#The valiant era cards
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The Valiant Era Cards 13
#The Valiant Era Cards#magnus robot fighter#Magnus#turok dinosaur hunter#turok#dinosaurs#northam#the future#valiant comics#trading cards#comics trading cards#90s comics trading cards#90s comics#upper deck#ernie colon
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Another one of these since i haven't done it in a while! Sketch -> finished illustration
Thoughts & process below the cut :>
Out of Bounds: i deleted the sketch of this off my ipad because i didn't like it, and for months it only existed as a screenshot on discord. finally in january of this year i was like Wait Actually and decided to keep working on it. I didn't achieve the look I was going for (kind of foggy and vague. It came out too sharp and high contrast) but it was fun to throw the kitchen sink at it for an afternoon and then call it done finally. I don't remember which horse this was originally supposed to be, I think Macha?
I reused the pose, you'll find the same one in my Pascal sketchbook from the section on gait studies. That's the cool thing about doing 30 sketches at once, you can finish them up any time you like for a different drawing
The Fool ft Islin: the original concept for this is from [takes a moment to decipher the american date system on discord] January 2022
It wasn't dynamic enough, but I've had this on the backburner for sooo long. I think I completed like 4 cards in between this sketch and the final version lol. But, for a bit of background, this is from my series of major arcana based in Inver, and in particular the events of the 1860s-era book series, Moth Viper Foal (a demo of the first book, Said The Black Horse, is available for free/pwyw in my shop). This scene is a companion to Said The Black Horse, depicting the aftermath of the traumatic fight that caused Islin to storm off. He had been working at the mill as a semiprofessional back alley surgeon when he received an offer to join the church and work as a trained surgeon in their hospital. But when he brought the good news back to his friends it was met with utter rejection, driving him to basically run away to join the church. while gay and trans. thus the card.
he didn't actually bring a bag with him when he ran out but for the sake of the card i drew him with one
Gryfon and Pantera: This is how 99% of holy beast drawings start out, even the super stylised ones. I struggle a lot to draw them in procreate so they start in sai and then i transfer them over. The story of this is already explained in the caption of the original post so I'll just talk about the process which was... honestly torturous. I actually don't like too much textures and effects on things (wild, I know) and this one and Out of Bounds are ones where I kind of preferred it pre-texturising.
The text on the side is the official in-universe report of the event, detailing the casualties, the valiant actions of Gryfon's knight before he died and so on. There's also spoilers in there :>
My main struggle with this art style is how it always ends up slightly TOO sharp and crisp in a way the just a blur filter never can correct. There's not a lot of immersion to break, to be fair, but I think this still does it a little. I need to get more comfortable doing the lines with larger and softer brushes, and allowing imperfections.
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Oh… OH.
Guys hear me out… BLU Spy is a film buff who likes the Film Noir genre.
If you haven’t heard of/watched film noir, it’s 40s-50s era detective movies. If you��ve watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit, you basically get the gist of what the genre is like. Jessica Rabbit is a subversion of the fem fatale trope of a shrexy lady who works for the bad guys or is the main bad guy of the movie. Judge Doom is the crooked cop/official, R.K. Maroon is another corrupt party that allied with Doom. And Eddie Valiant is our cynical and jaded detective protagonist.
Now think about movies for a minute. How many times does the protagonist do something impossible because it looks cool? Be honest, John Wick is doing some maneuvers that make zero sense to real martial artists and government agents. Now think about how BLU Spy acts in Em Blue and Meet the Spy.
How many times does a detective/cop/agent protagonist go fight a dangerous person alone, and win? Usually there’s a struggle, but they still win. Spy didn’t though. Imagine he’s having a nightmare where one of the aspects is literally “You’re not that guy pal. Trust me, you’re not that guy.”
This is not the time to make demands, this is the time to shoot the guy with a bigger, faster gun before he can get you. But the good guy usually manages to shoot first or dodge, so he can have the confidence to do something this risky. Except it doesn’t work for Spy.
I can’t help but wonder if one of the reasons is that Soldier is an actual war veteran and not crazy like RED; remember how I mentioned real experts before? What if Solly’s fighter logic is cancelling out Hollywood logic in the scenes where he and Spy are together? Of course, that’s not the only reason why Spy can’t do the cool things he’s trying; it’s insecurity.
What happens in Meet the Spy?
So BLU Spy decided to do the dramatic thing and monologue to his teammates about the RED Spy in base, knowing darn well that one of them is probably said Spy. Carrying literal dead weight with the RED’s weapon lodged in it. With full confidence.
Some people think he knew “Scout” was RED Spy, but I actually think he fell for it. Why else would he say “nothing. Nothing like the man currently inside this building!” and then give said abnormally skilled and dangerous Spy his knife back? And that’s not the only reason he didn’t know, either.
This folder of dirty pictures is BLU Spy’s trump card. Yeah, showing it to RED to humiliate him would be funny… but not the most satisfying outcome. Giving it to the Admin for enemy team blackmail? More satisfying. Giving it to one of RED Spy’s enemies so they can kidnap BLU Ma or study the layout of that room? Devilishly satisfying. But that’s still not his end goal.
Scout is the youngest member of the team with the most to learn. You’re telling me that the same Administrator who hired a Director to get dirt on RED team, and doesn’t even care much for Pauling, doesn’t have two-faced Spies on both sides? BLU and RED teammates willing to sell their team’s secrets for bonuses or their own protection? Oh they exist.
This BLU Spy is not one of these double crossers IRL; but he does look for dirt on RED team. He was probably taking the dirtier pictures to get shot of RED without his mask, but he left it on. But he found out BLU Ma is consorting with an enemy teammate, and that’s very important. He wasn't showing this to Scout just to assert dominance as an older teammate, he was saying “Look, your mama can’t be trusted. Don’t give her your information.”
“PATTY CAKE? PATTY CAKE?! I don’t believe it! [cries]”
“Believe it sister, she played Patty Cake.”
It’s the same thing but more disrespectful, he’s trying to wise the real BLU Scout up about mercenary work.
And before anyone asks, no, BLU Spy is not BLU Scout’s daddy. No sane parent would show those pictures to their child, even if he’s an adult and his mama cheated. Besides that, Spy shows literally zero interest in romance during Em Blue, even when he’s telling Archibald what promotions he wants. That’s… not a normal occurrence in Film Noirs.
I’m not saying getting tricked by RED Spy and loosing those pictures before the real Scout could see them is the reason BLU Spy doubts his own abilities. But it’s at least a factor in the bigger reason.
#tf2#emesis blue#character analysis#emesis blue scout#emesis blue spy#I don’t ship BLU Spy and Soldier btw#just thought I should mention that now
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The Sega Master System: A 8-Bit Contender In an era largely dominated by Nintendo's NES, the Sega Master System (SMS) stood as Sega's valiant effort in the 8-bit console market. Released in 1985 in Japan and two years later in North America, the Master System aimed to capture the hearts of gamers with more powerful hardware and an ambitious game library. While I never had the opportunity to own a Master System myself, being a Genesis and Sega CD aficionado, I've always had a fascination with Sega's earlier attempt to dethrone the NES. Specifications The Sega Master System boasted impressive specs for its time, offering: CPU: Zilog Z80A processor clocked at 3.58 MHz RAM: 8 KB of main RAM, 16 KB of video RAM Graphics: VDP (Video Display Processor) capable of displaying up to 32 colors simultaneously from a palette of 64, with a resolution of 256x192 pixels Audio: Texas Instruments SN76489 PSG (Programmable Sound Generator), providing 4-channel sound Storage: Cartridge slot and, in later models, a built-in card slot for Sega My Card games, with game sizes ranging from 128 KB to 4 MB History Developed as the Sega Mark III in Japan, the console was rebranded as the Master System for its international release. Despite its superior hardware, the SMS faced an uphill battle against the NES, which had a strong foothold in the market. Nevertheless, the Master System found success in Europe and Brazil, where it enjoyed a longer lifespan and a more substantial market presence. System Review Design and Hardware The Master System's design was futuristic, with a sleek black chassis and an angular, red power light. The game cartridges and optional Sega Cards were innovative, though the card format didn't gain much traction. Gaming Library While the Master System's library didn't quite reach the NES's breadth, it included notable titles such as "Phantasy Star," "Alex Kidd in Miracle World," and "Sonic the Hedgehog." These games showcased the system's ability to deliver engaging gameplay with more detailed graphics than many NES titles. Audiovisual Experience The SMS was technically superior to its Nintendo rival, particularly in its color capabilities. This allowed for vibrant visuals that made Master System games stand out. The sound, while not as robust as later consoles, was crisp and distinct, with the PSG churning out memorable chiptunes. Legacy and Personal Reflection Although the Sega Master System didn't find its way into my home during its heyday, my deep engagement with the Genesis and Sega CD made me appreciate Sega's earlier contributions to gaming. The Master System's legacy is that of an underdog with a dedicated following and a library that's still celebrated by retro gaming enthusiasts. The Master System set the stage for Sega's more successful ventures, including the Genesis/Mega Drive, and helped establish Sega as a household name. In many regions, the Master System is remembered fondly and retains a cult following. Conclusion The Sega Master System was an ambitious console that, despite strong competition, carved out its niche in gaming history. For those interested in exploring the history of the SMS or its game library, here are some helpful links: Sega Master System history and Sega Master System games. The Master System may not have been in my personal collection, but its impact on the gaming industry and its role in setting the stage for Sega's golden age of the 16-bit era is something I deeply respect.
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Eureka Entertainment is excited to announce the release of "The Valiant Ones," a seminal work by King Hu from the golden era of wuxia cinema. On May 28, this masterpiece will be available for the first time ever on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, each with a brand new 4K restoration, as part of the esteemed Masters of Cinema Series. The first print run of 2000 copies in each format will come with a Limited Edition O-card slipcase, making it a prized addition to any film aficionado’s collection. https://youtu.be/ReLK3rB0hek?feature=shared A Lasting Legacy in Wuxia Cinema "The Valiant Ones" is celebrated as King Hu’s final tribute to the wuxia genre he so masterfully depicted in his earlier classics such as "Come Drink with Me," "Dragon Inn," and "A Touch of Zen." Produced alongside "The Fate of Lee Khan" but released two years later, "The Valiant Ones" is a compelling narrative set during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor. It tells the story of China's defense against the wokou, Japanese pirates led by the formidable Hakatatsu (Sammo Hung), through the assembly of a skilled warrior group by General Zhu Wan (Tu Kuang-chi). Featuring iconic historical figures and inspired by true events, "The Valiant Ones" stands out in wuxia cinema, captivating audiences with its breathtaking showdowns and complex characters, portrayed by a stellar cast including Wing Bai and Feng Hsu as the formidable husband-and-wife duo. Both the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray editions are packed with an array of special features that dive deep into the making of "The Valiant Ones" and the legacy of King Hu. Highlights include a brand new audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng, an insightful interview with critic Tony Rayns, and a video essay by David Cairns. Additionally, interviews with key figures such as stuntman Billy Chan and actor Ng Ming-choi provide a behind-the-scenes look at the film's production. The collector’s booklet, featuring new writing on the film by Jonathan Clements, offers further exploration of its significance. Experience "The Valiant Ones" Like Never Before This release from Eureka Entertainment is not just a celebration of "The Valiant Ones" but a homage to the enduring allure of wuxia cinema. With the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR from a 4K digital restoration, viewers can experience the vibrancy, action, and drama of King Hu's vision with unparalleled clarity and depth. Prepare to immerse yourself in the world of "The Valiant Ones," a film that not only defined a genre but also showcased the genius of one of cinema's greatest directors. Mark your calendars for May 28 and get ready to add this timeless classic, in its most visually stunning format yet, to your collection.
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With the boom of cozy simulators there are many indie developers trying their hand in creating their own experience. Like the famous Stardew Valley, Littlewood is the work of a solo developer who created a charming and relaxed city builder with collect-a-thon elements and deceitfully deep lore.
Once there was an evil Dark Wizard threatening the land of Solemn until a valiant hero went on a journey with their companions and defeated the villain. However, both of them disappeared during the final battle and one day the hero woke up with all of their memories gone. Thankfully, they were rescued by their own companions while exploring an abandoned town and decided to rebuild the place by building new homes and attracting more people. As the said amnesiac hero, the player is free to travel to explore a rather small-scale experience. The world has already been saved, there is no threat except for a few stranding monsters in the forest.
There is a number of charming NPCs to meet, both to invite to live in the town and traveling merchants and the occasional random encounter, or even traveling in other locations like the grand library or the harbor town. It is possible to romance any of the villagers and marry them or challenge them for card battles similar to triple triad or tetra master from the Final Fantasy series. Each of them have their own personality and charm, revealing a little more from the world.
The central point, however, is the city building aspect. The player is free to terraform the town as long there are resources available. It is very easy to go forage the resources you need in the forest, have your own little farm area and go fishing, but some aspects can be a little deeper than it seems, like how villagers have preferences about the placement of their houses. Still, there is no time limit or pressure, the player is invited to do everything at their own pace similar to Animal Crossing. There is no combat (meaning you need to run away from the enemies) or game over states. The graphics are charming pixels that are similar to the earlier SNES-era RPGs but far more colorful and the sound cues are relaxing. It is easy to lose track of time going to the forest or to the harbor and gather the resources until your town is the way you want it while watching the change of seasons and befriending the villagers.
Because of the scope of the game, it is on the simpler side. It lacks any challenge, has only a few areas to explore and there aren’t many objectives besides collecting things or engaging in the card game once you have invited all the possible NPCs to your village. It also lacks any form of co-op or multiplayer, it is an intimate experience that might leave those wanting for a more substantial gameplay waiting for more. If you would like something relaxing to spend your time, it might be a good pick; but if you would like some more challenge or things to do it could be a good idea to look elsewhere.
Still, it is impressive it was done by one single developer who recently announced his next game, a monster collector game.
My next game is called Monsterpatch! It's a monster collector auto battler roguelike with a wacky and dark story that is a commentary on the predatory practices of gaming corporations on today's youth pic.twitter.com/UXSNZivkfJ
— Sean Young 🔜 GCX (@SeanYoungSG) June 29, 2023
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Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2, Episode 2 Easter Egg and Reference
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Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Lower Decks, Season 2, Episode 2, “Kayshon, His Eyes Open”
In The Next Generation episode “The Most Toys,” Kivas Fajo tried to keep Data forever. The idea that someone thought it was okay to “collect” was an oddly self-referential concept for Star Trek even in the 1990s. Just like now, the idea of a Star Trek collectible was a thing hardcore Star Trek fans thought about all the time. But, other than the fact that everyone would actually want to “collect” Data, “The Most Toys” wasn’t actually about Star Trek collectibles.
