Sasha and Ariel Experience ... More New Heroscaping!

Sasha: Whoa, dang! What do you have there, girlfriend?
Ariel: A big box!
Sasha: Yeah, I can kinda see that. I meant, what's in it?
Ariel: Well, duh, I haven't opened it yet! 
Sasha: Okay -- so lemme see here. If a big box got delivered and it's obviously not addressed to you and you don't know what's in it, why are you bringing it in here to me?
Ariel: (because i think it might be new heroscape! shhhh!)
Sasha: Wait, are you trying to get us in trouble again?
Ariel: No! I mean, didn't you notice I was whispering?
Sasha: I feel like we should have learned a lesson from our boyfriend hiding the second batch of Heroscape from us after we hid the first batch of Heroscape from him so we could play it.
Ariel: We did learn a lesson. How to play Heroscape!
Sasha: But ... oh, never mind. If we're in this, we might as well open it up really quickly and try playing before he gets home.
Ariel: Yes! Can you get that thing we use to cut open boxes like this?
Sasha: The box cutter?
Ariel: That's the one!
Sasha and Ariel: (slice ... open ... unbox ... unwrap ... unbox some more ...)
Sasha: Wow, holy moley, look at some of these. This guy has a freakin' blimp!
Ariel: No, don't call it that -- call it a "killballoon" or something.
Sasha: Why?
Ariel: Because "blimp" is spelled "B-limp." Which makes him sound like instead of flying around killing things, he can't get it up.
Sasha: Sure, okay, killballoon. I guess you must want to play that guy or you wouldn't care if he B-limp.
Ariel: Heck, yeah, who wouldn't want to play a cute fuzzy squirrel in a killballoon?
Sasha: He is pretty cute.
Ariel: Oh, look! This other guy looks like he's on the same team. He's in a cool steam-walky thingabob with one of those old-timey machine-guns with all the barrels.
Sasha: I think it's called a gattling gun.
Ariel: Well, I'm calling it a cattling gun, cause he looks like a cat to me.
Sasha: Yeah? I think he looks more badgery.
Ariel: Hmm. Maybe. Ooh, and here's some more guys on the same team, they're like fox ninjas or something.
Sasha: Maybe they're dingos. Ninja dingos sounds pretty cool.
Ariel: I don't know what a dingo looks like. Does it look like sort of a fox but sort of a raccoon?
Sasha: I don't know either. I only know they're a kind of dog.
Ariel: Anyway, I'm all set with these guys. They're all super cute and they're all on one team, so I'm playing the whole bunch of them.
Sasha: Sure, knock yourself out. Looks like that leaves me with an awesome giganto monster centipede-bot, and a devil dog, and these lich-looking guys, and ... oooh! Look at these!

