#also as a kid i had a battleship game with lights and sounds it was fucking awesome

[thewholecrew]

@headstrongblake said: ϟ — [sender] and [receiver] are stuck indoors on a rainy/stormy day / thewholecrew + o&nick ???

this isn't how rev had planned this weekend but they supposed while it could have been better it also could have been worse. the weather man lied, promising a beautiful weekend for them to enjoy at the cabin but yet the sky was dark grey, thunder rolling outside as it poured all day. aside from spending a little time on the shielded porch, the gang had decided to gather around in the living room and play some games the old fashon way. rev plopped down the boardgames on the table, blowing the dust off the top and unintentionally over at kassy and nick. "hey!" kassy coughed, raising her arm as nick shielded her from the cloud that dissolved into the air. "whoops, sorry," they mused with a smirk as alec placed down a couple different card games.

"ooh, it's been a long time since i've played yahtzee!" alec exclaimed as he plopped down on the couch between kassy and octavia, holding a cup of dice for the game. "don't think i've ever played that one," kassy murmured, leaning tucked against nick as she eyed the other games. with the fireplace lit, there was a warm glow that flickered in the living room, the soft crackling of burning wood a soft ambiance that melded with the sound of the rain against the windows and the low rumbling of thunder. this was not what kassy would call an enjoyable weekend away but she was trapped here now and preferred to be inside anyways, keep away from bugs for the most part.

grant leaned closer, his arms around octavia as he peered down with a small smile on his face and perhaps an eager light in his eyes. "we could play snakes and ladders?" he suggested, "or monopoly," he was a fan of chess and checkers and the old battleship game box as well but those games wouldn't allow them all to play together. "not monopoly, that game sucks," rev interjected with a roll of their eyes. it was one of hunters favourite board games when they were kids but rev just found it stupid and boring. "i'm fine with snakes and ladders, or yahtzee," kassy suggested before she sat up a little, "ooh, or uno, that game is sooo fun," she grinned as she picked the card deck up.

with nick suggesting a vote since there seemed to be a couple different options, they ended up deciding on snakes and ladders first, then uno, then yahtzee. "and if anyone wants to after, i'd love to try this puzzle," alec mentioned, pointing to the 1000 piece puzzle of an old I Spy page. kassy chuckled as she reached out to gently ruffle his hair, "maybe, if we're all still friends after uno," she teased.

so, with the snakes and ladders game set up everyone was given their player piece which was an assortment of things since over the years rev had lost the player pieces. one person was rewarded a button, another an acorn, one a broken soldier with no head. the looks they all gave rev as they were handing out the game pieces had them shrug, "what? as if you guys haven't lost a game piece or two in your day," they scoffed. with amused eye rolling and head shakes from the group aside from alec who adored his little flower piece, they began to play. there wasn't much of a strategy for the game since it was mostly luck but that luck was not on rev or nicks side. the two getting nearly every snake while grant, octavia and alec seemed to breeze through.

frowning deeply as rev went up a small ladder only to immediately go down another snake and start at the beginning again with nick, they groaned. "this is ridiculous!" they grumbled in outrage which had the girls on the couch laugh. "oh you think it's so funny," rev muttered, "well at least i don't have a spider on me," they countered, pointing to kassy who's eyes widened suddenly as she screamed, hands swiping at her shoulder as she practically launched herself into nicks lap, foot accidentally kicking the board game off the coffee table. alec and octavia also shifted away with gasps in surprise only for rev to then start killing themself laughing. they fell back where they sat on the floor as they laughed, "you should have seen your face! overreaction much?"

grant did his best to bite back an amused smile at it all despite the fact that he had been winning and now the game and all its pieces were scattered on the floor. kassy huffed in her own outrage, grabbing a pillow before launching it at rev. "you jackass!" kassy hissed from where she was curled in nicks lap, watching as rev caught the pillow to put behind their head as they continued laughing. she then felt the rumbled chuckle from nick and turned to him with a pout, "hey, don't you laugh at me too!" she huffed, poking at his chest despite the smile growing on her lips.

soft laughter from them all echoed through the cabin then as she shook her head, "well no wonder you lose all the pieces," she muttered as alec and grant had started cleaning up. "oh shut up, you're the one who kicked everything off the table," they countered with a snicker. kassy stuck her tongue out at rev before she rose from nicks lap, checking herself for a spider still yet in a mildly calmer fashion before she looked back at the couch. when it was finally deemed safe, she sat back down as she snagged the uno deck, "it's fine, but we're moving on." she decided. grant frowned hearing that as he finally set up the last piece where it had been. "we're done with snakes and ladders?" he asked only for rev and kassy to both say yes in unison. brows lifted as he leaned in to murmur to octavia, "are they always like this?"

[tamagochiie]

pairing: timeskip!kenma x fem!reader

synopsis: You come home late from your cousin’s funeral, and though Kenma didn’t expect much from you but perhaps a few leftovers you’ve managed to steal away from the dinner, he finds you with a surprise: a sleeping child cradled around your neck and a teenage boy hovering behind you.

Your poor boyfriend wondering what in the hell it is you’re plotting…

tags: angst and fluff, time skip!, slight spoilers if you squint

warnings: mentions of death, mentions of depression, cursing

w/c: 2.2k

tagging list: @angrylittleriri​ @chims-kookies​ @gooseyhouse​

a/n: hello! welcome to the second chapter of the series! i’m posting this a little later than expected because wifi is really trying to cock block me from posting :’) i honestly wasn’t expecting people to like or interacting with this fic, so my heart is super warm right now :>  

anyway, I hope you enjoy!

happy almost new year! see you all next week!

master list

<< life as we know it | life as he’s known it >>

You wonder what the younger version of you would think if you went back in time and told her she'd be eating at a dining table filled with food that wasn't microwavable, and the air wouldn't be filled by the sound of metal clanging and scraping against each other, but instead be filled by the lilting giggles of a little boy; his older brother pressing him to keep it down; and Kenma's casual yet awkward attempt to relate to the two.

She would probably cry.

Your parents' work piled up to the late hours of the evening and spilled into the morning, leaving you in a constant state of dejection. The house would be barren, nothing but the faint ticking of the old grandfather clock to keep you company. But even if your parents were home, it would still be the same; the air cold and unmoving.

Your parents were not warm nor were they emotional, and maybe that's what drew you to Kenma; he was quiet, rarely affectionate, and gave you more than enough room to breathe. Sure, there were the occasional forehead kisses, the head pats, the 'how are you doing' texts, and sometimes if he was brave enough, he’d interlock pinkies with you in public.

But you grew selfish, finding yourself wanting a little more each time you saw him, and you weren't sure if it was okay.

Was it okay to yearn for things? 

Was it okay to ask for more?

But Kenma saw through your facade of accepting things as they are and right into your neediness. He was willing to give as long as you asked or even when you were too shy to do so. He even gave you his whole life without sparing a second thought even if the realization that he had done so came much later.

"Here, let me." Kenma slips his hands over yours, taking the plate from within your grasp to wash it in your place. He bumps his hips against yours, causing you to stumble away from the sink.

You mumble a thank you before resorting to wiping down the dishes and setting them on the rack.

You delight in his banter. He asks you about your day, stealing glances between you and the stack of dishes before him while you give him the run down. He listens to you intently, gaze wandering a little longer when he hears an exasperated sigh escape your lips, but you let him know you're just fine.

"What about you?" You ask, tilting your head and playfully moving it in front of Kenma's face, blocking him from the plate he needs to scrub. "How was your day?"

He hums, tiptoeing over you to finish the chore like the diligent little worker he is. "It was another day," You frown at him and his lack of effort to push further. He rolls his eyes, chuckling at your pouty face. "I played another trial game with Eiji—"

"And how'd that go?"

"Oh, he's absolute shit—ow!" Your slap against his arm resounds throughout the apartment, causing Yuki and Eiji's to jerk their attention towards you both. You mold your face into a look of ease, sparing them a warm smile, telling them you saw a fly.

"The hell?! I wasn't finished!" The pudding head seethes. "Sure he was shit, but he was still better than you."

The cocky grin slipping across his lips matching with his lidded eyes has you throwing your hands, erupting a series of ow's. "You're such an ass, you know that?"

"Yeah, the ass you chose." He sneers, handing you the last plate to dry.

He rubs his arm in an attempt to soothe the stinging, glaring at you begrudgingly. It takes you a while to ease back into his trust, but you do, and he picks up where he leaves off as if he wasn't in any pain  to begin with.

He tells you about his little trip to the convenience store with Yuki for his strawberry milk, and the foreign, constricting feeling that wouldn't leave his chest until they came back home. How he couldn't let go of Yuki's hand when they were in the store, and if he did, it would send him in a state of sheer panic.

"Must be your mommy instincts kicking in," You joke, and he only rolls his eyes.

He also admits inadvertently turning all your favorite whites into various shades of pinks and blues. As someone as analytical as Kenma, he was challenged by the task of separating the lights from the darks. 

You snort, earning a scowl from your boyfriend and a string of explanations to defend his case. But it isn't the mistake that makes you laugh, but rather how far you've come after a month of adjustments and an unfortunate series of events.

The first two weeks were exceptionally trying. No one spoke a word and everyone walked on eggshells. Eiji was still too shy to look at you, his responses down to a bare minimum and quieter than a whisper; Yuki cried almost all the time over every little thing, and the vein in Kenma's neck was threatening to pop every time he did.

It didn't help when you and Kenma would end your nights at each other's throats, bickering till you fell asleep. And when morning came, you'd be greeted by the emptiness from his side of the bed.

And it helped no one when the two of you would avoid each other, never crossing paths or breathing a word the moment you came home until it was too painfully awkward to continue.

Two and half hours charged with petty arguments, things of the past, and all the little things that came in between only to have finally arrived at one conclusion: You weren't parents and you weren't Akihiro-san. You were your own people and it was okay to do things differently.

Even if different meant that Kenma might call the kids by the wrong name or forget the fact he's living with someone else other than you. Even if different meant that you'll be absent-mindedly teaching Yuki a few curses to add to his vocabulary or forgetting to enroll them in school.

The truth is no one from the family was going to return your calls, and you were probably going to spend the rest of your twenties making up bedtime stories and giving pretty bad advice to someone just a few years younger than you.

Which brings you here, wearing your bathing suit as you share your bubble bath with Yuki because he wanted to play with the rubber duckies he whined and moaned at Kenma to buy for him at the store.

Lathering his hair with shampoo, Yuki's head leans against your chest, eyes gleaming beneath the bathroom lights. He beams at you, giggling at the ticklish feeling as you massage his head. He brings attention back to his ducks, making crashing sounds as he splashes them into the water.

"Is that how ducks swim?" You ask, washing away the soap from his hair. "Don't they just kinda...float around?"

He shakes his head before twisting his body to face you. He's got a tough expression plastered on; brows furrowed, his jaw clenched, eyes unwavering.

A very serious boy.

"These are special ducks," He explains, raising one to your face."These are battleship ducks."

Your lips fall to an 'o', still not picking up what he's putting down but you pretend you do.

Is this what kids are into these days?

Yuki goes on to tell you about his special ducks; something about lasers in their eyes, super special flying skills, and...echo location? You ask him if he's sure—if you heard him right, but he's as firm with his stance as he is with the death grip he has on his rubber duckies.

You drain the tub before rinsing yourselves beneath the warm water of the shower. Yuki flips his hair around, air drying himself as he steps out of the tub. You tell him to brush his teeth while he waits for you to finish rinsing.

"Hey, Oba-san," Yuki's call is muffled by the foam of the toothpaste still in his mouth. "Are you and Kenma-san married?"

You nearly fall when you slip off of your bathing suit and into your pajamas.  "Ah, no, Yuki. We're not."

"But aren't you in love?" He asks, oblivious to the sudden shift in the atmosphere, spitting into the sink and washing his mouth.

Your eye twitches and you swallow the lump in your throat before it goes big enough for you to choke and die. "Uhh, people don't always have to marry right away just because they're in love..."

"But Kenma-san said he's been in love with you for four years."

"I—Yeah, well—"

"That's sounds like a really long time, Oba-san." You can't tell if he means to sound condescending. You can't tell if your mom has awakened from the grave and possessed the young boy because she woke up thinking she had a few more things she'd like to pester you with.

"Well, Yuki," You gather the little patience you have left, taking a deep breath as you step out of the tub. The bathroom tile is cold against the soles of your feet, sending a shiver down your spine. Enough to keep you sober for trivial conversation with a six year old boy. "Love—Love kinda looks different for everyone, Yuki."

You choose your words carefully, not wanting to say anything that might confuse him.

You help him into his clothes, his hair leaving wet patches onto his his dinosaur pajamas. He listens to you intently, looking right into your eyes. "There are people marry the moment they meet—or at least after a short while—because they can't help but feel sure?” 

And you can’t help but feel flustered at your own explanation, not too sure with your words, “...and other people don't do that. Some relationships move at a faster pace and other's move a bit slower; and Kenma-san and I...we're happy with how things are right now."

He hums, nodding his head as if he understands. "Even though Eiji-san and I are here?"

"Yes, little love." You assure him with the new nickname, booping his nose. "Even though you're both here."

You grab his towel and dry his hair. You pat down the tiny puddles of water on his face and neck, noting to wipe behind his ears.

"But," Yuki mumbles through the material of the towel, swatting your hand away to to catch his breath, "sometimes people don't like different..." Yuki pushes the towel to this side, his glossy eyes meeting yours and your heart cracks. "They didn't like my dad 'cause he was different."

"H-He didn't love someone th-that looked like y-you..." Yuki bites down on his bottom lip, keeping it from quivering and fixating his eyes onto the tiles of the floor to prevent himself from choking on his words. "H-He...He loved someone that look like Kenma-san."

You understand what he means. You know full well. Their father was gay and because of that, your family ostracized him without wasting another breath. As if it was easy as blinking.

You knew what their father had been going through, you had enough time to help, yet you stood idle, doing nothing but add to his loneliness.

You kept all the sunshine Akihiro-san shared with you during your bluest days, even when it had been so obvious he needed it more than you.

But not once did you ever think about returning a sliver of it. And you wonder maybe if you hadn't been so selfish and naive, a silver lining would've been enough to avoid something as painful as this.

Instinctively, you pull him close to you, threading your fingers through his still damp hair. You shush him and press kiss on the crown of his head as his petite figure trembles in your arms. You let him sob into your shirt, his fingers twisting the material in anguish.

And it breaks your heart that a little human like him would not only know the meaning of anguish, but how it feels to have it tear through his heart.

It takes a few moments for Yuki to catch his breath and for you to ease him. He slumps onto you as he regains his strength. You tell him you're sorry because you are and because you don't know what else to say.

You try to use his strawberry milk and his brother as an incentive to keep him from crying again. And after a few minutes it works.

You trail closely behind him when he walks out of the bathroom. He begins to run when he gets closer to Eiji, the  pitter patter of his wee little feet carrying in the apartment.

You watch as Yuki thrusts himself forward into the arms of his brother, and Eiji doesn't fail to catch him. The sight before you leaves you gawking in silence, watching Eiji unravel into his big brother form as  he lifts Yuki to the ceiling, playfully sniffing his under arms, the crook of his neck, and even his little bum before complimenting him, "Good job, you smell just like flowers."

His giggles float in the air, swarming around the apartment as if he hadn't been crying just a few minutes ago.

And as you watch the scene unfold do you  decide to step out of the sidelines, using this warm moment shared between the boys as your driving force to keep the last of your cousin's light safe. 

[twh-news]

[Article contains spoilers to 'Loki' S01E05]

Crunch time

After the relatively seismic events of episode four, this week’s episode was always going to have its work cut out. And with just the finale to go, it’s fair to say we’re not much nearer to finding out the truth about the TVA than we were.

Of course, we now know it’s not just the Loki variants that end up in the Void, but all pruned people and material from reset timelines. If that is the case, given the sheer vastness of what that would entail, I do wonder how all those Lokis, Mobius and Sylvie managed to find each other so easily. But let’s not split hairs.

We know Mobius is still around, though didn’t have a lot to do. Here’s hoping he gets his jetski trip next week after a revealing face off with Ravonna Renslayer back at the TVA.

I feel like the dialogue between Loki and Sylvie wasn’t as effective as when they were talking on the train in episode three. It didn’t drive the plot forward, and they only clumsily addressed the fact that falling in love is classed as a nexus event. And, Loki, if you have the ability to conjure a blanket for the shivering person sitting next to you, that you happen to love, don’t wait to be asked. What do they teach you in Asgardian finishing school?

