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alyasgf · 4 years ago

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Private Tutor Adrinette April- Day 10 Tutor

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Summary-

Marinette hates Adrien. But who else is lining up to tutor her in Algebra 2 weeks before the exam?

Word Count- 1223

AO3

Begin

Marinette hates Adrien. But who else is lining up to tutor her in Algebra 2 weeks before the exam?

It all started with their second to last mock test. Marinette had been out fighting an akuma late the night before and hadn’t had a chance to study. Needless to say she got a 60%. Her teacher told her to either find a tutor or have her parents called.

Adrien was top of the class. That in itself peeved Marinette off. Especially considering had she had less responsibilities she surely could’ve gotten better grades.

She hadn’t liked Adrien since the beginning of the school year and she certainly wouldn’t start now.

Unfortunately, when Adrien offered to tutor her she had already been turned down by about half the class due to busy schedules.

“Y’know Marinette my dad wouldn’t mind you coming over after school weekdays for studying.” Adrien offered with a small smile.

Marinette wasn’t sure of what his angle was. Gain her trust and then spill all her secrets to Chloe? Find out her secret nutmeg allergy and use it against her? Either way she didn’t have a choice.

So when the final bell rang and everyone headed to the school gate, Marinette had no choice but to wait for Adrien.

“He’s not that bad Marinette.” Alya tried for about the 20th time. “Nino hangs out with him constantly. If he was trying to pull something he’d know.”

“Do you not remember how the first day of school went? He put a piece of gum on my chair. I caught him firsthand.” She huffed, sitting on a bench and looking around for the blonde.

“Maybe there’s some sort of explanation. That doesn’t sound like him.” Alya attempted to reason, knowing how stubborn her friend was. “All I’m saying is give him a chance. A fresh start. He might surprise you.”

“I doubt it, but its cute that you’re so positive.” She teased, tapping her friend lightly on the nose.

Just then she saw a sleek black car pull up and Adrien head towards it. He turned and waved her over.

“There’s my cue. I’ll text you if he decides to torture my secrets out of me.” She stood up and walked towards the car.

Adrien held the door open for her and she slid in without even a glance towards him.

“I’m so glad we can finally spend some time together.” Adrien said in a hopeful tone.

He almost seemed genuine. Still Marinette stuck to her resolve.

“This is for studying. It’s not exactly hanging out with a friend” She almost felt bad for that comment as she saw his face fall.

They were silent for the rest of the ride.

————————————

Most of the studying was done very businesslike.

Marinette would solve a problem, Adrien would tell her she did it wrong, and she would correct it. She would leave at 4:30 sharp without a goodbye and that would be that.

It went on like that for almost a week. By Thursday Adrien seemed to have broke.

“Marinette, why do you hate me? Everyone else gets to have such a loyal, brave, and amazing friend, and all I get is a cold shoulder.” He said once they sat down at his desk.

“Adrien, are you kidding me?” She replied astounded by his audacity. “You put gum on my chair on the first day of school and all you do is defend Chloe! How can I be friends with you? You’re just like her.”

“Actually Marinette, Chloe placed that gum on your seat. I was trying to take it off when you caught me. I know Chloe’s not perfect, not by a long shot. By she was my first friend so I wasn’t going to throw her under the bus. All I’ve wanted since the first day of school was to be your friend.” He finished, sighing and looking down at the floor.

“Oh.” Marinette too looked down bashfully. “I had no idea.”

“I’ve tried to tell you before, but you always managed to avoid me.” Adrien said quietly.

“God I’ve been such a jerk huh?” Marinette began to think back on how she had treated the boy for the last year.

“Something like that.” This time Adrien laughed a little.

That was a good start.

“Can I just say I’m sorry?” She now looked up at him, hoping to catch his eyes. “I’d love to be your friend if you gave me the chance.”

Adrien met her eyes. “I’d love that.”

After that their sessions became full of laughter and jokes. Everyone at school was surprised at Marinette’s sudden change of heart, but fully supported it.

Marinette even began to look forward to tutoring every weekday. She told herself it was because Adrien was such a good tutor. Still, she couldn’t help but notice how his eyes shone like emeralds in the light or how her skin heated up with every slight contact they made.

She also noticed the slips of his personality that always surprised her. She never would’ve expected him to enjoy puns so much, yet he couldn’t control himself every time the opportunity struck, meaning she couldn’t go a day without hearing one. Between him and Chat Noir, she couldn’t decide who was worse.

“Well I guess we only have 10 minutes left of our final tutoring session.” Adrien sighed leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms above his head.

Marinette’s eyes drifted to the sliver of skin that was exposed and just as quickly looked away blushing.

“Thanks to you I think I might actually stand a chance at passing tomorrow. I appreciate you offering to help me, no matter how rude I was toward you.” She replied sheepishly.

“Hey it’s no big deal. If it weren’t for this, we probably still wouldn’t have been friends. I’m gonna miss seeing you every.” He confessed.

“Well maybe we could hang out more? You can come over for pastries from the bakery any day.” She offered hoping he’d accept.

“Father wouldn’t like me eating sweets.” He began and Marinette’s face fell. “But what he doesn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.” Adrien finished with a smirk.

Marinette beamed.

——————————————

The next day, Marinette finished her exam with time to spare.

After about a week of waiting they got their scores back. Marinette got full marks.

She was bouncing in her seat with excitement. She only had one person in mind when she thought of who she should celebrate with. Unfortunately he didn’t have Algebra the same block as her so she’d have to wait until after school.

When she saw the tuft of blonde hair walking towards her, she sprinted and hugged him.

“I got a hundred!” She squealed into his ear.

He responded by spinning her in the air.

“Congratulations Marinette! I knew you could do it.” He laughed into her shoulder happily.

Once he put her down the smiles on both their faces were so wide they didn’t think they could grow anymore.

“Do you want to go get some pastries to celebrate?” Adrien asked, almost nervously.

“Are you asking me on a date Agreste?” She joked.

“Yes?” Adrien said as though it were a question. He rubbed the back of his neck and blushed. He smile had dwindled slightly.

“Oh then um I’d love to?” Now it was Marinette’s turn to blush.

Adrien’s nervous smile disappeared and was replaced by another wide grin.

“Really?” He looked at her so fondly all her anxious thoughts immediately disappeared.

“Really.”

@adrinetteapril

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yegarts · 4 years ago

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Meet Your Makers: Michael Hingston

Presented by TIX on the Square

If you’re a collector of beautiful books and ephemera, you’ve likely heard of Michael Hingston. If not, you’re in for a treat. He’s half the team at Hingston & Olsen Publishing, an independent press known and loved for its Edmontonia Trading Cards, Short Story Advent Calendar, and deluxe boxsets. Finding stories and giving them a permanent home is Michael’s passion. As you’re about to discover, so is writing, reading, collecting, and being a big stubborn believer in paper books. Meet this week’s maker, Michael Hingston.

TIX: We’re taught to believe it’s what’s inside that counts, but it’s impossible to ignore the beauty of your books and boxsets. Tell us about your decision to not only publish books but also celebrate them as art.

M.H.: Well, thank you! When Natalie (my co-publisher) and I decided to form Hingston & Olsen, in 2015, one of the first things we agreed on was that our books would be beautiful objects in their own right. At the time it seemed like everyone was panicking about the future of publishing in the age of e-books. We decided to double down on the qualities that you can only get from physical books: the tactile feel of paper, pops of colour, and an interactive presentation that you just can’t replicate on a tablet. It’s a better reading experience, not to mention a better deal for our readers in the long term. Ten years from now you probably won’t have access to an e-book you bought today, but every book on your bookshelves will still open up like it always did.

TIX: Which of your strengths (or experiences) as a writer have helped you succeed as a publisher?

M.H.: I’d say it comes down to empathy. Publishing is an act of faith between writer and publisher, and understanding the creative process—with all its up and downs—gives me an extra level of appreciation for the work that our writers entrust us with. That’s not something we take lightly. All of our editorial and design choices are made with the goal of presenting the text in the best light possible. I want writers to love working with us, and to feel that their work is in good hands.

TIX: What’s the first thing you wrote that inspired your career path?

M.H.: That’s a great question. The truth is I didn’t start reading or writing seriously until I was in university and fell in with the student newspaper there. I remember my first few production nights—which routinely kept us in the office until past midnight—where I would frantically write something on deadline, then look at it in print the following week and think, “Huh, that’s actually not bad.” Then we had to do it all over again for the next issue, which was a big part of the charm.

TIX: Tell us about your Edmontonia Trading Cards and what inspired the idea.

M.H.: The Edmontonia Trading Cards are a set of all-ages collectible trading cards that showcase this odd, charming, mostly frozen city of ours. Each card features original artwork

from one of 12 different local artists on the front, and an entertaining and informative write-up about that subject—from landmarks to urban wildlife to the four phases of West Edmonton Mall—on the back. They come in randomized packs of 8, and there are 60 total cards to collect. You can get them at independent shops around the city, or from our website (edmontonia.ca).

The idea for the cards was two-fold: (1) Thinking how cool it would be to make a set of non-sports-related trading cards, and (2) Figuring out what to do with all these odd little stories I was gathering about my adopted home. When I first moved to Edmonton, back in 2008, I kept having all these questions about what I was seeing. Like, why do all these buildings look like pyramids? What’s the deal with magpies? Sure, it’s cold, but what’s the coldest it’s ever been? As soon as those two ideas merged, I got to work, and I’m really proud of how it all turned out.

TIX: Your projects all seem to celebrate reading as an experience—combining the physical act of opening a beautiful “gift” with the pleasures of reading. What was the inspiration for that equation?

M.H.: The age of paper being the default vehicle for communication is gone. Digital technology is way more convenient, and also generates less clutter in people’s lives. But that doesn’t mean paper has no function. As mentioned above, I’m a big, stubborn believer in paper books—and I think one of the things they do exceptionally well is ground the reader in a particular time and place, having a particular experience. Throwing in extra layers, like the element of surprise in the Short Story Advent Calendar or opening a pack of random Edmontonia cards, just makes that experience a little more fun.

TIX: Far too often, the conversations around print publishing are centered around worry for it and what’s being lost. What excites you about the future of print publishing and your role in shaping it?

M.H.: As more of our lives go digital, the funny thing is that people actually become hungrier for offline entertainment. (Have you seen the internet joke about spending all day at work looking at the bad screen, then coming home to look at the good screen? I hate how much I relate to it.) We all want to unplug, or at least to stop doomscrolling for a while. This is a big opportunity for print! It’s one of the few modes of entertainment we have that doesn’t require electricity. That’s one reason H&O doesn’t do e-books. We want to give people a different experience, because we believe there’s value in it.

TIX: Your books and advent calendars have become a favourite gift to receive. What’s a favourite book you’ve been given (and who gave it to you)?

M.H.: I love books about books, and two of the chunkiest and most beloved ones on my shelves were gifts: John Sutherland’s Lives of the Novelists, given to me by my friend Jeremy before he moved away (he’s actually since moved back; hopefully he doesn’t want the book returned, too), and Michael Schmidt’s The Novel: A Biography, which was a Christmas present from my brother.

TIX: You’ve said that the retirement of your Advent Series has freed you up to work on some exciting new ideas. Can you tell us a little about them?

M.H.: We try to keep a pretty tight lid on things at H&O, but I can tell you we’re planning to release more titles in 2021 than we ever have in a given year before. That’ll include something new for the holidays, as well as our first-ever standalone novel.

Want more? Visit hingstonandolsen.com, edmontonia.ca and tixonthesquare.ca for the latest from Michael and other great artists.

Artist Bio

Michael Hingston is a writer and book publisher. He is the author of three books, including Let’s Go Exploring, a history of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. His journalism has appeared in Wired, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and the Washington Post. Hingston is also the co-founder of Hingston & Olsen Publishing, an independent press specializing in deluxe boxsets like the Short Story Advent Calendar and the Ghost Box. He lives in Edmonton with his family.

#yeg #yegarts #yegmakers #meetyourmakers #edmonton #tixonthesquare

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redisriding · 4 years ago

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Tell us about yourself!

Yikes! So I didn't really know where to begin with this one, Well I was born on the banks of the river... Nah! So I googled “fun get to know me questions” and the resulting questionnaire had 371 questions. I decided to answer the first 100!

Strap yourself in, because HERE WE GO!

1. What is your full name?

Red is Riding ;)

2. What does your name mean?

Funny story, so I actually created this alias to partake in some underground hedonistic activities. When I went to start my Tumblr I just decided to use the same one because I’m not very creative and didn’t want to make up a new one. I never thought that this blog would become as popular as it has, and now I couldn’t be bothered changing the name. It does make me laugh though, if only you people knew what I used to get up to under this alias.

3. Are you named after anyone?

Little Red Riding Hood?

4. Does your name make any interesting anagrams?

I don’t think so, but maybe someone smarter than me could figure it out.

5. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?

I would probably change my real first name if I could as unfortunately I share it with a reasonably well known facist.

6. Where are you from?

A small European country.

7. Where were you born?

In the capital city of that small European country.

8. Where did you grow up?

In the suburbs of the capital of that small European country.

9. Who did you look like growing up?

A member of the band Hanson, if they had red hair and wore those terrible 2000’s wire rimmed glasses.

10.What are your best characteristics?

Oh gosh, isn’t it embarrassing to talk about your good traits? Especially when the way you see yourself is often so different from the way others see you.

11.What are your favorite things about yourself?

Honestly, I’ve great boobs.

12.Which of your parents are you closest to?

Depends on my mood.

13.Which of your parents are you more like?

I think physically I’m more like my mother, but my character is closer to my father.

14.Are your grandparents still married?

Yep, on one side. On the other side my grandad is dead and has been for a very long time.

15.What relative was important to you growing up & why?

I guess my grandparents, they are the only members of the extended family I ever really saw growing up. I was never close to my uncles, and my aunts and cousins all live in different countries.

16.What is one thing that you’ve never revealed to your parents?

Anything about my love life, we just don’t talk about it. Ever!

17.What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender?

I’m actually not sure. I know they had lots of other traditionally female names picked out, but I don’t know any male names they had for me. I’m not sure if they knew early on if I was going to be a girl, would make sense though.

18.What do you call your grandparents?

I call one of my grandmother’s by her first name, and my grandad, grandad.

19.What is your best physical feature?

My boobs!…I have pretty eyes too.

20.What is your biggest accomplishment?

Probably getting into University and graduating top of my class.

21.What is your biggest fear?

Having all my joints simultaneously dislocate.

22.What is your biggest regret?

The way I’ve treated certain people over the years.

23.What is your eye colour?

Blue.

24.What inspires you?

Hope that tomorrow can be better.

25.What is the most important thing in your life?

My family, and my future.

26.What has required the most courage of you in your life so far?

Hummm, I’m really not sure about this one.

27.Who is your favourite actor?

I truly could not name a single actor.

28.Who is your favourite actress?

As above.

29.Who is your favourite celebrity?

I genuinely have no idea.

30.Who is your favourite musician?

Lorde has been getting me through this quarantine, but my favourite singer/band is/are Florence + the Machine. Maybe that dates me.

31.Who’s your favourite person in the world?

I can’t choose just one!

32.What is your favourite childhood memory?

I’m very lucky, I had a really marvellous childhood. I guess I have some great memories of playing with my brother as a child, but I’m not sure I have a favourite memory.

33.What is your favourite colour?

Teal.

34.What is your favourite cultural activity?

I love going to the theatre.

35.What is your favourite drink?

Water is the thing I drink most often. I don’t like tea or coffee, and I only drink alcohol in social settings not alone of an evening.

36.What is your favourite fairytale?

I’m actually not sure. I know it’s not quite the same but I was never allowed to watch the Disney princess films growing up (a lot of which are based on fairytales) so I can’t say I am particularly attached on any. Although, in answering this question I have remembered by blog name so I probably should say Little Red Riding Hood.

37.What is your favourite food?

Potatoes, they are so wonderfully versatile, I will never get bored eating them.