But, the newest Star Trek: Lower Decks episode, kind of is? In “Kayshon, His Eyes Open,” the crew of the Cerritos encounters one of those famous collectors, while the crew of the Titan deal with some very familiar transporter clones. It’s almost like this is an episode that is filled with as many Easter eggs on purpose. Here’s everything we caught.
Beta Shift
When Jet joins the Lower Deckers at the start of the episode, it’s implied they are on “Beta Shift.” This seems to check-out with Season 1, in which it was clear that the Cerritos was on a four-shift duty rotation, which included the night shift known as “Delta Shift.” (This idea was first introduced in the TNG episode “Chain of Command,” an episode Lower Decks LOVES to reference.)
Sonic Showers
Although sonic showers are referenced a lot in Star Trek, we’ve only seen sonic showers a few times. The first time was in The Motion Picture, and since then we’ve only glimpsed the showers. The visual effect for the communal sonic showers here is very similar to TMP, but the idea of communal showering for the lower officers vaguely references the novelization of The Motion Picture, too. If you know, then you know.
Collectors
Again the idea of various “Collectors” in the galaxy references Kivas Fajo and “The Most Toys.” This is what Freeman means by “they all tried to collect Data.”
Dr. Migleemo
Notably, the Cerritos’s counselor, the avian Dr. Migleemo returns in this episode, once again, voiced by Paul. F. Tompkins. Echoing Counselor Troi’s non-standard uniform, Migleemo appears to wear whatever he wants while on duty, even sitting on the bridge.
Items Owned By the Collector, Take 1
When the landing party for the Cerritos first boards the ship, just in the first room alone there are a ton of Easter eggs. Getting all of these is gonna be tricky, but we’re gonna give it a go. Here’s what you can spot when you pause the first couple of shots in the first room of the Collector’s Ship.
Captain Picard paper mache head from “Captain Picard Day” (TNG, “The Pegasus”)
The Game (TNG, “The Game”)
Baseball Bat and ball (Possible DS9 Sisko reference?)
Giant Unicorn (Possible Blade Runner reference?)
Marty McFly’s Shoes (Back to the Future)
Terran Empire Flag (TOS, “Mirror, Mirror)
Khan’s Necklace (The Wrath of Khan)
Valiant flight recorder (TOS, “Where No Man Has Gone Before)
Gold TOS Uniform
Giant Pink Tribble (TAS, “More Tribbles, More Troubles)
M-113 lifeform (TOS, “The Man Trap.” Also, this is AT LEAST the third time the Salt Vampire has appeared on Lower Decks. And, having the M-113 lifeform as a collectible not only references “The Man Trap,” but also, “The Squire of Gothos,” in which your boy Trelane had an M-113 creature as a museum piece, too!)
Special Shout-Out: Betazoid Gift Box
First appearing in TNG’s “Haven,” this was a talking box that was meant to “bond” with the person who got the gift.
The existence of this artifact here is also possible a double reference to two other things: In “Haven,” the face of the Gift Box was played by Armin Shimmerman, more famous later as Quark on DS9. But, on top of that, back in 1994 the Star Trek: The Next Generation Collectible Card Game (published by Decipher Inc.) had a very powerful card based on the Betazoid Gift Box. If you played the game, you know this was a rare and useful card that was well…very collectible.
Special Shout-Out: Whose trombone is that?
We briefly see a trombone in one of the collector’s cases, which seems like an easy reference to Riker. But, which one? Because this episode also directly references “Second Chances,” and Will Riker’s duplicate Thomas Riker, it’s possible that this is the trombone that Will gave to Thomas at the end of that TNG episode. Briefly, here’s the case for that being Thomas Riker’s trombone: In the DS9 episode “Defiant” Thomas Riker tried to steal the Defiant, but was later arrested by Starfleet. Presumably, this would mean all of his stuff would have been confiscated, including his trombone!
Keyshon is a Tamarian
Tamarians or “the Children of Tama” originate in the TNG episode “Darmok.” In case you forgot, Picard cracked the case with this species by learning they spoke exclusively through metaphor and analogy. Mariner mocks this by pointing out all you have to do is listen for “context clues.”
Riker loves…Rogue Squadron?
Riker tells Boimler to use “attack pattern delta,” on the Pakled ship. This seems to be a reference to The Empire Strikes Back in which Luke tells the snowspeeders of Rogue Squadron, “Attack pattern delta, go now!”
Items Owned By the Collector, Take 2
Here’s another go at seeing how many Easter eggs were jammed into like less than 2-minutes of screentime.
Kataan Probe (TNG, “The Inner Light”)
Vulcan lirpa weapon (TOS, “Amok Time,”)
Klingon bat’leth (TNG, DS9, Voyager et al.)
Andorian dueling weapon (Enterprise, “United.”)
Shark in a Tank (A reference to the real-life artist Damien Hirst, probably?)
Mars Rover
Kadis-kot game set (Voyager)
Château Picard wine crate (Picard)
Isomagnetic disintegrator (Worf’s bazooka from Insurrection)
Tendi is later holding:
A trident scanner (Scotty loved this thing in TOS)
And…a Kurlan naiskos (TNG, “The Chase,” a very big episode for canon!)
Kahless’ fornication helmet
Tendi says that this specific Klingon artifact is clearly something Kahless (the Klingon Jesus) wore while…well, the name speaks for itself. But which Kahless? Hmmm? The fake clone Kahless from “Rightful Heir?” or the real-deal Kahless from the 9th century? The Kahless reference gets doubly meta, because, as you’ll see later, Lower Decks eventually references the very first reference in canon to Kahless, too.
Data’s Picasso-esque painting of Spot
Barely visible, just as Mariner and the gang are trying to escape, we see Data’s painting of his cat Spot, first seen in the TNG episode “Inheritance,” and later in the background in the movie Generations.
Boimler’s description of the Enterprise-D
Let’s combine two scenes here! In two pivotal moments in the episode, Boimler is defending the honor and relative coolness of the TNG adventures on the Enterprise-D, which he just calls “the D.” Here’s what it seems like he’s referencing.
“They went to other dimensions… (This seems to reference the idea that “The D” did go to another dimension in the episode “Where No One Has Gone Before.” It also could reference “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” but nobody would remember that.)
“They fought the Borg…” (This references “Q, Who,” “The Best of Both Worlds,” and “Descent.”
“They insurrected!” (This seems to reference Star Trek: Insurrection, which was not the Enterprise-D, but instead, the Enterprise-E! The Lower Decks writers surely know this. Why doesn’t Boimler know this? Maybe the game of telephone in the Federation is a little inaccurate? In LDS Season 1, the news of Data’s brother seemed to travel…very slowly?)
“They had a regular string quartet.” (This references several TNG episodes, notably “Sarek,” and again, “Inheritance,”)
“Riker was jamming on the trombone” (A ton of TNG, including “The Next Phase,” “Future Imperfect,” and of course, “Second Chances.”)
“Catching love disease” (Probably TNG’s “The Naked Now”)
“Acting in plays” (This mostly references Riker acting in one of Crusher’s plays in TNG’s “Frame of Mind.”)
The remains of Spock Two?
In the spooky skeleton room, we see what appears to be a giant humanoid skeleton wearing a blue TOS–era Starfleet uniform. Who is this? The best guess? This is the giant Spock clone from The Animated Series episode “The Infinite Vulcan.”
Excalbian Bones and Abe Lincoln
Toward the end of the episode, the gang is trapped in a diorama that seems to have an alien and a skeleton of Abraham Lincoln. This references the TOS episode “The Savage Curtain” in which the Excalbians produced copies of Lincoln, along with Kahless and Surak. This episode was the first reference in Trek canon to both Kahless and Surak, and so, basically created the backstories of both Vulcan and Klingon cultures through historically inaccurate versions of those people. Funny, right?
Transporter clone
When Boimler beams the away team out through the distortion field, Riker says “oh, I’ve heard this tune before.” This references the TNG banger “Second Chances,” in which Riker’s transporter duplicate was discovered on a planet years after the fact. In this sense, Boimler’s transporter clone got off easy. Also, the idea that one of the transporter duplicates makes different decisions that the other also references “Second Chances,” in which “Thomas” Riker ends up being a different person than Will. The idea that both can’t serve on the Titan anymore might reference the idea that the TNG writing staff considered killing off the “first” Will Riker, and replacing him with his duplicate. This would have meant Data would have become the first officer in Season 6, and Riker, the operations officer. It didn’t happen, but from the point of view of the Titan crew, something like this basically DID just happen.
The Riker lean
While talking to the Mr. Boimlers, Riker puts one foot up on a couch. Classic Riker lean. Classic.
“Computer play Night Bird”
cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });
Just before Boimler leaves the Ready Room, “William Boimler” and Riker are sharing some Romulan Ale. Riker says “computer, play ‘Night Bird.’” This also references “Second Chances,” in which Riker is unable to play the trombone solo for this song, which Troi teases him about endlessly. “Night Bird” also appears to be a made-up song. But who knows, maybe William Boimler will be able to master it? Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 airs on Paramount+ on Thursdays.
The post Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2, Episode 2 Easter Egg and Reference appeared first on Den of Geek.
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Crowns and Courtships - A Mystic Messenger AU
This AU is basically about MC being a princess who is courting during the Regency era! The readers can choose who MC ends up with :)
Chapter 6 - The Garden Party
Chapter 5
Words: 2500
Summary: it’s finally time to travel to the city to go to the first party of the social season, hosted by your close friend Duke Yoosung Kim. Will the party be a success? Will the group plotting against you make their next move?
You woke to a knock on your door. Blinking the sleep out of your eyes, you told the person they could come in. No surprise, it was Jaehee. “Good morning Princess, Sir Zen. I’ve gotten you some tea; we will be departing for the city soon. Would you like to get dressed before breakfast?
“That would be lovely,” you told Jaehee. Sir Zen excused himself and went to leave, but you stopped him. “Wait! Please tell me you will change my father’s mind and convince him that you should join us in the city.” You could tell he was going to object, but you stopped him once more. “Please. I feel safer with you around.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He smiled, then left. You could hear him making his way down the stairs, hopefully to find your father.
Jaehee got your clothes out, helping you step into each layer of the heavy travel clothes, then brought in some tea. “What happened last night, if you don’t mind me asking? I was surprised to see your knight in your chambers.”
You could feel your face heat up. “Oh! It’s nothing like that! Someone left a threatening note on my door, stabbed into the wood with the dagger. I couldn’t sleep… but with him watching over me it helped.”
“Oh! That’s awful. Are you okay?” She gently placed her hand on your arm.
“I’m honestly scared. That’s why I want him to join us in the city. It seems that if the organization doesn’t like my decision, they’ll attack me there. I already feel sick about the whole thing… having him by my side would help.”
“He is handsome… isn’t he?” Jaehee had a small smile on her face.
You giggled. “He is! He’s opening up more too.”
“Well, I hope we can catch these people, and soon. You should be excited about your first garden party, not dreading it!”
You set your cup down on the saucer, then stood. “We’ll have to hope for the best. I’ll meet you downstairs at the carriage soon! I have to join my parents for breakfast.”
When you sat down for breakfast, your parents stared at you like they had seen a ghost. “What’s wrong?” You asked, nervous that something else bad must have happened.
“We’re surprised to see you coping so well… Sir Zen brought us the note that was on your door,” your mother explained, concern evident in her eyes.
You sighed, your face falling: “Well… we knew there would be people who didn’t like my decision. It’s the consequences I have to face to achieve my happiness.”
“Well Sir Zen is joining us now, without question. He’s packing his things as we speak,” your father explained. It made you feel much better knowing that he’d be by your side, looking after you and protecting you from the people in the city.
“That’s good to know. On another note, I’m excited for the party today as well as our travels!”
“I’m glad to hear it. It must be exciting to be out and about during the social season. You’ll have to tell me all about it!” Your mother expressed happily. It was clear that she was disappointed she had to take part in an arranged marriage, but she was lucky her marriage turned out so well; it was clear that she loved your father dearly, which was surprising considering the fact you were born before your father had married. It was a lot to overlook, but the Queen’s love was able to overcome it all.
One you finished breakfast, it was time to prepare for the trip. You, your parents, and Jaehee took the main carriage. The others rode on horseback alongside the carriage. You smiled when you saw the horse you trained the other day leading the carriage. You walked over to him while the bags were being loaded.
“Why hello there!” You greeted the horse, patting its head. Mr. Choi sat at the front of the carriage, right above the horse and its partner. He raised an eyebrow at you. “Valiant. That’s his name,” you decided.
“A fitting name for a horse so daring and brave,” he grinned, petting the horse. “Let me know if you need anything throughout the trip.”
“I’m shocked you’re being so nice. Nervous? This is your first long carriage trip after all.”
“I just got used to leading one horse; now I have already graduated to two,” he said boastingly, but his face showed that he was quite overwhelmed by the prospect.
“Maybe you should let me know if you need anything throughout the trip,” you teased, turning his words against him. “Safe travels, Mr. Choi. My life literally depends on it.”
“You’re telling me… mine too.”
You loaded into the carriage with your family. You sat next to your mother, and your father sat across from you, next to Jaehee, who got the honor of sitting in the main carriage as your new lady.
You spent your time reading another book on flowers. You read for most of the trip, finishing the book in its entirety. You were lucky your home in the city had a large collection of books that you could read. You luckily made it without needing to take any stops, which was pretty impressive. Before you went inside, Sir Zen swept the house to make sure there was no intruder inside. Luckily there wasn’t. You took Jaehee up to your room to get ready for the garden party that was quickly approaching.
Jaehee quickly helped you get out of your traveling clothes and into your pink ensemble. The blush tone suited your skin tone perfectly; Jaehee had even packed a blush hat to match, since the party was outside.
She spent her time pinning each piece of hair into place, working on a low bun so that the hat would still sit nice. “I know we did not have much time to get ready, but I think you look wonderful,” Jaehee complimented, a small blush on her face. She practically pushed you out of the room before you could respond. “Off we go! We cannot be late.”
You made your way to the carriage with Jaehee next to you. You were lucky she was joining you since your parents weren’t going to attend; they were going to spend their time settling in. Still, it was nice to have some company.
Mr. Choi gave you his hand to help you onto the carriage, which you gladly took. Despite your recent fights, you still needed his help and wanted to keep things cordial. “That is… a lot of pink. You look like a flamingo,” he commented, taken aback by your dress. So much for cordial. It was obvious he was making fun of you to make himself feel better; you could tell by the stupid look on his face that he was just teasing you. You wouldn’t give in that easily though.
“Well, I figured you didn’t have taste, but this just confirms it,” you shrugged as he helped Jaehee into the carriage. “Let’s get going please; I’d hate to be late,” you urged him, and he listened.
“Who is holding this party again?” Jaehee asked as the carriage began moving.
