#I logged on and saw FOUR TWEETS IN A ROW about it and logged back off I’m TIRED

[myfriendtheghost]

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[dreamescapeswriting]

BTS Reaction | Teasing Baby Him [Request]

Seokjin:

You'd always been a fan of their music but you'd never taken the time to sit and watch the music videos. You were too busy with working and your personal life to watch all of the music videos but now that lockdown was happening you had all the time in the world. You'd already binged a new show and started a new hobby but you wanted to do something else, so you found the first-ever music video the boys did and started from there. You smiled as you looked at all of them, all so young and full of dreams it was adorable. One video led to another, and then another and another until you were lost in the whirlpool that was their music videos, and vlogs that they had done before they debuted. It was too cute for words.

"Baby, what you-" Jin stopped when he walked into the living room and saw No More Dream on the screen - You'd just restarted the playlist again because you couldn't get enough of how young he looked. Jin put down his bag on the floor and stared at the remote on the coffee table, you followed his gaze and you knew exactly what he was going to do.

"Babe...Why don't you go and order something to eat?" You hummed at him and slowly got off the sofa and eyed up the remote, both of you were an equal distance away and you knew that Jin had the upper hand thanks to his long limbs but you were a little faster.

"Don't-" Too late, you'd already grabbed onto the remote hit full volume and ran in the direction of the stairs but he grabbed you from behind and began spinning you around.

"JIN!" You cried out as he started tickling your sides to get the remote from your hands but you started screaming the lyrics loudly to annoy him and he groaned falling onto the sofa with you still in his arms.

"Baby you looked so good!" You giggled getting out of his grasp and straddling his lap,

"Fire is my favourite, blonde hair with dark eyebrows." You faked a moan and he hid his face in his hands knowing this wasn't going to be the last of the conversation and you were going to tease him for as long as humanly possible.

Yoongi:

The boredom of lockdown was starting to get to you, you'd done everything you could think of to stop yourself from being bored. Cleaned and reorganised the shared bedroom, repainted the kitchen, repainted the living room and spare bedroom as well as get it all redecorated in there for when you had guests over...Which wouldn't be happening any time soon thanks to Miss Rona. Now you were alone in the house again, Yoongi was working on his mixtape and the new album so you had to find something else to occupy your time, usually, you'd be at work but that was out of the question. You were about to find a video game to play when your phone started to vibrate from the kitchen, Jungkook's text tone came through multiple times and you went to see what the huge deal was when you found him sending you all of the old Log videos back from 2013 and you screamed seeing Yoongi on one of them. He looked so young, his hair was blue and wavy and he was smiling so much that you couldn't help but smile back at him. 

[19:05] Enjoy your new form of blackmail, this is revenge for what he did to me.

You smirked to yourself and sent a bunch of screenshots of the video to Yoongi, teasing him about how cute he was back then before going onto the next one and dying about how cute he was there too. 

[20:45] You better unlock the front door and prepare to be punished.

As soon as the front door was unlocked Yoongi pinned you against the wall in the hallway and you stared at him, he was slightly less intimidating to you now that you'd seen baby Yoongi. 

"Baby Yoongi is so cute though," You giggled but he growled and bit down on your neck, 

"Baby Yoongi isn't here anymore," You whimpered as he whispered in your ear and bit down on your ear lobe. 

Hoseok:

Jimin sat down beside you with a bowl of popcorn, you had been condemned to your tiny apartment since you and he were showing signs of the virus, you knew you didn't have it but you still had to be careful and self isolate together.

"I found these." Jimin said holding up a couple of USB sticks and you frowned looking at them,

"Bon Voyage episodes, but season one things that didn't make it in." You smirked knowing how much your boyfriend - Hoseok - hated you watching all of their old videos. He'd caught you watching and dancing along to No More dream and Spine breaker a bunch of times and you always teased him for it all.

"He's going to kill you." You giggled watching as Hoseok appeared on the screen with Taehyung both of them dancing around and joking about something.

You were just getting into some more clips when there was a loud bang on the window, both of you turned to see Hoseok staring at you, he looked pissed off and you were glad he couldn't come inside and scold you for it.

"YOU LOOK CUTE!" You yelled through the window pausing the screen on Hoseok's face and smirking as he groaned, he hated that he couldn't come in and be with you. He missed you but now he hated that he couldn't go in there and stop you from watching all of the old videos. You walked over to the window and opened it a little so you could talk, you'd been doing it for a couple of nights in a row, it made the time you had to be away from one another less lonely.

"One more week and then I get you back, I'll remember this." He said as he pushed the bag of warm take out food through the window.

"I love you." You giggled at him as he walked away from the window.

Namjoon:

There wasn't much to do since lockdown had started so you began watching all of the old videos you'd missed when you first started dating Namjoon. Tweeting for videos to be sent to you, you'd finished all four seasons of Bon Voyage, you'd watched all of the Run episodes and music videos but there was one thing always being sent to you which made you die from laughter whenever you watched it and it was the clip of Namjoon feeding that one model on American Life Hustle, you smirked to yourself and headed out to the shops to plan what you were going to tease Namjoon with later.

Namjoon was laid on the sofa watching something while scrolling through his phone, you grabbed the bowl of grapes and went to sit on the floor in front of him,

"What've you got baby?" You looked up at him innocently as you popped a grape into your mouth,

"Just some grapes, you want some?" He nodded and shifted so there was room next to him on the sofa, you sat down and held a grape in your hand putting it near his lips and slowly pulling it away as he had done in the video. He blushed but you gave him the grape before doing it yet again with another one, only this time you didn't let him eat it you put it into your mouth and he knew exactly what you were doing.

"Been on twitter today baby?" He smirked taking the bowl out of your hands and laying you down on the sofa,

"N-No." You stuttered, your whole demeanour changing as he smirked darkly at you,

"Oh I think you have," He whispered kissing your jaw and down to your neck, you let out a whimper and he chuckled.

Jimin:

Being in lockdown at the dorms wasn't a total nightmare like you'd first thought it would be. You'd gone to be with Jimin for a couple of weeks and then lockdown happened and you couldn't leave, you thought it would be your worst nightmare living with seven boys but there was never a boring moment. While they went to work you cleaned the entire place from top to bottom as well as make sure they had food for the night, like a little housewife. But the longer lockdown went on the fewer things needed to be done to frequently and you were left being bored. Which was why that morning, Namjoon had handed you an old laptop full of old videos for you to go through, it was all old unedited items of Bangtan bombs, music video clips and bloopers to keep you entertained. You'd spend the entire day watching everything on the laptop that you hadn't even noticed time passing until Jimin touched your shoulder.

"Good day?" He chuckled looking down at you and then to the laptop when he noticed what you were watching,

"Who gave them the laptop?!" He yelled taking it away and rushing away from you, you sprinted after him yelling out quotes from the video only making him blush more.

"Jimin!" You squealed as he picked you up and put you over his shoulder and took you to the boys,

"You showed her Jimin's got no jams? I've only just stopped getting it from Army." He grunted and you started laughing while shouting it, he tickled your sides and you screamed before falling silent, Jimin knew he was never going to hear the end of any of it.

Taehyung:

Lockdown had started to take it toll on your sleeping pattern, you found yourself unable to sleep because of the lack of activity you had to do in the day so you were spending most of your nights laid awake on the sofa downstairs while Taehyung slept upstairs. It was no big deal, he understood that you couldn't sleep but he felt bad because there was nothing he could do to help. You were slowly running out of things to watch on Youtube when you decided to go into all of the old music videos, bangtan bombs and logs from BTS's time together and you were having a blast.

Taehyung rolled over expecting to find you laying next time him since it was 6 am and you were usually tired by then but he could hear the familiar tune to 'Jump' playing and he headed down the stairs, there he found you sitting on the sofa in one of his hoodies. The hoodie pulled up and tied tightly around your chin with a pair of sunglasses on, he was about to say something to you when he noticed you recording his rap part as though you were him and he held back a chuckle watching you.

"You look good!" You jumped and your phone flung onto the opposite side of the sofa as you tried to act as though he hadn't just caught you doing that.

"Sorry baby, you all just looked super cute." You giggled getting up and hugging him,

"We were manly and handsome." He protested but you started giggling and shook your head,

"Alexa play No more dream on youtube." The video started up and Taehyung groaned.

"Alexa stop." You giggled at him and started to tease him on everything you'd seen over the last night of your youtube adventures.

Jungkook:

Jungkook could hear you giggling when he walked through the front door of your apartment, he left you at home that day instead of taking you to work like he had been doing for the last couple weeks of lockdown. He was about to call out and ask what was so funny when he walked into the living room to see you sitting on the floor watching his graduation video with Jin sitting beside you. You were both laughing at how young Jungkook looked and he stared at you,

"Baby! Look! Look how cute you were!" You wiped your eyes and he noticed you were laughing so hard you were crying, Jungkook stared at the screen and wanted to cry as well but not from laughter. It was the unedited video of his graduation, him crying about how happy he was that the boys had come and then all of them laughing and joking together as they had a meal.

"You looked so adorable in your little uniform." Jin got up from the floor and patted Jungkook on the back as he left the apartment.

"My favourite clip," You got onto a clip of Jungkook shying away from a girl and he growled at you.

"Sorry baby, but the uniform-"

"Go get into your uniform baby girl, you know I prefer you in yours." You swallowed the sudden lump in your throat and you nodded obediently, getting up from the floor and rushing into the direction of your shared bedroom.

Tagline: 

@writingdreamsnottragedies @yoongisdumplingcheeks @snowy-meowl @lynnthevirgo @jooniesdarlingdimples @fan-ati--c @lyoongx @mitzwinchester @rjsmochii @callingmyangel @btsiguess-kpop @kneel-begyourpardon @taestannie @supresoo​

[clash-royale-gems-generator-blog]

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Hey, what's going on guys Nick at Nite here today and welcome to another clash, royale Vidya, who knows how long it's gon na be? Who knows what's gon na be going on up there in the sky? Do you have any idea? Because I don't know if we do coming off a big stream that we were just doing earlier, you can find those on the second channel Nick at Nite. A link is in the description down below into the am shirts, always 10 % off. I know they got some new spring designs. This is one of my favorite like recent designs. It came out right as like spring was turning or winter is turning to spring. Rather, by let's see what we got, I know we do have the elixir capture mode going on a couple more days, so I may as well dive into that and see what we can get out of it, because I think the rewards are pretty sweet. I already checked in with a shop today and I've already used this goblin giant deck.