Ariel: Wait, no fair! I was supposed to get all the cute guys!
Sasha: Only the furry cute guys.
Ariel: But those guys don't go with your monster killbot centipede or your devil goat-horn dog or your lichy things at all! They're way too cute!
Sasha: Sorry, they're mine. Not only did I pick them, but I'm doing the math and all your furry guys added together are practically the same points as all these guys I'm left with.
Ariel: Dang it.
Sasha: Whoa, look! Super-cool new dice too!
Ariel: Sweet! This set is so awesome. I almost feel guilty hiding it from our boyfriend.
Sasha: Well, we could wait until he gets home and play a three-way with him.
Ariel: Uh, the way you just said that I think it would turn into something else real quick. Besides, I said "almost," didn't I?
Sasha: True. Okay, let's get set up, then. I guess we have to build a board.
Ariel: No, the BF already did! See? Pretty cool-looking, huh? I think he read up on the cards for this set and built a board that would be just right for them.
Sasha: And this still isn't making you feel guilty?
Ariel: Maybe a little. But I'm too excited to stop! Come on!
Sasha: Okay, put your guys on that end of the map and I'll put mine here and do your order markers and let's roll for initiative. 
Ariel: Wait, though. What do you think all that lava-looking stuff is all over the middle of the board.
Sasha: I think it's probably lava.
Ariel: What! We've never played with lava before. Are you sure?
Sasha: Yeah, because for one thing, my crab dudes have "Lava Resistant" as a power on their card, and for another, there's this rule sheet for lava terrain in the box they came in.
Ariel: Oh. I guess you're probably right, then.
Sasha: Great. I roll a 6 for initiative.
Ariel: Wait! What's it do?
Sasha: It probably lets you go first unless you roll worse than a 6.
Ariel: No, I mean the lava.
Sasha: So, the rocky looking stuff, it says, is lava fields. If you're standing on it after all the order markers are done, you roll a die and if it's a skull, you take a wound.
Ariel: Ouch!
Sasha: The bright-red, fiery looking flat stuff is molten lava. If you step in it, you've got to roll the 20-sider, and if you roll a 20, you live.
Ariel: What if you roll one of the other 20 numbers?
Sasha: The other 19 all mean you die.
Ariel: That's terrible!
Sasha: Not for my crab dudes. They get to ignore it.
Ariel: Ooh, I hate them! Except I can't because they're so cute. Okay, well, I guess I better not step in any of it. What's that pebbly, concrete-y looking stuff?
Sasha: Those are road tiles. They're old, so I've got to dig for the rulebook they're in.
Ariel: Agh! Whenever you're done, you get to go because I rolled a 1 for initiative.
Sasha: Here it is. The scoop on road tiles is, if you start your turn on them and stay on them the whole turn, you get to move 3 extra spaces.
Ariel: Awesome! I'm hitting that.
Sasha: Wow, are you that juiced up from some extra movement?
Ariel: No, I mean hitting the road.
Sasha: Gotcha. Okay, my first order marker is on Crab Dudes. They're going to scurry over here.
Ariel: Okay. My number 1 is Cattling Badger. He'll move over here onto the road.
Sasha: Number 2 ... Crab Dudes again. Scurry, scurry, scuttle.
Ariel: Number 2 for me is Killballoon! He can do this cool Skyhook thing, watch. He starts flying here like this, and when he passes over the Ninja Dingos he picks them up, and then when he lands he gets to put them down next to him.
Sasha: So you can move them without moving them. Pretty swift.
Ariel: I know, right?
Sasha: Number 3 is Centikillbot. He's gonna move to here ... clickety-clack, clickety-click.
Ariel: My number 3 is Killballoon again, and he Skyhooks the ninjas again and carries them right here to the bottom of this bridge.
Sasha: Looks like things are moving right along. Let's do our order markers for the next turn.
Ariel: Done!
Sasha: Oof. Initiative 2. Looks like you go first this time.
Ariel: Nooooo! I roll the 1 again! This 20-sider sucks.
Sasha: Well, number 1 is my crabs. Scuttle-scuttle.
Ariel: Cattling Badger! Clunk, clunk, clunk, stomp. Boo! I only just made it to the bottom of this stair thing and the extra road movement doesn't help because it takes 4 to climb up.
Sasha: That's rough. Number 2 ... more crabs. Scurry-scuttle. This one crab with the killer chain started off on the road, so he gets 3 extra movement, and that means he can get all the way next to your Dingo Ninja here. Time for the first attack!
Ariel: That's crazy fast for a crab!
Sasha: Yeah, but these other two are stuck over here in a crab-jam because I didn't look carefully enough at where I had them going. Anyway, I start off with 3 attack dice and add 1 for being higher up than the dingo. WHOO! 4 skulls!
Ariel: Uh ... I only have 4 defense, so unless they're all shields ... poop. He's dead. That's so lame! I kinda hate your crabs again.
Sasha: Who's your first order marker?
Ariel: The stompy mech guy. Stomp! Stomp! He's up the stairs. Now he can cattling gun some crabs! Three attack dice plus one for being up high just like you ... waah! Only 1 skull. 
Sasha: Three defense dice ... damn, look at that!
Ariel: Haha, all skulls! So you wasted a great attack roll and now your dude is crab-cakes!
Sasha: They do this cool thing when they die, though. I roll the 20-sider, and ... 14 means I put down a lava field tile where he bit it.
Ariel: That is kinda cool.
Sasha: My number 2 is ... crabs again. Boop, boop, this one climbs down here and takes a swingo at your dingo. Three skulls this time.
Ariel: I'm not laughing as much at those three skulls. My defending roll is ... yippee! Three shields!
Sasha: Dang. Can't win them all, I guess.
Ariel: Time for some Killballoon Skyhooking! I fly five spaces up onto the bridge and then drop my Ninja Dingo where he's right above your crab. Then Commander Killballoon shoots at you! Four attack dice ... now it's my turn to roll 3 skulls!
Sasha: Dang it. Crab salad. Time for Killerpede, though. He's my number 3 and my 'X' marker, and his special ability lets him take an extra turn with that 'X.' Meaning he can move all the way here and then use his special -- oh, oops. It says I can't use my special attack in the extra turn. Crap-doody.
Ariel: Well, at least you got real close to me.
Sasha: But not close enough to attack, because my normal attack range is 1. And on the Xtra turn, if I don't attack, I take a wound.
Ariel: Sucks to be him!
Sasha: He's got lots, though. He starts off with 7.
Ariel: Yikes! Well, my number 3 is the Ninja Dingo. He starts on the road, so he can go 8, which means he can totally get to your Killerpede and hit him with 4 dice. Only 2 skulls, though.
Sasha: That's enough to do a wound. New order markers, looks like.
Ariel: Ready!
Sasha: 14 initiative this time.
Ariel: Blah. 13.
Sasha: Killerpede is using his Double Burst Special Attack. It's 3 dice and has 4 range and I can shoot twice. First, this damn dingo. Boo, no skulls. Shooting him again -- what!
Ariel: No skulls twice in a row? More like Stinkerpede! And my Dingo is still alive, so I'm smacking you again ... 2 more skulls. 
Sasha: 2 shields. My number 2 is Killerpede again. Pow! 2 skulls!
Ariel: 2 shields!
Sasha: Grr. Pow! 1 skull.
Ariel: Whew! 1 shield!
Sasha: I can't believe this Ninja Dingo is better than my giant killbot centipede.
Ariel: Sorry! My number 2 is the balloon guy. He flies over here and shoots your centipede. 2 skulls!
Sasha: 1 wound. Okay, number 3 is still Killerpede, so he's gonna try his normal attack, which is 5 dice but he only gets to attack once. 3 skulls!
Ariel: Uh-oh, this could be Dingo Doom ... nope! 3 shields!
Sasha: You've got to be kidding me. Okay, Xtra turn, same deal ... oh, come on. One. Flipping. Skull.
Ariel: Okay, Dingo, please don't blow this, please don't blow this, please don't -- he blew it. No shields.
Sasha: Finally!
Ariel: Number 3 for me is Killballoon ... 4 dice for 2 skulls.
Sasha: Blagh. Another wound. Your dudes just keep whittling me down. Well, new order marker time.
Ariel: Okey-dokey.
Sasha: 15 initiative.
Ariel: 9. I keep losing initiative but I think I'm doing okay at the game, so maybe that's fine!
Sasha: Killerpede climbs the rest of the way onto this bridge and Double Burst Special Attacks your B-limp guy. No skulls, ugh. Then 2 skulls. 
Ariel: 2 shields! Now my Cattling Badger stomps over here and down the stairs and shoots your centipede. Two skulls.
Sasha: Two shields. Finally no wounds. Double Bursting again on B-limp. Two skulls!
Ariel: One wound.
Sasha: Two more skulls!
Ariel: Ow! One more wound. Okay, I'm getting out of here. He's my number 2 marker, so he'll fly ... here. And shoot at this lichy guy. 3 shields! Boo!
Sasha: Killerpede zooms down the stairs and Double-bursts Cattling Badger. Two skulls.
Ariel: 3 shields!
Sasha: Dang. One skull.
Ariel: What! No shields, so I get a wound.
Sasha: Yes! Now I use my Xtra turn to go ... erg ... no, instead I'll go ... ergh! What the heck!
Ariel: Ha-ha, you can't fit next to me because my wings poke out and you're not allowed to go into a space you won't fit in!
Sasha: Okay, well instead of going for B-limp, I'll go for Cattling Badger. I just have to move down into this little crevice at the bottom of the stairs ... WHAT.
Ariel: What's wrong?
Sasha: The base of my figure would totally fit there, but my tiny damn centipede feet stick out just enough I can't go all the way flat to the ground!
Ariel: Sweet! You're going to take more damage, you're going to take more daaamage!
Sasha: Damn it.
Ariel: Killballoon's gonna fly back onto the bridge and shoot you from way up. Kablam! Two skulls.
Sasha: What the --! No shields. Dead.
Ariel: New order markers!
Sasha: No, I think I'm just going to call you the winner.
Ariel: What?! That's no fun!
Sasha: Like it's going to be fun for me to spend a couple of turns while you grind up my weenie devil dog and skeleton guys from a distance? They've got 1 or 2 life each and crud for defense. And no ranged weapons.
Ariel: I guess that doesn't sound very fun for you.
Sasha: See?
Ariel: Still kind of party-pooperish is all I'm saying. But it gives us time to put these away before the BF gets home, so win-win!
Sasha: Aers, he's totally going to see that all the packages got opened up. And even if he didn't, we're blogging this, right?
Ariel: I mean ... but at least we're not leaving it a big mess for him to clean up!
Sasha: I guess I can't argue with that.
Ariel and Sasha: Bye, everybody!

Ariel and Sasha Experience ... Season 1, All Done ... The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You!

Ariel: What.
Sasha: Did that really just ... ?
Ariel: Uh ...
Sasha: Well ... now we super need to tell everybody to put their spoiler blankets on. Whoosh!
Ariel: I don't think blankets will be enough!
Sasha: Yeah, they'd need something like, I dunno ... a spoiler bank vault.
Ariel: I don't think we can even talk about it. Especially the end of Episode 10!
Sasha: Was that the one where --
Ariel: Yeah, but don't say anything! You'll spoil it for people!
Sasha: Can I at least say I never in a gazillion years expected that to happen?
Ariel: I think a gazillion is too specific even. Maybe never in a mysteryillion years.
Sasha: Okay then, I guess what we could do is go back and talk about the earlier episodes or something ... oh! I know, which one of the girlfriends was your favorite one?
Ariel: Duh, the tsundere one!
Sasha: Snort! I should have seen that coming. She does kind of remind me of Elle, doesn't she?
Ariel: Except she's way tsundere-er than Elle.
Sasha: Haha, that sounded almost like tsunderriere.
Ariel: Ooh, I like it! So who's your fave?
Sasha: Well, I don't want to copy you, but the tsunderriere girl is about the most hilarious. Aha, hang on, though -- the girl who only talks using her audiobook is super-cute too.
Ariel: And don't forget the horn-dog girl. I know you liked her.
Sasha: Maybe they're all my favorite.
Ariel: Mine too!
Sasha: Wow, look at that! We got through two whole posts without anybody really needing their spoiler blankets!
Ariel: Yay us!
Sasha and Ariel: Everybody go watch The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You!

