An Angler's Tale ~ Episode 4: DaiWHERE DID YOU COME FROM?

 Going to forego the banner for this entry since it's a quick little one.

So today, during work, I got to thinking about my fishing adventures and what sort of new gear I'd like to start it with. I'd already tried a spinning reel and wasn't too fond of how technical that made things, even if it felt great to use. Too much could go wrong, same with a baitcaster which I ultimately ruled out just by affiliation.

So that left me with the spin cast type once again. Tried and accurate, and while not the fastest gear ratio out there unless you're looking at the Zebco Bullet(which I was), there weren't a whole lot of options for those wanting to dance some of the more technique-based lures around.

Having spent most of Sunday browsing Amazon for something, I decided I'd just shop locally or stick with the Zebco Omega Pro that I've been using for the last few years. It's yet to let me down and get the job done, even if the retrieval speed is a bit on the low side.

But I wasn't quite done with my search just yet. I decided to give Dunham's a go on my way home from work just to see what options they had in my preferred reel type.

And low and behold, to my shock and surprise, tucked away behind a few spinner reels on the bottom-most peg was a Daiwa brand spincast reel that I had not once come across during my internet searches:

The Daiwa Silvercast 100B! 

To say that I got more than a little giddy would be an understatement! I'd wanted to convert to a full Daiwa setup anyways, but without importing one straight from Japan, options online weren't the greatest, and if something were to go wrong with the purchase, then, well, I was screwed.

But a lone Daiwa reel! Just sitting there amidst a sea of spinners and bait casters. If I had believed in fate, this would have been one of those "This is fate!" moments. I snatched that bad boy up and cradled it like it was a boxed copy of Mega Man X2 for $5 at a yard sale.

But I wasn't going to stop there, oh no. I had planned on buying some fluorocarbon anyhow, so I thought I'd just shop for it there at Dunham's while I was there.

To accompany my new Japanese-brand reel(and rod, come Wednesday), I picked up the Vicious brand Fishing Fluoro, which claims to be "100% Japanese Fluorocarbon". Why this is a thing that specifically needs to be stated on the box and how Japanese or any other country fluoro differs from each other is beyond me, but it was enough to get me to bite.

LAST TAIL - Episode 24: Two Coffees

 "Brigid, you need to calm down right now," said the gravelly voice on the other end of the line. "It's not that big of a deal." Eligh sat at his desk at town hall, phone to his ear. The air conditioning unit was working at max capacity in the wake of the sweltering heat wave that had settled over the eastern half of the country.

An Angler's Tale ~ Episode 3: Back to Nature

 

art by AWD

After a week of dealing with a major depressive episode, I forced myself out this morning as a mission: If I was going to continue my fishing adventures, I needed to land something today, regardless of size or species. 

I say this because I've been struggling to keep an interest in fishing as of late, which honestly probably had more to do with the mental state I had been in than my actual interest in the sport itself. That, and the extended heat wave we were dealt this summer has made not only getting out difficult, but catching stuff nigh on impossible as the fish were running deep. Any place that was accessible were typically crowded by others just trying to get a hook in, so that did an unfortunate number on my psyche when it, had I been feeling better, otherwise wouldn't have thought anything of it.

Introducing Level 1: Kerr Scott Dam Spillway!

FINISHED READING: The Spirit by Thomas Page

 

Finished reading The Spirit by Thomas Page yesterday, and while I'm stewing in the quiet period between books, I thought I'd type up some of my thoughts on the book. 

Open Spoiler Discussion

Missed out on some nice summer themed merch last year due to the status of my employment at the time. But with my being in management now, making $20+ an hour, I have a bit more Fun Funds to go around each check, so of course I am going to take the plunge this time. 

LAST TAIL - Episode 23: Wolf of Steel

 Advrik came to high above the Atlantic, plummeting towards Earth from what could have only been the stratosphere. The curvature of the earth and the horizon bled way to the cosmos beyond for a brief second before realization kicked in. 