“Duke Kim. I’m sure it was a lot of work for him to arrange the party on his own for the first time… especially since it’s the first one of the season. This is important though, because it’ll set the tone for the rest of this season’s events,” you explained.
You were trying to stay stoic but you were worried about Yoosung. He’d be crushed if the party wasn’t perfect, as if he had let his parents down. You’d take it upon yourself to make sure the party was a success.
But once you got there you weren’t too worried. There were a large number of round tables, draped in lavender linen. Vases of pink roses sat on each table, clearly expensive in order to impress the guests. A few nobles were already there, talking amongst themselves, Duke Kim greeting them.
You couldn’t wipe the smile off your face as he greeted you. “Nice to see you again, Duke Kim. This party is wonderful. I’m sure your parents would be proud,” you complimented. You meant every word; he was always an overachiever, but you were worried the death of his parents would kill his spirit. That wasn’t the case though! He was working even harder now.
“Your Royal Highness, it’s nice to see a friendly face around here,” he leaned close to her, lowering his voice: “I feel like everyone here is waiting to see me fail.”
“Don’t talk like that! Even if they were here for that, it’s not like they could say anything. You’re a Duke now. You outrank most of the people here,” you reminded him. The only ones higher than the Duke in the social status were the royalty. Yoosung should be proud of his title. “Plus! I’ll bet you’ll have at least half a dozen ladies swooning over you at the end of the event. You’ll never have to plan a party on your own ever again,” you grinned, reassuring him. A more genuine smile made its way onto his face.
“Honestly? I had a lot of fun planning this party. It helped take my mind off of things,” he admitted. Another guest entered, standing behind you, waiting their turn to talk to Yoosung. “Let’s talk later. There are place cards on each table to show you where you sit. I hope you enjoy yourself!”
It was obvious Yoosung had thought a lot about the seating arrangements. People sat by those in comparable class to them. Your table had Prince Jumin, Yoosung himself, Lord James, Lady Elizabeth, and Lady Sarah. The seats alternated boy-girl to help with the courting. It was very well thought-out.
Your only bit of criticism had to be Lord James. You had never gotten along with him well; he was extremely opinionated. Still, it was important to give him a chance. He approached the table first, addressing you before standing in front of a seat across from you.
“Hello Your Royal Highness,” he bowed to you.
“Lord James,” you curtsied, “how are your parents?”
“They’re doing quite alright. How has your kingdom and family been these past few months?”
“Pretty good. A little upset over my decision to court instead of going through with an arranged marriage, but nothing out of control,” you explained, downplaying the situation.
“Well I think that it is certainly a scandalous move. But, us noblemen are glad to see it occur. You look absolutely radiant,” he complimented. He eyed the pitcher of lemonade on the table awkwardly. You weren’t entirely sure what he was waiting for.
You ignored him, grabbing the pitcher and filling up your glass. His eyes were glued to it, still confused. “Is something the matter?” You asked, confused.
“I’m simply waiting for somebody to pour it for me. Would you like to do the honors?”
“I’d rather not. Thank you for the offer though,” you mentioned, allowing your voice to show a bit of annoyance. Luckily, Lady Elizabeth made it to the table to save you from the ridiculous conversation. You stood and swept her into a hug, not caring about appearances.
“My dear friend, it’s so good to see you,” you greeted.
“I’m not used to that sort of greeting, but I certainly will not complain,” she looked around. “The Duke has certainly outdone himself, huh? I didn’t realize he had this attention-to-detail in him.”
“Don’t be silly; he’s been straightening the silverware on the dinner tables at parties ever since we met him; this doesn’t surprise me at all,” you laughed. That was Yoosung alright. He had always been a perfectionist. Elizabeth joined you in a fit of giggles. You both sat down one seat apart from each other, Elizabeth getting the unfortunate pleasure of getting to sit next to Lord James.
“Who else is at our table?” Elizabeth asked you curiously, leaning closer to you to speak over the chatter.
“Yoosung, Sarah, and Prince Jumin,” you explained, looking over the table cards just to ensure you were correct.
“Prince Jumin? Oh, how exciting. I didn’t expect him to be showing up to all these events... is he courting too?” she asked curiously, twirling a curl of her hair.
“Well he’s certainly courting me. But besides that, not that I’m aware of. He stopped by the other day for tea.” Truth be told, though, Elizabeth was so beautiful and graceful that it was very likely Jumin would fall for her. Most people did.
“I don’t believe it,” she put her hand atop yours, “oh you must simply tell me all!” Prince Jumin walked over to the table, a smile on his face. “All… regarding how your mother is doing. Did she get over her flu?” Elizabeth asked, trying to cover up the gossip you were getting into. You had to restrain your laughter; no man wanted to see a woman gossiping, especially not the Prince, you imagined. Now the two of you couldn’t have cared less about Lord James, though, as he hardly counted as a man, but this was a prince after all.
“Prince Jumin, so lovely to see you,” you greeted, standing up to curtsy to him.
“I hope your travel was well?” Elizabeth chimed in, curtsying far lower than you had. Show off.
“My dear friend, Lady Elizabeth,” you introduced, “I don’t think the two of you have met formally yet.”
“It’s a pleasure,” Prince Jumin remarked, bowing to the both of you. “It seems I am seated between the two of you. Princess, I hadn’t realized your mother was ill. She seemed fine the other day when I saw her.”
You could feel your cheeks heat up. You didn’t like being questioned like this, especially when the cover-up was Elizabeth’s doing yet you had to dig the two of you out of it. “Ah, yes, well I actually haven’t seen Elizabeth in a while, so she was unaware that my mother had recovered almost a week ago.”
“But I thought we wrote one another just a few days ago? You even mentioned that one man who-”
“Well it seems I must have forgotten to mention it. It has been quite hectic at home lately,” you countered, eyeing Elizabeth, trying to hint that she should stop pressing the matter and be glad you saved her from the reputation of being a gossip.
“Well, Ladies, it looks like I’m at your table,” Lady Sarah announced, making her way in front of you both. “Prince Jumin!” she curtsied quickly, “Whatever might you be doing here?”
“Searching for good company, luckily it seems I might have found some,” he looked at you, smiling.
“I never expected you to be the type of person who would show up to the average boring garden party,” Sarah confessed. Behind her approached Duke Kim. His face fell at the mention of his party being ‘average’ and ‘boring'.
You knew it was your job to make Yoosung feel better. He had worked so hard on this party. He turned away, likely to excuse himself and take a moment. It hurt to see him so disappointed; he likely felt like a failure. You’d have to try and make this right.
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Dream a Little Dream of Me
Summary: Boy wants girl, girl wants boy, boy and girl are too scared to act on their desires.
Word Count: 5803
Rating: spicy;)
Warnings: the classic “let’s fall in love at one of tony’s many fancy parties” trope.
Song Pairing: Dream a Little Dream of Me- Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald
Authors note: this was written SO long ago but I deleted it because the ban. it’s gonna take you back to classic 2012 avengers era, which we all desperately need haha. I’m gonna be re-uploading all my deleted fics so get ready:)
♡if you enjoy this fic you’re welcome to leave a reblog/like/comment! feedback is not only welcomed but encouraged!♡
You were currently sitting in Tony’s office with Steve, the three of you sitting at one table. Pinching the bridge of your nose you said, “ Boys I don’t know how much longer I can talk about the next mission”.
Instantly Tony smirked, and you prepared yourself for a very sarcastic comment. Tony pouted, “ You’re just upset your favorite soldier isn’t here”. You felt a blush creep over your cheeks but you tried to play it cool.
Shrugging your shoulders you said, “ Maybe all this planning is getting to you too, Steve is right next to you”. Tony laughed, it was a valiant effort on your part but he knew you too well.
Steve tried to stop you both, “ Guys we still need to figure out our plan of attack and-”. Tony wouldn’t give up this easily, “ You know since we’re talking about planning, why don’t we help (y/n) plan when she’ll actually make a move on Barnes”.
This time you couldn’t play it cool, and you knew your face was even redder than before. Steve tried to come to your rescue, “ Come on Tony leave her alone, it’s private and-”.
Tony raised his hands, “ And what? It’s not too private when they have eye sex every time they’re in the same room”. Steve cleared his throat, trying not to picture both of his best friends having sex.
Trying to lighten the mood you said, “ It’s more eye masterbation because only one of us does it Tony”. You were convinced there’d be no way in hell that Bucky would ever feel the same way you did.
Bucky was one of the most incredible people you knew; insanely caring, understanding, and completely breathtaking. Your own insecurities made you feel like Bucky deserved way better than you.
Tony rolled his eyes, “ Don’t pull this crap (y/n) Barnes looks at you the same way you look at him! You’re too nervous to pick up on it”. You wanted Bucky so badly, but your nerves always got a hold of you.
Steve raised an eyebrow, “ I don’t know about the..eye sex...but he does look at you specially”. That meant a lot coming from the kid’s best friend, but you were still not 100% sold. Tony clapped his hands, “ Look there it is! His best friend since birth just told you he has the hots for you!”.
Laughing you said, “ I don’t know if it’s the hots I mean does he even like women any more?”. Tony laughed and you corrected yourself, “ Not in that way you iron giant idiot, I just mean it’s been awhile”.
Steve laughed, “ I can assure you he still likes women, but I don’t want to meddle any further in this..you’re both my best friends”. Tony’s smile grew bigger, and you felt yourself smiling too. Tony put his hands together, “ Come on Cap, throw the girl a bone! I know when you’re not telling the full truth”.
You felt butterflies in your stomach, wondering what Steve would say. Steve smirked, “Okay maybe Bucky likes just one woman, but he’d killed me if I said anything else yet”.
Tony yelled, “ YES I KNEW IT! BARNES HAS THE HOTS FOR (Y/N)!”. He was so excited it made you and Steve laugh. Steve didn’t say anything to protest, so you knew it was the truth.
It didn’t do anything to stop your nerves, but just made them worse. You had thought you were only a friend to Bucky..but that all just changed. Rolling your eyes you asked, “ So what’s the plan Stark?”.
Tony smirked, “ Well we do have the press event later tonight..” You were more of a behind the scenes kinda girl, and fancy events weren’t you’re thing. Tony also knew this, “ I know you hate all eyes on you but-”.
To your surprise Steve cut him off, “ It would be fun for Bucky to see you all dolled up..and it won’t be just the two of you there”. Steve did have a point, a crowded room meant less pressure.
Tony laughed, “ I’ll need to invent eye condoms to prepare for the looks you’ll give each other tonight”. You saw Steve blush from all this sex talk, and you laughed. Steve got up from the table, “ You two are bad together, I need to go pray or something”.
Playfully you yelled after him, “ Our rooms are next to each other Steve, don’t act so innocent!”. If Steve wasn’t red before, he was now. As he turned his head before leaving the room you saw a smile form upon his lips.
Tony was completely riled up now, “ God (y/n) that was perfect! I knew Captain perfect wasn’t so innocent!”. You rolled your eyes, knowing you’d just made things harder for your best friend.
Getting up you said, “ No one’s as innocent as they seem Tony”. You expected another comment from him, but he just stood there smirking. Laughing you asked, “ What cat suddenly got your tongue? I thought you could handle the sexual talk but-”.
Tony pointed behind you and you wanted to die when you turned around. There of course stood Bucky, with a smirk on his lips. Smirking he said, “ At first I felt bad about being late to the meeting but I guess you weren’t discussing work..”.
You stood there unsure of what to say, you hadn’t expected to see him so quickly. Tony got up, “ Oh that’s just the thing, we were discussing work”. With a wink, he left the room.
Bucky laughed, “ So what were you guys talking about?”. God why couldn’t he just pick up on how red your face was and change topics. Trying to not explode you said, “ Uh the press event tonight…”.
He just raised an eyebrow, “ And what does that have to do with sex?”. You felt your face getting redder, and saw his smirk growing. Thinking on your feet you replied with, “ Tony and I were joking to see if Steve would finally ask a girl to be his date...and hook up”.
Bucky just smiled, finally letting you off the hook..or so you thought. You went to leave the room but he reached for your arm, turning you around. Bucky bit his lip, “ Speaking of dates doll, I was wondering if you’d be mine?”.
You just blinked your eyes, was this really all happening? Smiling you tried to not sound so eager, “ I’d love to James”. His smile only grew, and so did yours. Opening the door for you he added, “ So then it’s a date”.
Luckily this time your back was to him, so he couldn’t see your blush. You went your separate ways down the hall, and tried not to freak out. With so much on your mind you weren’t paying attention.
Turning the corner you crashed into someone, and looking up you realized it was Nat and Clint. Extending a hand to help you up she asked, “ What’s got you so preoccupied?”. Before you could say anything Clint answered for you, “ Probably the fact that Barnes finally asked her out”.
You opened your mouth in shock but Clint just shrugged, “ Word travels fast in this compound”. There was no way anyone could’ve known, it had JUST happened. Nat smirked, “Or Tony bugged the room and texted us all”.
Clint groaned, “ Come on it totally added to our spy dynamic!”. You all just laughed, and you didn’t know whether or not to kill Tony. Thinking out loud you said, “..so now everyone knows?”.
Nat smirked once again, “ (y/n) we’ve all known for months...you’re not too stealthy”. Shaking your head you mentally cursed yourself, it was probably obvious to Bucky too. Clint added, “ And neither is Barnes...spy my ass”.
You laughed, “ Then I wonder why it took us so long”. Natasha and Clint just looked at each other, wondering who should answer. Clint smiled, “ Well that’s easy, up until this point you both have beat yourselfs up”.
Natasha added, “ Convinced yourself you weren’t good enough for the other, which isn’t true.'' They were speaking the truth. For effect Clint placed a hand on your shoulder, “ you’re too hard on yourself kid”.
You felt so lucky to have the friends you did. Placing a hand over your heart you responded, “ I love you guys”. Clint winked and Nat hugged you. Your phone buzzed and looking down you read a text from Tony, “ Event’s in a couple hours, surprise waiting in your room”.
Excited you explained, “ Tony says there’s a surprise in my room? Wanna check it out Nat?”. She hooked her arm with yours, and began walking towards your room. With tony it could be anything from a necklace to a full salon somehow built within seconds.
Opening your door you saw a black gift box on your bed, and an envelope on top. Opening it read, “ Find some hot little number to go with these, treat yourself”. In the card there was also Tony’s credit card.
Nat opened the box and saw Tony had gifted you gold stilettos, “ Sorry (y/n) I couldn’t help myself”. Your jaw dropped when you saw the pair of shoes, they were extremely expensive. Still in shock you exclaimed, “ I can’t believe Tony did all this”.
Natasha just smiled, “ He does love you (y/n), and he knows you make Bucky happy”. You just stood there smiling to yourself, once again feeling insanely lucky to have the friends you did. Taking the card you said, “ Well I guess I should listen to Tony right?”.