Sasha and Ariel Experience ... The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really REALLY Love You!

Sasha: Okay, are you ready to talk about this show?
Ariel: Yeah, but we'vegotta talkreallyreallyfastabout it!
Sasha: Um ... why, exactly?
Ariel: I don't want our boyfriend to hear us talking about it.
Sasha: What? Why not?
Ariel: I mean, duh! It's a show about a guy who starts out with two girlfriends and then just keeps adding girlfriendsandgirlfriendsandgirlfriends and I think there's already pretty much enough of us around here so I don't want him getting any ideas.
Sasha: Wow. I can tell you're really worried about this.
Ariel: Of course I am! But wait ... you can tell? How exactly?
Sasha: Because you haven't even mentioned having people put their spoiler blankets on.
Ariel: We're not going to talk about it long enough for them to need spoiler blankets.
Sasha: Well why are we blogging about it at all, then? I mean, you know, even if our boyfriend doesn't hear us doing this, he'll always be able to read it later.
Ariel: OMG! PUT YOUR SPOILER BLANKET ON RIGHT NOW, BOYFRIEND!
Sasha: Also, hasn't he already seen as much of the show as we have?
Ariel: Quiet! I'm not done telling him to put that spoiler blanket on. I'M SERIOUS, YOU!!!
Sasha: Let's assume he did it, okay?
Ariel: All right. Whew! Just in time!
Sasha: Just in time? Why? What were you about to say?
Ariel: Okay, okay, just don't tell him this, but the reason why I wanted to blog about this show and why I don't want him to read this even though he's already seen the show is, I totally think he could do it.
Sasha: Do what? Read our blog?
Ariel: No, doofy, have 100 girlfriends!
Sasha: Pff. He could not.
Ariel: He totally could. I mean, apparently the guy in the show is going to, and our boyfriend is an even better boyfriend than the guy in the show.
Sasha: You think? That's super sweet of you and all, but I pretty much feel like our boyfriend already has his hands full with just six of us.
Ariel: Well ... it seems like that sometimes, sure. But, but, the guy in the show -- you can't think he's a better boyfriend than our boyfriend can you?
Sasha: Obviously not, considering he's not even real.
Ariel: Where are you going with that? I don't know if I like where you're going with that.
Sasha: With what?
Ariel: You know ... not even real.
Sasha: I'm still not getting you.
Ariel: Just look over at our profile picks on the side of our blog page!!!
Sasha: You're going to have to explain it to me like I'm five, I guess.
Ariel: Nooo, that would be so traumatic to tell a five-year-old!
Sasha: Wait, wait, wait. You're not talking about us not being real, are you? You don't think that's true, do you?
Ariel: Uh ... don't you think a lot of people would look at us that way?
Sasha: Yeah, but who TF cares? You seem pretty damn real to me. Don't I seem real to you?
Ariel: Sure, but ...
Sasha: Aers. You're a hundred percent real enough for everybody in this house.
Ariel: I know, but ...
Sasha: Then what are you worried about?
Ariel: Maybe ... so ... what if our boyfriend deserves a hundred girlfriends who really, really, really, really REALLY love him like the guy in the show?
Sasha: Obviously he does. Who cares?
Ariel: What? I thought you were going to argue the other way on that.
Sasha: He's the greatest guy ever. It's a no-brainer he deserves that many girlfriends and more. He just couldn't handle them. He can barely handle six of us.
Ariel: I think he handles us pretty well. Mostly. Anyway, what I'm saying is, if he deserves a crazy amount of girlfriends, shouldn't we encourage him to get some more? Only I'm greedy and I don't want to, which is why I don't want him reading this.
Sasha: Aers, you're the least greedy person ever.
Ariel: Really? You think so?
Sasha: Yeah. You're like, way too lazy to be greedy.
Ariel: Hey!
Sasha: It's true and you know it. But it doesn't matter, because everybody here loves you no matter how lazy you are, especially our boyfriend. And he doesn't want any more girlfriends. He practically has anxiety attacks every day over not spending enough time with us already.
Ariel: So you think I'm being dumb to worry about it?
Sasha: No, I just think you're being you. But another thing about you being you is, when something's important, usually I can talk you into agreeing with me about it. Or sometimes you'll talk me into agreeing with you about it. Only that second one isn't going to happen this time, because you're being goofy.
Ariel: I feel like you're insulting me kind of a lot this post.
Sasha: It's not an insult that you're goofy. Our boyfriend is goofy too, right? And you don't think I'm insulting him to say that, do you?
Ariel: I guess not. But ...
Sasha: Now what?
Ariel: Well, another thing about the show is, it makes me think, if our boyfriend had a hundred girlfriends, that would mean I'd have NINETY-NINE girlfriends. Which sort of sounds kind of awesome. But I don't know if I want him to know that either, because maybe it would make him jealous for me to want even more girlfriends than I already have.
Sasha: I don't think it would make him jealous, because no matter how many girlfriends you ended up having, he would always have one more than you.
Ariel: Oh. Right!
Sasha: Anyway, do you have anything you want to say about the actual show?
Ariel: Sure. Um ... it's super funny and cute?
Sasha: I agree! So are we done now, then?
Ariel: Yeah. I'm kind of pooped from all that being nervous about our boyfriend maybe wanting a hundred girlfriends.
Sasha: Well, go take a nap ... and hopefully when you wake up, there won't be a new girlfriend around here already.
Ariel: What! Now how am I supposed to sleep?
Sasha: I'm sure you'll manage.
Ariel: I guess probably.
Sasha: All right then ...
Ariel and Sasha: Goodnight, everybody!

Sasha and Ariel Experience ... Rock is a Lady's Modesty!