38.What is your favourite holiday destination?

There is so much of the world I have not yet seen and I cannot wait until we’re allowed to travel again. The last big trip I was on was to Canada, Vancouver, and it was amazing.

39.What is your favourite ice-cream flavour?

Ice cream does not agree with me at all, I always thought I was lactose intolerant because of it (I’m not), but I did love a pistachio ice cream as a kid.

40.What is your favourite music genre?

According to Spotify my most listened to genre is “alternative” whatever that means.

41.What is your favourite physical activity?

Hiking.

42.What is your favourite quote?

I don’t believe I have one. I do know someone who has “live laugh love” tattooed on their foot. Take from that what you will.

43.What is your favourite snack?

Tbh I don't really snack (am I coming across as awfully boring in these questions?) I love three big meals a day. I will eat an apple or something if I need something pre dinner.

44.What is your favourite song?

Either Fascination by Alphabeat, Prayer in C by Lily Wood and the Prick, and Robin Schulz, or Brimful of Asha by Cornershop, the Fat Boy Slim Remix. Those songs never fail to put me in a good mood when I need it.

45.What is your favourite sport?

To watch? Rugby. But I am OBSESSED with the Olympics, especially the winter olympics.

46.What is your favourite time of the day?

Early evening.

47.What is your favourite type of clothing?

Dresses…with pockets! Or jumpers, I love a big wooly jumper.

48.What is your favourite way to pass time?

Read.

49.What is the name of your favourite restaurant?

My favourite restaurant is called Dishoom, but unfortunately it has yet to make it to my little European country, so it’s a real treat if I get to eat there.

50.What is your all-time favourite town or city? Why?

I don’t have one.

51.What is your favourite candle scent?

Probably a classic vanilla, but not an overpowering one. The vanilla candle from IKEA is the NICEST.

52.What is your favourite social media channel?

Probably Twitter, although Tumblr is my place for escape.

53.Where’s your favourite place to take an out-of-town guest?

Ugh I hate being the one to choose where we go. I think it’s because I’m a Libra.

54.What was your favourite subject in High School?

Okay now this is a fun fact, I didn’t actually go to school. I was “Home Educated” which is ideologically different form being Home Schooled. There was no curriculum for me to follow so I could basically dick about doing whatever I wanted during the day. I did study Law which I really enjoyed, and I went onto study it at University.

55.What was your least favourite subject in High School?

Again see above. Although I do remember crying every time my father tried to teach me maths. To this day, I’m still not sure how to work out a percentage, let alone anything more advanced than that.

56.What was your favourite TV show when you were a child?

Sabrina the Teenage Witch (the Melissa Joan Heart version) or anything with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in it (have I dated myself again?)

57.What do you love about your favourite TV Show?

They were fun. I wanted to be them!

58.Are you scared of heights?

Nope, but I’m scared of falling and shattering all the bones in my legs.

59.Are you high maintenance?

Definitely not.

60.Are you more inclined to “build your own empire” or unleash the potential of others?

I don’t know what this means, but fuck imperialism.

61.Are you more likely to avoid conflict or engage it head-on?

Ugh, I hate conflict, like I go all trembly, but if there is something amiss I can’t not confront it.

62.Are you a dog person or cat person?

I really adore animals, I had hoped to get a cat during this long and lonely lockdown but my landlord wasn’t keen. If I had more time and space I would love to get a dog, it’s just not feasible in my life at the moment.

63.Are you a fan of any sports team?

Just my national team no matter what the sport.

64.Are you a good cook?

I like to think so.

65.Are you an early adopter or late-adopter?

Depends. I don’t always love change.

66.If you had more courage what would you do differently in your life now?

I don’t think having more courage would change anything in my life right now.

67.What is good about how you are living your life right now?

Oh gosh, I’m so incredibly lucky to have the like that I am living right now. Truly blessed, but at the same time, I have got here because of all my hard work and determination.

68.If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life, what would it be?

I’m not sure if this strictly answers the question, but I wish I could be kinder and more sympathetic to people. I can be harsh on people I care about because I want to see them do well in life and get frustrated when they are doing things that so obviously curtails their ability. I’ve lost friends because of it.

69.Who has left the most impact on your life?

I don’t think I can name just one person.

70.What aspect of your life needs tremendous improvement?

My love life. It’s not existent. Truly. I don’t even have a far away crush on anyone at the moment. I desperately want to experience romantic love, but it’s scary and you have to allow yourself to be soft and vulnerable which is not something that I am very good at. I also have a lot of negative thoughts/self doubts about whether I am good enough to be in a relationship, or worthy enough for love. It’s stupid, obviously, everyone, flaws and all is worthy of love, but because of things that have happened/been said to me I do kind of have this negative chatter of “who could ever love me” or fear people thinking “god love the poor guy who ends up with her.” All that said, I have never actually met anyone who I’ve really liked, let alone anyone who has liked me back. The closest I’ve got, is I’ve been in lust twice in my life with guys, who objectively speaking, I would never think I would be attracted to.

71.What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen in your life?

I’ve see a lot of weird things tbh, but the first one that springs to mind is that every year we used to go to these big gatherings of families who home educate their children. Now, there are two groups of people that tend to home educate their children 1) EXTREMELY religious families who don’t want their children going to secular schools, and 2) new age hippies who don’t want their children to have to conform to the rigours of school. When these two groups meet…it is interesting. The religious families usually have a lot of children (10+ in many cases), while the hippy families wander around semi-nude and breast feed their children until their grown (7+ years in many cases). So at these home education conferences, the hippy parents would be wandering around, leaky boobs out, and the religious babies would be wandering around because their parents have too many children to keep track of. Whenever one of these babies wandered within range of the hippy parents, they’d take them, and latch them onto their breasts. Absolutely bizarre stuff.

72.Who is the best teacher you’ve ever had?

Myself.

73.Who is the biggest pack rat you know?

I don’t know what this means.

74.Who is the first person you call when something exciting happens?

If it’s a big enough deal to call someone, I’ll call my parents, but usually if something exciting happens I’ll just message my friend group.

75.Who is the first person you call when something horrible happens?

Same as above.

76.Who is the worst boss you’ve ever had?

I had to sue her to get her and her husband to pay me for the work I did.

77.Can you close your eyes and raise your eyebrows?

Yep? Can you not?

78.Can you do a split?

No, but I want to learn! I have really tight hamstrings so that would be good to stretch them.

79.Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

No. Can you?

80.Can you whistle?

Yeah.

81.Can you dance?

Everyone can dance, the question is whether you can dance well or not! I have no rhythm or style, but get me on a dance floor and I’ll bop my socks off.

82.Do you remember your dreams?

Sometimes.

83.Do you save old greeting cards and letters? Throw them away?

I save them for a while, but I’m not overly sentimental.

84.Do you sing in the shower?

Never.

85.Do you sleep with the lights on or off?

Off.

86.Do you spell the colour as grey or gray?

Grey you weirdo!

87.Do you take any pills or medication daily?

Never.

88.Do you prefer kissing or cuddling?

I like kissing because it’s hot and fiery and I think I’m reasonably good at it. Cuddling is the best but it’s something I struggle with as I find it far too intimate. See my answer to Q70.

89.Do you prefer that people shoot straight with you or temper their words? Why?

Hit me between the eyeballs with the truth, please! I just like people who are clear and direct about their intentions, it means everyone knows where they stand.

90.Do you prefer Titanic or The Notebook?

I saw a black and white documentary about the Titanic when I was a very small child (maybe about 5 or 6) and for a long time I thought that was the movie Titanic! I have seen neither the real film Titanic nor the Notebook, although from what I know of the latter I don’t think it would be my thing.

91.Do you have a catchphrase?

I don’t think so, but maybe people in my life would be better at answering this question. What is it that I say a lot?

92.Do you have a garden?

I wish!

93.Do you have a hidden dream that you’ve never shared with anyone?

I’m taking this to mean a goal or aspiration, and not something that I have subconsciously dreamed and been too embarrassed to share? I would love to write a book one day. I’m work on something periodically but I’m not sure if anything will ever come from it, a gal can dream though!

94.Do you have a tattoo?

None! I’m kind of a commitment-phobe, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed?

95.Do you have a whole lot of acquaintances or just a few very close friends? Why?

Both! I know lots of people in passing, but the people I consider actual friends, who know what is going on in my life at any given time, I could count on my fingers.

96.Do you have any allergies?

Not that I’m aware of…

97.Do you have any birthmarks? If so, where?

I used to have one on my back, but it’s faded as I’ve aged.

98.Do you have pets?

Not at the moment.

99.Do you hold any convictions that you would be willing to die for?

That is a big question. I think however, if there was a guarantee, that sacrificing my life would make the lives of others immeasurably better, I would be scarified. I have plenty of convictions that I’m willing to protest/riot/go to prison for.

100.Do you carry a donor card?

Bit ominous after Q99 but yes I do, and my driver’s licence states that I’m a donor.

I’m not sure if this is at all what you were hoping for in asking this, but I honestly had the best fun answering these questions! :)

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uaklauslovesdave · 4 years ago

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4, 8, 12, 14, 16 and 17 for the TUA asks!!

buckle up folks because this got long! it is my nature to be overly thorough about the wrong things and now i’m making it your problem. i’m gonna indulge and i’m gonna indulge hard.

4. What do you think all the siblings’ favorite bands are?

luther: his tastes are elcectic! the boy just likes music and is open to trying pretty much anything!

diego: maybe some like industrial or post-hardcore stuff like nine inch nails or fugazi, or perhaps something like public enemy or wu-tang clan. and don’t tell anyone but he will secretly listen to joni mitchell and other sad lady with guitar music.

allison: she likes motown and 60s girl groups! and she will also listen to some stuff like the fugees and tracy chapman. and when she wants to get amped she’ll listen to bikini kill or something.

klaus: he’s gonna be listening to some gothy dark wave music like the cure or siouxsie and the banshees. he also probably likes gals like debbie harry and kate bush and patti smith. but then there’s also that interest in nina simone and i think he would also be into 60s girl groups.

five: a hard one! i don’t think he has much individual music taste what with his apocalypse stay, and when luther finds this out he makes it his personal mission to give five a music education. eventually he ends up liking tom waits or something.

ben: ben would need smart lyrics and something kind of arty and low key depressing. like the talking heads or magnetic fields. but also let us not forget that he’s a secret pop music fan and remembered backstreet boys lyrics like 20 years after the song came out.

vanya: she’s got her interest in classical, orchestral type music of course, but she’s also into some folks like fiona apple or sharon van etten. and sometimes she’ll let loose to sleater-kinney and the like.

8. Let’s say all the siblings lived in apartments that allowed pets. What would all their pets be? (Bonus: What would they name the pets?)

ok so it is my personal feeling that all of the hargreeves are Cat People, and for reasons unknown to me it is a very strong personal feeling. in fact you might say that this is my hill 689... because it is the hill i will die on. sorry i’ll see myself out.

luther: i know it’s popular to give luther a tiny kitten, but please consider luther with a big ol’ maine coon named Toffee who he treats like a tiny baby. she sleeps on his chest and they slow blink at each other and luther bought her a Cat Stroller and takes her for walks around the neighborhood.

diego: a tiny gray cat he found crying in the alley behind the gym. he doesn’t want to appear too attached so she is just ‘the cat’ and he refuses to acknowledge that he increasingly thinks of her as My Cat and would stab anyone who looks at her wrong

allison: a large long-haired cat who hangs out in a basket in a spare room and hisses any time someone other than allison so much as looks at the room. he tolerates claire, who named him pancake.

klaus: black cat, obviously. he and dave name her jimmy because they are saps and will always remember that jim morrison was playing when they first got together.

five: is it a sin to deny five mr. pennycrumb the dog? well i’m gonna because it’s time for mr. pennycrumb the cat, who is a chaotic, cross-eyed, Head Empty Nothing There cat. Five unapologetically loves and would kill for mr. pennycrumb the cat and no one understands it.

ben: he has a ghost cat named adelaide who likes to sit on high surfaces with him. is ben perching on the counter again? watching klaus and allison smoke in the alley from above on the fire escape? well there’s adelaide the ghost cat loafing right next to ben.

vanya: enormous orange cat living out his senior years with vanya. he has sad eyes and likes to spoon and will let her know loudly when he wants tuna. his name is louie.

12. What sort of games do you think they played as kids?

pretty much anything they did was bound to get competitive and overly tactical. like they played hide and seek and it turned into a day-long high-stakes battle of wits and stealth. but also allison convinced reginald to buy them some classic 90s games like mall madness or something. they all went hard playing this even though they’d never been to a mall in their life.

14. If you could give the siblings’ middle names, what would they be?

i thought about this question and i decided that they would all be weirded out by the concept of middle names! like it felt like a special gift when grace gave them their names and they never even thought to want a second name on top of that. later they meet people with middle names and they’re like hmm seems fake but ok.

16. If instagram or twitter existed in the UA universe, what would all their handles be?

luther: he’s nothing if not earnest so it’s a straight-up @LutherH

diego: yeah he’s gonna be something like @XXkNivES_ouTxX

allison: she’s got her celeb status so she’s @allisonhargreeves

klaus: something very random and nonsensical like @bedazzledhamsandwhich

five: does not fuck with social media

ben: @readmoretalkless which klaus found dull and tried to get him to change to @thewhorer

vanya: she’s keepin it simple and is @vanyaviolin

17. What celebrities do you think the siblings’ have crushes on?

i’m gonna say that none of them have celebrity crushes, for a variety of reasons, but mostly because they are just tuned out of that whole scene. they grew up in the public eye and probably interacted with folks with a certain level of fame, and have since wanted to distance themselves from that. allison of course has had to continue to be part of that world for her work and could absolutely fake niceness and interest as she needed to, but i don’t think she genuinely enjoyed it. especially now after the media completely dragged her for the patrick situation.

#thank you for the ask and for providing me with the opportunity to go off #i am always happy to share thoughts about the hargreeves #the umbrella academy #an ask and an answer #knifecatklaus

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hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger · 5 years ago

Text

The Anti-Spider-Girl Agenda within Marvel

In 1998 Tom DeFalco, former EIC of Marvel, created Mayday Parker/Spider-Girl. Her debut did gangbusters and a first edition of it still fetches a lot of cash. She got a solo series in 1999 which launched an entire interconnected universe of characters, the MC2 universe.

The universe ultimately wrapped up in 2010 but throughout that time Mayday was being regularly published in one format or another, she was even the FIRST ever Marvel character to get a digital ongoing series before it went to print. An impressive accolade to add to the fact that she still holds the record for the female Marvel solo protagonist with the longest running continuous series. That is to say no breaks or relaunches, just over 60 straight monthly issues...

... And THEN she went another 40 straight issue for good measure before finally being continued in a relaunch.

So, given how the anniversaries of both her debut and the debut of her series/the MC2 universe have come and gone I have to ask...why has there been 0 acknowledgement from Marvel?

We’re in the middle of a 2099 celebration, and that imprint (that lasted less time and was arguably less successful) was an on and off presence between 2013-2017.

We’re going to get something acknowledging Iron Man 2020 a character who is hardly in the zeitgeist of Marvel fandom to the same extent as Spider-Girl.

Now in fairness both of those examples are reliant upon the literal names of both properties. It does make a certain amount of sense to celebrate the 2099 line in a year ending in the number 9, thus bringing us ever closer to the real life year 2099. Equally it makes sense to revive Iron Man 2020 during well...the year 2020.

But then you get to Marvel celebrating the Earth X stuff. Now for all you out there who haven’t read the Earth X stuff I want you to ask yourself a question and be very honest with yourselves. How much do you actually know about the Earth X universe just via osmosis, without having read it. I’m willing to bet it ain’t much if anything and what you do know probably amounts to:

It was Marvel’s answer to Kingdom Come

Alex Ross did art for it

MAYBE you know Norman Osborn was the President

Oh and you probably remember that really cool Venom/symbiote looking character who was a version of Spider-Girl!