Laughing Natasha agreed, and you guys decided it was time for a trip to the mall. While leaving your room you ran into Steve, who seemed just as happy. Steve smiled, “ I know I said I wouldn’t meddle but now that Buck asked you out-”.
Nat cut him off, “ It only took two months of you convincing him too..”. Steve just blushed, he had been meddling. He raised his hands, “ Okay you got me, I just wanted to let (y/n) know navy blue is Buck’s favorite color”.
Smirking you said, “ Steve Rogers you mean to tell me this whole time you’ve known that Bucky likes me?’. Steve stood there for a moment, running a hand through his hair.
Finally he said, “ Well yes ...but I wanted to make sure Bucky was ready to actually make a move (y/n)....we both know it’s been hard adjusting for him”.
Nat smiled, “ Think of how much easier it would be with (y/n) by his side showing him the ropes”. Steve ignored her innuendo, still pretending to be innocent. You were unsure of how to feel, “ But why-”.
His blue eyes gazed down at you, “ I love you so much (y/n) and I love Bucky just as much. The last thing I wanted was the both of you getting hurt because of bad timing. Now he’s ready, which means I’ve turned my convincing to you”.
You couldn’t stay mad at Steve, especially when you realized he had good intentions. Smiling you said, “ You’re off the hook Rogers...now navy blue is his favorite color?”.
Steve’s smile returned, “ Yes, once he sees you in it he’ll go wild...even more wild than he already is.'' Nat whistled causing all three of you to laugh. Taking your hand she said, “ Looks like we have a super soldier to please..thank you Steve”.
He tipped his imaginary hat and let you both continue on your way. It sent shivers down your spine knowing you were aiming to please Bucky. It was a double edged sword; you wanted him to instantly get turned on when he saw you but were also scared of what would happen next.
When you went to the mall Nat instantly pulled you into Victoria’s Secret. She explained, “ I’m not saying things have to move this fast but if they do..I want him to be blown away”. You didn’t hide your insecurities, “ What if he doesn’t like what he sees? He could have anyone and-”.
Nat shut you up, “ Half the time I’m fighting I use my sex appeal to my advantage which means I know what lust looks like...and I’ve never seen someone lust after you the way Barnes does”.
Instantly you blushed, “ Really? You’re not just lying?”. She shook her head, “ You’re in your own world so you don’t see it but he looks at you like you’re the only thing on this world…”.
She continued, “ He looks at you like he doesn’t know whether or not he wants to devour you or savor every last bite”. You felt your face getting redder by the minute. Releasing a breath you replied, “ Fuck Nat...I had no idea”.
Leading you towards the matching sets of lingerie she laughed, “ That’s why it’s taken so long...I mean even Steve has commented on it..but he thought I wasn’t listening”. Absentmindedly you walked towards a black lace set.
As you touched the fabric you asked, “ What did Steve say? I thought he didn’t like to meddle”. Steve was a confusing man, but he was your best friend.
Natasha smirked, “ While talking to Sam he said, If I have to listen to Bucky talk about how badly he wants (y/n) one more time I think I’m gonna freeze myself..again”. You laughed, but also felt the desire grow inside you.
She casually spoke, “ Oh and you’re getting that set….it’s gonna make Bucky explode just looking at you”. The set was black lace, and included a thong and bra. It was much fancier than what you were used to, but you weren’t paying for it.
After buying it Natasha took you to another store where you found the perfect dress. It was an off the shoulder navy blue dress that went out at your waist. It would show your off cleavage perfectly, but was still classy enough.
From there you went back home and realized there was only two more hours until the event. When you walked back into the compound you passed Tony and Steve in the kitchen.
Tony was looking through something on his phone, “ I see you found what you were looking for, the stop at Victoria’s Secret had to be my favorite”. You realized he was looking at his bills.
You smiled, “ Well I figure it’s the price you’ll have to pay for always teasing me about him”. Steve laughed agreeing with your statement, Tony did do a lot of teasing. Tony shrugged his shoulders, “ Thank me later when you finally find out all the fun a metal arm can give you”.
Your jaw dropped at his comment, but Nat and him and enjoyed it. Steve chimed in, “Tony I’m going to pretend I didn’t understand that…(y/n) please leave before I have to say ten hail marys”.
Tony smirked, “ Come on Rogers, I can only imagine how pent up you are after 70 years frozen...that has to be a lot of-”. You clapped your hands, “ Tony I don’t want to see how you finish that sentence”.
Nat added, “ God looks like Barnes and (y/n) aren’t the only ones with some pent up sexual tension”. That joked caused you and Nat to laugh, but the boys weren’t as amused. You both ran to your room laughing.
You opened your door and Nat plopped down onto your bed. Smiling she said, “ How about you shower and then I’ll help you with hair and makeup?”. You nodded your head, and she left your room.
When you got into the shower you took your time. You wanted to make sure every part of your skin was not only soft, but smelt heavenly. As the warm water hit your skin your mind drifted.
You thought back to what Nat had told you earlier, Steve saying Bucky talked about how much he wanted you. Instantly you thought about how good it would feel to have Bucky kiss up and down your body, his lips stopping to suck wherever he wanted.
How beautiful he probably sounded when he moaned ...what he’d sound like moaning your name. Thinking about the comment Tony had made earlier you thought about Bucky’s arm.
Part of you had always been turned on by his arm, you couldn’t explain it. Thinking about how the cold metal would feel against your skin made your core wet.
You started to massage your conditioner into your hair, and even then your thoughts turned dirty. A moan escaped your lips thinking about how good it would feel to have Bucky pull on your hair.
Finally you were done with your shower. Sitting there you saw Natasha waiting for you, along with Wanda. Nat just smirked, “Wonder what you were thinking about in there?”.
You blushed, “ Uh nothing really..just nervous for tonight”. Wanda and Natasha just looked to each other with knowing smiles. Wanda added, “ You didn’t sound nervous from that moan…”.
Blushing even more you asked, “ Come on guys, don’t start teasing me now too”. They just laughed, and dropped it. They both already had their hair and makeup done, and were ready to help you.
Looking at your phone you realized there was a little over an hour left until the event. Wanda smiled, “ Should I do hair while Natasha does makeup?”. You all agreed that would be the plan.
Wanda decided that she would do loose curls for your hair, simple but sexy. She giggled, “ Can I tell you a secret?”. You nodded and he smile only grew.
She began, “ I know it’s bad but I’ve been listening to Bucky’s thoughts every once and awhile and you should hear what he thinks about…”.
Natasha was instantly sold, “ Don’t leave out any of the dirty details”. You felt your stomach drop, wondering what Bucky might think about.
Wanda giggled, “ He thinks about you when he uh...pleasures himself…”. You gasped, and Nat just smiled. You felt yourself get a little turned on. Wanda continued, “ You know how you call him James?”
You raised an eyebrow, “ Yeah but I’ve done that since we met...it is his name”. You loved using his real name when talking to him. Wanda shook her head, “ It’s drives him wild (y/n)”.
You blushed, “ I called him it earlier…”. God did that mean you turned him on earlier? Nat laughed, “ Well looks like tonight is going to be eventful”. You could tell by her smile that Wanda wasn’t done.
Finishing your hair she leaned against your vanity, to face you. She bit her lip, “ Want to know the most interesting part?”. You all too eagerly said yes, as did Natasha.
Wanda smirked, “ Bucky’s even made Steve talk about you in that way..”. That wasn’t something you pictured ever happening. Surprised you asked, “ What has Steve said?”.
Raising an eyebrow she explained, “ Well Bucky asked what Steve thought you would be like in bed and-”. You thought you’d fall right out of your seat, that wasn’t a conversation you pictured them having.
Wanda mimicked Steve, “ Well Buck she pretends to be innocent but I know (y/n)’s the type that wants you to push her up against a wall and make her scream out your name for everyone to hear”.
You gasped, “ So much for not meddling! I never thought Steve would tell anyone that?”. Wanda just shrugged her shoulders, obviously not having an answer for it either.
Nat brought her makeup over to your vanity, setting it all up. Turning around she asked, “What do mean tell anyone? Are you telling me you’ve talked about sex with Steve Rogers?”.
Laughing you answered, “ He is my best friend….it doesn’t happen all the time but when it does we promise to act like it doesn’t.'' Wanda and Natasha were both shocked, their image of Steve changing.
Wanda giggled, “ So then what Steve said is true?”. By now Nat had started doing your makeup, already done with foundation and concealer. Smirking you said, “ I know I’m shy but even though we’re all so close there’s other sides to me”.
Nat continued doing your makeup, “ I can see it..always the quiet ones”. That was a true quote, you seemed innocent but you weren’t. Wanda asked, “ Well then does that mean Bucky now knows that?”.
You decided it was a good question, “ Maybe I should text Steve and ask then”. The girls didn’t say anything, and continued talking. Natasha was already halfway through your makeup.
You typed out, “ Steve fucking Rogers I have a bone to pick with you. Did you tell Bucky how I like things on the rougher side!?”. Within a second you got a text back from Steve asking you to explain.
Your second text read, “ Don’t play dumb, you know I mean someone being dominant with me! Hair pulling..dirty talk...come on Captain Idiot”. Placing your phone back down you let Nat continue to do your makeup, now moving on to eyeshadow.
Within a minute you got a text back, “ Hate to do this to you doll...but this ain’t Steve”. Instantly you got butterflies in your stomach, the only person that would have Steve’s phone is Bucky.
You got another text, “ It’s Buck...Steve let me borrow his phone to text you telling you I’ll be there to pick you up in 30”. You wanted to die right then and there, your luck was completely off today.
Before you could answer you got one last text, “ I want to feel bad doll but I don't ...this is all a turn on for me”. You let out a squeal and Nat took the phone from you, reading everything out loud.
Wanda gasped while Natasha just stood there with a smirk on her face, “ Shit Barnes really likes you”. You had no idea how to reply, there was about a thousand things you wanted to say...but you were too scared.
Nat crossed her arms over her chest, “ Come on (y/n) there’s no way you can be nervous anymore!”. She did have a point, you knew now how Bucky felt about you. You should just go for it.
Smirking you took the phone back, “ I have the perfect thing to say”. If Bucky wanted to tease you, you’d tease him right back. You replied with, “ Let’s see who’s all smug later tonight, James”.
Nat shook her head, “ God you’re a tease (y/n)! Ending it by calling him James...PERFECT. '' From that moment Nat worked faster to finish your makeup, not wanting you to stress about being late.
Fifteen minutes later she finished, and the end result was amazing. She gave you a gold eyeshadow look; fake eyelashes, winged liner, and all. For lipstick she gave you a deep red, making your lips pop.
There was actual gold glitter on your lid, and you wanted to die of happiness. Once she finished she smiled, “ Well Wanda, looks like our work here is done”. They left your room five minutes later, leaving you to change.
You started by first putting on the set you bought from Victoria’s Secret, smiling when you say yourself in the mirror. Next you slipped into your blue dress, and finally your heels. You had to admit you looked damn good.
About a minute later there was a knock on your door, and you got goosebumps. Opening it you realized it was Bucky, ready to pick you up. Before he even said anything, he looked you up and down while biting his lip.
You blushed, “ Steve said blue was your favorite color”. Your voice snapped Bucky out of his daydream. He smirked, “ Anything on you is my favorite color Doll...damn”. His comment made your smile only grow.
He extended his hand, “ We have a party to attend, and about a hundred people to make jealous”. You took his hand as he lead you towards the elevator. As the doors of the elevator closed you asked, “ People to make jealous?”.
Bucky pressed the penthouse button, “ I have the most beautiful date, everyone’s gonna wish they were with you”. It warmed your heart to know Bucky felt so honored to be with you. Smiling you said, “ You’re too kind James”.
As the doors opened he let out a groan, “ God doll you’re gonna be the end of me”. You laughed as he once again took your hand. Together you walked to the penthouse level of Stark Towers.
There were hundreds of people there, all doing their own things. You would’ve felt nervous but you had Bucky by your side. As you walked into the event together, tons of people turned their attention to you both.
Bucky whispered into your ear, “ See doll? All jealous. '' You smiled once again and you walked towards the bar but Bucky lead you towards the dance floor. Shaking your head you said, “ No James I can’t-”.
He grinned, “ Nope doll you CAN and you will!”. Looking to your left you saw all your closest friends sitting at the bar, smiling seeing you and Bucky. Tony yelled to you both, “ This one’s for you Barnes”.
Suddenly the music changed too, “ Dream a Little Dream of Me” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Bucky pulled you to the center of the dance floor, but before he did he yelled back thank you.
Stars shining bright above you, Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore trees, Dream a little dream of me
Steve laughed turning to Tony, “ How’d you know this was his favorite dancing song?”. Steve could remember going out dancing and watching Bucky dancing to this song a hundred times. Tony just smirked, “ I’m all knowing Rogers”.
Bucky took your hand in his, and pressed his body against yours. His knee was in between your legs, your bodies insanely close. He sang the words softly into your ear, and you felt yourself getting even more turned on.
Say nighty-night and kiss me, Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Your bodies swayed together slowly to the beat, and nothing else mattered in the world. His other hand rested on the small of your back, guiding you further. You rested your head against his chest, and it all felt so right.
Stars fading but I linger on dear, Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn dear, Just saying this
You couldn’t see it, but Bucky was smiling just as big. This was the first time things had made so much sense in a long time. He remembered dancing to this song a hundred times, but it never feeling like this.
You brought your head up to hold his gaze, looking deeply into his eyes. He spun you out, only to pull you right back in. Bucky finally had you, and he wanted to keep you close. You felt butterflies while dancing with him.
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you, Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be, Dream a little dream of me
Bucky spun you around, but when he pulled you back this time he dipped you. His face was inches from yours as he looked down at you. Instinctively you brought your hand to cup his cheek.
His smile only grew as he held your gaze. You both were completely lost in the moment, unaware the entire room was watching you. Bucky leaned down even more, and finally placed his lips on yours.
As the kiss continued you ran a hand through his hair, causing him to groan. Finally he brought you back up right, both of your hands pressed against his chest. He bit his lip, “ Fuck princess you’re perfect”.
The entire room cheered for you both, loving such an adorable moment. Smiling you asked, “ Why don’t we go enjoy ourselves somewhere else?”. Bucky’s eyes gleamed at the idea, wanting you all to himself.
Hand and hand you raced out of the room. Ignoring all the cheers and hollering from your closest friends. Your moment was ruined when there was already some random man in the elevator.
Bucky rested against the back wall, and pulled you to rest against him, your back to him. After telling the man what floor he turned his attention to you.
He wrapped his hands around your waist and whispered in your ear, “ God doll I wish I could pin you up against this wall and take you right now”. You were taken off guard and let out a squeal.