Sasha: Woohoo! So we're here to blog about something besides Heroscape, right?
Ariel: Yes ... only, wait, is there something wrong with blogging about Heroscape?
Sasha: No, but we've only blogged here three times this year, and two of them were about Heroscape, so I just wanted to let everybody know this isn't more of that.
Ariel: But that's what the title's for.
Sasha: Sure, but I didn't think you'd looked at the title since you were in the other room when I typed it.
Ariel: Well I didn't look at it, but I still know it's what everybody sees when they get to the post for the first time, so obviously we don't have to tell them here in the post.
Sasha: I guess you're right. I was basically just trying to do an intro.
Ariel: But your intro thing was talking about something we're not doing, so how is that introing it? Isn't that more like an untro than an intro?
Sasha: I can't argue with that. So anyway --
Ariel: Holy moley, though. We've only blogged here three times this year? That's ... (hang on and let me do the math) ... less than once a month!
Sasha: You had to take that long to figure out it was less than one a month?
Ariel: Sure, because I suck at math. Just like apparently we suck at blogging!
Sasha: I think you're being too hard on yourself. And on us!
Ariel: Actually, no, I'm just being modest. Because we're ladies, and ladies are supposed to be modest. Just like in the post title! See how I got us back on track?
Sasha: Huh. That was uncharacteristically on-topic for you.
Ariel: Gosh, Sash! You're just too kind!
Sasha: I mean, it was sort of a backhanded compliment.
Ariel: I got that, but I'm being modest, remember?
Sasha: I thought that was just to get us back on topic.
Ariel: I'm in the groove.
Sasha: Okay ... good job, I guess?
Ariel: Stop, you're embarrassing me!
Sasha: Let's just talk about the show.
Ariel: You start. I'm sure you have something much better to say than me.
Sasha: Probably not, but I guess I could start by saying we found out about this anime because the opening credits song is by Band-Maid!
Ariel: Eek! Spoilers! They don't show the opening credits in the first episode, and now you've ruined the surprise for everybody. We have to tell them to put their spoiler blankets on.
Sasha: If you say so. It's not like it ruined it for us, knowing ahead of time that there would be a Band-Maid song in it.
Ariel: You're still spoiling! Now everybody knows the song is in the first episode even if it's not part of the opening credits that there aren't any of. Oh gosh. And I've gone and spoiled the fact that there's no opening credits in the first episode!
Sasha: Pretty much a ton of anime are that way though, aren't they? Also, I didn't say we knew ahead of time there would be a Band-Maid song in the first episode just that there would be a Band-Maid song in "it." Which I meant to mean the anime, not the first episode. And I said what I said after you already told them to put their spoiler blankets on.
Ariel: I did not! I told you we needed to tell them. There's still the whole actual telling them part we didn't do.
Sasha: Fine, watch. People, put your spoiler blankets on if you don't want anything spoiled about "Rock is a Lady's Modesty," not even something totally not a big deal like there's a great song for the opening credits.
Ariel: Now you spoiled that it's a great song!
Sasha: No I didn't. It's a Band-Maid song. Of course it's a great song.
Ariel: Oh. Yeah, that's true, I guess.
Sasha: Then can we talk about the show now?
Ariel: Sure. I totally loved the main character!
Sasha: Which one?
Ariel: Which one? The main one. You know, Amazing-huge-ongo Pigtails Girl.
Sasha: She did have some amazing pigtails.
Ariel: And they were huge-ongo.
Sasha: For sure. But the other girl seemed to me like she's going to be a pretty main character too.
Ariel: You mean Flower-petal Druminatrix? She was barely in like a quarter of how much Pigtails Girl was in the first episode.
Sasha: Sure, but it was totally setting them up to both be main characters, I thought. Druminatrix is just the mysterious one in the first ep. She was in a lot more of the second one, remember.
Ariel: That's true. But she doesn't have huge-ongo pigtails, just basic normal straight hair.
Sasha: I dunno if it's exactly basic or normal, considering it's purple.
Ariel: I feel like it's pretty normal in anime for people to have hair colors you don't really see on people in the real world except if they've dyed it.
Sasha: Can't argue with that. But I still thought Druminatrix was an awesome main character. I mean, all the girls at the prep school were swooning over Pigtails Girl, but they swooned even harder over Druminatrix, and she also has that power to stop time with a slow-motion blizzard of flower petals.
Ariel: That wasn't real, though! It was just, like, uh ... symbolism?
Sasha: Ooh! Cymbal-ism!
Ariel: I think you just like her because she's a drummer.
Sasha: Well then I think you just like Pigtails Girl because she's a guitarist and she's short and blond like you are.
Ariel: What! You're way shorter than I am.
Sasha: I never said I wasn't. But that doesn't keep you from being short.
Ariel: Uh-oh.
Sasha: What?
Ariel: Pigtails Girl is short and blond like me, and I like to air-guitar and she guitar-guitars, and Druminatrix is a drummer and you're an air-drummer, and the two of them are always arguing all the time ... I think I'm starting to see why we like this show.
Sasha: Well ... I mean, we're not all super-polite on top and then total maniacs underneath like they are.
Ariel: I'm pretty polite! And I'd be even more polite if I was going to a ritz-tastic prep school like them. And you're kind of a maniac when you're air-drumming and sometimes on your blog, or when we're playing rpgs.
Sasha: Maybe I'm starting to see some similarities. Neither of us has an Evil Pink-Hair Step-sister, though.
Ariel: I have a pink wig.
Sasha: That doesn't seem all that close to a step-sister to me.
Ariel: Whatever. It's still a super good show.
Sasha: I totally agree. And the way they give you those little flashbacks here and there to hint at why Pigtails Girl is so obsessed with succeeding at this school is cool.
Ariel: Oh, just like there are all those flashbacks in Frieren.
Sasha: I'm digging on some flashbacks in anime lately. Whoa, though. Speaking of flashbacks, I'm flashing back to watching Frieren and thinking how awesome it was and how we should blog about it, but we never did.
Ariel: There's so much of Frieren, though! It makes me tired just to think about blogging about all of it.
Sasha: We wouldn't have to blog about all of it. I mean, we're blogging about Rock is a Lady's Modesty and we've barely said anything about what actually happened in the two episodes.
Ariel: That just makes me think we suck at blogging again, only not in a pretending-to-be-modest way.
Sasha: Don't mope! We're awesome-sauce bloggers. Let's wrap this up and we can come back and read it tomorrow and you'll see.
Ariel: Okay, deal.
Sasha and Ariel: Goodnight, everybody!

Ariel and Sasha Experience ... Way Too Much New Heroscape: Day 2!