Golly, it’s almost like if Marvel are going to celebrate the not-that-well-remembered Earth X line (which like 2099 also lasted for less time than the MC2 universe) then they should do SOMETHING (beyond releasing some trades) to mark EITHER of the appropriate anniversaries for Spider-Girl and/or the MC2 universe as a whole.

But no. We get some trades and also Mayday appeared in Spider-Geddon for a few issues...at no point being solely in the spotlight...

This my friends is simply the latest in a very, very, very, very, very long list of instances where Mayday/the MC2 brand is mistreated.

And a lot of that mistreatment I think is due to Tom DeFalco’s hand in creating Mayday and the MC2 universe. Because frankly, in particular relation to the MC2 universe, DeFalco’s work has also been mistreated in recent years.

The facts are:

Mayday’s ongoing (Spectacular Spider-Girl volume 2) was turned into a mini in spite of solicits

She was cancelled so Anya Corazon could get the name Spider-Girl

The very next time she shows up her Dad is killed off, thus fundamentally wrecking the whole premise for her character

The guy who killed her Dad proceeded to treat her as an abused babysitter

That same guy finished things off by removing her unique name and costume

That same guy (Slott) in the same run before and after Spider-Verse wrecked other elements from DeFalco’s ASM work AND threw shade at his origin for MJ, calling it reductive

Slott also was hired by DeFalco and had to uncomfortably admit he’d conned the man. Which combined with everything else makes me wonder if DeFalco maybe threw some shade Slott’s way back when he was an intern. Like he looked upon him as underhanded and unworthy of his place in the company, and Slott knew that and resented DeFalco for it. And again, being EIC earns enemies and DeFalco was the EIC when Slott started

Slott also wrecked Ben Reilly a character DeFalco did not create but had strong associations with.

During secret wars the story focused HEAVILY upon Hope Pym, Stinger and Ant-Man at a time when coincidentally the Ant-Man movie was happening.

During Secret Wars the same writer who wrecked her in Spider-Verse COINCIDENTALLY happened to a story about the daughter of Spider-Man who was born during the 1990s, but it was his own OC

During Secret Wars, Mayday appeared on the cover of one of the ongoings she was set to appear in, but it was then revised to be Anya

Mayday when she began appearing regularly in a new title was seemingly killed off early into it and didn’t appear for awhile, not getting much spotlight when she did

Mayday had to share her spotlight moments in Spider-Geddon with Anya (again), still wasn’t allowed to be called Spider-Girl again, and the story was mostly about Annie not her.

She was going to appear in the USM cartoon but then that was totally changed to be a gender flipped Peter Parker

Eric Masterson/Thunderstrike, another well remembered DeFalco creation, has also gotten little-no attention this decade despite it being a 20th/25th anniversary of him too. One of the more notable acknowledgments of his character was turning him into a Neo-Nazi for Spider-Punk to beat up.

Spider-Girl’s VERY SUCCESSFUL digests were discontinued but conveniently other digests for other Marvel properties either continued or started up after Mayday’s were discontinued.

The ‘complete’ Spider-Ham trade paperbacks ‘conveniently’ do not include Spider-Ham’s equivalent character for Spider-Girl, Swiney-Girl

Gee that’s an AWFUL lot of coincidence, especially when you consider fucking Spider-Ham has been getting more attention from Marvel than Mayday; and that was BEFORE Into the Spider-Verse came out.

I’m sorry, but it’s really, really, really, really, really, really obvious that there is an anti DeFalco/Spider-Girl/MC2 sentiment within Marvel.

But why you may ask?

There are a few reasons for that. The biggest one though is that Tom DeFalco is the former EIC of Marvel comics.

At the time of me writing this, Axel Alonso recently stopped being EIC of Marvel and no bad words are muttered about him. People in the industry equally have little bad to say about Joe Quesada, especially those within Marvel.

But then again...Joey Q is still working for Marvel and in a position ABOVE the EIC. He never stopped working for Marvel even when he stopped being the EIC. And Alonso, one of Quesada’s right hand yes men conveniently took over for him and do you know he didn’t run the company all THAT differently to his former boss. Funny that right?

It’s almost as funny as how other former EICs of Marvel absolutely don’t have the same treatment. Jim Shooter is routinely BLASTED by countless fans and creators, especially the ones who worked under him, even though he oversaw arguably the height of Marvel comics’ creative history. Bob Harrass and his decisions are often talked about less than flatteringly. Tom DeFalco meanwhile had a whole disparaging phrase named after him.

Yes. That is is a real life Marvel letter page from the mid-2000s literally using the term ‘DeFalco’s Folly’ in reference to a former Marvel EIC and outright BLAMING HIM for their bankruptcy in the 1990s.*

When you are the EIC you make enemies. It’s rare that the boss of any business isn’t resented on some level by their employees. And your words take on much more meaning that what you simply say, being subject to misinterpretation.**

But now imagine you are the boss of a bunch of creative nerds (for most creators of superheros are nerds). Creative people A LOT of the time tend to be fairly sensitive as is, it’s likely critical to their craft. Nerds historically have tended to be sensitive (that’s neither a good nor bad thing). If you are the boss of those people, hoo boy will you ever make enemies. Tom DeFalco in fact once told a fellow editor that an innocuous comment about how an artist under said editor’s employ drew a character was being taken by the artist as an insult to their whole career.

NOW imagine all that and also under your tenure the company goes bankrupt and a lot of people lose their jobs?

Enemies. Enemies galore.

Even if it wasn’t necessarily your fault, you are the most visible person in authority so you get the blame. If the internet wasn’t that much of a thing do you really think that Ike Perlmutter would be the guy who got the blame for deep sixing the X-Men and F4 in the 2010s? Hell no, it’d have been Axel Alonso and/or Tom Brevoort.

So yeah, Mayday was DeFalco’s baby and the MC2 universe more than anything was the logical extrapolation from the Marvel universe as it existed under HIS tenure as EIC. It’s very much seen as representative of DeFalco himself. Thus if people have an issue with DeFalco, they’re not going to do all that much positive as far as his stuff is concerned, in particular if it gives him anything like royalties.

But on top of all of that I think Spider-Girl and the MC2 universe simply conceptually lean against Marvel’s ‘party line.

I didn’t notice this, but it was pointed out to me by an acquaintance that the MC2 universe is VERY similar to DC’s Earth 2 concept, wherein the classic heroes are older and/or retired with their immediate descendants picking up their mantles. Marvel and DC have this petty and asinine pissing contest between them, with many within Marvel even outright hating the fact that they have numbered universes like DC. It’s likely (definitely) the reason Earth 616 was rebranded as ‘Earth Prime’. This of course won’t stop them ripping off DC if they think it’ll make bank

The MC2 universe was a universe of OPTIMISM. In particular in the 2000s, and this attitude has definitely lingered, there is this emphasis upon cynicism and at best Pyrrhic victories within Marvel. Partially this is due to a misinterpretation of what ‘realism’ means, but partially this is due to misguided belief that controversy sells and pissing the fans off makes bank.

The MC2 universe is very old school. It’s deliberately designed to be nostalgic and feel Silver Age in it’s sensibilities. this is why the violence is not all that gory, the sexual references are at best reserved and tasteful and there’s that optimism I talked about. not to mention it kicks back hard against the decompression/writing for the trade storytelling model Marvel typically employs and has typically employed for almost 20 years now. Whether it’s simply because the universe doesn’t conform, or because Marvel views anything ‘retro’ as bad because it isn’t ‘modern’ (with no inspection of whether the modern trends are a GOOD thing) the end result is that the MC2′s sensibilities are not in line with how Marvel WANTS their comics produced.

Then you have Mayday herself. Mayday is a living symbol of both the Clone Saga and the Spider Marriage. Whilst Marvel are NOW willing to more openly reference the Clone Saga, few people i any kind of positions of power look upon it (or even aspects of it) with anything but disdain and embarrassment. Dan Slott for instance openly hated it. As for the Spider Marriage...I mean do I even need to explain that one?

I’m sure a frustrating fact for Marvel during Spider-Girl’s publication, and something likely passed down to Axel Alonso when he was handpicked by Quesada, was that the book refused to die. Spider-Girl was scheduled for cancellation multiple times and defied the odds multiple times. Marvel 90% of the time won’t kill a book if it’s making a profit (especially in a day and age when they were still feeling the fallout from bankruptcy) so they kept Spider-Girl around, but because it was so against the party line I’m VERY sure they’d have LIKED to have had the justification for killing the title. That’s likely why they shuffled her onto a digital platform in 2009. Amazing Spider-Girl did poorly enough to justify cancelling it but not so poorly that they couldn’t still make money from it. Another relaunch would’ve boosted sales for the series, but making it a digital series at a time when hardly anyone read digitially (let alone PAID for it), now that’s a shrewd manoeuvre. You make SOME money from it, you pay lip service to keeping it alive and appeasing very upset Spider-Marriage fans, but you’ve essentially guaranteed it’s failure long term.

Part of that annoying success was those incredibly successful digests that were possibly indoctrinating a lot of young impressionable readers on a character/brand Marvel wanted to bury and aspects of their flagship character (read: a married older Peter Parker) that they wanted to bury. Hence Spider-Girl digests disappeared but conveniently there were still digests for Ultimate Spider-Man sold featuring a young, buffoonish, Avengers worshipping Peter Parker.

Oh...and she also had the incredibly brand sexy name ‘Spider-Girl’ that Joe Quesada wanted for his own precious pet OC character, Anya Corazon. In fact Mayday was going to be rebranded as Spider Woman in Spider-Girl #75, specifically so that Anya Corazon could be given the name Spider-Girl. Years later Mayday was cancelled specifically for that purpose.

tl:dr There is a VERY OBVIOUS anti Tom DeFalco/Spider-Girl/MC2 agenda within Marvel.

My hope is that it’s rooted out, hopefully as a result of the 20 year nostalgia factor kicking in sooner of later (her series was most prevalent in the 2000s) and more female creators coming into the industry.

*Which is very much unfair. There is rarely one singular decision that results in bankruptcy. So whilst DeFalco making a single purchase might’ve been a contribution (emphasis on ‘might’) the idea that it was THE ultimate cause of Marvel’s problems is ridiculous.

Marvel were heading for the shitter the moment Ron Perleman purchased it in the 1980s. They were the victims of a ‘pump and dump’ scheme wherein sleazy yet clever financial people showed up, created a bubble to make a load of money, then moved on to the next thing when the bubble burst. To my understanding a similar thing occurred with baseball cards.

** In fact DeFalco’s friend, Ron Frenz, has spoken about how he was witness to DeFalco saying one thing and the people listening to him hearing and acting upon it in a totally different way than was intended.

The same happened to Stan Lee when he made an aside about Iron Man’s lack of a nose, which resulted in his employees believing Stan wanted them to give Iron Man a nose.

P.S. You know in the 1990s when all the 2099 books got cancelled sans Spider-Man 2099, they never got a second bite of the apple.

But between the late 90s and 2000s the MC2 universe was seemed successful enough that around 2006-2007 both Spider-Girl AND the wider MC2 universe were given second volumes, even the ones that only lasted like 6 issues.

Since then there’s been at least 3 attempts to revive the 2099 universe, we’re living through the latest one.

And yet Mayday doesn’t seem to even be worthy of a spotlight issue in the current Spider-Verse series.

#Spider-Man #Spider-Girl #Mayday Parker #mc2 #mc2 universe #Tom DeFalco #Ron Frenz #Thunderstrike #Eric Masterson #Dan Slott #Joe Quesada

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peerless-soshi · 5 years ago

Note

Hi! If you're still accepting requests, may I request a 75 and 60 Xiyao? If requests are closed I understand. Thanks!

Rules: Send me two (2) tropes from this list + a ship and I’ll describe how I’d combine them in the same story.

Bed Sharing + Poorly Timed Confession

Jin Guangyao was sure he would sound a little paranoid if he tried to explain the complex trap of drinking wine to anyone, even Lan Xichen – especially Lan Xichen – because other clan leaders wouldn’t be kicked over a bottle. He sighed loud. It never rains but it pours, and so on. But well, there were bigger problems than a dinner with a friend-abstainer.

He eyed the small guest room. The bottle stood in the middle of the table, smiling sneeringly at him. Lan Xichen was sitting at the other end of the table, smiling brightly for a change. To close the triangle, Jin Guangyao smiled apologetically.

“Second brother, this wine is not necessary,” he said, his voice courteous and low and all smooth, as though it sprouted among dew. “Isn’t drinking alcohol forbidden in the Cloud Recess? I don’t want to cause you troubles with my presence.”

Lan Xichen shook his head slightly, an evening spark of candles wavering on his face. His white skin seemed shades lighter by contrast to sleepy shadows of the guest room, and this small change took some formal dignity away. “It’s not a problem, brother,” he said, “I am the clan leader and so I will follow our rules, but tonight you are also my guest. What master would I be if I didn’t welcome you properly?”

If he was less generous, sometimes things would be easier.

“In my humble opinion, still better than anyone,” Jin Guangyao answered and decided to risk another tactic. “Your good intentions make me happy, I will forever remember how well you treat me, so please, take the wine. If anyone saw me drinking in this place, your intent could be misunderstood. I don’t want people to gossip about you.”

Even though they would blame it on me, like always.

The real problem was that Lan Xichen was too nice to understand it: he never accused anyone, never looked down at anyone, never waited for a mistake. And this weird, clear goodness was singing in him with every gesture. Jin Guangyao doubted that words would change his ways, but he also couldn’t pretend it was fine. It would rather be the opposite, like letting Lan Xichen to treat him in the same way as other leaders would only drag Jin Guangyao more into focus. Someone was going to take advantage of his tiniest slipup sooner or later.

He pulled the cup away the same moment Lan Xichen moved closer his own cup.

“What are you doing, brother?” Jin Guangyao asked, calm outside and panicking inside. “I am not going to drink alone. It’s not proper.”

He didn’t know if Lan Xichen burst out laughing because he found this whole situation amusing or because he wanted Jin Guangyao to feel comfortable. “Who talks about lonely drinking?”

“You can’t drink,” Jin Guangyao pointed out and immediately felt his mistake. No one would remind the Lan Leader the rules of his own sect.

But Lan Xichen only looked at him and reached out for the bottle. “You’re worried that drinking in the Cloud Recess would be perceived as an insult,” he said, “In that case, I am going to drink together with you. Isn’t that the best form of permission?”

As proof of his words, Lan Xichen poured himself profusely. A small wine stain next to his hand revealed that he didn’t have much experience, however his commitment couldn’t be denied. There was the Zewu-jun Jin Guangyao knew. He always got the intention right and the actions wrong. Jin Guangyao would be ready to bring up memorable laundry if the situation wasn’t as acute.

“No!” he shouted and stood up. The table wobbled and some more drops of wine dripped, sweet and intense amid the incense and paper scents of Gusu.

“What is going on?” Lan Xichen asked him while leaning to wipe up the spilled wine.

Jin Guangyao was speechless. Forget manners, forget conventions! Drinking alcohol under the eye of a friend-abstainer was one thing, but drinking together with him was something else. He sat back down slowly, as if unsure if this was a good idea, but Lan Xichen’s smile didn’t waver. Jin Guangyao could only imagine what it must have looked like: a bottle, a dirty table, a blush on his cheeks. The whispers reducing him to a brothel child sharpened: it wasn’t surprising he had a thing for alcohol.

In a tone both respectful and dire, he said, “I’m sorry, but it has gone too far. If not for your sake, you should stop for the sake of me.”

Lan Xichen looked like he might laugh it off, but all of sudden he straightened up. The half-filled cup froze in his hand. Also, he was no longer smiling.

“Tonight, only you and me are here,” he said, and his voice had changed. It was sadder, more complex – a smooth and sweet melody covering other tones. “Once Xichen could drink with A-Yao. Why Zewu-jun can’t celebrate with Lianfang-zun?”

It was the smallest and the biggest question, and Jin Guangyao could answer in many ways: because they were different now; because Jin Guangyao was in a different place now; because he didn’t mean to lose everything on a whim. It was too much, so he stayed silent. What Lan Xichen didn’t understand was that sometimes silence was better than someone speaking. That was how lies slipped out.