Withnail & Lok-i (hat tip to MrSpigget for that one)

Richard E Grant was a joy as Classic Loki, teaching Tom Hiddleston a thing or two about hamming it up. “Sounds terrifying,” he snapped, hilariously, when Loki asked if anyone had met a female variant. I enjoyed the recollection of how he escaped Thanos, while hissing “You bastard” was pure Withnail.

Crucially, his character offers further proof to Loki that he can change, and stay that way. Lokis don’t always have to resort to cheating, murdering and “the game within the game”. “We’re broken. Every version of us. Forever,” he said, escaping the lair, before going on to show, with his dying actions, that that is not the case. How beautiful that he conjured a full-sized Asgard for his final stand.

The end of time

What next for the TVA? As the episode began, we saw the aftermath of Sylvie’s actions, turning the organisation upside down (as emphasised by the rotating camera work). But who or what is now in charge since the Time Keepers’ demise? It no long matters those puppets aren’t functioning if a higher power is actually pulling the strings, but how long can Renslayer keep that a secret?

The judge did do a good job of convincing Sylvie – and me, to be honest – that she was going to help her visit the void, but even if she is not to be trusted, I still believe she has no idea what’s going on and who her paymasters might be. Whether she leans in to villainy or sees the light is still to be seen, but I wouldn’t bet on her turning her back on the TVA, whatever it might be.

Further minutes

There were many, many Easter eggs here. We had Mjolnir buried in the ground above the Lokis’ bunker. We saw a rusting version of Thanos’s helicopter, first seen in #39 of the 1979 comic Spidey Super Stories and, best of all, Throg, a frog version of Thor, captured in a jar. Was there also a pair of downed Chitauri Leviathans on the ground when Loki and the gang assembled on the hill before facing Alioth? Did you see anything else?

The episode’s title, Journey Into Mystery, was a nod to the comic book series of the same name in which Thor and later Loki made their debut in 1962.

The sword Kid Loki gave Loki before the battle was a callback to his analogy on the train about “love being a dagger”.

I was pleased to see Hunter B-15 still with us, trapped in a glittery cell at the TVA. It can’t be long until she is freed, and wielding that pruning stick in the name of justice.

The battleship that appeared and fired on Alioth was, I think, based on the numbering on its side, the USS Eldridge, the vessel at the centre of the Philadelphia Experiment.

One I missed from last week – Cailey Fleming, the actor who played Sylvie as an eight-year-old on Asgard also played Rey as an infant in The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker.

You may also recognise Kid Loki actor Jack Veal from playing Little James in Channel 4’s The End of the F***ing World.

Why was President Loki played by Tom Hiddleston when almost all of the other variants are played by someone else? Keep your eyes peeled in the MCU for a familiar looking Loki missing a hand. It reminded me of Thor, in Loki’s illusion, having his right hand cut off in Thor: The Dark World.

[smg4andbeetlejuicefanatic]

Taken For Granted

Just a little drabble based on thoughts/headcanons I had about @frappichuni‘s Bad Dolphin AU. You might need some tissues for this. >;)

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George and Harold stood in the hallway during passing period watching the other students go on their merry way. Krupp and Edith were having a pleasant conversation nearby next to a window which the rain that fell outside could be seen. It was one of those days that seemed happy and gloomy at the same time.

“Hey Harold?” George turned to the curly blonde.

“Yeah?” Harold asked in return, playing a game on his phone.

“This is probably a weird question but.....do you love your sister?” George asked nervously, fiddling with his fingers.

Harold stopped playing his phone and looked up a bit with a confused expression. He then looked to the boy who’d turned lizard. “You’re asking me this why?” he said.

“Well, I was just thinking...” George began. Before he could continue, however, the sister in question appeared beside them; and she didn’t look happy.

Harold studied her angry expression. “What’s your problem?” he asked.

“No, I’m not having a good day. Thanks for caring enough to ask.” she answered, her tone sour.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harold asked again, now annoyed.

“It means that I’m having trouble making friends but my brother, the one friend I thought I had, doesn’t care one bit.” she answered again, crossing her arms and looking away from him.

“I never said that!” Harold exclaimed.

“You never said you do either!” Heidi responded.

“Maybe if you weren’t so angry all the time, I would!” Harold exclaimed again.

“See?! You don’t care about me!! You just admitted it!!!” Heidi shouted, pointing at her sibling. She felt her heart begin to break slowly.

“Name one reason why you should think that.” Harold stated seriously, crossing his own arms.

“When I was little, you promised me that you’d be my best friend forever.” Heidi started. “But then you met George and said the same thing to him. I don’t hate him, but ever since then, you’ve spent every minute of you’re life with him and acted like I was invisible.” she continued. “You broke your promise to me, Harold, and it still hurts to this day; but you never once bothered to ask me how I feel.” she added.

The girl tried hard to keep her smaragdine eyes from filling with tears, but a few still managed to appear.

“And another reason is because you abandoned me and mom!” Heidi continued to speak, resulting in an offended Harold.

“What?! No I didn’t!!” he shouted.

“YES YOU DID!!!” Heidi yelled back, gaining everyone’s attention. “YOU LEFT US TO LIVE WITH SOME STUPID SCIENTIST GUY!!!”

“HE’S NOT STUPID!!!” Harold began yelling as well. “HE’S THE ONLY DAD I’VE EVER HAD!!!”

“Will you two stop shouting?!” Krupp yelled from where he stood with Edith.

“NO!!!” both Hutchins kids yelled back.

“YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW HIM, HAROLD! AND BY THE LOOKS OF YOU IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE HE’S A GOOD PARENT! I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’D CHOOSE THAT GUY OVER YOUR OWN FAMILY!!!” Heidi kept shouting.

SLAP!

Harold’s hand collided with the left side of her face, leaving a red mark.

Everyone gasped at the sight, but the fact that he’d just hurt his only sibling didn’t seem to phase Harold at all.

Heidi, shocked and stunned, placed her left hand on her cheek lightly; a stinging sensation rushing through that side of her face. This wasn’t the Harold she knew.

“MY DAD IS A GREAT PARENT! AND YOU KNOW WHAT?! MELVIN IS A BETTER SIBLING THAN YOU EVER WERE, BECAUSE UNLIKE YOU, HE ISN’T A LITTLE SELFISH ANNOYING BRAT!!!” It was Harold’s turn to yell, and the things he said weren’t nice. He gestured to Melvin upon his mention, which made the boy with the glasses nervous.

“This is why I never spent any time with you!” Harold’s voice got a little quieter, but that didn’t stop him from lashing out. “I WISH YOU WERE OUT OF MY LIFE!!!” Harold finally stopped after this, and everyone gasped again at this statement.

This sunk Heidi’s battleship, and the tears she fought so hard to keep from flowing suddenly exploded from her eyes like water from a dam that had just broke.

“WELL IT’S NOT LIKE I WAS IN IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!” she cried before running away from him. She rushed past everyone that had witnessed the event and past Edith and Krupp before running outside through the entrance doors into the rain; Krupp calling her name as she did, but she ignored him.

Everyone then turned to Harold, all showing their silent anger to him in their own way. Jessica and the Sophies had their arms crossed, Bo shook his head slowly, Gooch refused to look his direction--even Dressy looked like she wanted to punch him.

Krupp had his arms crossed as well and looked to be the angriest of all (which wasn’t really that surprising). Edith had that disappointed type of anger.

“I can’t believe you.” George murmured, just loud enough for Harold to hear.

“I’m going after her.” the lizard boy then stated, running on all fours toward the entrance. “I’ll come with you, you might need help.” Melvin replied, flying out the door with him.

They got to the street and stopped. “Which way did she go?” George asked, looking around worriedly. Melvin pointed when he spotted her. “She’s over there!” he exclaimed, and he and George took off in that direction.

Heidi was walking with her arms around herself when she heard Melvin’s voice, and started running again when she saw them coming towards her; not wanting to let them catch her lest they take her back to Harold.

Maybe if I go across the street, I’ll get further away. Heidi thought, and she decided to test that theory. Without looking back, she ran into the street.

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEE--

She didn’t get very far before a loud noise sounded from behind her.

In fear, she stopped and turned around, and her eyes met with a bright light as she heard George shout something.

CRASH!

The car couldn’t stop in time because of the slippery road, and she was hit; shattering the headlight that collided with her head and sending her tumbling a couple of feet.

Neither George or Melvin could move from shock. Both could only stare with wide eyes, and Melvin covered his mouth with both hands.

“I’m going to get Mr. Krupp!” he exclaimed, flying away as the lady that drove the car got out and frantically ran to the poor girl.

“George!”

George’s eyes widened even more when he heard a familiar voice in the distance.

“Krupp made me come after you guys.” Harold said as he got closer. “Did you find--...her?....” his voice trailed off as he looked to the scene in front of him, and George hung his head.

His good eye (the other has an eyepatch over it) widened when he saw his one and only sister lying motionless on the ground, and regret immediately started to build up inside him, and he had little visions of the past when the two of them were happy together; including the first time he held her after she was born.

“HEIDIIIIII!!!” he screamed her name as he ran over to her, tears now falling.

As he turned her over, held her in his arms; his hands getting cold from her rain-soaked pretty blue dress. Her curly strawberry blonde hair was also soaked (along with the blue bow she wore in it) and in the spot where she’d been hit were little shards of glass and a crimson stain that grew darker every second.

The tears that she cried still made streams down her face; as well as little droplets of blood.

Harold stared at this face, and felt his heart shatter. This face once bore smiles he loved to see.

And he ruined it.

He held her close and let out all his emotions. “I’M SORRY, HEIDI!!!” he screamed. “I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN IT!!! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!!!” he continued through his sobs.

George sobbed quietly to himself. He’d always considered Heidi to be the sister he never had.

Melvin came back with Krupp, and he saw the scene, too. The principal went to talk to the lady, but Harold didn’t listen.

“I’m so sorry sis...” he whispered. “...I love you...”

All that could be heard now was the rain, Harold’s broken sobs, and the wailing siren of an ambulance in the near distance.

[mldrgrl]

In Another Life 7/7

by: mldrgrl Rating: PG-13 (at the most) Summary: See Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6

On Monday, Mulder went to work with a bucket of cleaning supplies and starting clearing and somewhat organizing the files in the basement.  The storage room was actually fairly large, and once he’d sorted some things out, moved boxes, and got rid of a lot of excess junk, he had a lot of room to work with.  It took nearly all week, and by the time he was finished, it had started to dawn on him that instead of bringing the files upstairs, he might as well just move his office where the files were.

He got approval from AD Skinner, who looked at him like he was crazy, but still signed off on his requisition for a desk.  The deliverymen thought it had been a mistake and called him several times to confirm the desk was being brought to the basement?  Are you sure?

After he was settled, he was actually pleased with the space.  Sure, it was a basement, but he had a nice skylight and two rooms.  He’d found a few boxes of old equipment which still worked and though someone else found useless, he set it up in the secondary room that had once gated off whatever someone felt was important enough to gate off in storage.  He now had his own slide projector, lightboard, and a large magnifier that clamped onto a table.

What took him the most time, and would continue to take weeks or months, was classifying and cataloging the x-files into something that might be easily referenced.  He’d started out with general categories, but the more he found, the more he’d had to break those into smaller subgenres.  It wasn’t enough to label a pile PARANORMAL, he had to then separate sets of files into HAUNTINGS, POLTERGEISTS, ECTOPLASM, and PSYCHICS.  

The missing persons stack is the one that really bothered him.  There were hundreds of accounts of people just vanishing off the face of the earth.  At least a dozen of these files, eye witnesses reported seeing strange lights in the sky the night someone vanished.  He separated those files into a group he tentatively labeled ALIEN ABDUCTION.

Even though he poured all of his energy into the x-files, every night Mulder went home, he played Scully’s message on his answering machine until he had it memorized.  Sometimes he would pick up his phone and dial part of her number before hanging up.

******

Mulder’s in depth review of his alien abduction and UFO sightings files turned out to be extremely valuable in the first two cases he was assigned as x-files.  The first was investigating reports from a space program employee on possible sabotage of recent launches.  What he found was an astronaut haunted by his previous missions and his belief that an alien entity had possessed him.  The sabotage was his way of protecting other astronauts from suffering the same fate.  Mulder suspected PTSD and ordered him into immediate psychiatric care.

“You believe him?” Skinner asked, when he filed his report.

“It doesn’t matter whether I believe him,” Mulder answered.  “It matters that he believes.”

And that was his philosophy going into his next case.  A man claiming to be a multiple abductee was arrested sneaking into a crash site of a military test flight.  Everything Mulder had read about in his files encompassed this one man, Max Fenig.  He was so thorough in his story that he almost had Mulder convinced it was true.  When Mulder started a deep dive into Fenig’s life, trying to corroborate his account of events, the jittery guy vanished without a trace.  Only this time, it was Mulder who could attest to seeing strange lights in the sky the night Max Fenig disappeared.

“Is this really how you want to spend your time?” Skinner asked.  “Chasing lights in the sky?”

“Sometimes it’s the journey that’s the reward,” Mulder answered.

“Holly has your new file.  No little green men in it, I’m afraid.”

“Grey.”

“Hm?”

“You said green.  A Reticulan’s skin tone is actually grey.  Allegedly due to iron depletion in the Reticulan Galaxy.”

Skinner’s eyes twitched behind his glasses and he started at Mulder.  Mulder gave him a slight smile.

“Makes you wonder what liver and onions goes for on Reticula, doesn’t it, Sir?” Mulder asked.

“Go get your file, Agent Mulder.”

******

Mulder gets two more cases in before everything shuts down for Christmas and New Years.  Both cases bring him back to Quantico, where the halls feel empty to him without Scully there.  He knocks on her door, ‘shave and a haircut,’ but no one answers.  It’s not like he expected to find her there, but his heart still pounded with a nervous, quick-flutter of anticipation.

One of the cases, in addition to forcing him to deal with a childhood fear of fire, also put him in contact with a classmate from Oxford.  He hadn’t known Inspector Phoebe Green very well in school, mostly because she was a year ahead of him and they didn’t travel in the same social circles, but universities are like small worlds, and he certainly knew of her.  She apparently knew of him as well and asked for his assistance on a matter in Boston, where she was acting as security for a British ambassador.  

Inspector Green made no secret of the fact she was interested in Mulder, and let him know she’d had a crush on him in school.  They attempted a date, which consisted of an awkward dinner at his hotel that was interrupted by a fire alarm, and when it turned out she happened to be sleeping with her married boss, amongst a variety of other men, it was just as well that Mulder was too preoccupied with daydreams of Scully to care very much.

On Christmas Eve, Mulder headed to The Headless Woman for a drink before heading home.  The place was packed, something of an agent hangout, and by the looks of it, they all had the same idea.  He tossed one back with a guy he used to work with in VCU and they played a game of catch up.  He showed Mulder a picture of his daughter, told him his wife was expecting next month, which reminded him that he needed to call Samantha.

After parting ways with his old friend, Mulder took a seat at the bar to finish his beer and order one more.  He caught AD Skinner’s eye when he sat down, and his boss nodded and then approached, taking the seat next to Mulder.

“Sir,” Mulder said.  “Happy holidays.”

“You as well, Agent.”

“Can I buy you one?”

“It’s on me, actually.”  Skinner flashed two fingers at the bartender.

“Thanks.”

“I’m glad I caught you in here, actually.  I just spoke to the British Ambassador regarding your arsonist case.”

“Did the Marsden’s get back to England alright?”

“As far as I know.  They’re requesting we extradite L’Ively to stand trial in England.”

“We’d only have him for attempted murder here.  They can pin six murders on him back in jolly old England.”

“Attempted murder of a federal agent.”

“The burns are minor.”  Mulder shrugged and took a sip of his fresh beer.

“According to Inspector Green, you ran into a burning house.”

“There were kids upstairs.”

“You need to think about getting a partner, Agent Mulder.”

“There’s only one person that qualifies, Sir, and she’s unavailable.”

“You’re referring to Agent Scully, I take it?”

“I am.”

“I see.”

“And in the interim?  Should I let you get yourself killed?”

“Like I said, the burns are minor.”

“Luck runs out eventually.  You need someone to watch your back.”

