“In case you haven’t caught on, I just slipped my dick down your throat, and you thanked me for it.” ~ Negan Smith Elon Musk

It sounds like she was a great person, and I’m happy you’ve found peace. I’m sure she’ll rest well knowing that.

I know all too well that time holds no prejudice to anyone. Take care, friend.

the Zelda material is super sad for me as well because my late baby sister and I bonded tightly over the Zelda games

First off, I hope you have been able to find your solace. Losing family sucks, but when it’s someone that close to you it frankly changes you. This internet stranger’s heart is with you, FWIW.

My brother and I bonded over the Zelda franchise (specifically the OoT/MM era, plus WW). We grew up rough, weren’t sure if we would even make it to our thirties, and those adventure games helped us escape from some pretty crappy experiences. To us, it’s more than a franchise: it’s a culture.

Link is (usually) never the same character in the games; they’re like reincarnations. Being a Link doesn’t mean being one singular person. To me, being a Link means being steadfast, flexible, compassionate and, above all, adventurous. Things anyone can do/be, and that’s why I think the Zelda franchise fosters some truly amazing gamers when they play those games. Although I do find myself regularly curbing the invasive thoughts to break people’s pots… small price to pay!

I digress, the explosive prevalence of the Internet has led to printed walkthrough manuals being a thing of the Early Aughts. Ahh, it’s great getting older!

This is something me and my brother always did whenever we collectively bought a new game for our N64/GameCube. I’ll never forget snapping that shrink wrap off, popping open the case, and whiffing in the wood-pulpy smell of a freshly-printed, made-with-love Wind Waker manual. It was all ogre when we bought the walkthrough manual; not even my wife smells that good.

Or should I have mentioned Pokemon Stadium…?