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I think to completion. Like I don't know we could. We could potentially use it some more, but I don't really know if how many times in a row it's acceptable to post the same one. You know let's go through here and donate some quakes and then, after all, these of there's like events going on back to back to back to bow so many trades. I assume that's because you get so many in in this, so we got. Let'S see two days. Eight hours four wins reward. You get a Ledge ysou. You get common all the way through legend, then on this one, rare epic leji and then a lumberjack interesting. Why the lumberjack? Ah he likes a lick, sir. I guess that makes sense. So let's do this! Try elixir capture, you can't lose out, look at the brawl stars in the bottom right, it's a little easter egg whenever the map zooms out or in in the beginning or the end alright. So I haven't played elixir capture since the sneak peak videos that we did. We could just start a casual, a lumberjack there. I saw someone tweet one that was like a goblin barrel, mirror it seemed a little ludecke. Oh man, I wasn't even ready for the bonus elixir their mega minion on this balloon and it's still gon na get a hit Wow. I was better at stopping balloons with the Sparky deck all right, we've got giant here. So, let's slap a golem right in front of it and call it call it a party make a minion going in four digits over there on that right lane we got poison over here, left flame gon na be swapping that out - and here comes the next ball Of juice got juicy lanes juicy lanes. What'S the address for the GPS, one juicy lane so many bats on that Tower, the log is not gon na do anything. Gollum still takes it, bats go in for the clean sweep and the golem almost actually a will make it there for the death damage, Wow baby dragon going down the mid. Let'S just start stacking this Lane, I'm not really they're playing kind of slow and sort of like like off in a way, but we'll take it right. Yeah. The answer is yeah, so much roll just through there. Oh wow, that's weird guess: Mega minion. Now, that's one way to do it. This a whiz huh. I don't think that's gon na be the ticket chief, but it is the warm-up mode. So this isn't really the competitive one. I don't know if the other one is I assumed it would be since there's just like regular rewards on the line I assumed it would be gems to continue, but I didn't look at the details of it. We'Ll see you in a second um, let's see you're. Actually gon na go for this they're actually going for barrel, he's gon na get that extra elixir right here as well. They get the bonus elixir. The two in the middle balloons on the tower baby dragon trying to deal with all these skeletons I'll, just slap a golem down right in the mid that which actually just got another bonus elixir night, which over here snag that elixir and then I'll Jack. It'S like they woke up with a minute left and then I go wait. I should try they worse news fasting in the beginning, so that's gon na be chalked up to a nice first start to the video. I know we've been winning too much in the beginning of episodes lately, but I brought it up to corporate and we're talking about it. You know it might, it might be an implemented change that we stick with. It may not haha one common going for the next bah bah bah dah dah. Oh. If so, if a tech beats me, I will consider using it. I guess is that even worth I don't know wizard right on the thing, interesting placement so like the we just does that all cancel out, then, are you gon na back up that wizard or oh yeah, Ickes you're gon na go like that huh I'll Jack, quicker Than Sparkie quicker than lightning able to drop Sparkie who's gon na get that bridge elixir cuz, both dragons are sort of just chill in there. I guess we're gon na win that one yeah bonus night, which Oh giant though, but we got bats bats, add up quick. That'S interesting to see a giant versa tonight which, as soon as she gets bats, the night which is more DPS but initially the giant is so that's just food for thought. You could take it, you could leave it, you could leave it on the curb. I don't know as long as it does not come home with you without a cork in it. Why not sure? Let'S go poison, I mean I this. This mode is a little more elixir heavy.

Then then, in the regular mode you still like the regulation and then no tea and all that in the final minute, double elixir. But you could potentially I could probably go with a lightning golem deck over poison. Just because you are gon na be getting a little bit beefier of pushes with this bonus, I want to see, like the craziest thing, that someone came up with of how to play this. I haven't watched any videos or anything on it, so we're just feeling it out right now and seeing if anything comes natural to us, we'll see when we get to the actual challenge, how things unfold, but as of right now they look. Okay, he was gon na be trying to hold down the fort right there. We got some bats and they be dragging continual King pressure. It'S a medical condition, folks, throw a golem down for this beam about to be rebuilt should be perfect timing. Al Jack. Are you nice he'll deal with the wizard and then we got? Oh, No, the bats win it folks, the bats have won, delete your Twitter accounts because the bats are here. He'S gon na not go with the inferno tower again we're deck. He was regular. Wiz Inferno tower Sparkie giant. I was using Sparky, so I'm okay with the Sparky portion of this deck, the rest doesn't make as much sense. Let'S get up making a minion on this storage, al Jack for some added juice on this Lane, just one but a every elixir counts, and if we're not accounting, elixir, then or not a la la our legs. Are you know, that's what I always say to the toddlers? Oh fun fact. No, that's so fun, actually night shakers are actually sold out on G feel calm until further notice. Unless you're watching this video in the distant future then still check, but just thought, I would say it because we figured that out on the stream today they were nowhere to be found because you guys bought them all by golly. We need a restock restock reach up. Everybody got one got that shake shake up up: L Jack pulling ahead, but in the second half we pull it out. Wow nice little Goblin barrel. I guess night which up against insurmountable odds, will go with the golem here with its ice whiz and then a bar barrel for the gobs. That'S gon na drop that nicely barbarian has like the floor to himself no other speakers present, and then we get this next vat of elixir in the center nice. What do we want to do with all that juice bar kit in the back whoa? We just stole it from the bridge there that was nice. That was nifty. You got the giant coming in probably okay Goblin barrel as well. Valkyrie ice wizard tough to push through, but I mean I've got a lot of so I put it here. Do I get that one nice fireball? We should be rebuilding the center yeah right around now I'll Jack down boom right back at it and right on that storage. I wish I had enough time to put the Golem to block him, so I mean I guess, with the two that you get you sort of could, but it's sorta same time. It sort of feels like you can't Knight, which, in the back that was a shallow barrel, okay, okay, Goblin barrel giant, I mean until double elixir time that Dec has the advantage here, but we're just playing an aggressive goal and play style and it seems to be Working all right is that night, which gon na come back l Jack. What are you gon na? Do al Jack's gon na come back for the storage baby we've been. I think we won every one, every one of the mid, the mid, the middle fights. What do we want to call those the duel off so and that's a stupid name, alright, baby dragon knight which over there in that lame just dumping troops? Deep, is all we're doing right now, folks to Lumberjacks, go to that king tower mega minion as well. That'S like a nice minyan poison, going in your game II. Look it's like took shook look book, but its mitts, just nook yeah right. That'S the big say it is until this. This say it is, and then it's till it is it and you're like tea, cow, Canadian monkeys with the Z yeah, but the smile on your face like a rascal back in place, yeah like an old school like an 82. That'S what I did that's what I do nah get that poison out. No doubt slapping it --, which, on that Lane say, I won't say I will, and I did yeah yeah oh gee is lit yeah that jack on that time. What'S a towel yeah back I'll! Do tea, Wow, well Jack just took that tower to pound Ville. Oh nice Inferno tower that's gon na be actually really annoying. I wonder if I should bust out a lightning with this deck in the in the the official one. We didn't really need this baby dragon, but I what's a buzz: what's a vis baby dragon barber, just kind of countering it out, we could already poison that tower. Basically, down baby dragon dealing with a furnace situation grab an eye twitch pop around down. I get those bats out here: yeah man, that is some gnarly DPS, and we win that one and now the inferno towers, gon na get swarmed, and you just wasted your inferno. Cuz, I have a golem, I haven't shown it yet, but I assumed you would figure that out with the rest of the deck preceding it. But if not here it is missed at sea cow, golem, trudging down that right, lane super tremendously valiant honor and more the crown bestow, the crown bestow yeah. I don't know that was just like a graphic novel in a way. Oh we're pushing it now. Golem barbarian poison on this Inferno. You bet you bet, golem goes down, but it's fine mega minion gets fireball, but it's fine. We'Ve got another one, we're already back to it our barrel deep and this one's looking. Oh so steep the mountaintop lives the mountaintop lives.

These are like all really good quotes out of context if they all actually were quotes. They'D be epic wow, that's a chunk, a game. Alright, we're warmed up. That'S a good way to warm up just Clash Royale Gem Generator make you feel on top of the world. Alright. Legendary token. Nice join for free, is it three losses and you're out buying in resets from where you are oh cool sweet? Well, let's go in I'm just gon na go and use all these just give our clan or whatever they want. Here you are that sure honey alleges. What'S the last token, I have oh, I have a rare, oh wait. All right, master, elixir capture - hmm, I was gon na put lightning in, let's see if it still feels like we should all right I'll Jack. What do you got? You got to outpace this wizard nice, you did it. You did a thing I'll jack on our tower, not the best start. I'Ve seen worse. It'S just Barbera over here, hmm, not ideal. Let'S drop a poison down that which is pretty injured wow. They got that bonus. One weight hog: oh, I was worried. The hog was gon na turn around. It did not did not do that, but the bats gon na go nice bats. I think I'm still gon na I'll Jack this, because that wizard will walk up to the plate and just take that thing for a ride. Alright wizard, you stay we're banking, the elixir, it's weird to be ready for it as an in addition to the regularly generating elixir. It'S like a lot of elixir to be ready for at any given moment. I don't really. I don't have a good cycle down for this. The bar barrel seems weird, and it does it's weird, that it doesn't trigger it when it goes over as a barrel, it has to go over as a barb. I guess sort of makes sense, but still don't like it. Baby dragon knight, which all graders gon na be coming on over, which will be weak and hog, is down nice. It'S tough to like yeah, be able to use all that elixir at a moment's notice. Like, oh by the way, here's like plus 2 and then plus 1, you just generated one like where you gon na put it son. Oh, my god, alright barb barrel for that wizard in the back Lumberjacks cancel out night, which huo's feeling like it was about to rebuild. It will was that log gon na push our night which - and we could drop a golem here - actually not that good they're gon na win that one, but we get the poison value of the century behind it on the barbs and now that hog is very much So, stuck on a golem he's playing a heart straight into a golem which, like normally you would never do like you'd literally, do the exact opposite of that normally throw the poison in good measure. We got those raged, baby D and megohm ending up top baby D. Could take this one all the way home dragon all that was close, all right, 606, honey huh, I know he's got the fireball. We got to stop it. Stop whoo. That was very much so close Barb's there to chunk down our golem, but we are gon na. Be able to throw that poison down and goal of mites good game. So it's like I'm not really playing it any different than if it was an elixir capture outside of like the occasional deploying a lumberjack in the middle kind of thing. But I mean those could very well just have been at the bridge, it's sort of weird al' check. Can you beat that it's kind of a fast, it's kind of a heavy hitting that's weird? What the L Jack? What chaos ensues? Barb Errol! Then we get all this going on. Is that bandit gon na make it think so golem alright night, which chill chill chill baby dragon, drops our night which predictable it's got a Dark Prince baby dragon deck here with the D G dark goblin, starting to chunk down that elixir, but nope lumberjack is gon Na win that one out and then we got a deal with a lot of stuff at the lane, so let's just poison this. Hopefully it actually takes the dark, alban. Okay, barely dark goblin would have got a shot on the tower. Actually, that was a little bit late. We get another pump in the mid, maybe maybe not it's every 30 seconds. I think after it expires. Let'S just bring this hog over here first and then, knight which this is. Who is actually going for that elixir storage as well tonight which, over on that side, let's go with like medium sized units only until double elixir, then we drop golem down and then we go full pound.