“I know.  But, I happen to think she’s worth waiting for.”

“If you don’t get yourself killed in the meantime.  Do you even know if she would want to take this on?  She’s a pathologist, not a field agent.”

“Something tells me she would.”

Skinner sighed and downed a generous swig of his beer.  He pushed off the barstool and opened his wallet, taking out a few bills and tossing them onto the bartop.  He looked like he wanted to say more, but he put his wallet away and rested his hand on Mulder’s shoulder for a moment.

“I need to get home to my wife,” he said.  “Enjoy the holidays.”

“I didn’t know you were married.”

“20 years.”

“Happy holidays to you and your wife.”

“See you in the new year, Agent.”

******

Mulder’s favorite piece of equipment, by far, was his slide projector.  He liked standing in front of magnified images in the half-dark, focusing on details might normally be lost to the naked eye.  It helped him put information together and visual a crime scene better.  And it was just fun to click through each image.  He even enjoyed the click and shuffle sound the projector made when he changed slides.

It was just after New Years and he was sorting his slides on his lightboard, numbering and marking them to drop into the carrel.  There was a knock on his door, which was unusual.  Someone must be lost, he thought.

“Nobody down here but the FBI’s most unwanted,” he called, without even looking up from his slides.

He was sure whoever it was on the other side would go away, but the door opened, and he heard the tap of high heels approach.  He looked up and felt his cheeks burn with the pull of a suppressed grin.

“You lost?” he asked.

“No,” Scully answered.  “I’ve been assigned to work with you.”

“Who did you tick off to get stuck with this detail, Scully?”

“Actually, I’m looking forward to it.”

“Well, isn’t it nice to suddenly be so highly regarded.”

“I’ve always regarded you highly, Agent Mulder.”

“Likewise, Scully.”  He didn’t stop the smile from spreading this time.

A moment passed where they gazed at one another in silence and then Scully turned her head slightly to inspect the room.  She walked it slowly, touching his equipment with her fingertips, leaning closer to get a better look at the photos he’d tacked to a corkboard.  She looked up at the skylight and then turned back around to face him.

“Well, I’d say you moved up in the world,” she said.  “But, that’s not really the case.”

“It’s still the nicest office I’ve ever had.”

“It’s a little small.”

“Well, don’t worry, I’m sure we can squeeze another desk down here, maybe put them face to face and we can play a nice game of Battleship.”

Scully chuckled.  She looked past his shoulder at the poster behind his desk and moved closer to it.  It was of a blurry UFO in flight with the words I WANT TO BELIEVE underneath.

“That’s interesting,” she said.

“I found it in a head shop on Avenue M,” he answered.  “Seemed appropriate for the new digs.”

“I like it.”

He had a million questions for her.  How was she?  What had she been doing the past two months?  Did she really want this job?  Was she still with Daniel?  Did everyone eat the pumpkin pie after he’d stormed out?  She turned away from him like she knew what he was thinking and inspected the second cork board next to his poster.

“You know,” he said.  “I was told I’d have final say on who they assigned down here.”

“Would you like to see my resume?” she murmured, fingering the corner of the Jersey devil tacked to the lower left side of the board.

“How about a test?”

“I was always pretty good at pop quizzes.”

“I bet you were,” he answered, loading the carrel on top of the projector.  “Could you kill the lights?”

Scully crossed in front of the light of the projector, creating a silhouette of herself on the screen.  When the room was dark, Mulder dropped the first slide.  It was a photo of a young girl.  He clicked his remote to move to the next slide, a photo of a young man.

“Elizabeth Hawley and James Summers,” he said.  “Both 19.  Two days ago, they were reported missing from Jackson University.  One year ago, another couple went missing from Duke University.  One week later, they found the bodies of both students.”

As he spoke, he shuffled through a few more slides from the Duke University murders.  Photos of the bodies, the crime scene, a newspaper headline.

“The Duke kids were kept alive,” he continued.  “Tortured throughout their seven day ordeal, before they were killed.”

“You think we’re looking for a serial killer or a copycat?” she asked.

“No arrests were ever made.  Police believed it to be a one-time offender at the time.  It now appears it may be a serial.”

“If he holds true to form, that only gives us five days to find these students.”

“Pretty grim deadline.”

“I’ll say.”

“Well, here’s another grim deadline.”  Mulder handed Scully a file before he clicked to another photo of a death row inmate.  “In one week, Luther Lee Boggs will take a seat in the North Carolina gas chamber.”

Scully looked up briefly at the slide and then perused the file in her hand in the light from the projector.  Her head was bent over and the spotlight caught her cheek in a way that made her look ethereal.  Mulder swallowed, losing his train of thought.

“How is he related?” Scully finally asked, lifting her head.

“Uh, he claims to have information relating to the kidnapping,” Mulder said, touching his wrist.  “He described Hawley's bracelet down to the last detail, information that only family members could have known.”

“I don’t understand.  Is he the killer?”

“Not likely.  He’s been in prison for the last seven years.  My profile actually put him there.”

“Maybe he’s orchestrating the killings from the inside.”

“He claims to have obtained this information through psychic transmission.”

“Psychic transmission?”  Scully closed the file in her hands and crossed her arms.  She raised her brows at Mulder in the habit he’d grown accustomed to.

“Do I detect a hint of skepticism?”

“No, I can’t imagine why you’d think that.”

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t believe it either.”

“Really?”

Mulder shrugged.  “Boggs has been in the chamber before. He was actually strapped to the chair before receiving an executive stay.  He claims that this experience activated in him the ability to channel spirits and demons.”

“That’s what you don’t believe.”

“There are scores of x-files on psychic ability.  I have to believe there’s some truth there, even if it can’t be proved.  But, not in this case.  Not Boggs.”

“And I take it you’ve read all those files.”

“I did.”  Mulder waved his hand towards the filing cabinets in the shadows behind him.  “They’re all there, in alphabetical order if you want to take a look.”

“That might prove helpful.  So, if you believe in the phenomenon, why not Boggs?”

Mulder raised his finger and brushed past Scully to turn the lights back on.  He took the file she’d closed from under her arm and flipped the pages until he found the one he wanted.  He folded the page back and gave the file back to Scully.

“At the age of six, Luther Boggs slaughtered every pet animal in his housing project,” she read out loud.  “When he was 30, he strangled five family members over Thanksgiving dinner and then sat down to watch the fourth quarter of the Detroit-Green Bay game.  Some killers are projects of society.  Some act out past abuses.  Boggs kills because he likes it.  This is from your profile?”

“It is.  Boggs has read it and he believes I'm the only one who truly understands what he is.  Anyway, I leave for Raleigh this afternoon.  But...”

“But?”

“I only put in a travel req for one ticket.  We’ll have to grab another TRA.”

“Do I have the job then?”

“You have the job.”

Scully smiled a little and looked down at her feet for a moment.  “I should tell you, so you’re aware, I left Daniel.  I’ve filed for divorce.”

Mulder opened his mouth, but hesitated to say anything.  He was glad, but he couldn’t tell her that.  “I’m sorry, Scully.”

“I’m not.”  She looked up at him and gave a swift shake of her head.  “It needed to be done.”

“Still though.”

She stared up at him with a passive smile.  Her eyes held his and he found it impossible to look away.  The air between them felt thick.  He wished the lights were still off so he could see her in the glow of the projector again.  He wondered if her cheek was as soft as it looked and he reached up to touch it.

“I am sorry,” he said, softly.  

“And I’m not,” she said again, reaching up to put her hand over Mulder’s.

“I told myself it would be enough to just see you again, to work with you, and nothing more.”

“You tend to believe some pretty fantastic things.”

“This is probably the only time I’ll ever say this, but I hope you prove me wrong.”

“I think I’ll make proving you wrong a part of my job description.”

“I don’t want to be a rebound for you, Scully.  So, whatever time you need, whatever space-”

“If you need time and space, Mulder, that’s alright with me, but I don’t.  I didn’t leave Daniel for you, I left him for me.  You were right.  It’s something that I needed to do.  And what I want now is to be with someone who likes who I am.”

“Oh, I definitely like who you are.  A lot.  A lot, a lot, a lot.”

She smiled and pressed her cheek a little more firmly into his hand.  He pressed his lips together and swallowed.  He wanted to kiss her, but she had a way of throwing his confidence off-kilter.  It probably wasn’t the time or place, either.  They were at work, they had a case to solve.  They had to be able to focus and if his lips were introduced to hers, he knew he wouldn’t be able to think.

“I guess we better get to the airport,” he said.

“I guess so.”

He nodded and started to pull his hand away.

“There is just one more thing though,” she said, reaching up to curl her hand over the back of his neck.  She pulled his head down and tipped her face up to press her lips to his.  Their mouths moved open to each other at the same time, no coaxing or hesitation.  Both her arms went around his neck and his around her back.  She had to arch and he had to bend so that their bodies pressed flush against each other.

For however long it lasted, too long and not long enough, Mulder felt the whimper she gave vibrate from her chest to his.  It made him gasp and their mouths broke apart, but they stayed locked together, her forehead pressed to his cheek and her breath on his jaw.

“Sorry if that was unprofessional,” she breathed.  “But, I had to.”

“I won’t be filing a complaint with HR any time soon.”

They both took a few more moments to breathe and then relaxed their holds on each other in increments.  Scully finally stepped back and immediately he felt the loss of her.  She ran her finger along the bottom of her lip where her lipstick had smudged, which he knew she’d have to fix before they left, but he also kind of didn’t want her to.  And then she was reaching up and rubbing her thumb against the corner of his mouth and he couldn’t keep the stupid grin off his face.

“Do you think Blevins had this in mind when he assigned you down here?” he asked.

“Blevins didn’t assign me, AD Skinner did.”

“Skinner?”

“He called me yesterday.  Asked me to meet with him when I returned from my leave.”

“If you need more time.”

“I do not need more time.  I had to get some things sorted out, but I am back where I want to be.”

“It isn’t pathology.”

“My place is here with you now.  On the x-files.  Where I choose to be.”

“Raleigh, then?”

“After you.”

“Got your Dramamine?”

“I think I’ll be okay.”

“I should call the airline.  Ask them if they can book us seats together.”

“If they can’t, I’ll just ask the person in the middle to switch.  I’ll tell them I need to sit with my partner.”

“Wait.”  Mulder stopped just before they went through the door and went back to his filing cabinet.  He searched for a file labeled DC-X-167512 - VISIONARY ENCOUNTERS WITH THE DEAD and took it out, along with a few files behind it.  He gave them to Scully.  “Some light reading for the plane.”

“This is going to be a hell of an adventure.”

“Sometimes the journey is the reward, so some wise woman once said.”

“Sounds like you know a lot of wise women.”

“I guess I’m just pretty damn lucky in this life.”

“Come on, Mulder.  Take me to Raleigh.”

The End

[langstylanceylance]

Song are Sung Sweetest in Tears

Ok, so, this fic was requested of me over a year ago. I am actually the worst??? So this is for you @bluelancerobin, you sweet bean. Thank you for being so patient with me and also not hating me guts oh my god

After being thrown down by the level 16 bot for a third time, Keith decided that his training had come to an end for that night. A quick look at the ticker Coran had given him, and the rest of the crew, told the boy it was late at night. It was half past whatever the hell the castle’s simulation of one was. ‘If I don't get to bed soon, people will be able to tell I went to bed late. No way do I want to get heckled by Lance about skincare again.’

It wasn’t so much Keith didn’t like Lance. Don’t get Keith wrong, sure, he could be loud, and his rivalry with Keith could get annoying. It also rubbed Keith the wrong way when Lance was avidly flirting with Allura, but that felt like it was something different. What it was? Keith didn't know. That was the real trouble of Lance to him. There was something about Lance that had Keith’s subconscious nagging him. It had a rosy, sweet feeling to it and that’s what made Keith uncomfortable. He just wasn't used to it, he’d never experienced the feeling before so he didn't know what to classify it as.

Keith shook his head and grabbed his towel off the bench before gathering his bayard and exiting the Training Deck. The ship was so peaceful at night, it relaxed him. After being alone for several months in the desert being around so many voices could get real overwhelming real fast. A factor in Keith’s short temper if he was being honest. But the soothing quiet calmed Keith and gave him space to breathe. It cradled Keith and held him without smothering him. That’s exactly why he immediately homed in on the oaky chords of a guitar coming from a room somewhere down a hall he had never had to walk down before.

Curious, the raven haired boy started down the unfamiliar hallway. He looked around and saw many empty rooms with open doors, it was slightly intimidating. The music was getting louder and as it did he realized that someone was singing along with the sweet notes of the strings. Keith made his footsteps quieter as he approached the end of his hallway into another one horizontal to it. The music was coming from the closest room across the hall to the left. ‘That voice… is that? That’s Lance’s voice!’ The pale paladin pressed himself against the left wall before slowly looking around the corner and peering into the room.

***

Lance had a place he went to when the dark of his room got too suffocating and the biting voices in his mind got too loud. When they first arrived at the castle, Lance spent a lot of time wandering the castle just looking around for cool alien shit. Despite the fact that the paladins had sleeping quarters close by each other, there were other personal rooms. They were far enough away from the main gathering places of the team that Lance didn't have to worry about the others hearing or finding him, at least, not easily or without sharp-ass hearing. This was Lance’s safe haven. The room was large enough to not feel cramped but cozy enough to calm his nerves. He had found some weird alien light strings and hung them up around the room. They radiated in a range from soft blues to warm, cozy creams and they made him feel more safe. He gathered tons of the extra pillows and blankets found in the other extra rooms of the castle. Everything was perfect and there to comfort him. It was his safe place. That meant it was also the place he ended up for most of his breakdowns and the darkest nights in the months that dragged on through space.

When they went back to the space mall, with GAC this time, he and Pidge had made a beeline to the human goods store to find more video games. They found them, but Lance found something far more precious. An old acoustic guitar. It was a dark oak and the bottom had faded waves painted on it, like it was made for him. Lance immediately put back whatever trivial game he had wanted to spend his GAC on in favor of buying the guitar.

As a kid, Lance had always loved the songs his older brother played on his guitar. Even as a toddler, Lance would doddle over to Luis and climb into his lap to listen to him practice his guitar. The day Lance turned eight, he had been upset because he wanted his older brother to play just one song on the guitar before he went off to college. Luis had been gone all the time during the day over the summer so Lance had barely seen him at all, let alone heard him play the guitar. That was, until Luis burst in the front door and made a beeline for Lance, who had been pouting in the corner, consoling himself by shoving his face with the cake his mama had made him. “Hey, Alejandro, I’m sorry I’m late, but I have a surprise for you!” He pulled out a beautiful acoustic guitar. Lance gasped in awe and had tentatively touched it. “I worked all summer to save up and buy you this. I got my guitar on my eighth birthday, so, i figure it was high time you got your very own, hombrecito.” That was the best birthday Lance had ever had. He would skype Luis to learn when he could, and practiced until his fingers were burning every day. It was his favorite hobby, aside from self care. But self care wasn’t really a hobby, it was a lifestyle as Veronica had always said.

Lance reminisce on that day a lot in space, even more after he had gotten the guitar he had swiftly refurbished the second the team had returned from the space mall. After that trip, more often than not, when sleep finally found Lance, the guitar was securely in his arms.

Music was a coping mechanism. As a kid Lance had just liked the pretty notes, but as he got older and experienced more Lance realized how much emotion someone could pour into every corner of music. When Lance was bullied by those asshole kids because he was tall and lanky, music was there when mama and Veronica were at work. When abuela got sick and the whole family thought it might be her last night, music was there to softly strum her to sleep and there to wake her the next day. When Lance had been diagnosed with depression, music quieted his turbulent mind and gave him something else to focus on other than what a worthless son he was. When he was beaten out by one space for fighter pilot by some mullet-headed asshole who refused to even introduce himself when they had been assigned seats next to each other in Calculus II, music had been there to keep his hands off the razor blade in the bathroom medicine cabinet. When Jenny Shaybon rejected him and he was a laughing stock at the garrison for months music had smothered the sound of his sobs and caressed his aching heart.

There was one song that Lance had loved since he was twelve. It perfectly encapsulated his feelings and insecurities that constantly nagged him every waking hour of every sluggish day. It was a song whose lyrics often found themselves slipping past his lips in the otherwise silent night, from his room in Varadero, to his dorm at the garrison, to his safe haven here, now, on the castleship. It was one of the first pop rock songs he put the effort in to wholeheartedly learn. And it was what he sang now as his fingers effortlessly found the chords and slid up and down the frets with a practiced perfection.

