Aeronautic Primates and Other Delights

Still living that Mass Effect lifestyle. Eventually I have to get sick of it, right? Right?

We also finished Steven Universe Future and I didn't cry, but I came damn close. Man, the whole Steven Universe thing is just so good, but Future is really dark and hard to watch in places.

Apparently Critical Role ended its second campaign last week. I feel a bit left out, but that's my own fault for dropping out of the fandom. I'm still in wonderment at how easily I used to be able to just sit and watch four hours of RPG play in a single go. I don't think I'm capable of that anymore.

The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
Rifftrax: Dragon Wars: D-War

I'd never seen The Conjuring (although I did see The Conjuring 2), so sol_se and I pulled it up on HBO Max and watched it in anticipation of the third movie. It's pretty good, but I think The Conjuring 2 is probably better.

As for the third Conjuring movie, they really opened things up a lot, which I think was ultimately to the film's detriment. It's fine, but it's the least of the three films thus far.

Dragon Wars: D-War is a love letter to downtown Los Angeles in a lot of ways, if your love letters end in explosions. It has some incomprehensible mythology and roles for some currently well-known actors before they really hit it big.

Yesterday was my first day back in the DM seat of our semi-monthly Dungeons and Dragons game and my first time running without a module to back me up. It was, frankly, terrifying. However, I had some benefits. For one thing, lizbetann gave me some excellent world-building and story hooks that I could take and twist to my own needs.

You never know what your players will respond to or how they'll respond to it. There were some pleasant surprises and at least one "Take the fourth option" moment. Adding in music for combat and borrowing some tricks from Matt Mercer on Critical Role (which, seriously you guys, it's like my only major fandom right now SO GOOD) really enhanced the experience, I think.

Now if the group would only give itself a name so that I could, you know, refer to them.