The last thing he remembered was sitting in bed reading a book after dinner. Two delicious, fresh-caught trout that had been roasted with some vegetables. 

Next thing he knew, he was freefalling towards the ocean without a hope to hang on to.

Or so he thought.

LAST TAIL - Episode 22: Advrik Goes Fishing

 Advrik was taken aback when he saw his photo in the local paper, more so than he had anticipated despite posing for it. He had only one picture of himself in the public eye at any given time, his profile picture on Facebook. There were no family photos, no pictures with friends, just that one photo of him posing with a magitek sword and the monster he and... his inner monster had slain.

Magitek weaponry, the result of decades of research and fine-tuning during the eighteenth century, had a profound impact on society. It was the craft of fusing a material object with a heavy dose of a particular alignment spell that the users had to learn before ever even attempting a binding. The object, Advrik's sword in this instance, would then join the magic vein that flowed through the wolf's body. This granted him the ability to summon his sword at will and could be repeated up to three times with three different objects.

LAST TAIL - Episode 21: The Lion and the Mouse

 The lioness leaned back in her chair and rubbed the bridge of her snout, her eyes burning from the dryness in her apartment. She'd kept the air conditioning unit on at full blast, disabling the thermostat. Callista wasn't a beast built for the hot weather, and while she could wear bathing suits outside to keep cool during outdoor events, inside, she relinquished all semblance of decency to the rising mercury.

She sat cross-legged in her computer chair, wearing only a pair of yellow silky panties and a loose-fitting tank top. She leaned dangerously back, almost to the point of tipping the chair over, and stretched. One arm behind her head and the other outright as her right leg shot out, her toes spreading and the claws hidden within extending, exposing their dangerous forms.

LAST TAIL - Episode 20: Cicada

If the surprised emotion had a sound effect, then it'd have sounded like a Boing! Sound as the tips of Brigid's tail and ears shot straight up, and her eyes widened.

"It's him!" she said a bit too loudly, smashing her finger against the black and white paper and catching the attention of the beasts at the next table over. 

Eligh took a slow, deliberate sip of his coffee, his voice a low rumble, "Who's that?"  

Brigid flipped the paper around and showed the bear: There was a black and white photo of Advrik standing beside the strung-up corpse of the Chimera. "Don't you act like you don't fucking know!"

"Oh, wow, yeah. Would you look at that?" He said as his eyes scanned the headline he had given the local paper, 

LAST TAIL - Episode 19: Hunting Season

 The wolf slammed into the small hillside the same way a bug would collide with one's windshield, sending dirt and debris in every direction. The impact left a deep crater in the side of the hill in the shape of his body, the beast coughing and gasping for air as he climbed out.

When he did manage to get some air back into his lungs, his stomach decided it would now void its contents as he wretched the morning's breakfast. 

"That was fuckin' incredible!"

"Says you, Des." the wolf attempted to rub the pain from his neck. "You weren't the one that got to play the part of a meteor just now," 

"Meteorite."

"That's what I just said!" Advrik barked a reply.

LAST TAIL - Episode 18: The Pride of Brickhedge Part 2

 The wolf stood silently, listening and appreciating the grizzly's speech. His voice wavered in the beginning, filling Advrik with some hope that the beast might not be the threat he initially took him as. But as the speech went on, Eligh's voice grew stronger and stronger, firming up to match the beast from whence it came. 

"You could take him," said the mole, who, at 9am, was already munching on a funnel cake dusted with powdered sugar.

"What?"

"You have a magitek weapon, right?" Desmond replied. "Just waltz on up there and challenge him." 

LAST TAIL - Episode 17: The Pride of Brickhedge Part 1

 The morning of the first big event of Brickhedge started like any other morning on Main Street. The summer sun slowly rose through a darkened sky, bringing with it a shade of blue that would only intensify as the morning trekked onward. 