“My ship went down in a sea of sound, when I woke up alone I had everything,”

“Lance stop goofing off! We need you up here, not performing stunts for the girls on the planet.” Lance, for one, would love to stop this “stunt” he was pulling. ‘Blue, come on girl, please work for me.’ Blue growled and the controls started flickering back to life, but not before Lance was submerged in an orange soda ocean. When he had managed to get back up to space, there was nothing there but the remnants of destroyed galra battleships.

Cringing, Lance flew back to the castleship and landed blue. When he stepped out the team was waiting for him. “Gee Lance, thanks so much for the backup.” He opened his mouth to explain himself but closed it. His team was right, he should’ve done better. “Whatever,” they turned away from him, “I hope that got you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

“A handful of moments I wished I could change, and a tongue like a nightmare that cut like a blade,”

“Real mature, Lance.” Pidge shot him a glare as he held her laptop high above where she could reach in an attempt to get her to go to bed. It sliced hot against him as they maintained eye contact until she huffed, “Whatever.” and walked away towards her room.

“Come on, Lance! Would it kill you to take ONE training session seriously?” Lance rubbed his eyes and grimaced as the bot went in for a hit at Keith. Lance did his best to aim but he couldn’t sleep the night before and everything was a bit fuzzy. The shot missed the bot by inches and left Keith to take the blow. “Ugh, seriously, Lance?”

“Hey, princess! I was thinking that maybe after the briefing today we could-”

“Lance, please! I do not have time for your silly antics and flirting! How many times have I told you I am not interested?” Lance dropped his head and hid the facemasks he had spent the better part of the day before mixing sheepishly.

“Sorry, princess. I’ll leave you in peace…”

“He started it-”

“Lance! Stop blaming everything on Keith. We all know you’re the one responsible for this mess.” Shiro pointed to the scented, slippery oil spreading over the hallway floor. “Honestly, your tongue is too sharp for your own good.” Lance bit his lip, he had liked that hair product. It was the closest thing he could find to Veronica’s homemade hair serum back on Earth. It wasn't his fault Keith had been studying a blade and bumped into Lance while he was arranging the goods in his arms to carry back to his room. He was on the verge of tears. So, he rushed back to his room.

“In a city of fools I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane,”

“Mario is red, Sonic is blue, press start to join and be my player two.” Lance winked at Keith as they walked back from their lions. Keith’s face flashed with an unreadable emotion before his face screwed up and he started turning red.

“First of all, that was terrible. Second of all, Mario was a murderous, sociopathic, animal abuser so if that was your idea of a complement or whatever then you’re crazier than Slav. And, third of all, who would want to be your player two?” After his little tyrade Keith rushed off like he was trying to escape from a thunderstorm, leaving a confused and dejected Lance in his wake.

“A handful of moments I wished I could change, but I was carried away,”

“Lance, dude, I don’t have time for this right now.” Hunk was staring very intently at some sort of alien ingredient that looked like a strawberry except real spiky and also yellow.

“Ah, sorry Hunk, I just thought we could hang out like back at the garrison. It’s been so busy that we’ve barely gotten to hang out at all-”

“Sh sh sh-! I finally found it in the ingredient index! Maybe some other time Lance.”

“Look guys! You’ll never guess what I just found on my computer…” Pidge raced into the commons room and skidded to a halt. The rest of the team looked up at the short girl in interest. “I have the complete Back to the Future trilogy set up and just ready to go. All we need to do is break out the space popcorn and blankets and it’ll be a regular old team movie night!” The rest of the team shared looks of mutual excitement.

“Oh hell yeah!” Lance cheered pumping his fists in the air.

“I’ll get to work on that popcorn right now!” Hunk rushed out of the room.

“Keith and I can go collect the pillows and blankets to bring them to the observation deck.” Shiro stood up and exited the room, Keith trailing after.

“Perhaps I’ll don my evening clothes so as to be extra comfortable for this ‘movie night’ as you called it!” The princess smiled and glided out, Pidge exited behind her to make her way back to the observation deck and hook up her computer. Lance got up to follow Allura’s idea and get into more comfy clothes only to feel a gloved hand grip his shoulder.

“Now hold up there number three, you said you’d be helping me clean the cryopods again tonight. I’m sorry. But, if we get on it maybe we’ll be done within six varga!” Lance was dragged away by Coran. ‘Six varga? But it’ll all be over by then…’

***

Lance’s singing was ethereal. It sounded like the embodiment of every comforting and wholesome family scene Keith had ever witnessed. That is to say it cut down to Keith’s heart and made it ache. He was singing a song the Red Paladin had never pegged him to know, taking Lance for a Beyonce and Rihanna type of guy. So when Keith finally recognized the song as “Therapy” the already nostalgic feel of Lance’s voice combined and made him feel like he was back at the garrison, the same night Shiro had been announced as missing. It was enough to make Keith’s eyes mist up.

However, the emotion in Lance’s voice was far more powerful than Keith was expecting, just listening to it made Keith want to swallow away the lump forming in his throat. It was emotion that he hadn’t thought Lance to possess. A deep, sore, ballad that washed over Keith’s senses. He could feel anguish poured into every word. Keith felt his heart crumbling and splintering apart a little more at each note played. The raw emotion was enough to prevent Keith from being able to look in Lance’s eyes until the chorus.

“Give me therapy, I’m a walking tragedy,” Keith finally looked into the orbs that seemed to be windows into the depths of the sea, only to find them swimming with tears. “But I'm smiling at everything,” They spilled over Lance’s cheeks and raced down his face. His voice broke a bit as he swallowed a sob in favor of continuing to sing. “Therapy, you were never a friend to me,” the lanky boy laughed wetly and without humor as he continued to softly strum the guitar. “And you can keep all your misery,” It was only after this line that the tears in Keith’s own eyes finally fell too.

How long? How long had Lance felt this way, sung by himself in a isolated part of the castle away from his team? When had Lance’s eyes stopped shining with mirth and playful vitality? God, how had none of them noticed. Keith could feel the waves of hurt and hopelessness radiating off the brown-haired boy.

God, he took his frustration out on Lance. Again. He knew it wasn't the tall boy’s fault. He had seen a glimpse of him the day, or rather, night before wandering around the castle clutching his jacket and murmuring in Spanish. Had seen him struggling to keep his head out of his food goo that morning. Was watching him now as he frantically rubbed at his eyes and apologized to Keith, who had just snapped at him for something Lance was doing his best to fix. Why couldn't he just say what he meant? He had to apologize to Lance later.

Keith watched Lance book it away from him and Shiro. “Shiro, what the hell?” The older man looked at him in tired surprise. “It was my fault, I hadn’t been looking where I was going. Why didn’t you let him explain himself?” Shiro’s eyes widened as his face shifted into a a look of abject horror.

“Shit, I… It’s usually him and I just… I was tired and. God, I messed up didn't I.” He ran his hands over his face. “I need to go apologize.”

As Keith hurried away from Lance, he felt,that THING again. Well, that, and embarrassment. He had not handled that well. But would bringing it up again be weird? His insides felt hot and squirmed, remembering the silly pick up line Lance had used. Fuck, this was weird, he should just avoid Lance for a while. He could’ve sworn he heard a whimper from behind him, but it was probably just his mind playing tricks.

Keith stretched, groaning as his joints popped. That had been an entertaining trilogy but he had been sitting around for too long. He got up to go to his room and get ready for bed, only to catch a glimpse of olive jacket. Where had Lance been? He had seemed really excited to watch movies with the rest of the team. But Keith had kept an eye out for the boy and hadn't seen hair nor hide of him all night. “Lance!” Keith called, jogging up to the boy who had turned to face him. “Where’d you go? You missed all three movies man!” Lance scratched the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly.

“Oh, Coran and I had to clean the cryopods. It's fine, I don't really like movies anyway… Uh, I’m kinda tired though, so I'm gonna go to bed. Night, Mullet.” Keith watched him walk away, and couldn't help but notice the way his feet dragged on the floor.

Fuck, how had they been so blind. No, not blind. How could they have ignored how Lance had been feeling for so long. The tears wouldn't stop. Lance continued to sing while Keith watched him from the shadows. “Arrogant boy, love yourself so no one has to,” Lance threw his head up and wailed out they lyrics, his shoulders shaking. “They’re better off,without you, they’re better off without you…” he paused while his sobs racked through him. Fat tears plopped onto the guitar.

Keith couldn't stand this. Every strum of the guitar sliced into his flesh and every and every piercing note he sang stabbed Keith in his heart. “Arrogant boy, cause a scene like you're supposed to, they'll fall asleep without you, you're lucky if your memory remains…” Did Lance think that? Keith thought about every interaction Lance initiated with the group, it was always full of life, like he was cheering them on. Telling them, “Just a little more! We’re a team, we can do this!” Then, did Lance think that they’d all just… forget him if he died? Keith felt sick.

Lance finished the rest of the song, “Therapy, you were never a friend to me! And you can choke on your misery.” Lance’s beautiful singing voice cut out into a anguished shout before he finally gave into the tears. Keith’s legs moved on their own. He turned the corner and walked into the room. Lance looked up, alarmed and futilely swiped at his eyes, finally settling for covering his face.

Keith climbed onto Lance’s nest of pillows and blankets heaped on top of the bed and gently removed his hands from his face. Lance risked a glance up to see Keith’s amethyst eyes overflowing with tears like his own. Keith drew Lance into his arms on instinct, resting his chin on the other boy’s head. Keith had never felt such a strong urge to comfort and protect anyone, except maybe from Red towards him.

Lance stiffened for a few tics and then melted into Keith, wrapping his own arms around Keith’s middle and holding onto his shirt like a lifeline. He continued to softly sob, but now it was muffled by Keith’s shirt. Keith’s hands hesitantly started to make comforting circles into Lance’s back, to which Lance nuzzled a bit into Keith. Oh. Oh. So that’s what it is.

“Hey Lance?” Keith murmured into the tan boy’s hair. Lance made a barely perceptible nod. “I'm so sorry we didn't notice. I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner. We need you, man. You’re a wonderful guy, even if you can be a bit loud sometimes. I-If you, god, if you died? We’d be a mess. I don’t think Shiro could take losing another teammate. Or Pidge another brother. And, I think you can envision how Hunk would react. Dude cries when he stubs his toe! If his best friend died? We all love you Lance. I-I love you.” He swallowed nervously. “Listen, I know I'm not going to fix everything with one shitty speech. B-but, you’ll, uh, never be alone. You have me. O-Oh and the rest of the team too.” God this was a disaster. This is why Keith didn't like sharing feelings and shit. Except? Oh, Lance was chucking wetly into his shirt. The reverberations curled in Keith's chest as warmth spread through his body.

“Thanks, Samurai. I’ll keep that in mind in the future. And, uh,” Lance buried his head further into Keith’s chest, “I love you too.”

Things weren’t going to magically fix themselves, but it was a start. And it was so much better than it had been just a few minutes before. They stayed like that until eventually they fell asleep, leaving the future for the future and letting the two boys to savor the present.

[cerastes]

how in the bloody hell did you get so much confidence? i'm currently in depression hell and i really need to crawl out of it

Right, I think it’s important to talk about this earnestly, so let’s turn off the Jokes for a second, and let’s have a talk.

How did I get so much confidence? I faked it till I made it. You, too, can pretend until it becomes real. This probably sounds god damn crazy to anyone deep in depression, but trust me, and the thousands of others that have done this: It works. When you start faking it, when you start wearing that mask of confidence, and acting with confidence, things start moving inside of you, and soon that mask becomes real, and you don’t even notice, because you were having so much fun not being the sad, miserable you, having so much fun being the ideal you that cuts through the waves like the mighty battleship you always wanted to be, that you don’t even realize you’ve truly become that person. “Become” isn’t the right word... You always could be that person, but you were holding yourself back all this time. By simply acting like it, you get a taste of that happiness, and there’s no turning back after you taste it, haha.

Now, words are cheap, I guess, and at the end of the day, I am the internet dude that just says things and can’t really intervene directly in your depression. I want to tell you more than “I tried this! It worked”, so if you think the above paragraph is enough, I am glad, but if it’s not fully satisfactory, I want to share with you how it went for me, so you know I am not just talking out of my ass, so you know how ugly my own depression was, and what I did in my own case to get over it, because depressions are ugly, and while they are all different for each one of us, their ugliness is something they have in common.

But you know what else depressions have in common? That you can overcome them. Beating depression is not just knowing a method and thinking, it’s about taking action. This is a story of taking action. Thinking just isn’t enough, you have to DO.

I am putting this under a read more because the beginning is dry (it’s also long), and I’d rather only people that want to read it, read it. No sense in putting a big fat dump of Sad in front of everyone, but keep in mind, there’s light at the end of it, because that’s the fundamental reason for this: That depression can be made your bitch, and that it isn’t invincible by any means. Warning: Suicide mention.

I entered a deep, deep depression in 2009, when I was graduating high school. Until then, I wasn’t particularly sad, and was in fact well liked by my peers, mostly due to (and I swear I am not throwing flowers at myself here) my natural charisma, which helped a lot to cover for my social anxiety. I was insecure about a lot of things, but I also was having fun with my life here and there, as long as I was out of home or locked in my room. 

But after I graduated and moved out, a lot of stuff happened, and in 2010, it really just went rampant. I was suicidal, depressive as all hell, with a lot of pent up frustration, and in a very toxic environment. I used to own a revolver, and I sat down with it and considered blowing my brains out, but thankfully I didn’t. I moved out to a place where my friends and my best friend weren’t, so I didn’t have my usual support network, and things with my online friends were very turbulent at that point. All of it came crashing on me, and my usual manners of coping with it all were gone, so now I was left alone with my insecurities and a whole ton of terrible things that kept increasing in number around me.

2011, I had enough, I said fuck you to my family, grabbed my shit, and left. It’s always very complicated to discuss my family because I know my mom and dad love me, and I love them, but they made a lot, a lot of mistakes that their pride would not let them own up to, and everyone else in my family that wasn’t those two, and two other aunts, were basically massively toxic and terrible to me. I straight up left, I didn’t fucking care anymore. This was at the start of 2011, and throughout 2011, I was basically at my lowest, since I cut off contact with practically everyone, disappeared, and was a drunkard. More than once, I woke up under bridges or at benches in the park. I was drinking 2 litters of beer minimum daily, and far more if it was a “get shitfaced to forget the pain” day. My father knew where I lived, and he’d come pretty often, and we’d fight. We’d fight so damn much. My relationship with my girlfriend from this era was also becoming very tense. 

2011 was the bottom of it all for me. It was the cusp of my depression. I didn’t shave, I didn’t shower, I didn’t wash my clothes, I didn’t do the dishes, I didn’t take out the trash, I didn’t care. My little apartment was a god damned pigsty, full of fast food and snack bags scattered everywhere, my plates had mold growing on them, and I just really rinsed one plate and used it over and over. I was the bitch in the “damn bitch you live like this?” image. I reeked of alcohol all day, and my apartment, aside from all the trash, consisted of my bed, my computer, my PS3, a TV, and fuck all else. Just a little sad dumpster where I could drink and submerge myself in fiction so I could just forget that my life was out of control and a god damn fucking mess with no coming back. My days consisted of me just waking up, writing, playing games, watching anime, going out, getting piss drunk to forget the pain, and then passing out somewhere. I legitimately wanted to die. 

At around the end of 2011, I once again sat down on my bed, aimed my revolver at my head, and was this close to pulling the trigger. I luckily didn’t have the guts to do so again, and this was the point in which I realized that this was wrong, that all of this bullshit was wrong, that this was no fucking way to live. I used to have fun, I wanted that fun back, I used to enjoy things, I wanted to enjoy them again, to feel the thrill, to feel the joy of doing things again, of accomplishing stuff. I started wondering, how come I used to enjoy things so much, and at which point I fucked up so bad that I became like this? And when you are depressive, you think about this a lot.

I realized that was my mistake.

Thinking wasn’t gonna get me anywhere. It didn’t get me anywhere at the end of 2009. It didn’t get me anywhere throughout 2010. It didn’t get me fucking anywhere in 2011. Scratch that, it did get me somewhere in 2011: It got me the brink of blowing my fucking brains out. No, thinking wasn’t the solution. That’s when I said “fuck thinking”, because sometimes, you have to think, but other times? You have to act.