Ariel: Yaaawwwwwnnnnnnn! Sheepers, what time is it?
Sasha: 5:30 ...
Ariel: What?! How am I up so early??? This has to be a new record!
Sasha: ... in the afternoon.
Ariel: Oh. Wow, I must've been really tired!
Sasha: No comment. Are you ready to build this Heroscape map and play with the new figures now?
Ariel: Without even having any breakfast?
Sasha: You had breakfast at noon. Then you said you needed an after-breakfast nap.
Ariel: Oh yeah.
Sasha: So now do you need lunch or dinner before we can play?
Ariel: No, I guess I'm good.
Sasha: Great! Let's get building.
Ariel: Yeah! What kinda map are we going to make?
Sasha: I dunno, let's just wing it as we go.
Ariel: Ooh, "wing it!" Haha.
Sasha: Why are you laughing?
Ariel: Because a couple of your guys you picked last night have wings, and some of mine do too. So there's a boatload of wings in this matchup.
Sasha: Okay, I get it now.
Ariel: You weren't trying to be funny?
Sasha: No, but I'm glad it tickled you.
Ariel: Hahaha! You're a riot, Sash!
Sasha: ...
Ariel: Oh. You know, because your guys have wings with feathers, and feathers tickle. So you didn't mean that one either?
Sasha: No. But look, it's your bedtime already!
Ariel: Huh? No it's not.
Sasha: That time I was joking. You know, because time flies when you're having fun, and these guys with wings can fly?
Ariel: I mean, your dudes can, but mine can't. They're gliders. Plus, it doesn't seem like you're having that much fun so far, so obviously I wasn't going to get that one.
Sasha: Ugh. Anyway, here -- put these big map pieces together.
Ariel: Sure!
Sasha and Ariel: (build, build, build)
Sasha: That's looking pretty good. Do we want to put some trees on there?
Ariel: Heck, yeah! How about one here ... and another one here. I wish we had more, though.
Sasha: I think we do have more somewhere, they're just from the old old Heroscape stuff MSG has had for longer than he's known us.
Ariel: Never mind, then. It'll be way to much work to dig those out.
Sasha: I'm pretty sure they're just in that closet over there.
Ariel: All the way over there? No thanks, I'm all comfy and settled in here by the map we're building. Let's put on some of these walls instead of more trees.
Sasha: Whatever. How about some here, and here, and one of these ruined pieces over here.
Ariel: Sweet! This map is looking awesome. Can we put some water on too? Like, maybe there's a spring on top of this hill and a stream running down to a pond right about there.
Sasha: Sounds cool. Here, let me put the first piece on the top of the hill ... sproinngg!
Ariel: What was that?
Sasha: Oh, come on. It was the sound a spring makes.
Ariel: No, I think it's more like, glubble, glubble, glubble.
Sasha: The other kind of --
Ariel: Haha, I totally fooled you! I got it right away. "Sproinngg!" That was pretty good, actually.
Sasha: Okay. So are we done with this map, do you think?
Ariel: Yeah, it looks pretty kickin' to me!