Alright, we're gon na win that exchange nice I'll Jack mmm did I hit that barely barely barely barely barely barely barely about a dream night, which first golem build it build the push I'll Jack in the back. Whew poison goes in everyone get in here on the golem that dark alban just looked death in the face and went today. Alright, that's gon na be a massive tower down. Let'S just throw to air units just four more and it is very greedy to be pushing for three crown right there. So, let's just get ready for a hog. There comes nice, good game. Good luck as well! Here'S a carrot first to have been pretty swell yeah, not like blowouts by any means, not super easy, but at the same time not super hard Big Daddy from the Dutch masters. Okay, okay, baby dragon. On those bats, it's hard to tell sort of worth. Oh [, Music, ] unfortunate circumstance there no baby dragon. You got this by chance back up with the Megaman. Hmm, oh, no! That'S bad! Wow! Dudes! That'S good game! All of that work the worst way it could possibly work for us. Just then that was nasty. Wow solid, solid, a solid, controlling lead, these wizards holy cow. This would have to be the comeback of the the eon and not even like century decade, year month, week, ii - micros - I don't know whatever you want to do the Dutch masters they don't mess around. You could just butter a couple hogs on to our King, though that's the problem here, and I can't really stop him that well right, which just bring a golem out Barbera. You got to deal with those archers for us. I mean, I guess, yeah we poison the wizard perfectly-timed on that Pekka. To that Pekka was dead, don't even play with me. Mid-Swing went down by the way nuts barbed arrow going out. We got ta win this one for sure, and we've done it folks. Let'S get this golem down all righty, all righty, all righty, let's throw poison in nice, we clipped the archers and the wizard there. That was the poison that we've needed of the decade, not not that much more than that, though tornado everything right here onto that Tower and also take out the bats in the process. No, that was way too close.

I I let the baby dragon in the night which honestly had it guess not it's, okay. I don't honestly. If we came back from that start, that would have been a miracle that was about as bad as it gets. We played almost every card straight up into it's counter and yeah: hmm, okay, all right, lumberjack, pretty simple start here! Nothing really much gon na be going on. Alright, alright, alright couple clean exchanges as that Inferno tower gon na last, a whole nother one Wow. That'S pretty crazy, almost got to elixir storages with a single Inferno tower world record or anything. I don't know all right. Let'S get this El Jack down on this Ram. Man, you get that Inferno tower out of here when I say get out of here all right, barbarian, nice and Ferno Towers toast he went with the early golem take out the problem with that is generally that you're gon na get all the snowball troops winding up On your tower there it is the raged baby D, us Yas, Yas, all right, all right, Oh Allan, Allan, so love he's always making those games about the Brazilian force. That'S what it means right, be our force, a Brazilian battle, royale ATS. Now that's a tongue twister, not really it's pretty actually normal to say: let's get that poison! Oh, Oh yo, whoa, a mega manana all right down. Everybody know we're going to pound da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da we're just gon na cycle, all the way back to poison part. Two no RAM rider connection. You will not get through mega min L Jack, Oh baby. This is a very meaty medium-sized unit party right now the arrows go flying. We'Ve got two baby DS and a heck of a lot of dps on that Tower.

We'Re not able to get the three, but we're able to put enough pressure on to his counter push not even existing, not in this universe or any other multiverse ba ba da ba ba ba huh. I guess that makes sense every troop that is involved with elixir. I guess is the reward here: take it I'll take note of it bar barrel, ooh I'll Jack, nice boys. This is a speedy, a speedy deck from someone who's just grabbing a lick, sir, and go and I grab and go grab and go one here. Two there. Three, there sure grab it and go. There'S some anti swarm cards all right. I'Ll pretend, like I know, what's going on with this

[copyrightedsnakes]

All’s Fair in Love, War, and Politics (3/5)

Title: All’s Fair in Love, War, and Politics

Length: ~33k words (this third part is ~7k words)

Summary: In an impulsive moment of weakness, Mark agrees to a bet set by Bob and Wade. He has to be elected class president at his university to win, so to save his hair he now needs a way to get his name out there so that people will vote for him. As luck would have it though, he ends up catching the eye of the school’s radio DJ.

Warnings: Swearing, slight drinking/mentions of alcohol, all of the cheesy fluff tropes rolled into one disaster of a conglomeration  

Author’s Note: I noticed that I posted part 2 four days after the first bit, so four days between it is! I guess. You guys are all seriously way too nice to me, I can’t believe it <3333 thank you all so much, I hope you enjoy this part too!

Previous Parts: 1 | 2

Mark woke curled up on the floor. His arms were around a couch cushion, and Wade was standing over him with a grin.

"What?" He asked, groaning and rolling onto his back. He blinked a few times, clearing his throat. "Where's Jack?"

"Shower. I told him you wouldn't mind if he borrowed some of your clothes."

Wade still had a weird smirk, making Mark ask again.

"What? What is it?"

"You guys were all curled up together, asleep. It was so cute."

"Oh. Well..." Mark glanced down, hiding his face under the guise of fixing his hair. The cuddling--closeness that he had initiated--had seemed fine at the time, especially considering how affectionate being sleepy made him. In hindsight though, it wasn't normal. Not normal for him. Not normal when no one was watching, and the relationship wasn't supposed to be real. "Yeah. Thanks, I guess."

"Jack thought it was cute too. Or, that you were cute."

"He did?" That made Mark sit up, Wade nodding.

"He took a picture. Put it on Twitter, I think."

Wade went into the kitchen, Mark opening his laptop and going to the social media site. He'd gained an exponential amount of followers overnight, his little notification symbol showing a small "99+" in the corner. He went to Jack's Twitter, his eyes growing wide. There was a very close shot of his face, and while he didn't look bad, Jack's caption was something else.

He's a cute sleeper, but... I kinda want to draw dicks on his face.

Mark quickly checked Jack's follower count, groaning. Slightly over three thousand people had seen the tweet.

"Morning! Sort of. It's noon by now."

Mark glanced up at the voice. Jack was walking over, his hair damp and frizzed from drying, his hands deep in his jacket pockets. The jacket was his own and the jeans were too, the shirt Jack was wearing the only thing Mark recognized as being taken from his room. "I was hoping you'd still be asleep, to be honest."

"Why?" Mark asked, Wade reentering and taking a seat on the couch. "So you could draw dicks on my face?"

That made Jack laugh, and he shook his head.

"You saw that, huh? No, actually; since you made me dinner last night, I wanted to surprise you with breakfast."

What could only be described as a delighted squeak came from Mark's right, looking over to see a completely mushy expression on Wade's face. Jack was a mixture of amused and delighted at that, Mark laughing.

"Can you even cook?" He asked, extending out an arm as an ask for help getting up. Jack took it, pulling him to his feet.

"Of course I can! Well enough, anyway. Omelette?"

"It's noon." Mark deadpanned as they entered the kitchen, sitting at the table as Jack opened the fridge.

"It doesn't matter the time--if it's your first meal, it's breakfast. You should set Twitter up on your phone."

Mark nodded at the suggestion, downloading the app and logging in. He hadn't actually used it yet, and despite that was already sporting seven hundred some-odd followers, deciding to compose a tweet.

Good morning everyone! Have an awesome Saturday

He added an emoji for good measure, barely having sent it out before his phone began buzzing. It was surprising to say the least, Jack glancing back when he heard it.

"Mister Popularity already, huh?"  

"I didn't think so." Mark picked his phone up. The notifications were mostly retweets and favorites, but there were some replies. "A few people want to talk to me, a few people are just saying hey... Four people in a row want to know if we had sex last night..."

Jack laughed out loud, shaking his head. "Of course. Go ahead and answer a few people. Just not those people."

Mark did as Jack cooked, getting back to a good fifteen people before he heard a sharp curse.

"You okay over there?"

"You, uh... Like scrambled eggs, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Didn't you say we were having omelettes?"

"...eggs are hard to fold." Jack answered after a second, making Mark laugh.

"Scrambled eggs are fine." He answered, a omelette-scrambled egg combo being placed in front of him when Jack was finished. They actually tasted quite good, but Mark couldn't refrain from taking a picture and putting it on the internet.

It's a bit late for breakfast... And @Jack_Septic_Eye sucks at making omelettes.

Jack's phone went off as soon as the tweet was posted, opening his mouth in indignation.

"Don't fucking sass me!" He responded, tapping away.

@markiplier shut up, ya big smelly!

After about an hour of Wade cooing at them in the background, Jack declared that it was time for him to go.

"Want me to walk you back?" Mark asked, watching him put on his shoes.

"Nah, it's alright. You can walk me to the door though."

So he did, closing the front door behind them.

"Thanks for having me." Jack said as soon as they were outside.

"Of course. Thanks for showing up; it was fun."

"I like Wade too, I'm glad I could meet him." Jack laughed. "Though it's good thing there's not any actual romantic affection here," he gestured between himself and Mark, "He finds us so cute already that if we were actually dating, I think he might implode."

"I... Yeah." Mark laughed, the vocalization sounding fake as soon as it reached his ears. "Good thing."