This was the time to act.

I got rid of my revolver, and I cleaned all of my apartment. Did the dishes, sent the clothes to wash, scraped the mold, I went full Captain Hygiene on this bitch. How was I when I wasn’t a sad sack that wanted to die? I was charismatic, funny, did pranks, and I enjoyed using my imagination. But that wasn’t enough, no, because even when I wasn’t this depressive, I still had several things holding me back, and the me from before ended up being depressive, so I might just set myself for a loop in the future. I wasn’t going to just be happy, baby, I was aiming to become better than I ever was, go BIG or go home, and I always go BIG. No, that wasn’t enough, so what is it that I wanted to be, on top of my good aspects as a kid? I wanted to be confident, to be proud of my skills, to be a dependable leader that people KNEW was going to get shit done, to enjoy life even when it wasn’t going the best, to be mature, and to be just what I wanted to be instead of what I was told to be. Fuck expectation, fuck the status quo, fuck everything anyone else wants you to be, YOU be what YOU want to be. That’s who I wanted to be, so I started acting. I put on the tightest mask I had ever put on, and I went out there not being Dreamer, but rather, being Dreamer EX 9000, the better, cooler, happier Dreamer.

My family always treated me like a weirdo. It is true that I am eccentric, I fully acknowledge it, and not in a “wacky lovable kooky dude way!”, I mean in a “I do have weird aspects to myself that I know can weird people out”, but I still resented them very heavily for always trying to make me into someone I wasn’t instead of just accepting me for who I was. The status quo was always something that I was beaten with. “That’s weird, don’t do that/say that”, “why aren’t you like other kids?”, “you have very weird interests for a boy of your age”, “why aren’t you doing this? Everyone else is doing it, you are strange, Dreamer”, “stop playing games so much and come with us to the family meetings every single weekend”, and a lot more, are phrases I grew up with. I was weird for wanting my personal space, I was weird for not liking going to the country every weekend to meet up with cousins that I didn’t like, I was weird for not wanting to go play football with the kids in my class, weird weird weird weird weird weird all was weird and I was some pariah apparently, man, so I said You Know What Fuck You, and that’s why I left home and cut off my family. A man only has so much patience for that shit, and mine was expended a long time ago. It turns out, now that I was living by myself and engaging with more diverse people, people didn’t fucking care about my “weirdness”. As long as you own up to what you are and are a nice person otherwise, people DON’T FUCKING CARE, and that was a huge point of happiness to me. I wasn’t in an oppressive environment anymore. People would accept me for who I was, and that had its weight in gold for me. Years later, when my family did try to make contact with me, I just brushed them off and told them to fuck off. It took months of them bugging me before I said “Yeah ok I will forgive you but under the condition you NEVER fucking hang the status quo over my head again, and if you do, I am out for good, don’t you fucking try me”. Turns out walking out of your family’s life and cutting them off for years does leave a lasting impression, so they accepted, and now we good. Dreamer EX 9000 was comfortable with who he was, and fuck everyone who had anything to say about it.

My childhood environment, family, school, and internet included, was always this kind of excessively... Bitch ass place, to put it mildly. Like, humility is good, PLEASE be humble, but there is such a thing as being humble to a fault, and forcing that onto others. I never was allowed to feel good about my accomplishments. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t a slimy cocky son of a bitch, and that I loved complimenting others, the moment I felt proud about me being good at something or an accomplishment, it was immediately seen badly. Why? Are we supposed to just fucking self flagellate all our god damn lives? Are we never allowed to feel good about ourselves? Fuck that noise. They wanted to paint that as narcissism? Sure, I was gonna fucking give it to them. That was kinda where the whole “narcissist Dreamer” humorous charade was born from. Whereas before I would just shut up and take it, Dreamer EX 9000 would just fucking go to town with it, and run the whole 9 yards, being fully honest when he was good at something, without being cocky, just taking pride in something that deserved being proud of.

It was at this point that I needed to start rebuilding my social network. Around April 2012, that I said good riddance to the mostly very toxic online community and I began looking for something new, something fresh to get into and give it my everything. I needed this new spice of life, and I found it in something called Touhou. I just launched myself blind into it, after a friend suggested I give the games a spin and the fan stuff a try. I had a unpleasant run in with Touhou before, but I just said “eh, bad first impressions happen, let’s try again”, and I ended up getting really, really into it. Like super duper mega into it. That’s when I started this blog! Haha, ok, so, confession, I started this blog literally just to follow a certain Touhou art askblog, and due to certain coincidences, unexpected accidents, and one self imposed challenged I actually have not ever mentioned to anyone before, I ended up in the RP side of Touhou Tumblr. That was honestly a great thing, because mid 2012 was around the time where things with my ex from then were very, very tense, and we broke up, but it wasn’t a HUGE deal to me because I more or less had come to terms that she was a terrible toxic bitch, and also that I wasn’t as mature as I thought I was (and you gotta accept your bad aspects dude). Tumblr, RP side and just regular side, lead to me meeting a ton of people I love to this day and I consider great friends, and at one point, even someone I loved romantically (and later we broke up, as some of you remember), but even with all the good and bad, with the amazingly fun starts and the sadly toxic end stretch of the RP side, I am very glad it happened, since it helped me grow as a person.

On the IRL end of things, I slowly but surely started regaining contact with real people. My best friend in life, F, accepted my apologies and helped me a great deal with not phasing out of real contact again, and on one occasion, even gave me a very stern talking to when I was starting to relapse a little into my toxic old habits (which can very much happen and you have to be strong and not fall into it again). I cannot thank him enough for this. The friends worth sticking to are the ones that are kind enough to raise a hand at you when you stray from the proper path. I started knowing new people IRL and working on how I wanted to be seen. That’s honestly important and I hate the status quo for vilifying this: It’s really important for you to present yourself in the way you want to be seen. You wanna be seen as an attractive person? It’s fully fucking ok for you to want that and for you to do your best so it happens. Don’t let weak ass social constructs oppress you. Be the fucking excellent person you want to be, but put the effort in it, yeah? And don’t forget to stay a nice person.

The years kept going, and before I knew it, Dreamer EX 9000 didn’t exist anymore, because he fused with Dreamer when I was not looking, creating The Cool Dreamer, and it wasn’t an act anymore, it was legit who I was. It was who I wanted to be, who I knew I could be, and then, it was me.

It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t smooth. I had relapses, I had bouts of I Hate Everything in midst of it, and now and then, nowadays, I still have little periods of time in which I just wake up in bad moods and very sad and bitter with no explanation, but then they are gone and I am back to being The Cool Dreamer. 

Depression hell is hard to get out of, but it’s not impossible. It won’t happen in one day, one week, one month, one year, but it will happen if you act. 

Stop thinking. Start acting. Start doing.

You can either stay where you are and rot for years to come, or you can swallow the bitter pill, go through the painful, difficult first step, and start the progress to recovery, like I did, and like how many people have done.

This is gonna hurt to read, but being a victim is comfortable. Because anything that happens, you can just blame life sucking and then you do nothing about it, as if nothing can be done about it. I know I did before I started acting. It’s bullshit. Something can be done about it. It just isn’t easy, but it’s necessary.

This is my story and my invitation: Do you want to stay sad and rotting where you are right now? Or do you want to take the painful first step now so you can smile later, and see that life has a lot of fucking awesome things, and that the pain was worth it every bit?

Pain is temporary, but glory is eternal.

Take the first step. All of us that already did will wait for you at the finish line with arms wide open.

[spokenlangston1997-blog]

Battleship

I’m just some curly haired boy, about 5’5 and brown in color. I don’t know much about the events from back then, but I’ll try my best to describe them. It’s like waking up one day with a a feeling of time standing still, or maybe that was due to the fact that I’d been left behind. Stranded in the depths of the world. I had nothing but trees to calm my view and ease my pain. I’d hear the sounds of a waterfall far off in the distance. I could remember finding that water fall one day and playing in the clear clear water until my hands got all pruny. You know pruny like when you fall asleep in the bathtub and they shrivel up, but that only happened to me once. I feel like I’ve been lost ever since a young age. Well I guess if you count the age of two, young that is. I was kidnapped from my respective village around that age. I stayed in a small little village in the middle of nowhere. This village was guarded by trees and random plants and animals. Almost, like it was a farm plantation but not one at the same time. I remembered, I use to come out and milk the cows so we’d have cereal for breakfast every morning.

But I also remember the day, I was taken from my calm, humble civilization. I remember my mom screaming hysterically and balling her poor clear blue eyes out; as the men carried me away with anger written on their face. Smells of ale and rotten eggs on their breath; bearded with hair from head to toe. This mean were I guess what you’d call modern day pirates. They’d come to civilizations like mine and take little boys and girls. They’d sell the girls for sexual favors and work labor. While, they’d train the men to battle on the front line. The chills, as I rode to unknown land to my new life. Swampy uncharted territory guarded by a heavily black dressed militia. I felt as if I’d never survive what they had planned for me.

Once, I arrived they began my training and that’s when I met the others. The most non athletic group of guys I’d ever seen in my life. It’s amazing these guys could tie their shoes without tipping over. This one kid Larry was built like my refrigerator back home. He was around 6’2 and and couldn’t see his feet even if I asked him to bend over at the waist. He was a pepperoni faced nerd, who snored extremely loud in his sleep. I tried using headphones to block out the noise but that never works with him. But its weird because he’s a walking hot head so just never mention his weight or touch his food to be honest. Speaking of food we were feed sloppy beans and peas once everyday. The peas were moldy and tender; the beans were as hard as a rock and discolored at times. Luckily, I was able to steal food when given free time. Once, managing to get a few spoons of cereal off the first floor guard. This only happened because little Timmy was playing lookout. Timmy was a special breed of stupid, well that’s what he perceived to be. I knew after talking to Timmy for a few days that this kid was the smartest on the ship. When we were first locked up and trapped in a dark room full of cages he’d tell me his master plan to escape. Just too bad he couldn’t make it out with me. At times, I miss little Timmy and our coloring book hour. This ship was dreadful so you needed friends like Timmy to past the time. It was just your typical sailor ship but more of a battleship I guess. 3 cannons built on the side with reinforced steel to back it all up. Also, multiple rooms to keep prisoners like myself in when, we got out of line. At times, I felt hopeless and helpless as I looked upon my future. Just wondering If I’d ever see my mom again or the village at that. I’d been kidnapped and no idea where I was, so honestly how could I even hope to make it back.

I’m left at an endless road, stranded in an endless paradox. I’m at ends wits and upon a jungle with no ending. My stomach floating like seashores as I panic; as if I’m left drowning gasping for my last breath. But in reality I was drowning because I needed a way out. My mind is an outcast and the militia is holding me captive. As I sit and patiently calculate a plan to escape. Telling myself, “I just want to be free”. Free like the wings of a bird soaring across the air. Free like the clouds that float with endless guidance. I’d been kidnapped and its as if time stopped. As if time couldn't bolster the thoughts I’d felt every millisecond. But that’s the thing time didn’t stop for me or anyone else at that matter. I’d seen plenty die and parish as we were upon the sea. Many of my friends had tried to escape with no surrender. Larry being the first to be thrown over the deck. They found Larry stealing food and with a plan to steal the small boat attached to the ship. When they found him they game him the punishment of no food for a month. Larry lost so much weight over the first two weeks that he was skinner than me. His body frame could handle it and one day he just didn’t wake up. They proceeded to throw him overboard and after that I don’t know what happened. I’m pretty sure the sharks probably got him. I also saw Timmy die over my span on the ship. Timmy was killed in battle with another group of pirates who said, “We’d been sailing on their turf”. Timmy was loading the cannons, when a sniper caught him right between the eyes. It was a sad day for me, I didn’t talk for months. I still remember the smell of rotting flesh, as it took them days before they tossed him over. At some point I just realized they’re trying to mentally destroy me from the inside out. As my body feels with paranoia; as I’ve been captive for what seems like an eternity.

I must escape, I must start a war among them and myself. As I start my escape I’m left with a wide spread of stares. While, the other captives drown in hopeless glares. Of the lonely world in which we plan to escape. I’d stolen weaponry the night before from the weapons cellar. I was left hopeless but on my last life as knew the only way was to continue the fight. As the militia seems to sharpen more than a thousands swords. With blood shot eyes and grinning teeth they seemed ready for war. Coming compact with armor of steel. Their bearded leader with the chiseled toothpick in his mouth and clear glass boots came afoot. Ready to press all hands forward against our army. Being built me and other captives with their thoughts of escape. We stand 6 feet tall with light facial hair and a shiver that’d make you think it was 30 below. Until the start of the war when, I decided I stand at attention then charge with all my might. While most would just drown in pity and sorrow. But in my mind one must rise as if they were a sun yet to set. We battled 50 days and 50 nights until their was a winner. We lost boys every night and most of our kills were sneak attacks. We literally split the ship in two and we were a high priority for them. They struggled to get any work done around the ship without us being there. Our main goal was to conquer and kill their leader. We knew if we could handle that task we’d take control of the ship. All the boys were in for the plan to kill the bearded captain.

We’d spent nights upon nights following his footsteps and every moves. I still remember the night we finally decided it was time to go after him. We let Larry’s brother Gary lead the way. Gary was in no way smart but he was talented. Gary could do anything and I mean anything. This guy, once wrestled a shark, well that’s what he tells us. But I’ll admit Gary is a great writer and I’ve read plenty of his pieces. But Gary was leading the way tonight because he was set out on revenge for his brother and the oldest as well. Gary turned 16 not too long ago but honestly who knows when any of our birthday’s are. We could definitely all be close to the same age by now I’d think. We snuck across enemy lines for the very last battle. It was officially day 50 and on this snowy morning the war was nonstop. Guys being thrown overboard from both sides nonstop. Until, It was just Me, Gary and the captain left alive on the boat. Then, In the blink of an eye I saw Gary and the Captain pop up with double barrel shotguns and fire simultaneously at one another. Gary flew done and the captain died on impact. I ran over to Gary to see if I could help and all he said was, “I’m free”. Gary then proceeded to give me his last poem and that was it for Gary. The poem read,

“Safe Haven

At night you sleep with a blanket

safe.

Safe from the scum of society

safe.

As if no one or thing can harm you

leaving that safe haven is hard.

It's like climbing a fence to the next yard

others will try to keep you down.

Hoping you drown.

Leaving that safe haven shall be hard.

But once your outside

you realize those kids

playing in the next yard

have let down their guard.

Some of them are scarred

but they still play

as if they're safe.

With no fear of those near and far.”

I’m still left thinking about the true meaning to that poem even at this moment in my life. I just know he’s with his brother now and that’s probably for the best. I still get shivers whenever I think about Gary and Larry but, while I sailed that ship back to my village all I could think of was my mom. How much I missed her and how much she missed me as well.

At times, I still remember the ship mostly in the form of nightmares. But my friends that went to war with me is what made my day. Day 50 honestly never will be forgotten in my mind. The rotting food will never be missed though or the stinky smell of feet across the ship. Sometimes I can still sense the feel of those cold steel cannons used for war. But eventually, I’ll get over it and be able to capture my everyday life back. Just right now I’m still scared from the event at hand and just pondering back on it.

Once, I made it back to the village my mom cried her little eyes out. Her now being an old lady and all pruny and wrinkly. But I missed her so much. I missed the smell of her flower blossom perfume and the weird Hawaii dresses. All the villagers wanted to her the story of how I escaped. But I can’t help to say, “I’ve been feeling pain of the emotional sense”. “I’ve been feeling pain and it’s sweet agony”. As I stare off in to space. They all watch me drool and snot bubbles still running down my face. As my mother repeats, “Honey are you okay”? Everyone else starts staring in anticipation of my answer. My mother nudging me as if I was a dying bodying trying to stay with her. But at that moment I’m gone like a brisk of the wind. I had the chance to set myself free on that ship and I took it. I just had to see my mother one last time. The built up stress and anxiety had got to me and I filled my cup with toxins along my ride back. I had finished that cup as soon as I got back to the village. As I laid there life less, I left my mom the poem and something a little extra that I wrote. I heard her read it as I laid lifeless.

“Safe Haven

At night you sleep with a blanket

safe.

Safe from the scum of society

safe.

As if no one or thing can harm you.

Leaving that safe haven is hard

it's like climbing a fence to the next yard.