Traffic, what little there would be, would be redirected through the southern parts of town. Each street heading into Main was partly blocked off the previous night after the last of the food trucks rolled in. News crews, were there to be any, would be parked on a backroad somewhere. Other town and privately owned vehicles had been ordered off Main and to a nearby outlet as some emergency vehicles were moved in and stationed at either exit and at two alleys, just in case.

Even in these early morning hours, the smell of funnel cakes and popcorn penetrated the walls of 987 Main Street Brickhedge, New Hampshire.

LAST TAIL - Episode 16: Doctor & Patience

 Callista, her face a mask of controlled frustration, delivered a sharp blow to the tin filing cabinet in her office. Her breathing was heavy, a clear sign of her inner turmoil; as a nurse observed, his expression was a mix of concern and suppressed amusement.

"Are you okay, doctor?" The nurse said with a slight smirk on his face, which bled slightly into the way his words came out. Leif Collins, a longtime staple at Brickhedge Medical and more widely accepted as the medical authority here than the actual doctor herself at the moment, was always there to lend a hand.

LAST TAIL - Episode 15: Dear Journal, It's Me, Desmond

"Dear journal.

I haven't talked to you in a while, have I? We'd been so close for a while there that I thought I'd go on to have every day of my life documented within your pages. I still like to look back at the earliest volumes when I was but a six-year old rewatching my old Doug VHS tapes on repeat, thinking I could have a life like his. Full of eccentric characters, wacky adventures, and--And I remember this being particularly embarrassing at that age--hoping to catch feelings for some pretty girl at school that I could then write about in your pages, imagining fun adventures with her and my other friends. 

LAST TAIL - Episode 14: The Wolf and the Mole

 The rain had started to fall on the rooftops across the East Coast once more as the town of Brickhedge battened down the hatches for yet another round of heavy precipitation and centralized thunderstorms. The weatherman couldn't repeat enough times that this was going to be a single day's worth of rain, maybe two tops in the worst-case scenario. The memories of early spring's record rainfall, still fresh on the minds of beasts all over New Hampshire, made forecasted showers groan-worthy.

LAST TAIL - Episode 13: Girl Meets Boy

 The town was abuzz with anticipation as the first town hall meeting since Eligh took office was about to commence. The residents, emerging from their homes and businesses, strolled towards the school gymnasium, the chosen venue for this momentous event. The spacious building was ready to accommodate a substantial portion of the town's population.

A dedicated crew had been toiling all day, ensuring that an ample number of chairs were set up to accommodate the expected crowd. Tables were also arranged, later laden with snacks and town-related paperwork for the residents to peruse or take home, reflecting the thorough preparation for the meeting. 

LAST TAIL - Episode 11: Brigid Fights a Slime

The gooey, gelatinous mass wiggled toward me like a gelatin mold on the bed of a pickup. It left a trail of a thick, dark blue substance behind it as it moved, staining whatever it touched.

Slimes were the lowest of low when it came to monster strains. They were barely more than a collection of cells held together by nothing more than the simplest of brains and respiratory systems, yet somehow, they still thrived in the wilds all across the world. On every continent and biome on Earth, the Slime species could be found in some capacity or another. Some were actually relatively dangerous; most were just slow-moving nuisances.

And right now, it was fucking up my hike! 

LAST TAIL - Episode 12: Eligh Does His Job

 [ ELIGH ]

So very much paperwork. 

I'd anticipated it, sure, and even practiced my cursive for a few hours a day in preparation for this job. My handwriting, in general, was immaculate, I'd say, but cursive was where I excelled, even if it had fallen out of use in recent times thanks to the rise of the computer and smartphone in our daily lives. 

Everything was primarily digital in the modern world. 

Unless, of course, you lived in Brickhedge, New Hampshire.