Jack gave him a shrewd look. "Don't you fall in love with me." He said again, and after a parting wave he was gone.

The next week was hectic. Mark ​had a boyfriend, a Twitter account, and a presidential campaign to all take care of, and on top of school itself, he was having a hard time keeping up. As someone that didn't even like wearing pants, by week two the whole suit routine was getting exhausting. He was slightly re-encouraged when Jack complimented him and played Timberlake's "Suit and Tie" on the radio, but that didn't last long. Between their brief, fifteen minute meet ups for coffee and their short back-and-forths on Twitter, Mark was really beginning to miss Jack. He wanted to hang out with him, and talk to him; he wanted them to spend another weekend together, and had a strange feeling in his gut when he realized the kiss on the nose Jack gave him probably had something to do with that. By Thursday he gave in, walking to Jack's apartment building and knocking on 302.

Jack opened the door almost instantly, his eyes widening in surprise. He had his cell phone held up to his ear, Mark stepping in sheepishly as Jack closed the door behind him.

"Yes, that was the front door. It was Mark." Jack paced a little, talking to whoever was on the other line, Mark sitting on the couch and stretching one arm over the back of the seat. "Yes, as in the boyfriend I told you about. He isn't president yet. I don't--" Jack reddened. "I don't have to hang up, it's okay."

Jack sat heavily on the couch, pulling his feet up and nestling a little under Mark's arm. Mark could just barely hear female tones on the other line, Jack saying "yeah, you can talk to him" and shoving the phone in his direction.

"It's my mom." Jack said in a loud whisper. "She thinks we're dating, and she wants to talk to you."

"What?" Mark hissed back, but a loud questioning greeting from the other line had him quickly grabbing the phone.

"Hi! Sorry about that."

"Hello! This is Jack's--or do you call him Sean? He goes by Jack at home. Anyway, I'm his mother."

"Oh, I call him Jack." Mark answered. He made his voice a bit deeper and more gracious, a tactic he often employed while talking to parents--mostly mothers--that helped earn him a few brownie points. Jack’s head shot up sharply when he heard it. "Hello Mrs. McLoughlin, it's wonderful to meet you."

There was a bright smile in her voice, a quality Jack had in him as well, and it made Mark like her, despite how little about her he knew.

"It's wonderful to meet you too, finally. I kept hounding that son of mine to let me talk to you, but he always told me you were busy. I was about to start doubting your existence, honestly. Mark, was it?"

That had Mark laughing, nodding a little.

"Yes, Mark Fischbach. I'm real. I've definitely had my hands full though; school isn't easy."

"I wish Jack could say the same. He's taking minimum credit hours, did you know that? Spends more time with the radio crew than in the classroom."

"Well, he really loves it. He's excellent on the radio."

Jack shifted slightly next to him, Mark glancing over to see him looking down, a small smile on his face.

"You are sweet. I can see why he likes you so much. That's all, I just wanted to say hello."

"It was nice to talk to you."

"You too! Goodbye, hopefully we'll meet soon."

The call disconnected, Mark handing Jack's phone back to him with a self-satisfied smirk.

"I handled that excellently, if I do say so myself."

"You turned the charm on my mom." Jack deadpanned, placing his phone in his lap.

"And she loved me." Mark said with a grin. "Which you are welcome for, by the way. Thanks for putting me on the spot like that."

"Just trying to help keep those improv skills sharp." Jack suddenly pulled back, giving Mark a confused once-over. "Wait. What the fuck are you doing here, anyway?"

"Are you the only person in this relationship that can show up to people's apartments unannounced?"

"I announced that to the whole campus!" Jack protested. "Did you tweet at me or something, and I missed it because I was on the phone?"

"…no." Mark looked at his hands, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I thought we could hang out, or something? I haven't seen you in like a week and a half."

A smile slowly grew on Jack's face, the expression only a little teasing.

"We grabbed lunch together two days ago."

"You know what I mean."

"So you missed me, is what you're saying."

"No. Shut up!" Mark retracted the arm he'd put over the back of the couch, crossing them both and huffing. Jack chuckled, letting himself lean against Mark's side and pulling out his phone.

"Twitter needs to know about this."

"Shut up." Mark said again, frowning harder as Jack composed a new tweet.

@Jack_Septic_Eye: This goober says he missed me

Then he tapped the photo icon, holding the phone up for a selfie.

"Do something cute." He told Mark, but Mark didn't feel like complying.

"You're embarrassing me." Mark argued.

"Come on, don't be like that." Jack's voice had turned pouty, making Mark roll his eyes and laugh. Jack turned his attention back to the camera and Mark pulled a duck face, turning to Jack and pressing his nose against the side of his boyfriend's face. It was nearly a kiss on the cheek, his lips just quite not touching Jack's skin, and he let out a breath through his nose. The hot air must have tickled because Jack eyes closed in a giggle, Mark hearing the shutter go off.

Jack nodded to himself as he saw the photo, showing it to Mark for review. The picture was incredibly cute, he couldn't help but admit, nodding back. They photographed adorably together, Jack sending the tweet with a satisfied expression.

"Is there anything in particular you wanted to do?" Jack asked, Mark shaking his head quickly. He felt a little silly now, showing up uninvited for no real reason, but Jack just shrugged, standing up to turn on his console, tossing Mark a controller and dialing something on his phone.

"What're you doing?" Mark asked, Jack giving him a bright smile.

"When in doubt, pizza and video games."

They demolished the entire pizza in less than an hour, Mark leaning back on the couch, embarrassingly full of food, when Jack glanced over and asked

"So, are you ready to be on the radio tomorrow?"

It took Mark a moment to realize what Jack was talking about.

"Oh, right. I think so."

Both himself and Ken were going to be on the radio tomorrow, answering caller questions about their campaigns. Mark was actually looking forward to it. Being on the radio would probably be a good deal of fun, the only concern of his being the people calling in. If they were anything like the people that responded to his tweets, there would be some skirting around awkward questions about Jack and himself.

"I'm looking forward to it." Jack was grinning. "I love having guests on the show. Especially when they're some of my best friends."

Mark just looked over at him, Jack not noticing he was staring until Mark's character died from lack of attention to the game.

"Of course you're one of my best friends." Jack nudged him hard with an elbow, Mark letting a smile flow freely onto his face. "Don't stare at me like that."

So Mark settled for sitting as close to Jack as he could on the couch, Jack rolling his eyes and leaning his weight on Mark's shoulder. Leaning into him was something Jack did a lot, Mark noticed, and he rather liked it. He liked a lot of things Jack did though, like the way he leaned back when he laughed hard, or how he would randomly burst into song, or just how animated he was when he spoke. It made him fun to be around.

It was nearly 10 p.m. when Mark finally decided he needed to leave. He had both class and the radio show to prepare for the next day, and he didn't want to keep Jack up either. He declined Jack's offer to walk him home, so Jack just walked him to the front door, standing in the doorway.

"See you tomorrow."

Mark nodded and met his eyes, feeling this small, expectant tug that he ought to do something. Times like this always had such an "end of date" feeling to them that the thought of maybe kissing Jack always crossed his mind, but he just shook it off as usual and responded to the farewell, pulling his phone from his pocket as he turned to head home.

It wasn't until Mark was sitting in the broadcasting room, a pair of headphones on and a mic in front of him, with 5 minutes until the show was starting, that he actually felt the nerves stirring in his stomach. He was sitting next to Ken, with Jack across from both of them at the table and asking if they were ready.

"Yeah!" Ken clapped his hands together, the jarring noise making Mark give him a glance. "Let's do it."

Jack turned to Mark for his answer, his eyebrows raised, to which he just nodded. Then a red light told them all they were on air, an easy smile making its way to Jack's face as he greeted listeners, saying his opening remarks.

"And I have not one, but two very special guests on the show with me today. Two names that anyone that listens to this show should know by now: Mark Fischbach and Kenneth Morrison. How are you guys doing today?"

"Great!" Ken responded enthusiastically, Mark nodding in agreement.

"I'm really excited to be here. I'm sure we both are."

"I'm excited too." Jack met Mark's eyes, smiling a little. "This show is for our two student pres candidates--these two ruggedly handsome men in front of me--to talk about what it is they want to achieve upon being elected and to answer caller questions. Both of these men are very close to my heart, with Ken being a good friend and former roommate and Mark being a good friend and current boyfriend, so I'm just going to be playing moderator here. There are no sides being picked."

"But he's voting for me." Ken said in a stage whisper, his voice low and his lips close to the mic. Jack laughed.

"I don't know man, Mark's gotten me a lot of free food. And he cooks better than you can, too."

"Hey!" Ken's mouth was opened in mock offense. "Don't go telling these people I can't cook. You like my specialty mac and cheese."

"I'd just like to point out that my specialty is gourmet Korean chicken and dumplings, so I feel compelled to agree with my boyfriend on this one." Mark popped in.

"You haven't made those for me yet." Jack said. Mark shrugged.

"You free after this?"

"As free as you are."

"Get a room!" Ken exclaimed loudly, Jack laughing at him.

"Maybe we will. But first, please enjoy this song: The Hit by Tupperware Remix Party!"

Jack sent them thumbs ups as the song began, a confirmation of how they were doing, Mark responding in kind as Ken nodded. It was weird being here, but the scary part of answering questions hadn't started yet, so Mark couldn't complain.

"We're going to open the phone lines soon," Jack said as the song ended, adjusting his headphones as he spoke, "so I wanted to establish a few ground rules. A lot of you guys out there know about Mark and I's relationship, but just because he's on my show today doesn't mean you get to ask him questions about it. Ken's here too, and that wouldn't be fair to him. Today is all about politics. That being said, I thought up a few things you guys might want to know, and I'm going to answer a few questions in an attempt to... Lessen the urge of you guys calling in."

Mark sent Jack a look. He hadn't known anything about this; they hadn't discussed any questions or answers, and he was genuinely afraid of what Jack was about to say about him. He could already feel his face turning red.

"So, to get this out of the way, here we go. What are the pros and cons of dating Mark? One pro are that his shoulders are broader than mine, meaning I can fit into all of his shirts and he can't fit into any of mine, so really it's just me stealing his clothes. A con are that between the two of us, he's the hot one."

"You know, I think I agree with that." Ken said. "Sorry Jack."