Others will try to keep you down

Hoping you drown.

Leaving that safe haven shall be hard.

But once your outside

you realize those kids

playing in the next yard

have let down their guard.

Some of them are scarred

but they still play

as if they're safe

with no fear of those near and far”.

Then, I left her with the final words, “For the sky is blue and through tears I remember you. As if the sun set beneath you. I dread the tears, I feel for you. For thou shadows, cloud my view. As if it was a viewing party, just for you. So I’m free until we meet again, mom I love you”.

[clonerightsagenda]

A Jade post? In 2017?

I could write this post in my sleep because I’ve written 40 just like it, but I keep seeing posts about lack of Jade meta, so I guess I was a little ahead of my time and must now answer the call. If you’ve been following me for a while, you might as well keep scrolling. You’ve seen this all before in increasing tones of despair.

For everyone else, this aims to be a general overview of Jade Harley’s character, back when she was allowed to have one, looking at her issues and development. I’ll condense it a fair bit because none of us want to be here all evening, but feel free to ask me to expand on anything. I used to do this all the time.

Childhood

So let’s start at the very beginning. Jade’s home situation is revealed in pieces. Much like Dave’s, it’s played as less serious early on, with the ramifications and its impact on her personality not fully explored until later. (Jade never gets a big speech on the topic, so I fear it still went over some heads.) Over time, however, we learn that Jade has grown up alone save for a powerful dog, after her grandfather died... and she stuffed his corpse. (yuck.) She has had to fend for herself from a young age, plagued by occasional bouts of Vriska-induced narcolepsy to boot.

This has made her tough and self-sufficient. She’s one of the more capable and efficient Betas, shown when she takes charge near the tail end of their session. However, she takes it a bit far. When you’re a kid alone, no one is going to take care of you. You don’t have the luxury of hoping someone else will handle a problem, or getting bogged down in sadness or doubt. Jade takes this to the extreme of never allowing herself to express negative emotions. That’s not productive. That won’t get anything done. She’s happy happy happy all the time!!! (At least to her friends. More on that later.) 

She projects this onto her grandfather as well. Loneliness takes a toll. When Jade “encounters” her grandfather, she imagines him chastising her and has an argument with him, eventually concluding “he was much easier to deal with when he was alive”. Jade has placed a lot of her weighty expectations for herself on her grandfather, and she pretends he’s talking back to deal with her isolation. Additionally, she doesn’t know about Tavros’s interference, so as she grows older, she assumes Grandpa Harley killed himself, abandoning her to her fate. When she does learn about what happened, she blames herself. More on that later. 

Her constant cheer is particularly concerning when we consider one last detail that people also seem to forget a lot. Jade grows up knowing she’s going to die. She’s seen her own stuffed dream self, and while it may not be time stamped, she’d be able to gauge by her own height roughly how much time she has left. By the time the story starts, she knows she’s almost out. And when Tavros mentions that his dream self died in their conversation pre-Descend, she’s surprised. She didn’t know they could die. This means she didn’t think ‘oh, my dream self will die but it’ll be ok’. She thought she was going to die, full stop. But she kept up the cheerleader routine anyway.

Friendships

That segues into Jade’s personal relationships.  As I mentioned earlier, Jade refuses to express negative emotions. This is similar to John, but I’d argue John is less aware of what he’s doing. Jade knows all that dark stuff is there; she just keeps pushing it down. Instead, she acts as team cheerleader, encouraging all her other friends as they start playing the game. She tells John he can save the world, encourages Rose, and flatters Dave. Rose is the only one who pushes back a little - her comment about Jade being tough for surviving on her island suggests she might have grasped a little about her situation, and she probes a little - but Jade doesn’t give much away. John vacillates between being surprisingly perceptive and super not, and Dave tends to be absorbed in his own problems. Jade successfully keeps most of her life a secret. No one knows her grandfather is dead or that she’s alone. No one knows she’s going to die.

The person she’s most direct with, ironically, is Karkat. He hears her angry or upset, mostly because he’s not her friend. She doesn’t care what he thinks. It also seems likely, though, that she lost patience with him a long time ago. After all, from her perspective he’s been trolling them for a while, and her dismay the first time he contacts her suggests that he got on her last nerve a while back. (She gets her revenge later, showing that she doesn’t forgive him as fully as she claims during their session.) Still, it’s kind of tragic that she’s most honest with people she dislikes. As they grow less adversarial, she begins to cover more and more up. 

Karkat happens to be the character who catches her at one of her most vulnerable moments, which is...

Jadesprite

Alas, we hardly knew ye. Faced with the seemingly unbeatable boss that’s Bec Noir, Jade decides to prototype her dead dreamself in order to have a human intelligence armed with the power of a First Guardian. This... does not go as planned. Jadesprite is yanked out of the afterlife and put back into the game that traumatized and killed her. She’s hysterical and doesn’t seem to understand that John’s not dead, and she’s not thrilled about facing Jack again and probably dying in the process. This makes Jade furious. How dare this version of her not put the group’s safety over her own personal life and happiness? How dare she not be happy to be used as a tool? How dare she show fear, weakness, pain, anything but a constant eagerness to please? Jade flies into a rage because Jadesprite reveals every bit of weakness she has hidden within herself and has come to despise. This part of her was never supposed to see the light of day.

Of course, it doesn’t for long. Jadesprite shows up again for a handful of panels, which are mostly devoted to Davesprite exposition-dumping. It’s interesting to note that, while she’s more emotionally honest with him, the panel after he shows up, she’s back to the generic sprite-mode smile. She still can’t quite kick that urge to cover it all up.

Then, Jade God Tiers and absorbs Jadesprite as part of herself. She wastes no time in crushing her and everything she represents deep into a corner of her psyche. And she crushes hard. Jade mentions later that her memories of Jadesprite’s time in the bubbles is hazy, which is understandable. Bubbles are weird. But later, when Dave talks about his sword quest and Jade seems confused, he asks in exasperation, “didnt davesprite tell you anything?” And he did. He told Jadesprite information that should have made Dave’s explanation later clear. But Jade, it seems, has forgotten. Could be an authorial oversight, could be the passing of time... or could be a signifier of how hard she pushed away everything “tainted” by that ‘lesser’ version of herself. 

Yellow Yard

Hope everyone’s been enjoying themselves, because we’ve now left behind the chunk of the story where Jade gets to do much at all. She’s John’s emotional sounding board for the next three years and then spends the majority of the combo session possessed, dead, or asleep. Yes, I’m still bitter.

The fact that both of Jade’s appearances in the intermissions are focused on being a response to John’s complaining is fitting, though (besides revealing the author’s priorities), considering her role on the battleship is to do everyone’s emotional labor. I could write a massive post on battleship dynamics since I’ve had years to parse the roughly 5 sentences allotted to them, but I’ll keep it short for this post. John’s showing the strain by the first intermission (there’s a lot of subtext in the way he talks about that video game) but in general he’s missing his old life, chafing at having nothing to do, resentful of his role of “following orders” in the previous session, upset at himself  for being childish, and of course sitting on top of a simmering pile of repressed emotions he refuses to fully acknowledge. Davesprite is Sir Not Appearing In This Comic the whole time, but it’s clear he’s in a downward spiral due to his lack of a clear purpose, feelings of inadequacy, paranoia over his lesser/doomed status, and general self-hatred. Jade is the apparent ‘stable’ one. She tries to be supportive of John even as he gets increasingly nasty to her in his frustration, and she’s presumably doing her best to prop Davesprite up. Unfortunately, no one’s going to support her, because she can’t ask for help. She can’t show weakness. She has to be useful. Anything else means she’s a bad friend and a failure. So she just keeps going until she gets crushed under the weight.

It gets to her, though. By John’s 15th, she’s short with him and looks visibly annoyed in a few panels, which is unusual for her. And by the time they arrive, she heads off to deal with business without telling Davesprite where she’s going or even bothering to wake John up, which suggests she’s pretty sick of them. Still, she hasn’t given them a piece of her mind. Yet. Instead, she heads off without a word, right into the Empress’s trap.

Grimbark Mode

The Empress has been plotting for the arrival of the gods, and she gets to work. In moments, her two girls are under her control. Not only are they forced to do her bidding, but their worst impulses, desires, and repressed grievances are pulled to the surface. For Jade, this is primarily anger. Notice that she mostly lashes out at people who have wronged her. She kicks John, fabricates a reason to get Karkat stabbed (it’s strategically inadvisable to have Jane fork him, but Jade wanted to), and tries to goad Dave into a fight. Finally, all that fury is coming out.��

While talking to Roxy, Jade also reveals how much her hypercompetence issues affect her self-esteem. ‘once i was even more of a dork than you’, she tells her ‘but now i’m one of the most powerful beings in the universe’. The implication is that Jade considers her greatest asset her powers. Without them, without her ability to be useful, she’s nothing. Also in this conversation she says she’s the suckiest Jade there is, showing both her unhappiness with her current state and her deep seated self-worth issues (get in line, girl). These hypercompetency issues also fuel her fight with Jake. She arrogantly proclaims herself smarter and more powerful than him (Jade can be headstrong at times or disregard other people’s views; I’ve talked about that in other posts) but gets curbstomped because she refuses to back down from the fight or go straight for Aranea. She has been challenged, so she has to prove she’s the best... and she fails. 

Speaking of things I am still bitter about, I will never not be bitter about how grimbark mode (and crockertier mode) were handled. I was upset about my favorite character being mind controlled, yeah, but I defended it as a chance for character growth. When I saw grimbark mode, I thought, ok. This sucks, but this means Jade can’t hide anymore. It’s all out in the open. She had a guy killed, for crying out loud. Once she’s snapped out of it, she’s going to have to be honest about it. This is a turning point where she can finally tell people how she feels.

That... did not happen. Instead, Game Over did, and then the retcon, and my last hopes of Jade Harley getting decent character resolution fizzled and died. I don’t like talking about the retcon very much, so let’s make this last bit quick.

Post-Retcon

I’ll go through this fast, because it’s unpleasant. In our latest chapter of ‘Jade Harley gets fucked by the narrative because Andrew Hussie made her too op and also doesn’t care’, the retcon shifts things around so that John and Davesprite blow up soon into the trip, leaving Jade to travel the Yellow Yard alone. Accompanied by carapaces and Nanna, of course, but it’s never really acknowledged that she can interact with them, despite her growing up on Prospit. Why those two couldn’t have blown up immediately before arrival I’m not sure, considering how late retcon Roxy died, but fuck Jade, amiright? (Bitterness intensifies). Anyway, the part of this I find most egregious is that this doesn’t have as much of an impact on Jade’s character as it really should have. 

Let’s review. Jade derives a lot of her self-worth from being competent and helping people. She has had issues with loneliness in the past. She’s got some self-worth problems that she covers up with the knowledge that she has a lot of cool powers. So we blow up her two friends while she in all her God Tier and First Guardian powers is powerless to save them, and then she’s stuck alone stewing in her failure for three years, knowing she will have to face Dave and Rose and tell them what happened. 

Does it seem likely that Jade would pop out the other side of the fourth wall perky and enthusiastic? Hardly. With no witnesses left, I imagine she would have dropped the facade. Having failed her friends, if she didn’t believe the timeline was doomed, she’d probably double down on making sure it never happened again, devoting her time to leveling up and training to a greater degree than she did in the GO timeline. She’d emotionally distance herself from her friends in advance. After all, once she finds out what happened to Grandpa, she describes it as “basically my fault”, even though Grandpa let her play with guns and Tavros redirected the bullet. Part of her hypercompetency is a quickness to take responsibility even when she should not. She would blame herself for John and Davesprite’s deaths and assume Dave and Rose would as well. I imagine her trust in Skaia and a happy ending would also be shaken. The clouds never showed her this.

So Jade ought to be a mess. In canon, though, she really isn’t. Oh, she mentions to Calliope that she felt depressed. This is progress for Jade, admittedly, but in general she’s relatively the same as she always was. When she sees John, it apparently fixes that all up (setting aside his notorious issues with alt selves.) She does seem reluctant to process that Davesprite is essentially dead, repeatedly referring to D avepeta as Dave, but otherwise, she seems to slot into the new reality without a ripple. We do see a hint of the loneliness-based projection with her naming the consorts and making up stories about them, but that's mostly glossed over. And since Vriska knocks her out before she has a chance to do anything while grimbark (even deliver some nasty taunts), no one gets any indication of her suppressed anger, so no one’s prompted to ask her about it. In terms of repression, she’s cleared to continue. And, as far as we’re shown, she does. At least John gets to visibly show that he’s got issues in the credits. Jade’s a smiling background character. 

As the final insult on top of injury, Jade’s big contribution in Collide is getting punched. I’m not entirely clear as to why she’s trying to prevent PM from fighting Jack - she knows Jack is a threat and has worked against him in the past. But no, here she gets in the way until PM knocks her down. Another blow for a character who has built her self-worth upon contributing to the team. 

I have my (grim) thoughts on what Jade realistically would have turned into after all this. And honestly, you could write a ‘how the ending shafted character x’s development’ for most of the cast, but Jade is a special example because her shafting started after Cascade and never stopped. And it makes me sad, because she was my favorite, and the opportunities were RIGHT THERE to give her development and bring some of this to the surface, but the story never made the effort.

I could go into way more depth about any of this, especially her personal relationships, but this is already long and it’s late, so I will leave you with this single, simple truth: 

Jade deserved better. 

[adamjoicey-blog]

This post What to love about this Drakensberg mountain resort is written by Carmen

Back to my youth

I have the distinct impression of journeying back to my youth on the drive out to the Southern Drakensberg. Many of my family holidays have been outdoors based adventures and the drive and rolling mountains remind me of this; creating an almost palpable excitement.

Potholes and Panoramics

So off I trundle to Underberg from Pietermaritzburg. The road reminds me of the Sheryl Crow song, ‘every day is a winding road…’ because the road here is exactly that. You wind through hills and valleys, forestry, countryside and farmlands all the while trying to avoid goats, cattle and potholes. It is a bit like playing the old game, Battleships; between looking at the panoramic views and dodging a variety of potholes. One wrong move and you will be sunk.

Once you have driven through Underberg, you turn onto the Drakensberg Gardens road. This road is impossibly beautiful. With the river alongside you and the hills stretching up to the stony face of the Drakensberg in front of you, it is advisable to stop regularly for those pictures you want to shoot, or you are likely to leave the winding road.

On arrival at Goodersons Drakensberg, I am warmly greeted at the gate and reception, where a map is handed to me with directions to my room and the multitude of activities available. I decide to get settled in before I go explore and locate where dinner will be from.

The resort is reminiscent of family resorts I remember growing up. It is a place where there is something for everyone to relax in the way they enjoy most. It is a place where parents can allow their young charges to wander and play while they pursue their version of entertainment and relaxation.

Children’s laughter travels on the breeze even as they enjoy putt-putt and the tennis courts. I decide to watch the clouds pretending to be smoke signals above the horizon as the sky is painted in pink and the sun dips behind the peaks.

Your choice of sleeping

Goodersons Drakensberg has a few different types of accommodation so you can choose what you are comfortable with.

Hotel

The Hotel has a variety of 2 and 4 sleeper rooms, as well as family rooms. These are available as a standard or superior room.

Self Catering Chalets

There are 8 Self Catering chalets in 4 and 6 sleepers.

Timeshare

There are 4 and 6 sleepers Timeshare units with views of the golf course and mountains.

The rooms are comfortable, decorated in wood and neutral tones which create a calm and restful atmosphere. The bed provided me with a good, solid nights rest and even a bit of a doze during a Super 15 rugby game (sorry Sharks, I promise it wasn’t on purpose).

I frequented my small semi-private porch with views of the Rhino peak and escarpment on display. It made for a comfortable spot to have a cup of coffee while watching the light play across the scenery as the sun slipped behind the peaks. Also I had fun watching the starlings hop on and off the reed dividers separating the rooms.

For the Foodies

Meal times are quite special. There are 5 restaurants and 2 bars you could choose from to visit. Booking is essential for the restaurants for all meals. You don’t want to find yourself not having a seat because you forgot to book (a lesson I learnt quickly). Wildcat and Trout and Buck bars have different specials depending on what day of the week you are on, as well as activities such as Kareoke, dancing or you could enjoy pool on two full size tables.

