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evajellion · 4 years ago

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2020 vidya ranking: #1 Bug Fables The Everlasting Sapling

You already knew that I was going to tell you that this was the best game I had played last year.

Imo, this should have been indie GOTY back in 2019, but whatever, I guess I should explain why I ranked this one at the top.

Back in 2004, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door was released. I had sadly missed out on getting the original game on the Nintendo 64, but I was nonetheless very excited for the sequel. I got the game, still have my copy even years later… aaaand I got confused in Rogueport Sewers because I was a dumb eight year old, but I swear I picked up the game a second time. Got through all of the chapters, and had fallen in love with the game.

I loved the characters, the battle system, the story, the chapter progression, the cooking system, even the hidden lore and the amount of side quest scattered throughout the game. I even cried. It was the first time I had cried over a video game.

I wanted more, but then, Nintendo didn’t do it again. Sure, Super Paper Mario had a fantastic story, and a lot of people treasure that game the way I do TTYD-- I wouldn’t even mind if the series stayed in that direction. After that though?

Well, Sticker Star happened and stripped away all of the things I loved. Two similar games and one spin-off followed after that. Needless to say, me and several other fans of 64, TTYD, and Super weren’t happy about it. Seemed like I would never get another game like the one that was so dear to me ever again.

Cue me finding Arlo’s video about a cute little game called Bug Fables, just around the summer time. It had come out in 2019 and had been in development for some time by an indie studio. I was skeptic, but at this point I wanted anything-- besides, I actually love insects.

And after the first two chapters, which were a bit bland, I found it. I found the game I had been looking for. I was so afraid that this would be another Mighty No. 9 or Yooka-Laylee, but Bug Fables was anything but. Sure, it took inspiration from Paper Mario with its gameplay structure, but saying that this game is “just Paper Mario” doesn’t do it justice, because game can stand tall on its own.

I loved just about everything here in the same way I loved TTYD. Characters (except for two), the battle system, the story, the chapter progression, the cooking system, the hidden lore and the amount of side quest-- and there was even more than that.

“Gee what did Bug Fables have that Paper Mario didn’t?”

More than one super boss

A card game

Three party members in battle at a time

An entire side quest chapter that you can miss

An in-game randomizer

Higher difficulty settings

FREE DLC

Actual quality of life improvements

And finally, a villain who doesn’t just get a mere slap on the wrist as punishment for their actions. It’s one of the things Super did far better than TTYD because Beldam being let off scott free in the ending always pissed me off as a kid. The final boss is less ham-fisted in general too.

You have three characters at all times-- they’re your only party members and the only ones you need because they’re all perfectly balanced: Kabbu, Vi, and Leif. The third of which you won’t even meet until a bit into the first chapter. You don’t have to worry about wasting turns by switching your members out in this game.

The story starts off simple with the team of three collecting artifacts for Queen Elizant II, who seeks the Everlasting Sapling for an unspecified reason. About half way through the game and into the fourth chapter, the tone of the situation begins to shift, as the wicked wasps from the Wasp Kingdom also seek these artifacts for their lord.

This game doesn’t skimp out on being accurate to bug details either, there are little nods to how things work in real life, which is something I always appreciate. There isn’t really a dull moment in the story or a second where you feel stuck, because with the amount of Medals you get, there are plenty of strategies you can play around with.

Bug Fables is also… surprisingly dark, which perhaps isn’t unfitting of a game inspired by Paper Mario, given the direction TTYD and Super would get into. I can’t really spoil anything in regards to that, because much like with Three Houses, I would rather someone experience that themselves.

In terms of the flaws in this game, I can only think of two. One is regarding a terrible Flappy Bird game that’s required for 100%. It just shouldn’t be there, or at least be easier on the eyes.

The other is that this game suffers from having too many characters, when only four of them get actual character arcs: The main trio and the queen. You have some characters that get more fleshed out in side quests such as fellow team members or NPCs, but I feel like other “major players” suffer in the process.

Neolith is a big one. Cute nerdy moth who just exists as exposition for the artifacts and is a part of Kabbu’s backstory, but he never really does anything besides that, which is disappointing because he’s very cute. I would have loved more lore to him and Kabbu’s past, maybe a future DLC quest can solve that!

Your “rival team” also suffers a bit in this department. The team leader, Mothiva, is a snooty diva who never properly gets her comeuppance or realization that she needs to stop making everything about herself. I guess that’s the point, to give that vibe similar to old Pokémon rivals. But we’re supposed to believe she’s an official couple with her partner; Zasp, who just seems to simp for her in a one-sided way. Perhaps this could also be fixed with another DLC quest.

The worst of the bunch is Kina, Maki’s overly protective and possessive sister to the point of it being creepy. Unlike Mothiva, who is your rival, Kina is supposed to be a supporting cast member, yet she has even less likable traits. She stalks her brother and constantly wants to be with him, gets upset at the idea of him needing space, threatens a small caterpillar character-- you could remove her from the story and it changes nothing. There’s not even a backstory reason for her to be the way she is.

Mind you-- these are very minor nitpicks that don’t really bog down the game. Some may say the main villain of the game suffers from this as well since he shows up halfway into the game, I personally think he was handled perfectly, because you can piece together his motivations and backstory through lore.

Speaking of lore, I hope with so much in this game, that we end up getting a sequel. There are so many questions left unanswered, so much more I wanna know about!

Other than that thought? The trio of Kabbu, Vi, and Leif and their story is just about perfect. I can’t thank Arlo enough for introducing me to it, and I think this game will catch on more in the future since Chuggaconroy said he was playing it on Twitter, and Fatguy just completed his LP of the game.

I think… we’re entering an age where we should start expecting this level of quality from indie developers more often. This game didn’t feel like an indie game, it felt like a grade a RPG. Which is funny, because that’s what Paper Mario used to be.

God speed, Paper Bug devs. Keep up the good work in the future, thank you for bringing back a feeling I thought I’d never experience with a video game again. I know it sounds cheesy and stupid, but that’s.. just how much Paper Mario effected me back then. Even now, it inspires the books I wanna write, and it’s safe to say Bug Fables did the same.

By the way, can I talk about how delicious some of the food items look in this game? This is insect cuisine, and even I would eat these.

For recap on what the other games I had played this year were, just so you know how Bug Fables topped ‘em:

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

4. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town

5. Super Mario All-Stars

6. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and The Blade of Light

7. Final Fantasy VII

8. F-Zero

9. Star Fox

10. Puyo Puyo Champions

#bug fables

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frostedfaves · 4 years ago

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To Build A Home (5)

Masterlist

Pairing: Rosa Diaz x fem!reader

Summary: Rosa spent years building a friendship, relationship, and eventually a marriage and home with you. This tale follows your journey together up until her sudden murder. Now that you’ve tracked down her killer before anyone else, will you do the right thing and send him to prison or take care of him yourself?

Warnings: permanently soft Rosa

A/N: so far this is my favorite chapter I’ve written and I hope you love it just as much. also going to be posting more frequently so expect chapter 6 on Wednesday! as always, reblogs, comments and likes are much appreciated and thank you for reading!

Previous chapter here

“I think I’m gonna be sick.”

You took deep breaths to calm yourself, the process instantly interrupted by Amy storming over as soon as the words left your mouth.

“Sick?! We don’t have time to be sick. You have an aisle to walk down in ten minutes and we did not spend months debating the colors of napkins and decoding that mess of a seating chart to just--”

“Okay Ames, maybe let’s ease up on the girl that just threatened to puke on us.” Gina pushed Amy away from your vanity area, and you offered her a grateful smile as her hands landed on your shoulders. “Look, I can’t relate to your panic because I never actually said yes to any of my proposals, but I do know this. Rosa is one thirsty woman over you and you’re just the same with her, and getting married is just going to be more of that with shiny rings. It’s nothing to be scared about.”

You nodded, closing your eyes and taking another deep breath before meeting her gaze in the mirror again. “Can I have a moment alone?”

“Eight minutes and thirteen seconds,” Amy warned as she was ushered from the room by a significantly less stressed Gina. When the door closed behind them, you pulled your phone from your bag and drafted a text to the one person you needed to hear from most.

“Is it stupid that I’m nervous right now?”

Typing bubbles appeared before you could even put the device down, and you smiled at the message that popped up.

“No. I’m nervous, too.”

“I hate that I agreed to this. I wish I could see you before we get married in front of everyone.”

“You told me not to let you back out of practicing this tradition and I’m not. It’ll be okay. We’ll see each other in six minutes.”

“Is Amy counting outside your room now?”

“Nope. I’m just excited to marry you.”

Your grin was so wide that part of you worried about your lipstick cracking under the stress. You sent one final message before putting your phone away, forcing yourself to ignore it when it buzzed again.

“I love you. See you soon.”

After all, you had a wedding to get to, and an anxiously muttering Amy to calm.

“I understand you both have written your own vows.”

Holt’s voice broke you away from the intense staring contest between you and your soon to be wife, and you cleared your throat to speak.

“Yeah, I’ll go first.” Your hands squeezed hers gently, tears beginning to trickle into your eyesight once more. “The love I feel for you, Rosa Diaz has existed within me so long now that it’s simply grown to be a part of who I am. I have no doubt in my mind that I’ll love every single part of you for as long as I live, and I’m eternally grateful to whatever force in the universe brought me to you.

“I promised myself from the day we became more than just coworkers and friends that I would always respect you, appreciate you and just be that safe place that you can run to when everything else seems to be falling apart. I’ve never in my life felt for anyone the way I do with you, and I promise to be here for you and Arlo until death do all of us part.”

Tears began to spill down Rosa’s cheeks, and you were quick to guide your hands close enough for you to wipe them away with your thumbs. No matter how focused you were on each other in this moment, you knew how uncomfortable she was showing this much emotion in front of anyone that wasn’t you. She thanked you with a silent and barely noticeable nod, preparing to speak herself.

“Everyone here that knows me is aware that I don’t like giving mushy speeches or anything like that.” Chuckles from a few of the squad members sounded around you. “What they should also know is that I’ll do anything to see you happy, even if that means being ‘soft’ in public. So while we’re here, I’d just like to say that this is the best day of my life, being here and making a formal commitment to you.

“I vow to cherish you, validate your feelings, and protect you until the very last moment of my life. You’ve changed me in so many good ways and I just want to repay you for all of the kindness, respect and patience you’ve shown me since the day we met. I want to grow old with you, and I want to build a home with you. I love you so damn much.”

A mix between a laugh and a broken sob escaped your lips as you allowed every single drop of water that had gathered behind your eyelids to break free, cascading rapidly down your cheeks one after another like they were racing. This was the first time she’d said those words in front of anyone except you, and you really wished you’d spent more time practicing how to not ugly cry in front of your family and friends.

The rest of the words spoken by Holt were reduced to background noise, a simple soundtrack to the movie you were watching called Rosa Diaz’s Beautiful Soul Encased In A Wedding Dress. The only thing that brought you back to being aware of your existence was Holt informing one (or possibly both of you) that “you may now kiss the bride”.

Rosa’s hands pulled away from yours to hold onto your waist instead, and your fingers moved to push back loose strands of windblown hair from the face that inched closer to yours. Once your lips connected for the first time since the previous night, you were certain that the only thing strong enough to pull you apart again was the fear of accidentally undressing out of habit in front of your parents.

The cheers and applause die down as you walk down the aisle together and back into the house, stealing a moment alone in one of the bedrooms as the guests file in and head toward the basement where the refreshments are set up. You relish in the feeling of being in Rosa’s arms again, your knees weakening slightly at the feeling of her kisses trailing away from your lips.

“Baby, we don’t have time for this.”

“Yes we do,” she responded between kisses, stopping just long enough to meet your eyes. “You’re telling me you don’t want me to get under your dress right now? I promise I won’t let you fall over.”

“Oh, I absolutely do,” you breathed, halfheartedly stopping her from pushing the fabric up to your waist. “But I’d rather wait until tonight, when everyone else is gone and I can scream your name out to all the sea creatures.”

She snorted out a laugh as she stepped back, not without dropping another kiss on your waiting lips. “Fine. I guess I can have dinner before dessert. Come on, Mrs. Diaz.”

Your fingers locked together as you left the room, a permanent grin pushing your cheeks upward at the use of your new last name. The new ring on your finger caught the sunlight through a window as you traveled through the beach house, headed toward your marriage supporters as their voices grew in volume with each step. You couldn’t help but think as your hand held onto Rosa as tightly as she held onto you that this is the feeling of building a home and finally getting to live in it.

Tags: @gaulty74 @creepingwolfberry @rosadiazswifey @xetherealbeautyx @jay-is-groovy @milkfromhell @marie-03

#to build a home #rosa diaz #rosa diaz x reader #rosa diaz imagine #brooklyn nine nine #brooklyn 99 #brooklyn nine nine imagine #brooklyn nine nine fic series #brooklyn nine nine x reader #b99 fic #b99 imagine #b99 fic series #b99 x reader #b99 fanfic #b99 #stephanie beatriz

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pyromania2667 · 6 years ago

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The Unrequited

Introducing: “The Unrequited” A fan made killer for DBD

Name: Arlo Hayes

DLC: Victims of Affection

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Difficulty: Intermediate

Height: Tall

Ethnicity: Australian

Realm: Wood Creek High School (may describe this later if people really want it)

Weapon: Whittled Stake

Speed: 115%

Terror Radius: 32 meters

Lore: Arlo Hayes was born in Sydney, Australia, while his life may not have been considered lavish, or pampered, his family had a stable income. His older sister Josephine detested Arlo, she despised not being an only child anymore, constantly taunting him in his crib, and stealing his toys when he was a toddler, there was nothing she wouldn’t do to make him upset. When Arlo entered primary school, he had difficulty making friends, shy and reserved, he never made an attempt to approach any of the other kids. The torment he suffered from his sister made him become isolated in school, while a few students tried to get close, Arlo wasn’t much for conversing with them. Soon after a few years, when Arlo was finally opening up to the other students, his father got a job transfer and his entire family was moving to America. When he moved to America, he felt alone again, and his performance in school reflected his lack of desire to learn. His sister constantly teased him and when his parents tried to pry anything out of him, he refused to speak up, leading to his parents becoming upset and reprimanding him for being irresponsible.

After being held back a year, Arlo finally made his way to middle school, it was there he came in contact with one student in particular. When being assigned to a seating chart in one of his classes, Arlo found himself placed next to Isaac and being polite, Isaac gave him a friendly smile. Immediately, Arlo felt something different next to him, a longing sensation, a sense of sympathy he hasn’t felt in a long time, he knew he needed to be with this new kid... Isaac Jones, as the teacher addressed him. Arlo could already feel himself gushing, and tried to stay still until he could talk to him openly. Arlo quickly grew attached to Isaac, managing to befriend him, hang out with him, and the two got to know each other a little better day by day. It grew difficult trying to hide his emotions near Isaac, but finally, when the two reached high school, Arlo figured it was time to confess his feelings and tell Isaac just how much he mattered to him. Unfortunately, the feelings weren’t mutual, Isaac only saw him as a close friend, the confession was unreciprocated.

Arlo’s psyche was ruined at this rejection, everything that mattered to him contained within Isaac’s being, and now he couldn’t have it, not in a way that truly mattered to him anyway. Hurt, shocked and confused, Arlo didn’t show up to class for several days. He took a hobby of whittling in order to try to take his mind off of everything he’s dealt with. His sister, a senior at that time found out about his rejection, and in a moment of uncharacteristic empathy, she told him that there’s more fish in the sea, there’ll be another person for him, but he knew better, he knew that Isaac is the one and only person for him.