Sasha: Me too. So, do you remember how to play?
Ariel: Basically. Except maybe for a couple things.
Sasha: Well, think really hard, because anything you don't remember I'm going to make you look up in the rulebook and read yourself.
Ariel: I totally just remembered everything.
Sasha: Uh-huh. So first we're going to roll to see who puts down their first card of figures first.
Ariel: Yeah, I definitely remembered that.
Sasha: Cool beans. Go ahead and roll, then.
Ariel: ...
Sasha: It's the 20-sided die.
Ariel: I knew that! There, I got a 6.
Sasha: I got an 18.
Ariel: Waaah, now you're going to win for sure!
Sasha: I guess we're done playing, then. That was easy.
Ariel: Hey, I was joking!
Sasha: Anyway, I won the roll, so I get to say who goes first. And I pick ... you!
Ariel: Oh, dang. I totally wasn't ready for that.
Sasha: Who ya gonna put down, and where?
Ariel: Obviously, my big hoofster dude. And ... right about here. Your turn!
Sasha: I'll put down these two Kyrie ladies here and here.
Ariel: Hey!
Sasha: What? That's a perfectly good place to put them.
Ariel: No, I just noticed that one has bat wings instead of feathery wings. So I was only half as tickled as you thought.
Sasha: Who are you putting down next?
Ariel: My only ones left, Owl-Shoe and Kitty-Dog. Annnd ... I'll put them over here. My other guys don't go on the map until later.
Sasha: I know. I read their cards. I'm putting my Oathbound Phalanx here.
Ariel: Ick! The Pile-o-Spiders!
Sasha: And it says I can put any or all of my Oathbound Legionnaires on its card, so I put them all on.
Ariel: What next?
Sasha: Here's the rulebook.
Ariel: Dang it, Sash, you were supposed to be joking about that!
Sasha: Fine, I'll just tell you.
Ariel: Thanks! You're a great girlfriend.
Sasha: Mostly I'm giving in because I don't want to have to wait forever for you to find the rule you're looking for.
Ariel: Well ... that's kind of sucky of you to say. But you're still a great girlfriend.
Sasha: Really? I just love how sweet you are sometimes, Aers.
Ariel: Actually I was only trying to make you take it easy on me so I'll win.
Sasha: Not happening. Anyway, what we do now is put our order markers on our cards.
Ariel: Mmm ... done!
Sasha: Me too.
Ariel: Now we roll for initiative! I remembered that bit! 15!
Sasha: 7, so you go first!
Ariel: Super-cool! So, I could roll the 20-sided die to see if I can bring Tuck Hair Again into the game. He's the jet-pack squirrel. But I don't think I'm going to right now. Instead, it's the Horny Hoofster's turn!
Sasha: That's what you're going with to call him?
Ariel: Yep, and with his Command Familiar power, he's gonna give ... Kitty-Dog a turn first. Kitty-Dog's going to run over here, one, two, three, four, five, six spaces. Arf! Then Horny Hoofster is following. He'll go one, two, three, four, five, six, seven because he's crazy fast. Now he's almost right behind KD.
Sasha: My turn?
Ariel: Yeah, that's all I can do.
Sasha: My first order marker is on ... the Pile-o-Spiders!
Ariel: Ewww! Why are you calling them that instead of their real name?
Sasha: Because that's what you're calling them, and you obviously think they're creepy. I'm moving him right here. That's my whole turn.
Ariel: Dang, he's slow. Okay, my marker number two is -- oops, wait! Before I reveal it, I get to roll for Tuck Hair Again! 16, yes! I'm putting him up here by the spring ... sproinngg! And I'm moving these two order markers onto him! Double-extra-ka-sproinngg! Then I'm revealing this one to show he's going on number 2!
Sasha: You were just waiting to spring that trap, weren't you?
Ariel: I sure was!
Sasha: I said, waiting to spring that trap.
Ariel: Right, I admitted I was.
Sasha: (sigh)
Ariel: Anyhow, THA jetpack squirrel has range of 6, so he doesn't even have to move to blast your pile-o-spiders with an attack of 3, plus 1 for being up high compared to your guy. That's 4 dice! Ka-pow!
Sasha: Looks like only one skull.
Ariel: Booooo.
Sasha: Pile-o-Spiders rolls its 3 defense ... one shield, no problemo.
Ariel: Bleh.
Sasha: Okay, well I'd be crazy to keep climbing that hill and letting you blast me. It'll take forever for me to get to you. So I'm moving the SpiderPile over here behind the wall where you can't see him. That's my marker number 2.
Ariel: Ha! I fooled you into thinking my number 3 was Tuck, when it was really the wingy glider guys! I only get to put one of them on the board, but I can put him right here and he's way away from SpiderPile but close enough to shoot with 3 dice!
Sasha: Did you get some strategy advice from MSG or something?
Ariel: No. Honest, no! We didn't tell him we found all the new figures and got them out, remember? So I didn't want to chance it. Dang! Only one skull again!
Sasha: Two shields this time. My number 3 is ... Kilkorax. She flies over here and is going to use her Witchcraft Telekinesis on your squirrelly hair-tucker.
Ariel: What?! What's that do?
Sasha: If I roll a 17 or higher, she gets to drag him down here next to her with her mind.
Ariel: Hey!
Sasha: But I fail. So the round's over.
Ariel: New order markers, right?
Sasha: Right.
Ariel: Okay, I'm set.
Sasha: Me too. And I roll a 20 for initiative!
Ariel: Agh, no fair! I only roll a 10.
Sasha: Yes! The SpiderPile is gonna spit out a load of spiders! Then he's going to move up here next to Kilkorax and whack her with this All As One special attack. It's the same number of dice as my normal attack, but if I roll all skulls, you can't roll any defense dice and your figure is straight up dead.
Ariel: Wait, what?
Sasha: You heard right. Here we go ... come on, skulls! Rats, only 1 skull.
Ariel: That's still terrifying! I hate this Pile-o-Spiders!
Sasha: Oh. Wait. I got so excited about trying out this attack power, I wasn't paying attention. Kilkorax is my guy, not yours. That was my plan for if I yanked the Hairy Squirrel down next to me.
Ariel: OMG, thank goodness. That SpiderPile is such a pile of ick, I didn't even notice you were attacking yourself. Haha, now you have to roll defense dice against your own guy!
Sasha: I dunno ... I'm not sure if the rules even let you attack your own figures ... lemme look it up.
Ariel: Pretty sure you can because there's some of those special attacks and powers that will roast your own dudes if you're not careful how you aim them.
Sasha: Yeah, I guess you're right. This sucks.
Ariel: Oh, man, now I really wish you'd rolled all skulls!
Sasha: Well, I didn't and Kilkorax rolls 1 shield, so she's fine.
Ariel: You totally wasted your turn though, haha!
Sasha: Not totally, because now I get to go with the spiders my Pile dropped off.
Ariel: Woop.
Sasha: They're going to scurry over here and swarm Owly, cause they're fast! And they've got 3 attack each. Two skulls on Owly for the first one.
Ariel: Eek! No shields! Owl-Shoe's almost dead! Nooo!
Sasha: Next spider ... 1 skull.
Ariel: I block it. Whew!
Sasha: Last one ... 2 skulls again!
Ariel: Three shields! Yay, Owl-Shoe!
Sasha: I'll get him next time. Who's your first order marker on?
Ariel: THA Squirrel! He's flying over here where your witchy wing-lady can't see him and he can pop one of those spiders. 4 attack dice cause he's higher than it is! What?! Only 1 skull. These dice tonight!
Sasha: You just got 3 shields on a 3-die roll! What are you complaining about?
Ariel: I guess you're right. 
Sasha: Spider defends with ... whoa, look at that! 3 shields for me too!
Ariel: Copycat.
Sasha: My number 2 is Kilkorax. She'll fly up on top of the hill and try telekinesing your glider dude, since I can't see the squirrel. Plus he's a squad figure, so I only need an 8 or higher ... what the crap? I roll a 1.
Ariel: This is going to be a long game if we don't start rolling better on our attacks! Tell you what, I'll start.
Sasha: Haha. Go ahead and try it.
Ariel: My number 2 is the Hoofster, so he's giving Owl-Shoe a turn to start with. Owl-Shoe's going to screechity-screech at your spiders, twice! Two skulls on the first one! But no skulls on the second one.