Eagles Roost Restaurant is the biggest restaurant of the five. I had both dinner and breakfasts here. The food in the evening was carvery style with roasts and all the yummy vegetable sides you could hope for. This was accompanied by mouth-wateringly tasty roast potatoes and wellingtons. There was also a variety of salads and cheeses to choose from. These can all be paired with lovely red wine (or adult beverage of your choosing) and good conversation. This combination made sure that my evening was satisfyingly whiled away with a comfortable ambience.

Bergview Restaurant is a smaller more private space with only 20 people at a time being able to have dinner here. Expect low lighting, superbly prepared food and more intimate space.

Vinenot is a family orientated restaurant providing tasty pizzas, burgers and unusual decor. It has a slightly Italian feel and is also rarely quiet around mealtimes. The Bistro will keep you in cappuccinos and light meals during the day; as will the Fairways Golf course restaurant when you come in from a hike or a round of golf. They also have a bar to celebrate that almost hole in one you managed to get.

So what is there to do?

So much. I think the best way to look at this is to pick your favourite things and punctuate it with relaxation. I personally enjoyed the hikes, spa and horse riding immensely. But I also managed to take time to listen to the river running, watch the eland grazing on the ridge above the resort and golf course, contemplate the mist moving through the valley and watch the first rays of the day hit the peaks and then spill into the valley below colouring everything in its path in warm orange light. I think that you can find a great balance here at Goodersons Drakensberg.

For the Big People

There is, in no particular order: Horse riding, pool, bars, bowls, swimming, hiking, zip lining, elevated bird walk, golf, tennis, squash, putt putt, spa, heated pools and of course, the gym.

For the Smaller People

There is: The adventure course, zip lining, swimming, discovery park (petting zoo), led horse rides, arcade, movie room, outdoor chess, trampolines, putt putt, water slides, tennis and badminton.

My favourite thing

There are three routes that you can hike. At the time, I just wanted a view. So I hiked from Fairways along the dam wall and straight up the ridge. Needless to say, my lungs took a little bit of a knock before I got to the top. But there was a more sedate route around the ridge. Once I got to the top I had two spectacular views. One down across the dam and golf course down the valley and over the resort. The other, out towards the escarpment and Rhino peak. One view would have been utterly worth it. But two, just priceless! So this, along with the rather puzzled-looking lone Eland, was the highlight of my trip.

Will everyone love Goodersons Drakensberg? I suppose that is entirely up to what you enjoy. I think that it is clearly a comfortable place with a bit of something for everyone. It is just this that has you enjoying each day more and more and kind of wishing you could press the pause button on time for a while.

Families are going to be super pleased with allowing their young ones to run around breathing in great gulps of fresh air while entertaining themselves. All the while the adults have their own form of relaxation without the pressures of worrying about the kids.

You can either fill your days with entertainment and delicious dining, or relax and recline to recoup.

To me that sounds like a total winner!

So in conclusion… Yes, I think everyone will love a few days at Gooderson Drakensberg.

You can find booking details at the Goodersons website or catch them on Facebook or Instagram for updates on all the latest specials and fun.

Please note that this was a sponsored stay. As always, all opinions are entirely my own.

The post What to love about this Drakensberg mountain resort appeared first on Meanderings.

[bwprowl]

I’m back again with some toys to talk about! Statues of big spaceships and little computer hackers hang out with goofy robot girls and even goofier role-play weapons, and then I take time to ruminate on Rubik'ses, as well as more vintage-toku-themed stuff! And after all that, I take a look at one of the biggest pieces I’ve amassed in a while (and quite looked forward to). I missed you too, so let’s just get right back into these Tuesday Night Toys!

New Stuff: What’s Yamato with you?

Megahouse has this really cool statue of the unstoppable Space Battleship Yamato out in August. I’m mostly super into this thing because of the presentation; check out that asteroid ring. It lends a lot of presence to what would otherwise be a rather standard spaceship model. One day I’ll sit down for the new Yamato, just for how turned on all the toys make me.

I did finally manage to finish Persona 5 over the weekend, and if you thought that would make me move on from it, you thought like an idiot! Now that I can freely search for stuff from the game without worrying about spoilers, I’m going to be checking out all kinds of stuff from it. Just in time, Good Smile put up pre-orders for a statue of socially-anxious navigator and owner of a dungeon that’s a massive P4 tribute, Futaba! You know me, I’ll always prefer posable figures when I get them, but a nice-looking statue is still notable, and this one is cute for what will probably be the first of many. And I’m not just saying this because Futaba was the girl I romanced on my first play-through.

What can I say, I gotta go for the Super Sentai fan who collects action figures and is voiced by Aoi Yuuki

Bandai’s mashing up of their Build Fighters characters with Build Fighters Gunpla kits continues, and of course they’re sticking with the cute girls. This latest one is the China’gguy, combining the first Build Fighters season’s leading lady with her adorable stuffed-bear kit with a really clever pun name. China’gguy has multiple option parts, and looks like it should go well with the Super Fumina, thematically anyway. I do wonder if there’s an in-universe justification for this one though, like there was with the Super Fumina. I’m a little behind on keeping up with all the ancillary Build Fighters media, myself.

Also I’ll always be a little disappointed that China’s custom kit wasn’t the China Gundam.

Nerf will have a GameStop-exclusive pack with a Boba Fett-themed blaster and mask as a tie-in to Star Wars Battlefront. That’s a few different franchises getting taped together for one product, but the result is a neat-looking Nerf gun and an irresistibly fun protective mask. Might be worth getting just to see if that silly thing would work for airsoft. Box looks nice too.

Wishlist: Boss Cross

Reblogging that bit about Machinesaurer vs Death Cross yesterday reminded me that I’d seen that big robotic jackass somewhere before: The pre-order for the new Dynamite Action Death Cross. This high-end upgrade of the classic parts-forming robot toy recreates the old version in a nicely modern way, and is even available in multiple colors. Man, now that I know more about this, I hope they get around to a new version of Machinesaurer to fight him.

We also got new, full-color production pics of the upcoming Super Mini-Pla Dragon Caesar, mostly notable for now showing off his combination with DaiZyuJin. Looks like the kits will interact well, and only step up the question of if they’ll do King Brachion afterwards.

Plus, you guys want to do some Dairanger kits, I’d be totally into it

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that a reissue of Takaratomy’s Mickey Mouse Trailer, that silly Transformers/Mickey Mouse crossover figure is up for pre-order, in both the regular and black-and-white color schemes. Good to see they have a mind to keep putting these things out, though I’m more keeping my eyes out for another go at the Donald Duck.

And lastly, speaking of Transformers mash-ups, I’m still shooting a glance at this Rubik's Crew Optimus Prime figure. Yeah, it’s just another movie-year cash-in trinket for another themed subline trying to ride the Funko-Pop train into oblivion. But still, after years of people inexplicably comparing Transformers to Rubik's Cubes anyway (I disagree with that vehemently, ask me about it sometime), getting a Transformer that literally IS a Rubik's Cube is pretty dang funny to me. So that’s a thing. If I see it, and it’s cheap, I might grab it.

On Desk: Big Cats

I finally completed Playmates’s ‘Legendary’ 16 inch Voltron last week, grabbing the Black Lion and thus getting to stick ‘em all together. I’ve actually been slowly assembling the team for a few months now, one piece at a time every other paycheck or so. It was an interesting way to get something like this, alternative to the way I’d just splurge on a whole wave of Combiner Wars Transformers at once. Getting the Voltron kitties this was seemed a bit more…satisfying? Goal-oriented, I guess? I dunno, but all the build-up made finally getting to put them all together feel like a real treat.

I mean, the individual lion toys on their own aren’t bad toys. They’re big, they look good, they’re nicely posable and come with surprisingly strong clip-on launcher weapons. They definitely feel like toys in their own right, rather than glorified components of one bigger piece. The Black Lion, with its heftier price tag and carrying all the electronics, is clearly the centerpiece, but they’re all impressive figures. If you just wanna get, say, the Red Lion for a while because you really like the Red Lion (and who wouldn’t after Season 2), you probably won’t be disappointed.

But oh man, once you do get all five lions together, how well they function as set becomes pretty obvious. It’s not just the standard ‘look how cool the whole team looks together’ aspect either; the sounds in the Black Lion and how they interact with all the others at once for the combination gimmick is one of the more impressive uses of electronics I’ve seen in a while. The core torso detects as you attach each lion, giving the specific pilot a voiced callout and interaction with Shiro for each connection. Then, when they’re all connected, there’s a big group speech with flashing lights and sound effects. It is downright DX Sentai-mecha level. There’s a button for sound effects on the Black Lion you can press. When it’s uncombined, you get solo battle crys and commands from Shiro, while in Voltron mode, he actually shouts orders to the other pilots, and then has them respond to him. As an adult, I already think this is pretty damn neat, but if I was a kid, this would be play-pattern gold.

As a Voltron toy itself, it’s just remarkably solid too. The transformations of the Lions into their component modes are complex enough to be satisfying, and the combination is suitably smooth. I was surprised that the Black Lion’s legs just slide right into the boots; no opening or clamping or anything, they just slot and lock right in. There is a little latch on the back you pull to disengage them, but that works well too. The arms are a little more fiddly, having their little flip-out connection joints to peg into the shoulders, but they aren’t that hard, and stay in once you’re done.

At the end of it, you have this *amazingly*-sized, sweet-lookin’ Voltron figure. It looks way better, more proportionate than the dumpy stock photos had me worried it would be. And seriously, I can’t overstate how stupidly huge this thing is once it’s together. It’s almost Devastator-size, it’s great. For all the amusing kids-toy electronics and gimmicks anchoring the play of this thing, the size and looks also mean you’re getting one killer display piece for your hard work in collecting it.

Posability is pretty good, but not amazing. The arms are probably the weakest link, with their incredibly shallow elbow joints that you have to fuss the rear lion legs out of the way to use besides, but there’s also the case of there being no side-to-side neck swivel, which is just dang inexplicable. Fortunately there are still good shoulders and wrists, and the legs fare pretty well, pulling off double-jointed knees and even including slight ankle tilts! Overall, it’s still a pretty dynamic big toy, it could just stand to be better in a couple places.

Even with those articulation misgivings, it’s still an incredibly impressive piece. The size, complexity, and electronics all add up to make it feel like the big event of a toy it’s supposed to be. If you’re a big fan of the new show (and if you haven’t checked it out yet, I earnestly recommend that you do), and you’ve got the money and time to spare, this is a really cool thing to work up to. It’s rewarding.

Well that’s enough from me tonight, everyone! I hope you all have fun, and I’ll see you next time!

[putthehaminhamilton]

“Who?” Captain Andrew Mal asked as he looked over his roster.

“Lt. Roswell Sir.” I replied with a confidence. “I’ve looked over his service record and believe he’d be of better use on a light cruiser like the Pilgrim than on a battleship like Columbus.”

“The Pilgrim is one of those new saber cruisers right? The deep space, low support ones?”

“They just finished growing her Sir.”

“Who’s The Captain?”

“Captain Hailey Shelby Sir.”

“Good kid Shelby. Strong head, smart, and a sense of humor.” Captain Mal stroked his mustache. “Fine kid, you can take Roswell. A little age and experience on your ship will do some good.

People from Roswell’s old life would look at him at times and frown as if they were wondering how he could have ended up like this. They wondered how the legendary pilot had been reduced to Night helmsman on a battleship. I’d read his logs. He wrote that he wanted to stop them and explain that he had never felt so safe, so free, so loved. But he couldn’t, so he watched them walk past and I could see the sadness in his eyes.

“Come on, my guy.” His brother in everything but blood said throwing an arm over his shoulders. “Let’s go do something fun.” Ensign Luke Mayer grinned.

“Roswell. Mayer. A word.” Mal declared as we approached.

“Did we do something wrong Sir?”

“You’re being transferred to the Pilgrim. Effective immediately. I’ll miss you two, but your talents are wasted here.”

“I’m Commander Wai, XO of the Pilgrim. It’s an honor to meet you Mr. Roswell.” I extended my hand and he took it in a powerful grip.

“Well that sounds like more fun than another game of poker.” Ensign Mayer chuckles. We shook hands and nod at each other.

“Grab your things, we’re headed to the cruiser in fifteen.”

“Yes sir.” Both replied before hustling away.

A few weeks later:

“This is Captain Shelby of the Star Guard Vessel Pilgrim. State the nature of the emergency.” Shelby says as we strap in.

“Mayday! Mayday! This is the Hemingway, we’ve been caught in a dark matter cloud! Systems failing! Mayday!”

“Captain we have coordinates.” I nod at him.

“Hemingway hold tight we’re on our way.” Shelby declares. “All hands all decks, prepare for warp drive.”

“Artificial Gravity disengaged. All decks strapped in.” I reply as I grip the harnes and breathe.

“Course set Captain.” Roswell grins at me. “Afraid the straps won’t hold you in Martian?”

“They say never meet your heroes.”

“Cut the chatter. Helm: Engage.” The captain grins. The warp drive makes a noise like metal foil being waved. The acceleration pulls us down at nearly fifteen gs as we go to warp. We scream into the emptiness of space out away from Sol towards the coordinates of the ship. “Helm reduce relativistic speed, keep that warp drive up.”

“Aye Sir, dropping is to Zero G.” I hear as the weight on me releases and I let out a sigh.

“Ensign Mayer prepare a gravity tug with the warp drive.”

“Sir, we don’t have the engine capacity to pull a ship that size free and not get pulled into the cloud ourself.”

“Not in a straight tug.” Roswell chimes in. He then pulls up a diagram and starts to put in vectors. “If we arc around the cloud fast enough we can use the cloud’s gravity to slingshot us away with enough momentum to pull the Hemingway free.”

“Mr. Mayer would that work?”

“We’d need to rupture the warp bubble so that it flings us out at the right angle. Which will absolutely blow most of the warp core. If I can keep enough of the warp core on line to use for the gravity tug… it will work Captain.”

“We also need to make sure the angle isn’t too tight,” I add in, “or we’ll get pasted banking the cloud. Though the computer could still pull the Hemingway free.”

“Is there any thing we can do to prevent that?”

“If we move the crew to the areas of the ship that are going to be under the least strain and give the right angle we should be ok. If at all possible we could use the artificial gravity to reduce the strain.”

“Mr. Roswell get me the angle where we can pull that ship free and not tear this brand new ship apart. Mr. Wai move the crew into position.”

“Aye Sir.”

“Yes sir.”

“Ensign Mayer what can you do to keep the warp core from going totally inoperative?”

“I can blow power out of other systems.”

“Have tactical remove the ammunition from our railguns and pull the torpedos out of their tubes. Reorient Power into those systems. What about long distance sensors?”

“We might lose short range too.”

“See to it that we don’t.” Shelby orders. “Hop to it. Let’s see what this Saber can really do.”

The ship scrambles to move crew and munitions out of the way. We adjust heading as the time to pull off the maneuver ticks down closer and closer.

“Captain. Time to maneuver thirty seconds.”

“All hands all decks: This is your Captain. We are about to perform a high g maneuver to rescue a stranded ship. Strap in and prepare for a bumpy ride. Captain Shelby out.” He pauses and nods as he secures himself. “Hail the Hemingway tell them to kill engines. Alright gentlemen, engage maneuver.”

“Popping warp bubble.” Roswell grits his teeth and we all are forced down as we for a split second hit 100gs of force. The ship rocks and the lights flicker as we rout the feedback loop through the ship. I grit my teeth as I see stars. “Adjusting heading by thirteen degrees to port.” We all are pulled forward in our seats as the ship hurtles at blinding speed through the blackness of space. “Adjusting five degrees dorsal.”

“Tell me that tug is ready Mr. Mayer!”

“Tug locked sir!”

“Secondary burn initializing.” The ship burns and we are slapped back into our seat. My vision blurs as my breath thins. I can hear someone screaming and it takes a moment before I recognize my own voice. “Correcting Course five point seven degrees dorsal and fifteen degrees starboard. Captain time to deploy tug in-“

“All hands hold on!”

“-five, four, three, two, one.”

“Engage!” The captain shouts over the groaning of the ship’s woven carbon and titanium hull bending.

“Tug-“ we’re all pulled upwards as the ship decelerates sharply and almost reverses from the new weight. “-deployed captain.”

“The Hemingway is free sir!” Roswell shouts and we all cheer.

“Status report.”

“Weapons are shot, our long range sensors are fried and our warp core has half power. Injuries reported on deck 6, but no fatalities.” I answer. “The Hemingway is hailing us.”