Bucky just laughed, loving the effect he had on you. He started to kiss down your neck, not caring that someone else was in the elevator with you. Softly you said, “ James please”. You felt him moan against your skin.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened, meaning you were on your floor. Bucky lead you towards his room as fast as he could. Not wanting to waste any more time. The second his door closed he picked you up.
You wrapped your legs around him, “ Someone’s a little eager huh?”. He just laughed but threw you onto his bed. Bucky crawled towards you, “ When you look like that how could anyone want to wait?”.
It was your turn to laugh, how did he always know how to make you smile? Bucky rested his back against his headboard, bringing you to straddle him. He kissed you again, sliding your dress up your thighs with his hands.
You broke the kiss to help pull your dress over your head, wanting it off just as badly. Bucky smirked, “ Looks like I’m not the only eager one”. You rolled your eyes, but brought your lips back to his.
Bucky’s eyes widened, “ Sweet jesus doll you look so fucking amazing”. You blushed, remembering what you were wearing. He turned your head towards him by placing a finger under your chin, “ Don’t tell me you’re still shy”.
You bit your lip, “ I just didn’t think you’d ever think this way about me James”. He shook his head, how were you so perfect? Bucky placed his hands on your hips, “ You’re the most beautiful person I know (y/n)”.
Your face was still red as he continued, “ I didn’t think anyone could ever make me feel alive again...but you do...you make being here so much easier”. You rested your hands on his now bare chest.
Bucky paused for a moment, looking like he was summoning up courage. As he looked you deeply in the eyes he smiled, “ I love you (y/n)”. You thought you could die right then and there.
You cupped his face in both hands, “ I love you so much James”. He crashed his lips into yours, preserving the moment. His hands ran up and down your body, exploring every inch he could.
As the kiss continued you help Bucky slid out of the rest of his clothes, and he did the same to you. Smirking he said, “ You look damn good in this, but you’ll look even better out of it” as he took off your bra and panties.
Your nipples hardened as the cold air hit them. He brought his mouth to your left breast, sucking and lightly nibbling your nipple. This caused you to moan loudly, “ James I need more”.
Bucky brought his hand to you massage your clit but you stopped him, and he looked up at you confused. Biting your lip you asked, “ Can you..uh..use your metal arm?”. His pupils darkened at your request as lust filled his eyes.
He moaned out loud, “ I fucking love you (y/n)”. Using his metal arm Bucky began to massage slow circles around your clit. You bucked your hips forward, needing more from him.
All too soon he took his hand away, and you groaned. Surprisingly Bucky brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked, licking your juices off of them.
You watched him with your mouth wide open, insanely turned on. He just sat there smirking, “ You taste even better than I imagined”. You pulled him closer to you, kissing him again.
Bucky flipped you so you were now rested on your back. He took his hard member in one hand and pressed it against your slit teasing you. Looking down at you he asked, “ Tell me what you want princess”.
Hooking an arm around his neck you said, “ Fuck me James, pleasee I need you inside of me”. Bucky turned his head to the side and let out an animalistic moan. Bucking his hips forward he asked, “ Say my name again doll”.
Looking him deeply in the eyes you repeated, “ James I need you”. With that he entered himself inside of you, and you hooked a leg around his back. Feeling his huge cock fill you up made you instantly moan.
Bucky was just as needy as you were, and he thrusted deeply and quickly inside of you. He started to kiss down your neck again, sucking on your sweet spots making you moan. All you could do was moan his name, which only drove him crazier and crazier.
He shifted again so you were now on top of him riding him. Placing his hands on your hips, he said, “ I needed to see you riding my cock doll”. You started to bounce up and down as he bucked his hips up.
With his grip on your hips he pushed you down onto him deeper, hitting your g-spot. You barely got out, “ I’m gonna cum Bucky”. This caused him to go even faster, thrusting deeper inside of you.
Inbetween growls he got out, “ Cum for me babygirl, fucking cum for me”. His words pushed you over the edge, sending you right into orgasm.
Your orgasm shook throughout your entire body, like an earthquake. Every single nerve in your body felt like it was shaking. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over you, and all you could do was yell out his name.
As you felt him twitch inside you, Bucky was feeling his own orgasm. For him it felt like a tsunami of pleasure washed over him. Each wave sending every nerve in his body into extreme pleasure. He yelled out your name, the only thing his brain could process.
Together you panted, riding out your orgasms. When you caught your breath you felt beside him, and he laughed. He turned on his side to face you, “ I could listen to you call me James every second of every day”.
You turned on your side too, “ Well we do have some lost time to make up for…”. Bucky just smiled as he pulled you into his chest, wanting to hold onto you forever. He kissed your forehead, “ I love you (y/n), always will”.
♡if you enjoy this fic you’re welcome to leave a reblog/like/comment! feedback is not only welcomed but encouraged!♡
#bucky#Bucky Barnes#james bucky barnes#bucky x reader#bucky smut#bucky imagine#bucky one shot#Sebastian Stan#Steve Rogers#tony stark#tony stank#sam wilson#clint barton#natasha romanoff#thosekidswhohuntmonsters
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The Valiant Era cards U5
#The Valiant Era cards#x-o manowar#Aric#bloodshot#magnus robot fighter#archer and armstrong#obadiah archer#aram#eternal warrior#gilad anni-padda#shadowman#Jack boniface#solar man of the atom#Phil seleski#Harbinger#zephyr#h.a.r.d. corps#unseen art#rags morales#valiant comics#trading cards#comics trading cards#90s comics trading cards#upper deck
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Faces of Thedas Part 1
(Part 2 is here)
Soooo I came across what seems to be the whole of Faces of Thedas free online. 0:
I’m picking through it and there’s some cool/interesting stuff in there. these parts were the highlights and most notable bits for me so far. not suggesting this is all new or that these things are all good, just that they were what stood out most to me.
- it specifically notes that it’s a useful guide to their characters, with their histories and personalities carefully researched and detailed. i.e. it’s official information. I do have to say there are quite a few typos (Par Vallon? Kal-shirok? Teveinter? Bartran? Sa arebas? bit sloppy) and even several lore-errors in it. not a big deal, just you’d think it’s the kind of thing they would have caught during editing and proof-reads
- blond hair and blue eyes are distinctive features of Anderfels mountain men
- Leliana’s features are very Fereldan
- it describes Cass as a “cactus patch” LOL, dragon-hunting as a limited field with just two classes of practitioners - “skilled” and “deceased” - and lists Anders’ Awakening-era equipment as including Ser Pounce-a-lot (yey!) and dried mackerel (yuk). includes notable quotes from some of the characters; Dog’s is “Woof!” (of course). Varric is totally making Cass a character in his next bestseller. Cole’s equipment list ends “and an unusual hat”. Stitches is one of the best healers in Ferelden. Dalish the Charger is a flirt. Varric’s allegiances include “the Champion of Kirkwall”. ;__; Harding’s role is “Adorably Sarcastic Lead Scout”, and her family mabari Contessa weighs 170 pounds. an aside, but descriptions of Origins-era Anders cause him to strike me as an Enneagram 7
- if Hawke killed Anders for his actions at the end of DAII, disciples (like-minded mages) elevated him to martyrdom for his valiant blow against their oppressors. if Anders lived, after the Kirkwall Rebellion he’s not only a pariah but arguably the most universally despised person alive in all of Thedas. even among the Rebel Mages he’s considered an extremist, and there’s apparently hardly a mage alive who’s in any way pleased with his actions 8| according to this book, hundreds died when Kirkwall Chantry blew up
- one of Alistair’s few indulgences as King was commissioning a custom pike designed specially for him. it’s a masterwork ironbark twohanded spear, and was inspired by Oghren’s old off-color jokes about pike-twirling.
- “Alistair is one of the few truly good people in Thedas”
- he sees siring Morrigan’s child as a fate worse than death
- whatever her outcome, Anora remains a Queen of Ferelden in her heart
- Leliana is still the girl that had a pet nug she named Schmooples, despite it all
- after the Fifth Blight, Dog was allowed to rest/retire, settle down, find a mate, and produce many Mabari pups. these pups share the ferocity of their father, and could prove equally valuable companions to those worthy of their loyalty. after his passing, there’s a good chance that interested parties would be after his bones to display them as a prize or curio.
- far from just using the network of mirrors to hamper both sides in the Orlesian Civil War, back when Briala had control of the eluvians she also used them to bring food to alienages, gaining the support of City Elves in the process, and to aid elves in other ways too. she’s also noted to have been doing what she could to gain the support of the Dalish, and that her logic was that the longer she could drag out and harry the Orlesian war effort, the more time she would have to free her People from their bonds. her goals are for all of the elves of Orlais, City and Dalish both, and she’s making efforts to bring unity between the two. in the Orlesian court she spends time, through intrigue, supporting nobles who support elves and tearing down those who do not. Briala is bae ok I added that last bit myself
- “Many Dalish don’t see city elves as being truly elves and so don’t see any particular reason to help them, and for that matter why would anyone want to have equality with a shem?”
- in need of an Inquisitor to head up their soon-to-be-hatched recreation of the Inquisition of old, and potential allies of the Chantry and the Divine, Leliana had set out in search of the Hero of Ferelden while Cassandra sought Hawke.
- rogue Seekers as well as the templars and rebel mages were in attendance at the Conclave. before the sky opened, Cassandra and Varric were supposed to address the Conclave, so that Varric could recount his tale of the Champion
- I like this snippet on Cass’s development: “introspection is a difficult skill to learn, however, and her brash impulsiveness often leaves her deeply chagrined or ashamed of mistakes that could have been avoided had she taken time to consider before rushing to judgement. Or to paraphrase her own recriminations, recent events taught her anything, it’s the extent of her own ignorance and short-sightedness.” I like to think this sort of reflection and development applies to her looking back on some of the ill-thought comments she made early in the course of DA:I, like asking Lavellan “Isn’t there room for another god?” and similar.
- Cass and Galyan could never make a stable, serious relationship, but they did get together when they could and harbored feelings for each other right up until he died at the Conclave Q.Q
- “Celene does, in fact, have sympathy for the elves,” ಠ_ಠ
- Cole perceives pain as very nearly a physical thing with which he can interact. his unhesitating stream-of-consciousness recounting of peoples’ most painful memories occurs because he wants to excise the pain by exposing it and helping his subject through it
- This part on how Dorian can potentially be used by GMs in campaigns: “Dorian provides a strong candidate for a high-society Tevinter who would employ the heroes. Due to his position in Tevinter nobility as well as his experience in researching arcane lore, he would be able to provide access to Tevinter archives or artifacts in return for tasks the party performs for him.” Echoes of Dorian’s role in Dragon Age 4, perhaps?
- idk i just really like the parallels in the Grey Warden order recalling Fiona to Weisshaupt and making the shocking discovery that she was cured of the Taint, and the order recalling the Hero of Ferelden upon learning that no Warden died to deal the killing blow on the Archdemon, if Morrigan’s ritual was completed
- literally everything about Fiona
- Fiona’s silverite battlemage staff is emblazoned with the Theirin coat of arms.. my heart...
- the lil section on romancing Harding
- bit more insight into Qunari views on gender and trans people
- an alternate version of the story of Flemeth and Conabar; Flemeth was betrothed to the poet Osen, but they were very poor. The nobleman Conabar struck a deal with Osen to buy her. she agreed but Conabar recanted, claiming he had no money to pay. he killed Osen and imprisoned her. she called upon the demon to aid her, but it only became her guide and never possessed her. she killed Conabar and fled.
- Harding’s calling cards in guerrilla warfare are latrines booby-trapped with Antivan Fire or hornet nests. a former bard and fellow scout even immortalized one such escapade in a spectacularly graphic limerick
- Josie’s dangerousness, hardworkingness, talent, formidableness and high sense of personal responsibility/ethics is emphasized 👏 “she is one of the most gifted communicators and stateswomen alive”!!
- the Charger Dalish “hails from a secret group of elves. It has long been thought that the elves had regained the secrets to lost magic, and Dalish is living proof”.
#dragon age#bioware#dragon age 4#the dread wolf rises#video games#cassandra pentaghast#alistair theirin#morrigan#cole#feels#lul#queen of my heart#my lady paladin#fav warden#spirit boy
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Monster Hunter World: All Guild Card Titles
The post Monster Hunter World: All Guild Card Titles appeared first on Fextralife.
Ever wondered how many titles are available in Monster Hunter World? Wonder no longer as this guide will list and detail how to obtain all the titles for your guild card.
Monster Hunter World: All Guild Card Titles
Players of Monster Hunter World can enjoy some extra fun by customizing their Guild Card with countless titles. Guild Cards can be customized by editing their titles, backgrounds, greeting, sticker, equipment, and poses. They play a small role in the realm of Monster Hunter World allowing hunters to give them out to players they have met.
First & Third Slot titles
Available from the beginning:
(None)
Newbie
First Year
Beginner
Fledgling
Rookie
Hunter
Fisher
Fighter
Sniper
Sword
Rapier
Blade
Great Sword
Lance
Spear
Hammer
Mallet
Dual Blades
Twin Swords
Light Bowgun
Crossbow
Heavy Bowgun
Ballista
Katana
Long Sword
Arrow
Bow
Gunlance
Blast Pike
Horn
Flute
Hatchet
Switch Axe
Glaive
Staff
Halberd
Charge Blade
Squad
Now Recruiting
Newcomer
Helper
Courageous
Meowster
Ms.
Knightly Order
Hunting Crew
Man
Girl
He
Me
Lone Wolf
Love
Stranger
Thrilling
Exciting
Solo
Duo
Trio
Party
Potion
Honey
Red
Blue
Green
Promising
Klutzy
Third-rate
Offense
Defense
On Sale Now!
First Fleet
Second Fleet
Third Fleet
Fourth Fleet
Fifth Fleet
New World
Commission
Good
Bad
Expedition
A-Lister
Scoutfly
Reach hunter rank 6
Romance
Lemon
Head
Mask
Body
Mail
Vambraces
Guard
Waist
Coat
Leggings
Boots
Armor
Assassin
Grand
Buster
Strider
Saber
Slayer
Brave
First-Class
24/7
Self
Anima
Pure
(Self-)Trained
Instructor
Exaordinaire
Trooper
Adventurer
Frontier
Miss
Cheery
Oasis
Protector
Arcadia
Buddy
White
Black
Shadow
Gloom
Dark
Jade
Pink
Crimson
Vermillion
Yellow
Rainbow
Shiny
Ravine
Reach hunter rank 11
Raw
Rough
Family
Stubborn
Amphibious
Fang
Youngster
Shot
Debonair
Proven
Fresh
Ultraviolet
Unforgiven
Capable
Phoenix
Prodigy
Genius
Dashing
Vanguard
Amnesiac
Mushroom
Nectar
Vale Tudo
Diversion Team
Pied Piper
Gunslinger
Angler
Berserker
Mercenary
Assault
Bride
Rambling
Eagle Eye
Soldier
Entomologist
Bomber
War
Killer Bee
Bearer
Tragedy
Sweet
Tomorrow
Papa
Battalion
Peach
Diet
Army
Foreman
Original
Amateur
Reach hunter rank 16
Leader
Ace
Limitless
Veteran
Raid
Cleave
Melody
Cannon
Mutant
Spinning
Dancing
Stalwart
Romantic
Shooting Star
Quickdraw
Beautiful
Nostalgic
Powerful
Unrivaled
Kid
Dude
Best
Lucky
Challenge
Fleet
Lady
Mr.
