough!
4. Get in a workout: Check – another evening on the bike, and the end of the Oxventure “Stop Hammer Time!” The gang set up the ring of fire for the skeletons to battle it out in, but after some confusion about how the battle was going to commence – with someone from the audience suggesting all of the Oxventurers take on “teams” of ten skeletons each (with ten “referee” skeletons for Johnny’s “team”) – it was eventually decided that the Oxventurers just square off against the skeletons directly in the ring. Twenty skeletons mounted the first assault, while the other forty hung back (Dob/Luke joking that they were making a giant skeleton mech of some sort). Corazon promptly cast Grease to trip up as many skeletons as he could (getting four out of the five who got snagged by the grease), while Prudence unfortunately failed to deliver on an Eldritch Blast. The skeletons then attacked, hitting everyone for some pretty gnarly damage (especially poor Prudence, who was disemboweled AGAIN – see “A Fishmas Carol” for the last time that happened). Fortunately, the remaining members of the team managed to dish out the pain – Merilwen got into position and cast Spike Growth, hoping to bring back the meat grinder as a bone grinder; Egbert just ROASTED them with his flame breath; and Dob –
Well. After a hasty discussion with his teammates, Dob grabbed Ethelridge’s hammer, tied a rope to it, hit the business end with Heat Metal, told his friends to duck, and then began swinging it around like a hammer throw, spinning in circles around the skeletons and just ANNIHILATING them. :D Redemption arc! LITERALLY! XD Anyway, that took care of the first twenty skeletons –
And then the other forty rocked up, having formed themselves into a giant Minotaur skeleton. XD At this point, Johnny broke character for a moment to accuse Luke of looking at his notes because he’d basically guessed everything important to happen in this adventure (Mending the door, the hammer in the tomb, Skeleton Voltron, and even – in conjunction with Mike – thinking the hammer might be the only thing to really hurt the skeletons). XD So yes, giant Minotaur skeleton! What do?
Corazon cast Grease. And, thanks to Johnny getting a 1, the damn thing tripped and fell over. Giving Prudence the ability to spot its mystical “weak spot” via a 20. Dob slid the hammer over to her in a super-cool way, and she stuffed her insides back in and went for the killing blow, with Cthulhu’s blessing. XD The skeletons shattered into dust, and the injured group briefly celebrated their victory –
And then the townsfolk showed up with torches and pitchforks, officially Done with their shenanigans, chasing them out of town and forcing Corazon to heal them on the run via the power of his harmonica. (Did I mention Andy now has a harmonica that he’s using to try and creep on Dob’s magic music?) XD Another delightful adventure ended. I do love these guys.
5. Keep up on tumblr queues: Check – got the link for the LB:SMVoT chapter into my Victor Luvs Alice queue, and three ask replies over on Valice Multiverse. Set for another night!
Additionally:
-->Wrapped presents! One for Mom, one for Dad – after Mom showed me where the wrapping paper was, anyway. And after refilling the tape dispenser. XD Did that this afternoon, so I’m all good on that front, at least. :)
Nice. :) I mean, little sad I didn't have anything new in the Subs, but it DID let me catch up on all the old videos without issue, sooo. . .
And now, as my week-off bedtime looms, I must set up my Christmas Eve to-do list and then hit the sheets:
1. Free Writing Day! Work on whatever I want
2. Keep up with YouTube Subs, OXmas Christmas Challenges, and AT4W Christmas episodes in the Watch Later
3. Play Fallout 4 and work some more on Sanctuary
4. Get in a workout
5. Keep up on tumblr queues
That last is especially important, as tomorrow evening I need to queue up all the gift fics that are going on tumblr. . .and I definitely need to get an early start on some of the videos, as my mom suggested watching Hogfather tomorrow, which is a three-hour two-part special, sooo. . .yeah. Earlyish bedtime is key. Night all!
