The Historian

You might be wondering. What the hell does "Love & Rescue" entail? I mulled around a few other titles but landed on this one because it perfectly encapsulates the two main parts of the story that I, and anyone who joins, will build out. The starting premise may seem a tad cliched but MLP is full of those so it fits right in. Anyhow, the starting premise is that our pastel pony friends have somehow ended up on a very familiar world - our own. Yes, ponies on Earth. But that is only part one. The first, smaller arc follows our tiny equines as they work to integrate into an entirely foreign society. We'll see the highs... and the very lows. Much of human society, at least in this story, is supportive and accepting, but there remains that contingent that is much less accepting. And even less so of those humans who forge relationships with their equine friends. That leads to the second, and longest, arc of the story. The second arc will show the hostility from those who are less than enthralled that humans are spending intimate time with ponies as they would humans. In the start of this arc, it remains angry comments online and nasty comments in the streets. But, as things march forward and there are interspecies marriages, the hostility grows and the 'affronted' protest the legality of these unions then harass interspecies couples. However, when genetic scientists develop a method by which a human and pony couple could breed, certain groups began to coalesce. I have yet to name the organization that serves as the main antagonizing force but they are a coalesced group of extremists from many religions, denominations and sects. They are not limited to any particular belief system, but are united in their absolute hatred for those in humanity who have, as they'd say, "gone too far." The second arc is the meat of the story and where our antagonists become a central theme. It's where we learn who leads it and where we learn their motives. Based in the States, they enact a plan to systematically capture as many ponies as ponies to be massacred in a horrific world broadcast. It is their way of displaying their ideals. This is where all of our main characters must make a choice: do they risk death to save their loved one or do they simply grieve and move on? This is where we, the band of heroes, come together to rescue our significant others. This will be like many action-driven pieces of media. The action will take place here. When the task is complete, we wind down with the third arc. It will be the shortest arc and will detail the heroes uniting again with their loved ones and will end with a short epilogue. Now that you know the basic plot, which we'll fill in as time goes, who's up for an adventure? I am looking for, at most, five other souls who wish to go on this journey. Before we can begin in earnest, I would like to outline a few ground rules. I would prefer that everyone adhere to these so as not to make this less serious than I am aiming for. Additionally, this story will involve some... action movie scenes... in many places. That means there will be coarse language, people dying, among other things. If you're at all squeamish, this is not the story for you. Rule 1: Your primary character must be human. No ifs, ands our buts about it. The story's central premise is that affection knows no bounds and can cross even species, so long as the other species is equally sapient. An addendum to this is that everyone must play at least ONE romantic interest for another participant such that it is split more evenly among everyone. Rule 2: In selecting a partner that your character has taken, I am restricting it to less prominent characters. What this means entails is that anyone who is part of the Mane 6 or their family, or a pony with a prominent role within the show (the CMC, any princess or Starlight Glimmer for example) is out. Sorry, no original ponies please since I do not want anyone having to roleplay with themselves. As much as possible of course. Also, no fighting over a character. Rule 3: Being an action oriented story, there will be gruesome scenes and 'inappropriate' language. Keep it to a relatively R-rated level without going too overboard. I don't want heavily detailed depictions of torture or anything. Allude to it but don't be detailed. The same goes for anything that's on the lewd side. Allude, but don't be explicit. Rule 4: I expect a modicum of technical writing ability. This includes proper punctuation and properly formatted writing styles. I expect replies to be written in the form of a short story or novel. If you intend to use stars to denote actions or write everything in italics, please do not join. Additionally, I plan on putting this in the 'advanced' section so a minimum of 1000 characters will be required so no one liners please. Rule 5: When designing your character, do not make them completely perfect in every single way. This is meant to be ordinary people taking up arms to be with those they love. Your character doesn't need to be fancy or have some elaborate backstory, but should just be realistic. Hell, you can depict yourself if you really wanted to. At a minimum, we'll need a name, age, skillset, a basic description, a bit about their personality and whom they've chosen as a partner. If you want a little backstory, that's cool and the gang! You can define your characters right in here. I don't really require a super formal character sheet. I will be playing two heroes, along with the major players in the militant organization and romantic interests of course. Name - Alexander "Alex" Redman Eye Color - blue Hair Color - dark brown Height - 5'7" Weight - ~170 lbs Age - 30 Partner - (a very much adult) Twist Occupation - software developer Skills - technological proficiency, marksmanship, mechanic proficiency Info - An average IT type who wears glasses and has somewhat messy hair. He's the friendly type, having little trouble with even the most difficult clients. He is the son of a Marine and a housewife and his father taught him to shoot and how to be handy with tools. Always a bit of an oddball in some ways, he met an Earth pony who was perfect for him and they soon got married. When not working, he's with his wife or out with his buds from work. Name - Mika Winters Eye Color - heterochromia (one green, one blue) Hair Color - strawberry blonde Height - 5'2" Weight - ~115 lbs Age - 23 Partner - Thunderlane Occupation - restaurant manager Skillset - medical Info - Mika is a soft-hearted woman with a true heart of gold. She's friendly, outgoing and very charming. Right now, she manages a restaurant while working to become registered nurse. It was her and her dad for most of her life, and her father was a surgeon. He fostered the zeal to help anyone she could. Unsurprisingly to her father but a shock to her coworkers, she married a stallion who, incidentally, swept her off of her feet. There are five slots open. Who's going to join? Who's up for a life or death mission to save your loved one?