New Land
Relaxing
Monthly
Artisan
First
Armed
Cunning
Punk
Technician
If Only
Painful
Slowpoke
Advanced
Pro
Beloved
Devoured
Hard-Boiled
Masterful
Giga
Strawberry
Cute
Nearly
Pretty
Reach hunter rank 30
Lord
Shinobi Freedom
Dream
Altair
Kunoichi
Vega
Vagrant
Iron
Breaker
Samurai
Model
Traveler
Slash
Wing
Break
All
Weapon
Anonymous
Fan
Crisis
Heroine
Finest
Natural
Heartthrob
Boy
So-called
Tiny
Former
Casual
Madam
Professor
Winner
Loser
Fever
Coward
Skilled
Singed
Beast
Free
Chicken
Bug
Silent
Kinda
Treasure
Full-Auto
Compound
First-Time
Soft
Fate
Reach hunter rank 50
Tail
Shaker
Sheathed
Headshot
Coordinated
Hardcore
Exacting
Divine
Very Stubborn
Salvo
Surefire
Strategist
Eco
Ebon
Unlucky
Slim
Unbelievable
Story
Cataclysm
Ore
Messy
Value
Derring-do
Country
Petit
End of an Era
Sealed
Graduate
Specialty
Apprentice
Neo
Sister
Acrobatic
Maiden Name
Myself
Walker
Alchemist
Thief
Captive
Mining Master
Transporter
Guardian
Grizzled
Safari
Trolley
Minion
Experienced
Mecha
Brand-new
Researcher
Reach hunter rank 100
Complete
Sage
Perfect
Ruler
Big Bang
Blademaster
Beastmaster
All-or-nothing
Indiscriminating
Machine Crew
One-shot
Gamble
Prism
Faint
Cocky
Exclusive
Team
Mostly
Reborn
Wonderful
Viva
Pseudo
Disciple
Not for Sale
Radiant
Beauty
(Temporary)
Ripe
Favorite
Squishy
Darling
Charmer
Big
Intermittent
Max
Fishmaster
Rodeo
Excellent
Regular
Stroll
Love-struck
At First Sight
Luv
Roving
Rare
Second-rate
Mascot
Partner
Like
Popular
Reach hunter rank 250
As Always!
Sufferer
Agent
Riled-up
Shuddering
Terra
Archdemon
Requiem
Ballad
Marvelous
Dauntless
Bushido
Avenger
Double
Hilarious
Role Model
Class Leader
President
Exhausted
Indestructible
Royal
Blushing
Chaos
Retired Number
Of All Time
Sexy
Awesome
Flex
Unbeaten
All-out
Joy
Group
No. 1
Mrs.
Born
Nameless
Giant
Sorta
Mini
Lad
Syndrome
Anti
Crew
Captain
Passion
Special
Half
Respect
Bargain
Mega
Reach hunter rank 500
Legend
Champion
Hero
Clear
Reincarnated
Strongest
Top-class
Unparalleled
Jet-black
Emperor
Robot
Baby
Gorgeous
Short
Foremost
Anger
Life
Witch
Person
Forbidden
Snowflake
Famed
Long
Audacious
Extreme
Constant
Gourmet
Maid
Magistrate
Weakling
Unthinkable
Huh
Macho
Research Team
Campaigner
Scholar
Bounty
Illusion
Intelligent
Sapphire Star
Blinding
Ultra
Disappointing
Human
Smart
Hunt
Flower
Right-hand
Men
Women
Super
Complimentary
Alias
Hope
Pioneer
Freed
Knight
General
Imperial
Supreme
Crack
Opportunistic
God
Terror
Squire
Mettle
Karma
Star
Dragon
Czar
Fearless
Brand
Drink
Egg
Dumpling
Friendly
Hunt-crazy
Monster Hunter
Nailed it
Tempered
Trailblazer
Challenger
BFF
Vibe
Tracker
Titan
Observer
Mission
Go
Handler
Quirk
Fly
Miracle
Fantasy
Chockablock
Big Sis
Specimen
Smitten
Aerial Battle
Charming
Reach hunter rank 999
Monster
World
Top
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Rathian
Rathian Hunted
Land Hunted
Duchess Hunted
Wyvern Princess Hunted
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Pink Rathian
Cherry Blossom
Valkyrie
Queen
Graceful
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Rathalos
Rathalos
Skies
Prince
King
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Azure Rathalos
Azure
Sapphire
Soul
Regent
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Diablos
Diablos
Berserk
Desert
Horned
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Black Diablos
Violent
Piercing
Devil
Demon
Slay 10, 15, 20, and 30 Kirin
Kirin
Stormy
Thunder
Flash
Slay 10, 15, 20, and 30 Kushala Daora
Kushala
Gale
Cyclone
Soaring
Slay 10, 15, 20, and 30 Teostra
Teo
Shimmering
Kaiser
Flame Emperor
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Lavasioth
Lavasioth
Amber
Magma
Red-hot
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Barroth
Barroth
Charge
Tyrant
Strong
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Uragaan
Uragaan
Destruction
Rolling
Sledgehammer
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Anjanath
Anjanath
Bully Hunted
Wild Hunted
Brute Wyvern
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Great Jagras
Great Jagras
Gluttonous
Gobbling
Shaggy
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Pukei-Pukei
Pukei-Pukei
Venomous
Pop
Teacher
Slay 10, 15, 20, and 30 Nergigante
Nergigante
Power
Rebirth
Consume
Slay 10, 15, 20, and 30 Xeno’jiiva
Xeno’jiiva
Winged
Energy
Honcho
Guide Zorah Magdaros
Zorah
Volcano
Advance
Colossal
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Kulu-Ya-Ku
Kulu-Ya-Ku
Burglar
Dexterous
Raptor
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Jyuratodus
Jyuratodus
Mud
Water
Owner
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Tobi-Kadachi
Tobi-Kadachi
Fulgur
Flying Squirrel
Agile
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Paolumu
Paolumu
Balloon
Floaty
Pearly
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Legiana
Legiana
Elegant
Speedster
Twister
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Great Girros
Great Girros
Ravenous
Fear Hunted
Paralyzing
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Odogaron
Odogaron
Watchdog
Predator
Fierce
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Radobaan
Radobaan
Bone
Spiral
Thorns
Slay 10, 15, 20, and 30 Vaal Hazak
Vaal Hazak
Zombie
Corpse
Destination
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Dodogama
Dodogama
Drill
Dignity
Bold
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Bazelgeuse
Bazelgeuse
Trickster
Trouble
Raider
Hunt 20, 30, 40, and 50 Tzitzi-Ya-Ku
Tzitzi-Ya-Ku
Flashy
Spotlight
Mirror
Hunt 50 Tempered Monsters
Adept
Commander
Charisma
Slay 50 Elder Dragons
Valiant
Mythic
Legendary
Already
Feral
Comet
Hunt 100 Large Monsters
Maniac
Tough
Enraged
Hunt 500 Large Monsters
Master
Fairy-tale
Unprecedented
Complete a quest in the Ancient Forest
Ancient Tree
Forest
Complete a quest in the Wildspire Waste
Wildspire
Wastes
Complete a quest in the Coral Highlands
Coral
Highlands
Complete a quest in the Rotten Vale
Rotten
Vale
Complete a quest in the Elder’s Recess
Elder
Recess
Complete 50 optional quests
Liberty
Guide
Guidance
Complete 50 Investigations
Seeker
Knowledgeable
Fair Wind
Complete 10, 30, and 50 Arena Quests
Black Belt
Arena
Chosen
Expert
Hardened
Decidedly
Gladiator
Glory
Admired
Respond to 10 SOS and complete the quest
Backup
Great
Interceptor
Complete 100 Multiplayer Quests
Comrade
Friend
Lonely
Collect 50 Guild Cards
Bond
Spread
Link
Recruit a Tailraider
Tailraider
Stray
Meow
Grimalkyne
Gajalaka
Obtain 100,000 research points
Insect
Plant
PhD
Earn 1 million zenny
Tycoon
Celebrity
Resort
Acquire 5 pieces of Rarity 8 gear
Gear
Obsession
Quintessential
Arm
Collector
Lofty
Join a Squad
Sensei
Prime
Business
Active-duty
Sweetheart
Real
Troupe
Princess
My
Trendy
Heir
Famous
Killer
Telepathic
Unmovable
Eternal
Service
History
Final
Homemade
Warrior
Archer
Bug-catcher
Farmer
Book
Dapper
Curmudgeon
Maiden
Moxie
Grillmaster
Fisherman
Tracks
Item
Prize
Specialist
Skill
Using
Wobbly
Rider
Schemer
Hide-and-Seek
Well-done
White Wind
Participate in the Kulve Taroth Siege
Kulve Taroth
Hoard
Exhilarating
Highly Prized
Obtain from Deviljho Update
Deviljho
Demonic
Destroy
Invader
Obtain from Lunastra Update
Lunastra
Flame
Regal
Incandescent
Obtain from Horizon Zero Dawn PS4 Collaboration
Zero Dawn
Override
Machine
Nora Tribe
Outcast
Obtain from USJ Collaboration
Universal
Studios
Wonder
World’s
Cool Japan
Obtain from Street Fighter V Collaboration
Rival
Destined
Living Legend
Bandana
K.O.
Obtain from Devil May Cry Collaboration
Stylish
Must Die
Ebony
Ivory
Force Edge
Obtain from Mega Man Collaboration
Dr.
E-Tank
Classic
Rush
Rock n’ Roll
Complete “A Visitor from Eorzea (Extreme)”
Warrior of Light Completed
Slay Behemoth to complete the Final Fantasy XIV Collaboration
Fantasy
Crystal
Dragoon
Behemoth
XIV
Obtain Bayek Layered armor or Assassin’s Hood from the Assassin Creed Collaboration
Origins
Assassins
Bayek
Scarab
Pharaoh
Stealth
Slay a Leshen from The Witcher 3 Collaboration
Witcher
Geralt
Ciri
Leshen
White Wolf
Igni
Solved all of the mysteries in Contract: Trouble in the Ancient Forest
Wild Hunt
Partake in the Spring Blossom Fest
Spring
Bloom
March
April
May
Partake in the Summer Twilight Fest
Summer
Ocean
June
July
August
Partake in the Autumn Harvest Fest
Autumn
Pumpkin
September
October
November
Partake in the Winter Star Fest
Winter
Snow
December
January
February
Partake in the Appreciation Fest
Anniversary
One Year
Congrats
Celebrate
Birthday
Second Slot titles
(None)
By
An
For
And
Plus
On
With
Is
No
To
From
Per
Who
What
When
Are
Why
His
Her
Upon
Our
Your
Until
But
Colored
Lacking
Shrouded
Called
Dancer
Swift
Town
City
Using
Looking
Gang
Devotee
Type
Ally
Or
Boss
Assistant
Teacher
Limited
Occasional
Vs.
Worker
Fusion
Minus
Circle
In
Of
Less
The
At
Around
Across
Division
&
+
–
x
?
!
=
~
.
/
:
€
$
★
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
α
β
γ
Except
Meaning
If
Pre
Post
Only
During
Again
Also
Since
Use
So
Very
Wait
Try
☆
Just
Hate
Else
Besides
If you enjoyed this guide be sure to check out next Monster Hunter World: All Guild Card Backgrounds to see the array of Guild Cards Backgrounds you can attain.
Don’t miss out on the upcoming Monster Hunter World: Spring Blossom Festival 2019 Contents.
For all your Monster Hunter needs stop by our Monster Hunter World Wiki. You can also check out the most recent guides in Monster Hunter World: Arch Tempered Nergigante and Monster Hunter World: Patch 6.00 Notes & Witcher Collaboration Event.
If you are looking for more Monster Hunter World info, you can go in-depth with our featured guides: All Armor Limits, Everything about Kulve Taroth, Long Sword Elemental Limits, Dual Blades’ Max Element & Status Limits, Attack Values & You, Crown Sizes & You, Monster Hunter World: The Canteen Explained With Ingredient Guide or Monster Hunter World: End Game Guide.
The post Monster Hunter World: All Guild Card Titles appeared first on Fextralife.
Monster Hunter World: All Guild Card Titles published first on https://juanaframi.tumblr.com/
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The Best (and Worst) Free Comics of FCBD 2018
Of the fifty-two comics released for Free Comic Book Day 2018, there were an unsurprisingly high number of excellent comics in this year’s class. Here are my picks for the best of the best (with a few dishonorable mentions too) from the many choices available this year.
THE BEST
10. BERLIN by Jason Lutes (w, a, c). (Drawn & Quarterly).
Set in 1928 Germany, a journalist and an art student meet on a train to Berlin; when they arrive, the young student is surprised by what she sees, and the journalist must navigate a changing climate for the press. Narrated in part by the main characters’ writings (his reporting and her diary), this street-level view of Berlin prior to the rise of fascism is masterful and cinematic. Even in this preview, the sense of menace and dread to the events that are to come in the story permeates every page. Absolutely genius. Part of a series written over the past twenty years, this FCBD release promotes the hardcover omnibus of the series due for release in fall 2018.
9. STRANGERS IN PARADISE by Terry Moore (w, a). (Abstract Studios).
The issue opens with an exciting pickpocket scene in which Scott, a generic business type, has his phone and SIM card stolen. He later contacts his wife, Laura, to tell her that he’ll be late coming home and why, prompting Laura to stoically retrieve her run bag and leave home for good. The phone thief heads to Laura’s house to discover she’s already gone and runs into Scott; the thief reveals that “Laura” is actually Stephanie Kelly, a Parker girl caught up in treason and espionage. This is a dynamic, fully realized introduction to what seems like a fun and exciting story loaded with intelligent, powerful women kicking all kinds of ass.
8. ULTRA STREET FIGHTER II #1 by Ken Siu-Chong (w), Hanzo Steinbach (a), Marshall Dillon (l). (Udon).
Trying to shake off his dark side, Ken meets with Ryu to fight through his worst urges and achieve some balance in his life. The pair travel to Japan for some high-level meditation (and fighting, of course), but that only gets Ken so far. Later in San Francisco, Ken is surprised by an attack from Rufus, and during the battle, he learns to control his evil within. Although this comic attempts to apply drama to a fighting video game, the result is fun, colorful, ridiculous, and delightfully entertaining. What more could you want out of a Street Fighter comic?