“Let me rest for a while, A-Yao.” He sounded so disappointed. “Don’t be so official with me. I know it’s selfish, but…” A pause. “I miss old A-Yao.”

At that moment, he had changed, too; Lan Xichen looked tired, undoubtedly, and the candle burning out near the window highlighted dark circles under his eyes, like gentle brush strokes on the whitest yet oldest canvas. It was a strange sense of understanding that Jin Guangyao felt. He was tired as well; he was tired of looking at others, of looking over his own shoulder and wondering what was right and what could kill him.

It took minutes, but he raised his cup in a toast. “We have never drunk alcohol together, brother,” he added.

Forgetting was freeing.

Jin Guangyao couldn’t believe he was doing it, but why not? Zewu-jun’s friendship was an important piece of the puzzle; it was true that such moments of intimacy kept Lan Xichen on his side. The risk wasn’t high. Jin Guangyao’s gaze focused in on the door when his sworn brother emptied the cup, cheerful, allowing himself a brief moment of relax. Luxury beyond their reach. Jin Guangyao heard nothing; in the main corridor silence twirled with wind blows, and the ringing bottle accompanied them like bianzhong.

Lan Xichen let out a little laughed, his voice like tuneful music. And it was too loud, Jin Guangyao realized.

It wasn’t that Lan Xichen never laughed. But he didn’t laugh out loud; even outside the walls of his sect, he always stayed dignified and restrained like a Lan should be. And now he jumped to his feet, ran to the window and looked at the yard. Jin Guangyao’s heart stopped, a sheen of sweat on his brown.

“What happened?” he asked. “Did you hear someone? Is somebody there?”

“Yes.” Lan Xichen paused. “The moon.”

“What?”

“The moon is beautiful! Really beautiful. Why are we sitting here?! Hahahaha!”

Gasping in shock, Jin Guangyao turned his head and gazed, lost for words, at him. Lan Xichen staggered, half-falling and half-dancing, and used both hands to hold on to the wall. As if surprised, he stepped back and looked up again. Satisfied, he smiled at Jin Guangyao.

As he waved his hand, the long sleeves flutterd like crane wings in silvering glare of the night. “A-Yao, I want to go hunting. The night is so bright, did you see? Too bright to waste it! Where is my sword?” he asked, touching its hilt. “And where is A-Yao?” he added, looking at him. Maybe a little bit above.

Jin Guangyao should tell him to calm down, or – he didn’t know – to drink some tea and rest. He didn’t. “Brother… are you drunk?”

It was impossible. No one could get drunk with just one cup of wine, no matter how weak his head was. Lan Xichen seemed to agree; he chuckled and the darkest blush crept up his pale neck. It was a bad combination.

“Heavens,” Jin Guangyao whispered, “You are completely drunk.”

“No!” Lan Xichen corrected him, “I’m happy!”

They had never drunk together and Jin Guangyao wasn’t sure if it was good or bad. If someone had warned him about it, at least he would know what to expect. And now? Drinking alcohol under the eye of a friend-abstainer was one thing, but getting him drunk was something else! If word gets out that the Jin Leader forced into a respected man whole barrels of wine – because that was the picture they would see – their reputation could be dead. A disaster.

But Jin Guangyao recovered quickly when the drunk Lan leader ceased his searches of the door and decided to jump through the window.

“You can’t do it, Xichen!” he shouted, ignoring manners.

Lan Xichen hesitated, hair all over his wet face, surprised to hear him screaming. “Why?”

“Because it’s a window,” Jin Guangyao replied, trying to sound convincing. It wasn’t easy. “And I’m very tired, brother,” he added, chin sinking in hand, eyes half-closed. “See? I can’t stay any longer. I must go to bed now.”

Not waiting for an answer, Jin Guangyao hurried to the door at the back of the room and opened it, revealing a small though cozy bedroom coated in white and sandalwood. He impulse-yawned in the hopes of emphasizing the earlier words.

Fine. It was going to be fine. He wouldn’t let anyone see Lan Xichen.

The black leader hat landed on the shelf, exposing dark hair tied in an elegant bun. “I’m getting ready to sleep, see, so I’ll walk you to your room now. It’s late, I think everyone in your sect is already resting? Aren’t you tired too?” Jin Guangyao asked, and when Lan Xichen didn’t answer, he pulled his gaze up from the hat.

Lan Xichen’s relaxed look was replaced by concern. “I see,” he said, his head nodding in compassion. “You want to sleep. I am sorry, A-Yao. We should do it together.”

“Yes!” Jin Guangyao almost clapped his hands. “If you understand…”

“I’ll hold it for you.” Lan Xichen said as he grabbed his hand and led him to the bed.

No way.

Jin Guangyao froze, so before he noticed it the ground escaped from his feet and he bounced off the mattress. Lan Xichen was right next to him. He picked up the hat and blown off some non-existent dust before putting it down. Then he squinted at Jin Guangyao as if he could determinate his level of fatigue – or comfort – by cleaning clothes.

He laughed a little to himself, probably proud of his work. “Do you feel better now?”

Jin Guangyao would honestly be rather caught drinking. The only thing that could make it worse was if someone walked here at a time like this. Getting a friend-abstainer drunk was one thing, but dragging him to bed was the whole new universe! The whispers were clearer than ever: what to expect from a prostitute’s son?

He would never allow it.

“Stop it, brother. It’s just not done in a polite…”

“You can stay,” Lan Xichen interrupted, his arms crossed on his chest, “but your clothes have to go.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s not polite,” Lan Xichen repeated after him, and said, “to sleep in your clothes!”

Jin Guangyao tried to say something, but his tongue was hulking in this mouth. In turn, Lan Xichen nodded and reached for his own belt, but his hands were all over the place, like a child learning to tie a knot for the first time. Stop. Lan Xichen had had to do it more efficiently even as a child.

Jin Guangyao sat up abruptly. “What are you doing now?” he mumbled.

“What? I’m going to sleep?” Lan Xichen said. “You said that we can sleep together.”

“No, I said we should both go to sleep. Separately.”

“It’s one and the same.”

“You can’t stay here, Xichen!” Jin Guangyao cried in a silent scream. “What if somebody sees you now? What will happen then?”

Lan Xichen winced and opened his mouth, offended. “I miss good old times with A-Yao. Stop it, you’re worrying too much! Ha! Smile!”

“We didn’t sleep together!” Jin Guangyao forgot to mid his voice. “What are you exactly missing?!”

He desperately wanted to put his hands on a Lan instrument and play some melody that would tell Lan Xichen to withdraw, go to his room and forget it all in the morning. He would bet they had something for mind control in their books! Mind control wasn’t, however, one of Jin Guangyao’s natural abilities as Lan Xichen completely ignored his nonverbal equivalent of yelling.

“A-Yao, do you sleep on your stomach?” he asked.

“No… Why?”

Lan Xichen bent down with a smile that had been know to leave all unmarried female cultivators mute. And then he looked at Jin Guangyao. “Perfect!”

Without saying more, he rested his head on the other leader’s chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently he forgot about taking his clothes off; he grinned from ear to ear and made himself comfortable like on a pillow.

Jin Guangyao’s face was on fire. Who needs spells summoning flames when you have drunk Zewu-jun around? He tried to move away quietly to protect his honor, but Lan Xichen’s embrace turned out to be made of steel. Then Jin Guangyao spoke – careful and pleasant, a golden morning bathing in the earliest sun. Lianfang-zun.

“Brother. Brother, you have your own room. You don’t feel well so let me…”

Wearing an expression of sudden realization, Lan Xichen tipped back his head. “A-Yao, we should talk.”

“It’s not…”

Again, Jin Guangyao couldn’t finish; this time the Lan Leader’s hand ended up on his lips. “Don’t interrupt or I’ll forget. It’s very important. I always forget. Why didn’t I say it earlier, haha?”

The silence was painful and awkward. It was endless, too.

“Brother?”

“Xichen?”

“Xichen,” Jin Guangyao agreed, his annoyance hidden. “What…”

“I like you,” Lan Xichen declared, pointing at him. “And I’ll stay here because you are prettier than the moon.”

It felt surreal, strange and somehow incredible.

For the first time ever Jin Guangyao had no idea what to say. All he knew was, he would lie to anyone else but Lan Xichen. And he was so used to lying that now he was left dumbstruck, mouth open and muscles rigid, watching disheveled and blushing Lan Xichen. It seemed the Lan Leader was spinning around the idea of making an eye contact before keeping his gaze to the shelf.

“I always liked your hat. It makes you look taller.”

“It doesn’t matter now. Oh.” Jin Guangyao’s mouth was dry. His eyes found Lan Xichen’s face again. “This is not the best moment for those words, brother. Xichen,” he said before Lan Xichen corrected him. “You are tired, drunk and…”

“In love.”

Half-naked.

“Gods, help me.”

Maybe there was a god of embarrassing situations? Someone to pray to while feeling awkward? The heaven was full of gods, there must be someone who could help them now.

But their god was rather luring disasters. Jin Guangyao couldn’t tell if his heartbeat was too fast or if it stopped completely when he heard footsteps in the hallway. He barely looked up from his bed before the door opened with a bang.

“What happened? I heard noises…”

Lan Wangji.

He entered the room quickly and stopped as his eyes, watchful in the night glow, met Jin Guangyao. Then he spotted Lan Xichen, too, and though his expression didn’t change, he looked paler than a moment ago.

Jin Guangyao sat up and started his explanation. He could do it; he had been in worse situations. “You’re here, Younger Brother! How good. Look, your older brother is sick, I tried to help him…”

But Lan Wangji didn’t listen; he just nodded, slowly, to Lan Xichen and showed him thumb up.

Maybe it wasn’t the impression that Lan Xichen smiled back.

#mo dao zu shi #xiyao #lan xichen #jin guangyao #the untamed #SORRY THAT IT'S SO LONG #I GOT CARRIED AWAY

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vpndeals-blog · 4 years ago

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Table of Contents

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#Table of Contents [show] Black Friday is one of the maximum awaited days for all the shopaholic people. Black Friday is celebrated a day af

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amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines · 6 years ago

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Sweet Pea//Serpent King

Request: Can you do a Sweet Pea x female reader one-shot with some Varchie, Bughead, and Choni thrown in the mix? The reader is a Serpent and is transferred to Riverdale High with her boyfriend Sweet Pea and her friends Toni and Fangs. Veronica and Archie are still going strong. Toni and Cheryl hate each other at first but they eventually start dating and Cheryl gets the red jacket. Betty and Jughead get back together and Betty becomes the Serpent Queen. No smut, please.

Walking through the doors of Riverdale High you could feel every single students eyes on you. Sweet Pea gripped your hand tightly as you moved forward with the rest of the serpents. Toni and Fangs were stood beside you glaring at everyone looking at them and Jughead was of course leading you all. You and Sweet Pea looked at each other and rolled your eyes when you saw the table set out with a some enthusiastic looking students stood behind it.

“I think we’ve just walked into the set of every stereotypical teen movie ever.” You mumbled making Sweet Pea smile.

“Friends! On behalf of the students and faculty here at Riverdale High, welcome to your new school!” A dark haired girl smiled at you and you had to suppress a laugh. “To ease this transition, I’ve set up a registration desk, where you can get your locker assignments, class schedules and a list of sports and extracurriculars.” She continued, you looked beside her to see a red headed boy hanging off her every word and beside him a dark haired boy who Fangs was sending some serious vibes to. “We encourage each and every one of you to drink deeply from the cup that is fair Riverdale.” She finished and you and Sweet Pea squeezed each others hands to stop you both from laughing.

“Stand down Eva Peron!” A red headed girl interrupted and everyone looked at her. She walked down the stairs, with a stereotypical looking footballer and a bunch of cheerleaders following her.

“Here we go.” Sweet Pea mumbled and you rolled your eyes. You looked beside you to see Jughead and Toni staring at her angrily.

“There’s the school spirit I so fondly remember.” Jughead said sarcastically and you laughed.

“Cheryl. No one invited fascist barbie to the party.” The dark haired girl acknowledged her but she just ignored her.

“Wrong, Veronica. No one invited Southside Scum to our school.” She replied and the entire group tensed. “Listen up, ragamuffins.”

“Ragamuffins?” You mumbled. “What kind of insult is that?” You asked loudly gaining everyone’s attention.

She looked at you with raised eye brows and Sweet Pea squeezed your hand tightly. “I will not allow Riverdale High’s above average GPA to suffer, because of classrooms that are overcrowded with underachievers. So please, do us all a favour and find some other school to debase with your hard-scrabble ways.” She finished with a smirk and looked you all up and down.

“Why don’t you come over and say that to my face?” Toni asked angrily and moved towards her. You, Sweet Pea, Fangs and Jughead followed her, ready to fight.

“Happily, Queen of the Buskers.”

“She is just asking for a smack.” You muttered and Sweet Pea held your arm.

“Okay, guys. Everyone. Can we just put our Northside-Southside differences apart and start over? A new slate?” The read headed boy asked and you could practically hear everyone roll their eyes.

“You don’t speak for the Bulldogs, Andrews. And need I remind you, these greaser-snakes showed up at your place trying to kick your ass.” One of the bulldogs told him.

“Happy to finish what he started.” Sweet Pea threatened and moved forward. You pulled him back and stood in front of him.

“I’m so over the toxic masculinity in this hallway right now.” Veronica started.

“Oh shut up.” You snapped and she looked at you offended.

“Alright! Thats enough pomp and circumstance. Everyone get to class. Now!” Principal Weatherbee said and Jughead pushed Sweet Pea forward, the rest of you following and glaring at the Northsiders who were still staring.

“We haven’t even got our schedules.” Fangs complained.

“Do you wanna go back?” You asked annoyed.

“No.” He replied and continued to glare.

“Stupid northsiders.” Sweet Pea grumbled.

“Its okay baby.” You kissed his cheek and he sighed. “Everything will get better.” You reassured him and he shook his head. “And if not, we’ll just kick their ass.” You added and he laughed.

A few weeks had gone by and you, Sweet Pea, Toni and Fangs had been inseparable. Everywhere you went their were judgey stares, which of course you returned. Everyone had been in their fair share of fights and now you had been made to get rid of your serpent jackets, meaning Sweet Pea had to wear a turtleneck to cover his tattoo, much to everyone but his amusement.

“You look great babe.” You stifled a laugh as he walked into the student lounge. Toni and Fangs turned around to see what you were talking about and almost fell over laughing.

“Shut the fuck up.” He grumbled and made his way over to you.

“It suits you.” You added and tried to conceal your smile.

“Yeah. It er. It brings out the colour of your eyes.” Fangs added with a smile and Sweet Pea shoved him.

“Its really not that bad.” You tried to reassure him but he rolled his eyes. “I’ve seen Fangs wear much worse.”

“Hey!” Fangs replied offended and you laughed.

“You would look good in anything. I promise.” You kissed him and he smiled.

“Thanks but that doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Are you busy tonight?” Fangs asked.

“No.” Sweet Pea shook his head.

“Sort of.” You replied.

“What’re you doing without us? We’re you’re only friends. Isn’t that right Toni?” Fangs looked beside him but Toni had disappeared. “Where’d she go?”

“Cheryl.” You and Sweet Pea replied at the same time and he nodded.

“Anyway. What you doing?”

“Betty wants me to escort her to the Southside so she can see Jughead. I think she’s planning on making up with him if you know what I mean.”

“And you agreed to that?” Sweet Pea asked confused.

“He’s the future serpent king. I don’t want to be given all of the shitty jobs when FP passes the crown on.” You replied and they agreed.

“Smart.”

“But I shouldn’t be too long. What did you wanna do?”

“I wanna go see Love, Simon at the Bijou tonight. I was gonna invite Toni as well but she’s too busy trying to get with Bombshell.” He rolled his eyes and you laughed. “I’ll see you guys later.” He sighed before going to his class.