Jack laughed, nodding, Mark seeing something he hadn't noticed until then, unable not to point it out.

"You're wearing one of my shirts right now."

It was the shirt Jack borrowed after showering at Mark's apartment, light blue and a little form fitting. Jack plucked at the fabric with a grin.

"Yeah, it's comfy. I can give it back."

"No, that's alright." The blue in the shirt brought out the blue in Jack’s eyes so well that for a moment Mark caught himself staring. "Keep it. It looks good on you."

"If you guys keep looking at each other like that, I'm going to leave." Ken threatened, Jack clearing his throat and turning back to the paper of questions in front of him.

"Mark's best features? Biceps and cooking. Best thing Mark's done so far? He did tell me that the upside-down kiss at that Halloween party was the most romantic thing he's ever done in his life, but he did throw up on my shoes afterwards, so I feel bad for anyone else he's ever dated."

"Shut up." Mark grumbled at him, Jack bursting into laughter.

"And finally, because tons of people want to know on Twitter: have you guys done 'insert-relationship-milestone-of-your-choice-here' yet? We've been dating for three months now. Fill in the blanks yourself."

Ken was chuckling, and Mark was pink in the face. He had no reason for being embarrassed--they hadn't even had to kiss each other yet--but the insinuation was enough to get him blushing.

"We'll be opening the phone lines after this short break. Please be respectful, and remember to stick to campaign related questions!"

Jack grinned at him when the music began, pointing at his cheeks and at the blush on his face. Mark flipped him off, Ken snorting in laughter.

The answering of questions went rather smoothly, and Mark was grateful. There were a few things brought up that he hadn't considered, glad that they were brought to his attention. Ken had the first answer to everything, and they actually agreed with each other on a good amount of subjects, something that surprised Mark for some reason. Jack just nodded along, not giving much input, answering and hanging up the phone. Things were going smoothly with Ken too, both better than at the party and better than he expected. They only hit one snag, but it was enough for the whole thing to come crashing down.

Mark was in the middle of talking about learning guitar, something he was interested in, saying since Jack knew about it, maybe his boyfriend could help him. Ken looked at him first, confusion on his face, Jack shooting him an "oh shit" expression, and Mark knew that immediately, somehow, he had fucked up.

"Jack was in a band, right?" He asked hesitantly, giving his boyfriend a questioning look, needing to know the problem but also trying not to tip Ken off that something might be wrong. Jack nodded at him.

"Yeah, but he played the drums." Ken said slowly, pointing between Jack and Mark, his eyes narrowed.

"You're a shit boyfriend." Jack's tone was light and joking, Mark trying to fight the internal panic and think of an excuse for why he would imply that his boyfriend actually play a different instrument.

"But the band had guitarists, right? I've never really even been around a guitar, so he's better off than me."

"Right." Ken was still looking at them, still scrutinizing, definitely not convinced. Mark just tried to keep his mouth closed, avoiding his eyes until the broadcast was over. Thankfully that only was for about ten minutes, and once Jack had thanked callers and signed off he hurried over to Mark and pulled him to his feet.

"What?" Mark whispered, frowning at the look on Jack's face.

"Quick, kiss me while he's looking."

"What?" Mark choked that out a little louder, the question definitely getting Ken's attention, and Jack put a hand on the back of Mark's neck, tugging him down a little and meeting his lips. Mark tried not to be surprised, knowing they were supposed to have done this a hundred times over already, but he couldn't help it. Jack was pressed close to him, kissing him, and his brain was all but short-circuiting.

Mark would be lying through his teeth if he said he'd never thought seriously about kissing Jack. He had. Part of him was surprised that it hadn't happened sooner, simply because of the lie they were living through together. He thought it would be strange, or uncomfortable, or awkward; nothing like this.

Jack was still as dynamic as always but now he was so close that Mark could feel that energy, his right hand curled in Mark's hair, his lips moving so gently they were almost hesitant. Every one of Mark's nerves was hyperaware, suddenly conscious of the heavy beat of his heart, the pressure of Jack's lips, and just how purely kinetic he was.

When Jack began to pull back Mark found himself pushing closer, but only until he realized what he was doing, stilling as his face grew warm. Jack detached their lips only enough for them to breathe, tilting his head to the side so their noses wouldn't bump.

"So?" he whispered. "Did it work?"

It took a second of hazy searching for Mark to even realize what Jack was asking about, blinking and pulling back a little further.

Ken was looking at them, pulling an exaggerated face. Mark didn't think he could say something even if he tried, the broad-shouldered candidate pulling himself to his feet.

"Alright there, Smoochie Poo and Googly Bear. I get it. You guys want to be alone." He shot finger guns in Jack's direction and winked, requesting that the DJ text him before slipping out the door.

"I think it worked." Mark said, and Jack took a step back, bursting into giggles and looking at his feet. His face was completely red, rubbing the side of his face and avoiding Mark's eyes.

"So... That happened."

"I... Yeah."

Mark had no idea what to say, Jack finally meeting his eyes and laughing again. Mark couldn't stop smiling either, watching Jack's face, a squeeze in his chest making him want to kiss Jack again. He didn't though, keeping one hand firmly planted on the table behind him until Jack spoke.

"I don't know about you, but that felt a little awkward. Like... Theatrical, or something."

"Wasn't that the point?" Mark asked, the little smile that was still on his face making Jack reach out and hit his shoulder.

"Yeah, but we've been supposed to have been doing... That," the skirting around the word "kissing" amused Mark for a moment, but then he realized he probably wouldn't be able to say it either, despite how childish that felt "for three months now. It should be more natural, shouldn't it?"

"What are you saying?" Mark felt he knew, but he could feel embarrassment inching up his throat, not wanting to suggest anything outlandish.

"Shouldn't we... Practice?"

Something flipped in Mark's stomach but he tried not to show it, just nodding a bit and straightening up.

"We probably can't stay here, huh?"

"As hot as it would be to make out in the recording studio, no." Jack chuckled. "I'd probably get in trouble."

Mark blanched but Jack didn't see it, already headed to the door.

"Your place or mine?"

"I... I think Wade is home."

Jack just nodded, Mark falling in step next to him and taking his hand. They chatted briefly about how the radio show had gone, but they had both been there, and it felt like small talk. All he could think about was the kiss they'd just had, and how electric it had felt, and the urge he had to stop Jack, spin him around, and kiss him again. Not for show, not for his campaign, not so someone could take a photo and put it on Twitter. Because Jack made him smile. Because Jack was nice, and clever, and laughed too much, and had spectacular blue eyes, and was passionate, and loud, and colorful, and... And hell, because he wanted to.

"You thought I played the guitar? Really?"

Jack's voice broke him from his thoughts, sounding amused. They had reached the apartment building, dropping hands and climbing the stairs.

"Most guys have." Mark defended, Jack considering the statement before nodding.

"Drums are easier." He explained. "And so much more fun. I was pretty good, too."

"You should show me some time."

"Just give me a drum set."

Jack unlocked his front door, pushing it open. The place was becoming quite familiar, with Mark having been there just yesterday. Jack walked immediately into the kitchen, calling out the offer of a glass of water as he went, which Mark accepted. Then they sat together on the couch, the silence heavy.

"Well, this is nice and awkward." Mark remarked. Jack immediately became defensive.

"It's your turn! This was my idea, and I instigated the first one."

"Yeah, why did you do that?" Mark asked, willing his face to stay a neutral color.

"Did you not see Ken's face?"

Mark shook his head--he had been making a large effort not to look in that direction.

"Oh. Your flub made him all suspicious."

"Just from that?" That seemed excessive, Mark telling him so. Jack immediately glanced away, looking sheepish.

"He might have made a comment at the beginning of this whole scam about how much of a coincidence it was that you were running for president, and... Let's just say I could have handed the conversation better. So he’s a little skeptical."

Mark shook his head and laughed, Jack frowning and shoving lightly at his shoulder.

"Mark."

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

The request had his face turning pink, Jack grinning, raising his eyebrows, and letting him lean in. His heart was pounding and he pulled back just a second later, getting a concerned look in response. This was supposed to just be practice; it wasn't supposed to affect him, and Mark realized that if he moved a certain way, or made a sound, it was game over, and he wasn't sure he trusted himself.

"What?" Jack asked him, his eyes traveling over Mark's face. "You alright?"

"What are we doing?" Mark asked back. It was stupid question, but he was stalling. "Do we just kiss, or...?"

"That's how we'd practice." Jack's mouth opened slightly in inspiration, grabbing quickly for his phone. Mark's heart sank for a moment, but Jack didn't open Twitter, going to his clock app instead.

“I'll set a timer for... How long?"

"Seven minutes in heaven?" Mark proposed. It was meant to be a joke, and while Jack laughed out loud, he also nodded. He set the timer, phone in hand as he faced Mark again.

"You ready?" He asked. Then he hesitated. "This isn't weird, right?"

"Right." It didn't feel weird, per se. Sure, Mark was nervous, but it wasn't like he didn't want to kiss Jack. The problem was that he really, really did.

"Okay." Jack let out a breath, rolling his shoulders and meeting Mark's eyes. Then he tapped the "start" button, placing his phone on his thigh, and leaned in.

Mark met him halfway, a spark racing down his spine as though he'd been shocked. The hesitance from earlier was gone, Jack's lips moving deliberately, insistently against him, Mark ignoring his own misgivings and kissing back. Usually he had a technique, something he did to ensure himself some brownie points in the making out department, but with Jack he found himself forgetting all of that and just doing what felt right; what felt natural.

Jack pulled back slightly, his forehead pressed against Mark's, eyes still closed and voice breathless in the best way as he said,

"You can... Touch me, if you want to. Like my arms, or my hair, or something."

Mark froze at that, speechless, Jack leaning back in to capture his lips. It took Mark a moment to respond, needing time to recover, but when he did he went ahead with Jack's new allowances, shifting closer and moving his right hand up to grip the back of Jack's neck.

That got a reaction, Jack leaning forward and gripping Mark's bicep, a small sound coming from the back of his throat that Mark wouldn't have heard if he weren't so close. Jack's other hand found his chest, fingers light against the muscle as he drew back slightly to bite his bottom lip. It was gentle, but the pressure was enough to send another electric jolt down Mark's spine.