LAST TAIL - Episode 10: Morning Cleanliness

 [ ADVRIK ]

It'd been over a month now, and after many a long, arduous hour spent chiseling muck and grime from the corners, peeling away mildewed wallpaper, and ripping up carpets that were no doubt covered with every sort of bodily fluid a beast could produce, I'd put the final touches on the house this morning. Each task, no matter how disgusting or aggravating, was a step towards making this place truly mine, and that sense of accomplishment was palpable in the air. 

I had risen with the sun and quickly got a shower, anxious to get to work because I KNEW today was going to be the day. Even through the thick lather of lavender-scented shampoo, I could smell the coffee machine kicking in downstairs, sending that amazing aroma trickling through the building's ventilation system, which, too, received a good cleaning. 

Today was the day. 

LAST TAIL - Episode 09: Mole

My parents straight-up abandoned me. 

Left me on the side of the road of a town I'd never heard of before. Hardly a glance back as they sped out of town and back down the mountain. The odd part was, I wasn't even that mad; In fact, I was fucking amused, if anything. It takes a lot of guts for parents to just abandon their child like that, and for that I commend them.

That was a month ago, and I've not heard from them since.

LAST TAIL - Episode 08: Now That the Rain is Gone

 [ BRIGID ]

If I stayed cooped up in that apartment any longer, I was going to start pulling my fur out. 

We'd gone out maybe three times since we moved in. I had unpacked (and subsequently) washed everything before finally folding it and putting it away: Shirts, pants, underwear, you name it. If I had it, it was folded. Then the fuckin' rain came. 

'April showers, ' the cow at the coffee shop had said, referencing the sheets of rain that fell outside. I questioned, albeit to myself, her basis of what a shower was because the torrential downpour that had started falling from the sky that morning was everything but a 'shower'.

An Angler's Tale - Episode 2: Well That Didn't Go Well

So, between today and yesterday, I had managed to get myself back out to the water to finally spend some time with the Daiwa. The drive there was nice as always, and actually getting out was refreshing, fish or no fish.

I went to my usual spot on the other side of the spillway for some simple creek fishing and practice. Being new to the spinner reel, I wasn't about to go somewhere where people could see and watch me fumble with it. 

Things were going smoothly. I was getting familiarized with the casting motions, all the extra little things one had to do with a spinner in order for it to function properly. And while I had no bites, the rush of energy I felt as a thunderstorm crept up on me while I fished was great! It was almost totally dark when I and the couple that had perched themselves on the dock finally decided to leave.

That was last night. Today was where things went wrong. 

I tried a different spot, a good ways away from the previous and one that sees far fewer anglers than the spillway. It's one that I personally love for its secluded nature and abundance of wildlife. 

So my very first cast with my spinning reel reveals that somehow, during my trip yesterday, a large amount of string had somehow wrapped itself around inner parts of the spool, forcing me to take several minutes out of the trip to dismantle the gear and untangle it. 

Once that was done, I proceeded to fish and catch absolutely nothing. It happens, the water was dirty and that makes things difficult. 

But it was the issues I started to run into with the reel from that point on that just mucked everything up for me. 

It seemed like no matter how much or how little force I was putting into the throws, the worms were flying off in pieces, leaving small chunks behind the barbs on the hook. Adding in the fact that I couldn't aim anywhere near as good with the spinner as I do my casting combo was doubly frustrating as well. 

The final nail in my time with the spinning reel's casket was my first snag. As I did the usual motions to get it out, the line on the reel itself gradually began to unwind itself from the spool, which by time I noticed it I had already started to wind the reel, further wrapping the string around the interior and forcing me to lose a good lure. 

... 

Now that I have given this type of reel a good honest go, I can say with all sincerity that they just aren't for me. I like the act of fishing to be simple and straightforward, while the technical stuff lies with the gear, and the tackle and whatnot.

For me personally, there is just too much involved in keeping a spinning reel functioning on a cast to cast basis, and that takes all the fun and chill out of the sport. 