“Don’t you have the same class?” You asked Sweet Pea.

“Oh shit. Yeah.” He remembered. “I’ll text you when we’re meeting tonight. I love you.” He kissed you before running after Fangs.

“Soooo. Do you think you and Jughead are gonna get back together?” You asked Betty as you walked beside each other. The majority of the walk had been in silence and seeing as though you could see his trailer you thought you may as well make some sort of attempt at conversation.

“Hopefully.” She replied and you smiled slightly.

“Thats good.” You replied awkwardly.

“I’m sorry for how everyone treats you. And thats not just because Jughead’s a serpent.”

“Its okay. Its not you thats discriminating. You’re doing the opposite to be honest. You’re sleeping with one of us.” You shrugged and she laughed. “Well, here you are.” You gestured to his trailer and she nodded.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” You replied and turned around. “Put in a good word with the future king.” You mumbled.

“What?” She asked.

“Nothing.” You shook your head and walked away. You heard the door open behind you and turned around to see them already making out, so you assumed they made up and were back together.

You arrived at the bijou a little later than planned and saw Sweet Pea and Fangs waiting impatiently outside for you.

“Sorry.” You apologized.

“We’ve missed like half the movie.” Fangs complained and you rolled your eyes.

“Shut up Fogarty. I’m five minutes late. The adverts won’t have started yet.” You argued. Sweet Pea held your hand as you walked in and found your seats. “Is that Toni?” You asked once you had all sat down. “With Cheryl?”

“Holy shit.” Sweet Pea muttered.

“Its cute.” You smiled.

“We’re still going to tease her when we see her tomorrow though?” Fangs asked.

“Of course.” You replied.

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Standing beside Sweet Pea you laughed at something stupid he’d said. Fangs was stood on the other side of him and Jughead was sat in front of you all. You looked around the park and saw Cheryl and Toni laughing with each other, making you smile to yourself.

“Listen up now! All right, listen up!” FP shouted, gaining everyone’s attention. “Some 60 years ago, the very first Serpent meeting took place on these same riverbanks. Now, it makes sense that this is where we gather now, where I-” He paused trying to find the right words. “Where I say my goodbye. Jughead would you step up here, son?” He finished and everyone started to mutter.

“What the fucks going on?” You whispered to Pea.

“I’m not really that sure. To be honest, I thought we were called here to get drunk and celebrate how far we’ve come.” He replied honestly and you laughed. Jughead made his way towards FP and the three of you looked at each other confused.

“What are you doing?” He mumbled.

“What I should have done a long time ago.” He muttered back. “I’m retiring from the Serpents.” He announced and the muttering got louder. “For real this time.” He added and you laughed. “Now, my boy has never stopped fighting for this crew. Hell. He almost died for it. Thats why I’m giving you the mantle.” He told Jughead and everyone cheered. Sweet Pea hit Fangs making him wince in pain from his gunshot wound. You then hit Sweet Pea in the arm to make up for it. “And now, as your first official duty as Serpent King...” He nodded to Toni who made her way towards the two of them and handed FP a red serpent jacket. “I think you know what to do with this.” He handed it to Jughead making him smile.

“All right, all right.” He muttered. “All I can say is...I love you dad. And the serpents will not die out. Not on my watch.” He said and everyone cheered again. Cheryl made her way towards him and they smiled at each other as he gave her, her jacket.

“Whoooo!” You cheered and clapped and she smiled at you. “Thank God, we’ve got another girl.” You smiled and she laughed, before making her way back to Toni and kissing her.

“One more thing.” Jughead told you all. “We have a new Serpent Queen.”

“Jughead! I told you I wasn’t ready for you tell everyone yet!” You shouted and everyone laughed.

“Jughead! You told me I was the new Serpent Queen!” Sweet Pea joined.

“And me!” Fangs added, just as upset as the two of you.

“Shut up.” He smiled. “Betty’s the Serpent Queen, not any of you idiots.”

“Very clever, insulting the serpents literally five minutes after being crowned king.” You teased and he laughed before ringing Betty to tell her the good news.

“I love you so much.” Sweet Pea smiled at you and you grinned.

“I love you too.” You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him towards you, connecting your lips quickly.

“You’re my Serpent King.” You mumbled against his lips.

“And you’ll always be my Serpent Queen.” He smiled and kissed you again.

Permanent Taglist: @mayaslifeinabox @thoseawkwardturtless @we--are--infinite--2 @serpentgirll @reblogserpent

#sweet pea #sweet pea imagine #sweet pea x reader #sweet pea x you #sweet pea x y/n #riverdale #riverdale imagine #jordan connor #jordan connor imagine #jordan connor x reader #jordan connor x you

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one-sky-imagines · 6 years ago

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358/2 days make the seasalt trio's bestfriendships pretty clear, but could I ask for some headcanons of how the other's would be as close friends to someone? like, a platonic x reader thing if that isn't too weird? (I didn't see a character limit so I hope it would be okay to ask for some short hc's for the Organization XIII members, or however many you'd be comfortable with. I'd be grateful for anything

i’d like to start off by saying that this is such a lovely request to come back to!! mod just finished kh3 after about 60 consecutive hours of playing and crying and there’s over 200 of us now following the blog!! to celebrate me finally having the time i need to start writing again, requests are open! and, nonnie, there’s no character limit at all!!

Xemnas

- Xemnas’s close friend would be in the know; he’d essentially treat you as the right-hand he likes to spend time with. He’d have a hard time not telling you the truth to any question you ask, top-secret or otherwise - you’ve even started catching him telling you off-hand things about his subordinates, which is always amusing to you both. However, in a mixture of pride and not wanting to scare someone he shares a true connection with away, it’d take a while for Xemnas to tell you about his past. He’d have to be sure that you wouldn’t react badly to any of it…

Xigbar

- Xigbar would be a huge show-off around his best friend; the quips, nicknames and trick-shots with his arrowguns would be laid on even thicker than usual - he likes to impress anyone worth his time. Although this might seem a little arrogant to the others you spend time with, you’d know that you’re the reason Xigbar’s pushing to be the best version of himself in his own, funny little ways. Besides the joking around, Xigbar would probably debate and share his knowledge with his best friend - there’s a lot to learn from him, and you’re not sure if that’s surprising or not.

Xaldin

- For Xaldin, having someone by his side for the first time in a while is a shock he’d try to cope with alone - be prepared for a lot of this semi-moping around and secretiveness. Sharing your burdens with him wouldn’t be a problem, but the second that somethings goes awry for him, he’ll protect you from it. It’s a long road to reverse how wary Xaldin is of everyone after the ordeals of his past, but having someone to lean on helps immensely. I think the two of you would find comfort in being lone wolves together; the smallest pack, but tightly knit.

Vexen

- You’d have more of a problem with what everyone else thought of you two than trying to become Vexen’s friend; anyone who shows genuine interest in his research is bound to get an earful of the latest experiment notes, but you’d have to overlook the sour opinion his fellow members seem to have of him. Vexen’s best friend would have to be completely alright with the strangest habits, and the two of you would likely fall into a routine of making sure he’s properly fed and rested before you can spend any actual time together… but, still, hanging out with one of the smartest men in the world has its perks.

Lexaeus

- Lexaeus would be the type of close friend to help you become strong - he’d enjoy finally having a partner to meditate and train with, and to see you listening to his advice as he tests your strength to see how far you’ve come would bring a smile to his otherwise stormy face. If the two of you became best friends, you might share some quiet inside jokes; maybe he’d always pretend to lose when you arm wrestled because it made you smile, especially if you were feeling blue. I wouldn’t expect any long conversations with Lexaeus, but he seems to enjoy listening to you.

Zexion

- Befriending Zexion would involve trying to drag him out of his study almost longer than the two of you actually hung out but, after a while, he’ll tell you that it’s your persistence that made him like you as much as he does. Despite how busy he is, Zexion would always make time for you, even if it’s something as simple as sitting on the windowsill together while you listen to him read or making sure that he hasn’t overdone it on a mission. You’d bring out the best in him - so much that you sometimes struggle to keep a straight face when he gets a little too enthusiastic about explaining something to you.

Saix

- Spending time with Saix would probably include a lot of paperwork and silence at first - he’s dedicated to his role in the Organization, but compiling reports and handing out missions requires a lot of prep… so perhaps he’d enjoy it if someone helped him to sort everything out. What starts as a work relationship would grow into a mutual admiration and, finally, you’d become relaxed around each other. Saix can become very frustrated when things don’t run smoothly, so it’s often up to you to cut everyone else some slack - you’d be like two sides of the same coin.

Demyx

- Demyx would want to do nothing other than practise music with his best friend, even if you don’t play an instrument. He’d call every time the two of you hung out a ‘jam session’, and after weeks of begging you to sing along to whichever tune he’d come up with today, it’d be a big moment in your friendship if you sung for him. Despite his own laziness, Demyx would encourage you to be confident - he’d love to experiment with your hair, make lyrics from your journal entries or sneak around in the castle’s off-limits rooms with you… it’s a relief to finally have someone who understands him in his life.

Luxord

- A friendship with Luxord would likely start with him taking pity on your poker face; although you swear to him you’re good at fooling people, he hands out gambling tricks to anyone who piques his interest. Of course, nearly all of your free time together at first would consist of mastering every game he throws at you, and it’s a breath of fresh air for Luxord to find someone to mentor. The two of you would infuriate the rest of the Organization, but you’ve never been able to one-up Luxord, and being his best friend means that you’ll have to accept that he’s always got the upper hand.

Marluxia

- Marluxia would love to teach his best friend about the beauty of flowers - you’d spend a lot of time walking through different worlds’ gardens, listening to the wealth of knowledge he’s held over the years about his element. Seeing Marluxia angry whenever a Heartless tramples through a patch of flowers is always just a little priceless, but you can appreciate the dedication he puts into the things he cares about, too. Naturally, you both have a problem with authority and you’re always up for gossip: feeding each other secrets is all in a day’s work with him.

Larxene

- Larxene would see her best friend as far above everyone else, and she may become a little jealous if she sees you mingling with anyone she’s not a fan of, but that’s nothing you can’t handle. Larxene’s high-and-mighty demeanour isn’t all bad, though - she’d never see you down on yourself for any reason because you’re worth much more than feeling bad to her. Surprisingly, it didn’t take you long to realise that Larxene’s sharp tongue comes from a place of vulnerability, but her apologies after snapping at you give you a lot of hope for the future.

#✉️#Xemnas #Xigbar #Xaldin #Vexen #Lexaeus #Zexion #Saix #Axel #Demyx #Luxord #Marluxia #Larxene #Roxas #Xion #anonymous #long post #kh

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sights-on-the-scifi · 5 years ago

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War and soldiers: How video games have shaped a perception of the military.

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Soldiers, conflict, violence, targets, hostiles, enemies, honour, duty, loyalty....

Video games have had a very long history in regards to depicting the military and soldiers.

Most of the games you have played have depicted servicemen and placed you in the shoes of one fighting in wars overseas or even outer space and beyond. In fact a lot of video gaming’s most celebrated and iconic characters have been men and woman of action almost exclusively, from Commander Shepard to Solid Snake, B.J. Blazkowicz, Marcus Fenix, Master Chief and many more.

These individuals for a long time have been the face of gaming in pop culture.

Many have mostly been white American males. Which tells you a lot about the cultural and historical lens these games are using to create their fictional characters in service positions. The kinds of expectations they have for what constitutes a soldier are ones mostly formed out of a post world war 2, greatest generation archetype or subversion on the modern 21st century contemporary soldier typically seen in media about the war on terror.

All these portrayals have provided you with MANY different interpretations of war and service members... But how many of them are true to any sort of reality or truths related to conflict and soldiers? Which of these games actually have anything meaningful or insightful to say about these kind of people and the wars they fight? Some may be more fictitious than others but they all universally fall under the same banner.

I have watched a lot of interviews and talked to soldiers both potential to be and actually in the service. They form a wide spectrum of belief, motivation, expectation and experience. All of them in some way or another share a relationship with the characters you see in this post but not completely, soldiers do indeed care a lot about how well they are portrayed in a lot of entertainment mediums, many also welcome healthy critique.

These are works of fiction with varying artistic intents. Some look at the soldiers and war reverentially, while others look at those same things in the opposite way be that sceptically for example.

PRO WAR.

MASS EFFECT.

Games like MASS EFFECT celebrate the soldier and their role in society, it is a soldier Commander Shepard your very own player character who discovers the threat of the impending Reaper invasion, stopping it for example along with other men and woman of action. Politicians and so on are viewed as a barrier to the war effort/getting things done and are treated with suspicion like the council or your very own ambassador. You share an empathetic experience with a combatant who is for all intent and purposes not only in a war with a Lovecraftian enemy from beyond the stars, but also your own civilisation.

This is a very conservative view of the world and it is surprising to see in a game with a “Idealised” future setting. This is why it is pro war.

HALO.

Halo depicts a universe where humanity is under threat of complete and total annihilation at the hands of the covenant, it is pro war in the sense that our species is on the defensive and needs to fight back against an aggressive adversarial extraterrestrial threat. It focuses almost exclusively on the war effort and the complexities of our enemy the covenant and their religious motivations, telling the story of the men and woman putting their lives on the line to protect earth and even the rest of the galaxy from not only a common threat but also itself through the fatally misguided holy war waged by the covenant that threatens all life in the galaxy. We share a empathetic experience with warriors not because they are above anyone else, but because they are doing a job that absolutely needs to be done to secure the future.

It shares a lot in common with the sentiments expressed by the greatest generation during world war 2 in that way.

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No where is this more evident than in the original three games themselves and the ad campaign for Halo 3 which depicts former marines reminiscing about the horrors and triumphs of the human, covenant war. This in a way is a mirror reflection of our own world.

THE WOLFENSTEIN REBOOTS: The Expression of a multi faceted perspective of war and soldiers.

The Wolfestein reboots going by the name of The new order, Old blood and The new colossus respectively. Are unique in their interpretation of this subject matter, they both celebrate the greatest generation perspective and are sceptical of war which is an amazing feat.

What does it mean to be a soldier in the afternath of your destroyed/half forgotten civilisation?

What does it mean to fight for you country when that very same country has supported forms of oppression comparable to the cruelties inflicted by your enemy?

If you want to get a sense for this fascinating complexity expressed by these games, just watch this very powerful scene from The new order and you will see what I mean instantly. It even features an alternate reality Jimmy Hendrix!.

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ANTI WAR.

CALL OF DUTY 4 AND SPEC OPS THE LINE.

Games like the original Modern Warfare and Spec ops the line have a decidedly less positive view of war, sharing a lot in common with anti war media in film such as Platoon, Apocalypse now and many more.

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These games were shaped from the cultural anxieties and movements against war during the 60′s and post 911 fears during the war on terror.

The horrors and consequences of war are these games focus.

They look at war and soldiers in a way that suggests that in a time of ever increasing technological innovation and dehumanisation brings with it the dilution of what it means to fight for your country and senseless destruction for causes that have no merit or meaning in a world that may not even require bloodshed anymore. In Modern Warfare a now famous mission depicts a US invasion force totally obliterated by a nuclear detonation in the heart of a middle eastern countries capitol, this is analogous to the anxieties and collective feelings of guilt and confusion Americans felt after the Iraq war. An Illegal invasion of a foreign country that did not attack the united states claiming the lives of 31,000 civilians.

The Iraq war was a disaster of epic proportions and what better way was there to communicate that to a player than to show a vision of the worst case scenario dreamt up by the presidency who started the conflict, to encapsulate it all in just a few short scenes?.

Spec ops the line taps into the sentiments expressed during and after the Vietnam war by putting you in the boots of a soldier who slowly but surely loses his sanity and commits unspeakable atrocities but still believing he is doing the right thing. The white phosphorus scene has gone down in video games history as one of the most powerful and shocking depictions of a real world weapon that the United states has admitted to using in the Iraq war and even today.