“Patch them in. Video if you can.” Captain Shelby releases his restraints and takes a deep breath.

“This is professor Martin. Captain Shelby, thank you- what happened?” The older man looks us over. I glance back and see the smoke curling up in the ship.

“We pulled off a .25c orbital maneuver and had to blow out half our systems to keep our gravity tug online.” Roswell grins and then busts up laughing. “We should have died!”

“Told you we needed the best pilot in the Guard Captain.”

“How’s your ship sir?” Shelby smiles.

“Hardly even comparable. We’re fine.”

“We’ll make repairs and then escort you to port.”

“Absolutely Captain Shelby. And again thank you for your bravery.” The face disappears off our screens.

“Ok boys and girls, let’s get those sensors and engines back online.”

“Captain. Spatial anomaly on the shortrange! Closing!”

“Brace for impact!” The ship rocks gently and then goes still.

“Status?”

“The dark matter is gone, the Hemingway is still here. They are hailing.”

“Hemingway we are-“

“Captain Shelby can you confirm your position in space?”

“Roswell?”

“Not with our long range sensors down.”

“Tell us when you can Captain.”

People from his old life would look at him at times and frown as if they were wondering how he could have ended up like this. He wanted to stop them and explain that he’s never felt so safe, so free, so loved. But he couldn’t so he would watch them walk but with sad eyes.

“Come on, my guy.” His brother in everything but blood said throwing an arm over his shoulders. “Let’s go do something fun.”

[at-least-ill-die-a-lionturtle]

All of the questions. 💖

** Links are in bold **

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? It depends on the cereal. Raisin Bran gets 50/50 milk-to-cereal ratio, while something like Fruity Pebbles gets a 30/70 milk-to-cereal ratio

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? I CHERISH IT WITH ALL OF MY HEART AND SOUL

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? Whatever happens to be the closest, flat object

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? I like my coffee as such: 50% coffee, 30% half&half, 20% sugar. Im going to assume this means hot tea, which Ive only had green. But I like my green tea with three sugars.

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? Very. I have bad gaps on all my front teeth

6: do you keep plants? No, but I really want to :3

7: do you name your plants? I will give them lovely names. Like Hamish, and Ludacris

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? Music

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? I DO, I do it all the time

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? Mostly side and stomach. I roll around a lot

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends? Hey Karen, have you sent those faxes?

12: what’s your favorite planet? Mars

13: what’s something that made you smile today? A few things. My girlfriend, Rob Schneider, Achievement Hunter

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? Like this, I’d imagine15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! On Venus a day is longer than a year. The length of time it takes to complete one whole orbit around the Sun is 224.7 Earth days. However it takes 243 Earth days to rotate on its axis just once.

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish? Uhm… Lasagna? I need more time to think about this lol

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? Ive dyed it blue before, it started off kinda dark and ended like a bubblegum blue. Next time I wanna dye it like this but darker

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. The time during marching band when we did our invitationals. Me and a buddy were in charge of the water station, and the valve on one of the jug-thingies wasnt working right. I told my buddy, “Hey, it wont work right unless you flick it first.” And the band director of the band walking buy, he was like 70 years old, kinda sounded like Old Man Jenkins from Spongebob. He said, in a tone that he knew EXACTLY what kinda joke he was making, “It works when I flick it!” And we were literally rofl

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? I keep a dream log, but I havnt updated it in years. Its not very often that I remember enough of my dreams to actually write them down. But I’ll go ahead and make posts with the two that Ive kept, here and here

20: what’s your favorite eye color? Greens and blues

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. Ive got this Halo 3 messenger bag thats like a Desert Storm color. One end of the strap has come off, a lot of the ends are frayed, and one of the zippers no longer works.

22: are you a morning person? Ive always been a morning person, and I also used to be a night owl. But now I struggle to stay up past 10pm

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? Watch Youtube and play video games

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? Yeah (:

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into? My own home lmao

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit? My stupid fucking work boots lol Only pair of shoes I own

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor? Trident Layers Strawberry Citrus

28: sunrise or sunset? Primarily sunrise, but also sunset

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? When @pizzaboxx​ attacks the patriarchy

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? Yes, quite a few times actually. I almost tumbled down a mountain in a Jeep Wrangler when I was 7

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. I think okay about socks. I like wearing weird socks, I have a pair of Captain America ones with little wings. I do sleep with socks. I mostly do yeah lol Im pretty much always wearing socks unless swimming or showering is involved

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. Partook in some hooliganism at a Walmart, which included, but was not limited to, prank calling 9-11.

33: what’s your fave pastry? Bear claw and/or apple fritter

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? Ive had an Orca named Oscar since I was like 10

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? Nah, not really

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now? Faunts

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? It kinda goes back and forth

38: tell us about your pet peeves! God damn, thats a list for another day lol

39: what color do you wear the most? Black and other dark colors. But Ive picked up a small array of light colored clothes over the last few years

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you? I own an Amulet of Stendarr. It increases your Block skill by 10%. Stendarr is the Tamriellic god of Justice and Mercy. He is the patron of cleric-type folks, as his devout followers, the Vigilant of Stendarr, travel the lands rooting out demons and undead such as vampires.

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving? Hm… I dont really know. My memory is shite and I havnt read a book in full in SO long

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! Not really, never have really been to an actual coffee shop. FUCKIN LOVE WAWA THO

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? Alex 

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? I dont know if Ive ever truly felt like that. But Ive been close a few times.

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? Not a lot, but on occasion.

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. I’m always on time with my jokes. I guess you could say I’m pretty pun-ctual.

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? Fucking anything with cabbage. Oh, and candy corn. Fight me.

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? I used to be really afraid of the dark, but not really anymore.

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? I LOVE cds! And I’ll start getting records when I get a record player. The last cds I bought was a Weezer collection. It had Blue, Pinkerton, Green, Make Believe, and Red.

50: what’s an odd thing you collect? Nothing that I can think of, really.

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? MY buddy Sam; You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? None really. But Im sure something good will come around.

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? No, no, yes, and yes. I really like Beetlejuice, and I LOVE Pulp Fiction.

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? poop

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point? Im not really sure

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? The passion for something they love

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? I ALWAYS dramatically re-enact the lyrics. HOW CAN YOU NOT?!

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? Dont know about wine mom, but my friend Caitlyn is DEF the vodka aunt lmao

59: what’s your favorite myth? The American Dream

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? I do, but I dont go out of my way to read it

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received? I honestly cant think of anything right now, for either situation

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? I drink juice literally whenever possible, preferably apple juice.

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? Leave them to be

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? Midnight blue

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? YES. My group of friends from back home, and my baby sister

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? Made of blue Morning Glory’s and pink Hibiscus

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? SO GOOD. I always feel in a better mood.68: what’s winter like where you live? One week of frigid temps and occasionally Fall like temps but mostly in mid to high 70′s69: what are your favorite board games? Battleship, Scrabble, hmmm. Thats all I can think of at the moment70: have you ever used a ouija board? Never71: what’s your favorite kind of tea? Sweet iced tea. Im also trying out some Scottish Heather tea right now and its quite delightful72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it? YES. I am so forgetful lmao73: what are some of your worst habits? Forgetfulness is the root of most, if not all, of my bad habits. So Imma go with that.74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. Loud, but also quiet at times. Very laid back, but adventurous. Trust-worthy and reliable. Never afraid of a good dick joke.75: tell us about your pets! OKAY! First dogs, then cats. Otis is a momma’s boy and loves socks. Charlie is energetic but loves being lazy on the bed AND BORFS LOUD AT SQUIRRELS and will steal your food without a second thought. Sheep is blind and likes the bathroom. Izzy is hella stressed and barks at EVERYTHING. Bojack is a grandpa with literal Alzheimers and sleeps A LOT. Lady chews on EVERYTHING and often throws up stuff like string and leaves and loves to be held. Gizmo likes to jump up against your leg and rip apart your flesh with his little raptor claws. Dobby gets hurt and cold easy but plays SUPER rough and is a MAJOR GROANER when sleepy and stuff.  NOW CATS. Oscar is smol and cuddly and gets cold, but he PEES EVERYWHERE. NOTHING IS SACRED. Bones is also smol and very shy, doesnt like the other cats and REALLY LOVES Charlie. Frizzo is sweet most times but growls at everything and is an ASSHOLE to Bones and Carter. Carter stays away and hidden, she doesnt like the other animals. Will boop you when she wants attention. Lucy is our angry son, he is a super asshole to all the cats except Bones because thats his girlfriend, and is especially mean to Frizzo and Carter. He has an old man face when he’s tired.76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t? Going to bed lol Super tired, but I need to finish my tea.77: pink or yellow lemonade? Yellow78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? I dont hate them, but I dont like them either79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? Alex has done plenty of cute things for me, because everything she does is cute :380: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? Fucking fake wood panels. We did not :P81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. I dont know too much about any of my friends eyes???82: are/were you good in school? NOPE lol83: what’s some of your favorite album art? Really like the album artwork of Deep Blue by Parkway Drive84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? I AM! I have a few specific ones planned, but also a bunch of inspiration here!85: do you read comics? what are your faves? I do not, but I really want to! I want to get into Spider-Man, The Flash, Ms. and Captain Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy, and anything Teen Titans related.86: do you like concept albums? which ones? I think this is a concept album?87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? Good Will Hunting, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Her88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? Expressionism and Impressionism89: are you close to your parents? LOL NOPE90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. FUCKING LOVE SAVANNAH. Its the perfect blend of historic and modern. Right on the beach/river. Lots of cool things going on. Also downtown is BEAUTIFUL.91: where do you plan on traveling this year? No idea lol92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? DROWN IT.93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most? Varied lengths, and its really hard to tame my hair. Even with gel and shit. So I just let it do its own thing mostly.94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? An old friend from Runescape95: what are your plans for this weekend? Not a got damn thing!96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? I used to procrastinate them a lot, but Ive gotten better at it97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? It changes almost every time I take it, but I think its ISFP? Taurus. Gryffindor but I relate to Hufflepuff as well98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? Like over a year ago, I went with my buddy Sam and it was a pretty good time.99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. Jesus Doesnt Mosh - The Ambulance Review, Engine 45 - The Ghost Inside, Broken Mirrors - Mercy Screams, Rise Against, like just in general; [This Is More; We’re What Separates the Heart from the Heartless; Amber; Some Kind of Hope; Sufferer/La Poderosa; Diamond; Ring Loud (Last Hope); D(I AM)OND; Built Upon the Sand; The Suspend] songs in brackets are by Stick to Your Guns. Im total trash, sorry not sorry.100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? Easy, I would definitely go back five years into the past. It would be awesome to have my current knowledge so I could better prepare myself for my life today.

[topdiyhub]

I remember playing a paper and pencil version of the Battleship Game as a kid. In fact, it has been around since about World War 1. I also had an “electronic” variant in the early 1960’s called “Sonar Sub Hunt” that had lights and sounds and hidden mines. By today’s video game standards Battleshi... By: Boomer48 Continue Reading » from Instructables: exploring https://ift.tt/2yO0Sjf via IFTTT

[creativebusstop]

Why The Whales Came, Ovalhouse, My Culture Club Review

We are lucky to have such bright and sparkly culture club famiies dotted around this Capital, who will happily skip off to the theatre, and deliver gold star reviews for us on a regular basis.

One of our families is Mother Shilpa, and her daughter Diya, who are huge theatre fans, so be sure to feel you are in very good company when you read this review. Just before Santa arrived at their house this Christmas, they enjoyed a girls trip to the Ovalhouse to see Why The Whales Came.

Why the Whales Came, is a story by award-winning children’s writer Michael Morpurgo, and was produced by With Wizards Presents, and multi-award winning performer and storyteller Danyah Miller.

5 things Diya liked are in the review below.

The fact that Danyah Miller carried the entire play on her own. “She can do so many voices! She was the narrator and also Gracie and Daniel and the Birdman.  Sometimes one after the other, and then again, and all so quickly!” Danyah was quite amazing – managed to hold everyone’s attention for the entire hour entirely on her own, sometimes with props, sometimes using different voices but pretty much entirely on her own. Her imitation of the Birdman – from his voice to his body posture and mannerisms – really stood out.

“The set looked a little boring when the play first started but there were so many hidden parts. Can you believe there was water hidden inside?” The set looked very plain at first glance but amazing props were hidden in various levels and shelves. Danyah used these props masterfully – as also the space and levels afforded to her by an otherwise deceptively simple looking set.

“It was fun that we played games in the beginning and the end.” Danyah broke the ice and got the children to engage with her and also get them in a frame of mind to concentrate by playing a version of Battleships. I had not realised that Battleships was a game developed after WW1 so it also set the time and mood for the start of the play. At the end, she lightened the mood by sprinkling the kids with “snow” and also sharing sea shells that the children could then take home to remind them of the beach.

“I really liked when she used her phone to make the video of the sea and the storm.” At one point, the set opened up to show a trough of water. Danyah put on boat on it and then used her phone screen to replicate a storm – it was really mesmerising – and also incredibly creative!  

“I liked that she had a clear voice and was so confident .” This is probably part of Point 1 above but I think the idea that one woman could play multiple roles in a play and keep everyone’s attention from start to finish was something Diya really seemed to focus on. 

As a parent, I thought it was a really well executed adaption and an excellent show for my 7 year old. A difficult story to tell well without it getting too scary or dark – but one handled very well with a few funny moments thrown in to diffuse the tension. The set was really very creative – and the actress used it for amazing impact. Many of the props (eg the flowing fabric, the carved bids) brought beauty and gentleness to an otherwise stark looking set.

I would definitely recommend it to friends with children. I would however suggest that they not allow young kids in as some got a bit distracted and loud (the subject matter was probably a bit too advanced for them?) – which broke the flow for the rest of the audience.

MORE DETAILS;

Why the Whales Came was at the Ovalhouse, 22 – 31 December 2016, and is touring and you can see it at the Lyric Hammersmith from 28th Jan, 2017.

Oval house, 52-54 KENNINGTON OVAL LONDON SE11 5SW. UNITED KINGDOM

BOX OFFICE: 020 7582 7680 / WORKADMIN: 020 7582 0080 / FAXFAX: 020 7820 0990

WHY THE WHALES CAME

BY MICHAEL MORPURGO Adapted for the stage by Dani Parr and Danyah Miller in association with Watford Palace Theatre

We are delighted to announce our next one-woman family show, created by the same team who brought you the acclaimed and much-loved production of ‘I Believe in Unicorns’.

THE STORY Multi-award-winning performer and storyteller Danyah Miller vividly brings to life another enchanting tale by Michael Morpurgo. ‘Why The Whales Came’ is full of fun, mystery and adventure. Children Gracie and Daniel have been forbidden to go near the mysterious and seemingly dangerous Birdman. But messages and clues intrigue them and, after being lost at sea in the fog and stranded on his tiny island, they begin to unravel the Birdman’s secrets, the villagers’ fears and superstitions and learn why the whales came to the island. 

A family show for everyone from 7 – 107 years old (not suitable for under 7’s) Running Time: 60 minutes without an interval

‘It is a wonderful story brilliantly told that kept the audience entranced from start to finish.’ Kate Gould – London News – 5 Stars

‘Danyah Miller was born to tell stories.’ Please Mind the Blog – 4 Stars

‘Miller and the creative team really show just how creative storytelling can be. Tal Fox – A Younger Theatre

This is a vivid, enchanting and beautiful gem of a production with a heartfelt message, delivered in an imaginative and thought-provoking way. Simone Green

‘This show is brilliant’ Mumsnet Merton & Wimbledon

‘Danyah Miller is a storytelling phenomenon. Michael Morpurgo

CREATIVE TEAM Performer: Danyah Miller

Director:  Dani Parr Designer: Kate Bunce Video Designer: Cate Blanchard Movement Director: Jennifer Jackson Sound Designer: Martin Thompson Lighting Designer: Will Evans Voice Coach: Gemma Boaden Dramaturge: Morgan Lloyd Malcolm

Production Manager: David Ferrier Stage Manager: Matt Llewellyn Smith

Marketing:  Boom Ents Production Photography: Helen Murray Education Pack: Kirsten Hutton & Emily Rollings Trailer: Dean Stead

The show premiered at Watford Palace Theatre on Saturday 24th September. For tour dates and booking information see above. If you are interested in booking the show please contact Samantha Lyden at Protours Theatre