He couldn’t take it anymore, the feeling of rejection was consuming him and Arlo reached for desperate measures. First, he started small, feigning compliance and pretending to accept Isaac’s rejection into being only friends, but when Arlo was getting touching, and displaying lascivious behavior, Isaac grew uncomfortable and knew Arlo wasn’t truly over it, and for Arlo’s sake, he knew he needed to cut ties with him so he could get over it, for he knew he couldn’t ever return his affection anywhere near the amount he had for him. Enraged, Arlo stormed out, but as he was leaving, something caught his eye, and he took it into his possession without Isaac’s knowing.

When he returned home that day, Arlo unraveled the prize he hid within his backpack, being greeted by a sloppy kiss and a wet nose, he has stolen Isaac’s dog, Roxxy. His emotions got the better of him, why should such a lesser being be given the affection he deserves? Why should something not even human be treated better than him for their entire life? He couldn’t stand it anymore, taking out his whittling knife, he butchered the small dog in his backyard, putting all the pieces back into a bag within his backpack and within the veil of the night, Arlo trekked back to Isaac’s house. Carefully he placed the bloody sack of loose parts and thrusted his knife back into it one last time for good measure, Grabbing a large rock, he hurled it at a window, running away in the process, waiting to see Isaac’s pain, the pain he felt when he was rejected, it’s what he deserves.

The police were called, and Arlo’s fingerprints were on the weapon used for slaughter, it didn’t take long before he was incarcerated, sentenced to 10 years in prison. Arlo bided his time, counting the seconds until he could see isaac again, waiting, each passing day was another closer to his obsession. His parents rarely visited him, embarrassed at the outcome of their child, Josephine would visit monthly, but none of this mattered to him, all that he cared about was seeing Isaac again.

Time flew, Arlo was finally released from his sentence. Josephine took Arlo under her wing until he got back onto his feet, giving him phone books to search for jobs. Weeks of searching through phone books, Arlo finally found Isaac Jones, the one he was looking for all this time. It was not too far from where his sister lived, Arlo stole her car, speeding his way to Isaac’s address, armed with only a stake and fueled by raw emotion, he knew he would be with Isaac forever once and for all. Barging through the door in broad daylight, Arlo reveled in Isaac’s shocked expression when he drove his stake into his arm as he tackled him to the ground. Straddled on his victim, Arlo admired his screams of agony as the blood pooled out from below him. Finally, the two of them would be together forever he thought to himself as he drew the stake into his chest, there would be nobody separating them now.

The world around the two blackened and grew dark, eerie spider-like tendrils emerged from the ground, slowly cradling the two of them in its embrace, for they will soon have a new purpose together forever.

The Unrequited is a tall, well-built man, a bit on the lanky side. He has blond hair and wears a white bandana covering everything from his nose and below, the only thing you can clearly see of his face is his piercing green eyes. Clad in a white hoodie with the hood down, and jeans. His hoodie is torn over his heart, revealing a gash with blood dripping out on occasion. He wields a wooden stake whittled by himself. He will thrust the stake forward when attacking survivors. On a successful attack, he will pull his bandana up and lick the blood off the stake.

The Unrequited’s Power: Licentious Embrace

Using the alternate action key will cause the Unrequited to attempt to grab the nearest survivor in front of him within melee distance.

A skill check zone will appear once you grab a survivor.

Great skill checks immediately catch the survivor

Good skill checks allow the survivor a small skill check in an attempt to escape your grasp, but the survivor will take a stage of damage.

Failed skill checks from you give the survivor a large skill check in an attempt to escape from your grasp unharmed.

You are immobilized while you have a survivor in your embrace

The area of effect is 4 meters with a 25 degree cone in front of him. The Unrequited will have a .75 seconds windup animation then leap forward at 135% speed for 1 second with low movement control. Missing a survivor causes a backlash animation for 1.5 seconds, during which you have free camera control, but move at 25% speed. The skill check for you is as big as the ds skill check (reworked ds) 20% of which is a great skill check zone. Survivor skill check is 10% bigger than the overcharge 3 skill check. Failed skill check is 10% smaller than a standard skill check. While The Unrequited has a survivor in his embrace, he will wrap his arms around the survivor’s midriff as the survivor kicks around and grabs at his arms. During this time, The Unrequited can be interrupted by pallets, but not blinds. Successful embraces against the survivor will cause him to hoist the survivor on his shoulder (takes 1.5 seconds). The Unrequited will shank the survivor with his stake if they escape from his good skill check, you will do your weapon hit animation. If the survivor escapes during your power you will be stunned for 3 seconds (Affected by all stun-related perks).

Mori (Killer PoV) - (First person camera) You kneel above the dying survivor, wrapping your arms around their back, gently pulling them closer to you. Suddenly you throw them against the ground, grabbing them by the head and bashing them against the ground again and again until a loud cracking sound is heard and they fall silent. You stroke the top of their head for a brief moment then you stand back up.

Mori (Survivor PoV) - (Worms Eye View) The Unrequited will kneel above the dying survivor, his eyes staring at them intently as he wraps both arms behind the survivor’s back, gently pulling you closer to him. Suddenly he throws the survivor back on the ground, he grabs the survivor by the head as he bashes them against the earth several times as they scream until a loud cracking sound is heard and they fall silent. The Unrequited’s hand strokes the top of your head then you die.

His personal perks, Stay With Me, Controlling and Heartthrob allow him to gain special bonuses depending on the state of your obsession and help catch up to survivors who have escaped you.

Stay With Me- Whenever a survivor attempts to use an exhaust perk while in a chase, delay it for 3 / 4 / 5 seconds. (The perk hud will show a countdown, Survivors attempting to use an exhaust perk will be alerted of the debuff immediately.)

“Don’t leave me, come back… please…”

Unique to The Unrequited until Level 30, at which point its Teachable version can then be learned and taught to the other Killers

Controlling - You become obsessed with one survivor. While your obsession is hooked, If you are at least 32 meters away from your hooked obsession, gain a 6 / 8 / 10% haste bonus, the bonus is retained for 9 / 12 / 15 seconds after they have been unhooked and you are at least 32 meters away.

The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

“I’m only doing this because I… I like you…”

Unique to The Unrequited until Level 35, at which point its Teachable version can then be learned and taught to the other Killers

Heartthrob - You become obsessed with one survivor. The thought of hurting or being hurt by your obsession rocks your very being. Being stunned by your obession triggers killer instinct on all other survivors within 40 meters for 6 / 8 / 10 seconds and causes them to suffer from the exposed status effect for 30 / 35 / 40 seconds.

Hitting your obsession disables this perk for 15 seconds

(DS will trigger this perk since they become your obsession)

The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

“Why would you do this to us?! Why would you hurt me like this..?"

Example Addons:

Common:

Friendship Bracelet - A bracelet made by Isaac when the two became close friends. Slightly increases skill check size of your power for yourself. (15%)

“For Arlo”

Crumpled Paper Wad - A small note, rolled up into a ball. Moderately decrease the stun duration if a survivor escapes your power. (1 second)

Uncommon:

Whittling Knife - An ordinary knife used for whittling. Slightly decrease the skill check size of your power for survivors. (15%)

Chipped tooth - A tooth Chipped from Josephine during her quarrels against Arlo. Slightly decreases the charge time of your power. (.25 second decrease)

Rare:

Salacious Letter - A letter filled with several perverse thoughts and innuendos. Considerably increases the range and width of your power. (Range increased by 2 meters/width increased by 15 degrees)

“I’m yours forever you know”

Box of Hairbands - A small box filled with Josephine’s hair bands, stolen from her out of spite. Moderately reduces the speed at which the skill check of your power moves for you, Moderately Increases the speed at which the skill check of your power moves for survivors (25% both sides)

Very Rare:

Wooden Statuette - A small wooden carving, made in Isaac’s likeness. Considerably increases the skill check size of your power for yourself. Moderately decreases the skill check size of your power for survivors. (40% self / 25% survivors)

Ultra Rare:

Roxxy’s Paw - The paw from Isaac’s deceased dog, Roxxy, trapped life essence within unlocks tremendous potential within The Unrequited’s power. Slightly decreases the skill check size of your power for yourself, removes good skill check success zone (10% decrease).

“LOOK AT WHAT YOU MADE ME DO, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU IGNORE ME!”

Graduation Photo - A photo of Isaac at his graduation, fugue memories, and painful emotions unlock tremendous potential within The Unrequited’s power. Your power no longer has skill checks involved. Increases the number of survivors that can be grabbed by 3. Survivors grabbed by your power immediately take 1 stage of damage. Sets the stun duration of your power to a fixed 1.5 seconds.

“Gather round, this one is for all the people!”

Bloody Wood Splinter - Allows you to take on the role of The Unrequited for the next trial. Your current Perks and Add-ons will not be used.

“My heart aches for you and only you.”

Introducing: Isaac Jones

"I saw a young man working on a generator, he looked at me with an expression one only shows when completely exhausted of all emotion. I immediately knew he has dealt with this before and just wants to be left alone, but at the same time... I felt drawn to him..."

DLC: Victims of Affection

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Role: Level headed Adversary

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Difficulty: Intermediate

Isaac Jones is a normal student at school, but there’s always something about him that draws attention, perhaps it’s his soft, gentle features, or his calm demeanor, he has an easy time making friends in school. Being an only child would leave Isaac lonely sometimes, but the people around him were always there to accompany him.

It wasn’t until he reached middle school that the first day in class he met a new kid, Arlo Hayes. There was something about the way Arlo looked at him, he could sense that he’s been through a lot, and being polite, he gave him a welcoming smile. The two of them shared many similar interests, it was strange, Arlo liked everything he did exactly, but shrugging it off as coincidence, he hung out with him a lot. Whenever a group project was assigned, Arlo would immediately pair himself with him, and figuring it could be worse, Isaac wouldn’t reject him. Arlo was very clingy, he basically lived with Isaac in his own home, it was a struggle to get him to leave sometimes, but he didn’t seem to have ill intentions, just really wanted to be with his friend. Isaac felt smothered all the time, Arlo would never give him an opportunity to breathe, for he was always there, even when Isaac wanted to be alone.

High school finally came around, and Arlo met up with him days before class started, it wasn’t unusual, but something was different this time, Isaac had a hunch, and a feeling of dread overwhelmed him. It was as he feared, Arlo confessed his feelings to him, and as much as Isaac wanted to return the favor, he knew he couldn’t, he knew he couldn’t love him back the way he does. Isaac would do his best to let him down gently, he didn’t want to lose a friend, not one so enthusiastic and energetic, but Arlo didn’t take it lightly, simply leaving without a word.

The next few days were calm, Arlo was nowhere to be seen, this worried Isaac, but he figured he was avoiding him to get over the rejection. It wasn’t until a few days later Arlo showed back up at his doorstep, apologizing for his overreaction and stating that he just wanted to be friends again. Isaac felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders, knowing that he could be close friends again without worrying about hurting him again. The relief was short-lived, as Isaac quickly found out when Arlo would get too close to him, and making obscene gestures. Isaac felt betrayed, he knew he couldn’t keep this up anymore, it was unhealthy for both of them. Rejecting him one last time, Arlo backed off, leaving without a word once more.

It wasn’t until the middle of the night when a loud shattering was heard awakening his entire family. His mother ran out to the front yard, tripping over a bloody sack on the front door. to her horror, it was their dog, Roxxy, that went missing that day. A knife was inside with a note inside, “LOOK AT WHAT YOU MADE ME DO, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU IGNORE ME!” it said written in Roxxy’s blood. It was obvious who did this, and Isaac called the police.

Several years passed, Arlo was in prison and Isaac was beginning to start a family with his spouse. Without warning, the front door to his house was busted open, crashing to the floor, Arlo charged in. “CHEATER! YOU’RE CHEATING ON ME!” he’d shout, screaming more nonsense on how the two were meant to be together, Arlo thrusted the wooden stake into Isaac’s arm. He screamed in pain, and confusion, realizing who his aggressor was, Isaac squirmed, but it was no use, Arlo has him pinned to the ground beneath him. Without hesitation, Arlo shanked himself in the chest as Isaac bled out on the ground.

Isaac’s perks, Stoicism, Back Off and Back Off help him escape unwanted attention from the killer.

Stoicism - You remained unphased when others are endangered, you know how to keep calm in times of stress. For each survivor that is hooked, in dying state or sacrificed, you gain 9 / 12 / 10% bonus vaulting and dropping pallets speed.

“Just because you’re out of your mind doesn’t mean I have to be.”

Unique to Isaac Jones until Level 30, at which point its Teachable version can then be learned and taught to the other Survivors

Stay Away - The unwanted attention you receive has helped you in diffusing many situations. Decreases your chance to become the killer’s obsession. After escaping a chase, fast vaults and failing skill checks will not cause a noise indicator for 9 / 12 / 15 seconds. If you are the obsession, reveal the killer’s aura to you for 4 / 5 / 6 seconds after escaping a chase.

“Cry me a river, build a bridge and GET OVER IT!”

Unique to Isaac Jones until Level 35, at which point its Teachable version can then be learned and taught to the other Survivors

Out of my Way - Passively, you ignore all collisions with idle survivors. After being in a chase for at least 15 seconds, gain the endurance status effect for 5 seconds, during this time running into the killer will stun them for 4 seconds and cause you to break into a sprint at 150% running speed for 3 seconds

Causes Exhaustion for 60 / 50 / 40 seconds

You can only benefit from ignoring collision while exhausted.

“Look, you're a good person, but you have to realise that not everyone wants the same thing as you.”

Unique to Isaac Jones until Level 40, at which point its Teachable version can then be learned and taught to the other Survivors

Isaac Jones has brown hair and brown eyes with a pale skin tone. he is clad in a burgundy hoodie, with beige cargo shorts. He wears black sneakers.

Look at my other killer concepts if you want to see more of my ideas/writing.

The Reticent / The Houndmaster / The Dancer / The Goliath / The Coven

#dead by daylight oc #dead by daylight #dbd #dbd oc

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cynthiaparker1432 · 3 years ago

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Arlo Camera Offline | Arlo Camera Not Recording | Arlo Phone Number

If you want to resolve the Arlo camera offline issue then you need to consider several factors. It could be possible that the batteries expired, or else, the base station is placed far from the router, or your internet connection is not stable.

You don’t need to be worried about why your Arlo Camera Keeps Going Offline. We are going to tell you some common troubleshooting methods to fix the issue.

While doing the process, if you will face any kind of issue then dial the given Arlo Customer Service Phone Number.

Why Is My Arlo Camera Offline?

If your Arlo Won't Connect to WiFi then it is a must to check the internet connection. A bad wifi configuration could be responsible for the Arlo Camera Offline problem. Apart from this, make sure that the base station is placed near the router. Sometimes, the issues like this occur because of a loose cable connection. So, you would need to check everything properly.

How to Fix When Arlo Camera Keeps Going Offline?

If your Arlo Camera Says Offline then do follow all the steps that have been mentioned below.

Place Arlo Near the Base Station: Make sure that you have positioned the Arlo security camera close to the base station at a distance of 300 feet (90 meters). Your Arlo camera is connecting and disconnecting because you have placed it at a distance from the base station.

Check Your Wifi Connection: Make sure that you are having a stable internet connection. A faulty wifi connection could be responsible for the Arlo Camera Offline issue.

Restart the Wifi Device: Restarting often resolved a number of issues. If you have found that wifi has stopped working then restart the device immediately. To restart it, remove the power plug from the wall outlet first. Now, reconnect the power plug after a while. Turn ON the router and let your Arlo connect to wifi.

Check The Base Station: Make sure that Arlo base station is online. The green light on the base station means that it is in online mode now.