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Spec ops the line was also a response to the over saturation of modern military shooters that had dominated gaming sales from 2008 to 2013, in fact... It was so saturated that Modern military shooters became a genre in gaming, with it’s own tropes, mechanical and story cliches. The line provides meta commentary about the role of violence in games, turning things against the player that are typically intended to make them feel empowered in other games. It criticises those games tendency to treat the United state’s military adventurism as an inherent good when it is far from that in the real world.

So these are the perceptions of war you have experienced in the gaming medium, which ones have spoken to you the most? Which ones have formed your own beliefs about conflict and soldiers? Let me know.

#Mass Effect #call of duty #Spec ops the line #war #soldiers #military

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amphtaminedreams · 5 years ago

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All The Tattoos I Couldn’t Really Afford

Hi to anyone who’s reading!

I thought I’d write about my tattoos a lil bit.

Partly because I’d like to talk generally about tattoos and what they mean for people who have dealt with self-harm and poor body image and partly because I get questions now and again about the more practical side of things; who did them, how much did they hurt and probably the most frequent one, how much did they cost (I mean, only my entire livelihood and every last spare pound I had for about 2 years but nbd)? The point being that I can put all this information in one place, especially as I don’t plan to get any more in the foreseeable future.

See, as much as I get tired of people I don’t really know commenting on them, I suppose I did kind of bring it upon myself. Facially, I probably look about 15. I get told I'm exaggerating when I say that BUT I WAS STILL BUYING CHILD’S TICKETS ON THE BUS UP UNTIL LAST YEAR BC AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR £2.60 SINGLES. Where do you live for a bus single to cost £2.60 I hear you ask? In a tory heartland, my friend.

Anyway, the point is that I look pretty young to have a sort-of sleeve and tbh, I am. I’d say that for a lot of people, a sleeve is something you build on kinda throughout your life, not something you plan on getting pretty much the minute you turn 18. That isn’t exactly how it was for me either. I was more like 20 when I started on my left arm, lol. I started on the rest when I was 18 and had known most of the tattoos I wanted to get since I was about 14/15, so for quite a while. I think I always associated a tattooed version of me with a version of myself I liked and respected a lot more than the girl I saw myself as at that age, but I didn’t realise just how true that would be. The tattoos definitely aren’t the reason I’m so much more body confident than I was back then; I’m at a weight I feel more comfortable in, I’ve learned how to do my makeup better and I think I’ve grown into myself more. Plus, I got my braces off, which helps. The constant fear of having food in my teeth hardly conjures up a sense of nostalgia, lol. On top of that, seeing a wider and more diverse range of faces and body types celebrated online and in the media has definitely helped me too.

But one thing that I noticed is how much more respect having tattoos gives me for my own body. When you have talented men and women’s art all over you, it makes you feel like less of a body and more of a blank sheet. I think the attention moves away from the parts underneath that you might not like so much to something you don’t necessarily associate with yourself. It helps me to notice myself more objectively, with appreciation taking the place of scrutiny. And with regards to self-harm, on a practical level, I don’t want to damage somebody else’s hard work.

The first tattoo I actually got, about a month or so after I turned 18 was pretty simple. I found the studio by way of recommendation from someone who’s tattoo I liked, which imo is probably the best route to go down for your first one. Word of mouth is generally a pretty good indicator of what to expect.

The 5 planet formation on the back of my neck was based on a Tumblr photo I’d saved on my phone, though in the original design I believe the planets were on the person’s chest.

PROTIP: If you’re getting a tattoo based on something you found on Pinterest, Google Images or Tumblr, the best thing to do is first to probably make a note of the artist and ideally ask them for their permission. This is something I wish I’d done at the time; the majority of my tattoos are based on images I found on the sites I just mentioned and saved without thinking and I generally deleted the photos once I sent them to the tattoo artist. Understandably, artists see it as respect thing to credit them and if I do ever come across the designs some of my tattoos are based on, I will of course make sure to add their details to this post, BUT to be completely honest, nobody outside of the internet is that bothered if you copied a tattoo you saw on Pinterest one time.

I think the best thing to do is to ask your tattoo artist to put their own spin on a design and add to it, which is what I’ve generally done, and that way you should avoid anyone feeling like their work has been stolen. I like that approach anyway, especially if you’re going back to the same person for all your tattoos; it adds a consistency to them.

This being my first tattoo, there wasn’t really much of a deeper meaning behind it. I liked the way it looked and wanted something simple that could easily be covered. I got this done by dclxvi.tattoo on Instagram, and it cost around £40. In terms of pain, there wasn’t much at all. I thought it was going to be a lot worse from what others had told me, and more than anything I could feel the vibration of the needle. I’d give it a 1/10 on the pain threshold.

My second was the quote on my left side over my ribcage which reads “think deeply, speak gently, give freely and be kind”. This came from one of those cheesy typical middle class white people signs we usually put in our kitchens; we currently have about 6 and counting in ours. The full quote is “Think deeply, speak gently, love much, laugh a lot, work hard, give freely and be kind” but I thought that was a bit long winded so I kept the parts I liked. I suppose the meaning meaning of this is pretty self-explanatory, lol! When I was younger and still even now with the people I’m close to, I worry way too fucking much what people think of me. It’s a very cliche saying but at some point, I learnt that what others say about you says more about them than it does about you. From then, I started realising that as long as I know I do my best to treat people well, that’s the important thing and this tattoo is kind of just a reminder of that. IIRC, this one cost about £60 and was with the same artist as my first. She was really lovely and made me feel very comfortable so I went back to her for this one, and my next couple too. Again, even though it was on my ribs, I’d give it a 1/10 for pain.

I kinda lose track but I’m pretty sure it was over the summer of my 18th that I got the 3 you can see in the photo above, all still by the same artist. The first on this area of my arm was the quote “love yourself so no-one else has to” inside the heart/feminine symbol hybrid. Similarly, it’s quite self-explanatory but if I had to expand on it, it’s just a reminder that it’s not about what other people think and that as long as I’m happy in myself and BY myself, that’s what matters. This was around the £40 mark and I vaguely remember tattoos getting slightly more painful around this point as we’re getting into musclier territory. Not to make out I have guns or anything, lol, but I’ve always found that tattoos that are on top of muscle are the most difficult to sit through, still though I’d give it a 2/10 for pain. Shortly after I got the crystal ball with the quote underneath. The crystal ball is pretty much a copy of a tattoo I found on Pinterest by the tattoo artist Emily Malice/@emilymalice on Instagram:

I then chose a quote to add underneath it to make it my own which was: “it’s not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves”. It’s the modernised version of a quote from the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, and basically sums up the idea that if we want something, we have to go and get it ourselves. I’m not really a believer in fate or destiny or the idea that the universe has a bigger plan for us and though that might sound really pessimistic, I find it empowering in that we can go out and make our lives into anything we want them to be. Of course there are things that are out of our hands but for the most part, it’s down to us; I’m on that inner locus of control shit. And yes I remembered that from A-level psychology, lol. On the pain scale, also a 2/10.

Next was my Lana tattoo. Imagine copious amounts of the heart eyes emoji here. It’s based on this drawing:

Which I cannot find the artist of fucking ANYWHERE. The image is all over the bloody internet and returned about 30 different results on TinEye but I can’t for the life of me find the original version so if anybody knows, lmk!

Anyway, it was my first of 2 Lana tattoos and it’s probably my favourite of them all. I’ve been a hardcore stan of this woman since I was about 12 and Video Games went viral (yes, I was a very pretentious 12 year old/general human being) and her music has been my soundtrack to EVERYTHING for the last 7/8 years. I’m a basic bitch and so Born to Die: Paradise Edition and Ultraviolence are still my favourite albums of hers but I wanted to pay tribute to the Lust for Life cover with the flowers in the hair because it represented her moving towards inner peace and contentment and I loved that.

COST: approx. £70

PAIN: 2/10

That was my last tattoo for a while until about November 2018, from which point onwards I was getting them pretty much constantly up until a few months ago. I was no longer at uni, had a part time job and for the first time had proper disposable income, so I got my first proper “piece” tattoo:

This one I very shittily designed myself, though the lip part was based on this tattoo by Heidi Kaye/@heidikayetattoo on Instagram:

The lips were always going to be the centrepiece though it was originally a much bigger design. The idea was that it would be a piece based around the elements, water, earth, air and fire, with the things that represents each being something sentimental to me. Well, apart from the lips which would represent the passion of the fire signs; I just thought they looked cool, lol. On a less shallow note, the butterflies, which represent air (along with the moons), I associate with my mum as she’s always wearing butterfly patterned outfits and jewellery. Yeah, I don’t know how you can claim a whole ass insect either but apparently they’re her thing! And similarly, the scorpion is for my sister; it represents water, scorpio being a water sign. She and I used to watch Orphan Black together and took to affectionately calling each other “sestra” instead of sister like the Ukranian character Helena pronounces it in the show. At one point, I believe it’s season 3, her character hallucinates a scorpion (don’t ask, that show was pretty wack at times), hence the scorpion tattoo. Lastly, the flowers and the agate rock represent earth, which is the home of my sun and moon sign. There were originally going to be a lot more details to the piece but I wanted to keep it on the back of my arm and when I showed it to my new tattoo artist, Matt Cassy (cassytattoo on Instagram), he simplified it for me so that it would fit. It cost around £140 and took the longest time yet, but I’d give it a 1/10 for pain and it’s my favourite tattoo after my Lana one, probably because it’s the most individual.

Next after this was my sunflower and it took me to one of kindest and most talented people I’ve ever met! I’m pretty sure this was the first one she did for me and from this point onwards, I went back to Bianca Kidd (biancakiddtattoo on Instagram) for 90% of my tattoos. It’s a pretty basic piece but I really wanted a tattoo on my shoulder and preferably something that will never really go “out of style”. Flower tattoos are so simple but the absolute prettiest imo and I don’t think I’ll ever look back on this one and be like “what was I thinking?” I got Bianca to add the stars which were SUPPOSED to be in the form of the constellations of my sun, moon and rising signs, Capricorn, Virgo and what I thought was Scorpio but turns out is actually Cancer. Shoulda known considering how much of a needy, over-emotional twat I am, lol. On the one hand, it seems kinda contradictory to my crystal ball tattoo quote to believe in astrology but on the other, I think there might be something to the time of year a person is born and the environmental factors that come with that (climate, financial patterns etc.) affecting a person’s temperament slightly. It could all be a load of BS, considering the vagueness of most star signs and our tendency to want to agree with positive statements about ourselves, and I DEFINITELY don’t believe in the stars having any impact on your future or fate but it’s still fun to read about either way. Would be even funner if I didn’t have regrets about getting my natal chart wrong and being sure enough that Scorpio was my rising sign to get a tattoo referencing it every time I did, but there you go. If anyone asks, the placement of the stars is TOTALLY. RANDOM.

COST: approx. £140

PAIN: I find that even if a tattoo isn’t in a super painful position, your skin begins to get a little raw and thus more sensitive when it’s under a needle for a long period of time so 3/10

Next was the snakey boy on the inside of my right arm which I got just before Christmas, again by Bianca:

I don’t have much to say about this one other than it’s pretty much a copy of one I saw on Pinterest that I’d saved quite a while before (unfortunately I can’t find it anywhere now but if anybody does know the source lmk!) because I fricken love snakes and think they’re cute and misunderstood af. Not as cute as cats but definitely up there. Bianca changed it slightly by adding the dots around the rose and we went from there, and the main thing I remember is that this one actually hurt. Close to the armpit and on top of the muscle is a bad combination and I’m totally in awe of the madmen that go right into the pit itself. It cost £80 and for pain I’d give it an 8/10.

Cop the exact same pose only with the other arm instead, but I also got my mermaid around this time:

She was done by Polly (biffinx on instagram) who’s an apprentice tattoo artist. If you are looking for a slightly cheaper tattoo, apprentices are a good shout, as they usually charge slightly less, though in Polly’s case are equally as skilled at what they do; you’re also helping them build their portfolio so it’s a win-win situation for both you and the tattoo artist. That being said, make sure you do your research and get someone who’s good at the style you’re looking for before you commit. Instagram is often your best bet, and if not, tattoo shops often have websites with photo galleries showcasing each artist’s work. It might take you a while to find what you’re looking for but you really can’t compromise when you’re talking about something that’s probably going to be on your body forever. NBD. I got the mermaid as a nod to both growing up by the sea and how much I loved to swim when I was younger. I feel like I’m going to end up saying this far too many times but she’s one of my favourites.

COST: £60

PAIN: 8/10

I also got the other 3 tattoos on my upper right arm during this time. Bianca did the satanic kitty (can’t find the source of the tattoo it was based on! again, if anyone does lmk!), because of course I had to have a cat tattoo, and that was around £50 and a 3/10 on the pain scale. The two shells, which again are a reminder of where I grew up, were done by Terry Weeks (terryweekstattoo on Instagram) and cost £70 for both. I’d give them a 2/10 for pain.

Next were my knee and calf tattoo in February of this year, for which I went back to Matt Cassy:

He did the two of them for £140 and it took around 3 hours. Palm trees always remind me of California which I absolutely love, and the spider’s web was kinda just because...spooky, ya know? Honestly, I hate spiders and I equally hate that it gave the old man on the bus the inspiration to make the joke (imagine this being said in a strong Dorset accent) “you’ve got ae spiderr on yerr leg” at me that one time on the bus. Plus, I’d give my knee tattoo a strong 9/10 for pain. Realistically, it probably wasn’t any more painful than the inner upper arm tattoos but you have the added burden of suppressing your reflexes; when somebody is carving into the skin on your leg, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that your knee jerk reaction is to...well, kick that person in the face. Or away from you at least. I also got the elbow pit tattoo on my left arm from Bianca around this time for £160. 8/10 for pain on that one.

And then, there was the 10/10 in March. The things I do for Miss Lana Del fucking Rey.

Because the Just Ride tattoo above my knees HURT. I wasn’t expecting it at all but BLOODY HELL. My tattoo artist actually had to get the numbing spray out for this one. It was, again, the combined effect of it being on top of muscle and the need to resist my reflexes so that I didn’t flinch, which clearly I didn’t do a very good job at, hence the spray. I think my reaction at the time was kind of, what the fuck, has this stuff always existed? But the more you can put off asking for the spray, the better, because used in large quantities it can be pretty dangerous. This was the only tattoo I felt I did need it for because I literally couldn’t sit still and there was a risk of me jogging the tattoo artist, Megan, the amazing @bunnystattoos on Instagram. Her stuff is adorable and she has such a strong vision and brand and if I was going to get another, I’d love to just give her a starting point and see where she’d take it from there. Like, I’m not a Star Wars fan but LOOK at this set she designed for someone else:

I also got my Dream On tattoo with her in the same session and in total she charged me £110 for both which is pretty reasonable considering how in demand she is (and how much of a total baby I was about the Just Ride tattoo). I chose lyrics from Ride because lyrically, it’s probably one of my favourite songs of hers, plus the opening 30 seconds are pure magic.

Megan also did the linework orchid lady on the back of my arm around the same time:

I suppose you could say this is my most “meaningful” tattoo, because it was inspired by something my care-coordinator said to me about my diagnosis of BPD. In amongst all the other less than complimentary comments, she told me that it just means we need a little more care and sensitivity than others, like orchids do in comparison to other flowers, but that that doesn’t make us any less deserving of care or less beautiful. Basically, in the right circumstances, we can bloom too. And I liked that.

This one cost £80 and was about a 3/10 for pain. I can’t find any photos of the tattoo it was based on so for the millionth time, if you do know, hmu.

From April-May I got a shitload of tattoos and to be honest, I can’t really remember what order it was in so I’m going to group them into artists. First, the ones I got from Polly:

The anatomical heart I got in March and was based on this tattoo by Harry Plane (@harry.plane on Instagram):

COST: £50

PAIN: 7/10

And the sun and moon kissing was also around £50. 2/10 for pain.