7. SHADOWMAN by Andy Diggle (w), Stephen Segovia (w), Karl Bollers (e). (Valiant).
Alyssa and her guide Isiah explore the swamps of Louisiana at night, searching for the cause of cursed water that’s making locals sick. She encounters a monster, the Grinder of Bones, and tries to use magic to protect herself to no avail. She runs, and summons Papa Legba for guidance: in return, her friend Jack, now the Shadowman, appears from a portal to help her in her fight. With gorgeous artwork, beautiful coloring, and a plot like nothing else on the stands right now, this issue draws readers into this world so effortlessly that it’s hard to imagine someone reading this issue without being fully engrossed and wanting to pick up the whole series. Terrifically well-done.
6. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL by Max Gladstone (w), David Lopez (a), Nayoung Kim (color), Jodi Wynne (l), Alejandro Arbona (e), Ben Applegate (e). (Kodansha).
Major Kusanagi (aka Motoko) and Aramaki are intercepted by an American Ghost Force Squad while on a business trip to Shangai. After her arrest, Motoko dramatically escapes through the streets of Shangai and meets her old wartime enemy, Li; the pair must work together to save Aramaki and others. This issue, part of an upcoming anthology, is perhaps the most complete, cover-to-cover, issue released on FCBD. At a whopping forty-five pages, readers are treated to an entire story that is exceptional all on its own. This is a fabulous issue that will convert even the most stoic of non-believers into fans of this character and this series.
5. RELAY by Zac Thompson (w), Andy Clarke (a), Eric Bromberg (st), Donny Cates (st), Dan Brown (color), Charles Pritchett (l), Mike Marts (e). (Aftershock).
In this sci-fi story, a space traveler lands on a planet with an undeveloped population and offers them “the Relay,” a monolith that creates uniformity in technology and ideas. Is it intergalactic socialism, or will it be intergalactic fascism? The Relay seemingly destroys community identity and cultural heritage with a new sort of religion: ultimate fath in the monolith itself. This is an expertly paced and well-rendered metaphor that gives sci-fi fans something deeper to ponder.
4. MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS by Kyle Higgins (w), Ryan Parrott (w), Digo Galindo (a), Marcelo Costa (color), Ed Dukeshire (l), Dafna Pleban (e). (Boom!).
This one takes me back! Chosing to advertise its best-selling series, Boom! strategically used its FCBD option to bridge the gap between fans of the old TV show(s) and the current comics mythology, hoping to draw in readers who may have been overwhelmed by the thousands of different Power Ranger characters and their convoluted origin stories and missions. This issue is a straight-forward explanation of how the first episode of the original TV series connects to the comic storyline today, with some surprisingly awesome artwork and a shockingly murderous ending. The issue concedes its childish origins, but by the end, these aren’t your kids’ Power Rangers anymore!
3. AVENGERS by Jason Aaron (w), Sarah Pichelli (p, i), Elisabetta D’Amico (i), Justin Ponsor (color), Cory Petit (l), Tom Brevoort (e). (Marvel).
This issue, frankly, defied my expectations. As the official free preview to Marvel’s “Fresh Start,” there was a lot riding on this issue, the release of which coinciding with yet another reboot of the Avengers in the same week and a blockbuster weekend for the House of Ideas at the cinema a week prior. And it did not disappoint. In a direct follow-up to last year’s Marvel Legacy #1, Odin meets with Black Panther in the ruins of Asgard. Odin explains that he has fallen to Loki and his manipulation of a Celestial and requests that T’Challa kill Loki; he agrees. The story ends in another scene with Captain America and Thor reaching out to Tony Stark for a meeting between the three of them as a new Avengers era begins. Rather than using its FCBD offering to pump in half-assed action, Aaron instead tries to win new readers over with a well-told and interesting story setup. It is refreshing to see Marvel return to storytelling in its flagship series rather than resort to the redundant tropes of its recent past. Very well done.
2. JAMES BOND 007: VARGR by Warren Ellis (w), Jason Masters (a), Guy Major (color), Simon Bowland (l), Joseph Rybant (e). (Dynamite).
On a mission in Finland, 007 hunts down 008’s killer and exacts gruesome revenge. Later at MI6 Headquarters, M is assigned to take over 008’s case load, setting up a story that is simultaneously exhilirating for new readers and faithful in spirit to fans of the classic Bond. With darkly exquisite artwork throughout (particularly the Helsinki scene) and a character whose charm radiates off the page, it’s hard to imagine any comic fan not falling madly in love with this series. Originally published in 2016, this issue and the rest of the story is already available in trade.
1.BARRIER by Brian K. Vaughn (w), Marcos Martin (a, c), Muntsa Vincente. (Image).
No comic in this bunch left my jaw on the floor and mouth agape quite like this one. In this exquisite story, Liddy discovers signs of a Mexican cartel using her land, which happens to be on the Texas-Mexican border, as a throughway for drug trades and illegal immigration. In a parallel story, Oscar migrates from his home in Honduras to reach the U.S., crossing onto Liddy’s land in the middle of the night. She finds him and holds him at gunpoint suddenly the pair are interrupted. It’s a contemporary story involving gruesome violence, cartels, guns, and sci-fi. Half the issue is in Spanish (a language deficit won’t detract from your enjoyment of the issue), and the entire book – at an impressive fifty-three pages – is elegantly printed in landscape format. The artwork is phenomenal. The writing is incomparable. This is simply a perfect comic book from cover to cover. Frankly, I’m shocked it was available for FCBD as it’s well-worth a cover price. I recommend this enthusiastically, and I can’t wait to pick up the whole series this month. An exceptional beauty of a comic.
THE WORST
3. SHADOW ROADS by Cullen Bunn (w), Brian Hurtt (w), A.C. Zamudio (a), Carlos Zamudio (color), Crank! (l), Charlie Chu (e). (Oni Press).
In this deeply convoluted introduction presumptively set in the late nineteenth century, we meet Henry Grey, a Native American and a Cambridge man who visits the British Museum of Natural History’s new Native American exhibit with remorse and perhaps disgust. He meets an elder at the Museum who gives him a magical ceremonial dagger carved from bone that ultimately lights up. En route home, his train passes through a Crossroads where Abigail Redmayne and Kalfu intercept him and bring him to the New Mexico Territory. What causes this issue to fail – aside from the onslaught of new characters to learn and an unexplained mythology to understand – is that by the issue’s end, we are no closer to knowing why any of these events occur. Why does Abigail bring Henry to New Mexico? What is so special about Henry? What’s the point of the glowing dagger? While a free comic book should purposefully leave questions unresolved to entice readers to find their answers in subsequent issues, this romp is sadly too obscure and complicated to elicit any interest.
2. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN by Nick Spencer (w), Ryan Ottley (o), Cliff Rathburn (i), Laura Martin (color), VC’s Joe Caramagna (l), Nick Lowe (e). (Marvel).
Facing off against America’s greatest threat – the Manhattan real estate market – Peter Parker and his buddy Randy look for an apartment when they are interrupted by a fight with Boomerang, Electro, Rhino, and Big Wheel. After a quick costume change, Spider-Man battles them all until Kingpin intervenes. Despite the Mayor’s apparent gratitude for Spider-Man, Peter drops his professionalism instantly and leaves the scene. Later, Randy and Peter settle on a new three-bedroom apartment with a third roommate: Boomerang himself. From the ludicrous dialogue, the boring trope-laden plot, the cartoonish graphic design, and the overall neutering of Peter Parker’s character, this was a deep, deep disappointment for me that goes beyond this single issue; if this was meant to be an advertisement for the new Amazing Spider-Man series, I’m afraid it did more to turn me off than on. In addition, despite picking up all fifty-two free comics on FCBD, this issue is the only one with running ink and cheap printing errors. Oh, Marvel. Why do you do this to me?
1. TANK GIRL by Alan Martin (w), Brett Parson (a), Warwick Johnson-Cadwell (a), Jonathan Edwards (a), Brett Parson (l), Martin Eden (e). (Titan).
This was perhaps my fault for setting my expectations too high. Having never read a Tank Girl comic and only vaguely understanding her origins from nineties samples and the Lori Petty film, I was expecting a post-apocalyptic badass who breaks the fourth-wall and uses ingenuity, humor, grit, and charm to fight the Man. Instead, I got an insufferable cutsey-wootsey romp about a woman face-punching an adult man after he ruined her birthday big wheel when they were children. In between this awful plot’s progression, vignettes either drawn by a child or rendered to look like it had been drawn by child are too annoying to attempt to read. The only enjoyable bit of this comic was the cover by Jamie Hewlett, who should have done the interiors as well.
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Quan Zhi Gao Shou / The King’s Avatar Novel (Vol. 1, Ch. 1-10)
How these liveblogs work: I read five chapters of the manhua at a time, then the equivalent chapters in the novel. This is probably going to take forever seeing as there are 800+ translated chapters available as of the time of writing this post and over 1000 chapters total, buuut at least each chapter is short.
Fair warning: I always sound as if I don’t like what I’m reading or I’m criticizing it (just read my captive prince liveblog lol...), but I am actually enjoying it immensely.
Volume 1: Banished Battle God
Chapter 1: The Banished Battle God
My first comment of the entire novels: What is with the “eccentrically-shaped ashtray”? It doesn’t specify what this ashtray looks like, only that it’s unusual. Why include this detail in the first place if you’re not going to tell us what it’s actually shaped like? Now I need to know!
This was also in the manhua, but I didn’t bother bringing it up then: Why was the first bit of dialogue translated as “Arrived”? I’m pretty sure it’s this character: 来. I never managed to learn enough Chinese to be worth a damn, but I do Japanese to English translations on the side and I’m pretty sure a loose translation would work better. idk, it just bothers me. Don’t mind me, though. I like nitpicking over translation stuff. And I won’t get to do much more of it.
Anyway.
“He gently removed the card from Glory’s dedicated log-in device.”
I love this description, a little throwaway word ‘gently’ tells so much about Ye Xiu as a guy who really loves and respects this game. I think he already know what is in store for him to some extent, but he doesn’t take it out on the game. In fact, he was playing right up until it was time for the meeting. The novel states that the manager didn’t even him any advanced notice, I’m assuming of their decision to remove him from the team, but that Yu Xiu also wasn’t surprised.
“Only they quickly recovered because there was another important person that deserved their attention.”
Hm, pretty girl or new team leader asshole? Tough decision indeed.
Ah, ok. So that’s the deal with his pseudonym. It’s so close to his real name (in English lettering at least) that I confuse the two. But it’s far easier to tell the difference when I look at the characters 叶修 / 叶秋.
It’s kind of confusing because (at least in the translation), he is referred to as his alias Ye Qiu in this chapter, whereas the summary and other places refer to him as Ye Xiu.
lol “Mine!” How shameless.
“After one year, even if he wanted to return again, for the elderly, without a year of intense competition to maintain his skills...”
‘for the elderly’ is just...hilarious because he’s only 25. that’s not old. (well, in this game’s context it is, but geez is that an early cut-off age)
Chapter 2: Area 3 Number 47
“As tactful as he is, he wouldn’t think to blame the club for retiring him.”
But that’s?? exactly?? what happened??? You’re already kicking him out after all he did for the team over the years. I mean, it’s a sound business decision, but no need to be so nasty about it. The stuff Ye Xiu pulls off in-game aside, he seems to be a relatively decent person, even going as far as helping out his friends to the point where he doesn’t have enough left to pay the penalty fee, whatever amount that is.
Ah, Su Mucheng, I like her the more times I read these opening scenes across the various media...She has a cute character design in the animation, which I watched when it came out, but she actually turns out to be quite mature and adorably worried/supportive.
Icicles also formed on his head. If he didn’t take shelter, he would die.
Seems a bit dramatic, but so is icicles forming on your head!! It must be really, really cold out, huh...
Su MuCheng was always gentle and serene. Even during in an intense PK confrontation, she always held a smile. Speaking about her, Ye Qiu sometimes watched as she smiled while causing her opponents to explode into pieces. When she then politely said sorry, he would always inexplicably tremble a bit.
ah, yes, I’m pretty sure the animation skips this observation, which builds a bit more character for Su Mucheng since we don’t see her again for a bit. Ye Xiu, also, seems a bit more “alive” in a sense in the manhua/novel, because of little comments like these.
Chen Guo is also a fun character ^.^ “She slammed the keyboard directly shutting down the game.” definition of a rage quit, huh.
Chapter 3: Special Duty: Night Shift
“My hands were frozen cold or else 30 seconds would’ve been enough.”
show off. Though he doesn’t really come off as showing off. The poor opponent must have been so confused, though. Wins 52 times in a row and suddenly gets beat in 40 seconds flat haha.
“Ye Xiu… … Ye Qiu? It really is him!” Chen Guo excitedly thought. It looked like she really had uncovered his hidden identity! This showed that he really was Ye Qiu. If she had seen the name Ye Qiu written, then she wouldn’t have believed it.
This part confused me a bit in the manhua, but it’s clearer here. At least the Ye Xiu/Qiu mess is clarified early on. Still don’t know why the narrative refers to him as Ye Qiu in the beginning if his name is actually Ye Xiu (and is the one used in the summary)...??
She had been prepared to use everything she owned to get his signature. Ye Qiu’s signature, ah! Who had it? No one!
Chen Guo’s thought process is just fun to go along with, haha she’s so dramatic. And also works well narrative-wise to show how popular Glory is. I mean, she works at an internet cafe but that doesn’t mean she has to be into Glory herself; but she is, played for a long time, and is up to date with the professional scene to some degree if she knows the names and faces of all of Excellent Era’s members.
...she [had] a strong urge to change the word Xiu into Qiu.
haha.
“Oh, so it’s like this… … how generous.” Chen Guo sighed with sorrow. This person’s strength was powerful, his account definitely wouldn’t be weak. Powerful accounts were extremely valuable. Gifting it away so easily was very valiant.
The irony in this part never fails to amuse me.
Later, in Glory’s fifth expansion, a lot of experts obtained the qualifications to complete the Challenge skill becoming the first ones possessing access to all servers.
This is an interesting tidbit. I like the novel, where it’s easier to absorb all the rules of the game/professional scene.
Ah, so the account card Ye Xiu uses is actually one from 10 years ago? And he held onto it for this whole time, not using it. That’s...pretty amazing, I would have lost mine after 10 years.
His hair looked as if it hadn’t been taken care of in at least half a month. His face didn’t look too healthy. Although it was white and clear, it was that sort of sickly pale. His two eyes gazed at her listlessly...The guy in front of her didn’t look too young, but was unexpectedly also so dejected and disdained.