Sync Arlo to Base Station: It is a must to check whether your camera is synced to the base station or not. Check the last recording and if it was recorded a long time ago, then you need to sync it again. If you need any help regarding the same then dial the Arlo Security Camera Customer Service Phone Number now.

Unplug the Power Cords: Try to fix the problem by removing the power plug from the wall outlet. Then, remove the batteries from the camera, after 5 seconds put them back into the compartment. Turn ON the Arlo camera and notice the LED light behaviour:

If there is no LED light then it means that the batteries are not installed or aligned properly. If the batteries are found dead then replace them with the new ones to resolve the Arlo Camera Offline issue.

Blue LED light means that your camera has been synced to a base station.

If your Led light blinks blue but only once, it means that your camera is in the initial phase. Hence, you need to wait until the camera will not sync to the base station.

Your LED only blinks amber then replaces the batteries with the new one.

Conclusion

To conclude this article we can say that a weak internet connection is a must for the proper working of a camera. A number of issues could be responsible behind the Arlo Camera Offline issue. In this guide, we have mentioned all the methods to fix the problem. For more help, dial the given Arlo Security Camera Customer Service Phone Number now.

#arlo camera offline #Arlo Camera Keeps Going Offline #Arlo Customer Service Phone Number #Arlo Won't Connect to WiFi

0 notes

noblessemalade · 4 years ago

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Clarence Elaborate Character Profile

[in process]

Part One: The Basics

1. What is his name? Clarence Jules Grey

2. Does he have any nicknames? If so, who gave them to him and why? [to be added]

3. How old is he now? 20 years old

4. When was he born? on the 25th of July 1867 at 11:07 am

5. Where does he call home now? a small lofting in the middle of London

6. To what social class does he belong? high society

7. What is his eye color? a grey-ish light blue

8. What is his hair color? very light blonde

9. Does he have any distinguishing facial features? [to be added]

10. Does he have any birthmarks? Where are they? [to be added]

11. Does he have any scars? How did he get them? [to be added]

12. Does he have any tattoos or other markings? How and why did he get them? none

13. Does he have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? asthma, [to be added]

14. Is he right or left handed? right handed

15. What does his voice sound like? incredibly soft and smooth, basically dripping with honey voice claim: [to be added]

16. How does he dress most of the time? in custom-tailored suits mostly, but leisure clothes from time to time. Always very well put together

17. How does he dress up? has several suits for special occasions but not much different from his day to day attire.

18. How does he dress down? he usually would just throw on an unsuspecting coat with a hood, he dislikes dressing in “poor people clothes”.

19. What does he wear when he goes to sleep? a light linen shirt that falls just above his knees

20. Does he wear any jewelry? not really

21. What words and/or phrases does he use frequently? “Good riddance.” “[to be added]”

22. Does he have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? [to be added]

23. Does he have any bad habits? If so, what are they and how does he plan to get rid of them? he picks on his knuckles when he’s stressed, sometimes to the point of bleeding.

24. Does he have a lifelong dream or aspiration? [to be added]

25. Does he own a car (or other form of transportation)? Why or why not? Describe it. his family employed a personal carriage driver, wether he keeps them is [to be added]

26. What is his current state of mind? relatively relaxed, at the beginning of the story he is in quite an accomplished place in life.

Part Two: Family

27. How close is he to his family? not at all, he has ceased all communication.

28. Does he have a spouse or significant other? Describe them. at the beginning of the story no, later Will

29. Has he started his own family? Describe them if he did. If not, does he want to? Why or why not? he hasn’t but he wants to. Children are off the table tho

30. Who was his Father and what was he like? [Name to be added] is an incredibly powerful man, a power which unfortunately he is quite prone to abuse. No one is ever good enough for him and the safest one is around him, is when he’s ignoring you.

31. Who was his Mother and what was she like? [Name to be added] is a woman left with an infinite amount of bitterness after being forced into a marriage she had no say in. She would project the abuse she received from her husban onto every available target. Having absolutely nothing to do day in and day out she also went on to develop a serious alcohol addiction.

32. Who is he closest to in his family? his brother

33. Is there someone in his family he wishes he was closer to? his brother again

34. What was his parent’s marriage like? as explained before, quite dysfunctional to say the least.

35. Did they remain married? If not, how did that affect him? When did they split? as much as you can call it a marriage, they did remain together as the laws on divorce were quite insufficient at the time and the process came with a heavy stigma. This caused Clarence to have a rather bleak outlook on marriage.

36. Does he have any siblings? What are/were they like? [Name to be added] is Clarence only older brother. They were very close to each other and helped each other in coping with their parents abuse. Being the heir to the family however, his brother was kept busy with studies from an early age which left Clarence alone most of the time.

37. What is the worst thing one of his siblings ever did to him? [to be added]

38. What’s the worst thing he has ever done to one of his siblings? [to be added]

39. When’s the last time he saw a member of his family? Where are they now? Clarence ran away at the age of 17 and hasn’t seen them since. They still live in the family’s estate outside of London.

40. Did he meet any other family members? (Aunts Uncles, etc) Describe them. [to be added]

Part Three: Friends and Relationships with Others

41. In general, how does he treat other people that he has just met? Appearance is everything. He tends to have a smile and a helping hand for most, although class prejudice does cause him to treat people of the upper class with far more respect.

42. Does his treatment of people change depending on how well he knows them and if so how? He acts more natural around the people he is actually comfortable with.

43. Who is the most important person in his life and why? i mean, himself really

44. Who is the person he respects the most and why? [to be added]

45. Who are his friends? Describe them. [to be added]

46. Does he have a best friend? Describe them. [to be added]

47. Who would he turn to if he was in desperate need of help? [to be added] (prolly arlo tho)

48. Does he trust anyone to protect him? Who and why? [to be added]

49. If he died or went missing, who would miss him? [to be added]

50. Who is the person he despises the most, and why? his father

51. Does he tend to argue with people or avoid conflict? he’s very conflict shy but far more prone to voice his disapproval with people working for him and the one’s he’s closest with

52. Does he tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? he does but when there is someone else assuming leadership, unless it is a personal vendetta, he does not mind stepping aside.

53. Does he like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? Yes, and he likes being the center of attention which his line of work quite often allows him to be.

54. Does he care what others think of him? Immensely. Appearance is everything. That is why he is never fully himself in social situations.

55. What habit do others have that annoy him the most? [to be added]

56. What is the most important quality he looks for in a friend? trust-worthyness, the ability to keep a secret

57. What does he most value in his friends? [to be added]

Part Four: Growing Up (Childhood)

58. Where was he born? in his family’s estate

59. Where did he grow up? see above

60. How would he describe his childhood in general? pretty shit haha. He does have earlier memories with his brother that he is quite fond of, but in general there is not much good to look back on.

61. What is his earliest memory? [to be added]

62. What is his fondest childhood memory? [to be added]

63. What is his worst childhood memory? [to be added]

64. As a child, what did he want to be when he grew up? he always wanted to be a professional actor

65. As a child, what were his favorite activities? coming up with different stories and roleplaying them with his brother

66. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did he display? liveliness and tons of energy in general, a sense of leadership and adventure, a wild imagination

67. As a child, was he popular? Who were his friends, and what were they like? as the second child, he was not very popular among the limited amount of high society members he was allowed to meet. (i might write him an old friend whom he meets again in his potential uni years)

68. As a child, what was his favorite toy? [to be added]

69. As a child, what was his favorite game to play? roleplaying

Part Five: Growing Up (Teen/Young Adult)

70. How much schooling has he had? he was homeschooled and enjoyed a quite extensive curriculum although it should be mentioned that his brothers education always came before his.

71. Did he enjoy school? He did enjoy learning, especially about history, but he always preferred playtime and did from time to time move his brother to skip classes and run off together which in turn earned him a “lecture” with his father.

72. Where did he learn most of his skills and other abilities? I suppose he learned the most from his teachers

73. While growing up, did he have any role models other than his parents? Describe them. [to be added]

74. While growing up, how did he get along with the other members of his family? With his parents not at all, with his brother very much although they did have a bit of a falling out when the older was forced to take his studies more and more serious.

75. How old was he when he went on his first date? Describe the date. [to be added]

76. What is his favorite memory from his teen years? [to be added]

77. What is his worst memory from his teen years? [to be added] (maybe the thing that ultimately caused him to run away)

78. When and with whom was his first kiss? [to be added]

79. Is he a virgin? If not, when and with whom did he lose his virginity? [to be added] (probably not)

80. Describe any influences in his past that led him to do the things he does today. [to be added]

Part Six: Past Influences

81. What does he consider the most important even of his life so far? [to be added]

82. Who has had the most influence on him? [to be added]

83. What does he consider his greatest achievement? becoming an official castmember in the theater he works at and going on to earn several leading roles.

84. What is his greatest regret? [to be added]

85. What is the most evil thing he has ever done? [to be added]

86. Does he have a criminal record of any kind? [to be added]

87. When was the time he was the most frightened? [to be added]

88. What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to him? [to be added]

89. If he could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why? [to be added]

90. What is his best memory? [to be added]

91. What is his worst memory? [to be added]

92. When and where was he the happiest? [to be added]

Part Seven: Beliefs and Opinions

93. Is he optimistic or pessimistic? despite everything, he is optimistic

94. What is his greatest fear? probably having his sexuality found out. But he also fears meeting his father again.

95. Has he told any one his fear before? Only those who share it.

96. Who would be the one person he’d never tell his fear? For good reason, most people, but the most definitely his father

97. What are his religious views? he is agnostic

98. What are his political views? [to be added]

99. What are his views on sex? i think he likes having sex but does not view it as a necessity at all.

100. Is he able to kill? yes, although he’s not usually likely to be the one to get his hands dirty.

101. Under what circumstances does he find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable? only if they pose an immediate threat to his safety or that of someone close to him. But I could see him order a kill out of revenge.

102. In his opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do? [to be added]

103. Does he believe in the existence of soul males and/or true love? not at first.

104. What does he believe makes a successful life? reaching goals and fulfilling dreams

105. How honest is he about his thoughts and feelings? (Meaning does he hide his true self from others and in what way?) he has a lot of personal issues and never learned to open up about them so even the people closest to him don’t know him completely.

106. Does he have any biases or prejudices? coming from a place of immense priviledge, he has a lot of class prejudice and is quite unable to understand the situation of those who aren’t as well off as him. I think he also thinks he’s deserving of respect, simply because he is higher class.

107. Is there anything he absolutely refuses to do under any circumstances? Why? [to be added]

108. Who or what, if anything, would he die for? (or go to extremes for?) a very select group of people he’s closest to

109. What is his best feature, in his opinion? [to be added]

110. What does he think of drugs and alcohol? Are there any types that people should never do? Why or why not? Due to his mother he would never drink and reacts badly to drunk people

111. What is his idea of perfect happiness? in his mind, it’s his work and he certainly is the happiest on stage but it’s also finding someone he can truly be himself with.

112. What does he regard as the lowest depth of misery? A hopeless situation where he doesn’t have the power to do something about it. Or just being powerless and not in control in general.

Part Eight: Likes and Dislikes

113. What is/are his favorite hobbies and pastimes? as sad as that might sound, he loves memorising scripts for his upcoming roles. When he’s not doing that, he likes to visit his best friend at a certain café. I might also make him a bit of a writer himself, but we will see.

114. What is his most treasured possession? [to be added]

115. What is his favorite color? Why? an olive green and a pale, dark blue. I don’t think there is a specific reason, he just simply finds them pleasing to the eye.

116. What is his least favorite color? Why? yellow and orange, he’s just not a fan.

117. What is his favorite food? Why? [to be added]

118. What is his least favorite food? Why? [to be added]

119. What is his favorite sound? Why? applause

120. What is his least favorite sound? Why? angry shouting.

121. What is his favorite smell/scent? Why? [to be added]

122. What is his least favorite smell/scent? Why? [to be added]

123. What, if anything, does he like to read? Oliver Twist

124. What is his idea of good entertainment? going to see a play at the theatre or going to a ball.

125. How does he spend a typical Saturday night? Either at home practicing lines or at rehearsal. Occasionally, he will go out.

126. What makes him laugh? [to be added]

127. What makes him laugh out loud, hysterically? [to be added]

128. What makes him cry? [to be added]

129. What makes him cry, hysterically? [to be added]

130. What, if anything, shocks or offends him? [to be added]

131. What would he do if he couldn’t sleep and had to find something to amuse himself? write something.

132. How does he deal with stress? when he is very stressed, he picks on his knuckles as a kind of release, but he’s quite bad at coping with it in a healthy manner.

133. Is he spontaneous or does he always need to have a plan? He can seem very spontaneous from time to time but he usually has everything planned out beforehand.

134. What are his pet peeves? [to be added]

135. Where does he go when he’s angry or depressed? [to be added]

136. What does he do when he’s bored? go for a walk or visit friends.

137. What type of music does he like? Favorite bands or musicians? [to be added]

138. What tape or CD hasn’t left his player since he bought it? Why? [to be added]

139. What song is “his song”? Why? [to be added]

140. What is his favorite movie? Why? [to be added]

141. What is his least favourite movie? Why? [to be added]

142. What is his favorite stage play? Why? [to be added]

143. What is his least favorite stage play? Why? [to be added]

144. What is his favorite book? Why? still Oliver Twist.

145. What is his least favorite book? Why? [to be added]

146. Who is his favorite author/writer? Why? [to be added]

147. Who is his least favorite author/writer? Why? [to be added]

148. What does he watch on Television? if they had Netflix back then, he would definitely watch The Crown.

149. What annoys him more than anything else? [to be added]

150. What time of day is his favorite? Why? he likes the early morning and is one to wake up quite early. It’s the atmosphere of the whole city waking up and the buzzing energy.

151. What time of day is his least favorite? Why? the middle of the night, he doesn’t like the quiet too much.

152. What kind of weather is his favorite? Why? he loves cloudless sunny days. They make him happy. And he loves the warmth of the sun.

153. What kind of weather is his least favorite? Why?

Snow, he doesn’t handle the cold very well.

154. What is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen? [to be added]

155. What is the most awful thing he has ever seen? [to be added]

156. What is his favorite drink? Why? [to be added]

157. What is his least favorite drink? Why? [to be added]

158. What is his favorite animal? Why?

He loves any kind of bird.

159. What is his least favorite animal? Why?

160. What sorts of things embarrass him?

Part Nine: Self Image

161. Describe a normal day for him.

162. How does he feel when his routine is disrupted?

163. What is his greatest strength as a person?

164. What is his greatest weakness?

165. If he could change one thing about himself, what would it be?

166. Is he generally introverted or extroverted? extroverted

167. Is he generally organized or messy?

168. Name three things he considers himself to be very good at.

169. Name three things he considers himself to be very bad at.

170. What are his reasons for being an adventurer or heroic? Are his real reasons different than the ones he tells other people in public? If so, detail both reasons.

171. What three words best describe his personality?

172. What three words would others probably use to describe him?

173. What about him is heroic?

174. Is he a better lead or follower? Why?

175. What is his responsibility to the world? Why?

176. What does he like about himself?

177. What doesn’t he like about himself?

178. What does he find most relaxing? (not stress relief, but something that actually calms him down.)

179. What talent would he most like to have?

Part Ten: Occupation & Finance

180. What is his occupation? (If he doesn’t have one, where does his money come from?) he is an actor and after burning the entire “allowance” he got from his parents when he left, he now supports himself entirely through his salary and the generosity of his patrons (he is not too prideful to accept tips)

181. Does he like his job? Yes!

182. What is his boss/employer like?

183. What are his co-workers like?

184. Does he get along with his co-workers?

185. Which co-workers doesn’t he get along with and why?

186. What is something he had to learn that he hated?

187. Does he tend to save or spend his money? Why? Only so much as he needs to keep up the illusion of being upper class, he saves most.

