Drinking isn't all that fun post 30 haha. But I sometimes like a whiskey here and there in the cold seasons, or tequila in the summer. But not every year. Sometimes better to just save that money.

I usually drink with meals at slightly nicer restaurants. Hilariously enough last time I vacationed in Florida with a friend pretty much everywhere we went out to eat we needed up with free drinks. In one place one of his former students were behind the bar and he sent us something. The restaurant we went for New Year's was so packed and busy they accidentally made our drink order twice and they were nice enough to not charge us again. Then the last place found out it was his birthday so we got a free round.

I suppose I ought to make good on those claims that I've built stuff. Out of everything I've ever done, this is probably the thing I'm best known for creating:

Spoiler

A couple years down the road from that project, I started a new build, a completely original theme that fits alongside a novel I've been writing. Several things have delayed it by quite a bit, but I'm still chipping away at finishing the art and software. The image below definitely shows off the prototype-ness of it (paper printed art taped down, rough edges on hole cuts, not real lamp inserts, etc)... but I'm sure there's something in here y'all can extra appreciate. Just a little reference, perhaps, a tiny nod to something familiar.

Spoiler

At some point I'll be releasing the novel for all to read. I'm pretty darn happy with how it's turning out, to the point where I'd say I'm more passionate about the lore than the actual game. Which sounds, uh, familiar somehow. Speaking of which, to those wondering if the book has any Inyouchuu references in it... oh, you better believe it. The tiny sketch of Mikoto x Nightmare shown above isn't just a random and unrelated thing I threw into the art for no reason. It so happens that, in-universe, there is an adult anime franchise called Don't Bug Me, I'm Hunting Lewd Demons, and other little references are also sprinkled throughout. Like this one, for instance:

Don't worry, she eventually goes on to become a school hero.

That machine is so cool,

Yeah turning a project into an actual pinball machine is next level.

I know I've talked about the upcoming shows a bit. Don't know if I mentioned this one, but there's a convention local to me the very next weekend after Midwest Gaming Classic, and this is the one I've been made a pinball tournament director for.

So anyhow, the plans are pretty much finished up at this point, everything from the custom software to the design of the tournament registration table. And I think it turned out quite nicely:

Yep, that's my illustration from Demon Hunting Takes Balls of Steel. Can't wait to see if anybody recognizes any of these characters. If you're wondering why our favorite redhead isn't included... well, I'm already going to be cosplaying her that whole time anyway, so I figure that's good enough!

It looks great, that is so cool.

Slim chance anyone recognizes them... but if so, they're an Elite Human.

Well, last year my Mikoto 1.0 cosplay got four double-takes at the first show, then two big smiles and two other people openly admitting they recognized it at the second show. We'll see how this year's cons go!

https://youtu.be/fuHhh3CLjbk?si=uaSVlqOdKP2aBa3N This a piece of pinball history I just found out about from this video.