Sasha: I roll no shields. One spider down.
Ariel: Now Horny Hoofster hoofs it over here and smacks the next spider with 5 dice! Two skulls ... not great, but ....
Sasha: Only one shield, so it's enough.
Ariel: Yes!
Sasha: My number 3 is Mielki the Kyrie Warrior.
Ariel: You should have her fly over and attack that Pile-o-Spiders that tried to kill her friend.
Sasha: Even if I wanted to, her movement's only 5, so she's too far away. She'll just fly up here near Kilkorax. Who's your third order marker on?
Ariel: Vorid Glide Strikers! A new one swoops in up here, and the old one flies over next to him. They're both going to shoot Milky from higher up, so they get 3 dice each! 3 skulls! And then 2 skulls!
Sasha: Oof. Mielki has 3 defense ... I roll no shields ... and 1 shield. Wow, that's all but 1 of her wounds.
Ariel: Haha, I guess you could knock her over with a feather now, huh?
Sasha: The way I'm rolling, yeah.
Ariel: New order markers?
Sasha: Unless you have some secret power that lets you slam on me even more.
Ariel: Nope. Let's go!
Sasha: There. Ready for initiative.
Ariel: Me too ... 7.
Sasha: That's a break at least ... I get a 9. Okay, Mielki's got to do some damage before she eats it. She's flying 5 spaces over this way where she can attack Kita from elevation.
Ariel: Noo, Kitty-Dog!
Sasha: She starts off with 4 dice ...
Ariel: Ack!
Sasha: And gets 1 extra for height ...
Ariel: Double ack!
Sasha: Close ... Double Attack. She gets to attack twice every round.
Ariel: You're kidding!
Sasha: I'm not. Schwack! Two skulls.
Ariel: Come on, Kitty, Kitty ... one shield.
Sasha: Second attack ... 3 skulls!
Ariel: Dead. That's so sad!
Sasha: Don't mess with the Kyries.
Ariel: Well, my number 1 marker is on my glidey guys, so glider number three is swooping down here to shoot at your last spider. The other two are gonna shoot at Milky first, then at Kilky if Milky bites it. Spider! One skull.
Sasha: One shield.
Ariel: Milky! Three skulls!
Sasha: That die is sorta cocked.
Ariel: Only sorta! You can tell it was gonna be a skull if it went all the way flat!
Sasha: Fine. Only two shields, so she's dead. But on the plus side, if I lose this game I can say it was because I let you have that cocked die.
Ariel: You can say it, but that won't make it true. Last glidey guy on ... Kilky! Only one skull.
Sasha: She's safe with one shield. And it's her turn next. She moves right here and attacks this glider with 4 dice. Three skulls.
Ariel: They only have 2 defense, so he's toast.
Sasha: That's it for Kilkorax.
Ariel: Well guess what? My next turn is with the gliders again! My last one swoops down to the top of the hill, and this other one flies up there next to him, so they're both higher up than Kilky. Kablam! Kablam! One skull ... and two skulls.
Sasha: Two shields, and one shield, so she takes one wound.
Ariel: Ha-hah! Oh, oops. I forgot I was going to try killing Milky. Well, I still have this one over here to shoot at your spider with. Die, spider! Three skulls!
Sasha: One shield. You make a spider-shaped smear out of it.
Ariel: Serves it right!
Sasha: Kilkorax's turn again ... oh, great, now I roll three shields. And a blank, so your glider doesn't even need to defend.
Ariel: Ha-ha! My marker is on Horny Hoofster. He and Owl-Shoe want revenge on Milky! Owl-Shoe flies over here, which puts him higher up than her, and he's using a normal attack to get the extra higher-up die ... three skulls!
Sasha: Looks like he beaks her to death. Only 1 shield.
Ariel: Nice!
Sasha: I guess we know where my order markers are going. 
Ariel: Huh? I don't.
Sasha: Oh, wait, I don't either. For some reason you killed Mielki and it's like my brain decided that killed Kilkorax too.
Ariel: Not to be mean, but you're kind of stinking at this game tonight, Sash.
Sasha: No kidding. Okay, now I'm ready for initiative.
Ariel: That's a whole 1 for me.
Sasha: 7 for me. My SpiderPile drops a spider off here and climbs up to attack your glider guy on the hill. One skull.
Ariel: Two shields!
Sasha: Now I get a turn with the spider, which climbs up to attack the same guy ... one skull again.
Ariel: One shield.
Sasha: Fat lotta good winning initiative did me.
Ariel: Gliders, attack! This one flies here to whomp on Kilky ... zero skulls. Then the next guy ... 1 skull.
Sasha: One shield.
Ariel: Last guy has to attack this SpiderPile.
Sasha: Right, because you can't attack with range if an enemy is adjacent to you.
Ariel: You can't? I was just attacking it because it's so creeply-scary. Anyway, two skulls on SpiderPile.
Sasha: Zero shields.
Ariel: Wow, I'm starting to feel bad about this.
Sasha: It's not over yet! Kilkorax takes a turn. She's going to try mind-yanking your gliders. She can try it on two of them, if she misses the first one. 17! Got him! Now she attacks him with 4 dice! For ... 1 whole skull.
Ariel: Two shields! My turn! Horny Hoofster is number 2. He'll move Owl-Shoe up next to this glider to attack with 3 dice. 2 skulls!
Sasha: Fresh outta shields. He's dead.
Ariel: Now the Hoofster goes. He's hoofing it up here to attack Kilky with 5 dice ... 4 skulls!
Sasha: She gets an extra die for elevation, but only rolls 1 shield.
Ariel: Lucky! Without that extra die you'd be dead-dead.
Sasha: Oh, yeah, real lucky. I've got 3 figures left with 1 life each. Meanwhile, you're still at 5 guys, and your centaur has, what ... seven life? What the hell?
Ariel: I can't help it if I picked better figures. Anyhoo, your turn.
Sasha: My last marker is on the SpiderPile. He climbs up here to attack this glider. For 1 measly skull.
Ariel: Two shields!
Sasha: Ugh. And the spider gets a turn ... two skulls.
Ariel: One shield! See, you're doing great!
Sasha: Oh, yeah, you're totally on the ropes.
Ariel: My number 3 is the Hoofster. Owl-Shoe flies up here where he can beak at Kilky with 4 dice! Let's see ... 2 skulls!
Sasha: Two shields. Pretty much just prolonging the agony.
Ariel: Hoofster's turn! He slashes Kilky for 3 skulls!
Sasha: Pretty sure we used up our allotment of 3-shield defense rolls this game ... oh, now that's just cruel. Two shields, but did you see that one die?
Ariel: Yeah, it was totally going to be a shield if you had just breathed on it hard before it flopped back down to a blank.
Sasha: She's dead. Now we know where all my order markers go.
Ariel: Huh? You've got a spider and a SpiderPile. You could split them up.
Sasha: I could, but I'm not gonna.
Ariel: Well, if you're putting all yours on SpiderPile, I'll put all mine on Horny Hoofster. No, I guess this one on THA Squirrel.
Sasha: That's your bluff marker, isn't it?
Ariel: Maybe.
Sasha: I roll 17 for initiative.
Ariel: 2 for me.
Sasha: SpiderPile attacks Owly. Uh-huh. Now I get proved wrong about using up all our 3-shields rolls.
Ariel: That's pretty sad, Sash.
Sasha: Tell me about it. Now it's the spider's turn, and he's gonna climb aboard the Pile.
Ariel: He can do that?
Sasha: Yeah, that lets me use the All As One special attack and it also means I can sacrifice that spider to survive any attack that would do wounds to me.
Ariel: Dang, no wonder you put all your markers on SpiderPile.
Sasha: Your turn.
Ariel: Hoofster tells Owl-Shoe to mess your pile up! You get beaked for 2 skulls!
Sasha: Only one shield, so there goes my last spider.
Ariel: Yeah! Hoofster's turn! All I can do is try to climb around this direction, though, because he's a two-space figure and he won't fit in any of the spaces next to the pile that he can get to this turn.
Sasha: SpiderPile attacks Owl-Shoe. One skull.
Ariel: Two shields. Owl-Shoe beaks you back! One skull.
Sasha: Two shields. SpiderPile attacks Owl-Shoe for ... three skulls! Finally!
Ariel: Can I, can I, can I -- nope. Not only do I not get 3 shields, I don't get any. Owl-Shoe!
Sasha: Not that it does me much good.
Ariel: No, because Horny Hoofster is em-ay-dee MAD now, Mister SpiderPile! He moves over here and ka-SLICE-O! Two skulls.
Sasha: One shield. Game over.
Ariel: Woohoo! I rock!
Sasha: Winner puts the game away.
Ariel: WHAT?!?
Sasha: Goodnight, everybody!