188. If he was to gain an obscenely large sum of money, what would he do with it? [to be added]

Part Eleven: Drug & Alcohol

189. Does he smoke, drink, or use drugs? If yes, why? Does he want to quit? Not really. He would smoke cigarettes but I don’t think they were invented yet.

190. How old was he when he had his first drink? Did he like it? Why or why not? In a moment of weakness, he was persuaded to take a chug of whiskey one time by his friend at the time, and he absolutely hated it and went on to never do it again.

191. How old was he when he first got drunk? What was the experience like? -

192. Does he drink on a regular basis? nope

193. What kind of alcohol do you prefer? none

194. Has he ever tried any kind of “mood altering” substance? Which ones? Describe the experience. i don’t think so

Part Twelve: Sex & Intimacy

195. Has he ever been in love? What happened? [to be added]

196. Has he ever had his heart broken? [to be added]

197. Would he consider himself straight, gay, bi, or something else? Why? gay. because he likes dudes.

198. Who was the first person he had sex with? When did it happen? Describe the experience. [to be added]

199. Has he ever had a same-sex experience? Describe the experience. exclusively. [to be added]

200. What is his deepest, most well-hidden sexual fantasy? Would he ever try it?

201. What was the wildest thing he has done, sexually? Describe the experience.

202. Is there any sexual activity that he enjoys and/or practice that can be considered non-standard? Why does he like it?

203. Does he currently have a lover? Describe them, what he is attracted to, and what the relationship is like.

204. What is the perfect romantic date?

205. Describe his perfect partner.

206. Does he ever want to get married? When does he see this happening? not before meeting Will and maybe not after. Legally, it wouldn’t be possible anyways

207. Does he want children? Why or why not? I’m unsure of this, the only dynamic i can imagine is him becoming somewhat of a father-figure to an orphan.

208. What is more important, sex or intimacy? Why?

209. What was his most recent romantic relationship like? Who was it with?

210. What��s the worst thing he’s done to someone he loves?

Part Thirteen: Morality

211. What one act in his past is he most ashamed of?

212. What one act in his past is he most proud of?

213. Has he ever been in a physical fight before? Over what, with who, and who won?

214. What does he feel most strongly about?

215. What does he pretend to feel strongly about, just to impress people?

216. What trait does he find most admirable and how often does he find it?

217. Is there anything he thinks should not be incorporated into the media or arts? (i.e., sex, violence, etc). What and why or why not?

218. Does he think the future is hopeful? Why or why not? increasingly

219. Does he think redemption is possible? Why or why not?

220. Is there something he thinks is absolutely unforgivable? What is it?

221. Is it okay for men to cry? He has been taught it isn’t, and doesn’t openly do it himself but if he saw a man important to him cry, he would not hold it against them.

222. Is it okay for him to cry? He only shows his raw emotions on rare occasions and to very few people. Even in pain he’s careful not to let tears slip.

223. What does he think is wrong with most people, overall?

224. What is the worst thing he could ever do to someone he hated?

225. Does he have feelings that disturb him? What and why?

226. On what occasions does he lie? Well, almost any. I suppose he does a lot of “withholding information”. Outright lying only out of necessity though, ie. to protect someone close to him. He’s quite good it too.

227. Does he think it is okay to lie? In general, no and he doesn’t particularly like getting lied to (bit of a hypocricy on his part), but he believes there are instances in which it is okay.

Part Fourteen: Goals and Future

228. What goal does he most want to accomplish in his lifetime?

229. Where does he see himself in five years?

230. If he could choose, how would he want to die?

231. If he knew he was going to die in 24 hours, name three things he would do in the time he had left.

232. What is the one thing for which he would most like to be remembered after his death? his career

Part Fifteen: Misc.

233. If he could, what advice would he, the hero, give to the villain? Or If he could, why would he, the villain want the hero to be at his side or part of his team?

234. What was the worst injury he’s ever received? How did it happen?

235. How ticklish is he? Where is he ticklish?

236. What would he wish for if he ever found a genie?

237. If his house burned down, what one thing would he want to save?

238. Describe him sitting in his favorite spot.

239. How does he go to sleep and how does he wake up? (position, routine, etc)

240. What is a dream (during sleep) that he has often?

241. What is a day dream that he has often?

242. If he were to die and come back as any person or thing, what or who would he want to be?

243. What is his motto?

244. If he could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

#Clarence #character profiles

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trexrambling · 7 years ago

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Bite Me (The Epilogue)

Characters: DeanxReader, Sam

Warnings: slight angst, some fluff, some feels, and crying from the author because she can’t believe it’s really over

Overview: You were raised in the hunter life. You fell out of it. It wasn’t your choice to get pulled back in.

Word Count: 2,008

A/N: And here it is. The final part of my first ever fanfic series. To each and every one of you who have joined me on this adventure, thank you. Thank you for your likes, your comments, your reblogs, and your overall encouragement for this story. I have loved writing every word and feel blessed to be able to share it with you all. To Lee and Han, my sole sister and writing soulmate, I love you both dearly and am constantly blessed by your support and love. Thank you both for helping this series reach its fullest potential. These words, like everything else I write, are for me. Feel free to join me in the adventure.

Read (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17)

I watched as each breath I took created a small ghost that drifted in front of my face before disappearing. I shifted my feet in the snow, the movements accompanied by soft crunches as the icy state was padded down, and rested a hand on the squirming bundle of fur that was trying its best to sit still beside me.

“It’s ok, Zuri. We’re home now.”

The first place I had gone after I left the Winchesters was to my roots, my origins, the rebuilt frame of a house that I had once lived in and had been taken from. I had talked to Dean about my past, but I never went into the specifics. I knew it would be a place he couldn’t find me, and I also knew that the proper way to finish any story was to start at the beginning.

I took up residency in a cheap motel and, for the next month, tried to piece together bits and pieces of a life I had never really lived. I visited my parent’s graves, their names foreign to me, yet familiar in an odd sense. I befriended a relative, my aunt, and though she never knew my true identity I was able to build a strong connection with her in my short stay. I shared parts of my life with her and received fragments of a still blurry picture from stories she shared with me. Besides my aunt, no other immediate relatives were still alive, and the distant members of my family lived hundreds of miles away. What I found about my past was small, but I gathered that I had been deeply loved by my parents, whom I now believed to be hunters that had accidentally brought a child into the life. I made peace with my hometown and moved on within the month.

The next stop was Uncle Jay’s cabin. It was exactly as it had been when Castiel had brought me there last, and I stayed in my old bedroom for almost two months, living off the surrounding land and working my way through the thousands of memories that I had collected in the twenty-four years I had lived there. Using the contacts in Uncle Jay’s old phone, I was able to track down a few of his ancient hunter friends that were by chance still alive. I managed to get the whole story from piecing together the answers to the questions I asked them, and as I looked at the completed puzzle my mind and heart became still in understanding. Uncle Jay had been friends with my parents and had lost them in a hunt gone wrong. He’d felt personally responsible for me, and as my aunt had only been fifteen at the time, he had taken me in.

As I’d sat on the floor one night, flipping through the rare photos I had managed to capture over the years of the two of us, I only felt gratefulness for this man, and I was thankful that he had claimed me as his. He would forever be my uncle, and I would always remain his Small Fry.

I knew that Dean and Sam would be keeping tabs on my old house, but I also knew that it was somewhere I needed to visit. Thankfully, it was a few hours away from the Bunker, so I knew that the chances of them stumbling across me were not nonexistent, but still very minute. I didn’t stay there long; my main purpose was to pick up a few supplies and visit Arlo’s grave. Dean had marked it with a rock he’d found in my garden, and as I sat, cross-legged in the un-mowed grass and rapidly spreading weeds, I thanked whoever was listening for the blessing of my best friend. Arlo had gotten me through dark moments in my life and created light within my soul more times than I could count. I had needed him far more than he had ever needed me, and it had been an honor to love him in the time that I had him. He had left a hole in my chest, and I knew that I couldn’t ever replace him, but I could try to fill in the gaps with something that could help me see beauty in the world again.

Just like with Arlo, I knew when I saw her that she was mine. She was one of five mixed mutt pups, her light gray fur overrun with white and black speckles. She’d charged the gate, growling low growls as her half floppy/half pointed ears twitched towards me. One eye was bright blue and the other was a deep brown that instantly drew me back to a moment of looking in Arlo’s eyes as we both laid lazily on the couch. She was hope for more, and I took her home from the pound that day with a heart full of undiscovered beauty.

We never settled in one place for more than a single night but instead drove across mountains, through small towns, and overall explored what the world had to offer us. With each passing day, I felt my heart begin to mend. I felt the darkness start to lift. I felt myself begin to forgive. And when I finally reached a point of just being me and being ok with all of the cracks I had filled in and the few that still remained, I turned my truck towards Kansas.

I scratched Zuri’s ears before snow-crunching my way to the large, rounded door set into the side of the hill. I raised a hand, almost afraid to knock, but the happy wag of the fluffy tail hitting my legs made me smile. “You’re going to love them, Zur. They’re the best men I’ve ever met.”

I took a deep breath.

I lightly tapped the steel with my knuckles.

Come on, Y/N. A butterfly crashing into the door would have been louder.

I rolled my eyes at myself and used my fist to give three solid bangs that I could hear resonating through the door.

Silence.

Breathe. You’ve got to breathe.

I sucked in a deep lungful of the frigid air and banged three more times.

Zuri’s ears perked up, and a few seconds later I heard muffled footsteps coming from inside.

Breathe. Breathe. Just breathe.

I stepped back, Zuri close at my side, and the sound of grating metal followed by a loud clunk filled the space.

The door swung open.

My brain first registered flannel, closely followed by the two guns that were trained on me. I heard the sharp intakes of breath next, and before I could open my mouth to say something I was enveloped in warm arms, and the scent of cinnamon and leather took over my senses. Then my back hit the railing of the stairwell behind me and my brain could only process Dean as his lips found mine in a hard kiss.

Which was quickly cut short by Zuri biting the hell out of Dean’s leg.

He jerked away from my mouth and cried out in pain, his hand going to his leg while my brain recovered enough to quickly calm my protective dog. I looked up at Dean sheepishly. “She thought you were attacking me.”

Dean’s eyes went from the dog back to me and stayed there. He slowly straightened up and reached out a hand to gently brush my left cheek with his fingers before his other hand firmly took my waist and pulled me to him again, clutching me tightly.

“I told you I would come back,” I whispered against his chest, “and I made sure to do it before December was over. I wanted to start the New Year here. I wanted to be home.”

Dean slowly released his hold on me, his hands sliding down my arms and stopping to hold my hands in his as he looked into my eyes. A small smile crept onto one edge of his mouth. “So…did you bring back the ingredients for pie?”

God, I love this man.

I felt the grin take over my face as I nudged the bag beside me with my foot. “I’ve got apples, cinnamon, sugar, flour, all the works. And I definitely want to talk after you’re done overseeing my baking skills. I’ve got a lot of missed time to make up for.”

Dean leaned down and brought his forehead against mine, a deep sigh leaving his lungs. We stayed like that for a few seconds before he cleared his throat, and his voice was thick when he spoke. “Thank you for coming back.”

“Well, I promised.” And then I shifted my head so I could kiss him, slowly and gently and deeply before the cold had us both shivering and Zuri’s growls had me giggling into Dean’s mouth.

“I gave you guys your space, but I’d really like a hug now!” Sam called from inside the entryway of the bunker.

I pecked Dean’s cheek and darted inside, tackling Sam in a hug that knocked the breath from his lungs. And then we were all inside the warmth of our home, crammed onto one couch as we talked over each other with questions and answers and stories and laughter while Zuri slowly destroyed the legs of the coffee table with her teeth. At one point we all got up to bake the pie, somehow managing to cover Zuri completely in flour, and then someone grabbed the sprayer from the sink and a full out water war ensued. Afterwards we all found our way back to the couch, and it was well past midnight before our voices died out and we found ourselves just sitting in the comfort of each other’s company, each of us drunk from pure happiness.

“I’m glad you’re back, Y/N,” Sam said, giving my shoulders a tight squeeze with his arm. “I missed having you around. Dean’s terrible to research with, and you’re ten times smarter.”

I laughed and leaned into his side. “Well, I’m hoping there’s a case to test your theory.”

Sam straightened up a bit in excitement. “Yeah, there actually is. So get this –”

“Not now, Sam,” Dean interjected. “We’ll fill her in tomorrow.” He gave his brother a look of silent communication, and Sam’s eyes narrowed before widening in understanding.

“Oh, right. Of course, I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, Y/N.” He removed his arm from around my shoulders and rose off the couch. “I’m going to call it a night.”

I grabbed his hand before he walked away and squeezed it. “I love you, Sam. Sleep well.”

He smiled widely at me and squeezed back. “Love you too, Y/N. See you in the morning.” He leaned down to ruffle Zuri’s ears before walking off towards his room, and in the silence of his wake I found myself settling further and further against Dean until my body was as physically close to his as it could be without me being on top of him.

“I missed you.”

He nudged my nose with his. “I missed you, too. You have no idea.” His brow furrowed for a quick moment. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

He held my gaze as he spoke, “Are you home for good this time?”

I felt his warmth soaking into my skin, heard Zuri’s puppy snores from under the table, smelled the pie that we had put into the oven earlier, and felt no echos in my soul as I looked into the green of Dean’s eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good,” Dean said, bringing his mouth close to mine so that our lips barely touched, “because I like you here a hell of a lot better.”

“I love you,” I whispered against his mouth.

I felt his lips curl into a smile. “I love you, too.”

And then he kissed me.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt completely whole.

And I never looked back.

My Forever Lovelies: @wheresthekillswitch @pinknerdpanda @emilywritesaboutdean @ruprecht0420 @arryn-nyxx @jotink78 @hiimaprofessionalfangirl @super-not-naturall @aiaranradnay @percywinchester27 @hannahindie @rosie-winchester @nanie5 @feelmyroarrrr @mogaruke @escabell @mrswhozeewhatsis @katymacsupernatural @deanssweetheart23 @oneshoeshort @claire-of-the-country @greeneyesinlaceandangelsgrace @keelzy2 @angelsandwinchesters @writingmisha @canadianjelly @findingfitnessforme @luulaachops @tas898 @221b-cfordwrites @bluecookiesandbooks @allonsy-yesiwlill @keepcalmandcarryondean @ravengirl94 @dancingring @hollygopossum @charliebradbury1104 @rda1989 @mrsbatesmotel53 @nikkilaf @hexparker @hennessy0274-blog @dixonpotato38 @mickey-m399 @autopistaaningunaparte @fandomismyspiritanimal @anticipate1003 @jarpadandjensenaremyheroes @boxofpaperclips-blog

Bite Me tags: @sama1314 @mamabear82nd @docharleythegeekqueen @ilikaicalie @sveskee @celahcain @impala-dreamer @daughterleftbehind @abbessolute @dreymin @li-ssu @jamrsgang @leezhaa @shhhs3cret @smalltowndivaj @thevioletthourr @blueskybirdy @fallen-castiel @messy-buns-and-shotguns @curlyblondexoxo @ellen-reincarnated1967 @missdestiel67 @jellersquad @1311993lucy

#bite me #spn fanfic series #the epilogue #deanxreader #dean winchester #sam winchester #reader insert #it's actually over guys #i'm still in denial #i hope you guys loved this as much as i loved writing it

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wolfliving · 7 years ago

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Stacey’s IoT Xmas gifts

*I’m not gonna buy ‘em. I’m safe in Italy.