More power to those of you who can use these effortlessly, but for me, I'm going back to my casting reel, which now is going to see a new upgrade thanks to this whole debacle. 

Catch you next time! 

LAST TAIL - Episode 07: The Yard

 [ ADVRIK ]

It was late, I was hungry, and there was a pizza on the way. "Just hold out another ten or so minutes," Is what I told myself, trying to convince the ravenous beast within me not to dig into the bag of Cooler Ranch Doritos that I tucked away for emergency snacking fits. 

And yeah, I'm calling them Cooler Ranch still; bite me.

It was 7pm and well past my usual dinnertime, but I'd gotten so wrapped up in my work around the house that I hadn't noticed. Most of my day was spent in the front yard, something I'd told myself when I moved in that I wouldn't be laying a paw on until the inside of the house was back in a liveable state.

The lie detector determined that it was a lie.

The Bed Upgrade

For years I have slept on a dinky twin-sized bed, and until recently I was content with that. But then something snapped and I wanted something bigger, something better.

So I paid a visit to the carpenter (Amazon) and bought myself a full size bed, the first I've had since I was a kid in the 90s.

LAST TAIL - Episode 06: Settling In

 [ ADVRIK ]

A quick week passed following my arrival at Brickhedge and my meeting with the mayor. I was filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation, eager to see the property I had purchased. Little did I know, the events that followed immediately after would be a stark contrast to this initial feeling. 

You see, as I'd mentioned previously, the property was purchased sight unseen. All I knew from the listing was it was a small two-story, two-bedroom townhouse on Main Street with a small front yard and neighbors on either side. It was nearly smack dab in the middle of town so everything that I could hope for was within walking distance, save for the Super K-Mart outside town.

LAST TAIL - Episode 05: Callista Reigns, the Mountain Lion

 "Ma'am, please, I'm just trying to help--" 

"No, YOU listen to ME, missy." The little woman shrieked, poking at my chest with her bony old finger. "I came to YOU because I couldn't get into my regular doctor."

I crossed my arms now. I know, I know. Not a professional way to handle a problematic client and is usually frowned upon, but this little bitch was starting to get to me. 

"Yes, I realize that, and I'm sorry that your regular doctor had to take a vacation, but if you'd just--" 

The old field mouse had made it abundantly clear that she wasn't willing to accept a new doctor taking the place of her old GP, let alone a fresh new face. I hadn't been outright told that the residents here were cautious around new residents, but all of the side glances and odd looks I've been getting from beasts on the street kind of painted the picture.

LAST TAIL - Episode 04: Eligh Brannigon, the Grizzly Bear

 We'd been in Brickhedge for only three days now, but already, I'd been asked to meet with the mayor to oversee some paperwork that had been piling up at his desk. I wasn't officially set to begin my new job as the Town Planner for another week, so I was still trying to get a feel of the layout of the town as well as rub elbows with some of the locals before taking my seat in the office. 

After having to chase my friend and roommate out of the bathroom once again, I freshened myself up and threw on some proper attire that was a far cry from the usual hoodie and shorts combo that I always wore. 

An Angler's Tale ~ Chapter 1: A New Journey (An Angler's Tale 2)

 In the foothills town of Wilkesboro, there is a little urban legend that makes its rounds every so often. It revolves around the Kerr Scott Dam and its spillway. It is said that a group of divers tasked with doing routine maintenance on said spillway had once come across a catfish so large that the divers refused to ever return...

After getting the new job, then getting promptly promoted to management barely a year later, I found myself beginning to lose interest in fishing, despite the greater amount of money coming in allowing for more, varied gear and whatnot. Yet I still felt it slipping away, and I didn't know what or how to get it back.

But one day last week, I just happened to see a new upload from NW Fishing Secrets on Youtube and was almost instantly reminded of why I initially loved the sport/hobby so much to begin with: The adventure aspect! 