All too soon, the phone's alarm began to blare. Time was up, but that didn't seem to matter; Jack knocked the device off his leg dismissively, his hands traveling up Mark's shoulders to loop around his neck. The cell phone shrieked in protest as it fell, landing on Mark's foot.

It didn't hurt really, but it was something he definitely wasn't expecting, making him jump. Jack's lips turned up into a smile against his own, and he began to giggle slightly, having to break the kiss and laugh. His arms were still around Mark's neck, leaning against him a little, chuckling still as he let them fall.

"Sorry."

Mark felt almost breathless as he let himself meet Jack's eyes. Jack was glowing, beaming at him, eyes bright with amusement, lips slightly pinker than usual and looking a little abused. It was definitely a sight Mark could get used to.

"Well... Did that help?" Mark asked as Jack picked his phone up, turning the alarm off. Jack adopted a thoughtful expression, leaning in without warning and kissing him quickly. It's was soft and sweet, nodding when he pulled back. Mark was afraid his heart was hammering against his ribcage so hard it was audible.

"I think so. A little."

"Practice makes perfect."

"I've got more free time." Jack responded with a shrug. That hadn't been what he was insinuating, but Mark wasn't about to complain, unable not to smile as Jack slid up as close as possible and wound his arms again around Mark's neck.

The end of the semester was upon them quickly, finals beginning as the weather grew cold. Mark's sleep schedule quickly became extremely screwed up, staying up late to study, sleeping when he could, which was anywhere from four am to half past noon. He made sure to tweet out an encouraging message at least once a day though, something his Twitter was becoming known for, being called "really adorable" on the school radio for it. As the semester came to a close, the student radio staff decided to put on a "wild and crazy" party for crew members and friends, and Mark found himself invited, agreeing easily.

"I can't believe I still can't drink." Jack whined as they walked in, sticking a pouting lip out in Mark's direction when he was laughed at. "I don't want this party to be as lame as the last one."

"There's a decent room to dance in this time." Mark pointed out. "Plus, remember what they taught us in high school? You don't need drugs to have a good time."

Jack snorted out a laugh, leading the way on to the dance floor. They had shown up fashionably late, the party already in full swing when they arrived. Jack knew just about everyone, waving and smiling and blowing kisses at multiple people as they squeezed their way through the masses to the middle of the dance floor.

"So, do you know how to dance?" Jack asked, raising his voice quite a bit to be heard over the bass-heavy music.

"Actual dancing, or..." Mark gestured to all of the writhing bodies around them. "This?"

"Either one."

"Nope."

That made Jack laugh, Mark asking

"What about you?"

"Not really, but it's not like I've never been to a party before. This isn't my first rodeo."

Mark raised his eyebrows, but Jack just grinned back. They didn't have the chance to actually dance much, with the amount of people coming up to talk to Jack. He was obviously very well liked at the radio station, and since it was the radio station putting on the party, he was well liked by everyone there. Mark hoped that meant he himself was well liked too, but aside from a few nods and winks he received, it wasn't easy to tell.

"Hey." Jack leaned in close, whispering into his ear to avoid having to shout over the music. It made a shiver shoot down his spine, jumping back a little, only to be reigned in by Jack's hand on the small of his back.

"What?" Mark stammered back. Jack was close to him, closer than he had been the entire time of the party, and Mark glanced away to avoid bumping noses.

"How freaked out would you be if I grinded on you right now? We're leaving so much room for Jesus that we're standing out."

Mark glanced around, realizing that Jack was right. Everyone around them was more or less having sex on the dance floor, so he shrugged in consent. A little bumping hip bones couldn't hurt. What he didn't expect was Jack to step even closer, put a hand on his shoulder, and roll their hips together.

The sharp intake of air was unavoidable, Mark glancing down and biting his lip hard to avoid any sound passing through his lips. Jack chuckled, and the little smile on his face was so intoxicating that Mark knew he either needed to get away from Jack or start giving him a hickey, and the second option wasn't anywhere near plausible.

"Can... Can we go outside?”

Jack's expression turned immediately into concern, nodding and taking his hand to tug him towards the door. He needed to think. He needed to breathe. Their relationship had gone from zero to about a thousand in no time at all, and there was a mess of jumbled up feelings that Mark was still deciding whether to try wading through or just shoving aside altogether. With Jack not feeling the same way, with everything being so one-sided, even the innocent things that had become second nature, like their flirty tweets and holding hands, held a new meaning. The casual smooches and butt pinches that Jack had begun integrating went without saying.

"You alright?" Jack asked once they'd made it outside.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"It's fine, it's not like we were doing anything important." There was a bench a few steps away from them, walking over and sitting down. "I'm sorry too."

Mark just waved a hand, feeling uncomfortable now about making them leave. It wasn't fair of him to be acting strange like this.

"If anything is ever, you know..." Jack gestured vaguely with his hands, "Too much, it's fine. Seriously. Just tell me."

"No, it's not that." It wasn't like he hadn't enjoyed anything they'd done together thus far; not that he was telling Jack that. However, the assurance had implied something was up, Jack fixing him with a look that prompted some sort of explanation. There was a question Mark had on his mind though, and he figured now was a good time as any to ask it.

"Why did you agree to this?"

"What do you mean?" Jack frowned at him, looking confused.

"This entire 'pretending to date me' thing. It's way too time consuming just for free pizza." Mark insisted, raising an eyebrow. Jack sighed, leaning back and glancing away.

"Remember my mom? You talked to her on the phone the other day."

Mark nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"Well, she--or my parents--or my whole family, really--are super into relationships. They all believe monogamy is like... The key to happiness. And I don't have anything against that, but..." He shrugged. "They pestered me about dating all through high school, and by my first semester here I was sick of it. I told them I was dating someone, but they were too excited to hear my sarcasm, apparently. I even told them it wasn't a girl, to be discouraging, but as it turns out I have the most accepting family in the world."

He laughed a little, Mark catching on to where this was going.

"I'm the fake boyfriend you've had since your first semester of college?" He asked, slightly incredulous. Jack met his eyes, giving him a sheepish grin.

"They all think we're living together. We have for a year now, as far as they know."

Mark just blinked, trying to process what Jack was telling him.

"Your parents think we've been together for three years, and that was the first time your mother had spoken to me? No wonder she didn't think I was real."

"Yeah, the lies got creative." Jack chuckled lightly. He glanced past Mark for a split second, his eyes incredibly soft as he spoke again. "At least I don't have to do that anymore, because now I have you."

He leaned in close, capturing his lips in a strong kiss. Mark couldn't help a muffled sound of surprise, leaning back slightly. His expression and tone had sounded so sincere that Mark needed to ask about his words. They were the only ones outside; there was no one to put up the front for, no reason for Jack to act affectionate. But Jack just chased his breath back into his lungs, reaching up to grip the nape of Mark's neck.

"N-no, wait, what--?"

Mark pulled back, all of his questions stopped by Jack giving him another chaste kiss, then leaning close to his ear and murmuring

"I don't know for how long, but Ken is standing over there. I think he could hear us."

"Oh." That was both an explanation and a nervous weight that dropped into the pit of Mark's stomach as he glanced back. Sure enough to, Ken was there, off a few yards with his phone in his hand, the screen lighting up his face. He was a good distance away from them, but it was so quiet outside that Mark wouldn't be surprised if they had been within earshot. Ken was his rival; if Ken knew this was fake, they were done for.

"What should we do? Should we just make out until he believes us again?"  

"Or until he gets uncomfortable and leaves." Jack pulled back, Mark seeing all thought Ken leaving his mind, replaced by a serious expression, his eyes searching his face. "But only if that's okay."

"It's fine."

Jack was not convinced, frowning slightly, stroking the back of Mark's neck lightly with his fingers.

"But you've been acting weird since--"

Mark gave him a quick kiss to shut him up. Sure, feelings were starting to creep in and make the whole thing messy, but top priority was making Ken go away. And running his hands down Jack's chest was something he'd had at the back of his mind since their practice session on the couch.

"It's fine." He repeated. "I promise. Don't worry about me."

"Okay." Jack grinned a little. "Kiss me then."

[hellofastestnewsfan]

This movie was not supposed to be good. Here’s the plot: A middle-aged cardiovascular surgeon’s wife is killed by a one-armed man, and said surgeon is sent to death row. But his bus crashes on the way to prison, then a train crashes into the bus crash, then Dr. Richard Kimble escapes to go on the run with five U.S. marshals on his heels. This is literally the opening 20 minutes of The Fugitive.

Not even the actors themselves were convinced The Fugitive was going to be good. Harrison Ford thought it would be his Hudson Hawk, Bruce Willis’s $51 million flop from 1991. Tommy Lee Jones, who plays the lead marshal, thought The Fugitive marked the end of his career. But then this action thriller, the one that was written off as quickly by its stars as its hero is by the law, became the third-highest-grossing film of 1993. And then it was nominated for seven (seven!) Oscars—including Best Picture. And then it actually won one of those Oscars (well, Jones did). Perhaps even more surprising is that this piece of $70 million popcorn amusement from the ’90s is still a cultural touchstone 25 years later, largely because action movies like it are so rare now.

A year before The Fugitive arrived, its director, Andrew Davis, didn’t think much of the genre. “The basic underpinnings don’t have any soul or value,” he told The New York Times. “They’re totally incredible so you don’t believe them. They’re dumb stories.” He himself had worked with Steven Seagal twice and Chuck Norris once, two icons of black-belted brawn that sparred with Hollywood for a spell, until they were knocked out by the metastasizing blockbuster industry. As Ty Burr wrote in his 2013 book on fame, Gods Like Us, “To protect that opening weekend and the larger investment, the [movie] business needed stars to be inclusive rather than divisive.” This, he notes, was “one reason why there was a gradual move away from the bulging ’80s cartoons like Stallone and Schwarzenegger toward more believable Everyman action heroes like Bruce Willis in the Die Hard films.” And, though Burr does not name him as an example, like Ford in The Fugitive.

The writer points to Ford as the first modern-star brand: “the action figure with attitude.” Whether as the rumpled and roguish Han Solo or the hunky scholar Indiana Jones, Ford had imbued the genre with sardonic sexiness. And by the early ’90s, he had appeared in no fewer than two thrillers—Presumed Innocent (1990) and Frantic (1988, as another Dr. Richard)—about men mixed up in crimes they were racing to solve. It was this man who eventually handpicked Davis to adapt the ’60s TV series The Fugitive after seeing his work in Under Siege, a film that prompted the Times to identify Davis as the “Director Who Blends Action With a Bit of Art.”