Bianca did a few for me too, starting with the floral design on my lower left arm around March, which was probably my biggest piece yet:

The floral piece started off as a 4/10 though it creeped up to a 6 the closer it got to my wrist. Going over raised scars is also slightly more painful, something to bear in mind. Along with the Keep It Cute tattoo (6/10) on my wrist:

It came to £180.

Bianca also did the linework of my favourite GIF, like, ever.

Yes, it’s Go Go Yubari from Kill Bill about to try and maim The Bride, who don’t get me wrong I am perennially rooting for, but come on. It’s an iconic moment in film history Once Upon a Time in Hollywood wishes it could replicate. 4/10 for pain due to it being over scarring, otherwise we’re talking about the kind of placement that’s a reliable 2/10. I also got wrapped into the whole renaissance inspired trend and got Bianca to do me a little cherub gap filler based on this flash sheet I found on Google Images (link to the image found here https://creativemarket.com/Sonulkaster/280110-Angels-and-Cupids-collection.?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=CM):

I suggested the cigarette as a cheeky little addition, lol! I’d give it a 5/10 for pain, being close to the inside of my arm n all and it set me back around £40. Unfortunately, I don’t have any great quality photos of it that I haven’t already used in the post but here’s one where you can see it a little bit (idk why my hair looks so brown and basically my natural colour in this photo but I DO NOT APPROVE, it is not at all fitting with my wannabe mildly goth aesthetic):

Finally, we have my last 2 tattoos.

See, getting my finger tattoos done was an absolute necessity before I went inter-railing and not because I’m an over-dramatic bitch who wanted a little something to make my multitude of me-holding-food photos more aesthetically pleasing (though of course it helped on that count), but because I made the fucking huge mistake of trying to stick and poke them myself. To be fair, they weren’t THAT bad at first. Like I was pretty pleased with them. Buuuut they faded super quickly and I guess that’s the issue with stick and pokes, especially on your fingers, where even professional tattoos are a bit of a flight risk anyway. So, after having to go over them a million times and spilling Indian ink all over my laptop keyboard, I decided to admit defeat and get Bianca to go over them for me. It cost £30 and I’d only give it a 4/10 on the pain scale. After months of having to explain my shitty faded finger tattoos to everyone and convince far too many customers at work that they weren’t just drawn on with a sharpie, I’m finally happy with them. Lesson learnt. Don’t stick and poke kids, especially not near your laptop.

Lastly is my “Wouldst Thou Like to Live Deliciously?” quote that Polly did for me:

The cost of this tattoo? £30. Having to explain to every person who hasn’t seen The VVitch what it actually says and then what it means too? Priceless. Hotel? Tri-

I joke. It’s actually very annoying having to explain what it says and vague what it means, not because I don’t EXACTLY know but also because I feel like a snobby film hoe (which is quite an accurate description of me) every time I do. The VVitch is super good, guys. Please watch if you’ve got the patience, it’s a slow burn.

Anyways, I hope anybody who read to the end enjoyed the post and found it informative! If you have any other tattoo questions, shoot me a message and I will definitely respond. I think one of the most common things I get is people saying they’re too indecisive to get a tattoo and that they want one, but are worried they’ll go off it. What I think is that once you get your first, getting a tattoo starts to feel like less of a momentous decision. Like there are tattoos I have that I probably wouldn’t get now but that doesn’t mean I regret them because, although it sounds cheesy, they sort of become a part of you and represent what you liked at the time. The more you have, the less significant one individual tattoo is. At the end of the day, are you ever going to regret getting a tiny rose? Worst case scenario, you can always get a cover up or if you’re brave and rich enough (lol), get laser removal. In terms of aftercare, I’ve always been kind of sloppy. Follow the instructions your tattoo artist gives you but also, if you don’t get time to moisturise them, it’s not the end of the world. TRY not to itch them but one tiny scratch isn’t going to permanently damage your tattoo.

One thing I will say, though, that’s probably kind of obvious to everyone but me (being the dumbass I am) is that you should NOT go in the sea right after getting a tattoo. It is literally the equivalent of pouring salt in an open wound and whilst it didn’t ruin my Lana, it really fucking stung for about 3 days afterwards. I’m an endless treasure chest of protips, didn’t you know?

Thank you for reading!

Lauren x

#tattoos #ink #lana del rey #lana #lana del rabies #inkaddict #tattoed girls #ewwhatacringeyhashtag #spooky #spoopy #personalstyle

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putschki1969 · 6 years ago

Text

Japan ~ Summer 2018 #2 🎌🚅

Quick introduction: Hello my lovlies!! As most of you might already know, I went to Japan this summer. It was a rather spontaneous decision based on the fact that both Hikaru and Wakana had announced their solo lives. At that point I was suffering from a serious case of Kalafina withdrawal so I felt like I had no choice but to go. I just needed to see them. Also, it was my 30th birthday so I thought I would treat myself. You only turn 30 once, right? On a side note, the timing finally gave me the opportunity to do something I had wanted to do for a few years now. Climb Mount Fuji. o(〃＾▽＾〃)o So yeah, that’s the backstory of my trip. I stayed in Japan from July 30 till August 14 and pretty much my entire trip was dedicated to Kalafina Pilgrimage. Let me tell you this, it was by far the best summer vacation of my life, worth each and every penny! And believe me, there were a LOT of pennies involved XD

Notes: Once again this is coming pretty late but not as late as my previous travel report so that’s a good thing. It took some time to gather my thoughts and put them all into words. This report will be a bit different from the last one since I thought it would be nice to include some travel tips here and there. I guess you could see this as some sort of travel guide/Kala-guide. Many of my followers have never been to Japan so I guess some general info would be useful to make things easier for you if you ever decide to travel to Japan.

Please note that this is Part 2 of my report. It is dedicated to my time in Toyama. Part 1 can be found HERE!

Without further ado, let’s get to it 〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

Aug 4 (Sat) ~ Toyama Trip

I decided I would dedicate that entire day to a Toyama trip. I made the mistake of not reserving a seat in advance for the shinkansen. I usually always do that but for some reason I didn’t think the train to Toyama would be that frequented. Turns out I was wrong (at least when it comes to the fast bullet train - the Kagayaki). When I got to Ueno that morning I was planning to take one of the earlier trains but it was already completely booked out. Later on I found out that Aug 4/5 was the Toyama Matsuri weekend so it's really no surprise that all the shinkansen seats had already been reserved. I ended up getting a ticket for the 10:14 Kagayaki which meant I would arrive in Toyama around noon (a little later than planned but oh well, there was nothing that could be done about it). It was my first time taking the Hokuriku Shinkansen so I splurged a little on a fancy ekiben °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° For those of you who don’t know, ekibens are bento boxes sold at train stations. You can eat them on a long shinkansen ride. There are so many different types to choose from. But I’d personally recommend the one I got. The E7 Bento Box. Like many others, the Hokuriku shinkansen has a very distinctive look so of course, it also has its very own bento box XD And boy, is it a cute box! Perfect to keep as a souvenir. And the good thing about it, there’s mostly stuff in it that I actually eat (I am a VERY picky eater!). The special Ueno Coca Cola bottle is also cute as hell btw!

The ride to Toyama takes a little over two hours I think. I arrived around noon (maybe at 12:30 or something). Shortly before I arrived I realised that I had forgotten my USB cable. I brought my charging battery but it was useless to me without a USB cable At that point I had already used my phone quite extensively and my battery was at around 60%. I was already starting to panic a little because I had all these plans for Toyama but they required me to use google maps, without google maps to rely on, I wouldn’t be able to find ANY of the places I wanted to visit. When I arrived I was greeted by a gorgeous little street festival, right outside of Toyama Station there were lots of people gathering around a handful of dance groups. It was quite pretty and spectacular. But at that point I was already scared to use my phone for anything except google maps so I didn’t take any pictures. *sobs* Such a shame. First I made my way to the Nanakosi shop that sells those pastries Hikaru mentioned in the 10th Anniversary Film. It’s located inside the Sōgawa Ferio Grand Plaza which is about a 20 min walk away from Toyama Station. Usually 20 min is nothing for me and I always try to explore new areas on foot but man, it was hell to go there. It was really hot that day and my battery was dropping faster than expected in the heat. Google maps was constantly crashing on me and it didn’t seem to work properly. I kept going the wrong way (please note that I have no sense of direction whatsoever). So yeah, I was a mess. Frantically I was trying to find a shop that sold USB cables but for some reason I had a really hard time finding one. Usually they sell those in conbinis but I couldn’t even find one of those. Plus, I was scared to venture too far away from my route since I thought I might get lost. Thank God I eventually managed to find a 100 yen shop. They have everything, including USB cables. After that I was able to relax and focus on my Hikaru pilgrimage.

So yeah, like I said, I was walking towards Ferio Grand Plaza. On my way there I passed Toyama Castle. It’s a nice little castle with a small garden but nothing to write home about. When I arrived at Grand Plaza I was greeted by yet another festival. A nice little wind ensemble was playing popular songs such as “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid, it was quite epic. They were all wearing uniforms, it was some sort of commemorative event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Toyama police department band or something .

Grand Plaza is a really nice gathering place that’s protected by a glass ceiling but it’s still outdoors. It’s a wide open space and often used as venue for events like the one mentioned above. While enjoying the concert I bought myself one of those infamous Nanakosi pastries.

I got the one with custard because I am not a fan of the standard bean filling. I’ll be real with you, it wasn’t all that great (sorry, Pika-chan T_T). I think it might be more enjoyable in winter but during a hot summer day it was just too much (and that’s coming from someone who can usually eat a lot of sweet stuff). There was just too much filling. It was a struggle to finish it. Afterwards I walked around the Ferio Grand Plaza area a bit to find the Doutor Coffee shop that Hikaru had worked at in her student days. It’s very close to the Nanakosi shop so everyone should be able to find it quickly. It’s the Toyama Sōgawa shop in case any of you want to check it out ( 〒930-0083 Toyama-ken, Toyama-shi, Sōgawa, 3 Chome−5−４アキオビル 1F).

My next stop was the Yamaha Music Center which was also mentioned in the 10th Anniversary Film. It’s only a 10-minute walk from Grand Plaza (although I took a lot longer because google maps was messing with me again or maybe I was just too stupid to follow the directions, I don’t know). At any rate, the center is a little hidden away in the backstreets of Toyama so it wasn’t exactly easy to find. Of course the heat made everything seem a lot worse XD. Here’s the address for those of you who want to go there one day => 富山音楽センター〒930-0049 富山県富山市豊川町５-６

Then it was time to head north, to Kansui Park. You simply follow the river for about 30 minutes and then you are there, it felt really nice to walk along the riverside, the trees were providing some shade, there was a nice breeze so close to the water and you could listen to the cicadas singing. Oh boy, I underestimated how loud they could actually get. I had never heard them before because I always travel to Japan in the winter time.

Kansui Park is absolutely gorgeous! This is where Kalafina performed during the Stardust Illusion Festival. I summarised Hikaru’s blog post from that day. She talks about how that was one of the most special lives for her so of course I had to go and see where it took place. Hikaru also mentioned the infamous Kansui Park Starbucks which is known for its lovely terrace views. And really, it DID have some nice views. I took a little break there and tried to cool down with a cold drink. Afterwards I headed to Aubade Hall, the venue of Hikaru’s dreams. She has mentioned in a couple of blog posts that ever since she was little she always wanted to perform there. And Kalafina did end up performing there twice. Once back in 2015 for their fotw tour and then last year for their 9+ONE tour. It’s about 10 minutes away from Kansui park, pretty close to Toyama Station actually. Here’s the address => Aubade Hall (Toyama City Art and Culture Hall), 9-28 Ushijimacho, Toyama, Toyama Prefecture 930-0858, Japan

Then I wanted to have some dinner and I thought about going to the Izakaya that Kalafina always go to when they are in Toyama. It’s called Soratobu Usagi which pretty much means Flying Bunny XD. You can even check out their signatures at the bar. It’s quite cool. BUT I decided against it since they only have seafood and I don’t really eat seafood. So I slowly headed back to the station and ordered some gyoza (because I always crave gyoza XD) at a random restaurant. I finally got to relax after walking around in the heat (I didn’t really walk that much but it felt like I had run a marathon due to the humidity). While watching the sunset I ate my yummy giant gyoza and then I took the train back to Tokyo.

❗ Some tips ❗

Always bring your charging battery AND a USB cable

Conbinis and 100 yen stores have everything in case you are ever in need of a random product

Always reserve your shinkansen seat tickets in advance. It’s best to reserve them at least a day ahead if you are planning to travel during communiting hours or during the weekend.

Prepare an itinerary so you don’t waste your time going back and forth between locations. I started with the lower part of Toyama and visited all the places in that area. Then my plan was to head north where another bunch of places were located. Do your research before you travel and life will become so much easier. You can lose track of all the places you wanna visit if you don’t have an itinerary and then you might end up having regrets because you didn’t get to see everything you wanted to see. I mean, you don’t have to strictly stick to your plan but just see it as a sort of guideline.

When you are taking the shinkansen splurge on an ekiben. Yes, I know they are totally overpriced but really, they are pertty delicious most of the time and it’s just part of the shinkansen experience.

Aug 5 (Sun) ~ Lazy Shopping Day

I didn’t actually do much on that day. After all I wanted it to be a relaxing holiday and not just one exhausting trip after the other. Plus, the heat really took a toll on me so I felt like I needed some downtime. So yeah, I just did some shopping (mostly window shopping) and eating. I walked around Tokyo Station and happened across an IENA store. Guess what I found there? Yup, Hikaru’s blouse, right in front of me. In my previous post I mentioned that I originally wasn’t planning to buy it since it was just way too expensive. But after climbing Mount Fuji and after celebrating my 30th birthday I just felt like I deserved a treat. I realise I have said the same thing about my nail salon appointment but oh well, you only live once. So yup, that’s the story of how I ended up buying the blouse even though I was initially not intending to.

This was me during the entire trip.👇

The rest of the day was spent in all kinds of shopping malls in Shibuya/Shinjuku. I am actually quite proud that I didn’t buy anything else. But on this trip I really wanted to focus on Kalafina so I didn’t feel the need to spend money on random clothes or accessories. But I always enjoy just looking at stuff. We don’t have any of these malls here in Vienna (at least not in those huge dimensions) so it’s a cool experience to check everything out. To wrap up the day, I had some yummy dinner and then I headed back to the hotel to pack for my upcoming trip to Fukuoka.

#kalafina #personal #kalafina guide #food guide #toyama #tokyo #japan #travel diary #these posts always turn out longer than expected #this series is gonna have so many parts #it might take me till next year to finish #but I think it's a nice way to forever treasure these memories

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h4ppy-kn1ght · 6 years ago

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One through One hundred

LOL…ok i’ll do these first then EVERYTHINg else.

7. Do you have any pets?

Yes, I currently have one- it’s a three-legged dog named Baci.

13. What talents do you have?

I wouldn’t really say I do outside of casually drawing and food making

32. How big is your house?

It’s about 2,500 sqft - one floor so it’s ok but not really that big or spacious

Thanks for asking

—————————

1. What is you middle name?

NO NO NO

2. How old are you?

Early 20s

3. When is your birthday?

12/13

4. What is your zodiac sign?

Sagittarius

5. What is your favorite color?

Maroon usually

6. What’s your lucky number?

I can’t say I really have one tbh

7. Do you have any pets?

8. Where are you from?

Brazil (Rio)

9. How tall are you?

two inches above average for what I am

10. What shoe size are you?

7.0-7.5 US at most

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

At least in the double digits, hopefully not more than 25 pairs of shit?

12. What was your last dream about?

I actually don’t remember!

13. What talents do you have?

14. Are you psychic in any way?

No lol

15. Favorite song?

I have several, mostly weird/niche

16. Favorite movie?

I have several, mostly weird/niche (yes its the same answer as 15)

17. Who would be your ideal partner?

I never thought about it because I don’t really know what I need.

18. Do you want children?

Alot of the time, not really- but I’m also too young/busy with myself to want it now

19. Do you want a church wedding?

Not really,unless my partner really wants it.

20. Are you religious?

Not really :/

21. Have you ever been to the hospital?

A good amount of times

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law?

Nope

23. Have you ever met any celebrities?

Not that I know of- at least the mainstream limelight sorta way.

24. Baths or showers?

Showers easily

25. What color socks are you wearing?

I’m not wearing any atm but the last pair i was wearing was like- black and white?

26. Have you ever been famous?

no….?

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity?

Depends for what reason but sure, why not

28. What type of music do you like?

Electronic, ambiance, indie, rock, musical-like kind of- really depends

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

no and i dont plan to lol

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?

One.

31. What position do you usually sleep in?

Fetal/one my side or on my back usually, stomach too sometimes

32. How big is your house?

33. What do you typically have for breakfast?

Usually something with eggs and milk- I have been really inconsistent with what I eat for breakfast atm

34. Have you ever fired a gun?

Yes

35. Have you ever tried archery?

36. Favorite clean word?

uhhh…? Cocoa? I dont know LOL

37. Favorite swear word?

Faggot

38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?

21 hours..? I was doing hw overnight.

39. Do you have any scars?

Very tiny amount but nothing noticeable unless you’re trying to find them actively

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer?

yeah.

41. Are you a good liar?

Not really

42. Are you a good judge of character?

Depends, wouldnt say I own the truth

43. Can you do any other accents other than your own?

Not unless its bad so not really

44. Do you have a strong accent?

Some people have told me I have one but i dont think so

45. What is your favorite accent?

I wouldnt say I have a favorite its not something I care about actively- I know the ones I dont like though.

46. What is your personality type?

I dont really know I feel like people have a different perspective of that and idk who i really am usually

47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing?

I had a jacket from Ferrari but idk what happened to it- not sure

48. Can you curl your tongue?

Yes

49. Are you an innie or an outie?

Thankfully innie

50. Left or right handed?

Right

51. Are you scared of spiders?

52. Favorite food?

I almost never have a problem with milk-related food

53. Favorite foreign food?

Alot ..? really depends on my mood but sushi usually works for me

54. Are you a clean or messy person?

I’m personally very hygienic and my room imo is well kept- not OCD organized but theres nothing on the floor and it has a sense of order

55. Most used phrased?

Really can change so idk - just depends on the season really

56. Most used word?

uh/idk/fuck/shit i think is what i abuse

57. How long does it take for you to get ready?

Really depends but assuming im showering and trying to look nice about 45 mins at worst?

58. Do you have much of an ego?

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?

Suck and then bite when its too small

60. Do you talk to yourself?

Rarely and its usually about shit i need to do- thats it really

61. Do you sing to yourself?

Not USUALLy but yeah

62. Are you a good singer?

no lol

63. Biggest Fear?

Failing

64. Are you a gossip?

depends but yeah i can be sometimes

65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen?

idk I thought inception was very dramatic

66. Do you like long or short hair?

Depends, if the long hair isnt well kept/cleaned it might as well be short imo

67. Can you name all 50 states of America?

Probably not because I forget most of them

68. Favorite school subject?

P.E

69. Extrovert or Introvert?

Introverted

70. Have you ever been scuba diving?

Yes, I dont care for it

71. What makes you nervous?

Being shat on I guess and treated poorly or anything that’ll fuck me over

72. Are you scared of the dark?

Depends, if the area has sharp objects/cockroaches, creepy noises yeah

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?

Depends but usually no unless it really bothered me or they want to hear me

74. Are you ticklish?

Depends but yeah i dont like being tickled it is not comfy

75. Have you ever started a rumor?

No lol

76. Have you ever been in a position of authority?

Not really

77. Have you ever drank underage?

Barely

78. Have you ever done drugs?

79. Who was your first real crush?

Some ginger who literally had ODD and hurt me badly after I showed interest back

80. How many piercings do you have?

one pair is closed up , so just one pair.

81. Can you roll your Rs?“

Yeah

82. How fast can you type?

Id say above average , probably enough to type for a job or something

83. How fast can you run?

I have no idea tbh

84. What color is your hair?

Dirty blonde/almost brown

85. What color is your eyes?

Greyish seagreenish blue

86. What are you allergic to?

Nothing as far as I know

87. Do you keep a journal?

88. What do your parents do?

They’re both in the medical field

89. Do you like your age?

Idk not really? so far its lame?

90. What makes you angry?

Some shit i aint gonna talk about, but in a more personal sense usually being shat on, lied to upfront, etc

91. Do you like your own name?

It’s ok ..? idk if it deeply reflects me

92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?

Not really LOL

93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child?

With how shit the world is idk , seems like an L either way and im scared of having an ugly one

94. What are you strengths?

Id say I can tolerate more than normal people and my patience can be really plentiful usually. I dont get easily offended even if i dont agree usually

95. What are your weaknesses?

I think people influence my mood throughout the day, which really sucks, im also sensitive and i feel excluded usually

96. How did you get your name?

My mom thought it was a strong name

97. Were your ancestors royalty?

98. Do you have any scars?

39 already asked this, cringe

99. Color of your bedspread?

Grey :)

100. Color of your room?

Very tinge of color but it looks pretty much grey and expresso minus the lil decor everywhere…

thank yuo

#question #aboutme #long #fuckoe

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bills-pokedex · 6 years ago

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Hey Bill, Diabetic Gardevoir Anon again. My and my Girl are going to be taking a day trip to Goldenrod City. There anything you can tell me about dining and Leisure activities we can both enjoy? I figure it'd be a nice treat for her good behaviour regarding the new routine for her diabetes. Also, thanks for the reccomendation. Erika was very helpful to the both of us.

Stay away from southwestern Goldenrod.

This isn’t a recommendation because it’s not particularly diabetic-friendly there. Or, well, the street food isn’t because it’s usually fried, coated in sugar, or both, but the restaurants often serve lighter, low-carb fare, and there are plenty of things to do and see on foot around the city. No, I’m mostly telling you to avoid southwestern Goldenrod because it’s generally not a pleasant place for tourists.

Bill … didn’t you grow up in southwestern Goldenrod? —LH

Yes and exactly. —Bill

In all seriousness, anonymous, Goldenrod prides itself in being not only the commercial capital of Johto but also possibly the capital for tourism and culture. (Ecruteak is the capital of historical culture, but if you want a taste of modern-day Johto, go to Goldenrod.) As such, there’s quite a list of places that one can visit, but it really depends on your preferences. Below the read more, you’ll find a quick guide to some of the top destinations in the city, separated into four categories: Training (for the usual stops a trainer typically makes), Tourism (top tourism destinations), Shopping, and Food.

Yes. Quick. Goldenrod is that large of a city.

Training

If you’re a trainer, chances are, you’re here for Goldenrod Gym. You’ll find it in the northwest corner of the city, and even if you’re not in Goldenrod for a badge, visitors are welcome to watch gym matches or spar against gym trainers. Be warned, though. Whitney can be quite a character, especially if she loses to you.

If you’re a coordinator, Goldenrod is also the home of Johto’s Grand Festival. You can find the Goldenrod Contest Hall in the northwest corner, right against Goldenrod Bay. Even if you don’t participate in contests yourself or watch them from the stands (the latter of which is free if you have a trainer’s ID), you can at least enjoy the stunning views of Goldenrod Bay and most of Goldenrod City’s skyline.

The Global Terminal, a place where you can access the GTS and trade with pokémon trainers and collectors around the world (or simply meet other enthusiasts such as yourself) is also located in that corner of the city, incidentally.

Although technically just outside of the city limits, the Pokéathlon Dome is a place where pokémon can compete in athletic events.

Also technically outside of the city limits, to the south, you’ll find the world-renowned Johto Day Care Center, a place where you can visit pokémon or, if you’re interested, add new ones to your team.

Finally (and admittedly a bit further away than the above two destinations), there’s the Johto National Park, which holds frequent bug-catching tournaments when it’s not used as a place where trainers meet and battle. Alternatively, Ilex Forest is to the south, although this isn’t considered part of the Goldenrod metro area.

Tourism

While you can’t enter the recording studios (unless you’re a special guest, anyway), the Goldenrod Radio Tower is a popular tourist destination nonetheless. There, you can listen to radio programs in the lobby or catch a glimpse of a celebrity or two, such as DJ Mary or Professor Oak.

Long ago, Goldenrod City was once almost the imperial capital of Japan, and you can still find remnants of that era by telling off a local in a Saffron accent. For an experience that won’t start a fight, however, consider Castle Park, a beautiful spot of green in north central Goldenrod that’s home to (a reconstruction of) the castle of Hideyoshi, a prominent warrior-politician and one of the generals who eventually aligned himself with Nobunaga. It’s also not that far from Ubame Temple, one of the oldest temples in Johto and one of the few specifically Buddhist temples left in the region. If you’d still like more of our old culture, there’s also Tsubasa Taisha, which is a shrine dedicated to all three of our major legendaries. All three locations are quite beautiful, but it’s often better to visit the latter two with a local (to avoid disrespecting Johtonian customs).

If you’re more interested in something a bit more modern, there’s also the Goldenrod Aquarium, the largest aquarium in Japan. Inside, you’ll find not only a collection of aquatic pokémon but also marine animals in reconstructed marine habitats ranging from tropical coral reefs to the ice-filled Antarctic waters. (It’s also one of my favorite places to visit, just in case anyone’s curious.)

As I’ve said, Goldenrod tries to be Johto’s capital of modern-day culture, and as such, it has a whole host of museums, including but not limited to: the Regional Art Museum (dedicated to modern and post-war art), the Goldenrod Museum of Fine Art (for older works), the Museum of Science, and the Museum of History (which, contrary to the name, is actually more focused on the history of Johto, rather than general matters). For a more off-beat museum, you can also try the Museum of Ramen, which also doubles as a great place for lunch.

If you’re looking for something a bit more mainstream, Goldenrod is also home to Pokéstar Studios Japan, which is the closest thing to an actual theme park still in the city. Not too long ago, there was also Wonderland, which folded due to its inability to keep up with Pokéstar Studios and Celadon Disneyland. You can still go there if you’re enthusiastic about urban exploration, though, and truth be told, Wonderland is even more impressive now that it’s abandoned. However, keep in mind that some parts of it are dangerous, and trespassing is absolutely a fineable offense in Johto. (Not that I ever paid attention to either of these things when I was young.)

Of course, there is also the beaches, which locals don’t really name exactly, but they’re a nice place to go on a sunny day for a bit of relaxation or a pokémon battle. You’ll also find the Skylight Ferris Wheel there, which offers fantastic views of the city. If you’d prefer a more panoramic view of the city, though, go to the Plum Building in central Goldenrod, one of the tallest buildings (or, well, two, as it’s a pair of office buildings connected by a sky bridge) in the city and home to its own observatory.

Also, it’s difficult to put together a tourism guide to Goldenrod without mentioning either Central Street or Elenova, both of which are neon-lit shopping districts that are thought to be the crown jewels of Goldenrod according to tourism guides (apparently). They’re … fine, I suppose, if you’re interested in seeing neon advertisements lighting up both sides of the street. Go to Central Street at night, though; it’s far more impressive. Elenova, meanwhile, offers a Johtonian take on Unovan culture, so it’s just as entertaining during the day as it is at night. Which is to say, it’s hilarious.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer a bit more culture, Elizabethtown and Little Europe had been one of the few entry points into Japan for European immigrants during the 60s (when mass immigration due to the war occurred). As such, they’ve clung to a lot of European traditions, particularly those of the UK and France. Elizabethtown is also home to Queen’s Crossing, which is a hub for not only British culture (and shopping and dining) but also a minor countercultural movement. You’ll find a lot of street art and performances there, as well as art galleries and cultural centers. (Also, Elizabethtown is where those with that distinctive but stereotypical South Goldenrod accent are from, the famous Haircut Brothers included as well as myself, of course.)

If you’d like to see a show, while our theaters aren’t quite as modern or varied as those in other regions (that is to say, we have no Broadway), we do have plenty of traditional Japanese theaters, including the Yamikarasu Theatre, which is renowned for its traditional kabuki performances.

If nothing else, though, there are plenty of themed tours, ranging from bus tours of the city and ferry tours of the shoreline to themed tours if you’re interested in Johtonian culture, food, or “haunted” places. (Note on that last one: Nothing in Goldenrod is famously haunted, yet these tours are still highly popular. I’m honestly not sure why.)

Shopping

There is, of course, the Goldenrod Galleria (otherwise known as the Goldenrod Department Store), the foremost shopping destination in Johto and one of the hallmarks of our skyline at that. It’s floor upon floor of practically everything you could ever need, from groceries to fine clothing and goods. (As a note, no, locals don’t trek all the way there for day-to-day shopping, but it’s a nice way to treat oneself and get high-end goods.) It’s also a go-to destination for trainers, as it features multiple floors dedicated to journey supplies, TMs, and more.

Alternatively, there’s also the Goldenrod Tunnel (not to be confused with the Goldenrod Underground, our subway and light rail transportation system), a literal underground shopping district that winds its way underneath the western half of the city. Prices here are quite cheaper than in the Galleria, but be warned that some areas are a bit more rundown and flooded with trainers (or pick-pockets). On the positive side, it’s also where you can find the Haircut Brothers’ salon, which in turn is famous for its pokémon haircuts (as well as some of the trendiest haircuts for humans in Japan).

As mentioned above, Elenova is one of Goldenrod’s premium shopping districts. So is Central Street, for that matter, but it’s really a question of whether you’re looking for electronics or Japanese goods or if you’re more in the mood for something more American (or stereotypically Unovan). Go to Central Street for the former and Elenova for the latter … and entertainment, honestly.

Alternatively, go to Elizabethtown if you’re looking for something a little more unusual.

Food

Perhaps the trickiest category if you have food restrictions, I’m afraid. If there’s one thing Goldenrod is famous for when it comes to food, it’s literally deep-frying and/or applying sugar to everything. Maple leaves, for example. (Actually, I would say those are better than they sound, but I’m also from Goldenrod and therefore biased.) Just note that a good portion of our street food is fried, so eat it in moderation if you must have the full Goldenrod experience. If this is the case, you’ll want to visit Central Street for the best of it.

Incidentally, Central Street is home to some of our finest restaurants as well, including Hakuryu, which serves the best steak in the city. Of course, be warned that some of the Central Street restaurants can be a bit on the expensive side, and you may need to book ahead (as you do with Hakuryu).

Alternatively, for a fresher experience, go to Nuoh Market, Goldenrod’s foremost food market, where many of the chefs around the city come to buy their ingredients. More importantly, though, you’ll find more than one food stall there, including some of the best places for sushi (which is fine in moderation) or barbecue skewers in the region.

However, if you’d like something a little less tourist-heavy, go off the main streets and wander a bit. Some of the best establishments for traditional Johtonian cuisine (including, yes, ramen) are found in places you can only really get to by accidentally stumbling upon them while wandering through the city. For example, Aoi, whose soba is famous among locals? Mere blocks from Miracle Cycle, in the labyrinthine southeastern part of the city. Bring a map or a local with you if you plan on wandering the city for food, however.

Also, our convenience stores often carry fresh food or quality prepared food, which can be a lifesaver for university students and lost tourists.

In short, there are plenty of things to see and do for both humans and pokémon throughout the city. Just about the only famous location I’d recommend avoiding at all costs is actually the Game Corner, and that’s for two reasons. First, yes, the yakuza actually does own that. (They own quite a bit of southwest Goldenrod, actually, except for Elizabethtown and Little Europe for one reason or another.) Second, it’s especially dangerous if you have a pokémon with you, as there’s a washed up pokémon professor there who will con you out of thousands of pokédollars in exchange for teaching your pokémon moves, when it would be far cheaper and less enabling to just buy TMs for the same moves at the Galleria.

Bill … isn’t that washed up pokémon professor your father? —LH

Yes and exactly. —Bill

#long post #our world #asks #Johto #Goldenrod City #'And if you DO see that washed up pokémon professor #TELL HIM TO GO HOME.' —Bill #capslock tags #travel guide

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