The 2017 Internet of Things Holiday Gift Guide

By Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel

This Friday kicks off the holiday giving season, so my IoT Podcast co-host Kevin Tofel and I have pooled our experiences over the last year to create a list of tried and true devices that make a good gift. Some are for kids, some are for pets, and some are for the guy or gal who already has a connected home. I hope you can find something worth gifting or buying for yourself.

— There are so many connected options for gift giving. Let us show you.

Smart Home Picks

Wyze Camera

($19.99): For $20 you might expect this camera to be a piece of junk, but in our two weeks of testing we found it works really well. The camera offers two-way audio, night vision, 1080p resolution, 14-day cloud storage and motion detection. It’s wired and rated for the indoors, but if you want a simple security camera this one is an excellent place to start. With a microSD card (not included) you can even see a time lapse shot of the day, a feature that the more expensive Nest Cam also offers. The camera’s makers licensed the hardware from a Chinese company and have placed their bet on making good software while offering the cheapest prices they can. The team is based in Seattle and hail from Amazon. It doesn’t work with any other smart home platforms today, but Jessie Zhou, director of marketing at Wyze, says the company plans to add support for popular options over time. And for $20, the lack of integrations is not a huge deal killer.

Arlo Pro outdoor 2 cameras and hub

($349.99): For the security conscious homeowner and renters alike, these cameras make for a nice outdoor or indoor option. They are rechargeable, offer 720p video resolution, two-way audio, motion detection and night vision. We leave ours on the roof deck when we have parties and want to keep an eye on children from the Amazon Echo Show or from our phones and then toss them outside or on window ledges when we leave town for vacation. These are not always recording, so they aren’t foolproof. They have to detect motion in order to turn on, and one or two people have told me the cameras missed an event. If you want failsafe security, wired cameras are probably the way to go. That being said, these are good enough, durable, convenient and a decent price.

Google Home

($79 during the holidays): In the smart speaker category, our choice is the Google Home, which has managed to surpass the Amazon Echo at offering responses to everyday inquiries and has mostly met the challenge in the smart home. If you haven’t decided yet on a smart speaker option for the home, for $79 during the holiday season, you can pick up a decent-sounding device that can

control hundreds

of smart home devices and process almost any query you can think of. Plus, it can make phone calls, which turns the Google Home into a de facto land line for people as long as there is internet access and power. My only quibble with this device is that the slanted design of the top means that you can’t always see if the device “heard” your initial voice command.

Sonos One

($174 from 11/23 to 11/27): As an alternative to Google Home, we also recommend the new Sonos One for specific people. For example, this new hands-free speaker

supports Alexa voice controls for your smart home

, as well as for music playback on Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and more. Even better: You’ll have a choice of digital assistants in 2018 when Sonos adds support for Google Assistant. Sound quality is excellent on the Sonos One and you can combine multiple units for multi-room audio. Plus, the Sonos companion app includes a smart configuration option to optimize audio playback for your specific room set up.

Wink Hub 2 ($99): You can buy the Samsung SmartThings Hub for less, but we recommend the Wink Hub 2 for the extra money. This second-gen hub improves over its predecessor with a faster processor, more memory, and dual-band WiFi support. You don’t need to hardwire it to a router either, making it easy to place in the center of your smart home for maximum range of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Zigbee and Z-Wave devices. It’s easy to use the Wink app to add new devices, create schedules or automate devices as well. Local processing means that even if your internet service goes down, Wink can still control your home; a feature that Samsung only just added to its hub. With broad device support, simple setup and the ability to work with either Alexa or Google Assistant, the Wink Hub 2 is a great choice to be the brains of your smartphone.

Ecobee 4 ($199 on sale): Nest may be the most recognizable smart thermostat brand but we think the Ecobee 4 is better. It’s just as easy to install and includes a Power Extender Kit for older HVAC systems. It also has two key benefits: Remote sensors — one included, additional sensors cost $79 per pair — to monitor temperature in additional rooms and a built in microphone/speaker combo that works with Amazon Alexa. The Ecobee 4 is compatible with Apple HomeKit so you’re covered regardless of your hub or smartphone platform.

Google Wi-Fi ($289 for a three pack / $249 on Black Friday at Best Buy): Unless you need super advanced router features, the Google Wi-Fi mesh network units are a great addition to any home. They’re simple to set up and less expensive than most other competing products. The three pack covers 4,500 square feet and creates a single network for your devices, making them a better choice than older network extenders. Although you use Wi-Fi to connect the units, each has an Ethernet port for wiring a device as well. Some standout features include scheduling a Wi-Fi pause for family time, guest network support and the ability to prioritize your wireless signal to a specific device for a certain length of time.

Nvidia Shield TV ($149 on Black Friday) and Samsung SmartThings Link ($39.99): This recommendation might seem like it doesn’t belong on an IoT gift guide but bear with us while we explain. The Nvidia Shield TV is primarily a powerful Android TV streaming box and Chromecast unit that supports 4K HDR playback with ease. You can also play Android games on your big screen with the optional (but recommended) game controller included in the $169 Black Friday bundle. Nvidia also offers 1080p console games through a monthly $8 subscription fee: These titles are played on Nvidia’s cloud servers and streamed to you without any noticeable lag, provided you have a fast enough broadband connection. Here’s where the IoT part comes in on this double-duty device. The Shield TV supports Google Assistant voice commands through a microphone found in both the remote and the game controller. And Nvidia also plans to sell small plug-in microphones you can put throughout your home to use Google Assistant in any room. Lastly, you can add the new Samsung SmartThings Link USB stick for $40 which adds Zigbee and Z-Wave support, turning the Nvidia Shield TV into a fully functional SmartThings hub. For the kids Kano motion sensor kit ($29.99): This gizmo is made by the same company that makes the Kano build-it-yourself computer for kids. The sensor plugs into the USB port on a computer and lets the user wave their hand in front of it to make music, control games and more. It’s designed for the younger set, with kids as young as five likely to understand what the device does and start interacting with it. My 11-year-old thought it was a little young for her and was not excited to see the coding challenges that Kano has set up to help youngsters learn how to program the games that use the sensor. “Oh no, coding again!” However, with a less jaded audience the games are fun, and the product is simple and intuitive to use. I’ll also add that the Kano community is wholesome and full of good child-safe computing activities.

Littlebits R2D2 Droid Inventor Kit ($99.95): I have not tested this device, but we’re huge fans of Littlebits in this house so I’m excited about this package. Basically, the company has combined several of its bits into a Star Wars-themed Droid to excite kids. It solves one of the challenges my daughter and I had with the original Littlebits package, which was we had all these servo motors, lights and computers, but no real plan on what to do with them. We overcame that, but the cool part of this toy is that once the magic of the Droid wears off, the nits can be used to build whatever your kid desires. Or not. Either way, they still have a fun toy to play with. I’d recommend this for older kids, roughly in the tween demographic. Stocking stuffers

TrackR Pixel ($49.99 for 5): Bluetooth tracking devices are ideal for purses, wallets, backpacks, keys and any other personal item you don’t want to lose. The TrackR Pixel is roughly the size of a quarter so it’s easy to attach to just about anything without calling attention to itself. Once paired with the TrackR app on your smartphone, you can use Bluetooth or even enable an LED or a sound on the TrackR Pixel to find that lost item. It works in reverse too: By pressing a button on the TrackR Pixel, your phone will sound a tone. No more searching around the house for your smartphone! If you leave something behind while on the go, TrackR crowdsources data so if another TrackR app user passes by your lost item, you’ll see where it is in the app.

Flosstime ($39.99): This might be an insulting gift for an adult but it makes a good gift for a teen or child. Basically, this is a connected dental floss dispenser that suctions to your mirror and has an LED smiley face or frowny face on it. When you grab the floss, it will dispense the right amount automatically and then the frown turns upside down to cheer you on for flossing. As someone who doesn’t floss like she should I look at this as something that would compel me to actually floss in ways that my thrice-annual dental check ups do not. A warning though, this does require special refills that cost $6 a pop. Fibaro Z-wave Button ($49.99) This is not a gift for the smart home novice. This is a stocking stuffer for the person who already owns a SmartThings hub or Fibaro’s own Home Center line of hubs. The button is a beautiful device that can be programmed to respond to 6 different types of touches to set a pre-programmed scene or action in motion. It comes in 8 colors (I have orange) and it’s basically like a magic wand (button) that your loved one can use to impress people with their existing smart home setup and scenes.

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umusicians · 4 years ago

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UM Interview: Michaela Slinger

Michaela Slinger is a “legendary songbird in the making” who combines youthful, energetic, harmony-rich melodies.

While working a full-time job at a non-profit job, she felt underwhelmed and trapped which led to writing sessions in her apartment. Slinger took a leap of faith to pursue her music career full time, working for several non-profits on a part time basis. In 2019, Slinger independently released her debut single and music video “Flux”. To date, the single has amassed over 500,000 streams on digital platforms to date.

Amandah Opoku sat down with Michaela to talk about her new single “Make You Sad”, upcoming debut EP, the success of her single “Flux” and more!

Amandah Opoku: Michaela, thank you for doing this interview today! Before we kick off please tell our readers about yourself and one random fact people do not know about you. Michaela Slinger: Thanks for chatting with me! I’m a 24-year-old indie-pop artist with 604 Records based out of Vancouver. The short version of my artist story is that I grew up performing and singing constantly (mostly in musical theatre), started songwriting beginning at age 10, and then put music mostly on pause to attend university and begin my working life from 17-21. It felt pretty soul-crushing to not have music as the focal point of my life, so I released “Flux,” my first single, independently after quitting my full-time job in 2019.

From there, connections and opportunities happened, and I was working with two producers and collaborators at 604 the following year. A random fact about me is that I’m left-handed, left-footed in soccer, and pretty much left-dominant in everything. I had to learn right-handed guitar at school because that was all they had, but I’m convinced I’d be a better player if I had learned left-handed.

Amandah Opoku: If you could describe your music in three words, what words would you choose and why? Michaela Slinger: The first word is ageless. I write to express emotional landscapes that everyone from age 15 to 95 can identify with, whether it’s navigating a hard conversation with a loved one, questioning who you are, or coming to terms with the end of a relationship.

The second is dynamic. I’m big on synthesizing musical influences from across many decades—in any song, you might hear nods to 70s folk and big 80s drums alongside current pop sensibility. I like having unpredictable moments in my songs.

The third is ethereal, in part because that’s often a word I hear listeners use to describe my music, and also because I strive for vocal delivery and melody that transports you into my musical world.

Amandah Opoku: Before pursuing your music career, you were working at a non-profit organization. What was the moment you realized that you wanted to create and pursue music as a career? Michaela Slinger: There were many moments that informed my decision to leave my full-time non-profit job. To clarify, I still currently work for a few non-profits, but in a part-time and flexible capacity that allows me to prioritize and grow my music career!

In my full-time role, there would be days where I’d sit at my desk in my office, alone, obsessively reading blogs and analyzing new artists on Spotify playlists and tearing up because it felt like I was watching other people live out my life. I took a day off work to record “Flux” with producer Nygel Asselin, and I biked home from that session around 2am with the demo blaring on a loop, almost in disbelief that an idea from my head had become this amazing, full track. I was hooked, and from there knew I needed to switch my life up.

Amandah Opoku: What artists would you say have influenced you musically both through your sound and lyrically (songwriting)? Michaela Slinger: This question always stresses me out because I’m afraid to leave influences out! I listened to a ton of 80s music with my parents growing up, so I have a real love for pretty much any artist you’ll find on a “Best of 80s” playlist.

John Mayer and Taylor Swift were two songwriters I obsessed over from the time I was in middle school. They’re both true craftspeople with lyrics and story-telling. At my high school, country was popular, so I listened to artists like Zac Brown Band, too. But I remember also listening to artists like Rihanna and Sia around that time, captivated by the energy and power their pop songs could convey.

Other important past and current musical inspirations for me are Maggie Rogers, Joni Mitchell, Etta James, Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, Haim, Jacob Collier, The Weeknd, SZA, Lorde, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, Arlo Parks—I’ll stop my stream of consciousness there.

Amandah Opoku: 2020 has been quite a year for all of us. How has the pandemic affected you as a musician? What have you learned about yourself? Michaela Slinger: I had started performing live and gigging around Vancouver in October 2020, and I’d only just started to get into a rhythm of rehearsing and playing my songs with a band. When live performance stopped, I felt like I’d just started to find my groove. I’m definitely an extrovert, and I get my energy from being with other people, so I found the situation quite deflating. I also typically have little song or lyric ideas coming to me all the time, but during the first few months of the pandemic I wasn’t really writing at all.

However, as someone who’s always identified as Type A and productive, I’ve found a lot of joy in slowing down and doing more things for pleasure rather than output. I go for walks and bike rides constantly, I’ve learned how to knit, I read so many amazing books, watched incredible new TV shows, and my partner and I cooked new recipes from scratch—it made me realize how intense and unsustainable much of our constant high-achieving, results-driven culture is.

Amandah Opoku: In July 2019 you released your debut single “Flux” which achieved half a million streams on Spotify on Apple Music. Congrats!! And how does it feel to achieve this after you took a risk leaving your non-profit job to pursue a music career? Michaela Slinger: Thank you! It feels incredibly validating. I think “Flux” is a great song and music video, but it was also a symbol of this big vulnerable leap I was taking in my life and a shifting of values. To know that it resonates with so many other people gets me excited for all the music I have left to share across my lifetime.

Amandah Opoku: With the success of “Flux”, are any of the negative thoughts you may have had something of the past? Michaela Slinger: I think our brains are lifelong experts at churning out negative thoughts! We’re so quick to normalize big achievements or proud moments in our lives and get back to the business of being hard on ourselves. The success of Flux sets me up for comparison and self-doubt when I release other tracks that don’t “perform” in the same way, but it’s also a strong and confident foundation for me to build off of. Learning to manage negative thoughts and self-talk, however, is more in the realm of growing older, meditation, reading, journaling and unlearning.

Amandah Opoku: You recently released your new single “Make You Sad”. What inspired the song? Michaela Slinger: I was inspired by a challenging conversation I had. You know how sometimes two people bring years’ worth of baggage and insecurities and past hurts into a discussion about something specific, and it turns into a referendum on the entire relationship? It was that.

Amandah Opoku: What was the writing and recording process like for “Make You Sad”? Michaela Slinger: It was a dream! This song is unique in that it was a three-way co-write with my two producers and collaborators, Kevvy and Louise Burns. We met up at 604 Studios and I shared a few voice notes with them off my phone. We started riffing right away on what would become “Make You Sad,” and each person was on their A-game. We left that day with a demo that was quite developed, and I think we even used some of the vocals from our first session on the final track.

Amandah Opoku: Did the writing and record process for “Make You Sad” differ from the process you undertook for your debut single “Flux” which you released in July 2019? If so, how? Michaela Slinger: Completely. I wrote “Flux” totally alone in my living room, and it was just guitar and vocals. I brought it to my producer, and he built the track up. I’d never recorded my own material before, so I was just getting a sense of the studio and production for the first time.

With “Make You Sad,” the lyrics and melody and production and sonic landscape all came together at the same time in that session with Louise and Kevvy. It still felt as personal to me as “Flux” did, but my own writing was impacted and elevated because the three of us were all jamming and creating in a shared moment.

Amandah Opoku: You are also currently working on your debut album with Kevvy and Louise Burns which is set for release later this year. What can fans expect to hear on your album? Michaela Slinger: The album is finalized! That feels wild to say. I’m so excited to release it. Since it’s the first body of work I’ve released, it’s a pretty wide snapshot of my head and heart. Some songs are several years old at this point, while others were written in late 2019 or early 2020. Obviously, there’s the common thread of my lyricism and vocals, and the subjects I’m exploring, but I infuse different sounds: there are big pop tracks, sweeping string ballads, folk-country inspired songs, and tracks that share roots with R&B.

Amandah Opoku: As you continue to pursue your career as a solo artist, what goals have you set for yourself? And what do you hope to achieve within the next 5 years? Michaela Slinger: I like to keep my big and wild goals close to my chest, and also to try my best not to set goals solely on things like metrics or streams or audience numbers—the pandemic taught me that we often place so much emphasis on things outside of our control.

That said, I’m driven to get to a place where I’m a full-time artist, whether it’s solely on my own project or writing for other people. I want to continue building my production chops—I just got Logic, but demoed most of my first record on Garageband. And I want to continue meeting and collaborating with new people who can expand my sound and push me as a creative!

Amandah Opoku: For new fans who come across your music, what would you like them to take away from your music? Michaela Slinger: That pop or pop-adjacent music can have real depth to it, and that so often we feel alone living our complex inner lives, not realizing that there’s overlap and common ground with countless others in the world.

Amandah Opoku: With “Make You Sad” out now, what can fans expect from you next? Michaela Slinger: An incredible music video for the track, directed and filmed by my incredible team of dear friends: Miranda MacDougall, Callum Gunn, and Harry Hill. This one is different from my other videos thus far, as I play a supporting role to the lead character.

Amandah Opoku: Michaela, thank you for sitting down with me! Before we close this interview, is there anything you want to say to your fans and our readers? Michaela Slinger: I’m so grateful to people who continue to seek out and support new and emerging artists! Your sharing and comments and streams have a very real impact on me and my career. Thank you!

Connect with Michaela on the following websites: https://www.michaelaslinger.com https://twitter.com/michaelaslinger https://facebook.com/michaelaslingermusic https://instagram.com/michaelaslinger

#Interviews #Amandah Opoku #Michaela Slinger

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cdrforea · 5 years ago

Text

Nest Cam IQ Indoor Review

New Post has been published on https://bestedevices.com/nest-cam-iq-indoor-review.html

Nest Cam IQ Indoor Review

"The Nest Cam IQ Indoor is cute, compact and capable."

Good quality day / night imaging

Beautiful hardware design and build

Integrated Google Assistant

Smart alerts and smart video highlights

Very expensive

Some smart features require a subscription

Since taking over Dropcam in 2014, engineers at Google’s Nest Labs have been trying to perfect a smarter and more useful home security camera. It was slow, but the outlook was much better in the past few months.

We have been impressed with Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, which combines good looking hardware, intelligent software and high quality imaging to provide a first class surveillance solution for the exterior of your home. Today we're looking at the company's indoor camera, the Nest Cam IQ Indoor for $ 299.

Of course, the smart cam market has become much more competitive since the Dropcam days. If you can buy a solid 1080p camera like Wyze Cam for only $ 20, it sounds like madness to throw more than ten times that amount on Nest Cam IQ. And that's before you've added monthly subscription fees. Should you add this indoor camera to your growing smart home ecosystem? And does it justify its premium price?

A smart camera for the connoisseur

As usual, Nest Cam IQ Indoor is beautifully presented and offers an unboxing experience that reaches the pinnacle of Apple's most beautiful moments. The camera itself is made of the same soft-touch premium plastic as the outdoor model, with a similar, stylish boast.

A wide base provides sufficient stability on the desktop and includes a standard 1/4 inch screw hole for mounting. In the meantime, a beautifully machined ball joint offers a horizontal setting of 180 degrees and almost the same vertical orientation, so that there is enough scope to find exactly the right angle for optimal room coverage. An oversized, bell-shaped camera body feels comfortingly heavy and robust, but remains elegant to the eye. Clear lines and flowing curves characterize Nest Cam IQ as a camera for the smart home connoisseur.

Under the hood is a 4K sensor with 8 megapixels that supports the same intelligent imaging functions that we loved in Nest Cam IQ Outdoor. Smart tracking and improved zoom may be worn out Hollywood tropics, but this device is finally taking them home.

Otherwise, the data sheet is known: 1080p video output, 130-degree wide-angle field of view, night vision and two-way audio are now common features, although Nest delivers with more sophistication than the competition. The Nest smartphone app provides step-by-step setup instructions to help ensure you're up and running quickly.

High quality imaging with impressively wide views

Nest Cam IQ Indoor provides clean, clear day-to-day imaging, which is certainly an advantage over many competitors. The impressively wide field of vision ensures good room coverage with little noticeable fisheye effect. Smart camera sensors typically overexpose, especially near windows or lights. The Nest camera follows this trend, although performance was slightly better than other devices we recently tested. The pictures in darkened rooms were also good, with effective lighting, although we thought the picture could have been a bit brighter and more powerful.

Clear lines and flowing curves characterize Nest Cam IQ as a camera for the smart home connoisseur.

We have few complaints. A close comparison with a budget camera like the Wyze Cam for $ 20 shows that while Nest Cam IQ Indoor offers a wider, more refined picture, the quality difference is far less than the price difference.

Paywalled functions provide additional intelligence, but offer only a limited value

Of course, the Nest proposal is not just about image quality. There are a variety of smart features like face detection, auto close-ups, custom activity zones, smart clips, and time-lapse video creation. Frustratingly, these features are blocked behind the Nest Aware subscription's paywall. The price is $ 50 a year, or $ 5 a month. Most smart cam providers offer subscription-based pricing for advanced features – a longer recording history is a favorite – but as Nest Cam IQ Indoor is sold on these devices at a substantial premium, the pay-to-play model is becoming less and less attractive.

For example, we found that Nest's facial recognition feature is a great addition to the outdoor cameras. In particular, the intelligent Nest Hello doorbell can notify us perfectly when our local UPS employee delivers a package. With an indoor camera, however, this is significantly less useful. The situation is similar with automatic tracking and image enhancements, which are groundbreaking functions for a camera such as Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, which is mounted at long distances, but are less useful for a static indoor camera of good quality.

If Wyze Cam can support the immediate creation of activity zones and time-lapse features for $ 20, we can't see why a $ 300 deposit with Nest can't do the same.

Google Assistant offers added value and difference

The integration of Google Assistant in combination with the high-quality microphone array and the loudspeaker of the camera offers real differentiation and added value. If you haven't bought a Google Home device yet, you'll save money as this camera offers most – but not all – of its features, including smart home control (with Nest devices alongside a number of partners), as well as online queries and more .

The integration of Google Assistant offers real added value.

Fun things like streaming music and games aren't available, but that's probably a blessing. The built-in speaker is certainly of better quality than what we find in most smart cams, but would not be our first choice for music. However, we were pleased that the Nest Cam microphone array could receive voice commands from a large room even at low volume.

If you're looking for a reliable, responsive, and easy-to-use smart home camera, Nest Cam may offer a bonus, but also a shot. With simple planning, you can configure when monitoring is active, or you can use Nest's Home / Away Assistant feature to automatically activate the camera when you leave the house.

Intelligent noise detection and notifications can alert you to a dog barking, a speaking person, or other noises at home and, unlike many competitors, actually work. Sounds are not only identified correctly, but also processed quickly. Notifications arrive on your smartphone just a few seconds later. And we're big fans of Nest's Sightline feature, which allows you to easily swipe through important moments captured in the Nest app throughout the day. Smart filters help you check the alerts that concern you the most.

Warranty information

The Nest Cam IQ Indoor has a 2-year limited warranty.

Our opinion

There is no doubt that Nest Cam IQ Indoor is an intelligent, sophisticated and sophisticated surveillance camera – a brilliant combination of intelligent functions and high-quality performance that is delivered with style and grace. However, given the tough competition in today's market, the Nest needs to do more to justify the $ 299 price for the camera, especially given the many features behind a subscription paywall.

Is there a better alternative?

Today's indoor smart cam market is full of gamers, although it can be difficult to find products that really stand out. Our affordable choice, the $ 20 Wyze Cam v2, is a great choice at an affordable price. Although the Nest camera lacks intelligence, style, and premium quality, the image quality is good and the value for money is unprecedented.

Elsewhere, the versatile Netgear Arlo Pro 2 system supports fully wireless and weatherproof operation so it can be used indoors or outdoors. However, it is expensive. More of a fan of Alexa when it comes to smart assistants? The Amazon Cloud Cam for $ 120 is fully integrated and supports the security tasks for smart homes as well as Fire TV and Echo Show or Spot Control.

How long it will take?

When you spend $ 299 on a camera, you want it to last a long time. We have no doubt that this is the case with this smart cam supported by Google. Nest Labs continues to develop new features for its devices, although it is sort of a lottery, whether it is delivered for free or added to the Nest Aware subscription.

Should you buy it

If you are (or want to be) deeply invested in the Nest Smart Home ecosystem, you will be happy to invest in this Smart Home camera and be amazed by the results. Others should carefully consider whether the premium features offered are worth the price.

Editor's recommendations

#cam #Indoor #Nest #Review #Smart Security

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andylocksmithtipsntricks · 5 years ago

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The 10 Best Wireless Security Cameras of 2020

Wire-Free Pick

Arlo Pro 3

Read Review

100% wire-free connection

Free 7-day cloud storage

100% wire-free connection

Free 7-day cloud storage

View on Amazon

Read Review

Indoor Budget Pick

Wyze Cam Pan

Read Review

Under $40

360° coverage

Under $40

360° coverage

View on Amazon

Read Review

Smart Home Pick

Canary Pro

Read Review

Camera, siren, climate monitor

Learning technology

Camera, siren, climate monitor

Learning technology

View on Amazon

Read Review

Outdoor Budget Pick

Ring Stick Up Cam

Read Review

No power cables

Outdoor capabilities

No power cables

Outdoor capabilities

View on Amazon

Read Review

Wireless vs. Wire-Free

We love the convenience and flexibility of wireless home security cameras. Our favorites are 100% wire-free, which means they use a Wi-Fi connection and a wireless power source like a battery. Cameras that fall into that wire-free category, like the Arlo Pro 3 and the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery, got extra credit when it came to ranking the top wireless security cameras this year.

But we couldn’t dismiss high-quality cameras like the Amcrest 4MP UltraHD, Wyze Cam Pan, and Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor just because of a compulsory power cord.

Find out which cameras on our list are truly wireless, which ones you can use indoors and outdoors, and what smart features each one offers in our comparison table and security camera reviews below.

If you’re looking for a wireless camera that works with a security system, you can start with recommendations from our Best Home Security Systems.

Here are the best 10 wireless security cameras of 2020:

Arlo Pro 3: Best wire-free camera

Wyze Cam Pan: Best indoor budget camera

Canary Pro: Best smart home camera

Ring Stick Up Cam Battery: Outdoor budget pick

Reolink Argus 2: Indoor-outdoor pick

Amcrest 4MP UltraHD Indoor: Free storage pick

Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor: Best high-tech camera

YI Dome Camera: Audio quality pick

Abode Iota: Home security pick

Amazon Cloud Cam: Delivery protection pick

Compare the 4 Best Wireless Security Cameras

List Price* Camera Type Wire-Free Video Resolution Night Vision Learn More

Wire-Free Pick Indoor Budget Pick Smart Home Pick Outdoor Budget Pick $199.99 $37.98 $79.00 $99.99 Arlo Pro 3 Wyze Cam Pan Canary Pro Ring Stick Up Cam Indoor/Outdoor Wire-free Indoor Wired Indoor Wired Indoor/Outdoor Wire-free ✓ Yes X No X No ✓ Yes 1440p (2K) 1080p 1080p 1080p Color/Infrared Infrared Infrared Infrared View on Amazon View on Amazon View on Amazon View on Amazon Read Review Read Review Read Review Read Review

{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "Table", "about": "" }

Amazon.com List Price as of 02/20/20 at 11:35 a.m. (MT). (Full disclaimer)

Best Wireless Security Camera Reviews

1. Arlo Pro 3: Best Wire-Free Camera

Wire-Free Pick

View on Amazon

The Arlo Pro 3 is our pick for the best wireless security camera because it doesn’t need a power cord and still manages to outperform the competition. We think the Arlo Pro 3 is an excellent choice for most people, especially if you want a quick setup, multiple cameras, and outstanding video quality.

Its 2K video captures more detail than 1080p cameras and records clear video any time of day thanks to infrared night vision and a built-in spotlight. A helpful tutorial in the Arlo app makes it incredibly easy to set up. And the magnetic wall mount makes it easy to install anywhere.

The biggest drawback of Arlo Pro 3 is that it requires a base station that you get only when buying two or more cameras. This makes it an expensive choice, but it balances out if you need more than one camera.

Pros

2K video resolution

100% wire-free design

Indoor/outdoor versatility

Smart home integration

Cons

High price

2 cameras required to get base station

2. Wyze Cam Pan: Best Budget Indoor Camera

Indoor Budget Pick

View on Amazon

This little Wi-Fi camera can scan an entire room in just three seconds. You can adjust settings with the Pan Scan feature to automatically scan an area to your specifications.

The Wyze Cam’s motion tracking is also cool—if a kid or dog runs through the room, the camera will follow all the action. (No more arguments about who broke the lamp.) Plus, you can pick up the Wyze Cam for under $40.

One of the only things we don’t like is that you need a power cord, which limits placement options. Read our full Wyze Cam Pan review.

Pros

Affordable price

360° coverage with Pan Scan

Smart motion tracking

Free rolling 14-day cloud storage

Cons

Wired power cord

Hit-and-miss motion alerts

3. Canary Pro: Best Smart Home Camera

Smart Home Pick

View on Amazon

Canary Pro combines home security features like a siren and environmental sensors with a smart home security camera. And don’t let the small, unobtrusive design fool you.

Canary has packed enough security features into this Wi-Fi camera to make it qualify for home insurance discounts from many major insurers.

The Canary Pro can sense if the fireplace isn’t fully out or let you know if someone left the tub running. We wish it had a little more power when it comes to night vision, though—it only sees about 20 feet in the dark. Read our full Canary review.

Pros

Camera, siren, and climate monitor

Learning tech to adjust to your habits

Alexa and Google integration

Direct connection to emergency services

Cons

Only 20-foot range for night vision

Subscription required for some features

Buggy mobile app

4. Ring Stick Up Cam: Outdoor Budget Pick

Outdoor Budget Pick

View on Amazon

The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is completely wire-free so you have a ton of flexibility in where you put it. And it costs around $100, making it one of the most affordable security cameras you can use both indoors and outdoors. As a result, we think the Stick Up Cam Battery is best for people that need a wireless outdoor camera on a budget.

There are reports of short battery life on Ring products (some say it lasts about a month), and recharging the Stick Up Cam is a tedious process since you need to remove the battery each time. You can get a solar panel accessory so you don’t need to remove the battery as often, but it’ll cost you extra. Read our Ring Alarm review to see how Ring products all work together.

Pros

No power cables to wrangle

Indoor/outdoor capability

Motion-activated sensors

Smart home compatibility

Cons

Tedious process to recharge battery

Short battery life

Avoiding Breaches

Some Ring users have reported security breaches in their devices that allow bad actors to use the two-way communication and view the video feed. In a statement to SafeWise, Ring noted that these breaches can be avoided by using strong, unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, changing passwords regularly, and adding authorized users instead of sharing credentials. We still like Ring products, but we also recommend users follow security best practices for all internet-connected devices.

5. Reolink Argus 2: Indoor-Outdoor Pick

Inside-Outside Pick

View on Amazon

We like the Reolink Argus 2 because it works just as well indoors as it does outside. Its starlight night vision gives you clear images up to thirty-six feet without any extra ambient light.

This camera uses a rechargeable battery or solar power, so you have a lot of flexibility about where to place it. In our experience, the battery drains fairly quickly if you don’t use the solar panel accessory.

Setup is easy using the mobile app, but the camera doesn’t have a very stable Wi-Fi connection at times, which leads to choppy video playback. Read our Reolink Argus 2 review.

Pros

Email and push notifications

Built-in microSD card slot

Free video playback via Reolink app

No base station

Cons

Wi-Fi connectivity issues

No web viewing capability

Motion detection delays

6. Amcrest 4MP UltraHD Indoor: Free Storage Pick

Free Storage Pick

View on Amazon

At SafeWise, we’re Amcrest fans, and this wireless indoor security camera doesn’t disappoint. Its remote pan and tilt function, easy setup, and variety of video storage options make this one of the best cameras available for under $100.

While this camera records video without issues, there’s a noticeable lag when you stream live video. Unfortunately, the user manual is hard to follow, and mounting the Amcrest 4MP UltraHD on the wall limits the camera’s rotation options.

But we still like the free cloud storage and the addition of two-way talk.

Pros

Remote pan and tilt

Multiple storage options

Two-way communication

Smart digital zoom

Cons

Limited rotation when mounted

Confusing user manual

Laggy live streaming

7. Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor: Best High-Tech Camera

High-Tech Pick

Visit Kohl's

The Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor is awesome when it comes to image, video, and sound quality. Plus it has person alerts and built-in Google Assistant so you can use it as a virtual assistant to control your smart home.

For some, that may be worth the $300 price tag. But while we like the smart functions and home automation compatibility of the Nest Cam IQ, many of the cameras we looked at offer the same perks at a more reasonable price.

The fact that you can’t use many of the best features (including video recording) unless you sign up for a monthly subscription is a big downer.

Read more in our review of the Nest cameras suite and our Nest Cam IQ review.

Pros

Great video quality

Compatibility with Google Assistant, Alexa, and other Nest products

Crystal clear two-way audio

Quality design and aesthetic

Cons

High price point

Required Nest Aware subscription for coolest features

8. YI Dome Camera: Audio Quality Pick

Audio Pick

View on Amazon

This wireless security camera makes us think of R2-D2. It’s cute and looks like the type of tech you can count on to stay in touch with kids and pets when you can’t be at home.

The antinoise filter makes it easy to listen for baby’s cries or chat with kids about homework after school. You can even tell Rover to get off the sofa. Another great feature of the YI Dome Camera is unlimited free cloud storage.

But watch out if you’re an Android user—there are several reported issues with the Android app.

Pros

Cute design

Motion tracking

Antinoise filter for clear audio

No cloud storage limit

Cons

Limited night vision range

Android issues

Difficult setup

9. Abode Iota: Home Security Pick

Home Security Pick

Visit Abode

The Abode Iota is a high-end home security camera and security system in one. This compact device delivers two-way talk, high video quality, and sensitive motion detection.

It also comes with the option to add 24/7 professional monitoring. That gives you a direct link to help through a monitoring center without buying any additional security equipment.

Best of all, Abode’s professional monitoring starts at just $8 per month, and there’s no contract required. Read our full Abode Home Security review.

Pros

24/7 monitoring available

Built-in siren

Entry sensors

Key fob control

Cons

Small size that limits security range

Poor sound quality

10. Amazon Cloud Cam: Delivery Protection Pick

Delivery Protection Pick

View on Amazon

Amazon stopped selling the Cloud Cam as a standalone device, but you can still get it as part of an Amazon Key kit. This lets Prime members pair the camera with a smart lock or garage door opener to get unattended deliveries inside your home.

It’s no surprise that Amazon’s wireless security camera would be besties with Amazon’s Alexa. But we’re bummed that you can’t use some of the camera’s coolest features (video storage, motion zones, person detection, and audio detection) without a Cloud Cam subscription.

You get 24 hours of video clips stored for free, but you need the subscription to support multiple cameras, use person detection, or set motion zones to limit false alarms.

Even without the extra perks, it’s still a good camera to keep an eye on kids and pets when you’re away.

Pros

24 hours of free video clips

Compatibility with Alexa, Fire TV

Viewing options on mobile device or PC

Unattended deliveries for Prime members

Cons

Required kit to buy the camera

Required Cloud Cam subscription for full function

Required Amazon Prime subscription to use Amazon Key

Things to Consider Before You Buy

Can my security camera be hacked?

The unfortunate truth is that, yes, security cameras can be vulnerable to hacking—but the good news is that you can do things to keep hackers out.

Nearly every security camera we looked at supports encryption. This protects the camera’s data stream (like videos of your kids after school) from prying eyes.

No matter what security features come with your camera, these tips can help you maximize the privacy of your security cameras:

Buy a camera with a recognizable name and purchase it from a trustworthy seller.

Make sure your home Wi-Fi network is secure.

Create unique, strong passwords for your camera and any apps you use to access it.

Keep firmware up-to-date on your camera and your Wi-Fi router.

Turn off remote viewing when you don’t need it.

Block the lens of your camera when you’re not using it—a post-it or a piece of painters tape will work.

Will a security camera work as a baby/kid/pet monitor?

We’ve learned that many people want a wireless security camera to keep an eye on the people and pets they love. If this is your goal, here are some things to consider:

Two-way communication: This lets you listen in and talk to the pets or people at home.

Night vision: Clear images in low light are especially important if you want to use the camera as a baby monitor.

Field of view: Most security cameras use a wide-angle lens, while baby monitors and nanny cams often use a more narrow range of vision to focus on the baby.

Pan and tilt: If you’re viewing pets or older kids remotely from the office or on a beach, you may want to be able to move the camera angle.

Can an indoor camera do double duty looking out a window?

Wireless cameras can’t have it all—watch things inside by day, and keep an eye on what’s going on outside after dark. It rarely works.

Most indoor security cameras will pick up glares and reflections when aimed out a window. This obscures the outside view, making it useless.

If security both outdoors and indoors is a priority for you, we recommend getting the right type of camera for each area. You may be able to find an indoor camera that claims to be specifically designed to minimize the glare and reflection of a window, but be sure to read a lot of customer reviews to verify that those claims are accurate.

Is an indoor wireless camera enough security?

If your goal is to protect against intruders, we recommend an outdoor camera first and foremost.

Outdoor security cameras can deter criminals and provide an early warning before someone enters your home. While indoor security cameras often help people catch a burglar after the fact, you have a better chance of sending a thief running with an outdoor camera.

And if you want to be connected to the police, you should look into security cameras that come with an option to add professional monitoring.

More Security Camera Resources

How Do Wireless Security Cameras Work?

Where Should Home Security Cameras Be Installed?

Best Solar-Powered Security Lights and Cameras

Best Home Security Cameras

Our Approach

To find the best wireless security cameras, we looked at price, image quality, reliability, ease of setup, smart features, night vision, and customer satisfaction. We tested several cameras in our homes, read expert reviews, researched industry standards and camera specs, and consulted thousands of customer reviews. Find out more about how we rank and review products in our full methodology.

60+ hours of research and testing

11 in-home tests

28 products considered

1,100+ customer reviews read

10 coffees consumed

Contributing writer: John Carlsen

Disclaimer

Amazon.com list price as of 02/20/2020 11:35 a.m. (MT). Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. SafeWise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

2019 Best Home Security Systems

Vivint

Best for Smart Home

View Plans

ADT

Best Monitoring

View Plans

Frontpoint

Best Customer Service

View Plans

Protect America

Budget Pick

View Plans

Link Interactive

Best Basic Plans

View Plans

The post The 10 Best Wireless Security Cameras of 2020 appeared first on SafeWise.

Article source here: The 10 Best Wireless Security Cameras of 2020

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wineanddinosaur · 5 years ago

Text

A Power Ranking of the Best and Worst Margaritas at Every Major Chain Restaurant

America loves Margaritas. The tangy mix of tequila, fresh lime, and triple sec has been our No. 1 drink since 2016, according to Nielsen surveys. We love Margaritas so much, in fact, we’ll happily pay extra for them.

Naturally, Margaritas are available everywhere from somber craft cocktail bars to casual dining chains. Chili’s Grill & Bar boasts a 14-strong Margarita menu, including a revolving, monthly $5 Margarita special. Meanwhile, sales of Applebee’s $1 cocktail deals, which started with the infamous “Dollarita” in October 2017, not only helped the chain buck a casual dining slump, they drove 43 weeks of consecutive sales growth. Even Olive Garden, the Italian family dining chain, offers its own version of the Mexican cocktail.

But just how good are these iterations? Is their success a product of cost and convenience, or are these national chains just as adept at slinging the nation’s favorite cocktail as mixologists at high-end cocktail bars?

“[A Margarita] should be tart, it should taste like lime and like citrus (which is why you use Cointreau), and it should taste earthy, like tequila,” Ivy Mix, co-owner of Leyenda in Brooklyn, N.Y., says. According to the self-professed “tequila and mezcal lady,” there’s absolutely no substitute for Cointreau in the mix. “If you use simple syrup,” she says, “it’s just a glorified Daiquiri.”

Some bars may swap out the tequila for mezcal, though, adding a smoky element to the drink. But regardless of which agave spirit you use, “it must be 100 percent agave,” Gary Wallach, director of food and beverage for Arlo Hotels, tells VinePair. “Agave is like wine,” Wallach explains, “so the best Margaritas balance the true terroir of the agave used, while using just enough sugar and citrus to give it a refreshing and light flavor.”

Armed with this guidance, we assembled a team of Margarita enthusiasts to help sample and rank what each national casual-dining chain had to offer.

Those tasked with joining this writer for the crawl included Jeff Licciardello, VinePair’s director of marketing and lover of every form and flavor of Margarita. VinePair columnist Aaron Goldfarb, whose fondness for casual-dining-chain cocktails is well-documented, was also on hand, as was politics editor from the Daily Dot, David Covucci, because who needs eight successive Margaritas more than someone who reports on our current political landscape for a living?

Our process was simple: We entered each national dining chain, asked the bartender for whatever they deemed their location’s “flagship Margarita,” and individually scored the drink based on presentation, balance of flavors, and value for money. After we’d tasted and scored them all, we averaged them to determine the final ranking.

8. TGI Fridays

Called the “Best Fridays Margarita” (BFM), this $16.32 (after tax) cocktail was one of the two most expensive Margaritas we sampled. Visually, it was uninviting, with a few specks of salt crusted onto an oversized rocks glass. The drink gained a few points for including Patrón and fresh lime juice, but the balance was off-kilter, with not enough sweetness and far too much booze. If the BFM is, indeed, the best Margarita TGIF has to offer, we won’t be returning any time soon. Average score: 8/25

7. Hard Rock Café

Upon descending into the basement bar of the Times Square Hard Rock Café, we had high hopes. Our bartender whipped up the drink with the briskness of a Led Zeppelin guitar solo, and, at $12.79 after tax, it was one of the cheapest Margaritas we encountered. Unfortunately, the inclusion of both Cointreau and Grand Marnier meant the quality tequila — Tres Generaciones Plata — got lost in the mix, which tasted like boozy orange juice. Average score: 11/25

6. Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday’s “Top Shelf Traditional Margarita” blends Casamigos Blanco with triple sec and something called “fresh lime sour,” and tops it with a Grand Marnier float. Unlike Hard Rock’s Margarita, this chain manages to strike a nice balance between the sweet, orange-flavored liqueur, and the citrus and tequila, though some tasters felt it was ultimately lacking in acidity. It might not be an issue if you’re only drinking one, but would definitely lead to struggles if you order a second or make the first one “large” for an extra $1. Average score: 14/25

5. Olive Garden

Olive Garden’s Italian Margarita was polarizing. The non-traditional recipe swaps out half the sour mix for orange juice, and the cocktail is finished with a pour of Amaretto. Most of the tasters felt there was sufficient acidity to balance the sweet ingredients, however, and everyone agreed the orange and lime garnish, and orange-salt-rimmed glass, made the drink look appealing. At close to 16 ounces for $11.74, the drink also offers fantastic value. Average score: 14.5/25

4. Red Lobster

Combining Sauza tequila, Grand Marnier, and sour mix, Red Lobster’s Margarita is greater than the sum of its parts. Our team of four ordered the 24-ounce “Lobsterita” pour, which was ours for a barely believable $14.58. A solid, if slightly bland Margarita, the drink was balanced and just missed falling in our top three. Average score: 15/25

3. Chili’s Grill & Bar

Chili’s sells over 22 million Margaritas per year, making it the largest purchaser of tequila in the United States, according to a brand representative. Over 7 million of those Margs are its flagship “Presidente,” a sweet, boozy blend of Sauza Conmemorativo, Patrón Citrónge orange liqueur, E&J brandy, and a proprietary sweet and sour mix. The drink arrives in a signature plastic blue shaker, but skewed slightly too sweet for our tasters, and a little brandy-heavy. Average score: 15.5/25

2. Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar

Applebee’s “Perfect Margarita” ups the presentation ante, arriving in a stainless steel Boston shaker complete with Hawthorne strainer. Inside are two-and-a-half cocktails’ worth of 1800 tequila, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, sour mix, fresh lime, and a sweetener we’re told is called “bar syrup.” Top marks for presentation, including the unexpected coconut salt rim on the accompanying Martini glass, but the combined sweetness of Grand Marnier and the so-called bar syrup held this drink back from clinching top spot. A worthy $16.32 effort, nonetheless. Average score: 16/25

1. Buffalo Wild Wings

B-Dubs may be better known for its impressive craft beer selection, but the chain is equally adept at blending impressive Margaritas. The winning “Platinum Margarita” combines Patrón, Grand Marnier, and sour mix, and serves it on the rocks. Tasters were impressed by the drink’s balance, and everyone agreed they could happily enjoy multiple glasses without things tasting too sweet. Our bartender Venus told us that in two years of working at Buffalo Wild Wings, she’d never had a single drink sent back to her. We can see why. Average score: 16.5/25

The article A Power Ranking of the Best and Worst Margaritas at Every Major Chain Restaurant appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/best-worst-chain-restaurant-margarita-rankings/

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kristinsimmons · 6 years ago

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Vegan Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte + 10 Years!

10 YEARS!!! Can someone please tell me how it’s been a decade since I wrote my very first blog post? We’re celebrating today with this incredible vegan dessert and a week-long OSG Recipe App sale for charity (deets below).

When I started my blog on October 31, 2008, Eric and I were newly married and living in Toronto while I was working full-time as a researcher and wrapping up my Master’s degree. Life was pretty chaotic, and completing my degree was starting to wear me down (at one point I thought I was just going to cut my losses, throw in the towel, and move on!). This blog was the most amazing creative outlet during a time when my life was lacking the kind of creativity that I absolutely craved. It allowed me to explore a side of myself that I hadn’t since I was a kid (like my love for photography, baking, creative writing/journaling, and just being a goof). My blog’s first tagline was “Food. Fitness. Fashion. Fun.” Pretty epic, right? lol. I’m grateful to Eric for encouraging me to “find a hobby” after years of exhausting myself with school and work. He still jokes that my “hobby” turned into my career, so I need to find a new hobby now. (Fine, I’ll start my own animal farm! YOU WIN!)

I find writing therapeutic in soooo many ways. In the early days, I didn’t have more than a handful of readers, and I found it quite easy to talk about my struggles online. I was like no one is going to read this anyway! It was an online journal of sorts, and I wrote about my history with disordered eating and how I was finally getting myself on a path to recovery. I shared the challenges I faced finding a career that I was truly passionate about (and, eventually, how I relinquished my need to people-please by completely changing my career path). I had the most supportive response from those first early blog readers (as well as my friends and family), so I kept writing with my heart on my sleeve.