Mine was shite. I didn't get much done after getting stuck on a Mac JRE failure. Even development was like "fuck if I know." So I wrote a shell script to get around it. ugh.

Sleeping. My entire career is centered around using a computer. I spend all day on one then play video games when I get home. I really don't do much else.

In my experience, it's misunderstood at best. I am often derided for being an introvert and not really wanting to go out or be social. That has never been my thing, nor will it ever be. There is still a noticeable amount of negativity towards the introverted. I haven't seen it shown in a positive light very often and many of us are judged... and quite harshly.

When I'm in a severely depressive slump, I can barely get out bed, let alone exercise. When I do manage to get out of bed, the only thing that helps is writing while listening to my favorite music. Putting things down on paper... quite literally... helps me work through things. Usually. Other times, I just isolate and try to sleep until things get better. But... with a full time job, that never works out. Working through severe depression... not recommended.

I don't. At all. Unless, maybe, it's a metal version or something. Otherwise, I steer clear.

How about a double shot today? The second entry for today? Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator. First released in 1999 for Windows, it made it to Mac in 2013 and Linux in 2017, both from GOG! No, this title never made it to consoles. It's one of the few titles in its genre that was PC only and has remained that way! Based on the cover art and name alone, it's quite possible to guess what genre this belongs to: the JRPG. However, it was not made in the East but here in the United States! However, it takes all of its design cues from turn-based JRPGs of the time like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger. As said, it's a turn-based RPG without random encounters! Anyway, the game follows the protagonist Maya (yep, female protag) and her party as they journey the different areas to find out the truth behind their planet, Septerra. There is a much greater emphasis on narrative development over combat, much like other JRPGs of the era. I haven't actually gotten to finish this one yet, but what I have played was definitely interesting and it gives a unique take on the genre from outside the core turn-based RPG world. Yes, the game is flawed and not perfect. But, if you look past the rough edges, there is a true gem to be found. If you're a fan of JRPGs or want a take on the formula from a Western developer, give this a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Today's random game is Dune, originally released in 1992. Released first for DOS, it started life as a 5.25" floppy but also has 3.5" diskette and CD releases. Interestingly, this title wasn't actually ported to Windows based on my research but did, for some reason, get a Sega CD release. It was also released for the Amiga platform. My particular copy is an early release, being on 5.25" floppies. The game itself is a mix of real time strategy elements and adventure game elements. The game itself loosely follows the book and uses the 1984 film for visual inspiration. The player is put in the shoes of Paul Atreides and must gather spice for Emperor Shaddam IV. The strategy elements come in the form of gathering spice, protecting each sietch and assaulting Harkonnen locations. The adventure game is a bit like the dungeon-crawling type and there are side quests as well. It's quite a varied game, especially for its time. Ambitious but executes well! If you're a big fan of Dune, I recommend this one. It does a decent job of capturing the world of Dune. For what it is, it has a surprising amount of depth to it. Even if you're not a huge fan of Dune and like sci-fi adventure games, it's worth a look. The strategic elements make this title varied and enjoyable.

Windows ME is top level trash, but it turned out the factory OS was ME, not XP like we thought. Suffice to say, we never did another WinME machine again. And this from the dorks who bought new parts for a Windows 98SE PC in the late 2000s.

My plans are the following: work. That's it. I might try to squeeze some voice training in there but I'll mostly be working.

They do in the US. It's called the "gub'mint." Don't kid yourself, corporations run this shit.

For some things, yes. But I don't see her the same way as I do, say, my boyfriend. She and I tried that once and it didn't work out. Been really close friends ever since. That being said, I still have romantic partners because I have that need, which my friendships do not fulfill.

I was working on a Windows ME (red flag number one) box with my dad and we got a message that told us the "registry had been reset." Curious, but didn't think much of it and redid the work. Then it happened again. And again. And again. Any time we did anything with that godforsaken pile of garbage, it reset. We just gave up on that endeavor.

Cracked out the recent MW again. New weapons and maps are pretty good. Startin' that Damascus grind tho.

SimCity 2000: priscilla. Grants a debug menu with lots of fun shit in it. SimCity 3000: i am weak. Makes most things free. Fun to use.

Celebrity worship is nauseating. They're talented at something... I guess? But am I supposed to give a shit? Because I don't. I think they're overpaid burdens to society, but, hey, that's just one woman's opinion.

I have a handful of different types of dreams. Most of the time, they're average. Normal, every day life. Sometimes they're like that but things are just off in a way that's kinda unsettling. Other times, I have just plain weird fuckin' dreams. You know, the type that exist in reality but everything is bonkers and doesn't even come close to matching reality. And, lastly, lewd dreams. Oh yes, I have my share of fuck dreams. Sometimes it's fictional characters, other times... well... not so fictional. Don't really have nightmares much anymore. I used to have them frequently before I started therapy...

Compared to American politics? I'd be considered extreme far left in terms of... well... fuckin' everything. Compared to other nations, say Scandinavian ones for example, I'd just be left wing. That is how skewed things are in the US. That we even consider right wing people left wing is literal insanity. It drives me up a wall how people can't tell the difference between right wing and "not quite as extreme" right wing. The ignorance in the general US population is staggering and, quite frankly, appalling.

I can't even act surprised anymore. Every election cycle since the 2000s, it's like a race for one party or the other to choose the absolute worst candidates possible. Like... do they sit around and think to themselves "who's the shittiest candidate we can muster this time?" Then have a big laugh as they ruin the country for their own selfish interests. I can't even complain about only Biden, even though he is an even worse candidate than Hilary... and I didn't even think that was possible. I suppose it's about time to establish a drinking problem cause shit ain't gettin' any better.

Seems like Alicorn Spell is trying their damnedest to "prove" that platonic friendships are better when that is not something that can be objectively proven. This is an entirely subjective topic. There is no objective test that states one is definitively better than the other. Both have their pros and cons. For me, my best friend is fantastic. She's helped me get through so much shit over the last decade and I don't know what I do without her. She is absolutely wonderful and I'm lucky to have her as a friend. She's more like a sister to me than best friend. That being said, our friendship does not provide the same sort of companionship I get with a romantic partner. While I haven't known my boyfriend, or girlfriend for that matter, nearly as long as my bestie, I have a very different connection with them. And yes, I've had romantic relationships in the past that ended. That does not mean that they are lesser than another form of companionship.

Realistically, it needs to last as long as the virus remains a threat. While it is unlikely to last more than twelve months, but lasting four to six, even up to eight, would not be outside of the realm of possibility. I don't see it lasting nearly as long as historical pandemics, but I don't see it ending within the next month or two.

Feminism, as in the idea that women are equal, is, unequivocally, good. The problem is that feminism has changed from "women are equal to men" to "women are better than men." They don't want equality anymore. They want equality without responsibility. They only want the GOOD parts of equality. Modern feminism, at least in the first world, is no longer necessary. Feminists have demonized men to the point that people are appalled when there's abuse towards women but laugh when it's towards men. That is but one example. Another slam against men is the "Duluth model" for domestic violence. This states that, no matter what, the man is always seen as the aggressor. Even if the woman beats the fuck out of her boyfriend or husband, the dude may STILL be arrested. Incidences of this have seen multiple news reports and it is no mere exaggeration. If you're a modern feminist and still about true equality, do yourself a favor: call yourself an egalitarian. True equality for all is a much worthier cause than just elevating women to the same level as men.

There are so many things wrong with this. First, 'santa' literally means saint in Latin. Second, Christmas is a Pagan holiday. The Roman holiday Saturnalia is held in the winter, conveniently the same time as Christmas. This was to make things easier to integrate other people into Christianity. Third, Jesus was not born in December. He was born in the hemispherical north's springtime, likely in March or April. Fourth, the holiday after which Christmas is modeled is, functionally, about giving gifts. So no, Santa has literally nothing to do with Satan. Stop spreading this kind of ignorance.

What the hell is a social life? Sounds mythical.

For video games, it's easily A Link to the Past. Card games? A toss between FreeCell and poker. Board games? Been a while since I last played one...