I remember people being upset that he looked more handsome in his other appearances. He’s the sort to not care about appearances, and I guess he doesn’t get out much, stuck inside playing Glory all day. But, well, if he looks dejected and disdained it’s probably from what just happened.
“full-time night cat“ AH this is why the manhua drew him as a cat when he said he likes nights. I guess it’s an expression.
His approving attitude made Chen Guo feel very apologetic. This small storage room truly wasn’t a place for living.
lol not to mention Chen Guo drops a bucket of paint on top of the bed along with a whole shelf in the manhua. She didn’t seem as apologetic in the other mediums as she does here, though.
Even after all this, he had never asked for his boss’s name.
haha kind of important don’t you think.
Chapter 4: Mysterious Expert
“If you also want to go out and eat, don’t ask my employees to go on an errand for you.” Chen Guo said.
“Next time, could you tell us in advance? Can’t you help deliver it to us?” A person said.
“The Internet Cafe only has so many people. How could we deliver it all back? Enough of this nonsense, if you really want to eat so much but are too lazy to buy it, go ask for their phone number. Wouldn’t they be willing to deliver it?” Chen Guo said.
“Sister Chen do you have their number? Lend it to me so I can copy it down.” A person said.
“What would I do with their phone number? I have people to run errands for me. Why would I inconvenience the restaurant?” Chen Guo said.
Chen Guo is pleasantly vicious. I wasn’t overly fond of her in the animation, but she has great expressions in the manhua, and her dialogue is just great in the novel.
lol “it looks like I’m forcing him play.”
This Heavenly Domain wasn’t a single map. It was another world. The map was as big as the combined worlds of five other servers. This place had difficult instance dungeons, powerful equipment, precious materials, and also freedom. All experts would meet up there. The Heavenly Domain was a player’s final destination.
So that’s what the Heavenly Domain is...I don’t know if I ever quite figured it out casually watching the animation.
“Don’t fake it. You actually haven’t retired. It’s just that you were unable to win a seat, so you were kicked out right?” Chen Guo said.
Ye Xiu was speechless.
“No offense… …” Chen Guo realized that her words had somewhat stabbed at his sore spot.
Way to hit it where it hurts! Unintentionally, of course. I seem to like manhua Ye Xiu for his expressions, and novel Chen Guo because it actually gives some more depth to her character.
“Oh so it’s like this?” Tears streamed down Ye Xiu’s cheeks. Ye Qiu was currently chatting with you face to face, sister.
lol wait is this just an expression or- he’s not actually tearing up in this scene is he.
“Oh?” when Ye Xiu flipped to the last page and looked, a sudden wave of shame hit. Thinking about it, this hand guide hadn’t changed much over ten years. This was something players couldn’t update any further. For missions that veterans would choose, how could no one have come up with this type of strategy already? Right now, he needed this type of strategy. Just as Ye Xiu was ready to follow this strategy to take missions, tears immediately began streaming down his face. He was once regarded as textbook level figure! Now with a beginners guide in his hands, how could he endure this shame?
Ye Xiu’s a lot, ah, more expressive than the animation gives him credit for. I’m sorry, I laughed. He’s just so thrown off by having to start from scratch.
Chapter 5: Skill Match
But at this point everyone was still level 0. Their jumping abilities were too poor and there was no way they could jump high enough. Everyone repeatedly bouncing up and down was truly a cute and beautiful scene.
WHAT LOL Ok this wasn’t in the manhua was it, it’s indeed a glorious image. I like how the narrator even describes it as a ‘cute’ scene haha.
Aah, I appreciate the little break away to explain the mechanics of the game. It’s not terribly useful seeing as the game doesn’t actually exist in real life, but it’s decently interesting.
But if this skill set that had been picked by peak-level expert like him was seen by ordinary players, they would definitely laugh.
And an area where Ye Xiu doesn’t have to feel ashamed of, haha.
Chapter 6: Thousand Chance Umbrella
It’s not as if it wasn’t explained in other mediums, but the novel definitely has the time to go through all the details like the evolution of Glory’s class system and why no one would suspect anyone to play the ‘unspecialized class’ anymore.
Soon after, he directly headed to the storage chest in the warehouse and opened it. An equipment unexpectedly lay inside.
Accounts that transferred servers should be empty...
But Lord Grim, which had just transferred to the tenth server, unexpectedly had an equipment inside.
No one knew how this happened, but it seemed as if Ye Xiu had been expecting it. He knew that he would find an equipment here...
This, too, is interesting! Because it seems as if the warehouse pops up out of nowhere in the other mediums, and you’re not really sure if it’s something that everyone else can access or not if you weren’t paying attention to the fact that the umbrella is a ‘silver’ weapon and thus a unique item that no one else would be able to acquire.
...there wasn’t a trace of happiness in Ye Xiu’s expression. On the contrary, it was filled with grief. A rare tremble once again emerged on his right hand.
but then, there’s this. ;-;
The customizable/self-made weaponry is actually quite smart. Reminds me of the custom furniture you can make and add to the Sims... (look, I really am not a gamer haha, I have no clue how many real life games have similar features) I didn’t really understand what was so special about the umbrella before (I probably wasn’t paying 100% attention...).
Only, it could be a unique surpassing peak Epic equipment or it could also be a unique piece of trash.
Or it could be a unique piece of trash. hahaha
Ye Xiu gently retrieved the Thousand Chance Umbrella and placed it in Lord Grim’s hands.
Also the fact that he, gently, places a bunch of pixels into his inventory/avatar’s hands is telling how much this game and this item in particular mean to him.
Damn, reading about playing a game really puts me in the mood to play a game, too. I don’t really play games like this one, though...
Chapter 7: Midnight Phantom Cat
You saw clearly, spoke well, planned well, but in the end because of a single unexpected accident, your dreams and hopes all disappeared into nothing leaving only this incomplete Thousand Chance Umbrella to me.
“You originally had talent in Glory, a successful talent… …” His fingers gently wiped over the keyboard. With a quiver, Lord Grim cast a heal onto Sleeping Moon’s body. When Sleeping Moon promptly praised him again, Ye Xiu’s mind was no longer in the game.
More sad hints of the past. .-.
“It’s here.” Ye Xiu saw that typing might have been slow, so he immediately yelled vaguely. His mouth still held onto the cigarette!
Ooh! He spoke! Or, ahem, ‘yelled vaguely’.
He was even a little skeptical thinking that his healing might snatch away the enemy.
Don’t you hate it when you’re minding your own business, not even fighting, and the monster goes to attack you anyway? lol you know how many times my teammates died from that in Final Fantasy Type-0...the worst part is that you can only control one of the 3 party members at a time, so to save them you have to keep switching between characters. or deal with having no one to heal you and only bring 1 character. idk I really liked that game.
Beautiful! Ye Xiu couldn’t help but praise him.
lol lots of praise going around in-game. everyone’s still playing nice-nice. Well, in Ye Xiu’s case I guess he is genuinely praising him.
Ah, so Ye Xiu was actually going to warn the others, was he. He just didn’t get the chance. I wondered if he purposely didn’t say anything even if he knew Sleeping Moon’s plan, I can’t remember what happened in the animation.
Chapter 8: A Life and Death Struggle
In these seven seconds, not only would the mage die but Fallen Sun would die too. He might as well try to save one of them.
Ye Xiu had lost faith in Sleeping Moon and directly abandoned the mage to heal Fallen Sun.
I do like how they handled the back and forth for the battle scene here, it doesn’t have too much of a lag between action while explaining Ye Xiu’s thought process.
He couldn’t tell if Fallen Sun had bad luck attached to him. Right when the Bleed status wore off, the Midnight Demon Cat swiped at him again causing him to Bleed yet again. These types of status inducing attacks only had a small probability to appear. But it seemed as if someone added a 100% percent probability halo around Fallen Sun.
Don’t you hate it when that happens. I don’t think anything fishy is up? He just had bad luck. It’s also totally relatable haha.
Could it be that this guy had seen through his own own plan at that time?
Sleeping Moon sure manages to get a lot of musings into the space between attacks here. This is funny though, because the novel gives confirmation that Ye Xiu only realized this recently, when Sleeping Moon purposely let the others get attacked. He isn’t that godly that he realized it from the start.
“50%? I like 100%!” and “...be at ease and drop dead!”
lol and there the shamelessness comes out. Well, Ye Xiu also lost all respect for this guy so.
Furthermore, he opened it extremely exaggeratedly and the umbrella actually flipped the other way. He retracted the umbrella a bit...
Um, so this is possible with a real umbrella of course, but a virtual one too...?
Chapter 9: Ye Xiu’s Two Hands
A pair of hands that made people’s cheeks stream with tears appeared in front of her eyes — Ye Xiu’s two hands.
Those must be some pretty impressive hands.
The hands were beautiful hands.
And in case you didn’t get it the first time: Ye Xiu has beautiful hands. Well, that is in the chapter title after all.
lol and Chen Guo examining his speed, I guess he must be taking it easy since the boss isn’t a difficult one.
Their banter is also so fun to read~
Chapter 10: Shameless Novice
lol did you really get out of the dungeon just so you could switch computers to get a smoke. I don’t think he particularly cared about finishing it, since it just provides exp probably.
Haha “the shameless novice” but what does Sleeping Moon gain from labeling him a novice? Shameless, yes, to discredit him.
These identical messages mixed together with other anger and hate. Although the system automatically blocked profanities, people’s intelligence were boundless. They used same sounding words to complete their mission.
ah, yes, the ways people get past profanity blockers, particularly fun in languages with hanzi! (hanzi right? Chinese characters?)
“Just because I’m angry doesn’t mean I have to show it.” Ye Xiu didn’t look angry. He was even smiling. While doing so, he logged out of the game and shut down the computer. Changing over to the smoking area was still his current ambitious dream.
Ah, I love this series. He just really wants a smoke.
But I can relate, I’m fairly expressionless most of the time, even when I’m excited.
Only players over level 20 could leave the beginner area. When that happened, PK’ing would be opened up. In the meantime, those level 20 and under could only point fingers and argue.
lol just...lol
But now that he couldn’t form a team, his leveling speed would only increase.
HAHA joke’s on you, it apparently works out better for him, they can’t even start PKing so there’s really no use getting into a tizzy over it...not that that stops people from creating drama. ever.
Lord Grim was equivalent to three people. Furthermore, with Ye Xiu’s skills, he wouldn’t be slower in clearing a dungeon than a five man team. He might even be a bit faster.
The video game context really gives validity to Ye Xiu’s ability to breeze through the early stages of the story as well as his strength being far above the others. Plus, it’s true. There are some games where teammates slow you down, you might as well go at it solo.
“Hello hello.”
xD
What a nice way to end this part! I’ll be bouncing back to the manhua now.
So, yeah, like I said. I’m actually having a lot of fun, the novels don’t linger on the mechanics long enough to become boring. Plus, Ye Xiu’s background - being 25 and already on the pro scene for 7 years - makes all of his overpowered-ness not just believable, but expected. Reading him go through the early stages of the game is sort of like watching a let’s play - relaxing.
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Stanford strength coach crashes ‘The Bachelor’ to woo his ex, fails
Ross made a valiant effort but came up short.
A strength and conditioning coach for the Stanford football team made a surprise appearance on The Bachelor on Monday, with the goal of breaking up a burgeoning relationship between one of the season’s frontrunners and Arie Luyendyk Jr. — a former professional race car driver and the season’s lead.
The football coach gave it 100 percent, but his Hail Mary fell incomplete in the end zone.
Meet Ross Jirgl, the strength coach in our story.
His official bio on Stanford’s website:
The former Minnesota State linebacker has worked since 2013 at Stanford, Cal, Green Bay, and South Alabama. He is, objectively, an exceptionally handsome young man.
Meet Becca K., the Bachelor contestant in our story.
A screen grab from a recent Bachelor episode.
Becca K. is one of the last two contestants heading into next week’s season finale. People seem to be generally pulling for Becca, a Minneapolis publicist who seemingly has a genuine and dynamic connection with Arie. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a wide range of views on her.
“A good girl who wants to be a bad girl,” one Bachelor-watching source said.
“She’s a sweet girl from Minnesota who is trying to be edgy but clearly isn’t,” said another.
“A wholesome Minnesota girl,” another said.
“She seems normal enough,” another said.
In Monday’s show, the strength coach tries to win Becca back.
Ross enters the fray trying to rekindle a romance from his past.
“I would have swam here if I had to.” Yikes. #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/UyvknEgjRm
— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) February 27, 2018
The Ringer’s Rodger Sherman, a Bachelor authority, explains how it all unfolds:
As Ross explained, he found out that Becca was on the show a week before, looked online and “called some people,” found out that she was in Peru, got on an overnight flight to Peru, and drove five hours from where his plane landed to Becca’s hotel. (We’re supposed to believe he did all of this on his own—he tells the camera “I don’t want to be on this show!”—when, obviously, he could not have found Becca without ample help from The Bachelor’s producers.) He claimed that he “walked through the desert” to get to Becca and told Arie he “would have swam here” if he needed to.
All of this is fishy, and I suspect we’re being thrown for a loop by the producers. But I’m willing to play along and see where this saga ends, so I continue:
Ross first talked to [actual Bachelor protagonist] Arie, who was stunningly chill about the situation. “Hey, what’s going on?” he said when he opened the door of his hotel, as if Ross was an old friend and not a man who just traveled across the globe with the express purpose of breaking up a relationship. Most Bachelors would order Ross away, but Arie listened to Ross say “that proposal is mine to give” and merely asked Ross to “respect our relationship” if Becca declined his pitch. I bet this unnerved Ross: Strength coaches aren’t looking for rational solutions.
At one point, Becca says that he thinks life is like a movie and that this is all going to “end up like The Notebook,” and Ross agrees wholeheartedly.
But Becca informs Ross that they barely know each other anymore, given that they’ve been broken up for about a year. They previously dated for seven years.
There’s no renewal in the cards here, and Ross’ bid fails. He refers to Arie, the actual Bachelor in The Bachelor, as a “fucking nerd” on his way off the show.
It’s a shame that Ross’ grand gesture didn’t translate.
All of that heavy lifting (traveling thousands of miles from the West Coast to Peru to go on the show and see his former lover) should have helped him put more points on the board (gotten back together with her and lived happily ever after). But sometimes, the strongest team in the trenches doesn’t have the speed or savvy to win in the spread offense era, and it turns out Ross’ brand of power football couldn’t get the job done.
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The Valiant Era cards 103
#The Valiant Era cards#archer and armstrong#obadiah archer#archer#aram#brawl#bar#uh oh#buddies#barry windsor smith#trading cards#comics trading cards#90s comics trading cards#upper deck
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