Sasha and Ariel Experience ... Way Too Much New Heroscape!

Sasha: Holy moley, would you look at this?!
Ariel: Okay! Um ... look at what? You got all the Heroscape out again?
Sasha: No -- this is all new Heroscape.
Ariel: It is? OMG, you're RIGHT! Where did all of that come from???
Sasha: I'm gonna say our boyfriend ordered it and then hid it from us when it showed up.
Ariel: What! That's not very like him at all! Why would he do that? Are you sure?
Sasha: Well, you know, remember -- we did hide the first batch of Heroscape stuff from him when they delivered it. And by "we," I mean, "you."
Ariel: Oh yeah.
Sasha: Do you wanna get it all out of these boxes?
Ariel: Sure!
Sasha and Ariel: (open, open, unbox, extract, extract ...)
Sasha: Whew, they sure do make it a lot of work getting these things out of the packaging.
Ariel: No kidding! But wow, look at them all!

Sasha: That's gotta be more figures than in the first two whole sets that we played with.
Ariel: Do you think?
Sasha: Let's count them and find out!
Ariel: Ehh ... I'll just trust you on that. It sounds like a lot of work and plus I want to start playing asap.
Sasha: Which guys do you think you want to be?
Ariel: I don't know! Sheesh, I only just barely saw them this very minute!
Sasha: Okay, then  --
Ariel: OOH! This horsey guy with horns on his head.
Sasha: Centaur.
Ariel: No, they're totally on the sides of his head. If he had a horn in the center, he'd be a unicorn. Even I know that.
Sasha: No, a centaur is half man and half horse.
Ariel: But he's got to be half something else too, or why would he have these horns?
Sasha: Maybe they're part of a helmet or headdress? Anyway, what's his card say about him?
Ariel: Let's see ... his name is "Halushia, Scion of the Wild." I guess that answers that. A scion must be a guy who's half man and half horse and half horns.
Sasha: I think a scion is just an offspring or a descendent, actually.
Ariel: Okay, only I don't care anymore because he has that same "Command Familiar" power as your octopus chick from the other time we played! So I could totally use him with Owl-Shoe and that kitty-dog you used to wipe the floor with me.
Sasha: Sure, go for it. Is that all he does?
Ariel: He also has "Ride-by Special Attack!" So somebody gets to ride him, I guess ... except he doesn't have a saddle ...
Sasha: Maybe they ride him bareback.
Ariel: No way. It would be so dumb to call it "Ride-by Special Attack" when you could call it "Bareback Special Attack."
Sasha: Read the rules on the card, then. How do they ride him?
Ariel: Er ... that's weird, it doesn't say anything about anybody riding him. That makes the name even dumber, then, because he's still bareback even if no one's riding him, so they could still call it "Bareback Special Attack," only they didn't.
Sasha: I guess you don't have to play him, then, if he's that dumb.
Ariel: No, it's a cool power! It's just a dumb name. I'll have to call it something else, like ... "Hoof-by Stab-You-In-The-Eye." Or maybe "Gallup-by, something something."
Sasha: "Gallup-by, Wallop-a-Guy."
Ariel: Hot dang, yes!
Sasha: Is that all you're going to play, then? Halushia and Owly and Kita?
Ariel: I don't know. I guess that doesn't seem like very many guys. What about those wing dudes and that squirrel with a jet-pack?
Sasha: Let's see, the cards say they're the "Vorid Strike Gliders" and "Wing Commander Tuck Harrigan."
Ariel: Did he already tuck his hair once?
Sasha: No, "Harrigan." It's a name, see?
Ariel: I'm going to call him Tuck Hair Again anyway. It sounds more fun.
Sasha: It sounds exactly the same.
Ariel: We'll both know what I'm saying.
Sasha: So. Those cards all together add up to ... 325 points. I guess I'd better find 325 points worth of guys from all these other ones.
Ariel: Don't play that one there, ick!
Sasha: Why not?
Ariel: It looks like a pile of spiders.
Sasha: Yaassss, that's awesome!
Ariel: No, it's totally ick!
Sasha: I'm playing it. And it looks like it goes with these individual spidery guys too. "Oathbound Phalanx" and "Oathbound Legionnaires."
Ariel: More spiders? No way.
Sasha: They're only a hundred thirty points together, so I still need, what, 195 more? Hmm. What the heck, these two Kyrie Warriors are 100 and 95 points, so if I take them I'm done. Their names are Kilkorax and Mielki.
Ariel: I'm glad none of my characters is named "Korax." And I'm definitely not scared of somebody named Milky. So I guess that makes up for you taking a bunch of horrible spiders.
Sasha: Okay, so ... now we --
Ariel: Omg, look what time it is.
Sasha: Uh ... 8:30? Is there a show coming on or something?
Ariel: No, I just think that's too late to start putting together a battlefield map and then playing.
Sasha: Pretty sure we could put a map together in 10 minutes and play in less than an hour.
Ariel: Yeah, but then it'll be my bedtime, and if your Pile-o-Spiders kills my guys really bad, it might give me nightmares.
Sasha: Seriously?
Ariel: I mean, it might. Why risk it? We can just play tomorrow.
Sasha: All right. I guess that's okay. That's it for this post, then?
Ariel: It better be, 'cause if I start looking closer at all those other new figures, I might change my mind and want to play some of them instead.
Sasha: I guess we can pack it in, then.
Ariel and Sasha: Goodnight, everybody!

Ariel and Sasha Experience ... so ... many ... tears ...

Ariel: Are we recovered enough to do this?
Sasha: I don't know, but Claire shoved the laptop at me and said it was our turn to blog, so here we are.
Ariel: Uh-huh. But if we're not recovered enough, we could blog about a different thing we've experienced and not ... sniff ...
Sasha: Don't start crying! You're going to make me cry too!
Ariel: I can't help it, it was just so sad!
Sasha: Yeah, but if you're crying all over the place and saying how sad it was, that's totally spoiling the fact that it was sad, because we haven't told our readers to put on their spoiler blankets.
Ariel: Well ... but I think we need to make an exception for this one, because if they don't know it's sad beforehand, they might read it thinking it's going to be happy, and then they'll be so sad that it's soooo saaaad! Blawwhhh!
Sasha: Come on, get ahold of yourself! After we blew it so bad last time blogging about Loomboo, we can't have another of these blog posts where we don't actually say anything about the thing we're posting about!
Ariel: We already did say something about it ... it's SAD.
Sasha: But people don't even know what it is yet. We have to at least say the title.
Ariel: I can't. You do it.
Sasha: Fine, okay. Um ... we, uh, read ... this ... uh ...
Ariel: See?! You can't say it either!
Sasha: WereadthismangacalledTheSummerYouWereThere! There, I did it.
Ariel: BWAAAHHH!
Sasha: ... gk ...
Ariel: (sob!)
Sasha: hff ... hff ... whhh ...
Ariel: sniff ... bluh ... we need to ... just shut the computer ... before we get it so wet and teary it short circuits ...
Sasha: No. Woosh .... Deep breaths. Here, have a hanky. We've got to get through this.
Ariel: I need two.
Sasha: Here.
Ariel: Actually now I think I need two more.
Sasha: I don't have any more. Do you want me to get you a whole towel?
Ariel: no, that's okay.
Sasha: You don't sound like it, but all right. So ... what I think we need to do is try talking about all the parts of the manga that were beautiful and sweet and cute and even uplifting.
Ariel: But those parts were sad too!
Sasha: No they weren't -- I mean, not all of them anyway.
Ariel: Name one!
Sasha: Um ... like ... well, it wasn't sad when Kaori started their relationship off with that wacky idea.
Ariel: Waaaahhhhh, you said her name!!!!
Sasha: Look, I really think we ought to tell people to put their spoiler blankets on, if even just one of the characters' name makes you bawl like that.
Ariel: you tell them, i can't.
Sasha: Yeesh. Okay, people, put your spoiler blankets on if you don't want things spoiled about The Summer You Were --
Ariel: DOOMED.
Sasha: What?
Ariel: We always make up our own names and titles for things, and I think we need to just be honest and call this story The Summer You Were DOOMED.
Sasha: Don't you think that's a little over the top? I mean, even just thinking a little about the fact that it's called The Summer You Were There will make most people realize it's implying that whoever the "you" is, they aren't there anymore.
Ariel: It doesn't have to imply that! Maybe, maybe it could be talking about "you" being "there" while whoever the "me" person is, is like "over here." And then after the summer ends they might be in the same place instead of one being here and the other being there.
Sasha: But you see them together on literally page one.
Ariel: I know, but ... at least you would have that blank page between the title on the cover and the first page of the story to think maybe it was going to be a happy story.
Sasha: I mean ... but if you really think about it, it was at least a partly happy story.
Ariel: WHAT!!!!!
Sasha: Sheesh! Don't shake me like that -- you're going to pop a button off my shirt.
Ariel: I just don't know how you could even say it was a partly happy story.
Sasha: Because of the last line of the story? And then especially because of the epilogue?
Ariel: Wait. What do you mean?
Sasha: Just that, well, in the epilogue --
Ariel: There was an EPILOGUE?!?
Sasha: Omg, Aers. You were right there with me when we got to the end.
Ariel: Yeah, but then I was crying so loud ...
Sasha: Really? So you didn't see me turning the pages on the Kindle through any of that whole extra chapter.
Ariel: Well I was also squirting so many tears out of my eyes ...
Sasha: But then I'm pretty sure I went on and on about how amazed I was for at least five minutes!
Ariel: And you didn't notice me ugly crying so much I couldn't say anything back to you that whole time? I can't believe you didn't stop me and tell me there was an epilogue!
Sasha: Look, I was crying a lot too even though it was beautiful.
Ariel: Stop it, you big liar.
Sasha: No, seriously. Here, look, I'll get it to the right place. There. That's the start of the epilogue.
Ariel: ...
Ariel: ...
Ariel: ...
Ariel: ...
Ariel: BWWAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! It's so beautiful!!! Glaarghlll ... !
Sasha: Okay, folks. I guess that better be enough for tonight.
Sasha: (But seriously, you should probably read this manga if you don't mind a tear-jerkery kind of story!)