But I didn't just want to get my gear and head back out to the same tired old spots with same tired old gear. I needed to do something to reinvigorate the whole thing for myself.

And that is where the latest purchases come in:

The biggest for me is probably being a spinner reel. I've never had it in me to pick one up and actually learn on one. So after some extensive research and pricing, I finally rested on the Daiwa Regal 2500 spinning reel at $49.99 on Amazon. 

Admittedly yes there are extra steps involved in using these and it did kind of grate on me at first, but as the demo trip went on this evening, I found myself becoming more and more in tune with it, and the extra little motions becoming less and less of a bother and more just the natural flow of things.

That said, the rod I had paired it up with wasn't cutting it. It was a brand new 6'6" Ugly Stik GX2. It was horribly off balance and just felt wrong to use, so I returned it to the Wal-Mart I bought it at on the way home and promptly ordered the Ugly Stik Elite

It was also on sale for $49.99 and initially was the model I wanted for myself, but neither the local Wal-Mart or Dunham's Sports had it, so I settled on the 6'6" GX2 as mentioned above. And while I do have to wait for this lovely new cork-handled (something I've always wanted) to arrive on Saturday, I have some other things to look forward to tomorrow, which I'll talk about in another entry.

But the rod isn't the only purchase I have coming from Amazon, for in their big Prime Day sale, I was also able to get the KastKing boonie had that I've had my eye on at a greatly discounted price!

Sun Protection +9!! 

And because I want this new spinning reel combo to be entirely brand new, I also ordered some 8lb fluorocarbon to go on it once it got here, which I am excited to finally get to use.

So what is An Angler's Tale about? Well, with this new gear setup and a reinvigorated interest in the sport, I've tasked myself with the quest to Catch 'Em All! One of every fish species that can be caught here in my state, and then eventually elsewhere! 

0/234 Fish Species Caught!

LAST TAIL - Episode 03: Brigid Ashtear, the Red Fox

It was springtime in the mountains, the season of love and new beginnings, and I was pining for a mate. Well, okay, pining was a bit much, but I've definitely been keeping an eye out ever since we moved up here. It's not like I'm some lovesick horny teenager or anything like that, but I could do for some romancing and a sort of companionship that I can't get from my roommate.

LAST TAIL - Episode 02: Desmond Mogu, the Star-Nosed Mole

 [ DESMOND ]

I sat silently in the backseat of my parent's old station wagon, paying no heed to the world that was quickly passing by outside my window. 

Loudly and obnoxiously, however, was how I acknowledged the fact that my ears began to clog up. I had been bitching about this trip from the moment we left the house, what now felt like several hours ago; family vacation or not, I wanted no part in leaving the comfortable confines of my basement-level bedroom. 

LAST TAIL - Episode 01: Advrik Drahcir, the Gray Wolf

I put my paw on the gas pedal as I turned back onto Interstate 91, heading north from nowhere. My little 2000 Toyota Camry purred along the long stretch of highway that cut through New Hampshire, heading into the mountains. I'd just made a pit stop at Sheetz for a refill of both gasoline and the energy drink sort(I liked GFuel, and Sheetz always had an extensive selection).

My destination was a small town to the northeast of Sugar Hill, right off I93. I'd continue along my current trajectory on I91 south until the next exit, which I'd then backtrack a bit down Highway 302 into Sugar Hill, then follow some admittedly dicey-looking roads until I ultimately landed in the small mountain hamlet known as Brickhedge.

Yes, THAT Brickhedge.

The Wulphelk; He Who Lies Beyond the Blink (Short Story)

 *Gore Warning*

Main Street, Wilkesboro. 

Sheets of rain, a stark contrast to the forecasted light drizzle, pummeled the sidewalks, obscuring most, if not all, visibility. The weatherman had predicted a week of occasional sunshine, but the reality was heavy, overcast, and thick, grey skies.

The sun had not breached the cloud cover in days.