“Does this guy ever quit?” one of the marshals asks toward the end of The Fugitive, and the answer is no—both for Dr. Richard Kimble and for Davis. For two hours and 10 minutes, this film does not relent. Not even for a cup of coffee (that scene was cut), not even for some shopping (cut), not even for romance (also cut). There is no hanging out here. Everything rushes. If it isn’t the actors, then it’s the camera with a Where’s Waldo? view of Chicago, the hometown of both Kimble and Davis; if it isn’t the camera, then it’s the swelling orchestral music. And the urgency is a good thing because every pause introduces a new threat—a passing cop, a skeptical doctor, a nosy guard. Even the exposition speeds by. The instigating murder itself, presented in slo-mo monochrome over the opening credits, unravels in concert with Kimble’s interrogation and his conviction, a simultaneous chronology that compresses time. As Matt Zoller Seitz wrote of The Fugitive on rogerebert.com last year, “The multilayered, at times prismatic way that it delivers information feels like an evolutionary leap forward for thrillers.”

The Fugitive’s success relies as much on plausibility as it does on velocity. Despite the soaring set pieces, the film somehow manages to remain grounded in a kind of palpable reality. “It is just so nice to watch a movie about normal smart people instead of insane super geniuses,” The Washington Post’s Alyssa Rosenberg tweeted in 2016. And though the characters’ antics could scarcely qualify as “normal,” significant portions of the film’s budget were spent on bypassing CGI in favor of creating real sets—like for the train crash ($1.5 million) and the dam jump ($2 million). Ford also insisted on performing his own stunts despite having a double and being 51. That is him flying through the air as if to jump from a train (on ropes, but still), that is him standing on the edge of North Carolina’s Cheoah Dam (a rope attached to his leg, but still), that is him limping through much of the film because he tore a ligament and refused to treat it. And that is him acting the hell out of everything in between.

“It’s the moments between actions that I think are really important,” Ford says on The Fugitive’s 20th-anniversary disc. With so little dialogue, the actor essentially resorts to silent-film acting, which is only buoyed by his hangdog handsomeness. “Rare among action heroes, Ford is believable both in control and in trouble, someone audiences can simultaneously look up to and worry about,” Kenneth Turan wrote in his 1993 Los Angeles Times review. Watch as Kimble, about a quarter of the way into the movie, painfully deliberates on the lip of that dam as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Jones) points his gun at him, waiting for Kimble to surrender because, Gerard posits, there’s no way this guy would do “a Peter Pan.” Right before that, their positions are reversed when Kimble grabs Gerard’s gun in the confusion of the dam’s water-logged tunnels. Face to face with the marshal for the first time, the doctor points the pistol at his pursuer and proclaims, “I did not kill my wife!” Gerard, his hands up, half-kneeling in water, a look of bafflement on his face, responds: “I don’t care!” To this, Kimble issues a faint smile: Game on.

While Kimble speaks through his actions, the man chasing him has all the best lines. Gerard was supposed to be a solo Javert-esque force, but Davis gave him an entourage to accentuate his leadership, and the result is some of the best banter in any contemporary action film. Jones, a Texan who graduated from Harvard with an English degree, had worked twice before with Davis, who knew Jones did a lot of rewriting and improvising. The cast—which was ethnically diverse because the director wanted to reflect the demographics of his birthplace—established their characters alongside Jones, coming up with dialogue on the fly. The four marshals include Jones’s right-hand man Cosmo, played by Joe Pantoliano, whom Davis told he cast because he needed “somebody who’s gonna have the stones to banter with Tommy Lee Jones.” Cosmo and the others highlight Gerard’s humanity and tenacity while also gift wrapping the film’s exposition in wit. One of the movie’s more frequently quoted lines, which Jones conjured the morning of the shoot, has him telling a marshal who claims he is “thinking”: “Well, think me up a cup of coffee and a chocolate donut with some of those little sprinkles on top, while you’re thinking.”

Gerard and Kimble’s symmetrical relationship is enunciated by the film’s six editors (all of whom were nominated for Oscars). Each chase scene cuts back and forth between the two characters. Even when the pursuit lets up and Kimble is contacting old friends and crisscrossing Chicago to find out why his wife was killed, Gerard’s investigation parallels his. As the film progresses, Gerard’s affinity for Kimble grows, too. “What makes their relationship fresh is that it is constantly evolving,” Gene Siskel observed in his Chicago Tribune review. Twenty minutes before the end of the movie, a neat flip occurs in which Kimble goes from being followed to being the leader. He directs Gerard to one of the men responsible for his wife’s death—Dr. Charles Nichols, Kimble’s colleague who actually wanted him dead in order to cover up a failed drug trial. Another flip takes place in the climactic showdown where Kimble confronts Nichols: Kimble saves Gerard’s life, despite believing that Gerard is intent on taking his. In the end, the marshal escorts Kimble out of the building as his protector.

Though The Fugitive established Chicago as the place to shoot, it’s perhaps more notable for being the best of a genre that no longer really exists: the character-driven Hollywood action movie for adults. As Davis told Mandatory in 2013, the industry has gotten to a point such that if a film “doesn’t have tons of eye candy where a 22-year-old in some other country can just enjoy watching it, then [it] hardly get[s] made.” This is the world of tentpoles and franchises and event cinema, a world in which everything must bow to the demands of accessibility.

While “old-man action” movies like Taken and The Equalizer could be considered descendants of The Fugitive, they lack its character development. Those thrillers that are character driven—say, No Country for Old Men or Hell or High Water—are less popcorn, more art. The Fugitive acts as a placeholder for a time when adults could be entertained by action heroes without being condescended to (see Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, The Firm, Patriot Games), which is why many viewers who saw the movie as kids in the ’90s, and who are adults now, wield it as a nostalgic marker of taste.

In 2015, the same year a Fugitive sequel was announced, the comedian John Mulaney released a special called The Comeback Kid in which he digressed mid-joke into an explanation of the original film’s plot. “Why does Kimble confront Nichols?” he asks. “Well, I know we all know this, but … ” And then he goes on to rehash it anyway because The Fugitive is the kind of movie that can be rehashed voraciously over and over and over again. Siskel watched it twice before reviewing it in 1993 and already wanted to see it again; Seitz saw it 10 times in the theater upon its release; and I have replayed it upwards of 30 times over the years. What I once believed to be a guilt-ridden affinity for a mindless puff of Hollywood excess, I now understand as an appreciation for a kind of modern-day moveable feast. As Gerard’s relationship with Kimble transformed, so too has mine. I thought I didn’t care, but I do.

from The Atlantic https://ift.tt/2LZYMVJ

[symbianosgames]

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

Earlier this year I got a rather excellent email notifying me that I'd been selected to show EXO ONE in EGX Rezzed's Leftfield collection, a curated selection of indie games. I had set my expectations and hopes for Rezzed to go something like this:

Have some fun at the event

Meet some cool new people

Hopefully appear in at least 1 or 2 articles

See old friends and family

All of those things happened + more!

Day 0

The day before Rezzed, things started off super rocky. As I arrived to set up and test the game, it was rendering with a pure black sky. I had backup builds, but this appeared to be more a bug or incompatibility with a graphics card. Luckily, I checked the build logs and pasted the error line into Google and one other person reported the same issue, solved by downloading the 2010 Direct X SDK.

The phew'ing was deafening. Almost paid $1500 for a ticket to Rezzed to look at some other people's games!

Hard to know if I should have brought the entire project over somehow, incase this was a problem I needed to fix in Unity, then rebuild. I'd of had to fix it on the PC that was running the game (remember I flew to London from Australia), download Unity, etc, then only have a few hours to get it working before the show. Hard to know if I should have brought the entire project over somehow, incase this was a problem I needed to fix in Unity, then rebuild. It'd be awkward to fix it on the PC that was running the game (remember I flew to London from Australia), download Unity, etc, then only have a few hours to get it working before the show.

I put my poster up, chatted with a few people from Leftfield and grabbed food with Jai from FINIFUGU. Here's the poster at my station, drawn by Tim McBurnie:

Day 1

Used my London coffee app to find ONLY THE BEST coffee, in this case, the closest was LMNH Kitchen (look mum no hands). Truly an important step that cannot be overlooked!

Bumped into Andreas of Promoter app fame, who thought I was the event organizer, David Hayward (this seemed to happen to numerous, different people throughout the event, which was odd). Andreas was also showing his game, Future Unfolding.  I had some really amazing moments after playing it for just 10 minutes. His description goes like, "Future Unfolding is an action adventure that is all about exploration. Your goal is to unfold the mysteries and solve the puzzles hidden in the beautiful landscapes around you. There are no tutorials, and no one is telling you what to do." I definitely advise not to look at trailers or anything before playing.

We had breakfast/coffee here on all three days and I really enjoyed chatting game dev, promoter app/biz stuff and events in general. It was nice to start each day at Rezzed with such great food, coffee and company! Andreas is a real dude, and his app looks quite good too, I'll probably try it on the lead up to EXO ONE's release.

This was just one of many real-dude encounters I had during the show. I'm not sure what it was about all the people in Leftfield, but I seemed to get along really well with everyone. In particular, since they shared my wall/opposite wall, I got to chat a lot with Jai, the guys from Alpixels (A Place for the Unwilling) , Joe from Four Last Things, Richard Boeser from Chalo Chalo , the PjamaLlamians who are making Flotsam, and the girls from Oniri Islands. Some of these peeps I felt an instant connection with, and it makes me kinda sad they're now on the opposite side of the world.

This first day was kinda quiet, and there was occasionally some down time, but it was nice to be able to ease into things. I had one press meeting that went well and resulted in me appearing in this:

Honoured that EXO ONE is part of @eurogamer's "eight of the best games" from @EGX Rezzed! https://t.co/mWZ0QrtLKJ #indiedev #egxrezzed

— Jay Weston (@JayWeston) April 2, 2017

After the first day I went and met an old Londonian friend for drinks, but I was so dead from not taking a break all day that I had to return to home base and eat, immediately followed by sleep. Didn't seem to get much in the way of jet lag, luckily.

Day 2

This was a little busier than Day 1, got lots of good feedback, ideas, etc, all of which I wrote down during the day. Had another press meet up today which resulted in EXO ONE being included in this article, which painted the game in quite a glowing light!