After coming in the top 3 of the food blogging challenge Project Food Blog, an editor from a major publishing house emailed me saying she loved my work and was wondering if I’d like to write a cookbook. Pretty sure I fainted! It was the email that changed everything and solidified the fact that I was on the right path after doubting myself and my decision to change careers for so long.

So here we are 1 blog, 3 moves, 2 cookbooks, 2 kids, and 1 recipe app later…including countless late nights, self-doubt, and (ongoing) indecision for good measure! It sure has been a wild ride! I’m still learning and dreaming of new goals every day (all while not having the slightest clue how to get there!). Above all, I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve stayed true to myself and the values I have for this hobby-turned-business. The best part is that I’ve been lucky to meet so many of you amazing people online and in person, and I still can’t quite believe how freakin’ genuine, cool, and supportive everyone has been! It’s so crazy to think that some of my best friendships have been made through this blog. Forever grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my veggie-lovin’ heart for making this such a fun journey. And cheers to the next 10 years! Any guesses as to what adventures they’ll bring for you or me?

To celebrate OSG’s 10-year anniversary, we’re having a big OSG Recipe App sale this week with 100% of the proceeds being donated to Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada. Right now our app is just 99 cents, so if you’ve been thinking about downloading it, this week is a great time to do so and support a fantastic cause that’s near and dear to my heart! You can find our recipe app on both the iTunes and Google Play stores. Thank you so much for all of your amazing support and for helping us give back to our community.

I had so much fun celebrating Canada’s food writers at the Taste Canada Awards Gala last night! We were nominated in the Food Blogs Health and Special Diet category, and I was so honoured to take home Gold! All I could think about was how grateful I am to have this recognition, especially so close to OSG’s 10-year milestone. Plus, Adriana and Arlo have been calling all of my food “YUCKY” lately, so now I can show them the award and explain that they’ve been outvoted, lol.

Last but not least, we’re having a little party to celebrate 10 years and this new dessert is on the menu. I hope you’ll enjoy every bite as much as we have! With Halloween tomorrow, I can’t think of a better time to indulge in some creamy, dreamy, chocolaty PB goodness.

Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte

Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free

While dreaming up a recipe to celebrate Oh She Glows’ 10-year anniversary, I immediately thought of one of my all-time favourite flavour combos: salted peanut butter and chocolate! Hubba hubba. This salted peanut butter torte (of pure sweet heaven) is easy to throw together and only takes a couple hours to freeze. Its creative presentation will impress the heck out of your guests, and that irresistible sweet-salty flavour and creamy, crunchy texture will blow your taste buds away! I’ve also tested this torte with 3 different fillings: peanut butter, almond butter, and a nut-free sunflower seed butter version! And guess what? They’re all so delicious we couldn’t pick a favourite! See my Tips for how to make the sunflower seed and almond butter versions.

Yield 12 small or 9 medium servings

Prep time 25 Minutes

Cook time 10 Minutes

Chill time 2 hours

Total time 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 cup (78 g) almonds

1 cup (100 g) gluten-free rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup (60 mL) coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons (45 mL) pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons (30 mL) smooth natural peanut butter

For the filling:

1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut oil

1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut cream*

1/2 cup (125 mL) pure maple syrup

3/4 cup (185 g) smooth natural peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For topping (optional, but recommended):

Coconut Whipped Cream**

1/2 cup (95 g) non-dairy chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon (5 mL) coconut oil, melted***

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped toasted walnuts and large-flake coconut****

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease an 8x8-inch square pan with coconut oil (including up the sides, too). Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the width of the pan with a bit of overhang so it’s easy to lift out.

For the crust: Add the almonds, oats, and salt to a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a coarse flour, about 30 seconds.

Melt the 1/4 cup coconut oil in a medium pot (you’ll be using the same medium pot for the filling) over low heat. Add the melted oil, maple syrup, and peanut butter to the processor and process until the mixture comes together in a heavy dough, 10 to 15 seconds. The dough should look like a wet cookie dough. If you find it a bit dry, add a teaspoon or two of water and process again until a wet dough forms.

Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and crumble it evenly all over the base. Lightly wet your fingers and press the dough into the base firmly and evenly. Level the edges with your fingertips. Poke the base with a fork about 12 times to allow air to escape while baking.

Bake the crust for 9 to 11 minutes, until it looks pale and a bit puffy. The crust might look underbaked when you remove it, but this is what we want to avoid drying it out.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In the same medium pot (no need to clean it!), melt the coconut oil and coconut cream over low heat. Now add the maple syrup, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

Spoon the filling onto the crust (there’s no need to cool the crust first) and carefully transfer the dish to a level surface in your freezer. Chill until solid, about 2 hours. If I’m not serving the torte right away, I’ll cover the pan with tinfoil after a couple hours of freezing. While it chills, prepare the Coconut Whipped Cream and gather the toppings so they’re ready to go.

Once frozen, remove from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges to loosen the slab. Using the parchment paper, lift the slab out and place it on a serving platter. Slice into slices of your desired width. Now add the toppings: I add a large dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream on each and then top it with lots of drizzled melted chocolate, walnuts, and large-flake coconut. A pinch of coarse sea salt is nice too. If you have leftover melted chocolate, serve it on the side in a small dish so you can spoon some more chocolate over top while eating (trust me on this one!). Serve immediately—the combo of cold filling and warm melted chocolate is just dreamy! But the chilled leftovers (with hardened chocolate) are totally irresistible too.

Storage tips: The filling softens a great deal at room temperature, so it's best not to leave leftovers on the counter for longer than half an hour. Return it to the fridge or freezer for best results. Cover leftover slices and store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or you can freeze the slices for 4 to 6 weeks. I like to wrap frozen slices in tinfoil and then place them all into a freezer-safe zip bag.

Tips:

* Chill your can of full-fat coconut milk for at least 12 hours before you begin this recipe so that the cream on top is solid. After making the torte, you’ll have some leftover coconut cream in the can which can be used to make Coconut Whipped Cream for the topping!

** Feel free to use store-bought coconut whipped cream instead. I like “So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip!”

*** To a small pot over low heat, add the chocolate and oil. Stir until smooth and combined.

**** Of course you can use roasted peanuts instead. I’m not a big fan of them so I prefer to use walnuts.

Make it nut-free: In the crust, swap the almonds for sunflower seeds and in the filling swap the peanut butter for roasted sunflower seed butter. I like to add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup and a pinch of salt to this version—the filling tastes like salted caramel!

Almond butter version: Swap the peanut butter for roasted almond butter.

Don’t have an 8x8-inch square pan? You can make this in an 8x4-inch loaf pan or standard-size muffin tin (both greased with coconut oil).

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Vegan Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte + 10 Years! published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

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susantregre · 6 years ago

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Vegan Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte + 10 Years!

Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte

Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free

Yield 12 small or 9 medium servings

Prep time 25 Minutes

Cook time 10 Minutes

Chill time 2 hours

Total time 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 cup (78 g) almonds

1 cup (100 g) gluten-free rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup (60 mL) coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons (45 mL) pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons (30 mL) smooth natural peanut butter

For the filling:

1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut oil

1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut cream*

1/2 cup (125 mL) pure maple syrup

3/4 cup (185 g) smooth natural peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For topping (optional, but recommended):

Coconut Whipped Cream**

1/2 cup (95 g) non-dairy chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon (5 mL) coconut oil, melted***

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped toasted walnuts and large-flake coconut****

Directions:

For the crust: Add the almonds, oats, and salt to a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a coarse flour, about 30 seconds.

Bake the crust for 9 to 11 minutes, until it looks pale and a bit puffy. The crust might look underbaked when you remove it, but this is what we want to avoid drying it out.

Tips:

** Feel free to use store-bought coconut whipped cream instead. I like “So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip!”

*** To a small pot over low heat, add the chocolate and oil. Stir until smooth and combined.

**** Of course you can use roasted peanuts instead. I’m not a big fan of them so I prefer to use walnuts.

Almond butter version: Swap the peanut butter for roasted almond butter.

Don’t have an 8x8-inch square pan? You can make this in an 8x4-inch loaf pan or standard-size muffin tin (both greased with coconut oil).

from Oh She Glows https://ift.tt/2OYDKZK

#Oh She Glows

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thefemalehustler · 7 years ago

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#DJFOCUS INTERVIEW DJ FAB ROC & DJ MISS MILAN

I recently caught up with two of the most in demand female DJ’s on the New York music scene right now and a chat to find out how they first got started!

Hey ladies, first of all I wanted to start by getting to know some more about your background, are you both originally born and raised in New York? If so where specifically?

Fab: I'm from NY, was born in Manhattan and lived in Queens for a few years before moving to Rockland County.

Milan: Yes I am from New York, born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens.

How has where you grew up influenced your musical tastes?

F: I'm Haitian, so a lot of my growing up music was Caribbean as well as classic R&B, Jazz, I was also a z100 kid - I didn't get into Hip Hop until middle school years, therefore I have a lot of rock/soft rock and pop influence in my taste of music.

M: I come from a Caribbean / Bajan background, so growing up I was always listening to all types of music from Reggae and Soca to Hip Hop and Jazz, everything was played in my house.

Have you always wanted to become a DJ or did you have plans to fulfil other career paths in music / other fields?

M: Growing up I created a girl group and thought we were going to be the next Destiny's Child lol, but singing and dancing is something that I’ve always been apart of musically, it wasn’t until I got older and wanted to do something different but still in the music lane is when I wanted to become a DJ.

F: Nope! I grew up watching my cousin make a living from being a DJ but he was based in Miami. My Dad was in the music and entertainment industry and a career through that path was never really encouraged by my parents. Less than 2-years ago is when I decided to look into it, then I started taking classes and next thing you know I was full swing into DJing. It was one of those things I wish I started so much earlier but truly believe it's meant for me.

Are you lucky enough to be able to DJ full time or are you also currently juggling a day grind if so how hard do you find it balancing the two?

F: Not yet - hopefully soon. My day-grind thankfully is aligned with the industry so it's not too bad. I plan events and market a downtown venue in NYC, where I get to do the programming and book events for the venue.

M: I wouldn't say lucky, more so blessed, really having the determination, discipline & working smart towards my dreams caused me to be able to live the life that I do. Not to say having a 9-5 to help with your goals and dreams isn't an option, I just know myself and what I'm capable of doing to fit my standard of success.

What was your first DJ booking experience like?

F: I was terrified. A friend let me open for his birthday and I remember wanting to throw up before I started. Those jitters went away quick.

M: My very first booking was a baby shower and I had to play for 6 hours. I remember being excited because I was taking lessons and really practicing so to get a booking for that long was dope to me. The next day I got booked to DJ at Starlets which at the time was growing into Queens most popular strip club and I was more nervous to play there for an hour but ended up doing pretty good my first time.

With so many talented DJ's on the New York music scene how do you set yourself apart from the rest to continue to guarantee being booked for events regularly? Is it a difficult scene to be on?

M: I just really focus on me and what it is that I bring to the turntables, I genuinely enjoy what I do so its never forced or faked and I do believe that it shows each time I perform. My style isn't just dropping records, I'm here to really perform and give you all a show.

F: Yes and no. I pride myself on talent, song selection, and my personality. I strive to give people a musical journey. I'm not pressed on what time I play - it's all important to me. I try to select music that triggers past memories, emotions, and shit that you haven't heard in a minute and forgot about. I try to give that "wow" factor with my selections.

Milan you have regular residency every Sunday at Arlo Hotels in the city for their Champagne Sunday's, tell us a bit about that, how did that come about?

My manager Chanel actually got me that booking. Each Sunday during the summer I'll be spinning at Arlo Hotel Rooftop located in Soho, brunch is served from 1-4 along with some dope vibes provided by me. I'm able to play any and everything because the crowd is so diverse and just want to have a great time.

Fab you recently got to spend your birthday in Bermuda and to top it off DJ there, how was that experience for you?

It was amazing. Being able to travel to a new country and also play for a new group of people was really a blessing and the best way to spend my birthday. I don't consider it work since I love it. I also got to connect with locals and see what music they're listening to, new artists coming up, etc.

Milan you featured as a special guest DJ on Charlamagne's MTV2 show 'Uncommon Sense' how did that opportunity come about and did it open up a lot of doors in terms of demand in bookings after?

Thanks to a good friend and mentor Taxstone, he was able to put in a good word for me and thought as well that it would be a dope look. I mean it definitely put me in a good spotlight but being asked to come back again for a second time meant I knew that I was doing something right when the crowd and producers really enjoyed my energy and set.

Fab you have a podcast called 'Last Call' can you tell us about that, are there any episodes coming up soon we should look out for?

A friend actually started this podcast and asked me to be a voice on it. We've been recording just short of a year now so it's been a great tool for me to get used to speaking with and to people on a platform. Some past episodes that are my favourite are the ones with Tracy G, Chris Goins, and Jonathan form Blavity.

Both of you get booked fairly often to DJ at events on the same line up together in particular at Kim Chanel and Junae Brown's events, what would you say has been one of your favourite events you have DJ'd at together?

F: I think my favourite event we've both been on was the Loud Speaker Network Holiday party. I opened for Milan and the room was activated. She went on and took it into a Southern direction and killed it. It was also a chill vibe where people were kicking it.

M: The energy of Kim & Junae’s events are always on 100% and I enjoy listening to Fab play when I do catch her spinning.

What would you consider your biggest moment of DJ career so far?

F: I was fortunate enough to be featured in Essence Magazine twice. One of them the Obama's were on the cover. That moment I still don't think I've fully processed.

M: My biggest moment of my DJ career so far would be being on T.V and being able to say I did a tour so far with the 4 Lovers Only Tour I recently was just on.

Have either of you had your own show on a radio station before? Is being a DJ on air something that would be of interest to you?

F: Honestly I wouldn't mind -- radio has so much politics though as far as what you can/cannot play. I think satellite is the way to go like Beats One. Having a show like Soulection would be TIGHT.

M: Not on a actual FM station but as far as internet radio yes, a good friend of mine DJ Ernz & myself once hosted a weekly music segment. In my DJ career I wouldn't mind doing it to say I did it but it isn't something that is always a must.

If you could DJ for any artist and go on tour as their official DJ, one being a major international artist and the other being an independent artist who would they be?

F: Rihanna. Sza... as far as independent, Mike Classic.

M: Of course Beyonce, Rihanna or Sza because I'm all of them in one form lol, I dig their music, message and boss ass chick mentality so for sure my top three. Independent artist, my girl Connie Diiamond is a artist that needs to be watched because her music, style and creativity is gonna blow people away. I'm already her DJ so thats one out of two lol.

Where has been your favourite city or country to DJ so far and where is on your list to go? Hopefully we can see you in London some time soon!

M: That would have to be LA & ATL so far, they really gave me so much love and energy. Yes international bookings are up next, the only one I've done so far was Bermuda but definitely need to come to UK and make it happen!

F: I would love to go to London - just say the word!! haha I DJ'ed Austin and that was fun... I still have a lot more work to do but I'd love to do North Cali, Miami, Haiti, Paris, and Spain would be fun!

Finally tell us what you have coming up, any events that people should check you out at etc!

F: Follow me on bandsintown.com/FabRoc or my website fabrocpresents.com and all my gigs are posted there... outside of NYC I'll be in Tallahassee for FAMU Homecoming on Oct 13th. For NYC - Camp Ryan pool party on July 23 Sound & Vibes with DJ Enuff on August 12 and a few other gigs in between :)

M: Definitely head over to DJMissMilan.com and stay tuned for more of #TheMilanExperience!

Make sure you follow the ladies on social media:

Twitter and IG: @Fab_Roc_ / @djmissmilan

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