A thick layer of grey had obscured the blue summer sky ever since the week began, with the rain beginning to fall shortly after that. Increasing in intensity with every passing hour until it fell with a velocity that seemed unnatural at times.

Traffic had slowed to a crawl through the main street and all across most of the North Carolina foothills as the unexpected deluge slowly moved through the state. Major highways were lined with damaged or abandoned vehicles, most hydroplaning against the thick, ceaseless flow of water that washed over the pavement, causing inconvenience and distress to travelers just trying to celebrate the holiday.

Highway 421 heading to and away from Wilkesboro had seen lighted signs erected every few miles warning, not suggesting, that drivers decrease their momentum while weather conditions persist. 

Lower-lying areas had seen catastrophic flooding in the storm's path as rivers overflowed and breached their banks. Pastures flooded, and livestock and the farmers that owned them's livelihoods were lost. Many houses and trailers were washed away in the flooding, with one family having reported their infant, still nestled in their crib, having been swept away along with their double-wide. The family simply was unable to get into the child's bedroom in time to save them and their chinchilla, a tragic testament to the scale of the disaster.

No matter the number of weather-related deaths, however, accidents, or property damage caused by the mysterious storm, they would all be relegated to mere footnotes in what would be the paperback-length police report filed by the Wilkesboro Police Department that week...

COMMISSIONED: 'Advrik' by Aerofishtashka

 

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/57311944/

Breath of Fire 2 = Beaten!

 

Breath of Fire II ReCollection here!

After what was probably around 50-something hours, thanks to the endgame grinding, Breath of Fire 2 is now once again in the bag! I had replayed this a few years ago when it came to the SNES app on the Switch, and I had made it as far as the final dungeon, but dropped it then for reasons I can't quite remember. 

The final dungeon still sucks, even with the fast-forward feature in Retroarch. The penultimate boss is still a pain in the neck to take on solo, so I just didn't try even at level 83. 

Now onto something a bit newer!

Last of the Wild Days unfortunately wasn't registering with me

Update: Because I now want to read a ton of horror stuff I found, I'll put these back on hold until the start of the new year, post-Stormlight Archive 5)

As the title says, I couldn't get into it. There was some neat ideas being thrown around that I have no doubt probably expand in cool ways, but the overly long chapters (it should not take me 90 minutes to read a single chapter, I'm sorry) and droning of the author made it feel very Tolkien-ish, and there no quicker way to make me lose interest than to explain every. Single. Thing a character is doing.

So that said, I dropped it and started looking for something else. Then I remembered the Coldfire Trilogy was still on my TBR. I had trouble getting them loaded into my Kindle before, but after a little tinkering, I managed to get them send and installed! 

Early 90s dark fantasy at its best, or so I hear. 

ReCollection: Breath of Fire II

 

I felt that, seeing as how I'm currently making my way through Breath of Fire II again a new ReCollection entry might be due. Playing older games like this, especially ones that stand out vividly in my memories for one reason or another, always causes those data banks to reopen for a bit, giving me the occasional wash of nostalgia as I make my way through.

BoF2 is probably my second favorite game in the series, right behind Breath of Fire 3. Yeah, it suffers from all the hallmarks of an early RPG, like copious grinding, slow walking speed, and high random encounter rate, but these things as a kid just felt normal. It's not until years later, and the genre develops and grows, that these quirks are seen as knocks against a game. Some outgrow them and can't return to these classics without some sort of modernization or hack that alters certain aspects.

And then there are people like me who see and play the games for what they are rather than wishing they were something more.

Redwall, but for an older audience

First new book I've bought in months. As much as I enjoy Redwall, I was really hoping that someone would eventually pick up the reigns and write a more mature take on the concept. 

COMMISSIONED: 'Summertime Brigid' by Mona

By Mona

Last Tail is basically Hey Arnold! meets Final Fantasy VII, but with an all anthropomorphic animal cast.