All the reasons I loved Rezzed 2017: https://t.co/RFPJ6epsTw http://pic.twitter.com/PKp2mJK3nm

— Waypoint (@waypoint) April 3, 2017

Then this happened:

This is the Outside Xtra trio who came and hooked up their gear to do a bit of an impromptu Let's Play of the game. The video isn't out yet (and there was some sound technical issues) but I can't wait to see it. Outside Xtra have quite a fan following, and during a 'meet' event at Rezzed I heard they had a line that stretched half of the building. After the day was over, there was the The Rock Paper Shotgun drinks night, and a bunch of the Leftfieldians went out for dinner beforehand, which was at an old pub overlooking the Thames. Then I met and hung out with another old friend from when I used to live in London, who introduced me to some cool people.

I didn't do much in the way of networking with press, though.  I couldn't shake the feeling that I'm trying to befriend them partly to improve my chances of them writing about my game. Maybe a missed opportunity, I dunno. I seemed to do fine regardless.

Day 3

This was the busiest day, and I'd often be standing a couple rows deep behind my game. I'm still told Rezzed is a pretty quiet event in the scheme of things. Again, nice to just ease into my first big event instead of DIVE in the deep end. Met up with and hung out with a couple more friends and contacts on this day as well. Despite the larger numbers of people, I possibly talked to players less because I was just pushed back (or wanted to get out the way so others could watch). So it wasn't manic or anything.

Had dinner after with some Leftfielders again then I was convinced to attend the after party, which was good fun with yet more games in every room. Checked out some of the retro games and played a bit of Joe Bain's new game, Yucatan, which was super madness fun! There was some crowd based game in another room I think, but didn't get to see it!

Press

I think my press strategy was pretty 'normal'. I suppose I often thought I needed to be doing some secret tricks or 'know people' or something special to really get noticed and stand out, etc. But now that the event is over and I got basically the best response I could have ever hoped for, I guess the basics worked pretty well. Before the event, I made the following Rezzed trailer that I pinned to my Twitter, saying I'd be at Rezzed, along with my email address (no it wasn't even spammed):

[embedded content]

I emailed around 20 writers/game sites/YouTubers with somewhat personalized emails (more so if I knew more about them) saying essentially, "come play EXO ONE at Rezzed Leftfield", and included the above, very short video. Got 2 solid meeting times, maybe 2-3 "I'll come over at some point, whenevzies" and a bunch of ignores. Some ignores ended up turning up regardless, but I don't know whether that was from my email or just because they happened to be in Leftfield.

I talked to a handful of other developers in Leftfield about their press outreach efforts, and most did nothing at all, so if that was common within Leftfield or Rezzed in general, then contacting the press potentially puts you a step ahead just by pressing send. I ordered 3 t-shirts online which I could have spent too much time on, but ended up just using my EXO ONE logo on the front and back, with "developer" written on the back, so if anyone was looking to chat with the developer, they could easily spot me.

Press Stealth Abilities

Something I noticed about press at the event was that almost all of them (unless I'd set up a meeting) liked to fly in under the radar and play without me spotting/recognizing them. That worked for a few people who I saw write/tweet about the game afterward, but otherwise, if I recognized someone I just said so. Otherwise, I'd risk being weird (sorry, person I was totally weird to!). I imagine this is done so the developer doesn't bug them too much or affect their play experience any more than it should. Generally, I just said something like, "the tutorial is kinda bad right now, so if you need any help lemme know", then I left them to it.

I definitely felt that fan-boy factor a little with some people I met, but I had some great chats with press, gamers and devs alike. For the most part, with press, they'd come play the game, ask between 0 and a dozen questions then take off pretty quickly. Wasn't overly hard, and while I practiced a bunch of practice answers to questions, many never came up. After the event, I wrote and thanked anyone who wrote about EXO ONE, if I had their email address/Twitter.

Tweets 'n Articles

Here's most of the press/tweets I got during the event and after:

Rezzed people. If you've not seen Exo One, go see Exo One.

— inside number nein (@MikeDiver) March 31, 2017

Today at Rezzed I played alien planet explorer game-in-progress EXO ONE by @JayWeston: https://t.co/rj0Y0B6v9a http://pic.twitter.com/Zm5E6fFRZz

— Electron Dance (@ElectronDance) March 30, 2017

EXO ONEis awesome! Super chill and mysterious. One of the best at #EGXRezzed https://t.co/5fJ1DI0QH4 via @JayWeston

— Gliphyx (@gliphyx) April 1, 2017

The Leftfield Collection is always a treat at #Rezzed, and I’d really recommend seeing Exo One - bit of a stunner: http://pic.twitter.com/Gq79cwklC8

— Matthew Reynolds (@Crazyreyn) April 1, 2017

Exo One: This feels SO great to play, nails that feeling of speed and momentum. https://t.co/pg5vcWFxmz http://pic.twitter.com/4voCNiqhvm

— Terry (@terrycavanagh) April 1, 2017

Damn it, I didn't meet Terry! Terry is one of these darned people who don't use a photo on their Twitter profile, I didn't recognise him! I do recall seeing he was showing his game before flying over, but slipped my mind once I was there. I may have met him or Ruari as I recall one of the State Machine (his game) devs chatting to me. Tried to go play before open one day but someone was on it. Huge fan of Super Hexagon, so would have liked to have gone and been a weird fanboy/say hi briefly :P

Exo One was so much fun! - https://t.co/oPjlGeaBgZ http://pic.twitter.com/6iKFi1G8eY

— Rock Paper Shotgun (@rockpapershot) April 3, 2017

Rezzed 2017: the 12 most interesting games on show at the festival https://t.co/v1AAPLWtJa

— The Guardian (@guardian) April 3, 2017

We hit up #EGXRezzed and things got really trippy... https://t.co/RjRSJ6djr0 ft. @alightinchorus @PolyphoniaVR @exoone @JayWeston http://pic.twitter.com/bZ4oM1i6BT

— Laced Records (@Laced_Records) April 5, 2017

Not bad!

Biz Cards

Ordered about 500 and used a quarter of them, mostly taken by gamers. I put a screenshot on the front and some words (game name, my name, contact details) on the back.

Newsletter

One small error perhaps I could have improved would have been some way to sign people up to the newsletter at the event. The Flotsam guys had some kinda small iPad with a sign-up form on it, others went for the handwritten method. I guess the handwritten way stands out as being a mailing list quite obviously due to the email addresses on it, while the iPad kinda requires prompting ("hey you, sign up for our newsletter?").

I'm not sure how many people went home then signed up for the EXO ONE mailing list, but over the entire event I added about 80 people to my list. Really don't know if this is "good" or not.

Resources I Used

I'm a big fan of both Thomas Reisenegger's games PR/Marketing videos on GDCVault, and Indie Game Girl, who did a specific games event article/slide show. 

[embedded content]

Maybe just search for Thomas on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thomas+reisenegger

Emmy's site is http://ift.tt/WoIuHR

General Help

Before the event, I asked everyone I knew for advice, including some people I didn't know. This resulted in a couple of meetings that might not have otherwise happened, various tips/tricks for events, who to look out for (I hadn't heard of OutsideXtra for example), introductions to press, how to keep my expectations realistic for a single, small-ish event and more.

What did I learn about EXO ONE?

The biggest stand out problem with the game was the first tutorial level, which is going to be getting some major love and redesigning soon. The camera I'm using hates the kinds of movement you can do in the starting level, and I throw a bunch of controls at the player and pray they remember (they never do). So this resulted in many players not 'getting' the game as they were missing pieces of the puzzle. Most people that I helped out ended up getting the hang of it, and luckily all press did too.

I got mixed feedback on the story, but I'd say fairly overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the story as-is, but also some very convincing "you should make it less literal" arguments. Also received a handful of comments that there were too many controls. Mentioned this to some other Leftfielders and of course heard the opposite, "I had no problem with the controls". Simpler is definitely better, but I feel like I might be able to remove at least one control combo (like holding two things to glide up for example). Thankfully most of the feedback hit exactly the mark I was going for, with comments like:

That was super relaxing

It was mesmerizing

The sense of speed and feeling you get when you reach the clouds is amazing

I could just watch it all day

Like the Adelaide games event before (AVCON), people sat to play and didn't want to get off. I should have forced an end timer on the demo as people had to wait ages to play in some cases. I was lucky the musician, Rhys, told me to shorten the first level, since even after doing so, people sometimes asked me if they could ever reach the transport structures in the distance. A classic example of the game developer being too good (fast) at their own game.

Quick Notes on Other Games

Since this post is getting long... Quick bullets on other games (I mentioned Future Unfolding above) that were near me and I played in Leftfield.

Oniri Islands

Great multiplayer iPad game that uses physical chess-like pieces (cute little figures) to move characters around on screen. Great for playing with kids.

Flotsam

While seeming pretty early days, I'm super pumped to see where this 'floating base builder' goes.

Four Last Things

Very charming, funny writing and simple point n click adventure, using classical/famous artworks.

A Place for the Unwilling

Intriguing 'mini-society' and village full of characters whom you interact with and have influence over/effects on during 'end times'. Great spooky vibes!

Chalo Chalo

Super fun party multiplayer game that isn't instantly recognizable as being hilarious fun, but totally is!

Everything

Those rolling quadrupeds... I saw some really, really weird stuff happen in this game during the event! I jumped on for 2 minutes, but think I need to have a proper go and hear the narration/music to really get into it.

Special Thanks

...to David Hayward for organizing the event, it went off without a hitch! And thanks to SEGA for sponsoring Leftfield. It really was an amazing event, surrounded by awesome people and great games! With any luck, I'll bump into some of my new friends again at another games event... *sniff*!

Edge

I've left the best till last! I'm wildly excited to announce that next month (May) EXO ONE is getting a 2-page preview in Edge magazine! So pumped! I'm not a huge games magazine reader, but whenever I do pick one up, it's always Edge!

Next - Kickstarter

I've increasingly gone from 'maybe doing a Kickstarter' to 'probably doing one' to 'doing one' to 'most likely doing one in May'. It takes time to build up the courage, you see. I'm going to get some advice on exact dates, but that's my current thoughts. I'll be announcing an exact date soon, so if this is something you're interested in, you can sign up to my newsletter below: