#but coming back 4 months later to test out a colouring style

[nastiiuu]

Trying out new ways to but colour on thing

[lingthusiasm]

Transcript Lingthusiasm Episode 59: Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Theory of Mind

This is a transcript for Lingthusiasm Episode 59: Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Theory of Mind. It’s been lightly edited for readability. Listen to the episode here or wherever you get your podcasts. Links to studies mentioned and further reading can be found on the Episode 59 show notes page.

[Music]

Gretchen: Welcome to Lingthusiasm, a podcast that’s enthusiastic about linguistics! I’m Gretchen McCulloch.

Lauren: I’m Lauren Gawne. Today we’re getting enthusiastic about whether you’re getting enthusiastic about theory of mind. But first, our most recent bonus episode is on translation in fiction – mostly translating between human languages and non-human languages but all kinds of translation.

Gretchen: You can get access to this translation episode about some books we’ve been reading recently and 50 other bonus episodes by becoming a patron at patreon.com/lingthusiasm. Here’s a bit of a preview into the books we talked about.

Lauren: We talked about Semiosis by Sue Burke, and A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, as well as The Devil Comes Courting by Courtney Milan. And, Gretchen, you have read Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin.

Gretchen: I have finally gotten around to reading Native Tongue, which has been much recommended to me.

Lauren: A classic piece of linguistic sci-fi.

Gretchen: You don’t have to have read any of these books beforehand. We don’t provide plot spoilers, although we’ll talk about some of the things in the setting. It’s fun whether you’ve read any of them or not at all. You might end up with some new things to read.

Lauren: You can get access to that episode and all of our bonus episodes at patreon.com/lingthusiasm.

[Music]

Lauren: Gretchen, I’m gonna run an experiment on you.

Gretchen: Okay, I like experiments.

Lauren: Excellent. This one involves a lot of a set up, but it’s great because you can do it. If you are listening along, you can also do the experiment along with us.

Gretchen: Great! What’s our set up?

Lauren: We have Sally and Anne.

Gretchen: Okay.

Lauren: Sally has a basket. Anne has a box. Sally has a marble – Sally with the basket – and she puts her marble into the basket. Then she goes out for a walk. Sally’s not here. But we’ve got a basket with a marble in it.

Gretchen: Sally’s not here. We’ve got her basket with the marble in it. Okay.

Lauren: We’ve got a box, and Anne is still there. Anne takes the marble out of the basket and puts it in the box.

Gretchen: So, now we’ve got a marble in a box.

Lauren: We’ve got the marble in the box. Sally comes back, and Sally wants to play with the marble. Where is Sally going to go to get her marble?

Gretchen: I’m going to deduce – based on the fact that when Sally left the room, she left the marble in the basket – she probably still thinks the marble is in the basket because she’d have no reason to assume that things would’ve changed, and so she’s gonna try the basket first because she doesn’t know that Anne has moved it.

Lauren: That is a perfectly reasonable deduction to make. You are a veritable Sherlock Holmes.

Gretchen: Thank you. Did I pass the test?

Lauren: You did. You completed what is known as the “theory of mind test” because you kept track of what you knew about the situation and what Sally knew about the situation and all the sneakiness that Anne had perpetrated with the marble.

Gretchen: But presumably at some period earlier in my life, when I was a very young child, I might not have passed this test.

Lauren: The ability to correctly articulate what you know about Sally’s likely chances of going to the basket or the box really doesn’t settle into being reliable until 3 or 4 years old – actually being able to articulate what you know about the state of other people’s thinking.

Gretchen: Which feels kind of late because 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds already have quite a bit of language in most cases, and yet this later reasoning about mental states and what different people know about different things comes along later.

Lauren: That’s what the theory of mind test seems to indicate. It is a bit more complex than this. This is something that was run for the first time 30 or 40 years ago. There’s been more work that’s tried to do versions that don’t involve language; they just involve looking. They show that toddlers, 15 months old, are actually maybe better at paying attention to the fact that the marble is in one place or another and what Sally might know a little bit better than they can articulate. It’s something about being able to put it into words that seems to be one of the challenges that takes until, as you say, well into language acquisition to be able to do this task consistently.

Gretchen: This task feels like something that some experimenter set up in a lab, and maybe they had puppets, or maybe they had two different experimenters, and these props feel very psychology-experiment-prop style to me.

Lauren: What do we have in the props department, yeah.

Gretchen: It’s funny. I was reading a different paper about these types of experiments, and there are other ways you can test for theory of mind. One of my either favourite or least favourite, depending on this, is – oh, shall I do it on you?

Lauren: Okay, yes.

Gretchen: I have a box. It’s a small cardboard box. The outside says “Kinder Chocolate Bars” – chocolate things.

Lauren: Great. I’m very compelled by this box.

Gretchen: We have our friend Gavagai, who is also in the room and sees this box with the chocolates on it. Gavagai is called out, suddenly, to leave to go do something else.

Lauren: Bye, Gav.

Gretchen: I open this box, and I show you that inside is not, in fact, chocolates, but it is pencils – coloured pencils.

Lauren: Okay, I was gonna say that’s a bit of a disappointment, but it’s something of a disappointment to me.

Gretchen: They’re coloured pencils, which is something more exciting than graphite pencils. But still, they’re not chocolates. Then I close the box up again, and it looks like it’s closed. Then our friend Gav comes back in the room.

Lauren: Hi, Gav.

Gretchen: What does Gav think is in the box?

Lauren: Well, I know that it’s pencils. But Gav wasn’t here when I saw that it was pencils. Gav still thinks it’s chocolates, and boy, are they in for a disappointment.

Gretchen: Yes, they are. You can do this about location of item, which is the Sally-Anne test, which is about location, or you can do it about identity of item – what’s in it.

Lauren: I have a colleague who’s done the theory of mind task with little stones instead of a marble, but then there’s a whole other twist where the stones end up being those little nuggets of chocolate that look like stones. I just feel like I would be confused by that point about who knows what about the state or location of this rock chocolate situation.

Gretchen: I remember I loved those stones as a child because it felt like you were gonna break a tooth on them, and then you would eat them.

Lauren: You could definitely do some fun false belief with someone about me eating dirt.

Gretchen: There’s also a fun one in this study where they found – and I don’t know where they got this object because I have not seen an object like this – they have this little toy that looks like a race car, like one of those cars that you “vroom vroom” on the table. But it turns out when you press a button on it, it turns into a pen. A pen-thing pops out. They’re trying to see does this person think it’s a race car, do they think it’s a pen. Somebody’s really going around in toy shops being like, “Okay, what here could be deceptive?”

Lauren: Keeping track of people’s knowledge states, as we’ve said, is something that takes a little bit of effort. Not all animals can necessarily do it. In fact, when we find animals that are really good at this, people get really excited. There are animals that are closely related to humans, like chimps seem pretty good at this. You can basically do a version of the location of an object thing, and the chimps are all over it. Also, ravens are really good at conceptualising where someone might be and what they might be doing. It’s one of those skills that isn’t just like – well, first of all, you get theory of mind and a bunch of other things, and then you get language. It’s not just an ingredient in the language cake. It’s just one of many skills that humans and animals closely related to humans seem to have but also is scattered throughout the animal kingdom.

Gretchen: Corvids are pretty smart, I guess. They can recognise people, so maybe they can also – if you feed them, they’ll become your friends.

Lauren: We’ve run a very classic theory of mind experiment at the top of this episode, but as we suggested, people have been pulling apart exactly what theory of mind is and how different people do different elements of it. It seems to be this complicated cluster of features around attention, attention-tracking, false belief, mental states, and being able to do all of this is part of being able to do the social element of language.

Gretchen: Because when you’re talking about language, you’re describing what other people have done. You’re thinking like, “Okay, why did this person behave this weird way this time?”, or “Why did this person do this thing to me?”, “Why can’t I get this?” You’re trying to figure out, well, it’s because this other person wants this thing even though that’s not what I want. Or it’s because this other person knows this thing even though it’s not what I know.

Lauren: Even just the process of asking a question, like, using language to interact with someone to try and get to an end goal and whether or not they are likely to have the right information that I need to get this question answered. Theory of mind is the having really good foundations on the house of language, and it’s part of why I’m always very zen when people talk about computers taking over the ability to do language. It’s like, well, first of all, a computer has to be able to keep track of their best guess of the knowledge state of everyone else in the interaction, and that’s not necessarily the same kind of programming task as figuring out sounds or morphemes or syntactic structures.

Gretchen: It’s interesting because it is a theory – not like the theory of gravity where scientists have hypothesised that minds might exist – but in the sense that, whenever we’re interacting with the world, we’re hypothesising that the people around us have intention behind what they’re doing, and they’re doing stuff for reasons. I have to hypothesise that you, Lauren, have a mind because I don’t actually have direct evidence that you have a mind. Maybe you have actually been Lauren-bot this entire time!

Lauren: True, true. I am operating under the same premise. I have my own theory. It’s not a shared theory, necessarily. We all have this internal idea that the people we’re interacting with in conversation are also doing the same mental calculation that we are.

Gretchen: I remember having this realisation that people have other mental states, and maybe they conceive of the world dramatically differently from how I do. Maybe this thing that I see that I call “red” isn’t actually what someone else is seeing even though they also call it “red.” I remember having this philosophical realisation when I was about 12 or so, and thinking, “How do we know anything that we’re seeing things.” And yet, even though I don’t have empirical evidence that you aren’t just an extremely sophisticated automaton – I mean, I do have a lot of empirical evidence, actually, because automatons aren’t that good yet – but we still manage to interact with people. We still manage to operate under a working theory that people do have minds and they are interactable with.

Lauren: People have drawn a link between this kind of cognitive foundation and the need for language by looking at the way early human ancestors learnt to socialise with each other. Instead of having small packs of humans, you ended up getting these larger and larger groups. Once you have these larger groups, you have to have some way of maintaining social cohesion that’s not just small-group dominance. Robin Dunbar is probably one the most famous proponents of this idea that language is a way of maintaining social cohesion and that you can keep a happy social relationship with more people essentially through gossip – gossip being one of the mechanisms that helped generate the need for language.

Gretchen: I mean, it’s useful to know can you trust this person because they were trustworthy last time or have they been going around and doing things that are not trustworthy or is this someone that someone else is willing to vouch for. There’s lots of reasons why language can help with cooperation.

Lauren: In the absence of being able to time travel, I quite like this theory of one of the ways that humans came to use language.

Gretchen: I’ve actually been thinking about Robin Dunbar’s theories for a different reason. Because he has this very famous 150-size social group number, which is the size of a lot of villages or small communities or small companies or small conferences. It’s the magic number for that kind of community. But also, there’s this other number that Dunbar and colleagues have also researched, which is four. That’s the number of people that conversations tend to max out at before they start splitting into smaller conversations.

Lauren: Ah, this makes a lot of sense when I think about small group chat at parties and the ebb and flow of when people join or leave conversations. I think that must also explain why trying to have all of your friends in one big video chat room at an online party is really stressful.

Gretchen: Exactly. This also shows up in fiction. It shows up in plays. It shows up in movies that people tend to max out at four conversation participants. The reason for this has to do with theory of mind, which is that we find it too cognitively exhausting to keep track of the mental states of too many people.

Lauren: In a specific conversation.

Gretchen: At once, yeah.

Lauren: So, I can vaguely keep track of, like, 200, 150 people in my social village, but in terms of the moment-to-moment what-do-you-know-about-the-story-I’m-telling, three or four people is enough for me to keep track of.

Gretchen: There’s a really interesting test of this which is that Dunbar and colleagues did an experiment where they asked people to talk about an absent third party and speculate about that absent third party’s mental states. When people were instructed to use that for their conversation, they tended to form one smaller conversational grouping, so maximum of three instead of maximum of four, when they were just asked to talk about what the absent third parties were doing but not what they were thinking.

Lauren: I’m deeply fascinated by – this is experiment is “Please come into this lab and gossip.”

Gretchen: Right. I don’t remember exactly how they set it up, but yeah, something about the maximum number of mental states that you can conceive of without getting too tired is around five, but that means four people because you’re also keeping track of, like, between you and me, we have three mental states. I’m thinking about me, I’m thinking about you, and then I’m also thinking about what you’re thinking about me.

Lauren: This is why the language that we use to talk about internal mental states does particularly interesting things in grammar. You begin to see theory of mind affect the way that we do grammar because verbs that express internal mental states act a bit differently to other verbs.

Gretchen: English actually has this interesting grammatical distinction between how we talk about mental state verbs versus action verbs in the present tense. We say something like, “I know,” “I like,” “I understand,” “I enjoy,” “I fear,” but for action verbs, we’re more likely to say something like, “I am running,” “I am walking,” “I am talking.”

Lauren: Oh, yeah, “I walk,” implies an “I walk every day” habit thing.

Gretchen: Right. Whereas “I know” doesn’t imply “I know every day.” There’s just this subtle distinction between how we talk about verbs in the present. In the past, we don’t do this. You can say “I liked” and “I walked,” and that’s the same, but in the present, we have this interesting distinction that’s made in English that isn’t necessarily made in other languages.

Lauren: That only really works for first person in English. It’s a bit weird to say this about other people, especially the person who you’re talking to.

Gretchen: It’s another thing that’s weird about verbs about mental states where it’s sort of weird for me to be like, “Lauren, you like cake.” I mean, I guess –

Lauren: I mean, you definitely have enough evidence to support that as a viable statement. I think in the context of us interacting, it would be fine, but it would very weird to say it to someone who you didn’t have that knowledge for.

Gretchen: If I just go up to someone in a coffee shop who’s eating cake and say, “You like cake,” it’d be like, “Excuse me, but who invited your opinion here?”

Lauren: I think this is one of the things I’ve had to learn in teaching over the years is it’s very easy for me to be like, “Well, you know this because we covered it in class last week.” I just assume that everything we covered in class is completely absorbed into your knowledge state.

Gretchen: You mean your students don’t have perfect downloads of every single, you know, audio file of your voice?

Lauren: In much the same way that we don’t assume that people have absorbed every single fact from Lingthusiasm when we bring them up a couple of years later.

Gretchen: Absolutely. You don’t retain this. It’s easy to be like, “I’ve told you once,” and like, “Yeah, that was years ago, I don’t remember everything that happened to me years ago.”

Lauren: It’s why you end up finding a lot of question forms for second person in verb paradigms when you’re trying to do this elicitation because it’s much more comfortable for people to reframe what you’ve said as a question.

Gretchen: I think when we’re used to doing this decontextualised form of grammar as linguists, we’re like, “Oh, yeah, okay, I can make a verb paradigm: I like; you like; he/she likes; we like; you-plural like; they like.” Yeah, fine, I can just make this little paradigm for me. But the social context in which you would use each of these forms is actually really different.

Lauren: I mean, now that we’ve said that I can definitely think of contexts where it would be fine to say it in English with a direct “You like” or “You know.” I think there’re definitely where it would be safe to say it to a child that you are very close to like, “I know you like toast. We ate toast for breakfast yesterday.” Lo and behold, they like toast. They just need to be reminded of that.

Gretchen: But even there you were like, “I know you like toast,” which is sort of not quite as committed to the statement as “You like toast.” Or if you wanna say to a dog or something like, “You want your dinner? Yes, I know you want your dinner. You’re gonna have your dinner. Here we go.” But it’s, I think, to say to an adult – I mean, maybe if I walk in on you in your office, and I’m like, “Oh, you’re busy. I’ll come back later.” Or like, “Oh, you’re reading. You’re on the phone. I’ll come back later.” There’re certainly contexts in which you could do it, but you have to do a lot more contextual set up.

Lauren: I love how much set up you had to do to get to that as a valid way of using an internal state verb directly at someone.

Gretchen: Whereas if I say, “Yeah, I know. I like cake.” This doesn’t require any set up. This is just the unmarked thing to do.

Lauren: This is why we separate out these verbs about internal mental states or “psych verbs” as they’re sometimes called and look at them separately to other verbs in English. Because talking about someone else’s mental state changes the way that we can use them in grammar.

Gretchen: Some psych verbs come in pairs. You can say “I like cake” or “Cake pleases me.” Or “I fear dogs,” “Dogs frighten me.” In both cases, you’re having the same relationship between the two entities, but the verb flips, which you don’t always see with actions. Sometimes you see it with actions like “I buy this from you,” “You sell it to me.” But it seems to be one of the things that happens with internal mental state verbs.

Lauren: They also tend to have more variation across languages and across cultures as to how you can use them.

Gretchen: Yeah. There’s a really interesting and subtle example of this in English and Spanish where in English it’s less common to say something like “You understand” with the meaning of “I infer you understand based on the evidence of you seeming to understand.” Whereas in Spanish, you have a verb that seems like it should correspond to English “understand,” but it is reasonable to use that verb to mean “I infer you understand because you’re asking really good questions” or “I infer you understand because you are making noises of comprehension and you’re nodding and so on.” It’s reasonable to say to someone “You understand” with the meaning, like, “It seems to me that you understand” or “I observe you to be understanding.”

Lauren: That is a subtle but important meaning distinction, I feel.

Gretchen: I heard this anecdote from a linguist who – I don’t remember which linguist anymore – who said that they’d told this to somebody – an English speaker and a Spanish speaker who were in a marriage together – and they both spoke each other’s languages, but they didn’t have an understanding that this was actually a pragmatic difference between them. Sometimes, they would get in fights by like, “What do you mean you say I understand? You don’t know what’s going on in my internal mental state. You’re just assuming what I know.” Which was actually a systematic pragmatic difference in how the languages use those particular mental state verbs rather than a case of just not understanding between the partners.

Lauren: That is amazing. The thing I find really interesting about that anecdote is that the distinction between the two forms of “understand” was really implicit between the two languages. I’m really interested in those grammatical features where knowledge state becomes very overt. That’s essentially what motivated me to study how we grammatically track source of information, which is the area of evidentiality. We had a whole episode on that that I will not assume you’ve listened to, and I will not assume you remember anything from, but essentially, evidentiality is used to keep track of, depending on the language, whether you know something because you saw it or because someone else told you about it or maybe you’re not entirely certain about it. This is marked as a feature of the grammar rather just being implicit or optional.

Gretchen: In English, you have the option of saying something like, “It’s raining,” “I can see that it’s raining,” “I can guess that it’s raining because I can hear the rain drops,” or because someone’s walked in, and their shoulders and umbrella are all soaking wet. You can say all of those things to indicate the source of your knowledge, but you don’t have to. You could just say “It’s raining” and let someone else figure out how you came to know that information.

Lauren: Whereas if we look at a language like Yolmo in Nepal that I’ve worked with, you can actually see someone’s knowledge state changing throughout the story that they’re telling because maybe they start with talking about something in a way where they’re not certain if this cake is going to be delicious, and then they talk about how someone told them it’s going to be delicious, and then finally, they have direct sensory evidence of how delicious the cake is. You see how the knowledge about the cake being delicious is really clearly marked by the grammatical choices that they have to make throughout the story. It means that I can keep track of someone else’s source of evidence in a way that’s more direct than in English. It means that people are more attentive to mine as well.

Gretchen: So, if you wanna say something like, “I infer that you understand,” you would be doing that with the evidential marker. Or “You told me that you understood this yesterday, so why don’t you understand it today,” then you’d have a lot of ways of marking the differences between those internal mental states.

Lauren: Yes. And those internal state experiences of if someone’s unwell or if someone’s hungry, I have to mark them differently if I don’t have any direct visual evidence. If you’re unwell, and you’re shaking and feverish, I can say that I can see you’re unwell. But if you’re unwell in a way that I can’t see, I have to use other grammatical ways of marking it. How you interact with other people’s internal states varies because sometimes you don’t have access to a direct source of evidence for it.

Gretchen: I feel like I’m just picturing those little cartoons you get in language learning textbooks where they have test very stereotyped representations of common illnesses that don’t have obvious physical things. Like, “I have a headache” would be like a person holding their head in great distress or with a hot water bottle on their head, and you’re like, “I don’t put a hot water bottle on my head when I have a headache.” Or like somebody who has a thermometer sticking out of their mouth or something to indicate these sort of things that aren’t really easily visually represented.

Lauren: It’s because figuring out someone else’s internal state is actually a really complicated cognitive task that we do, and we fall back on these tropes to help us navigate that.

Gretchen: I guess same for teaching other types of mental state verbs, you know, “know” or “understand” or “like” or something. You have these maybe very stereotyped or symbolic representations. If you have someone with a heart or something, maybe they’re liking it or loving it. But it’s difficult to do a picture of “I know,” “I understand.” Not everything is easily visualisable.

Lauren: You talked earlier about how it was a revelation for you at some point that maybe we can’t really know what’s happening in other people’s minds. There is a lot of cultural variation as to how much people are willing to feel like they’re able to intuit the internal states of other people – so much so that there’s a whole area of anthropology that looks at this idea of cultures where it’s really prevalent to assume that you can’t know someone else’s internal state. That’s the starting point for building social interactions.

Gretchen: This is the inverse of the Spanish thing where it’s like, “Yeah, I can infer your mental state.” This is like, “Nobody can really know what anyone else is thinking at all.”

Lauren: It’s a cultural assumption and starting point for building conversations and interactions that I’m gonna assume that I can’t know what your internal state is. I can only make reference to it by very overtly flagging that I don’t know that. I might talk about your actions rather than my assumptions about the thoughts behind those actions.

Gretchen: So, what does it look like in practice if someone’s operating under the assumption that you can never really understand what’s going on in someone else’s mind?

Lauren: A lot of the anthropologists who work in this area tend to look at the domain of gossip. I like to think of it in terms of – it just means that you’re unlikely to have gossip that goes along the lines of “What were they even thinking?” Instead, your gossip is more about the concrete actions of people rather than rationalising their mental state while they were doing those things.

Gretchen: Okay. So, not like, “This person had good intentions, but this thing didn’t work,” or “This person never cares about other people’s feelings, and so therefore…,” but it’s more like, “Oh, this person did this thing – ate my cake.”

Lauren: Yeah. I mean, assuming someone has good intentions is something that presumes that you can know what’s inside someone else’s mind.

Gretchen: It’s like, “This person ate my cake. I don’t care why they did it, but that’s what happened.”

Lauren: That tends to be more of the focus that gets talked about or that people might come upon by using strategies like grammatical evidentiality as a like, “You can’t know what’s in my mind, so let me tell you that I know that it’s raining because someone said or because I saw it.” Like, “Let me do that work for you of telling you my state of knowledge rather than you trying to guess something that you can’t guess.”

Gretchen: So, it’s not necessarily a thing of “We’re not talking about mental states,” but the person is the ultimate authority on their own mental state.

Lauren: Yeah. I think this area of opacity of mind is looking at commonalities between what are actually very different ways of approaching understanding people’s internal states because perhaps culturally we’ve just gone with the assumption that everyone thinks about social interaction the way we do and that maybe there’s a lot of variation there.

Gretchen: Lauren, are you saying we have bad theory of mind about theory of mind?

Lauren: Potentially. But I think learning about theory of mind as a bedrock and then opacity of mind as the way people approach this bedrock has made me more appreciative of keeping track of what people might know or not making assumptions about what people bring to any particular interaction. I really appreciate knowing about theory of mind for that reason.

Gretchen: I think practicing figuring out, okay, what are some possible mental states here, what might be going on. This is one of the things I really like about fiction, especially, reading books is you do get to be behind someone else’s eyes and thinking about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it even if their reasons for doing something are really different from what I would think. I find filmed stuff, unless there’s a lot of voiceover – I love voiceover because you can get into someone’s mind. Not everyone’s a fan of voiceover, but I love it because it gives you that internal mental state. I don’t just wanna look at someone’s face and think, “Oh, this is what they’re thinking.” I wanna be behind their eyes and thinking, “Oh, they actually think this is a good idea. Okay. Well, I’m along for this ride now.”

Lauren: I think fiction is a really great philosophical experiment. It’s one of the reasons I really find sci-fi to be interesting is because it can push the limits of what another mind is or what another mental state is to be thinking in. One thing we didn’t get to in the bonus episode about Arkady Martine’s Memory Called Empire is that there are people who have the capacity to take on the entire previous knowledge state of someone else. I just am like what would an evidential marking system be like for a person who has multiple consciousnesses worth of evidence for a statement.

Gretchen: Like, “I know this because my original consciousness knew this” or “I know this because the consciousness that I got added to mine later in life knows this.” Oh, man.

Lauren: There’re just so many layers of potential knowledge state there. That’s the kind of sci-fi that lets me bring my linguist brain to problems of consciousness.

Gretchen: I’ve been thinking about this from a practical level as well recently which is what’s the point of having a conference compared to just reading some blog posts or something about the same topic. I think it’s about that conferences create a state of shared knowledge among their participants. You know that everyone else was also at the same talks or in the same environment or is interested in the same topic, and so it gives you springboards for having conversations about topics of mutual interest rather than just “I’ve acquired this information.” It’s “I’ve acquired this information in a social context where I’ve also acquired a bunch of people to talk with about it.”

Lauren: I’ve never quite thought of conferences in that way, but that is a very wholesome, linguist-brain way to approach it.

Gretchen: Well, it’s partly why digital conferences can be unsatisfying because if you don’t know who else is in the audience and you don’t have any way of spending time with them then you don’t get to have that shared mental state with the fellow conference participants. You’re just receiving the knowledge in a way that you could do without the conference structure at all.

Lauren: I think that speaks to the way that approaching theory of mind allows you to just be more generous in the way you conceptualise other people’s intentions or their motivations or their actions, which is one thing I really appreciate about it.

Gretchen: I also think that there’s – I mean, this is definitely not in the canon of theory of mind – but it’s part of this thinking and reasoning about other people’s mental states. It’s also what the mental state is that you impose on someone else by reacting to something.

Lauren: Okay. I’m now very conscious about whatever I say in response to this anecdote.

Gretchen: I’m sorry. An example of this is the xkcd comic “Lucky Ten Thousand,” which reads, “I try not to make fun of people for admitting they don’t know things. Because for each thing ‘Everyone knows’ by the time they’re adults, every day there are, on average, 10,000 people in the US hearing about it for the first time.” And there’s some calculations. “If I make fun of people, I train them not tell me when they have these moments. And I miss out on the fun.” Then the little comic strip – this is two people – one says, “Diet Coke and Mentos thing? What’s that?” And the other one says, “Oh, man! C’mon we’re going to the grocery store.” “Why?” “You’re one of today’s lucky ten thousand.” Some of my friend groups have adopted “lucky ten thousand” when someone mentions like “Oh, what is this book?” or “What is this thing?” rather than say “Oh, you haven’t heard of that? What?”

Lauren: I can actually tell you exactly how Gretchen says it because Gretchen said to me when we were preparing for this, “Oh, you haven’t heard of the ‘Lucky Ten Thousand’? Oh my gosh, do I have the link for you.”

Gretchen: [Laughs] Exactly.

Lauren: It was so nice to not feel embarrassed to not know every comic in a canonical webcomic series and to be introduced to this very excellent one.

Gretchen: It makes the conversation happen in a much more positive way because then – you know, nobody’s read all the books. Nobody has done all of the things. You can have the conversation of “Oh, well, what did you like about it?” or “What is interesting about it?” without the shaming version of the conversation of “Why haven’t you done this?” or “What’s wrong with you that you don’t know this thing already?” I think this is a similar thing that happens when you create things as well, like “I wrote a book” or “on this podcast.” Sometimes, we’ll say something there or give some – like, here’s a set of examples or something. And sometimes people will reply, “Oh, I listened to your thing,” “I liked your thing and here is this other example for you.” Like, “Here’s another thing that you might like.” That frame is a really positive way of having that conversation and is something that I can then share with other people and say, “Oh, here’s this other thing that people might be interested in.” I can retweet it. Or “Here’s something else going on.”

Lauren: I always feel bad when people phrase it as though we have deliberately omitted something for nefarious reasons when it’s often just that we have a finite amount of time and there’re many languages.

Gretchen: Also, we don’t know everything. Sometimes, someone tells us about a new example.

Lauren: Sometimes, we get to be one of the lucky ten thousand for a topic in linguistics, and it makes us very happy.

Gretchen: The thing is, is the intentions are generally really good. People are excited to share things. They’re excited to talk about things. It’s just this common way of responding to things that doesn’t end up leading into the conversation that you wanna have and with a slight tweak could totally do that like the “lucky ten thousand thing.

Lauren: I also think about this modelling other people’s mental states and knowledge. I think one of the peak activities for that is creating a forwardable email.

Gretchen: Ooo.

Lauren: For those of us who spend a lot of time on email, occasionally, someone will say, “Cool. I’m glad we’ve agreed to do this thing. Can you put the details in a forwardable email so I can send it to the rest of the group?”

Gretchen: Right. Or “Can you introduce me to this person. Here’s why I think they’d be interested in talking about it.” And I’ll say, “Okay, I’ll write a forwardable email. I can send it to them, and then they can decide if they wanna talk to you,” or something like that.

Lauren: Me and this other person know that this email exchange has happened. I now need to write a single, useful, context-filled email that that person can forward on to the group that they want to do the thing with or someone that I am hoping to be introduced to. It requires me to think about what I know, what the person who asked me to do this email knows, and what this third person, who hasn’t been part of any of the prior conversation but needs all of the relevant context, needs to know. I just think that the mental state modelling involved and the mentalising what this person who hasn’t been part of the conversation needs is like Dunbar’s mental representation stuff as, like, multidimensional chess.

Gretchen: Because you end up saying – like, to the person you’re actually emailing, you’re telling them all of this information they already know, and that’s why you can sometimes specify to someone like, “Oh, yeah, please send me an email that I can forward to this person.” If I’m receiving a forwardable email, I know that you’re repeating information that I know, and it’s not patronising in this context because you know that I know that I’m gonna forward it to this third person who doesn’t know these things and so, therefore, that’s why you’re repeating this information that I already knew. There’s so many levels of understanding what other people are gonna potentially think in there.

Lauren: This is why, before we even get to thinking about language, we have to think about the cognitive processes that allow us to know where the marble is, to know if someone thinks cake is delicious, or to go to put everything into an email.

[Music]

Gretchen: For more Lingthusiasm and links to all the things mentioned in this episode, go to lingthusiasm.com. You can listen to us on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, or wherever else you get your podcasts. You can follow @Lingthusiasm on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr. You can get IPA scarves, “What the fricative” mugs, and other lingthusiasm merch at lingthusiasm.com/merch. I can be found as @GretchenAMcC on Twitter, my blog is AllThingsLinguistic.com, and my book about internet language is called Because Internet.

Lauren: I tweet and blog as Superlinguo. Have you listened to all the Lingthusiasm episodes, and you wish there were more? You can get access to 54 bonus episodes to listen to right now at patreon.com/lingthusiasm or follow the links from our website. Patrons also get access to our Discord chatroom to talk with other linguistics fans and other rewards as well as helping keep the show ad-free. Recent bonus topics include the linguistics of Pokémon, backchannelling, and translation in fiction. Can’t afford to pledge? That’s okay, too. We also really appreciate it if you can recommend Lingthusiasm to anyone who needs a little more linguistics in their lives.

Gretchen: Lingthusiasm is created and produced by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our Senior Producer is Claire Gawne, our Editorial Producer is Sarah Dopierala, and our Production Manager is Liz McCullough, and our music is “Ancient City” by The Triangles.

Lauren: Stay lingthusiastic!

[Music]

📷

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

[sevensided]

how did you get into writing fic? i'd love to start but idk even where to begin! I loved adats so I was wondering do you have any advice?

Oh my goodness! I am so flattered you’ve asked me this. Yes, I can absolutely help. I’ll throw a bunch of rambling under the cut.

I started writing fic probably when I was... sixteen years old? A lot of my early works were oneshots. I couldn’t figure out how to do anything plot heavy for the life of me, so I just stuck to AUs or whatever I felt like. I wasn’t in any particular fandom -- I really wrote whatever I had ideas for. I remember I tried once to do a plot-heavy story and I received a review absolutely ripping it to shreds. Like, it was so cruel I cried lol. I ended up deleting the fic. Years later, I get what they were trying to say (basically, more substance, less style), but at the time it cut to the quick. Really, it was only when I was in my twenties that I started writing work that was longer and/or better.

The fandom that helped me actually write plot heavy work was a historical-based fandom. As I’m a historian, it was perfect. I got to use my research skills and knowledge to create works that, above all, aimed to feel authentic. I mainly read historical fiction, so I was familiar with how that genre worked. Miraculously, people loved my work. I think I wrote about ~200k in the period of a year? These were several short stories (20-40k) and a few oneshot filler fics. While I was part of this fandom I also helped organise a Big Bang which was a lot of hard work but was extremely rewarding. Along with that, I interacted mainly with other fic writers, so I spent a lot of time chatting to people about ideas and encouraging other writers, and it just created a lovely medley where no concept was impossible or any line of dialogue too difficult. We supported each other and it was truly like a little commune. I gradually stepped away from the fandom mainly because it was just a part of my life at a very specific time, and almost as soon as that time was over, my love for that story/ship faded, but I firmly believe I figured out a lot of how/what I do now purely through that experience.

Regarding ADATS

With ADATS, it stemmed entirely from wanting to “explain” three months in canon (at the end of season three). I was interested in the idea of season four setting up Will/Mike in canon, and I wanted to test the source material to see if I could draw from what already existed to create something authentic. I began with that simple idea: what happened from July to October in 1985? Then I thought about the major themes I wanted to hit -- family, friendship, coming of age, sexuality -- and I nested them around the bigger concept: how do I get Mike from being ostensibly straight to realising he is gay? That meant thinking of two steps: Mike discovering his attraction to guys; Mike discovering his attraction to Will. Those two concepts were separate “arcs” that needed addressing in different ways. Balance was key to weaving them together and making the reader feel like they knew what was coming (and that they felt smart for putting the pieces together) without just rushing through and going “now kiss!” That’s partly why ADATS needs a sequel, lol: because it’s not finished!

Writing process

The first thing I do when I start to get an idea is I write it down. Sounds obvious. But when you have a killer line of dialogue come to you in the shower and you think “I’ll remember that” -- reader, you will not remember it. You gotta get it down ASAP! I do that the whole way through, as generally I’ll be thinking of scenes I’m stuck on and then it’ll just come to me and I’ll quickly jot it down.

The next thing -- or what I do in the meantime -- is start structuring. I plan. I try to plan a lot. Sometimes it’s okay to write “and something happens here to get them here”, because you’ll figure it out later, but for the most part I’ve discovered that planning is like gold and you can’t get enough of it. I break my work up into generally 3-4 parts/sections, and I treat each section like a mini story. So each part needs a conflict and resolution, and it needs to flow into the next section. You need to have a feeling of things evolving and maturing. Once I’ve planned those little bits, I start thinking about the bigger plot arc and how I can drop in hints along the way. I’m probably not a subtle or skilled enough writer to yet pull off that sort of gasping twist you get in really excellent books, but I’m trying to get there. It’s hard, is what I’m trying to say, but that’s okay, because we’re all learning.

Then I generally do aesthetic stuff. Sounds stupid, probably. But nothing helps me get more into a mood than doing a Pinterest board or -- most of all -- making a Spotify mix. I start thinking about the vibe and the general atmosphere, and then I almost exclusively listen to that mix when I’m working. Sort of like muscle memory? Just to get the creative juices associated with that particular selection of songs.

Another thing I’ll do along with plot structure is character structure. This is a biggie. I mean, a story is nothing without characters. So I’ll just jot down a bunch of bullet points of characters and particular aspects that I want to highlight or remember. I hate continuity errors in fiction. Like, if someone says they work on Maple Street but later in the fic they’re working on Pine Street. I hate that. So I keep note of specific things that my main character might notice at repeated points in the story (colours, places, smells, names, sounds -- so they’re all consistent even as the narrative evolves). That’s another thing -- your characters’ motivations. Not everyone is going to be a huge player, but they all do serve a purpose. The most important character is obviously your main character. I personally think it’s important to let your M.C. be an arse at times. They’re going to be mean, they’re going to misinterpret things or fly off the handle... just let ‘em. Let them be wretched humans, and then bring them back and make them realise what they’ve done. Let them learn! I love consequences in fiction, lol.

At the same time, I’ll probably start writing. We’ve already written down some snippets of neat dialogue or descriptions, but now we should start the actual process. For me, I used to start at the beginning. Usually this was the most fleshed out anyway: I’ll have a clear idea of the beginning and the end, but nothing in the middle. These days, if I have a scene in mind that I can’t forget, I’ll just write it. It will possibly get scrapped or rewritten, but that’s okay, because at least you’ve got it down and now you can devote your brain power to something useful (like figuring out what the middle is supposed to be). I’ll have half a dozen of totally out of context scenes just littered in my Word document that I’ll add to as I go along. Eventually, though, you’re going to start writing properly, and that’s when you write your opening scene.

Opening scenes: super important. Every time I write a scene I think: what is the point of this? What do I want the reader to learn or takeaway? Sometimes you do have filler scenes, but they also serve a different purpose (perhaps to establish a group dynamic or to explore/describe a character’s surroundings). Mainly, though, every scene should push something forward in some way, whether it’s character development or a plot point. So, with an opening scene, I always think you have to establish: where you are; who you are; what they are doing; where they’ve come from (in a philosophical and practical sense); and where they’re going (ditto). That doesn’t have to happen in the first paragraph -- that would be silly. But if you sprinkle that information in over time it’ll gradually build up a picture of your character and that way the reader can get an idea of who they are. You basically need to give a snapshot of what your story is about. This also goes back to the character creator stuff: where they are at the start should be different to where they end up. How that happens is, of course, because of plot, and because you’ve structured everything to the nth degree, we’ve got a very clear progression of that character’s growth (/s easier said than done lol).

General advice

Write down everything: every idea, a bit of dialogue, a description, whatever. Write it down. Doesn’t have to be neat. Just has to be on paper. You can’t remember everything, so if you’re spending time trying to hold those things in your head, it’s taking up space for new ideas to come along.

Structure, plan, structure, plan. Sometimes it’s boring and I hate it. Other times, when I’ve not written in a few days and I open the Word doc and think wtf is this supposed to be, I am very grateful for Past Me for leaving such detailed notes. Seriously, it helps so much. Oneshots don’t really need planning, in my experience. You just get those out there. But multi-chaptered stories really do, even ones that “just” focus on a relationship.

Whatever you want to write, commit to it. Space goblins invade Hawkins? Do it. Eleven and Max find themselves in a cult akin to Midsommar (2019) and must escape? Yes. Just... whatever you want to do, remember that you’re writing it for you. Write what most interests you, what makes you when you reread it go AHHHHH I LOVE THIS!! Because that makes it a thousand times easier to actually get on with the writing when you enjoy what you’re doing.

Write a lot. Every day, if you can, or at least at designated times. Occasionally I have a very specific headspace/vibe I have to be in, but sometimes it just hits me and I’ll say to my partner “I need to write now” and just disappear, lol. The more you write the more you write. It’s so, so, so true. Cannot emphasise this enough. When I wrote that ~200k in twelve months? It was because I literally wrote every. day. Or near enough. Remember that some days you’ll write 200 words, and other days you’ll write 20k (this happened to me with ADATS -- part of the reason I finished it so quickly was because I had sprints of writing 10k+ at a time that only happened because I was in the rhythm of it). Write, write, write. Who cares if it’s crap! No one will see it until you are ready. In the meantime, just write!

Probably last of all (although I could go on and on) is connect with other writers. If you’re struggling to start, sometimes just talking about it can help a huge amount. I hope it goes without saying that you can message me whenever you want, anon or not, and I will talk to you. We can talk about ideas or I can beta stuff, whatever you want! Find like-minded people and talk to them about what you want to do. Another thing this helps is in advertising your work when you do publish. I see a lot of first time fic writers get super down because they publish their magnum opus on AO3 but no one comments. Honestly, it’s because no one knows you’ve published! You don’t have to be tooting your own horn every which way, but just actively talking about your work and even collaborating with other content creators with get you hyped and other people too (and the input and encouragement other fandom members give is just... out of this world. Anon messages helped me finish ADATS when I was really worried I wouldn’t [that’s the truth]. Seriously, support is everything). When you have people excited about your work, you get excited. It’s really as simple as that.

I could go on but this is already horrendously long. I hope even a bit of this helps! If you want to chat or have any more questions, just hit me up any time.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Riot Fest 2021: 9/16-9/19, Douglass Park

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Much like Pitchfork Music Festival earlier this month, this past weekend’s Riot Fest felt relatively normal. Arriving at Douglas Park every day, you were greeted by the usual deluge of attendees in Misfits t-shirts and dyed hair, the sound of faint screams and breakneck guitars and drums emanating from nearby stages. The abnormal aspects of the fest, at least as compared to previous incarnations, we’re already used to by now from 2021 shows: To get in, you had to show proof of vaccination and/or a negative test no older than 48 hours, which means that unvaxxed 4-day attendees had to get multiple tests. Props to the always awesome staff at Riot Fest for actually checking the cards against the names on government-issued IDs.

For a festival that dealt with a plethora of last-minute changes due to bands dropping out because of COVID-19 caution (Nine Inch Nails, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr.) or other reasons (Faith No More/Mr. Bungle because of concerns around Mike Patton’s well-being), there were very few bumps in the road. Whether Riot Fest had bands like Slipknot, Anthrax, or Rise Against in their back pocket as replacements or not, it very much felt like who we saw Thursday-Sunday was always supposed to be the lineup, even when laying your eyes on countless “Death to the Pixies” shirts. Sure, one of the fest’s main gimmicks--peeling back the label on Goose Island’s Riot Fest Sucks Pale Ale to reveal the schedule--was out of date with inaccurate set times and bands, and it still would have been so had Faith No More and Mr. Bungle stayed, since Fucked Up had to drop out last minute due to border issues. But the festival, as always, rolled with the punches.

The sets themselves offered the circle pit and crowdsurfing-inducing punk and metal you’re used to, with a few genre outliers. For so many bands of all styles, Riot Fest represented their first live show in years, and a few acts knew the exact number of days since their last show. For every single set, the catharsis in the crowd and on stage was palpable, not exactly anger, or elation, but pure release.

Here were our favorite sets of the festival, in chronological order.

WDRL

Last October, WDRL (which, amazingly, stands for We Don’t Ride Llamas) announced themselves with a Tweet: “y’all been looking for an alt black band,, well here you go”. A band of Gen Z siblings, Chase (lead guitar), Max (lead vocals), Blake (drums), and Kit Mitchell (bass guitar), WDRL is aware, much like Meet Me @ The Altar (who, despite my hyping, I couldn’t make it in time to see) that they’re one of too few bands of POCs in the Riot Fest-adjacent scene. Their set, one of the very first of the weekend during Thursday’s pre-party, showed them leading by example, the type of band to inspire potentially discouraged Black and brown folks to start punk bands. Max is a terrific vocalist, able to scream over post-punk, scat over funk, and coo over slow, soulful R&B swayers with the same ease. The rest of the band was equally versatile, able to pivot on a dime from scuzzy rock to hip hop to twinkling dream pop. Bonus points for covering Splendora’s “You’re Standing On My Neck”, aka the Daria theme song.

Joyce Manor

Joyce Manor’s self-titled debut is classic. The best part of it as an album play-through at a festival? It’s so short that you can hear it and you’ll still have half a set for other favorites. So while the bouncy “Orange Julius”", “Ashtray Petting Zoo”, and ultimate singalong “Constant Headache” were set highlights, the Torrance, CA band was able to burn through lots from Never Hungover Again, Cody, Million Dollars to Kill Me, and their rarities collection Songs From Northern Torrance. Apart from not playing anything from Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired (seriously, am I the only one who loves that record?), Joyce Manor were stellar, from the undeniable hooks of “Heart Tattoo” to the churning power chords of “Catalina Fight Song”. After playing “Christmas Card”, Johnson and company gave one final nod to the original fest cancellation, My Chemical Romance, who were slated to headline 2020, then 2021, and now 2022. If you ever wondered what it would sound like hearing a concise punk band like Joyce Manor take on the bombast of “Helena”, you found out. Hey, it was actually pretty good!

Patti Smith

Behold: a full Patti Smith set! After being shafted by the weather last time around, a sunglasses-laden Smith decided not to fuck around, leading with the inspiring “People Have The Power”, her voice as powerful as I’ve ever heard it. Maybe it was the influence of Riot Fest, but she dropped as many f-bombs as Corey Taylor did during Slipknot’s Sunday night headlining set. After reluctantly signing an adoring crowd member’s copy of Horses, she quipped, “I feel bad for you have to cart that fucking thing around.” It wasn’t just the filthy banter: This was Smith at her most enraptured and incendiary, belting during “Because The Night” and spitting during a “Land/Gloria” medley, reciting stream-of-consciousness hallucinogenic lyrics about the power of escape in the greatest display of stamina the festival had to offer.

Circa Survive

“It feels good to dance,” declared Circa Survive lead singer Anthony Green. The heart and soul of the Philadelphia rock band, who cover ground from prog rock to post-hardcore and emo, Green was in full form during the band’s early Friday set, his falsetto carrying the rolling “The Difference Between Medicine and Poising Is in the Dose” and the chugging “Rites of Investiture”. While the band, too, can throw down, they’re equally interesting when softer and more melodic, Brendan Ekstrom‘s twinkling guitars lifting “Child of the Desert” and “Suitcase”. Ending with the one-two punch of debut Juturna’s introspective “Act Appalled” and Blue Sky Noise’s skyward “Get Out”, Green announced the band would have a new record coming soon, one you hope will cover the sonic and thematic ground of even just those two tracks.

Thrice

Thrice played their first show since February 2020 the same day they’d release their 11th studio album, Horizons/East (Epitaph). To a crowd of fans that came to hear their favorite songs, though, the Irvine, California band knew better than to play a lot of the new record, instead favoring tracks like The Artist in the Ambulance’s spritely title cut and Vheissu standout “The Earth Will Shake”. Yeah, they led with a Horizons/East song making its live debut, the dreamy, almost Deftones-esque “Scavengers”, and later in the set they’d reveal the impassioned “Summer Set Fire to the Rain”. But the set more prominently served to emphasize lead vocalist Dustin Kensrue’s gruff delivery, on “All the World Is Mad” and “in Exile”, the rhythm section’s propulsive playing buoying his fervency. And how about Teppei Teranishi’s finger tapping on “Black Honey”?!? Thrice often favor the slow build-up, but they offered plenty of individually awesome moments.

Smashing Pumpkins

William Patrick Corgan entered the stage to dramatic strings, dressed in a robe, with white face paint except for red hearts under his eyes. He looked like a ghost. That’s pretty much where the semi-serious theatricality ended. The Smashing Pumpkins’ first Chicago festival headlining set in recent memory was the rawest they’ve sounded in a while, counting when they played an original lineup-only set at the United Center a few years back. It was also the most fun I’ve ever seen Corgan have on stage. Though they certainly selected and debuted from their latest electropop turn Cyr, Corgan, guitarist James Iha, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, guitarist Jeff Schroeder, and company more notably dug deep into the vault, playing Gish’s “Crush” for the first time since 2008, Adore’s “Shame” for the first time since 2010, and Siamese Dream barnburner “Quiet” for the first time since 1994 (!). Best, every leftfield disco jam like set opener “The Colour Of Love”, “Cyr”, and “Ramona” was quickly followed by something heavy and/or recognizable, Chamberlin’s limber drum solos elevating even latter-day material like “Solara”. At one point, Corgan, a self-described “arty fuck,” admitted that years ago he would have opted for more experimental material, but he knew the crowd wanted to hear classics, the band then delving into a gorgeous acoustic version of “Tonight, Tonight”. And while Kate Bush coverer Meg Myers came out to sing Lost Highway soundtrack industrial ditty “Eye”, it was none other than legendary local shredder Michael Angelo Batio who stole the show, joining for the set closer, a pummeling version of Zeitgeist highlight “United States”. Leaning into the cheese looks good on you, Billy.

The Bronx

Credit to L.A. punk rock band The Bronx, playing early on a decidedly cooler Saturday early afternoon, for making me put in my earplugs outside of the photo pit. Dedicating “Shitty Future” to Fucked Up (who, as we mentioned, had to drop out), the entire band channeled Damian Abraham’s energy on piercing versions of “Heart Attack American” as well as “Superbloom” and “Curb Feelers” from their latest album Bronx VI (Cooking Vinyl). Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne’s guitars stood out, providing choppy rhythms on “Knifeman” and swirling solos on “Six Days A Week”.

Big Freedia

The New Orleans bounce artist has Big Diva Energy, for the most part. After her DJ pumped up the crowd to contemporary Southern rap staple “Ayy Ladies” by Travis Porter, Big Freedia walked out and showed that “BDE”, firing through singles like “Platinum” and “N.O. Bounce” as her on-stage dancers’ moves ranged from delicate to earth-shaking. At this point, Freedia can pretty much do whatever she wants, effortlessly segueing between a cover of Drake’s “Nice For What” to “Strut”, her single with electropop DJ Elohim, to a cover of Beyone’s “Formation”. Of course, the set highlight was when she had volunteers from the crowd come up and shake and twerk--two at a time to keep it COVID-safe--all while egging them on to go harder. Towards the end of the set, after performing the milquetoast “Goin’ Looney” from the even-worse-than-expected Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack, she pulled out the beloved “Gin in my System”. “I got that gin in my system,” she sang, the crowd singing back, “Somebody gonna be my victim,” a refrain that compositionally not only leaves plenty of room for the thundering bass but is thematically a statement of total power--over sexism, racism, the patriarchy--even in the face of control-altering substances.

Les Savy Fav

During Les Savy Fav’s set, lead singer Tim Harrington at various points--*big breath*--went into the crowd, deepthroated an audience member’s mohawk spike, found a discarded manikin head with a wig on it, revealed the words “deep” and “dish” painted on his thighs and a drawing of a Red Hot on his back, rode a crowd member like a horse, made a headband out of pink tape, donned ski goggles, surfed on top of a door carried by the crowd, squeezed his belly while the camera was on it to make it look like his belly button was singing, and referred to himself as a “slippery eel.” Indeed, the legend of Les Savy Fav’s live show starts and ends with Harrington’s ridiculous antics, as he’s all but out of breath when actually singing dance-punk classics like “Hold On To Your Genre”, “The Sweat Descends”, and “Rome (Written Upside Down)”. We haven’t heard much in terms of new music from Les Savy Fav in over 10 years--their most recent album was 2010′s Root For Ruin--but I could see them and the extremely Aughts genre in general become staples of Riot Fest as albums like Inches, The Rapture’s Echoes, and !!!’s Louden Up Now reach the 20-year mark. Dynamic vocalists, tight bands, and killer grooves: What’s not to love?

State Champs

This set likely wins the award for “most immediate crowd surfers,” which I guess is to be expected when you begin your set with a classic track 1--album 1 combination. “Elevated” is the State Champs number that will cause passers-by to stop and watch a couple songs, the type of song that can pretty much only open or close a set. And because they opened with it, the crowd immediately ramped up the energy. It’s been three years since the last State Champs full-length, Living Proof, so they were in prime position to play some new songs. As such, they performed their bubblegummy “Outta My Head” and “Just Sound” and faithfully covered Fall Out Boy’s “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago” (releasing a studio version earlier this week). But the tracks from The Finer Things and Around the World and Back were, as usual, the highlights, like “All You Are Is History”, “Remedy”, “Slow Burn”, and set closer “Secrets”. At the end of the day, it didn’t entirely matter: The crowd knew every word of every song.

Bayside

Putting State Champs and Bayside back-to-back on the same stage made an easy decision for the many pop-punk bands at Riot Fest. Bayside’s been at it for twice as long, so the breadth of their setlist across their discography is more variable. Moreover, they’ve thrice revisited their discography with acoustic albums of old songs, so even their staples are subject to change. They provided solid versions of Killing Time standouts “Already Gone” and “Sick, Sick, Sick”, Cult’s “Pigsty”, and older songs like their self-titled’s “Montauk” and Sirens and Condolences’ “Masterpiece”. For “Don’t Call Me Peanut”, though, they brought out--*gasp*--an acoustic guitar! It was a rare moment not just for one of the most popular pop punk sets but the festival in general, a breather before Vacancy shout-along “Mary”.

Rancid

“Rancid has always been anti-fascist and anti-racist,” said Tim Armstrong before the band played “Hooligans”. It was nice to hear an explicit declaration of solidarity from the street punks, reminding the crowd what really matters and why we come together to scream and mosh. The band expectedly favored ...And Out Come The Wolves, playing almost half of it, and they perfectly balanced their harder edges with more celebratory ska songs like “Where I’m Going” from their most recent album Trouble Maker (Hellcat/Epitaph). My two favorite moments? The breezy, keyboard-laden “Fall Back Down” from their supremely underrated 2001 album Indestructable, and when they asked the crowd whether they wanted the set to end with “Time Bomb” or “Ruby Soho”. “We have 4 minutes left, and it’s disrespectful to play over your set time,” said Armstrong. It’s easy to see why Rancid continues to make an impression--instrumental and moral--on touring bands new and old.

Run the Jewels

The brilliant hip hop duo are masters of balancing social consciousness with the desire to fuck shit up for fun. Live, the former tends to come in between-song banter, the latter with their actual charismatic, tit-for-tat performances of the songs. However, Run the Jewels also are probably the clearest live performers in hip hop today, Killer Mike and El-P’s words, hypersexual and woke alike, ringing in the ears of audience members who don’t even know the songs. (Looking around, I could see people smiling and laughing at every dick joke, nodding at each righteous proclamation.) Some of the best songs on their most recent album RTJ4 (Jewel Runners/BMG) are perfect for these multitudes. Hearing both RTJ MCs and the backing track of Pharrell Williams and Zack de la Rocha chanting “Look at all these slave masters posin’ on yo’ dollar” on “JU$T” as the rowdy crowd bounced up and down was the ultimate festival moment. For those who had never seen RTJ, it was clear from the get-go, as Killer Mike and EL-P traded bars on “yankee and the brave (ep. 4)” that they’re a unique hip hop act. For the rest of us, it was clear that Run the Jewels keep getting better.

The Gories

It felt a little weird that legendary Detroit trio The Gories were given the first set of the final day--I’d have thought they’d have more draw than that. No matter what, they provided one of the more satisfying and stylistically varied sets of the festival, showcasing their trademark balance of garage punk and blues. Mick Collins and Dan Kroha’s guitar and vocal harmonies were the perfect jangly balance to Peggy O’Neill’s meat and potatoes drumming on “Sister Ann” and “Charm Bag”, while folks less familiar with The Gories were treated to their fantastic covers of Suicide’s “Ghost Rider” and The Keggs’ “To Find Out”. Smells like time for the first Gories album in 20 years!

FACS

I thought it would be ill-fitting to watch a band like FACS in the hot sun, early in the day. Their monochrome brand of post-punk seems better suited for a dimly lit club. But the hypnotic nature of Brian Case’s swirling guitar and Alianna Kalaba’s slinky bass was oddly perfect in a sweltering, faint-inducing heat. Just when you thought you might fade, squalls of feedback and Noah Leger’s odd time signatures picked you back up. Songs from their new album Present Tense (Trouble In Mind) such as “Strawberry Cough” and “XOUT” were emblematic of this push-pull. And everything from the band’s red, white, and black color palate to their lack of stage banter suggested a cool minimalism that was rare at a festival that tends to book more outwardly emotional bands.

Alex G

On one hand, Alex G’s unique combination of twangy alt country and earnest indie rock makes him an outlier at Riot Fest, or at the very least a mostly Pitchfork/occasional Riot Fest type of booking. On the other hand, like a lot of bands at the festival, he has a rabid fanbase, one that knows his back catalog hits, like “Kute”, “Kicker”, and “Bug”, as much as if not more than hyped Rocket and House of Sugar singles, like “Bobby” and “Gretel”. Backed by a band that knows when to be loose and when to tighten up--and the instrumental chops to do so--Alex G was better than he was a Pitchfork three years ago. He still sings through his teeth, making it especially hard to hear him on louder tunes such as “Brick”. But when the honesty of his vocals combines with the dreamy guitars of “Southern Sky” and circular melodies of “Near”, it’s pure bliss. 

HEALTH

The formula for the LA industrial noise band has pretty much always been Jake Duzsik’s soft vocals contrasting John Famiglietti’s screeching bass and pedals and BJ Miller’s mammoth drums. Both in 2018 and Sunday at Riot Fest, the heat affected Famiglietti’s pedals, which were nonetheless obscured by tarp. Or so HEALTH claimed: You wouldn’t know the difference given how much their sound envelops your whole body during one of their live sets. Since their previous appearance at the festival, the prolific band has released two new records on Loma Vista, Vol. 4: Slaves of Fear and collaboration record Disco4: Part 1. Songs from those records occupied half of their excellent set, including battering opener “GOD BOTHERER”, “BODY/PRISON”, and “THE MESSAGE”. It was so wonderfully loud it drowned out K.Flay’s sound check drummer, thank the lord.

Thursday

Last time Thursday played Riot Fest, Geoff Rickly was battling heroin addiction, something he talked about during the band’s triumphant late afternoon set on Sunday. He mentioned the kindness of the late, great Riley Gale of Power Trip in extending a helping hand when he was down and extended his love to anybody in the crowd or even the world at large going through something similar. To say that this set was life-affirming would be an understatement; after 636 days of no shows, Rickly was at his most passionate. He introduced “Signals Over The Air” as a song the band “wrote about men beating up on women in the pit,” that a record exec at the time told them that it wouldn’t age well because he thought--no kidding--sexism would eventually end. Rickly’s voice, suffering from sound issues last time around, simply soared during Full Collapse’s “Cross Out The Eyes”, No Devolucion’s “Fast to the End”, and two inspired covers: Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” and Texas Is The Reason’s “If It's Here When We Get Back It's Ours”. The latter the band played because TITR guitarist Norman Brannon’s actually on tour with them, though Rickly emphasized the influence the NYC post-hardcore greats had on Thursday when they first started. Never forgetting where they’ve come from, with self-deprecating humor and radical empathy, Thursday are once again a force.

Devo

Much like the B-52′s in 2019, Devo was the set this year of a 70′s/80′s absurd punk band with some radio hits that everybody knows but with a swath of die-hard fans, too. It’s safe to say both groups were satisfied. You walked around the fest all day wondering whether the folks wearing Devo hats were actual fans or doing it for the novelty. By the time the band actually took the stage after a career-spanning video of their many phases, it didn’t really matter, because it was clear the band still had it, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale’s vocals booming throughout a massive crowd. They ripped through “Peek-a-Boo”, “Going Under”, “That’s Good”, “Girl U Want”, and “Whip It”, which caused the fans waiting for Slipknot (and presumably some Devo heads) to form a circle pit. And that was all before the first costume change. Mark passed out hats to the crowd, fully embracing converts who might have only known “Whip It”. The feverish chants of “Uncontrollable Urge” and synth freakouts of “Jocko Homo” whipped everyone into a frenzy. And the band performed the “Freedom Of Choice” theme song for the first time since the early 80′s! I had seen Devo before, opening for Arcade Fire and Dan Deacon at the United Center, but the atmosphere at Riot Fest was more appropriately ludicrous.

Flaming Lips

“The Flaming Lips are the most COVID-safe band in the world,” went the ongoing joke, as throughout the pandemic they’d give audience members bubbles for their bubbles to be able to play shows. The normally goofy and interactive band scaled back for Riot Fest. Before launching into their traditional opener “Race For The Prize”, Wayne Coyne explained that while the band is normally proud of where they come from--Oklahoma City--they’re saddened by the local government’s ignorant pandemic response and wouldn’t risk launching balloons or walking into the crowd because they might be virus spreaders coming from such an under-vaccinated area. To his and the band’s credit, they wore masks during the performance, even when singing; Coyne removed his only when outside of his bubble that had to be deflated and inflated many times and that sometimes muffled his singing voice even more than a mask. Ever the innovative band, they still put on a stellar show. Coyne autotuned his voice on “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1″, making it another instrument filling the song’s glorious pop melodies. Less heavy on props, the band favored a glitchy, psychedelic setlist that alternated between beauty (”Flowers Of Neptune 6″, “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate”, “All We Have Is Now”) and two-drummed cacophony (“Silver Trembling Hands”, “The W.A.N.D.”). They’ll give a proper Lips show soon enough, but in the meantime, it was nice to see them not run through the motions.

Slipknot

Apart from maybe moments of Slayer, I’ve never witnessed a headliner at Riot Fest as heavy as Slipknot was. Even the minor ethereal elements present on their most recent and very good album We Are Not Your Kind, like the chorus of voices during “Unsainted”, were all but abandoned live in favor of straight up brutality. Sure, there were moments of theatricality--Corey Taylor’s menacing laugh on “Disasterpiece” and pyrotechnics in sequence with the instrumentation on “Before I Forget” and “All Out Life”--but for the most part, Slipknot was the ultimate exorcism. Taylor’s new mask, with unnaturally circular eyes, seemed like it came from a particularly uncomfortable skit from I Think You Should Leave. They bashed a baseball bat to a barrel during the pre-encore performance of “Duality”. And the songs played from tape, like the gasping-for-breath “(515)”, were designed to contrast Slipknot’s alien appearance with qualities that were uncannily human. For a band whose performances and instrumental dexterity are otherworldly--who else can pull off tempo changes over a hissing, Aphex Twin-like shuffling electronic beat on “Eyeless”--the pure seething emotion on songs like “Psychosocial” and “Wait and Bleed” shone through. Like Smashing Pumpkins, and like so many other successful Riot Fest headliners, Slipknot abandoned drama for pure, unadulterated dirt.

[tenpin-boleyn]

Performers Breakdown! Part 1

Just a little breakdown of things all actors/ performers should know! (Just a PSA I live in England, and some of the things may be UK specific, but I’ll try to be as general as I can!)

1. Headshots.

The most important piece of advertisement an actor can have, is their headshot. Headshots can be expensive, so make sure you make them you! Choose outfits that you feel confident in, but make sure they don’t distract from you! And try and showcase your natural hair! If you have curls, flaunt them! And if you have straight hair, embrace it! The casting directors want to see YOU, and who YOU are!

Also make sure you don’t schedule a headshot shoot before you undergo any major transformations, like any piercings, tattoos or changing your hair colour/style! Chances are you’ll need to get them redone again, so there’s no point!

2. Choosing audition material

Another staple for most auditions is a monologue. There are hundreds of monologues out there, so choosing the right one for you will be hard! Here are a few things you might want to consider when choosing a monologue!

The length. Is it too long? Is it too short? Do I need to fill a certain time slot? Most drama school auditions will have a set time of 1-3 minutes, whereas auditions for theatre and film and TV will have a more lenient time frame! (With most Film and TV auditions, you’ll be given a script to read for the panel, this could either be a side, or a cold read. I’ll try and go in depth later)

The character. How similar are they to you? Are they in your age range? Are they your gender? Can you relate to them in any way?

Do you enjoy the piece?? The panel want to see this story being told, and if you don’t like the piece, then neither will they. Embrace this character and make them fall in love with you! Choose a piece that excites you, and that you’re excited to perform!

The material. Is it suitable for what you’re auditioning for? Is it age appropriate? A casting panel aren’t going to be wanting to hear about a characters “first time”, so make sure you pick something appropriate! Also try and consider what you’re auditioning for. If you’re auditioning for a bold, fierce young woman, don’t use a scene from Romeo and Juliet, maybe try and find a similar character to that you’re auditioning for!

Check the guidelines! Most auditions will have some sort of guidance, so make sure you read that beforehand!

Try and find new material, but don’t avoid overused material. The number one thing I hear about auditions, is that you should never use a monologue that is overused. The directors want to see what you can bring as an actor, they want to see your interpretation of a character! So as long as you enjoy the piece, how overused it is shouldn’t matter!

Accents. Does it have an accent? Most auditions will want you to use your native accent, unless otherwise specified, so make sure you choose a piece that’s native to you. So if you’re from the UK, choose a piece from a brutish playwright, or if you’re from the US, choose a piece from an American playwright!

Try and avoid “best of...” or “book of Male/female monologues” because most of the material will be unsuitable and unoriginal. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a great starting point, but overall I would avoid them! Try searching for plays that feature characters close to your range! And when you’ve found a few start to google that play, and monologue. So (Ella Hickson Boys monologue) for example. And see where you can go from there!

A few plays I recommend good female monologues from are:

Boys Ella Hickson

Flatmates Ellen Dryden

When I was a girl Sherman McDonald

Bunny Jack Thorne

The oh fuck moment Hannah Jane Walker and Chris Thorpe

Mary Massacre Johnny McKnight

The Roaring Girl, Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton

The Murders at Argos David Foley

3. Sides and Cold Reads

When you audition for a Film and TV role, chances are you’ll be given either a side to learn, or a cold read to read from in the audition.

A side is a specific scene or monologue, usually from whatever you’re auditioning for, that you’re given prior to the audition. You won’t have to learn it off by heart, but you will be required to be familiar with it. Most of the time you’ll be required to perform a scene where the other character is one of the audition panel. You will need to be prepared for anything, the reader may be a trained actor who will do their best to help you, or they could be an intern that doesn’t want to be there. So you’re gonna have to be prepared to read with a blank actor. What I’m unsuccessfully trying to say is that your reading partner may be monotone when your character is supposed to be angry, or upset. You need to be prepared to receive no help from that other character, focus on your own acting. You won’t have any energy to bounce off of, so prepare for this.

A cold read, is a type of audition where you arrive usually an hour or less before you’ll audition, and you’ll be given a script to familiarise yourself with. This could be a monologue or a scene, but you’ll be expected to perform under the pressure of not knowing it. The panel won’t expect you to know it off by heart or know the character inside out, they just wanted to see your interpretation of the character, and how well you can work under pressure. So please don’t be afraid of cold reading, because the panel want to test how well you emote and how well you embody a character, rather than test you on how well you remember something.

4. Physicality

Something I’ve always struggled with is physicality. But unfortunately a large part of performing is based on physicality. You want to be able to tell a story with your body, and your movements, as well as through what you’re saying. So one of my biggest tips is just to follow your body.

Let your body guide what you do. If you’re performing a monologue, don’t just stand still, follow what you feel is right. If you feel like your character should move forward, move!

And this may be a bit controversial, but if you feel like you’ve been directed wrong, and it doesn’t feel natural to you, feel free to change it! If you don’t feel like you’re in charge, and you don’t feel comfortable, you’re not going to connect with this character. Whatever you’re feeling, they’re feeling too. So take initiative and so what you feel is right for you!

5. Touring Productions

If you’ve been cast in a professional touring company, there are a few things you should know/ be aware of!

Most agencies/unions will provide you with a “digs list”. This is a list of suitable properties to rent for a short space of time. They’ll be safe for actors and should be in safe neighbourhoods, and will be in budget!

You will get given a weekly allowance for “digs” and this will increase if you aren’t given breakfast as included in the accommodation. (£300 ish a week with breakfast, £400ish a week without breakfast)

You’ll also get a weekly food allowance, and this can range from £17 a day, to about £35 a day depending on where the tour goes and if you get breakfast for free.

You also get a transport allowance, which covers all of your transport to and from the theatres. You won’t usually get money beforehand for this, as you buy everything yourself and then send off the receipts and invoices to get them sent back into your account.

Your pay per month can change significantly depending on a few factors. If the production is an equity show, you’ll get paid more, and have more stability with pay as the union will secure a fair rate of pay. But if the show isn’t equity, the show can pay you significantly less, and more random as it will depend on the theatre capacity and how well the show has sold.

6. Living expenses

If you are performing in a show for a long period of time, such as a West End show, you get a travel allowance. When my drama teacher worked on the West End she received £72 a week for transport around London, but this might vary from show to show, as this is just one person and her experience!

The minimum wage for a working actor is roughly £450 a week, which might/might not seem a lot but considering the cost of living in places like London, and Los Angeles, and New York, this isn’t much. So you need to budget and expect to not earn enough. So make sure you have a some savings ready if worse comes do worse, but most of the time your wages will be above this mark. This is just the equity agreed minimum, so it’s likely you’ll be living on more than this figure.

I’ll try and get a Part 2 out soon but this post was getting pretty long, and I’ve got so much more to say! (My drama teacher being replaced was a BLESSING)

I hope this helps, even in the slightest, and it gives you an insight into the industry!

If you’ve got any questions, leave me an ask or pop up and I’ll try an answer them as best as I can! :)

[catherinexxng]

for future imu students studying in unsw

Being a medical student is truly a privilege, but to be one studying abroad, is a truly satisfying and even more privileged experience, you get to be exposed to a different culture, and have your world views expanded, and some interesting stories to take home, at that ;) 

In being so, there are more steps to be taken being a twinning student compared to being in a local program. For example, you need to have a band 7.5 in your ielts and above to qualify for the twinning program. And your cert has to have a validity of 2 years until commencement of studies abroad, that means if your ielts expires 6 months before you’re to study abroad you’ll have to retake it :(  (thankfully in my case, my cert expired in August 2019, but I was still able to apply for my visa without having to retake it, my visa application counsellor helped me with it fuss-free; check below for info i.e. aecc global malaysia) 

I was initially in the undergraduate (PMS-UG) program but appealed a few months before I was supposed to start my UG studies in Dundee. I changed my mind because I can’t take the cold gloomy weather in North of Scotland. I will literally freeze to death and I love the sun too much, the way the heat and intensity strikes my skin giving that good ol loving Vit D. I knew Australia was my place. I wouldn’t last a year out North of Scotland. So I appealed to changed from the UG to G pathway. Plunging myself suddenly into the graduate program, came with a lot of confusion and uncertainty, and truly, a lot of doubts and was pretty scary. But thankfully I had my supportive family behind me. 

Tips before choosing your project: 

Choose wisely, choose one which interests you. Choose your supervisor well. Make sure you get along well with your supervisor and have one you truly are able to collaborate with and one who answers your doubts well and doesn’t ghost you, and who helps you along the way. Check for red flags when you meet them before you choose your project. I have had a friend in the same batch as me whose project was on biochemistry and nanoparticles and so he had 2 main supervisors, a bio and a chemistry supervisor. But his chemistry nanoparticle supervisor wasn’t there 90% of the time and didn’t check his dissertation before it was to be submitted, reason being he was busy. My friend had very little support and was extra stressed most of the time because of it. You don’t want this happening to you. And mind you, my friend’s project was really tough... coming from a medical background I felt as if he was doing scientist stuff. Totally incomprehensible. Choose a project which you are quite certain you’ll be able to present well later on in your research findings presentation and viva. Because you will do better if you feel like you understand your project at least to a certain degree. For me it was doing a project that had clinical value to it. 

Assessment components to note for Honours in your BMedScience degree to met the criteria to twin to unsw. 

1. Defence of research protocol (10%) 

2. Written examination (10%) 

3. Research findings in seminar (10%)

4. Dissertation (60%) 

5. Viva voce (10%) 

Components 1,3 and 5 are graded out of 10, therefore depending on your sem 3 and 5 results you can gauge how much you need to achieve in each component to make sure you meet the overall Honours result. 

The written examination paper has a total mark of 100 and are 10 questions with long-answer and short-answer questions and some are essay-style questions. As long as you master understanding the lectures in BMedSc you’ll be able to achieve flying colours. Always discuss with your lecturers your concerns before the paper, and you’ll definitely do better. 

In the Defence of research protocol component, you will basically be explaining to a panel of judges (10 or more) with a PowerPoint presentation, what your project is about and why it is of value and why you should research it. Introduction, Literature review and Methods are the bulk of your presentation. There’s Q&A at the end.

In the Research of findings in seminar component, you will be explaining, like above, in Powerpoint presentation style to a panel of 3 judges (might vary) about the results of your research. Methods, Results and Discussion are the bulk of your presentation. And there’s Q&A at the end. 

Your dissertation is a 20,000 word thesis on your project, follow all the guidelines in the BMedSc handbook.

In the viva-voce component, you’ll be talking about your dissertation with 2-3 examiners for 20 minutes and there will be Q&As.

It can all seem very challenging at first, but looking back in retrospect, I wonder why I put myself through so much anxiety with my daily struggles with all the presentations required in BMedScience and especially my negative mental self talk. If you can relate, I’m here to tell you, don’t fret it, maybe sweat some, but do what you’re supposed to do, and you’ll be a-okay! :) 

Class of Honours

First class: > 75.00%

Second class upper: 65.00% to 74.99%

Second class lower: 55.00% to 64.99%

Third class: 50.00% to 54.99%

Fail: < 50.00%

After completing research and getting your results, and achieving second upper class and above for honours, there are 3 main things on your checklist. 

1. Visa applications (online): this can take from 2 weeks and up to a month to process

2. Biometrics (immediate results and they upload it to your visa application, done at the YMCA building in KL)

3. Health check ups (done in Bangsar South and the results take about a week+ to show, and you’ll have to link these in your visa application) 

I sought the help of a visa application company for free, and you can do so too by messaging them on facebook at “AECC Global Malaysia” . The lady which helped me with my application was super sweet, her name is Ms Tan Mei Pei.   

The website for visa applications will be given via IMU. I started with visa applications on 2nd Jan with AECC’s help and was lucky to be able to finalise all of these within 2 weeks. 

By now you’d have received emails from UNSW about compliance check documents. These are health and police check documents needed to ensure you are not a health and security hazard in the clinical environment as you’ll be exposed to patients. The compliance check documents consists of certificate of good conduct from your home country (these take about a month to process so make sure you plan accordingly), vaccinations to Hep B, Diptheria, Pertussis and Tetanus, Varicella Zoster, and measles mumps rubella (MMR) and TB screening such as Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) or Tuberculin skin test are compulsory. These are independent of and separate from your visa health check. 

That is all. Good luck and all the best to you :) 

[1358456]

Review Response, Dec 22 - 28, 2019

“28″, but I’ll be including the reviews that came in this morning. Because hey.

And... there are a lot. The most this year.

Legacy Prologue - Kalos

1) That first part DEFINITELY reminded me of the XY chapter, except Y is being the Hikikomori (shut-in) and X is trying to drag her out... It’s a good role-reversal!

I also wanted it to be like the time in XY where Y found out what happened to her mother and she got super depressed. Except this time, X tries to do something about it. Finally.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Legacy #008

1) LOVED IT!

Thank you!

2) Poor moon. I loved this chapter

Hey, it’s you! <3 Thank you kindly.

3) WoW cool chapter. So blue confessionele next chapter hopefully? Lol have been waiting on that for the entire story so Lets hope its the case

Haven’t we all. ... Except for those that don’t like this pairing...

4) It’s nice to see platinum trying to help blue move things was a good chapter with nice interactions with the juniors and seniors all under the same roof

It’s like a big Dex Holder family! ... But not too big, since there are far too many of them nowadays! And despite Platinum not really wanting to get involved, she helps out anyways, as “foretold” by the Headcanon Chronology!

5) While Moon really should rest, the idea of her getting that Spirit of Vengeance team you posted about on your Tumblr sounds way too awesome. ...Also Umbreon bias since it's my first (and only) shiny, but yeah.

Poor Blue - it really is probably only going to hurt her the longer she keeps it in. Wonder how that is going to play out, since I guess Platinum's now put things in motion. I think the first scene in this chapter is the one I enjoyed the most.

Damn, for Moon's Pokemon to die like that...that's gotta be traumatizing. I have to admire that determination though, even though she's shaping up to be a revenge-obsessed character from what I see.

Awesome chapter as always and can't wait for the next one!

Hehe. Spirit of Vengeance. The amount of curse in that team would be quite terrifying. Hehehe... ... Only shiny, you say? Aww...

Platinum has gotten the ball rolling despite not really wanting to. MVP of the confession? Hehe... Sisterly bonds, indeed. Now, will it work out in favor for Blue??

Moon can’t be filled with a lust for vengeance if none of her friends and Pokemon have perished. And so now she rises from her agony with ice cold determination for blood to be spilled for the blood that had been shed. ... Or does that saying go the other way around? Heh. Regardless. She’s pissed, has a bow, lethal poison, and soon to be a team packed with ghosts (and Dark types).

Thank you as always! And you won’t have to wait long~!

6) Eh lucky really isnt my cup of tea but the way you write stories is pretty awesome keep up the good work!

I could tell by the anon ID you picked. To each their own. And thank you!

7) Awww blue being so shy hahahaha. Its like the roles have reversed since the first time they met thats so cute! Anyway Great story as usual

Hehe. Timid Blue~! It’s new and very cute, isn’t it? And thank you.

8) Hey man Great story looking forward to the next chapter

Thank you. It’s coming very soon.

9) Wow this is A really underrated story I really like how you keep most characters so in character!

Still underrated... in comparison to my previous stuff. But that’s to be expected, I guess. And thank you.

10) Well Colour me surprised ! A Pokemon story thats not forcing crack pairings! Anyway Where is green in this story?

Heh. Crack pairings... Only once in a solar eclipse. And... who? Heh. He’s in Kalos and thus off screen.

11) Wtf did moons Pokemon just die? Great story but damn thats fucking dark

Yes they perished in the fire. “Die, insect” and all. ... And one of them was an insect! Heh. Ahem. ... Dark? That’s not dark. Have you seen the stuff I did in SA and Destiny? Heh...

12) I mean I kinda like the story but isnt specialshipping canon? Also this is really really dark

No, it’s not canon. What is canon is that Yellow has a crush on Red. What’s also canon is that Red is uncomfortable with the idea. And of course he is. He thought she was a guy the whole time and then suddenly found out all at once that she was a girl and had a crush on him. His response is not going to be positive. And again, this is not dark. ... Though I guess that depends on your sensitivity.

13) hey sorry for not leaving A review for so long but I still really like the story lol!

Hey, you’re back. ... Then... who’s the anon with the v2 of your ID?

14) I love your writing style!

Thank you!

15) I somehow found Pearl smacking Black across the face to wake him up funnier than it should’ve been. Haha

I wonder if Blue really will confess to Red today. If so, I wonder how the opportunity would present itself.

Its quite sad that Hau, Lillie, and two of Moon’s Pokemon died. I guess this is where Moon’s overhaul comes in. I cant wait to see Moon’s viciousness unleashed when she inevitably meets the guys responsible for all that.

I look forward to more!

Hehe. Black always getting smacked around in my stories, literally and figuratively.

Will Blue truly confess on that day (which is a day before the stuff in Alola happens), or will she fail again due to anxiety? And will it end well for her??

Moon’s overhaul is happening now, yes. For that, she’ll have to go to Galar too. And I don’t know sh*t about that region, so... that’ll be difficult. Hehe. And much later in the story when she meets her foe... oho, Rage Unleashed Moon!

16) Moon and Lillie sure get burned really bad. Also, what about the kid with the malasadas? Hopefully, Blue will confessed to Red soon...

The local boy with the malasada had the same fate as Lillie. Two stretchers with a body on top, with the white blankets pulled all the way up.

17) I figured that now would be the best time to give a review for one of your works. therefore, I should review my personal favourite.

I been a consistent and long-time reader for numerous years now without ever leaving a review. I simply didn't have an account until recently just so I can give my thoughts on some of the series that you make.

Regarding Legacy as a whole, it truely showcases your ability to take the wide variety of dexholders and thiee different personalities and place them in situations that would absolutely never occur in the actual story. I have always loved the way you portray each individual character, improving thier teama and strategies and having genuine character growth. Although Sun and Moon are my uncontested favourite characters so far, I adore the way you use Platinum B in your stories, giving her a genuine personality and character traits.

You also generate a wide range of different and creative settings for each of the characters to go through. Legacy is the perfect example of this in terms of one truely coherent story setting. by using the opportunity of the highest stakes that these dexholders may ever face, you use the opportunity to explore all of the aspects of each character amazingly and how they would face this danger.

Since Sun and Moon are my favourite characters, the wait for this chapter absolutely killed me. Although it sucks that due to the lack of reviews for these characters I will get few opportunties to read your way of presenting the characters What I am trying to say is that the way you write your characters makes them feel REAL. I genuinely believe that these are the actual characters as they personalties are replicated and refined to perfection The way both Sun and Moon react in this chapter is exactly the way I would have expected them to. Being a Deliveryshipping day 1, seeing even the slightest interactions in any media, especially in your stories always brings joy to me. I have regulary reread most of your works such as Special Chronicals and Distinct Events becuase each story is chapter is amazing in its own right.

Your amazing work has inspired me to possibly start my own project one day. I am sorry for the stress that you have gone through this year and the issues with the Discord. It will get better this year. Seeing as you use reviews to indicate the popularity of a particular series, I had to write this review so that this series can get the update it deserves so that we can all see how this fantastic story ends. Thank your for all of the amazing work you have done.

Whoa, hello. Haven’t gotten a review this long since a certain someone stopped with Destiny reviews back in July.

Accounts aren’t necessary for the reviews. Guest reviews exist! And if you use the same anon ID, I’d know it’s you. But thank you for going through the effort! It’s much appreciated!

Aww, thank you very much! <3 And while I don’t know about Sun, but Moon is going to be in the spotlight quite a lot, so enjoy it! Since Platinum is my uncontested favorite, she gets plenty of development in my stories, with new character bonds, teams, battling style, etc. And unlike in DPPt, she actually gets to do things against the enemy.

Of the three major stories I’ve written (SA, Destiny, Legacy), Legacy has the lowest stakes. But I think it’s also the most personal, which I guess means it’s much more important for individual Dex Holders. Well, we’ll see as time passes. And yes, these are kind of things that would never happen in the actual arcs, so the Dex Holders get to be stress-tested. How would they react given their personalities, tics, relationships, etc, in a realistic situation?

Oh. ... Ahem. Sorry for making you wait 7 months. Ehehe... And while it’s true that Sun and Moon currently have the lowest “viewership”, that changes as time passes. Like Black and White in SA and X and Y in Destiny. As the “meh” torch is passed down to Sword and Shield, Sun and Moon might rise in popularity, thus increasing the chances of them appearing in my stories.

I don’t really know if this was how Sun would react though. But I also don’t know how he would’ve actually reacted, so this might not be outside the possibility range. I kind of had him act like Black, really, but without being as sweet... or loud. Well, there will be more Sun & Moon interactions for you to enjoy in the upcoming chapters, so... there you go!

You should start your own project! Go for it! And eh, Discord. Sh*t happens. I wouldn’t call that stress. Anyways. Yes, I use the review count as an indicator of how many people have finished the chapter. Of course, there are plenty of people who read the chapter to the end without reviewing, and the number of people who review after reading tends to fluctuate. But if there is a trend, that indicates a trend in viewership as well. And that is what I look at. Hence the charts. And yes. We’d all like to see how the story ends. Me included. Keep up with the reviews and we’ll all see it by 2021.

And thank you so much for the review and the... sweet talking. Hehe <3

18) Just found this story and am enjoying it thoroughly. Big fan of your Blue characterization as well, I used to enjoy shipping Red with Yellow, but recently, I've come to enjoy Blue with Red.

A small nitpick - Did none of the juniors comment on Red and Blue sleeping in the same room/bed while they stayed in Red's house in the last two chapters? I would assume the female juniors already know Blue likes Red and so won't say anything unnecessary, but I guess the guys are a little more tactful than we give them credit for?

Looking forward to me. Cheers.

Red with Blue works very well. And it’s cute! Hehe... ... biased.

Heh. The girls... already know, since the girls who are in the house were Platinum, White, and Y, and they already know of Blue’s crush and all that. So White and Y would just snicker at the fact that Red and Blue are sleeping on the same bed, while Platinum would just smile. As for the boys... Diamond might notice something if he spent more time talking to Red and Blue before and after. But I doubt Pearl or Black would notice anything odd. They’d probably just assume that Red and Blue are sharing the bed because a ton of guests were sleeping in the living room, so there were no other options.

Of course, all that’s assuming that the juniors know that Red and Blue are sleeping on the same bed. I don’t recall having Red and Blue give them a tour of the house, so as far as the juniors know, there might be another bed upstairs. ... Though a house tour is generally the first thing you do, but... heh. Ambiguity. No one knows for sure.

And I look forward to seeing more reviews from you!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well well. Would you look at THAT. Way above the average now. So... looks like I’ll have to keep my word and update Legacy again before this year ends in 3 days. Heh. Of course, I did notice a few things but... well... whatever.

18. That’s the most reviews I’ve gotten in a chapter in all of 2019. Or 2018. ... And vast majority of 2017 (Legacy Prologue - Kanto was in January 2017). If this kind of thing happened much more frequently, I would be updating Legacy like once every two weeks, instead of 3~4 times in a year.

But, there you have it! New record in almost 3 years. As a result... Legacy update in 3 days.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DE #031

1) Sun and moon are so cute. I love them

Support the new...ish pairing!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And with that, DE #031 is no longer in the top 4 least reviewed. Yay!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SC #017

1) Awesome story.

Thank you.

2) Well that was...brutal alright. Thugs deserved it though. I'm mildly surprised no one died, but I think that's more because I'm used to seeing that from your old "doom hammer" chapters.

I admit the Santa part was an amusing touch, and I guess that explains why you needed to release this by the end of the year. Heh, Blue's gadgets are useful as always and very effective - that's a nice disguise. That action scene was awesome and easily the best scene in this chapter. The situation aside...it was nice to see Red be a hero even without his Pokemon.

You were right - this is an enjoyable chapter and I like this "brutal Red" experiment. Can't wait for the next chapter!

Heh. The doom hammer is for serious stories. Not comical ones. So no one dies in the hands of Santa Claus. This time.

Ahem. Well, there’s the inspiration for the chapter, and the reason behind the line of “Or Santa will go jolly on your naughty asses with a candy cane axe”. Hehe. Cheers, everyone, Santa has come to town!

And the duo of Red and Blue becomes much stronger. Mercenary Red with technological support!

Hehe. Much more serious brutal Red (instead of comical) to come up later as the experimentation continues. Ohoho!

3) holy crud, santa beating up a gang is greatest thing ever

Yep. Santa going to town on their naughty asses with a candy cane bat. What’s not to love?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And with that, the latest SC chapter is now in the top 4 least reviewed. For now?

... Looks like the “A Day at Work” chapters are failing miserably, since they’re at 1 and 3 reviews respectively. So... I guess I won’t be doing that again.

And with this, the longest review response post of 2019 has come to an end.

[sleepyverstappens]

Let me share this whole new world with you (Chapter 5/6)

Title: Let me share this whole new world with you

Pairing: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen

Rating: Gen/PG

Word Count: 9358

Tags: Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, Oliver Verstappen-Ricciardo, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz Jr, Mateo Sainz, Lotte Verstappen-Ricciardo, 5+1 Things, original child character, mostly focusses on Max and Oliver but there is some maxiel in this, Fertility Issues

A/N:  This chapter mentions (male) fertility issues, it's not super super in depth but if that's something tricky for you skip the part between these signs *  

Summary: The first time Oliver gets to share the paddock with his little sister. 

Read chapter 4 or Read from the start

5) Winter testing, Montmeló, Spain 2028  (Oliver is 6 and a half)

The paddock is bustling, but a lot more quiet than on a normal race weekend. There’s only a few photographers around, fewer TV crews set up in the media centre and none of the sponsor celebrities are around. It feels different this time around, introducing a new person to this world. With Oliver it had been a packed Spa paddock, with Lotte it’s a quiet Wednesday morning. The little girl strapped into the sling across Dan’s chest, Oliver holding onto Max’s hand loosely, itching to run off and play with his friends.

As they pass the McLaren hospitality he’s already pulling at Max’s hand, trying to get them to say hello to Carlos and Lando and more importantly Mateo. “Daddy, papa, pleaseeee!” he begs them.

“We will go see Mateo in a bit sweetie, your sister needs her feed first. You wanted her to grow quickly so you can play with her right?” Dan reasons. Oliver had loved the idea of a little sister, someone to play with and to teach things, but he hadn’t really fully understood that Lotte would need to do a lot of growing before they could really play together. He loved her, he really did, cuddling and kissing her all the time, but at just two months old she couldn’t really play football with him yet.  

*They hadn’t wanted there to be quite this big of an age gap, to have their kids be closer in age like both him and Daniel and their sisters. They’d started trying again right after Daniel retired, using the same clinic as before with Oliver. They’d known then already that there were some issues with Dan’s fertility, a lower sperm count found in his samples, but, they’d said, IVF is usually the solution for this and since they’d been going that route anyway it wouldn’t be an issue, just one viable little sperm could already be enough.

With Oliver clearly being Max’s biologically they’d easily settled on trying with just Daniel’s sperm this time around, but after trying multiple times there still had been no successful fertilization. Dan had done test after test, yet every one of them had come back inconclusive. It had been a big strain on their relationship, Daniel feeling so insecure and just being down on himself for not being able to do this. Angry at Max that there had been no issue with his sperm, angry at Max that he could go and escape to the race track whilst Dan was left alone in a stale hospital room or alone with his thoughts.

When no real explanation or solution came they’d sat down and had a long talk. They were happy with Oliver, did they really want to let the stress of this let them break them, break what they already had. They’d both wanted another child so much though, wanted Oli to have what they had with their siblings. So after two years of trying and failing, instead of wasting more money and more time, though money really wasn’t the issue, they’d come to their own solution. Like Dan had said back when they were waiting for Oliver to be born, DNA isn’t everything, it’s them who shape their child into the little human they become, not just genetics.

After days poured over files from both egg donors and surrogates, they had found Amber. She could’ve been Daniel’s female doppelganger, long curly brown hair, the same colour brown eyes, tan skin and an infectious smile. Nine months later little Lotte was born, a tuft of dark hair already on her small little head and Max’s pout on her lips just like with Oliver. All worries and insecurities about her not being biologically Dan’s had fallen away as soon as his husband had held her in his arms. She was theirs no matter what.

*The last couple of years had been a struggle to get through, but they fought through it together coming out from the fight stronger than they’d ever been. And as they walked around the paddock, Oliver whining about wanting to go see his friend and their little girl strapped onto Daniel’s chest, their family was at home and perfectly complete.

A disgruntled little cry coming from Lotte pulled Max back from his thoughts, the four of them now having arrived at the Red Bull hospitality he quickly rummaged through the baby bag slung over his shoulder for the bottle of formula and set about making their daughter her bottle.

---

“Papa please can we go see Mateo now, pleaseee?” Oliver whined as soon as Lotte was fed, burped and happily dozing back off to sleep again. He was bouncing in his seat impatiently, their hyperactive boy at that age now where he wanted to go and explore the paddock on his own but they weren’t quite comfortable yet by letting him wander off on his own. The paddock was a lot more quiet during testing though, so maybe they would extend the ‘leash’ a little more these coming two weeks, he was nearly seven after all.

“Okay let’s go. You coming as well Dan? I’m sure Carlos and Lando would love to see our little princess as well,” he suggested, grinning as Oli let out a cheer.

“Yeah of course, where did they put the stroller you said? I’m sure they’ll wanna hold her, so this thing won’t really work,” he said gesturing to the now empty carrier on the chair next to him.

“They somehow managed to cram it into my driver’s room,” Max chuckled, the space was already crowded enough as it was without the giant stroller taking up most of the space.

“Okay, you guys go see Mateo, I’ll be right behind you.”

---

“Mateo, Mateo, I have a little sister!” Oli exclaimed as soon as he caught sight of the Spanish little boy. His dark brown hair falling into his eyes, styled similar to his father’s hair. The two of them hadn't seen each other since the last race of the season last year, Max and Dan too occupied by the impending arrival of their daughter in January for them to get in some time to see their friends in England. Oliver had clearly missed little Mateo and they easily fell back into their old routine, Oliver excitedly telling the other boy about his little sister.    

“Really?! Where is she?”

“She’s with daddy. Papa where’s daddy?” The little boy asked tugging on his sleeve to get his attention as Max was talking to Lando.

“Daddy will be here soon, he’s just getting the...” before he could even finish the sentence Oliver was already running off and as he turned around he could see Daniel walking over to them, pushing the dark blue stroller in front of him.

“Daddy, daddy can I show Lotte to Mateo, please!”

“Of course mate, but you gotta go sit down first remember?” He could hear Daniel answer as the two of them reached the McLaren hospitality. Oliver quickly went to sit down on the nearest chair available and waited impatiently for Dan to carefully put his sister into his waiting arms. His eyes going wide like always when he felt her weight in his arms, the feeling clearly hadn’t gotten old to their son yet either in these last two months.

“Gently cariño,” Carlos said as Mateo inched forward and reached his little hand out to stroke Lotte’s head, gasping a little when Lotte wrapped her little fingers around two of his own, holding on tight.

“She’s so little,” he whispered in awe, eyes wide as he looked up at his father and step-dad.

“Yes, my little sister. I’m a big brother now Teo, ‘m here to protect her and love her and give her lots of cuddles!”  

Max could feel the tears well up in his eyes, hearing Oliver say those words always tugged at his heartstrings, the boy adamant to keep up the promise he’d made before Lotte was born. He could feel Dan squeeze his hand, and when he looked at his husband he could see his watery eyes blink back.

“Papa, I want to be a big brother too!” They could hear Mateo explain to Carlos, making Carlos splutter and the rest of them chuckle. They could see him share a quick glance with Lando, the youngest of them having expressed wanting one of his own on multiple occasions. They knew he loved Mateo with all his heart, but they also knew he really wanted to share it, all of it with Carlos. Little Mateo loved him like a second father, but he would always have Isa as his mother.      

“Maybe cariño, maybe.”

“You would be the best big brother Teo, I just know it,” Lando said, a wistful look in his eyes. The Brit clearly already picturing what it would be like, a little baby cradled in his own arms. Mateo holding his own little brother or sister one day.

“No! I am the bestest big brother!” Oliver said with a pout, pressing a big wet kiss onto Lotte’s forehead to prove his point.

“No, I will be!”

“Okay, okay boys calm down, you can both be the best big brother. You will be to Lotte, Oli. And you will be to your little brother or sister Mateo. No need to fight about it,” Max said exasperated, trying to calm the boys down as best as he could. They were each other’s best friends and he didn’t want them to end up fighting over such a silly thing, though Max was sure they would have plenty of dumb fights over the years.  

He glanced over at Lando who mouthed oops, a grimace on his face as he witnessed the results his words had had. Max just shrugged, the boys had already seemed to have calmed down again, Lotte now in Carlos’ arms as the boys ran around the hospitality chasing each other. Oh to be able to resolve all fights so easily, Max thought, he would’ve much prefered a quick game of chase around the paddock instead of all the sleepless nights he’d had during the last couple of years he’d been with Daniel, fighting over everything and nothing. He wouldn't change it for the world though, he'd gotten his perfect little family after all.

[summervanlife]

15 August

The Shrimpton clan safely departed at 7am, as planned - not that any of the Haig's witnessed the event...... We surfaced at a slightly later hour, and enjoyed a welcome breakfast once up. The day was not looking as bright as yesterday, and Mike checked the weather forecast through three separate sites, all of which suggested a 90% chance of rain in the afternoon. It was decided we should take advantage of the dry morning and head to Lamanere, a small village about 15 minutes drive away, which had a good walk culminating at an interesting rock formation. The Haig's jumped into the jeep with Matt, and Mike led in their other car with Sal and Jo. Lamanere is the most Southerly village in continental France, just nudging the Spanish border. Catalan is the local dialect. The village itself is pretty small, and our tour guide Matt advised the population shrinks to about 50 in the winter months, whilst during summer it gets much busier with the holiday home owners. It is currently 'Fete' week in the local area (a week long religious celebration of the Assumption of Mary) and the bunting was strung up in the village. We drove through, past the 'Maison De Chasse' where the locals bring their gains from the winter wild boar hunts to share out the produce (nothing is wasted, apparently), and on up a rough track, which got progressively rougher as we gained height. We reached a point where we could cut up a scree slope on foot, following the reddish purple coloured rock up hill, and the Petches and Haig's set off, armed with secateurs and loppers to tackle any overgrown branches. Sal and Mike had elected to continue on up the even rougher track in the jeep, and would meet us on the rock at the top. We didn't have to tackle too much undergrowth, but did find ourselves regularly wrapped up in the silk trails from hundreds of tiny hanging caterpillars - quite an unnerving sensation! It didn't take long to reach the track at the top, where we spotted Sal and Mike atop the incredible rock step formation. We hurried over and scrambled up it (although Clare wasn't brave enough to look over the edge at the sheer drop below, unlike the rest of the party.) We spent some time exploring up top, before heading back to the jeep, which Mike and Sal had left for our return journey as they had walked back to the car down below. Jo took the wheel, and the Petches cleared it with Clare that it would be OK for Nia and Cian to hang off the back whilst Jo drove the jeep down the track (apparently this was a tried and tested method, so no need to worry!) Nia and Cian loved it, changing once the roughest part was negotiated to lying across the roof top holding on (with Matt acting as safety officer.) Naturally, they loved it, and were quite reluctant to get back into the jeep for the journey back along the road. Hungry bellies were filled upon return to the ranch with a lovely couscous and veg medley, complete with succulent sweetcorn from the veggie patch which Cian barbecued masterfully. Matt and Jo had some more friends arriving later for a couple of nights - Alex and Steve, who used to teach at the same school as Jo. We had run low on various supplies (with all us guests around), and so whilst Jo and Nia made the beds in the Haig's new dwellings (we had taken over the guest pad which the Shrimptons had been staying in, and were now even more spoilt with 2 bedrooms and private bathroom), Matt, Cian and Clare headed off to Saint Laurent, the closest nearby town with a supermarket. The roads surrounding Mike and Sal's property are winding..... Very, very winding! It took 25 minutes to navigate the bends, and we finally arrived after passing many properties with families sitting out enjoying an afternoon meal on their patios. Strange, for a Thursday, we thought - why weren't they at work? When we drove to the supermarket, it's shutters were down - it was closed. This was the only option in the nearby vacinity... We rang the ranch to advise, and they confirmed we would have to abort and return empty handed - Jo would ring her friends and give them a long shopping list of things to pick up on their way. We made the return journey, with Cian changing the jeep's gears for 'practice', along the many, many bends. Even the driver was feeling peeky, and Clare thought she may have to make use of the 'bag for life' she was clutching in the back seat, but we made it through unscathed. When we arrived home empty handed, Mike asked what the date was. Ah - Thursday the 15th August - Assumption Day itself...... No wonder the shop was shut! It was a bank holiday. No matter, Jo's friends were on the case. They arrived around 5.30 with their offerings. Cian and Clare decided to have a game of table tennis, which was located on one of the terraces. Their technique left much to be desired... They were joined by Sal, who was much more proficient, and then by Matt, who christened Cian 'pancake wacker', due to his interesting hitting style. Nia took over from Clare (she was the best of the Haigs, but still had a unique style at times), and there followed a master class by Matt, with much improvement made (Clare should have hung around for it....) It was dinner time, and the rain had still not appeared for the day - all three forecasts had got it wrong! So the table was laid outside, and we all settled down to yet another magnificent feast - pate, cheese and toast starter, made with fresh bread which Sal, Nia and Cian had made earlier in the day, followed by egg and bean tomatoe casserole served with freshly dug potatoes. Yum. It was just after 9, and although Clare had asked Jay to let them know when he was stopped for the night, she still hadn't heard. She had held back from texting earlier, not wanting to detract from his driving, but given the hour she wanted to check all was ok. She asked if he had stopped for the night yet. The reply came back "see you in 2 minutes" What?? Was he joking? Surely he was joking? Although the drive could be done in 12 hours, that would be non stop driving... She took herself off down the drive to text again to ascertain where he really was, without alerting anyone. As she rounded the first bend, she heard a car from below. This was followed by shouts of disbelief from the party at the dinner table. There coming up the drive was our Ford Focus, with Mr Haig at the wheel! He was greeted with hugs from his family, followed by hugs from everyone else, alongside much telling off for making such a long drive in one stint. But we couldn't stay cross - we were just so glad to have him back in one piece! (It was actually Alex who arrived today who won the 'Jay arrival time' bet, being the closest with her guess of 2pm tomorrow.) We settled back at the table for pudding and more wine, before tired bunnies requested to go to bed.... Upstairs for book, and Nia and Cian settled into their new separate beds for the night (no feet in faces tonight!), and Clare and Jay went back down to chat with the others some more (goodness knows how Jay managed to keep going after such a long day!) Hoorah - we once again have the 4 of us together with our own wheels to carry on with the journey in a few days, but only after we have had some more fun here with the Petches and Shrimpton elders and other fellow guests first.

[eulogy34-blog]

Not known Facts About hair vitamins

What’s Similarly discouraging for women is the fact that their hair loss is not really as Evidently understood as hair loss in men and, In keeping with an post in , “..provides by itself fairly in a different way through the much more recognizable male sample baldness which generally commences using a receding frontal hairline that progresses into a bald patch on top of The pinnacle. Hi Domen, did you accustomed to advocate ArtNaturals Argan Oil shampoo? I purchased this another day as I missing all my hair because of chemo and drugs and even though it has grown again it is far thinner now. Which one is best? That’s a tricky connect with and, without the need of endeavoring to dodge the concern, our check out is which you could’t go Incorrect with possibly a person. The massive three is often a typical Edition of a terrific all-about product and you ought to see a similar, or at the least quite identical, benefits from the Large 3 and Big 5. Hair grows at unique speeds and different lengths. Its composition leads to unique hues and textures, which impact how long the hair strands grow. Stem cell therapy is easily the most economical baldness treatment and that is non-surgical in mother nature. Stem cells provide the innate capability to renew and multiply on their own. Quickly forward –>> After 6 – 7 decades my hair gave in to this chemical abuse. I started out shedding numerous hair. Furthermore, my once easy and soft hair was tough and lusterless. And I was still left grieving coupled with my hair. Nizoral’s A-D Anti-Dandruff Shampoo wards off any flakes while avoiding hair loss, earning this grooming merchandise really worth your thing to consider for regular use. The real difference with hair-loss shampoos, however, is that you ought to go away them in for an extended time prior to rinsing. Doing this makes sure that their elements achieve your hair’s roots and scalp, the place they have got the most important effects. It is too early to mention if This is certainly Doing work but fascinated to hear what you think that or whether or not I really should use something else. Thanks Fantastic to learn about a good deal a lot more of shampoos that I can use for my hair care. Thanks for these terrific means. I'm suffering from Hair fall and Dandruff, which would be the most effective appropriate for me among these checklist? In truth, Medical doctors now say baldness styles are inherited from a mix of lots of genes on either side of the household. There are some environmental components that appear into Participate in, much too. Previously, we talked about the constructive influence that caffeine has for halting the spread of hair loss. It’s the principal active component in Alpecin’s great caffeine shampoo, which many users say generate the type of final results they’ve extended sought. The strategy for making use of hair loss shampoo is similar to normal shampoo, i.e., you apply it to moist hair, therapeutic massage it to the scalp and rinse it. We’re likely to record 5 for you personally which have been the actual offer With regards to hair loss shampoos, but consumer beware when you’re roaming the hair treatment merchandise aisle and thinking of obtaining anything at all lower than the most effective.

New Step by Step Map For hair fall

Maintain your hair treatment as simple as attainable. It is possible to pre-ailment your hair with coconut or almond oil and afterwards shampoo. As well as, it is possible to swap the conditioner with plant infusion or hair rinse (see the next position). When it is vital for getting more than enough vitamin A, too much could be hazardous. visit that an overdose of vitamin A might also add to hair loss (4). Not merely have you been picking a form of chemical castration, you’re also ignoring the warning signs coming out of your entire body. All the more interesting is, when people from these parts move to nations around the world such as the US their likelihood of heading bald also raises up towards the national average. Shutterstock six/ Other kinds of hair loss can be a results of scarring injury from incredibly hot combs, weaves, chemical relaxers, and hair dryers, so it is vital for being gentle with all your hair. Generating a hair rinse is as simple as making a herbal tea. Insert sizzling water towards the herb of the selection, Permit it steep, coated right up until it cools down, then use. My most loved hair rinse could be the initially just one within the list. 2/ The most typical form of hair loss is male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). Physicians estimate this condition could have an impact on approximately 80% of white Guys by their 70th birthday. Before going through a hair transplant, you’ll have to inquire by yourself a few thoughts. These incorporate: Nonetheless, there are many anecdotal studies that supplementing with much too higher of a dose might also add to hair loss. Your just lately considered goods and featured recommendations › Check out or edit your browsing heritage This shampoo combines the advantages of biotin, zinc, and coconut oil to produce the growth of recent hair even though restoring slim, destroyed strands. This B-Sophisticated System stimulates hair follicles in order to really encourage your hair to get started on growing once more. Pure Biology results in products that are backed by scientific final results, and their Hair Growth Stimulating Shampoo pulls out each of the stops With regards to effective Lively ingredients that could wholly change the well being of one's hair. To carry out this review, researchers recruited seventy six male individuals with delicate to reasonable AGA. They have been break up into two groups. What is also appealing is the fact pattern baldness is basically non-existent in secure indigenous populations.

5 Easy Facts About hair loss Described

Just located this website. Have read through some excellent Information. Will likely be seeking the recent oils. I've negative hair harm from around 20 years or chemical compounds. Thanks for the Info. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-SiXXn3EKKI2t7btdwEplw may result in hair breakage and finally hair loss. After you use a gentler, all-natural shampoo your hair has the prospect to grow healthy and robust. Ditch the sulfates for an incredibly Light shampoo, and you should see outcomes that has a number of months. A bunch of topical prescription drugs known as prostaglandin analogs have not too long ago commenced undergoing testing for probable hair regrowth. https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-the-Right-Hair-Loss-Option may be Utilized in Guys and women. These medication are usually not at present FDA approved for scalp hair loss. At the moment, they're mainly useful for eyelash enhancement. Among the list of new drugs is named bimatoprost (Latisse). More screening and studies are required to evaluate the efficacy of these products and solutions in scalp hair loss. Bimatoprost solution is usually used off-label for assist in picked situations of hair loss. It's at this time FDA accredited for beauty eyelash enhancement. Many conditions generate a "shock into the program" that alters the hair growth rhythm. Subsequently, around https://twitter.com/steptoremedies/ %-40% of the hairs can cycle into telogen. A few months later, hairs occur out in a large shedding (effluvium), Specifically close to the entrance of your scalp. These consist of Have you at any time noticed, immediately after employing a selected shampoo your hair fell like crazy? I've. Which created me toss absent even the quite pricey bottle within the rubbish bin. Audience Opinions eleven Share Your Story There are actually several solutions to categorize hair loss. One particular should initial take a look at the scalp to find out When the hair loss is as a result of Actual physical destruction and loss of hair follicles (scarring or cicatricial alopecia). When the scalp seems perfectly typical with a lot of empty hair follicles, this is named non-scarring hair loss. On the other hand, cicatricial alopecia forever destroys the follicles. With this shampoo, we add two much more things: pure honey and castile soap. Honey is a fantastic moisturiser and provides luster to uninteresting hair. https://www.pinterest.com/healthhomeremedies/steptoremedies/ is usually a natural soap made out of plant oils and it is free of unpleasant preservatives, colours and perfumes. Use steptoremedies.com with other hair goods. Sure necessary oils happen to be reported to promote healthier circulation and stimulate hair growth. .coconut and castor oil in 1st leaving on for thirty minutes..my hair is past my bra line…it will take about 6 months ..nonetheless it does do the job..I also use coconut oil below my eyes From time to time…no wrinkles…I smoke…drink and consume junk meals additionally observe my grandkids element time…enjoy lifetime Thick, lustrous hair is looked at with awe. Folks expend a lot of money to keep up their hair and are able to undergo treatments just to make sure their hair is voluminous and shiny. Dropping […] I am on Birth Handle, but I by no means realized what number of aspect has an effect on you'll find… I hope these help, my hair I wan to grow it out quite a bit longer. For those who’re not sure why you’re going through hair loss, see a doctor to find out what’s going on. The following disorders usually induce hair loss: Thyroid challenges Try out an oil therapeutic massage. Adding oil into the equation aids circulation even more than a typical head therapeutic massage. more info helps you to unclog hair follicles and permit new growth to come back in. Once or twice a week, decide to use oil to massage your head. It’s easiest to do it during the shower, then rinse away the oil after you’re concluded. While lots of medicines list "hair loss" among their possible Unwanted side effects, most medications are not going to induce hair loss. Alternatively, cancer treatment (for example, chemotherapy or radiation therapy) and immunosuppressive drugs usually produce hair loss. Entire hair loss after chemotherapy commonly regrows after six to 12 months.

natural hair growth - An Overview

Why we like it: One of the best anti-hair loss shampoos for lengthier hair. It will protect against hair from finding too frizzy and tousled. Shea Dampness is often a nicely-recognized manufacturer from the organics attractiveness treatment sector. The corporate is very best recognized for making African black cleaning soap that assists with a lot of ailments including acne. This shampoo within the manufacturers stays correct to your natural and organic branding. For the duration of this phase, the hair follicle is completely at rest plus the club hair is totally fashioned. Pulling out a hair On this period will reveal a strong, tricky, dry, white product at the foundation. About twenty five to 100 telogen hairs are lose Ordinarily day after day. Nevertheless it’s the presence of natural saponins which make besan a tremendous cleanser. Common use of chickpea flour shampoo is likely to make your hair shiny and strong. Though the hair loss that causes partial or complete baldness needs prescribed medications and surgical treatments, the temporary or seasonal onset of hair loss can be treated by […] Scientific tests have revealed this medication works well in certain varieties of hair loss, and patients need to utilize it for about six to 12 months ahead of comprehensive outcomes are decided. This medication doesn't "perform" in times to months, and its onset of visible enhancement has a tendency to be gradual. It could be finest for men who even now have enough hair to keep but also may also help some regrow hair. Doable but quite unlikely side effects involve impotence or even a diminished intercourse drive (libido). Research clearly show that these Unintended effects were probably somewhat more common than witnessed in the general population and they are reversible when individuals cease having the drug. The cost is about $70-$a hundred/thirty day period, and many health insurers tend not to reimburse with the expense. Besan also consists of incredible amounts of antioxidants which protect the hair from detrimental consequences of free radicals. Yes go on and experiment with distinct herbs. As soon as you come across the ideal kinds for you personally It's going to be worthwhile. HairGenics Pronexa treatment shampoo is usually slightly highly-priced for many potential buyers. Nonetheless, https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=hair+thining are very well worth the funds you devote. The power of the shampoo emanates from its uniquely varied formula. If a compound continues to be known to circumvent hair loss, you will likely find it In this particular shampoo. The sebaceous gland is important mainly because it generates sebum, which situations the hair and pores and skin. Soon after https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnph35Svtew makes much more sebum but as we age we start to make fewer sebum. Women have considerably significantly less sebum output than Males do because they age. The hair over the arms, legs, eyelashes, and eyebrows have a very limited active growth section of about thirty to forty five times, conveying why They are really a great deal shorter than scalp hair. Androgenic alopecia - is really a genetic issue. Males using this situation experience what is commonly referred to as male pattern balding, which might start in the course of late teenagers or their early 20s. I realize it demands performing some do the job, it requirements some scheduling, but then it gives you final results — which can be so important. "I assumed I am going to by no means have nutritious and thick hair. I did not endure with my hair graft.. I bought the exact same success, for less than a cup of coffee! I appear and feel good!"

5 Easy Facts About hair regrowth Described

Vitamin E increases the blood circulation and aids the follicles perform more efficiently to promote hair growth. In addition it maintains the oil and PH stages harmony which if exceeds can clog the hair follicles and cease hair growth. Biotin is, certainly, a key ingredient, but will work at the side of Hair Growth Components’s other natural components to spice up its Over-all usefulness. Highly-priced doesn’t essentially mean far better for just about any merchandise, which include hair growth supplements. The crucial factor is to locate a complement that actually works and It may happen over the deal with in locations wherever the hair is commonly styled. Plucking or waxing one particular's eyebrows usually, for instance, can yield suppressed hair growth in the region. Several of the medications utilized to defeat again cancer unfortunately may also induce your hair to fall out. “Chemotherapy is like a nuclear bomb,” suggests Dr. Glashofer. “It destroys fast dividing cells. Meaning most cancers cells, but also speedily dividing cells like hair.” Comment:Thanks guys I under no circumstances had a good hair ever because I grew up so I'll try out these this strategies and come and thanks Biotin has the included as well as of being balanced to your hair, pores and skin, eyes, nails, and liver. A person review even showed that Expecting women are biotin deficient Which having a complement may perhaps assist in healthier fetal improvement. Eggs are hugely helpful for faster hair growth as they are filled with protein as well as incorporate iron, sulfur, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. You can utilize an egg hair mask at the very least at the time a month. Additionally, These are the primary ingredients you ought to see in any shampoo that’s supposed to end hair loss, encourage growth and block the effects of testosterone on follicles. Following replication, they inject it back into the scalp where it is needed. check here has finished a phase 1 scientific demo and will enroll one hundred sixty male contributors with mild to average hair loss for his or her Section two demo. In more info from stepto remedies introduced a study collaboration with College of British Columbia. They aim is to produce a map with protein and gene expression of hair follicle cells to aid RepliCel further make improvements to their cell therapies i.e. hair loss prevention products. Overlook advertising ploys and hype. With lots of hair growth merchandise on the market, it’s simple to get confused. Don’t opt for a shampoo just because it's got some superior testimonials on Amazon – look for a brand that’s been proven to grow hair and it has basically many hundreds of beneficial critiques from buyers. As always, feeding on a well balanced diet program abundant in fruits and greens along with lean protein and “very good” fats for instance avocado and nuts might be superior for the hair and also your All round wellbeing. Why https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB1IExS4Kp0 need to keep away from hair dyes: Artificial hair dyes contain severe chemical substances which include ammonia, hydrogen peroxide,  p-phenylenediamine, which could irritate the scalp and bring about strain on hair follicles. I've currently finished the uninteresting research for you personally. Over the years I have tried using a different blend of herbs and clays and also other natural elements and possess shortlisted only the ideal that nourish the follicles and market hair growth.

Everything about hair vitamins

I’m incredibly informed that Ketoconazole is found being a essential ingredient while in the fight against hair loss, so I’m wanting to listen to your views and suggestions. As visit mentioned, DHT is connected to hair loss and male sample baldness, and noticed palmetto will work to block your body’s development of DHT. It’s also used as an herbal treatment for an enlarged prostate and to spice up Guys’s intercourse drives. This medication goes because of the title Avodart. It's used for the treatment of BPH often called enlarged prostate. Having said that, you'll find a large number of consumers employing it for your off label purpose of treating hair loss. Try to remember the 5 alpha reductase we stated that Propecia blocks? Alopecia areata is undoubtedly an autoimmune problem by which the body assaults its individual hair follicles. Most individuals, however, do not need systemic difficulties and wish no clinical assessments. Minoxidil has a tendency to grow pretty fantastic tiny hairs wherever it really is applied. It can be crucial in order to avoid jogging the liquid on to the facial area or neck exactly where it may also grow hair. It truly is marketed for women at the two% concentration but can be Utilized in greater strengths as directed by a health care provider. Besides these tips, try some household solutions such as Indian gooseberry or amla oil, fenugreek paste, a mayonnaise hair pack, together with other healthful hair Thoughts. Multiple vitamins, which include biotin, are actually promoted for hair growth, but strong scientific experiments For most of those claims are missing. Though having biotin and various dietary supplements marketed for hair, pores and skin, and nails probably won't worsen anything at all, it may not automatically assistance the problem. Freed from chemical substances and sulfates, Lipogaine’s All Natural Shampoo is effective at combating hair loss in Adult males and women. When you have any doubts, the company supplies a one hundred% pleasure assure or your a reimbursement, so you recognize you happen to be acquiring a major-rated shampoo that can fight flakes, thinning, and any problems that hinder your hair and scalp wellness. Although the dream of having remarkable hair isn't really not possible to obtain, you merely want to know the correct items to perform and observe them with commitment. Just follow these easy hair growth elegance guidelines for healthier hair, so you’ll have the capacity to sport locks that even Rapunzel would have envied. Platelet rich plasma acquired from the processed entire blood of male clients with sample hair loss and afterwards reinjected into their own personal scalp has long been instructed being an adjuvant treatment. The efficacy of this type of therapy is currently underneath investigation. While people routinely blame alopecia areata on "strain," in truth, it could be the other way around; that is, owning alopecia may bring about anxiety. Would there be any hurt/advantage in combining the usage of two hair-loss avoidance shampoos, to make use of unique substances and features? Mainly Nizoral, at the two times per week recommendation, as well as the Argan Oil Shampoo two times a week? When it comes to chemical compounds, significantly less is a lot more-so, prevent utilizing closely scented shampoos and also conditioners approximately you are able to. The lesser the quantity of product you use, the longer and much better you hair will continue to be. I don’t ever go away feedback on articles, but This is often very properly created. I do material advertising and marketing for your residing, and I’m super amazed. Thanks for The nice data

hair fall treatment Options

In most straightforward conditions, hair cloning entails the extraction of the healthy hair follicle from the individual’s scalp. The follicle is then isolated and cultivated, and also the freshly-multiplied range of follicles are then injected again to the client’s scalp. An autoimmune difficulty is when the body starts off attacking by itself. This is actually what comes about when DHT assaults the hair follicles, leading to it to miniaturise and at some point fall out. And lastly, get sufficient daylight, around twenty-thirty minutes of Sunshine publicity is sweet for All round well being and hair. Daylight is important to produce vitamin D, whose deficiency can result in hair loss, sleeping challenges and hormonal problems. There’s also another excuse why blood supply is so important for your health of the hair and avoiding hair follicle miniaturisation. Biotin Just about the most usually recognised vitamins to promote sturdy hair is biotin, a B-complex vitamin that is typically often called Vitamin H. https://steptoremedies.com/argan-oil-hair-growth-skin-care/ promotes healthier hair by rising the hair’s elasticity and guards towards dryness, which also will help avoid breakage. The second significant treatment for hair growth is using a broad-tooth wood comb. It’s really comforting and enjoyable around the scalp and stimulates the hair follicles to get up and grow new hair. Alternatively, you can also make use of a wooden hairbrush to comb your hair. On the other hand usually there are some ‘unnatural’ means you are able to cope with baldness. Perhaps you by now learn about them (Propecia and Rogaine) And that i’m going to discuss them as well on this page. Bear in mind break up-ends mess up not just your hair's length but also have an effect on the glow, volume, and smoothness within your hair. Constantly recall, a bit trim consistently, is a fantastic tip that may naturally assistance hair growth. This collection of germs that make up the human physique is called the microbiome and we are just obtaining out how vital a healthful microbiome is for All round health and fitness (and hair health.) The catagen period, also called the transitional phase, allows the follicle to, in a sense, renew alone. Through this time, which lasts about two weeks, the hair follicle shrinks on account of disintegration and also the papilla detaches and "rests," reducing the hair strand off from its nourishing blood offer. Alerts sent out by the human body (that only selectively affect one percent of all hair of one's system at any specified time) decide when the anagen section finishes as well as the catagen stage commences. So now you will need to be pondering how can I make shampoo at your house. And when I tell you it’s as simple as earning immediate noodles, will you not give it a  consider? All through this process, many proteins are created (which Participate in a critical role inside the hair growth cycle). Nevertheless, the overexpression of specific proteins – including SFRP1 – can cause the cycle to take place much too promptly. This causes structural problems on the hair strand, and eventual shortening. Eventually, I would like to add that you choose to got to help keep tolerance. If you start any new ritual, it'll acquire about four to six months (I am getting honest in this article and not providing a shorter timeline only to remember to my superb audience) for any recognizable transform to look. In 2005, Prasad et. al. researched the effects of Finasteride within an 80-gentleman randomized analyze. The Males were being addressed around a period of a single yr and were being split into two teams:

[basklin]

A love letter to Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

or how I learned to stop worrying and love the game.

Hotline Miami 2 turned 3 yesterday, I thought I’d write something up for it!

The following contains spoilers for both Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. I'm going to put it under a read more seeing as I got carried away.

I didn't get to play the game on its release date, I was busy with real life. My sister was playing a part in her university theatre troupe and had a role as Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest, it coincided with the date of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number's release and I was going to go back to the house me and my family were staying in at the time. It was a moment of respite during a time of year where I was working on my final art presentation for my school and I had worked non stop on it. I wanted to play the game since its announcement and having finished the first Hotline Miami less than a year before, I had waited so long, I could wait a day longer, my time was my own to work with. The comics by Dayjob Studio had gotten me really excited for the game at the time as well, more than happy to see my favorite medium put to use in promoting a game I was looking forward to.

I got back to my student flat in the early afternoon and made myself lunch, downloaded the game (updates and bug fixes included) and happily started it up. I'm ashamed to say now that I was expecting most of what the first few levels had to offer, since I'd spoiled myself on a leak that came out a few months before the official release of the game. I originally wasn't going to watch it, but a friend who'd watched before me said there was a character with my name in it, seeing as that was so rare to me, I caved in really fast. (Fun fact: it was the direct inspiration for one of the first comics I did for that game)

I have to point out that I'm thankful that the game's slasher style tutorial wasn't spoiled in the leaked gameplay footage, as it was a genuine joy to see the amount of details in the level design at my own pace. There was a big buzz around that level when journalists were framing it as an unwanted shocking sexual assault scene in a game about senseless violence and cartoonish gore. The game's meta commentary about sequels and how that kind of scene is used in horror movies for upping the shock value was lost on me too, but we can't be expected to get the point of a moment in media the first time. The presentation in most cases for this is frankly overblown and lasts around 3 seconds, a pair of pixellated buttcheeks over a woman I didn't even know the name of yet wasn't going to put me in a catatonic state, but a trigger warning  asking a player if they want to be spared from that kind of scene before the start of the game is always a worthy inclusion.

Even today the first 5 levels of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number are the perfect representation of the rest of the game: big sprawling detailed areas, a diversity in those locations, playstyles associated with named characters, and an actual commentary on violent video game protagonists.

As mentioned before, I was very much looking forward to the game's release and getting around to playing it. I had gone cold turkey on playing the previous installment, wishing to discover the gameplay anew and making my patience feel like a reward when I got around to playing it.

I wrote “named characters” because giving them a name makes them more real, part of the world, with motivations unique to them. Not just an avatar the player can slip into and mirror back what the little amount of pixels with a human shape might be beginning to feel when committing violent acts. That also means there are more stories that come bundled together, they're more present than ever and harder to ignore for a player who wants to skip to the next action set. The arcade game format of the first game alongside its simplicity is lost, but more story is what I wanted in the sequel, so I can't complain.

Playstyles and characters were a joy to discover and experiment with these characters comprise of:

The Fans, covered in colourful war paint with their individual animal masks and expertise, all set out to go on a vigilante murder spree, chainsaws and guns in hand.

Manny Pardo, the detective whose motives remain unclear, with a more gun oriented gameplay.

Evan Wright, the writer with the one with the most unusual playstyle of the lot, seeing as he tries to do non-lethal takedowns of people he chooses himself to be around needlessly putting him and his family in danger in pursuit of the truth behind the first game's phone calls. This unique gameplay can be made into the default one by going too far on ground executions, making him go into a blind rage and seeing red.

The Soldier, limited to a single gun of your choosing whose ammunition must be replenished through carefully placed boxes throughout the level and an army knife for close range combat.

The Mafia, comprising of the Son of the former leader of the Russian mafia and his Henchman. The former wanting to reinstate the dominance of the Russian mafia after the Colombian cartel took over and the latter wishing to break free of this cycle. The Son has the same array of skills as the Fans, exception made of the chainsaw and gun combo, making him a reckless one man army, and a cool parallel between the Russian mafia and the vigilantes in animal masks.

And the last playstyle, what feels like the default way to play the game, is the one found in the first game. Simultaneously not making you feel contrived to play a certain way, but not making you feel overpowered either. It's shared between a handful of characters in the game: the Henchman , the Rat, the Pig Butcher, and the Snake. (although the latter is able to play in a fists only way with one of his masks)

Guns only, dodge rolling, fists only, a chainsaw and gun at the same time, double MP5s, and even non-lethal gameplay help to define everybody really well, beyond words and appearances.

Getting to explore levels that are massive and open was the biggest game changer, being tunnel visioned and sticking to melee weapons became a death sentence for some levels with frustration quickly rising. I remember reading the advice that guns made too much noise in Hotline Miami, the result was sticking to a melee weapon and executing fallen enemies; which rewarded you with more immediate points than firing with the different array of guns, but rising combo counters and being wary of cover definitely became the name of the game in the sequel, for better or worse.

Gone were the collection of small colourful appartement buildings, what felt like cardboard boxes with “Miami, Florida” scrawled in felt tip pen on them; instead we have unique looking buildings, that feel inhabited, grubby at times, and more unwelcome than ever for a gunfight. More windows, and getting shot from offscreen, and enemies for which you have to use a specific kind of weapons on to progress through the level, all at the same time.

Multitasking is asked from the player, being aware of the enemies in your surroundings along with the abilities and limitations of the character you are playing. Not to mention hard mode which you unlock after finishing the game for the first time, with more reaction time and ammunition conservation playing a bigger role by then. Hotline Miami's puzzle side could expand to its full potential and the developers have truly made a better game. More thought, more gameplay, more amazing music tracks from a variety of indie musicians, and more story was put into Wrong Number, it was everything I was hoping for and I wasn't disappointed by the game at all... At first.

This isn't going to relate to a few people, but I try to finish games as fast as I can. Not speedrun them mind you, I like playing games too much for that, but finish it from beginning to end in a timely fashion. In the past, my interest dropped very fast for games that require time, knowledge of all its controls, or reflexes to beat and will get frustrated if I can't get back into the groove of it after a few months of not playing it. I tend to start over because I've either lost track of the story or of the rhythm of later chapters. On top of that, I didn't want to be spoiled accidentally or put it off too long. I remember finishing Hotline Miami's main story in one sitting only coming back the next day to finish the Biker levels, why not do it with Wrong Number?

To this day, I regret playing Hotline Miami 2 in one sitting. After 3 hours without a break, I had a slight headache, by the time I had finished the game 6 hours later, I had a migraine. By playing it the way I had, I'd successfully completed the game, but gotten a feeling of disgust by the end of it. I've had hangovers that felt better.

On a side note, that day I got a call from a classmate who wanted my opinion on the direction of his end of the year comic presentation was going. He came round when I was in the middle of Deathwish, on the level with Corey, what felt like the ultimate test of skill at the time. And I definitely gave vibes that I wanted to get back into the action, despite taking the time to answer questions and discuss his comic project (if you're reading this Jean, I'm really sorry, come round for tea sometime!). Time feels very fuzzy for this, as I seem to remember spending too much time on that stage, listening to the track Roller Mobster by Carpenter Brut over and over and slowly growing to resent it. I've gotten better since then and like the song just fine now, but I still have trouble with that level.

The assault on the Russian Mafia's headquarter by the Fans is a 4 floor action packed romp, where they all have their own floor for themselves and aim to meet each other on the roof of the building. Things don't go as planned for reasons that weren't explained immediately. Only after Deathwish do we realise that the Fans we had played as had fallen in battle one by one and died during their siege as we were playing the next floor. Now, characters whose gameplay were unique at that point got killed offscreen, with one onscreen by the police, rightfully so as they had only themselves to blame for their demise. I felt drained by the time I had come to what I thought was the end of the game. It turned out that it was the midpoint of the whole story. A pit in my stomach was slowly forming: there was going to be more after all this?

More of everything is both a blessing and a curse, more music leaves room for tracks I'll have a hard time liking, more violence means I'll slowly be apathetic to the character's struggles, and more characters is forgetting the levels that features only one of them, wondering why they were even there in the first place and if they could have been cut in favour of a smaller cast with their unique gameplay. Excitement had passed and doubt had settled in: character driven stories are what I love most of all and the cast was slowly thinning down. Those who had died weren't seen again in the story, was it going to keep my interest? I certainly expected it to.

I finally took a break to have dinner and a stretch before coming back to continue Casualties, the final level featuring the Soldier. The stages between that one and Deathwish are wonderful, great even, but they felt as thought they don't fit into the main story, I remember later trying to rearrange all the levels, keeping in mind which levels concluded each chapters and found that everything fitted really well together as it did. I was still getting over the previous levels so maybe I wasn't enjoying them as much as I should at the time.

I'm going to be honest when I say I forget the Soldier is in the game every time. An actual wartime setting, in an alien looking Hawaii none the less, with a gameplay that's really enjoyable and prepared me for hard mode's ammunition conservation gameplay very well should be memorable. It may be due to the fact that his inclusion was to give a background to the protagonist of Hotline Miami and give the origins of the secret organisation behind the phone calls of the first game, with parallels to mission euphemisms over walkie talkies, commando style hits, and sense of loss to a cycle of violence that doesn't care for its victims or its players. The character's final moments didn't bite as hard this time, even though that one felt the most undeserved out of the whole cast.

The next four levels featuring Richter the Rat are some of the best I've experienced, by that point we were focusing on a new character we'd met in the previous game and of which I didn't think much of at the time. Seeing him was an unexpected surprise for me, a really good one because of all its touching cutscenes and tight levels. Even in his last chapter, with the track Le Perv by Carpenter Brut, reminiscent of Deathwish's nauseating track, was honestly a joy to play through, despite the difficulty. It also was a nice conclusion for the Writer's story, who instigates the Rat's recollection of the events, with a final choice between continuing the book about the vigilante group and its mysterious phone calls or reconnecting with his estranged family while there is still time and discontinuing the cycle of violence, neither choice affects the outcome of the finale, but there is definitely an obvious conclusion in there, for me at least.

Nowadays, I know all the elements and numerous characters were included in Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number so that everything would be done in one game. Everything Dennaton wanted to experiment with, characters that tied different storylines together and both made sense of the first game and concluded its story for good. Hotline Miami didn't have room for flamethrowers or more storylines with other operators, it was an overarching story for the player, to be in the shoes of a hitman in an animal mask, with room to interpret the story for ourselves. The sequel doesn't stand on its own from a narrative sense: I'd be utterly confused by some of the stories of Hotline Miami 2 if I hadn't played the first game, since everything stems from the events of Hotline Miami. The result is that it all feels very heavy to take in all at once.

I really didn't care for Jacket's background, or why he did anything in the first game. He doesn't have a name, or a voice, or a personality, he's really boring in a story sense, but he's the perfect game protagonist. If he can be anything you want him to be, there's no room to dislike him, aside for his violent actions which he doesn't justify to himself in any way, he just does as he is told, like the soldier he once was. We feel what he feels during the violent missions, the sense that we get better and better at the game, the character doesn't improve, as there's no character to improve, we as the player are improving level by level.

So when the sequel explained that he was a veteran that fought in a war we never get the context for or care about, my first thought was that “he was just Rambo”. I hadn't watched Rambo at the time and only ever saw that character in old Atari games where you kill nameless soldiers. He'd always seemed like the generic action movie soldier that looks cool shooting away at his enemies. But since then, I've sat down to watch the first Rambo and saw the tale about young man coming back from war without education, aside from how to kill, back to a country that doesn't need him, and even despises him. It's an incredibly sad thing to watch a character broken by committing and being the victim of violence only to be rejected by the society they served.

The personal interpretations about Jacket is one of the best parts of Hotline Miami, as much as its gameplay, graphics, and music. Wrong Number builds upon that foundation by taking multiple interpretations of what Jacket could be and extends it to the cast of the sequel: he could be a jingoist with a burning hate for Russians (Jake the Snake) just as much as he could be scared for his life and willing to protect a person he loves (Richter the Rat). He's the now unwanted soldier of a war that is long lost (the Fans) just as much as he is the patriot in service of a minority struggling for his rightful place in a hostile environment (the Son). He's also a serial killer in an animal mask (the Pig Butcher) just as much as he is a killer with his own motives that don't have to be revealed to the player (Manny Pardo the Detective). And Biker’s search for answers is mirrored by the Writer, it was only fate that they would eventually meet up.

After the levels with Richter, we have the final 5 levels featuring another one of my favourite characters: the Son. He's the de facto leader of the Russian mafia, a scarred one man army with what feels like the strongest desire of the cast of characters: taking back Miami from the Colombian cartel, the new organised crime network in charge. His Father, the final antagonist of Hotline Miami, felt like a strong businessman with the plan of gaining power over the city through assimilation: striking a deal between the Colombians and their cocaine distribution, owning methadone clinics for the new addicts to heroin and cocaine, and gaining the favour of local politicians. The Son is nothing like that. He has a more aggressive show of power and control, separating himself from organically made drugs in favor for more potent artificial ones produced locally and actively killing his competition through violence, being in a revolution similar to the masked vigilantes in an attempt to undo the damage caused by Jacket in the first game.

As an aside, Manny Pardo has his final level in the middle, throughout the game we are teased with his personal investigation, the one of a serial killer called the Miami Mutilator, separate from the main plot of the game. It all comes to a head in his last level when it's revealed that he is the one behind the murders of the Mutilator, in an attempt to overshadow the media's attention of the masked vigilantes. The interpretation I developed over time was that his story arc was a meta commentary on sequels having their own story and an inevitable lack of interest from fans of the first game, curious instead about a continuation of the first game's narrative.

I remember originally thinking from the game's trailer that Manny Pardo was Jacket and getting really curious about how the story was going to go about, until I realised that he was in fact another character with his own motives and losing interest almost immediately in favour of the Fans revealed alongside him in the video. When it emerged that he was a detective, it seemed immediately more interesting than Jacket ever was, that it would be a character in search of answers, similar to the likes of Biker from the first game. The expectation was subverted, as it turns out that he has more current things to worry about and masked vigilantes are a thing of the past, crime doesn't stop happening and random violence is the norm in the world of Hotline Miami.

After the Detective's final level, we have what has to be one of the hardest challenges of the game: the final showdown between the Son and the Colombian cartel's Boss in his sprawling villa. Even after having been playing the game for almost 8 continuous hours, it really felt like what the game was leading us up to, from random street thugs to the drug army in Miami. And yet, even when the level was all said and done, there was yet another level after that. We are back to what felt like the finale a few hours ago: Deathwish, only this time it's the Son's side of the story, overdosing on his own artificial drugs and going on a overcoloured haze of hallucinatory violence.

Apocalypse is the name of that level, and it's a beautiful boss rush, where all the Fans are turned into monstrous animal shaped fever dreams that the Son has set himself out to destroy in his terrible drug trip, alongside his own men, turned into unrecognisable demons. It all leads to the rooftop, where a rainbow bridge invites us off into the void as the game's credits show up on the screen. The credits fade in favour of the rest of the cast, alive and unperturbed by the finale we as the player went through, only to realise that events offscreen trigger the end of the world, nuclear bombs vaporise them all and...

I didn't get it.

It took a good night's sleep and a bit of thinking to understand what Hotline Miami 2:Wrong Number was about: deconstructing Hotline Miami. The first game's conclusion had a hopeful tone to it, with mocking comments by the developer's stand-ins if we came back looking for more answers by playing Biker's additional levels, with actual answers that feel forced if you actually manage to find all the clues within the game. The sequel ends the world with nuclear clouds and if we start a new game, we get a new introduction at the start of the game essentially asking: “why are you back?”. There were no more answers the game could provide.

Violence is at the core of both of the games and it never seemed to stop. Hotline Miami left us wanting more, Hotline Miami 2 left us with the most violent thing known to humanity. I remember thinking that it was a deus ex machina ending, an answer to problems that seemed unsolvable. But inside the game there’s all this rising tension, focusing so much on the characters distracted me from the fact that it was culminating towards the end of the world. All the characters were trying to solve all their problems through violence, but the world wasn't going to get better through those methods. It was the only conclusion a game like that could have and I love it more than ever.

I cannot thank Dennaton enough for the incredible time I had and keep coming back to with Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. It has made me explore media I never would have discovered otherwise and draw things I never imagined I would come to draw. Happy 3rd anniversary to an incredible game, and I look forward to the future.

[shipmistress9]

Not one of Them - Epilogue 7: Good Memories and Two Firsts

Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3: Chapter 4

Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8

Chapter 9; Chapter 10; Epilogue 1; Epilogue 2

Epilogue 3; Epilogue 4; Epilogue 5; Epiloge 6

Alright, here it is. It took a while because I'm already writing and plotting the next story.

As promised, we go back to happy Hiccstrid here. Fluff, and smut, and more fluff, and more smut, ending with fluff again. I hope you'll like it ;)

Grinning widely about the sober notification he'd just gotten on his phone, Hiccup dug for his keys, and opened the door to their flat. And then grinned even wider when he heard a stream of unashamed curses. Swiftly, he got rid of his jacket, grabbed the bag with his shopping, and entered the living room, eager not to miss the comical display.

As expected, Astrid was walking up and down in front of the large windows at the opposite side of the room. She looked beautiful in a tightly fitting red top and that sorry excuse of a skirt, even with that disgruntled expression on her face, hands running through her hair, and ranting into thin air.

Her phone, Hiccup noticed, lay on the kitchen counter, its display glowing with the signs of an active call, one unread message, and a muted microphone. He placed the shopping bag next to it on the counter, and walked over to take his girlfriend into his arms.

"That bad?" he asked, smirking into her hair where she couldn't see it.

"Worse!" she growled angrily. "I swear, if that old scarecrow doesn't stop changing his mind, I'll turn into an axe-murderer. This is the sixth time now. The sixth! I mean, I'm pretty sure I got what he was asking for. But every fucking time I send him my sketch, he comes up with another alteration. And then shouts at me for not being able to read his mind. Gods, why am I doing this again?"

Hiccup pressed his lips to her forehead, snickering inwardly, and felt her relaxing already in his arms. "Because you love your job," he murmured against her skin, making an effort to sound calm and serious. "Because this old man is just a client, and the company wouldn't have given us this assignment if they thought it unimportant or boring, because we're the best. Because you know he's probably doing it just to listen to your beautiful voice some more. Because you're a professional, and that weirdo is not worth your anger. And because you'll love it when I have to deal with him, once he's satisfied with your sketch."

Chuckling quietly, she snuggled closer into his embrace. "Right," she snickered. "That'll be fun to watch." She stretched to give him a light peck on his mouth, whispered a low "Thanks!" against his lips, and retreated before he could pull her in for a real kiss. "But I need to get back to being a professional now."

With a smile, she wound her way out of his embrace, snatched her phone from the counter, and hopped onto the sofa. "Mr Mildew? I'm sorry for this interruption. Now, I'm all yours again. So, what was it exactly that bothered you about that sketch?"

Hiccup watched her with a fond smile, then went to change into more comfortable clothes. When he returned to the living room, she was still sitting on the sofa, her head dropped back, and an unnerved expression on her face. Her replies to the seemingly endless stream of instructions coming from her phone had become noticeably monosyllabically, consisting only of short hums and monotonous yeses. A small grin crept across Hiccup's face, and he decided to distract her a bit, to put her professionalism to the test.

Quietly, he stepped closer and crouched down on the ground behind the sofa. She hadn't noticed him so far, and jumped a little when his hands began to play with her hair that hung in long golden waves down the backrest.

Lately, she almost always wore her hair down while they were home. It was something she hadn't done before, and it had taken her days to notice, and to realise why. And her explanation had made his heart sing. To her, her tightly braided hair represented some kind of mental wall, a shield. Only rarely had she felt comfortable and safe enough to let her hair down, during sex with those random guys the met in the club or in general. Eret had never seen her with her hair down, while she'd never thought twice about it when with Hiccup. This knowledge gave him a weird kind of satisfaction. Hiccup hated the other man with a passion, for everything he'd done to Astrid, for tricking her, and for hurting her when she was so vulnerable. Which had been his fault, and Hiccup would happily spend his lifetime making it up to her.

Slowly, he worked his way through her tresses, combing his fingers through them, and entangling them. Every now and then, his slight pulling on single strands made her hum in pleasure, sounds that, so far, mixed perfectly with her replies on the phone.

He went a step further, lifted his hands up to massage her scalp, fingernails lightly scraping over sensitive skin. Astrid shivered and fidgeted when he didn't stop. Her eyes were closed now, a small smile on her lips, and Hiccup doubted she was listening closely to Mr Mildew's explanations anymore.

With a cheeky grin, he brushed her hair aside, and brought his mouth toward the soft skin at her neck. His light kisses and nibbles left her whimpering quietly until, after a few minutes, he bit down into her shoulder. An urgent moan tore itself from her throat, one that startled her and made her clutch a hand over her mouth in shock.

Chuckling, Hiccup got back on his feet, and grinned at the incredulous look she threw him past her phone.

"N- no, I'm sorry, Mr Mildew," she said hastily. "Yes, I'm listening. I just... got cramps. Yeah, cramps, in my arm. Guess I need to move it more, maybe throw a few punches later or something." As she spoke, her gaze met his across the room, her eyes gleaming dangerously.

Unashamedly, Hiccup grinned back at her, and then unpacked his shopping. It wasn't much, just some ingredients for dinner. Getting them had been a spontaneous decision, a way to celebrate this day. One month might not be that long in terms of relationships, but, without a doubt, it had been the happiest month of his life.

He went about grating the different types of cheese – Gouda, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Brie, Parmesan, Swiss, Munster, and Monterey Jack – while listening with half an ear to Astrid's call. This particular client had been bothering her for almost a week now, and from the little Hiccup got his requests were pretty weird indeed. What was that about a sheep and... a bed? Hiccup frowned, but then shrugged, and turned his focus back to the task at hand.

Once Astrid was done with her phone call, she came over to keep him company. She grabbed the bowl with the freshly grated cheese while he was busy getting out the large pasta pot and filling it with water, then lifted herself up onto one of the counters nearby to curiously watch him work.

"Mmh, to what do I owe the pleasure of you making Mac and Cheese for me?" she asked, tossing a bit of cheese into her mouth. "It's still two weeks until my birthday. Or is that supposed to be a bribe so you don't get punched after all? Because it works."

Smirking at her words, Hiccup reached past her for the salt and oil, not missing his chance to caress her rear and bare thighs. "Well, it's... been a while since the last time I made it," he replied, frowning slightly. He didn't like remembering that day. "And I thought today would be a good day to create some new memories. Good ones over the bad. Also, it's been a month... And it's Wednesday, we could return to old habits. You know, squish in a film night. Unless you need to finish those sketches for this impatient customer."

The last words, he said with a twinkle in his eyes, even though they, too, belonged to that day. But dwelling on bad memories wouldn't do them any good, they both agreed on that. Instead, they were intent on drawing them back out again and repainting them with brighter colours.

Astrid smiled despite the hint of pain in her eyes. She didn't like to remember that day either. "That sounds like a great idea. And no, I don't need to finish those tonight. A film night would be great," she replied, stealing more cheese, and smirked at his scowl.

"You know, the more you eat now, the less will be in your dinner later," he pointed out good-humouredly, not mentioning that he'd bought more cheese than necessary anyway. He had expected her to swipe a bit after all. "But what was it our dear Mr Mildew asked for? Does he really want an erotic picture of a sheep in a bed?"

Astrid choked on the last bit of cheese as his joking words made her laugh. "Quite possibly," she wheezed. "At first it sounded like a metaphor. You know, something along the line of 'sleeping innocence'. But by now, I'm not so sure anymore. It does sound like that's what he's after. Weirdo. And he actually wants it to look like a real sheep. Not the usual furry-kink style with a humanised sheep-girl. Wouldn't be the first time we drew those, after all. Although, I still don't see what's so special about animals in bed."

"Oh, I don't know," he said with a grin, interrupted his preparations for now, and walked over to where she sat. Standing between her legs, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and leaned closer. "I quite like the lioness that's occupying my bed lately," he whispered into her ear.

She chuckled as his breath tickled on her neck, and wound her arms around his torso. "Miaow," she breathed, and lightly scraped her fingernails over his back, just where her marks on him were beneath his shirt.

Hiccup shuddered and growled, head spinning by how quickly the atmosphere between them had shifted. Again! Gods, how he loved being with her, every aspect of it. He retreated, just enough to look her in the eyes, and saw the same spark of desire in them which had flared up inside him.

She pushed one hand up into his hair, pulling him into a deep kiss that hid nothing of her hunger, and he responded eagerly.

Kissing her was his personal drug; simply just too intoxicating to not respond to it. His eyes fluttered shut, and, in a way, it hurt not to look at her. But at the same time, not being able to see increased the sensibility of his other senses which made it perfectly bearable. All those sensations were overwhelming.

Her heat pouring into him, and the sensation of her soft lips moving with his...

The sweet taste of those lips, of salty cheese on her tongue, of her...

Her scent in each breath he managed to inhale in-between...

And her small noises which filled the air around them...

Oh, her noises...

Her desperate gasps for air...

Her low whimpers before she pulled him closer...

Her gentle sighs while she buried her hand in his hair...

Her small moans when he held her as tightly as he dared...

Her soft keening as their bodies pressed against each other...

Hiccup was losing himself in her careful noises – and he actually had before, frequently. He had no idea how long this kiss lasted already. It could have been only seconds or several hours. He didn't know, but he also didn't care.

As always, Hiccup lost track of everything as he kissed Astrid. All he was aware of was her tongue sliding along his, her small gasps and whimpers, her hand clutching at his back and hair, pulling him in, and their bodies grinding against each other with persistence. His fingers were entangled in her long golden tresses, his fingertips scraping over her scalp, and he could feel her tremble and twitch every time he hit a sensitive spot. He could go on like this forever. Or so he thought...

"Did you get the same message I did?" she asked with bated breath after finally tearing herself away from his lips. Suggestively, she let one hand glide down his front. "The clearance?"

"Yes." His voice was hoarse with want, his cock already straining against the fabric of his boxers. The hiccupy breath she took at his answer didn't exactly let him soften either.

Her hand slid beneath his waistband without further hesitation. She moaned softly when she found him hard already from their heated kisses, and pushed down his trousers to fully expose him.

"Here?" he asked, a little breathless. She nodded, and he pushed her short skirt up – to find her bare beneath already. With a low growl, he let his hand drift over her exposed sex, slick and wet, already ready for him.

Astrid shifted closer toward the counter's edge, and wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, drawing him in.

For just a second, he paused, hesitated, drew the moment out a little bit longer. He watched the anticipation flare up high in her eyes, mirroring his own feelings, before, finally, pushing into her.

"Oh, Gods..." he whimpered at the overwhelming sensation. Being inside her was always wonderful, but this... The physical sensation of, finally, actually, feeling her, skin on skin, was intense. The emotional aspect though...

There were no boundaries between them anymore, nothing that separated them, and it was amazing. They were one.

"Hic–" she gasped, rolling her hips to get him moving, and he complied.

He pushed into her, slowly at first, but quickly going faster and faster. His hand were on her rear, pulling her toward him in time with every one of his thrusts. Her urgent little noises spurred him on, and it took only minutes until they were both high, until Hiccup reached for her clit to push her over the edge completely. Mesmerised, he watched her eyelids flutter, listened to her crying out his name, and felt her clenching tightly around him, rippling along his length until he came as well, buried deep inside her, filling her.

Trembling and panting, they floated down from their mutual peak, leaning against one another, and basked in their closeness. He felt himself soften, but for once, there was no need to pull out, no risk of losing the condom. He held her tenderly, cradling her against his chest, as if to never ever let her go again.

Astrid giggled, and her hand fluttered down to her stomach. "I can feel you," she whispered, grinning. "All bubbly and... and..." she shrugged, giggling some more, and he couldn't help his lips twitching as well.

"And I can feel you, too," he replied equally low. "All these little aftershocks–" he broke off as one of those rippled through her, squeezing him almost playfully, and they chuckled in unison.

"I love you, Astrid," he finally murmured, and kissed her sweetly. "Gods, I do..."

"Mmmmh, I love you, too," she hummed happily, nuzzling his neck.

"But now... Could you hand me the kitchen towels? I feel a bit leaky." She winked at him, and Hiccup snorted, but complied.

They cleaned up, themselves and the kitchen counter, before resuming their former tasks – cooking on Hiccup's part, and Astrid returned to the sofa to retrieve her discarded briefs.

For a while, they worked in companionable silence. It was so easy, so effortless. There was no need to fill every minute with meaningless chatter, no need to always do something together. It was enough to simply be together, to know the other one would be there if needed.

Hiccup could hear Astrid humming to herself while she worked, and it harmonized perfectly with the noises the boiling water made as he grated the rest of the cheese. It was the perfect background music as he added the butter, evaporated milk, and sour cream to the cooked pasta, seasoned the mixture, and then carefully added cheese and water until the creaminess was how Astrid liked it best.

"Okay, dinner is ready," he called over to her, and grinned as she scrambled off the sofa in a hurry.

Eating dinner went about just as easy and comfortable as everything else. They joked and teased one another, and talked about simple daily things like bike maintenance and an upcoming collaboration. Astrid ribbed him a bit by stating that his Mac and Cheese alone was worth staying with him forever, and Hiccup accidentally dropped some pasta on her top while playfully feeding her with his spoon – and greatly enjoyed how she finished her meal topless.

Afterwards, they cleaned up the kitchen together – which turned into more of a water fight than actual cleaning – before they settled in for their film night, both of them dressed in fresh clothes after tossing their soaked outfits into the laundry to dry.

"And what did you have in mind?" Astrid asked as she placed two glasses with fruity lemonade and a bowl of nuts on the coffee table. "After cooking for me, it's your choice today. Although, I'm always up for Doctor Who, as you know. How about The End Of Time? Donna is awesome as half a Doctor, and I love the bittersweet ending."

Hiccup looked at her thoughtfully, and, for a moment, actually considered it. But comforting her through the inevitable tears at the end was not how he wanted this day to end. Then he grinned as he remembered something else.

"No, I have another idea," he countered. "Make yourself comfortable, while I get the Blu Ray from my room."

"What's it doing in your room?" she called after him as he left the living room.

"I... ahm... couldn't stand it lying around here when I bought it," he called back. "And then I forgot that I bought it."

"What is it?" she replied, looking up at him as he returned.

But instead of an answer, he just stared at her. His heart made a painful thud when he saw her lying on the sofa, on that sofa, the one neither of them had even sat on in nearly two months. The memory of the last time she'd sat there rose in his mind, and it made him feel ill. Her eyes met his, and she gave him a cautious smile.

"Good memories over bad ones, right?" she reminded him quietly, and, after a moment's hesitation, he nodded. Slowly, he walked over to her, legs still a bit shaky.

"So, what film do you have there?" she asked in a clear attempt to change the subject.

Hiccup shook off the bad feeling the memory had triggered, and returned to the here and now. She was right, after all. No dwelling on bad memories.

With a small smile, he held out the case of Thor: Ragnarok to her. "I've heard this is a good one. No idea if it's true though, I didn't notice much of the film when I went to watch it."

A wide grin spread across her face. "Perfect!" she exclaimed, beaming.

He plugged it in, and then climbed over her to lie behind her on the comfortable sofa. It felt good to wrap his arm around her waist, to pull her closer against his chest, and to inhale the scent of her hair with every breath he took as the TV flickered to life and Marvel's starting theme played out. It felt good enough to not constantly think about how Eret had been in exactly this position before, during that other film night. And it felt good enough for him to decide that it didn't matter anyway.

It didn't matter what Eret or Heather had done. Not that particular event and nothing else either. All that mattered was that he and Astrid were together now, and that they would do whatever felt good and right, without letting any past events influence them.

It felt good to hold her, to feel her. She was warm and soft and everything he needed. Funny, and witty, and loving, and, oh, so wonderful. He leaned down to place another kiss on her hair, and felt her relax in his arms.

For a while, they simply watched the film, cuddling comfortably. His hand moved over her, slowly and innocently at first, caressing her waist and wandering down to her belly button. She shook with silent giggling as his touch tickled her, her vibrating body against his distracting him.

Without really intending to, his hand wandered on, up her arm, over her shoulder, and brushed her hair aside so he could place light kisses on her soft skin. Humming contently, she rolled her head to the side to give him better access, and leaned back against him until her cute ass pressed against his groin.

Hiccup inhaled sharply as he realised where they were going, but was far from complaining. This, too, had been one of his fantasies, after all. Smirking to himself, he kept his mouth on her neck, nibbling and licking teasingly, while his hand drifted onwards to her breasts, kneading them carefully and pinching her hardening nipples through her fresh shirt. Then he wandered down further still, over her taut stomach, and down between her legs.

Astrid was writhing beneath his touch by now, taking in short and panting breaths. After turning the volume of the TV down, she'd turned to look up at him through clouded eyes, and Hiccup couldn't look away from her.

And he didn't need to, either.

His fingers knew what to do, even without him seeing it. Slowly, they glided over the fabric of her briefs with just enough pressure to let her feel him. Then they teased her further, rubbing her clit through the thin lace, pressing between her folds. When he pushed the fabric aside to really touch her, she moaned and strained toward his touch, needing it, needing more.

But he wanted to take his time. He wanted to lazily play with her body, and watch her twist and tremble. There was no hurry, no hunger for relief, just the simple pleasure of the moment. She was so beautiful like this, hands clenching at his shirt and the cushions below.

When he pushed his fingers into her, first one, then a second, her back arched into his touch, and he watched in rapture as she fought to keep her eyes on him. It didn't take much from there, just a little crooking of his fingers, a little rubbing of his thumb over her clit, until her quivering body became stiff for a second, only to wildly thrash and spasm a moment later. Her orgasm came with a beautifully sinful moan as her eyes rolled back into her head, and then fluttered shut in bliss.

He would never... never... never get enough of her.

"Mhhh, yeah," Astrid hummed lazily after regaining her senses. "Definitely a good memory." She gazed up at him with a dreamy look on her face that spoke of love and happiness. Then she whispered, "Come here, you," and pulled him down to kiss him.

Hiccup adjusted his position in an attempt not to crush her beneath him. He'd meant to let his hand, that still rested over her sex, glide down to prop himself up on the sofa as her surprisingly swift move left him with few other options. He'd not meant for his slick fingers to virtually stick to her skin and glide over her ass instead.

Astrid's low groan and the realisation of where exactly he was touching her drained his face of all blood. "I-I'm sorry," he sputtered, pulling his hand back in a hurry – only to let it glide again over that taut circular muscle! "Shit! Ah... sorry, I... I didn't mean..."

His stammered apology got interrupted by her light chuckle, and Hiccup hoped that his slip-up hadn't angered her in any way.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked drowsily.

He swallowed, hastily drew his hand away from her, and sat up straight. "I didn't... didn't mean to touch you... there. I mean... I know that... that..."

"That what?" she continued when he lost himself in his sputtering, and looked up at him curiously. Then light dawned in her eyes. She relaxed back into the cushions, and, with a small smile on her lips, said, "Ah, don't worry. I don't mind. It's been a while since I had anal sex anyway. I'm more than up for it."

She was joking, right? Teasing him as a punishment for his slip-up? Yeah, that had to be it. Hiccup's vision swam out of focus as the image of him sinking into her pert ass rose in his mind. Hastily, he chased it away, aware of how his cock twitched eagerly at the idea. She hadn't been serious. She couldn't have been.

"Hah, funny," he said shakily, and reached for his glass on the coffee table with a trembling hand. "I'm really sorry, okay? Won't happen again, I promise."

Astrid's quiet chuckling was a bit disconcerting.

"Too bad," she hummed. "But if you don't want to, that's alright."

He threw her a measuring look. She sounded serious. But that couldn't be true, right?

"You... you can stop joking now, Astrid," he stammered as more images appeared behind his eyes. But he didn't even dare to actually imagine... that would... she would kill him!

"I'm not joking."

"Astrid," he pleaded. "It's alright, I learned my lesson. I know that... that women don't like anal sex. And I would... I would never ask for something you don't want to do."

She gave him a long measuring look before sitting up as well. "Hiccup... I do like it," she said earnestly. "It just depends on enough prep and lube." She shrugged offhandedly, and reached for her glass as well.

. o O o .

Smiling inwardly, Astrid sipped at her lemonade. Hiccup was simply too good to be true.

Most men she'd been with hadn't even hesitated for a second whenever she'd indicated she would be up for anal sex.

But Hiccup? No, he was different, of course, he was. She'd blatantly offered it to him, and he still wouldn't go for it out of fear she wouldn't like it. And he clearly wasn't averse to anal sex, either. On the contrary. She'd seen how his cock had grown and twitched at the mere mentioning.

Carefully, she glanced back at him. He sat still, his glass in one hand, the other one opening and closing absentmindedly. He had a strange look on his flushed face, a mixture of lust and curiosity, but also worry and nervousness.

After taking his glass out of his hand and placing both back on the table, she crawled onto his lap to straddle him.

"I really mean it," she murmured into his ear. "I'm more than up to it if you want to."

Hiccup gave a weird strangled noise, and placed his hands on her waist, but only to remove them a second later again. She could feel his cock beneath her, straining against his jogging trousers. Why was he so reluctant if he clearly wanted it?

Then an idea occurred to her, and she retreated to look at him again.

"You've had anal sex before, right?" she asked, incredulously. Surely, he had. He was Hiccup Haddock! He'd literally had sex with hundreds of girls. Surely, he-

"No, I haven't," he replied, voice barely more than a whisper. Biting his lip, he looked away, almost as if he was... embarrassed? "I... I didn't want to pressure them for anything that, surely, they wouldn't want to do. And I've never been with one of them long enough to figure out what else she might like. And..." he swallowed, frowning. "And Heather made pretty clear what she'd do if I ever dared to venture into that direction." He grimaced, though whether due to the reminder of Heather or what she'd threatened him with, Astrid couldn't tell.

With a small smile tugging at her lips, she reached for his hands and placed them back on her waist before leaning in to brush her lips against his.

"Well, I'm not Heather," she teasingly mumbled against his mouth, and it had the desired effect.

Hiccup chuckled and relaxed, holding her more firmly again. "No, you're most definitely not," he agreed, but then paused. "Does it... bother you? That I'm not as... as experienced in that area? I mean, I... I'd love to try, but..." Helplessly, he lifted his shoulders only to let them slump down again. Gods, he was so adorable.

"No, it doesn't bother me," she whispered, dropping her head to avert her eyes "It... it means I can be your first. I–" she took a deep breath as the full meaning of those words hit her. "I... didn't expect that. But I like it," she added, chuckling weakly.

Hiccup chimed in a moment later, nuzzling into her neck. "My first, my last, my one and only," he mumbled, making her giggle even more.

"So, do you want to try?" she asked after they'd calmed down again, feeling like he wouldn't approach that topic on his own again.

And sure enough, he started to fidget nervously right away. "Now?" he asked, his voice noticeably higher than usual.

Astrid fought not to chuckle or even grin at that. He was nervous, no point in teasing him further. "Sure, why not?" she asked as casually as she could. "I'm already fairly relaxed, and as far as I can tell, you're definitely hard enough." Okay, maybe a little teasing was acceptable...

"Yeah, I guess so," he replied with a shaky laughter, his hands running distractedly up and down her sides. "So... erm... what do you... ah... need me to do?"

"Mmhh... we need lube. And a condom wouldn't hurt either. We should have a few spare now, I think. Mind getting those? I have lube in my bedside table, second drawer, back left corner. Oh, and some baby wipes?"

The speed with which Hiccup lifted her off his lap and disappeared into the hallway that led to her room was honestly hilarious. Astrid had to bit her lip pretty hard as not to laugh out loud at his eagerness. He was back in record time, eyes gleaming in anticipation.

"Okay, what now?" he asked after they'd both stripped and were settled on the sofa again.

"Now, I need a little prep," she said, smirking at his member standing at full attention. "I won't be able to take you without."

She lay back, and showed him how to do it, how to massage her sphincter muscle until it permitted first one lubricated finger and then more. She let him try, and quickly began to enjoy the feeling of him fingering her open. Yes, she had long since learned to enjoy this kind of treatment, but having Hiccup doing it still felt so much better.

"Okay, that's enough," she gasped when he had three fingers easily wiggled into her.

He seemed mesmerised, and barely even registered her words, his dilated eyes glued to her body and how it was able to stretch.

"Hiccup?" she addressed him more directly, and, finally, he reacted.

"Mmmh?" came his distracted answer as he absentmindedly reached for a baby wipe to clean his hand. But at least his gaze returned to her face, if a little clouded.

Astrid sat up, and drew him into a deep kiss. She'd meant to distract him, to ease his nervousness, but it rather served to throw them both off track for a bit. His heavy body pressed her down into the cushions as he lay above her, barely remembering to support himself as he kissed her hungrily. He was all hands ravaging her hair and tongue ravaging her mouth, all skin sliding over skin. She let her hands roam up his back, searching and finding the scratches she'd marked him with, and he growled as her fingers brushed over them. A second later, his mouth was on her neck, biting and sucking, and she arched up against him in response. Gods, she needed to have him inside her, and soon.

"What now?" he growled against her skin. He sounded so eager, and yet he still gave her the lead.

"Condom. And more lube," Astrid replied, panting, her arousal betraying her own eagerness as well.

. o O o .

Hiccup followed every single one of Astrid's instructions. He still could barely believe that she actually wanted to do this, but he trusted her. He trusted her that she wouldn't do anything like this just for his sake alone.

With practised ease, he sheathed his cock, and whined needily when Astrid applied bounteous amounts of lube to both him and herself at the same time. This was really happening!

Then she turned, forearms resting on the sofa's backrest, and butt invitingly pointing in his direction.

"Like this?" he asked a little confused, but kneeled down between her legs nonetheless. He'd wanted to see her face, see her reactions, whether he hurt her or anything. As much as he was looking forward to this, he didn't want to hurt her.

"Yeah, it'll be easier that way," she replied, pushing back against his cock. "Just... stay still for a moment, okay? Let me..." she trailed off as his tip brushed over her hole, and they both gasped.

Ohgodsohgodsohgods, was all Hiccup was able to think as she slowly pushed back against him. Without much resistance, his tip slipped inside her, and his mind went utterly blank. She pushed further, and he watched himself sink into her, unable to come up with a single coherent thought.

"So tight..." he whimpered when her cheeks were pressed against his stomach, a sound that Astrid mimicked.

"Mmh... big..."

With shaking fingers, he reached for her, rubbing her back and holding her hips. He fought to further keep still, even though all he wanted was to move, to fuck into her soft and hot body. But he would be good, would wait for her to go on.

It took her a few seconds, seconds in which she twitched and clenched around his cock, seconds during which he thought he might go insane at any moment. But then she stirred, carefully pulling away, only to push back on him again. The movement elicited a moan from them both, and her head dropped down on her arms.

"Okay," she gasped, "Your turn. Just... go slowly at first, okay? It's been a while..."

Hiccup whimpered again, and nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see that. He grabbed her hips tighter, took a shaky breath, and began to move.

It felt weird, different. Slick with all the lube, so tight, so fucking tight, and hot as Hel. He pushed in and out of her, hesitantly, and tried to concentrate on being as gentle as he could be.

Astrid squirmed beneath is hands, trembled and twitched. Then she suddenly pushed back against him, just as he was about to push back in, making his thrust much harder than planned. She groaned loudly, and Hiccup stilled immediately.

"S-Sorry," he gasped. "Did... did I hurt you?"

Astrid, her face buried in the crook of her arm, shook her head. "No," she whimpered. "Didn't hurt... just... Gods..." She shivered, muscles clenching around him.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, worried. He let his hands glide up her smooth back in an attempt to distract them both.

"No!" came her urgent reply. "No, don't stop. Gods, no. Please–" she broke off, voice caught in her throat as she began to move on her own again.

And Hiccup understood.

She'd been serious.

She liked it.

He began to move again, carefully pushing into her tight channel, and her answering moans and whimpers were all the reassurance he needed. Soon, he became more confident, moved with more purpose, became a little faster, thrust a little harder, when her reactions kept spurring him on.

"Gods, Hiccup. Harder!" she begged, voice rough and needy.

Groaning, he complied, went harder, and faster, and harder still when she kept begging for more. Gods, she never got vocal like this. Soon, he was covered in sweat, and panting heavily. He fought not to come too early, to drag it out for her as long as possible, but it was hard. Thor almighty, she felt so good.

"Fuck... Astrid, I... nng... I..." he growled, vision blurring. He was close, so close to losing it. Only a few more thrusts, he wouldn't be able to hold out any longer. Her moans grew in volume, and somehow she seemed to tighten even more around him. It felt like she was choking him, sucking him in even deeper, and it was too much for him.

"Gods, yes! Aahh- Astrid! I... Fuck!" Hiccup shouted as he came, buried deep inside her. Her lustful noises carried him through his height and down afterwards. He tried to go on, as she wasn't done yet. But he softened too quickly, utterly spent after she'd milked him so thoroughly.

"Mmmhh, sorry," he mumbled against her back, embarrassed, and yet still stunned by the intense experience. Carefully, he pulled off the condom and wrapped it into a baby wipe, before slumping down onto the sofa. Mixed feelings crept up in his heart as Astrid snuggled into his side. For him, it had been great, but for her... he hadn't been good enough for her.

"Don't be sorry," she sighed happily. "That was fantastic, even better than I remembered. Or maybe it was just because it was finally you," she added, sounding thoughtful and completely serious.

For a while, Hiccup didn't reply. His arm lay limply over her shoulder, but he didn't dare to touch her further, and he wasn't sure what to do. "But you didn't come," he finally stated, eyes cast down. Sure, this had been his first anal sex, and he obviously had no experience there. And they didn't always climax together, and he could easily get her off otherwise. But still... No matter how much logic he applied, the nagging feeling wouldn't go away.

Not until Astrid chuckled quietly at his side.

"I never do from this," she murmured sleepily against his skin.

Hiccup frowned, and tried to make any rhyme or reason of her words, but finally gave up. "But you said you like anal sex. And now you say you can't come from it? That... that doesn't make much sense."

She sat up to look at him, probably finally sensing his mood. She smiled softly, and leaned in to peck his lips, before she explained, "It feels amazing. Not sure if you noticed, but I really enjoyed it. And I don't need an orgasm for this to feel good. I came before already, that's enough. For now, at least."

He gave her a long, scrutinising look, but then nodded. "You could have said that before, you know?" he pouted. Her explanation was enough for him. She had enjoyed it, that much had been obvious after all. But he didn't want to let her off the hook that easily.

But Astrid didn't fall for it.

"I could have," she grinned. "But that would have made you only even more reluctant. Now, you believe me at least." She cuddled back against his chest, and this time, he took her into his arms properly.

For a couple of minutes, they simply sat there, quietly basking in the afterglow, before Astrid pushed herself up on wobbly legs. It looked almost comically as she stumbled toward the bathroom, as if her legs weren't working right anymore.

"When did you get so drunk?" he asked teasingly as she returned in the same manner. It really looked funny.

But Astrid just poked her tongue out in reaction, and slumped back onto the sofa. "Very funny," she stated flatly, smirking at him good-humouredly. "Get used to it, that's how I'll be walking for the rest of the day. And tomorrow, too, probably. Your fault entirely!"

Sobering up in an instant again, Hiccup pushed himself up to give her a serious look. "Did I hurt you after all?" he asked anxiously. "Gods, Astrid, you should have stopped me. I didn't want to hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's just because of all those loosened-up muscles. I won't be able to walk straight for a day or so. And I won't be able to sit without my butt stinging for a couple more days, but that's alright."

"Astrid," he began, worried, but she interrupted him directly.

"It's fine, Hiccup! It's just a bruise. Every time I sit down my butt will sting, and I'll remember this amazing hot sex we had. And, damn, did you fuck me good!" she said dreamily. Then she awkwardly climbed onto his lap, facing him, and wound her arms around his neck. Her hands lightly caressed the almost completely healed scratches she'd left on his back over a week ago. "It's like these, sweet little reminders. Just funnier, for you at least." She grimaced, but he could see the amused glint in her eyes.

"Alright," he accepted her explanation. But she would have to live with getting pampered for a few days, he decided. Just to make it up to her.

Smiling warmly, she leaned in and kissed him. Maybe it was simply meant as a short peck, but it ended in a long and intense liplock, one of those where neither noticed the passing of time anymore.

What finally tore them out of enjoying each other was the music.

"I swear, if that menu theme plays even one more time, I'm going to throw the Blu Ray player out of the window," Astrid mumbled, voice saturated by humour despite her unnerved words.

"Totally understandable," Hiccup agreed. "Another thing though... have you noticed anything about the film? Because... I haven't," he added, grinning.

"No, me neither," she replied, giggling. "I guess we'll need to watch it again. How awful..."

"Mmmh, horrible," he chimed in, but then became serious again, if a little corny maybe. "I'd watch it a thousand times with you. And maybe, we'll even make it through it one day."

"Oh, I plan to accomplish that today," she said, sounding quite determined, and reached for the remote controller.

"Maybe we should skip the first twenty minutes or so, though," he mused. "You know, to turn the odds in our favour." They shared a look, and then simultaneously shook their heads.

"No, those are too fantastic already," Astrid giggled. "I want to see Thor sassing out Surtur while dangling on that chain again. And Loki falling for thirty minutes. We can't miss that!"

They made themselves comfortable on the sofa again, cuddled together under one of their soft blankets, and started the film again.

And this time, they actually managed to watch it all.

Okay, I hope this was enough in forms of compensation for the previous two chapters ;)

It also was the last of the epilogues I planned to write. There are at least two more I want to write from your prompts, namely the handcuff-story and ten years later. But I'm not sure when I'm going to write those, as I want to focus more on my next project from now on. Stay tuned ;)

[baepsaetan]

Inkarnate

Summary: Hoseok is a film student looking for muse, and Yoongi is a tattoo artist looking for money. When they meet, the two find that they could give each other far more than creativity and cash, but soulmate isn’t spelled p.e.r.f.e.c.t, and Yoongi’s tattoos cover up more than just his skin.

Chapters: pt.1, pt.2, pt.3, pt.4, pt.5, pt.6, pt.7, pt.8, pt.9, pt.10, pt.11

Genre: Soulmate! AU, Angst

Warnings: Swearing, implied alcoholism, implied past abuse, seriously a lot of angst, eventual smut.

Length: 6.9k

A/N: This chapter made me very soft and I enjoyed writing it quite a bit. I hope you all enjoy it as well, and drop me an ask or reblog to lemme know what you think!

The next two months tumble by so quickly they trip over each other. At any given point in time, Hoseok would be hard pressed to correctly guess the current date, plus or minus three days. School rises like a black tidal wave, and he barely makes it over the crest of each deadline and test. He does, though, and so do each of his roommates, each with their own typical style. Jimin is practically surfing, while Jungkook needs to go to doggy-paddling lessons to stay ahead of his practices and classwork. Taehyung has so many friends willing to help him out – and justly so, for he’s equally as willing – that he never seems to be in danger of drowning.

That’s enough as is, but Hoseok is also spending a lot of time on his project. Perhaps too much time, is Jimin’s cautious suggestion, but for once he ignores his friend’s advice. It’s comfortable to be consumed by the planning, the positioning, the infinitesimal little details that are going to make his film perfect. He schedules a lot of meetings with Yoongi – maybe, strictly speaking, a few more than necessary – but as long as the tattoo artist is giving his assent, Hoseok can stretch new reasons for showing up at Born Tiger. There’s always another new angle to pitch, a new series of shots to capture, a new question and a new answer, and if they don’t always talk about the filming, if their conversation strays into the territory of history and tears, hopes and fears, well, neither of them seem to mind much.

Seokjin and Namjoon come up blank on the soulmate front. He has absolutely no doubt they’ve asked everyone possible, but as time escapes, so too does Hoseok’s hope of finding whoever belongs to his tattoo. It’s a strange thing to look in the mirror every morning, his fingers tracing the clear lines of his tattoo, and give up more and more on the promise it’s supposed to represent. Even worse, slowly – so slowly he might not have noticed had he not observed it almost obsessively every day – the flower grows. It’s inching up his throat now, leaves unfurling further down his chest, and it seems healthier, too. Brighter. He’s not imagining things. Taehyung commented on it, just the other day.

And what does that mean? The tattoos change based on your soulmate, everyone knows that. The meanings aren’t always obvious, but in this case it seems pretty clear-cut. Somewhere, his soulmate is maturing or growing or doing something that’s making them better in general, and they’re doing it without him. It’s a bittersweet feeling to be happy for someone he’s never met, to be happy that they’re doing well with no help from him.

His own state makes it a lot easier to bear, though. Hoseok might not have bet on it, but he’s pretty sure that, whatever his tattoo is, it’s changed in the last few months, too. Or if it hasn’t, it’s not a very good tattoo. He’s – he’s felt… better, recently. Lighter. Like the people breathing down his neck have been unceremoniously shoved away, giving him space. Of slightly less comfort is the reason for that transformation.

Rearranging the camera for the fifth time, critically panning the screen to find the best angle, Hoseok glances down the hallway to where Yoongi disappeared. The artist had mumbled something about cleaning something for a few minutes, but it’s been more time than that. Well, if he’s learned anything – and he has, he definitely has – it’s that Yoongi won’t be rushed, and complaining will just make him more obstinate. So Hoseok hums instead, idly flipping through his notebook to study the series of questions he wants to ask during this interview. Most of them are technical or professional in nature – well suited to his film – though others touch on a more personal note that might not make it into the showcase.

It’s a pleasure to rewatch them later, regardless, and he tells himself it’s just a good way to understand his subject’s mindset a little more.

He stifles a yawn – he can’t be tired, they’re going out after this – and checks his phone. It’s 9:20, which means they’ll only have half an hour or so to get the questions done. It’s not a big deal, because Yoongi’s always fair about making up time if they start late, but he had wanted to work some more on editing over the weekend. Oh well. He’ll work with what he gets. Maybe his future hangover will be glad for the lighter load.  

“You coming?” Yoongi’s voice calls from the narrow hallway, and he startles out of his thoughts. Coming? As in… Cautiously he makes his way out of the office, checking both of the tattooing rooms – empty. The artist isn’t in the lobby, either, and it’s only when Hoseok starts back, eyebrows furrowed, that he appears – at the top of the stairs leading to the living area that Hoseok’s never seen before.

“Umm,” he says, thoroughly taken aback. His few attempts to earn an invitation upstairs have never panned out, and he’s never pushed hard about it, respecting Yoongi’s privacy. This is completely out of the blue, and part of him suspects a misunderstanding, which would be seriously, maybe fatally embarrassing if he started up and Yoongi called him out for it. With that lurking fear, he remains very firmly where he is.

“Come on, you can spare a few minutes,” the man says, his pale face unusually flushed. “I’ll just pull some overtime next session, promise.”

Still Hoseok hesitates, caught between a sudden, sharp interest and the lingering worry that he’s still not understanding properly. “You mean – come upstairs?”

“No, I mean stare at the wall.” Scrunching his face in a cute way that smooths the sandpaper dryness of his voice, Yoongi adds, “Yeah, I mean come upstairs.” A beat. “Please?”    

That’s about as open an invitation as he could hope for. Hoseok goes up quickly, his heart moving almost as fast as his feet. He’s been curious about this from the very first day, but his enthusiasm is more fueled by surprise that Yoongi’s decided to open the second floor up to him. Surprise and something warmer, something deep in his stomach.

When he spills through the doorway at the top – almost tripping on the last stair – he finds Yoongi standing in the midst of a largely empty space, hands playing with a loose thread on the baggy sweater he’s got on. He doesn’t meet Hoseok’s eyes, but mutters, “We haven’t figured out what we’re doing tonight, but if a few of you guys decide to stay over, you should at least have seen up here.”

Grinning, briefly resisting the urge to start looking around, Hoseok cocks his head. “I thought you said we’d sleep in the tattoo chairs?”

Yoongi jerks his gaze up, glaring threateningly. “Could still happen,” he says, but as Hoseok dramatically quails, hands raised placatingly, the glower breaks apart and he laughs. “Even if it happens, you can call first dibs on the couch. Make the kids grab the chairs.” Just a little more relaxed – although his cheeks are still stained with a hint of pink – he makes a short, hesitant gesture, an encouragement.

Hoseok doesn’t need to be asked twice. His eyes snap around the artist as he pivots, taking in the area, and it becomes immediately obvious he doesn’t need to fake any kind of reaction. In fact, he’s only partially successful in smothering his urge to gawk.

The living space is split into two separate rooms, as well as a short hallway, and from where they’re standing he can see into all three. On the right there’s a tiled kitchen with themes of white and brown. It’s simple, but someone with an eye for design definitely had a hand in choosing the slightly darker cabinets that compliment the counters, the slender fridge that doesn’t clash with the elegant dining table off to the side. There are two windows that, during the day, probably help to majorly expand the space and let in a lot of light.

In front of them, between the two rooms, the hallway leads to two closed doors, which Yoongi offhandedly informs him are a laundry room and a bathroom.

The other side of the hallway, led into by a light hardwood floor, is what really captures Hoseok’s attention. It’s an incredibly open living room, with the far left wall made almost completely of tall windows. There are several lights on right now, throwing the space into a soft glow in the night, but he can imagine how cool the room looks when the sun is out. Beyond a couch, a coffee table and a TV, there’s a ton of plants scattered around. Hoseok suspects Jin’s hand in that, but the green isn’t what holds his interest. Opposite the windows is a short black staircase that leads up into a half-room, loft-type bedroom. From where they are he can just barely make out the edge of a low bed, pressed against a black railing that lines the edge of the loft, though the rest is obscured by the height of the room.

“It’s not much,” Yoongi says from his side. “I dunno why you wanted to see it so bad.”

He knows, without ever having put it into words, exactly why he wanted to see it so badly. Amusement bubbles in his chest, and he shakes his head, walks a bit further into the area. “Hyung, I hate you,” he says, and, as the tattoo artist blanches and stops dead, he spreads his arms wide, encompassing the whole room. “Do you know how many cool interview clips I could have got from this? This is a good enough background to show on TV.”

Colour rushing back into his face, Yoongi laughs too, and, as the lanky student turns to look at him, suddenly breaks into one of the smiles that Hoseok would sacrifice his favorite camera to get a video of. Gummy, wide, and open beyond anything Hoseok has come to expect from the artist, the first time he’d seen it he’d almost had a heart attack. Time and familiarity hasn’t really dulled the sensation, and he has to consciously beat back the impulse to clutch at his chest and make a sound reserved for the sight of kittens and puppies. He can’t stop the grin, though, and it only grows when Yoongi speaks.

“Don’t get too excited; it’s just a room. But – well, if you want some shots up here, I guess I don’t really care. I’m definitely not doing any tattooing, but I sometimes sketch up in my loft…” He subsides, clearly embarrassed by making the suggestion, but Hoseok could have squealed with joy at the rare attempt at really engaging with his project.

Actually, he does squeal, and Yoongi’s wince in response is clearly put-on. “Wahhh, good idea! Which way are the windows facing? Do you get a sunrise or a sunset? That would be such a cool shot!” A little pretentious, too, and he might not even use it for the project itself, but who could say no to getting a clip like that?

“You’re not catching me awake for a sunrise,” Yoongi replies, “but, lucky for you, yeah, you can sometimes see the sunset.” Before Hoseok can completely lose it in excitement, the artist hurries on. “Okay, okay, so, the closet over there has a bunch of extra blankets, plus a couple of pillows. The couch is a pull out, and it’s actually pretty comfortable. The fridge has got, uh… food… And, uh.” His hand finds the back of his neck, rubbing at it as he fumbles for something else to say.

“Hyung,” Hoseok says, “Even if we crash here, you’re going to be here too. You can tell us then.”

Yoongi scowls. “I know that, but who knows how drunk you idiots will be? Least this way part of the responsibility is on your head.”

“I didn’t agree to that,” Hoseok protests, and Yoongi just shrugs with a lazy, sardonic motion.

“Sucks, man.”

“Aish, fine. We can babysit the kids together,” Hoseok grumbles, and then they’re both laughing, breaking up any other words they might have said in a breathless wash of hilarity. The mere idea of either of them being responsible for anyone beyond themselves – not to mention that his younger roommates probably have their stuff together better than he does – is so ridiculous Hoseok can’t get his gasping under control, and Yoongi is in a similar state.

“Gee-zus,” the artist wheezes. “Can you – imagine babysitting – them? When they were – kids? Taehyung would be -” And then he’s off again, neither them holding out against the waves of mirth that make them lean against each other for support as they shake with laughter.

It’s in moments like this that Hoseok feels it the most, that gut-wrenching sensation that is in such blatant disregard of the fact that he has a soulmate. He can’t really kid himself about what it is – at best he can lower it to the level of an infatuation, although even that rings hollow. He doesn’t know how else to describe the feeling that unapologetically slams into him when Yoongi laughs, or explains a technical point about tattooing with so much enthusiasm…. Even when he says nothing at all, just sketches or sits quietly while Hoseok edits a clip, it’s there. Hell, even seeing Yoongi with his customers – which he’s done five or six times now - and the care he takes for their requests, the understated kindness, brings forward the demanding, steady emotion, and he’s helpless to make it stop.

He used to think you needed time to get to know someone, but it’s been all of two months and there’s a connection with Yoongi he doesn’t have with anyone except, maybe, Jimin. And if the way he catches Yoongi looking at him sometimes – a look quickly discarded with a scowl or a sarcastic comment – he suspects the feeling is mutual. That makes another question rise, one much, much harder to consider and that much harder to ask.

There are a lot of tattoos snaking across Yoongi’s skin. They’re almost everywhere on his body, a medley of colours and meaning and moments that mingle with each other in a tapestry Hoseok can’t quite read. But sometimes, sometimes… In a slew of confusion and self-derision and paper-thin hope, the kind that creases far too easily, Hoseok can’t help but wonder if it’s so weird to imagine that, maybe – maybe one of those tattoos, one of those moments, belongs to him.

He’s sobered, the laughter petering out, and Yoongi is staring at him, so Hoseok claps sharply enough that they both jump. “Yeah, well, it’s good we have a cool place to stay if we don’t end up taking an Uber. Still, we’ve got -” he checks his phone as an excuse to look down, “about twenty minutes. You up for a few more questions?”

The pause suggests his companion is considering something, but eventually Yoongi says, “I can’t believe you haven’t ran out of questions yet. Your movie’s gonna be seven hundred hours long.”

That’s a tacit agreement, and Hoseok takes one last look around the room before tramping back downstairs and settling down in the office, behind the camera he’s so painstakingly set up. The tattooist is a little more hesitant, but eventually he perches on the edge of the chair in front of the camera. There’s something incredibly endearing about his discomfort, even after the twentieth or so time being interviewed. To be fair, he’s gotten better; he doesn’t tell Hoseok to erase everything or edit out parts every thirty seconds anymore.

“Okay,” Yoongi says, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. “Lay it on me.”

Hoseok snorts in amusement, and then he’s fiddling with the stand-up camera, making some last-minute adjustments, lowering the saturation and upping the lighting a little. For all that his film partner insists to the contrary, Yoongi looks good on screen, even on the small side screen of the camera. Hoseok always uses the lighting and saturation to makes sure his tattoos pop, but its not the tattoos that have the engaging personality and intensity and tentative willingness to share an experience, so he’s mostly switched to focusing on his subject instead of the markings. Sometimes he worries he’s not focusing on the art itself quite enough – but that’s a hurdle to be leapt later.

Clearing his throat, Hoseok adopts a smooth voice that had been difficult to maintain at the beginning – especially for the few days when Yoongi had decided to start making ugly faces to get him to mess up. He’s not sad that that’s over, at least in a purely productive sense. They start where they left off last time, talking more about the history of tattooing and the ways that various styles have developed. Yoongi seems quite knowledgeable about it, and he’s leaps and bounds ahead of where he used to be; he barely hesitates or stutters, and there’s a distinctive confidence in his delivery that’d been lacking at the beginning.

Once they’ve covered some talking points, Hoseok asks his summary question, as is standard.  

“There’s really a lot of history behind tattooing, isn’t there?”

Head bobbing in agreement, Yoongi says, “Yeah, there’s a shiii – ah, super, um, lot of history.” The swearing is probably his biggest issue; though Hoseok’s told him a few curses here and there are fine, he seems determined to keep it as clean as possible. “I talked about how old it is as an art, right? Well, uh, that’s probably one of the coolest things about tattooing. For me, I mean.” He gives a short, deprecating jerk of his shoulders. “History is – it’s important. Tattooing changes a lot, its got tons of different influences, and even the reasons for getting tattoos changes. But at the end of the day – it’s a connection, you know? A connection that’s been around for centuries. Definitely something I try to remember, especially when I’m trying out a new style or whatever.”

Ah, there it is again. That tightness in his chest. Yoongi is just so earnest when he talks about this. Beating that back, Hoseok prompts the new conversation topic carefully, “So you do try out new styles? I thought tattoo artists usually develop one or two specific kinds they use?”

“I mean, I think we already covered that there’s no hard rule for any of this, but yeah, most of us do usually stick to a few types. For one, all artists – not just tattooers – have their own style that grows and develops over time, right? For another, it helps people who are looking for something specific to be able to see an example of our work and be like, ‘yeah, that’s what I want.’ If it was a huge mess of different styles – well, that wouldn’t be as easy.”

He hasn’t looked at the camera yet – that’s not new – but now Yoongi forces his eyes up, and Hoseok smiles encouragingly while the other swallows hard. “Uh, for me, though… I just don’t want to get, like, trapped in just one kind. Looking at other styles, even if its just sketching them instead of putting them on other people, it just helps me become better at my own stuff, makes me aware of all of the cool changes that are happening in our world.”

A pause while he gropes for more words, and Hoseok waits patiently, recognizing the signs of him searching for a way to say something. The pauses aren’t exactly great from an editing standpoint, but they’re as honest as anything can be, so he doesn’t care. Eventually Yoongi continues. “If – for me, you can’t ever really settle with what you’re doing, cause as soon as you settle, you’ve stopped moving. And you can’t do that. When you move, when you go to new places or try new things, you grow, and that’s what I – I just want to make sure my art keeps growing. That I keep growing.” He laughs, and the sound’s oddly bitter. “At least for as long as I can.”                

That’s another thing that’s popped up on more than one occasion, flashes of cynicism that Hoseok’s yet to find the full reason for. He understands why Yoongi would be bitter about his past, but it seems like he holds the future in contempt sometimes, too. Without knowing why, it’s not something he can incorporate into his project, and Hoseok realizes they’re edging close to the limit of their time. He stops the recording and flashes the artist a thumbs up.

“Nice, hyung. I’m gonna play around with that this weekend. Y’know, you’re getting better at this whole thing!”

“Hah. Sure. I just hope your teacher doesn’t dock marks for me being so ugly.”

There’s no point in directly contradicting him; while Hoseok still does, on occasion, Yoongi tends to shrug off his compliments and contradictions as easily as other people shrug off jackets. Instead, Hoseok says, “Nah, she’s going to give me bonus points for my brilliant choice to feature you.”

“I am brilliant, yes,” is the deliberately thick-headed reply – Yoongi enjoys being contrary almost as much as he loves insulting himself – and Hoseok huffs in disgust while the tattooist stretches with a self-satisfied, taunting smile. In another life, he’s pretty sure his film subject would have really enjoyed being onstage – maybe as a singer or something – but Yoongi tends to suppress that side of himself, and it only comes out in little shots of arrogance and smugness… like now.

Hoseok has no complaints. “We should probably head out soon, if we wanna get there around ten. Namjoon and Jin hyung are meeting us there, right?”

“Yeah. Your crowd’s already there?”

Though the disparaging title might have began as a purposefully mocking label, Yoongi’s eaten his words and then some by now. Hoseok’s younger friends have taken to Namjoon, Jin and Yoongi like ducklings to water, and indeed they often have plans with the older males outside of whatever outings Hoseok manages to scramble together. With a major in business, Namjoon has been a huge help with a lot of the courses Jungkook is struggling in, and the two grab coffees every Wednesday morning to go over notes. Taehyung, it turns out, has a passion for gardening, and he’s currently waging war on all the plants in and around their apartment, trying to get them to straighten out with Jin’s guidance.

More than a little to his surprise, even Jimin, who normally takes quite awhile to warm up beyond a shallow smile, has made it clear he likes the other group. He and Yoongi share an appreciation of the piano – go figure – and they regularly head to the park, where a free-to-play, outdoor piano passes an hour or two in between classes or clients. Yoongi can’t play, but he’s getting Jimin to teach him. Thinking of any or all of them together brings a novel kind of softness to Hoseok, a happiness he’s almost afraid of looking at too closely in case it blinds him or disappears; he’s never had a group of friends like this before.

That’s getting altogether too close to the line of panic, so Hoseok shakes himself, dog-like, and exclaims, “Our crowd’s already there, yup. Jimin texted me, said he’s saved us a spot.”

“Then what’re we waiting for?” His gummy grin crooked across his face, Yoongi urges Hoseok out of the office and then upstairs. “I just need to change really quick. Did you bring anything else to change into?”

“Nah,” Hoseok replies, hanging out at the top of the stairs while Yoongi goes up to his bedroom loft. “I’m just gonna wear this.” He tugs at the black t-shirt he’s got on, suddenly wondering if there’s something wrong with it.

Yoongi quickly dispels that fear. “’Kay,” he calls from above, short enough that he obviously doesn’t care what Hoseok is wearing to the club. “I’ll just be a sec.”

From where he lounges against the wall, the university student can make out his friend tearing off his sweater – and he’s not wearing anything underneath. His back is to Hoseok, and while the angle’s not ideal, he can still make out the tiger that lunges across his shoulder blades, done in the same blue and black colours as the tiger gracing the glass front of the store. There are a few other tattoos that are smaller, too far away to discern their shapes – and Yoongi is turning and Hoseok jerks his straining eyes down, a cascade of embarrassment falling into his stomach, hot with the knowledge that he wasn’t just admiring the tattoos.

The embarrassment doesn’t really do much to dispel the appreciation, unfortunately.

He busies himself with checking out the kitchen, determined not to cave in to the desire to look again. He’s not kept in uncomfortable agony for long; as promised, shortly his friend is trotting back into view, hands in the pockets of his blue jean jacket. That new addition, coupled with the bright blue beanie shoved over his blonde hair, is so striking that Hoseok forgets to look around for a moment and stares at the artist instead.

Who stares right back, his raised eyebrow sarcastic but his mouth softened by the barest hint of a smile. “What?” he asks in amusement, and Hoseok can feel a flush of heat crawling up his neck.

“Ahaha, nothing,” he says, and quickly flees downstairs. He pauses at the door, eyeing askance the backpack he usually sets near the entrance when he arrives. Damn. He doesn’t really want to take it – it’s got his more expensive DSLR camera along with a few specialty lenses – but if they do end up going home instead of crashing here…  

“Uh, Yoongi? You care if I leave my stuff here?” Hoseok asks, toeing the bag and wondering if he should feel more or less awkward about the question than he does. Given the reaction still churning in his gut, probably more, but he’d rather look beyond that. If they’re already planning to sleep here, what’s the big deal about leaving a few things?

If he finds the request significant, it doesn’t show on Yoongi’s face – but then again, Hoseok’s learning his new friend has got more than a slightly bad habit of hiding what he’s thinking. “Yeah, sure. I can pawn it in the morning to feel better about my hangover.”

“Ha ha,” Hoseok replies, and pulls on both a sweater and the winter coat he’d thrown onto the desk when he’d come in, adding gloves and a hat a moment later. “Are you going to be warm enough in that?” he asks, eyeing the thin jean jacket that Yoongi makes no move to layer.

Pulling at his beanie, the artist wrinkles his nose. “Yeah, mom, thanks. It’s not a far walk.”

His lips compress, but eventually he decides to leave it alone, and together the two of them exit out of the Born Tiger. He somewhat second guesses his choice only moments later; short walk or no, it’s freezing out. The dark street is crusted with snow and ice, and it’s snowing even now, flurries of white snapping at their faces and impeding their progress. If Yoongi isn’t cold, he’s not human. He clearly is, though, because he walks with his chin tucked to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around his body, and it makes Hoseok chilly just looking at him.

“You sure you don’t want to go back and grab something warmer?” the film major asks after only a few minutes. The glower Yoongi sends his way isn’t particularly off putting, given that his eyebrows and head are streaked with snow, his cheeks stained red and his teeth visibly chattering, so Hoseok persists. “Or, do you want my jacket?” Seeing his friend shiver is about as appealing as dumping a bucket of ice water on himself; in fact, it’s so uncomfortable Hoseok can feel himself beginning to shiver as well despite his many layers.

“No,” Yoongi replies, presumably to both suggestions, and it’s not like Hoseok’s going to manage to make him move once he’s decided something.

Still, there are other ways. Pulling off his gloves, he shoves them to the other man. Yoongi’s brow furrows, the suggestion of a scowl turning down his mouth, and he stares flatly at them. “My coat’s thicker,” Hoseok says, “and I can just put my hands in the pockets.”

After a moment his companion relents, takes them gently from Hoseok’s grasp. That’s been a pleasant and useful discovery in the last few months; Yoongi won’t accept bigger offers of help, but if you present something smaller on the heels of the first, he tends to fold.

Or at least, Yoongi never says no to Hoseok, whenever he finds enough courage to push.

His fingers flexing in the gloves, Yoongi’s voice is gruff with embarrassment but warm enough to drive away the stinging cold assailing Hoseok. “Thank you.”

The student beams and the warmth only grows. “No problem,” he says, and the next few minutes are easy silence and quick footsteps, both of them eager to get out of the weather. At this late hour, Skymont’s traffic – both foot and otherwise – has largely slowed, and he sees only a few people hurrying through the flurries, as bundled up as he is. His plan to keep his hands warm in his pockets isn’t quite working out – he forgot his pockets aren’t big enough to stuff his hands into – but it’s still better than the man next to him suffering.

There’s something intimate about moving through the falling snow, passing under the soft, muffled glow of the street lamps with Yoongi, like the scattered white is a screen between them and everyone else. It almost makes braving the freezing temperatures worth it.

“When is your last exam? Are you ready for all of them?” Yoongi speaks comfortably after awhile, softly easing aside the silence instead of breaking it. He doesn’t often ask after Hoseok’s life, his school or family, but every so often questions like these surface, sending unusual little ripples across their normally smooth conversation. It’s jarring because when he asks, he doesn’t withhold his interest; in fact, Yoongi listens so intently it’s like he’s giving himself permission to do something pleasant that’s only going to last for a second, and he wants to enjoy it while it’s there.

Which is probably a stupid sentiment on Hoseok’s part or something, because obviously Yoongi can ask whatever he wants about his life, whenever he likes. Hoseok is uncomfortably certain there’s nothing the artist could inquire about that he’d decline to answer, no matter how private or personal.

Well. This is just exams. “Last exam is Thursday. I actually already had one yesterday, but I think I’ll do okay on the rest.” He’s going to cram both tomorrow and Sunday (probably with mixed results, especially Saturday), but he’s already done a lot of studying and is pretty much prepared. That doesn’t stop the screaming test anxiety, of course, but it’s nothing new.

“The way Jimin talks, you’ll do great,” Yoongi says, and it’s part question, part statement.

That almost makes him trip. He hadn’t really thought that they might be talking about him when they were hanging out. “Oh, ah, I dunno,” Hoseok laughs, his hands shaking fists tucked under his arms. “I guess we’ll see. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Yoongi glances at him sidelong. “You’re seriously not nervous at all? Hearing you guys talking about it so much this last bit, I think I’d be losing my shit.”

Shrugging, the student replies, “I mean, I think everyone else has a lot harder courses, so I can’t complain.”

“Actually, you can. Just ‘cause other people have it hard, doesn’t mean you can’t be having it hard too, Hobi.” Hoseok doesn’t know what to say to that, and after a pause, Yoongi forges on. “You don’t really ever talk about shit you’re going through, do you? And even when you do, it’s, like, not a big deal, and no one needs to think about it or anything.”

There’s that personal line they always end up crossing, and the stiffness in his fingers makes him flex them restlessly. His short laughter billows out white and cold in front of his face. “That’s because it isn’t a big deal and I don’t want to bother anyone. Besides, I’m so lucky with – with my parents and all – that it’d be stupid and unfair to ever complain.”

“You’re talking about money.”

The bluntness makes Hoseok internally wince, but he finds himself nodding, drawn out by the private cocoon of darkness and quiet. “Not everyone else has money like I do. You, Jimin, Kookie… you guys don’t want to hear me whine about something stupid like tests.”

Yoongi’s breathing is a gauge of his thoughts, slow, deep, pensive. He says, “Are you paying your teachers this semester? Getting them to give you better grades or something?”

“No!” The answer bursts out indignantly, faster than his realization of why the artist is asking.

Laughter rolls from his companion and Hoseok blushes at his indignant response having jumped straight into the trap. “So, if your money has nothing to do with it, then why shouldn’t you get to feel just as nervous about it? If it’s hard, or if you get a bad mark, again… Being rich has nothing to do with that. Don’t feel like we’ll hate to hear about it. You must know Jimin won’t, and trust me, neither will Kookie, or me… or any of us.”

He’s known Yoongi for a little more than two months and – and he believes him. Maybe time is exactly why. Jimin’s said that before, too, but Jimin is his childhood friend; Jimin is supposed to say that. The artist, on the other hand, is practically a stranger – except… not – and his words carry less well-meaning earnestness and more offhand truth. They have to. Why would some newly made friend say anything like that with anything more than disinterested sincerity?

The cynical calculation doesn’t account for the way Yoongi keeps looking at him, hasty, darting glances to check his reaction, and it doesn’t explain the way Hoseok suddenly feels lighter, eager, the drinking and dancing ahead of them abruptly a joy instead of a chore. Most of the math he’s tried to apply to their relationship doesn’t really work out the way it’s supposed to, but he guesses there’s a reason he didn’t go into the maths or sciences. Sometimes two plus two can’t equal four, even when it’s supposed to.

A shiver of appreciation glides down his spine, separate from the cold, and he tilts his head playfully. “Thanks, Yoongi. I’ll take you up on the complaining thing, sometime.”

“Mmhm. It’s probably less expensive than a shrink, too.”

“Probably?”

“What, you thought it’d be free?” They laugh at it, at an awkward social situation that’s quickly morphed into a joke. Hoseok’s positive that even once his project’s over, Yoongi’s not going to suddenly stop seeing him, and that makes the joking about money and cost into something enjoyable. As they simmer down, Yoongi tacks on, “Tell you what. I’ll give you a discount if you listen to all of my shit, too.”

He could have made a jab about the exchange not being even, but hearing Yoongi’s shit – finally, finally learning about the shadow that crosses his face so often – is something that Hoseok’s been yearning after for what feels like an eternity. “It’s a deal,” he says, fervently, firmly, and doesn’t miss the way his companion’s eyes linger on him, considering, before tearing away.

“It’s a deal,” Yoongi repeats, lightly ironic. “Before I die, you and I can swap our deepest darkest secrets.” He pauses. “Of course, I’m gonna be smashed at the time, so who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky tonight.”

Hoseok wishes his mind didn’t immediately go where it does, but he can’t really fault himself for it. Flushing – and hoping Yoongi can’t see – Hoseok picks up his pace, not quite managing to leave the heat of that exact hope behind.

—

It’s a surprise, albeit a welcome one, when Yoongi realizes that what he’s said to Hoseok might actually have helped a little. Most of the time, when he attempts to give advice to people – and those times are few and far between, because there can’t really be a worse joke than that – it’s a shot in the dark. A “close your eyes and pray” sort of thing. Judging by the way Hoseok’s smiling though, the curl of his lips obvious even in the dim lighting, his words actually made an impact. A positive one, even. That’s not how these things usually turn out.

Yoongi isn’t complaining.

Of course, this is all a joke, a scam, a story with the last few pages ripped out, but it’s just so hard to resist reading the next line, to stop his thoughts from jumping ahead to wonder “well, and how does this end?” Hoseok’s a book he can’t put down, one of those thrilling, heart wrenching paperbacks you find in some shitty second-hand store that you buy for the hell of it and never for a moment regret. Oh, he’s going to regret getting to the end – you always do, with a good book - but there’s already a part of him fighting the idea that it would have been better to have never met Hobi at all.

Sometimes you just have to accept you can’t be different than what you are, and Yoongi can’t stop wanting to be around Hoseok. That’s why he’s even here, that’s why he agreed to go out. It’s probably a terrible idea – him and people and alcohol and emotions don’t mix – but the way Hoseok had kept pushing, always hopeful, had made him think that maybe, for just a night, he could hold his shit together. That’s not too much to ask from the author of this messed up story, right?

At least he’s enjoying himself now, and even without the alcohol. “We’re pretty close,” he observes, and that’s a relief and then some. Hoseok’s gloves have done wonders for his hands, but the jacket really isn’t thick enough in any sense of the word. Not that he’s about to tell his companion that, and besides, the gloves make it bearable. He glances at Hoseok at the thought, well aware of the way his expression softens. The other looks like he just walked into a snowbank and barely made it out – not that Yoongi expects he looks much better – and he’s shaking as he walks, quick little shivers that seem to be a mixture of pent-up enthusiasm and cold.

“Are your hands okay?” he asks abruptly, and Hoseok’s steps falter, which is an even better answer than the way he blusters and says yeah. “Want the gloves back?” Yoongi already knows the answer to that; people call him stubborn, and he is, like a rock, but Hoseok is stubborn too, in the flexible way that water dances around an obstacle but doesn’t ever stop flowing.

“Nah, nah, you said we’re close,” the student says. “I’m fine.”

He’s not. It’s the bond, probably, but either way Yoongi’s absolutely positive his soulmate is very uncomfortable right now. He can practically feel the coldness as a ghostly ice against his own hands and fingers, and what’s the point of wearing the gloves if he has to deal with that? It makes it reasonable, logical even, to make the suggestion that he does. Totally logical.

“Wanna hold hands?”

All else aside, Hoseok’s reaction makes the request worth it on that alone. The lanky man almost falls backwards, he tries to stop so suddenly, and his breath explodes out in a white cloud that isn’t replaced for a few seconds as Hobi sputters. “What?” he croaks, and it’s that emotional honesty that Yoongi really likes about Hoseok. Sure, he tries to hide his anxieties, but most of the other emotions, enjoyment or disgust or disbelief, he wears them on his sleeve.

Or on his bright red face, in this case. “At least it’ll warm up one of them,” Yoongi says, straight faced, pushing away his own misgivings. It’s not like holding hands can make what he’s doing worse. He extends his gloved hand with a curt motion to keep himself from regretting it.

When Hoseok tentatively accepts, the regret washes away in a flood of soft satisfaction. Their hands don’t match perfectly, no fairy-tale shit like that – Yoongi’s is just a little bigger, and the glove makes it a little awkward at first – but there’s something unshakeably secure about holding onto Hoseok. About Hoseok holding on to him. The muted relief and delight on his soulmate’s face only pour cement onto the physical bond, and Yoongi tightens his grip, already dreading the prospect of letting go.

“Better?” he asks, a little mocking, because he’s supposed to tease his friend about this kind of thing.

“Better,” Hoseok agrees, a little breathless, because he wasn’t cute enough already with his abashed happiness.  

His fingers twined around his soulmate’s, a thrillingly light feeling unfurling in his chest, Yoongi lets himself believe that it is, against all calculations, better.

[littlefrenchdog]

All About French Bulldogs

Typically, the Frenchie is one of the most vibrant dogs around. Their open playfulness and bat-shaped ears, combined with their loving relationship with people, make them great pets. They are very often sought after due to their compact size, allowing them to live in most dwelling environments and requiring little exercise. They are not overly fond of barking either so fit apartment-style living comfortably.

French Bulldog Pup

History

The history of the French Bulldog is one that includes three countries and not just its namesake, French. The other two countries of importance are England and America. England was the origin of the French Bulldog in its original incarnation.  Being bred from the old English Bulldog. Breeders in France breed these bulldogs into the small framed bulldogs that we know today. America comes into play in the dictated that a real French bulldog must have the distinctive "bat-shaped ears". The English Bulldog that they originated from does not look like the one we know today but one that was bred for the sport of bull-baiting over 200 years ago. Many English bulldog breeders began to change the breed around this time to a bigger, heavier dog with exaggerated features. Others crossbred them with terriers resulting in the bull-and-terrier breeds used for dogfighting, ratting, etc.

Frenchie Another group of breeders developed a smaller, lighter toy bulldog, around 12-25 lbs in weight, having either upright or rose ears, round foreheads and short underjaws—and perhaps a touch of terrier liveliness. These were quite popular with workers in the English midlands, in particular, the artisans in the lace-making industry around Nottingham. When the Industrial Revolution hit England, it impacted a lot of the craft shops. Many people moved to where they could find work. The lace-makers emigrated to North of France. With them, they brought their toy bulldogs. ⠀Soon the popularity of the toy bulldogs began to spread from across all France. There started an active trade between England and France exporting these little bulldogs. They were favourites of the ordinary person from Cafe owners, tradies and les belles de nuit. Most of the British wanted nothing to do with these French bulldogs, so the French were the guardians of the breed until later in the 19th century. The French developed a more standard breed from the dogs— a dog with a compact body, straight legs, except without the extreme underbite of the English bulldog. Many had erect "bat ears" while the other had "rosebud" ears. Americans travelling to France fell for these beautiful little dogs and started to bring them back with them to the United States.  Americans preferred dogs with upright ears. On the other hand, the French and British breeders preferred the rosebud ears. Some extra photos and history can be found in the following book: French Bulldog: The Frenchie

Size and Weight

Broadly speaking, the French Bulldog will be about 11 to 12 inches tall. Males weigh 20 to 28 pounds, females weigh 16 to 24 pounds.

Colour And Grooming

French Bulldog coat is short, soft, shiny and smooth. Its skin is baggy and wrinkled, particularly on the head and shoulders. Here are some of the colors.

French Bulldogs needs regular bathing and grooming. They can be washed as often as every week, up or on the other end every six weeks, obviously, it depends on their lifestyle. With such a smooth coated breed, frequent bathing is essential for the maintenance of skin health and coat. Start grooming your Frenchie at an early age and educate your puppy to stand on a table or ground to make this experience simpler for both of you.

Health and Lifespan

The average life expectancy of the French Bulldog will be between 9 and 12 years. Even though they are an adorable dog, they are sadly susceptible to a broad spectrum of health issues. Such issues not only affect Frenchie's lifespan, and also have a profound impact on their well-being. Potential Frenchie owners might consider the advantages and disadvantages of having a French Bulldog. Yet many French Bulldogs have a much shorter life expectancy. This study of more than 2,200 Frenchies revealed 98 fatalities in 2013, with a median age of just 3.6 years. Unfortunately, the French Bulldog is susceptible to several health issues, some of which may be life-threatening. Before contemplating this breed, we suggest doing your research.

Finnish Kennel club Do French Bulldogs Have Health Problems?(Opens in a new browser tab)

Birth and reproduction

French Bulldogs commonly necessitate artificial insemination and Caesarean section to give birth, with over 80 per cent of the litter delivered in this way. Many French Bulldog male dogs are incapable of natural reproduction. Because the French Bulldogs have skinny hips, rendering the male unable to mount the female to breed normally. Consequently, artificial insemination of female dogs must be conducted by the owners. French Bulldogs average about three pups per litter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Bulldog

Children And Other Pets

The French Bulldog gets along exceptionally well with children, even if you have really young children, they should be perfectly fine. As with every dog, you should never leave them alone, unsupervised with Children. Frenchies show a tendency to get aggressive with other dogs, this can be easily overcome with correct training and socialization. These are incredibly imported steps with owning any dog. And the effort you put in the begging will pay off with a well-behaved dog.

Personality and Temperament

Please read the following article on French Bulldog Personality and Temperament.

Feeding

Please read the following article on What Food Is Good For French Bulldogs?(Opens in a new browser tab)

The Popularity of the French Bulldog

The prominence of the breed has seen incredible growth in recent times, with a 44 per cent increase from 2016 to 2017 alone and a stunning 2964 per cent increase over the last ten years (2008 to 2017). Throughout the United States, the Frenchies did not place among the overall 30 most popular dogs for years. As of 2019, the French Bulldog is number 4 in the USA. Throughout the UK, they placed 76th throughout 2005. They are now in 34th position. The rise of French bulldogs popularity precisely aligned with the advent of social media. Something about Frenchie is appealing to the internet, particularly Instagram. Several of Instagram's more famous French Bulldogs include Seattle's Sir Charles Barkley, with over 324,000 followers; Tokyo's Muu, with 582,000; and Chicago's skillfully promoted Manny, nicknamed the "most-followed" Frenchie, with 660,000 fans. The French Bulldog is also preferred by celebrities such as Beckhams, Lady Gaga and Hugh Jackman. The Kennel Club is worried that the drastic growth in the number of French Bulldogs is due to more people preferring the dog because of how it appears and because it is perceived to be a popular option, instead of because it is the most appropriate breed for their lifestyle. There is also worry because the French Bulldog isn't the right option for everyone, people who are buying without doing their homework will then have to turn the Frenchie over to the dog shelter once they know they can't take care of it.

French Bulldog Breeders

Very often, unsuspecting people purchase French Bulldog puppies from puppy farms or people carrying out backyard breeding without the necessary knowledge and skills in birthing puppies. It typically results in puppies having terrible health and behaviour issues that may not are noticed immediately. French Bulldogs that have genetic health issues due to poor breeding and acquires poor behavioural problems because of no early socialization could well cost a great deal to treat and in some instances can take many years to undo early damage, which, regrettably, tends to result in heartbreak, more for the owner. Responsible breeders will not sell their dogs to the first person who shows up with money in hand. It is strongly advised that you only purchase puppies through responsible breeders that use a health care scheme. The breeder should be willing to provide you with copies of the back & hip health rating documents and the Genetic tests for both parents. All French Bulldogs must be tested at the age of 12 months and before mating. The Frenchie also expected to be X-rayed and tested before purchase. Association website is an excellent source of information about all French Bulldog breeders. https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/french-bulldog/pictures/

Overview

French Bulldogs are companion dogs, and they flourish once they have human contact. They're not just a breed which can be left alone for lengthy periods or expected to live outdoors.Since they don't tend to be big barkers, French Bulldogs make outstanding apartment pets.French Bulldogs are companion dogs, and they flourish once they have human contact. They're not just a breed which can be left alone for lengthy periods or expected to live outdoors.Since they don't tend to be big barkers, French Bulldogs make outstanding apartment pets.They make excellent watchdogs, but they can be territorial. They really like being the focus of attention, that can lead to behavioural issues if the spoilt.If you like a clean house, a French Bulldog may not be your dog, as it is susceptible to drooling, flatulence and some shedding. They are also hard to house train.French Bulldogs don't need a lot of exercises but it a good idea that you take them for a daily walk, so they do not put on weight.French Bulldogs can also be very trainable, but they can also be stubborn. Be firm and patient in their training.Frenchies as with most Bulldog breeds are not good in hot weather. On hot days, keep an eye on them to make sure they do not overexert themselves.Since they don't tend to be big barkers, French Bulldogs make outstanding apartment pets. Read the full article

[numberplates4u-blog]

Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet review

For  Feels like a baby S-Class Cabriolet, stylish good looks, genuine four-seat comfort Our Rating  4 Against  Expensive to buy, lacks excitement, only AMG Line trim in UK 2017 The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet is comfortable, well-built and great to look at Image is everything in the convertible segment and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet ticks many boxes. Feeling every inch the ‘baby S-Class Cabriolet’, the E-Class boasts an insulated fabric roof, four full-size seats and a surprisingly large boot. Avoid the more expensive six-cylinder engines and opt for the E 220d, which suits the smooth and relaxed nature of the E-Class Cabriolet. A real class act. 23 Oct, 2017 4.8 Going topless has never looked so good. With styling clearly influenced by the S-Class Cabriolet, thanks to its more compact proportions, the E-Class Cabriolet manages to upstage its larger and more expensive sibling. The S-Class derived insulated fabric roof – available in four colours – lends a classic feel to the Cabriolet while providing the theatre of opening or closing in just 20 seconds. The front end is imposing, without appearing aggressive, while you’d be hard-pressed to tell it apart from the S-Class from behind – especially if you remove the badges. Only the ‘Aircap’ deflector lets the side down. The automatic draught-stop system comprises a wind deflector in the roof frame and a draught excluder behind the rear seats to reduce turbulence for all passengers. In our experience, it only serves to increase wind noise at speed and is less effective than on the C-Class Cabriolet. On the flipside, the Airscarf neck-level heating system for the driver and passenger remains a great addition, and a must-have feature in the often damp and miserable UK. Roof up or roof down, you can have a conversation at motorway speeds in the E-Class Cabrio, meaning you might even begin to question the relevance of the Coupe. But if the outside is desirable, the inside is spectacular. The quality and details are exquisite, with top-notch materials and a plethora of neat features. Again, the cabin is inspired by the S-Class, with a minimalist dashboard flanked by a pair of air outlets inspired by jet engines. There are a further three, smaller air outlets in the centre of the ‘floating’ dashboard. Image 8 of 11 Image 8 of 11 In the back, passengers are treated to a pair of individually sculpted seats, a pair of cup holders and two more beautifully engineered air vents. While some cabriolets might leave rear seat passengers feeling shortchanged, in the E-Class they’re part of the theatre. Overall, the interior of the E-Class Cabriolet feels closer to the S-Class than it does the C-Class. A masterclass in fit, finish and ambience. Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment The E 220d and E 300 feature Mercedes’ standard 8.4-inch screen set in the centre of the dashboard, while the E 350d and E 400 boast the impressive 12.3-inch media display. This setup is optional on the lesser models. Similarly, the six-cylinder versions feature the impressive Comand Online system, comprising a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which blends seamlessly with the central display a single piece of glass to create a high-tech feel. Again, the upgraded screen is available as an option on the four-cylinder models. Audio fans will be tempted to tick the box marked ‘Premium Plus’, which includes a Burmester surround sound system. At £2,895, it’s not a cheap option, but the 13-speaker and 590-watt system is one of the best in the business. Image 9 of 11 Image 9 of 11 3.7 Mercedes has worked hard to inject what it calls ‘luxurious sporty character’ into the E-Class Cabriolet. But while suspension lowered by 15mm and track width up 67mm at the front and 68mm at the rear (compared with the previous model) might hint at something sporting, this remains more boulevard cruiser than B-road blaster. Image 3 of 11 Image 3 of 11 The entry-level E 220d is actually the range sweet spot, offering the best blend of efficiency, dynamics and performance. The engine is impressively smooth and relaxing, and performance is respectable. It’s far from rapid but feels effortless when cruising. With 4Matic all-wheel drive, the E-Class Cabriolet tips the scales at more than 1,900kg, so even if the six-cylinder versions are reasonably swift off the line, they’re not out-and-out sports cars. The handling is composed enough, but the Cabriolet is hardly light on its feet. Merc’s Dynamic Select system is standard across the range, providing access to a choice of driving modes, but our advice would be to stick the car in Comfort and enjoy the impressively plush and refined ride. Just avoid the 20-inch wheels, which can thump over our imperfect roads. Air suspension – standard on the six-cylinder versions and optional on the others – does take the ride quality up another notch, but it’s expensive and we’d think twice before ticking the option box. Instead, sit back and enjoy the comfort-tuned standard suspension. Engines There are four engines to choose from: two petrols and two diesels. The entry-level E 220d develops 191bhp and 400Nm of torque to deliver a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 147mph. The 4Matic setup adds 0.2 seconds to the 0-62mph time and 2mph to the top speed. The six-cylinder E 350d delivers 254bhp and 620Nm of torque, taking the 0-62mph time down to 6.1 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155mph. The E 300 is powered by a four-cylinder petrol engine and can hit 62mph in 6.6 seconds. The flagship six-cylinder E 400 delivers 328bhp and 420Nm to provide a best-in-range 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds and a top speed limited to 155mph. Hybrid-powered AMG E 53 versions are expected to arrive later. In truth, the E 220d is the pick of the bunch for now. And if the act of selecting a four-cylinder diesel engine as the top choice seems sacrilegious in this post ‘dieselgate’ world, so be it. The fact is: it’s the engine best suited to the E-Class Cabriolet’s smooth and relaxed nature. Image 4 of 11 Image 4 of 11 The E 350d, while undoubtedly smooth and blessed with that added torque, is hampered by the additional weight, which blunts the performance and increases fuel consumption. It will also cost more to tax and insure. Meanwhile, the E 400 is far from being the topless AMG wannabe you’d hope it would be. The performance is best described as brisk, while the overall levels of refinement remove any sense of speed. It’ll also cost a considerable amount more to run than the entry-level cars. 4.2 Safety is an E-Class Cabriolet strong point, with active brake assist, parking assist, attention assist, a child seat recognition sensor and roll-over protection all standard across the range. The Driving Assistance package improves things further, adding a blind spot monitor, brake assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, evasive steering assist and Pre-Safe Plus, which takes preventive measures to protect the occupants in the event of a crash. The E-Class Cabriolet is unlikely to be crash tested by Euro NCAP, but owners should be encouraged by the five-star rating awarded to the saloon version in 2016. The Mercedes E-Class finished eighth in our 2017 Driver Power survey, scoring an impressive 92.56% for reliability. Sadly, Mercedes could only finish 21st in the brand survey, while its dealers were unable to make the top 10. Warranty All Mercedes models come with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty and up to 30 years European breakdown assistance. That’s par for the course and better than Audi, which limits its customers to 60,000 miles worth of coverage. Servicing The E-Class Cabriolet needs servicing every 15,500 miles or 12 months, whichever comes soonest. A three-year service package is available for £37 per month, which works out at £1,332 overall. 3.5 The E-Class Cabriolet is surprisingly practical, helped in no small part by the fabric roof, which leaves room for storage, even with the roof down. The only real criticism concerns the rather upright rear seats, which might be uncomfortable on a long trip. If the rear seats aren’t required, and you’re planning an extended holiday or trip to the DIY store, the 50:50 folding backrests create a through-loading feature. There’s also plenty of storage in the cabin, with a large glovebox, a lidded compartment in the centre console and deep door pockets. Size The E-Class Cabriolet has grown compared to its predecessor, with an overall length of 4,826mm, up 123mm from before. Width is up 74mm to 1,860mm, height up 30mm to 1,428mm, and the wheelbase up 113mm to 2,873mm. All very good from a practicality perspective – you just need to ensure the new E-Class Cabriolet will fit in your garage or on your driveway. It feels like quite a big car on the road, too. Leg room, head room & passenger space The increase in size is great news for rear seat passengers, with the amount of rear legroom up from 764mm to 866m. The fact that all four passengers have individual seats only serves to increase the feeling of space. Head, shoulder and elbow-room are also increased, most notably in the front, but also in the rear. Again, this enhances the sense that you’re in a baby S-Class Cabriolet, rather than a standalone model. Image 10 of 11 Image 10 of 11 Boot The boot might be shallow, but 385 litres provides a reasonable amount of luggage space. This drops to 310 litres with the roof down, meaning you won’t need to leave much behind if you intend to go topless. Despite sitting in the class below, the Audi A5 Cabriolet offers an impressive 380 litres with the roof up and 320 litres with the roof down, while the S-Class Cabriolets offers a relatively miserly 400 litres considering the price bump. 3.8 Unsurprisingly, the E 220d is the most efficient engine, offering a claimed 57.7mpg in standard guise and 49.6mpg when mated to the brand’s 4Matic all-wheel drive. At 41.5mpg, the E 350d is only marginally more efficient than the E 300 petrol, thanks to the additional weight and standard-fit all-wheel drive. The E 400 is the least efficient, at 32.8mpg. With CO2 emissions of 126g/km, the E 220d is the cheapest to tax at £160 for the first year, with 4Matic adding 20kg and an extra £40 in tax. The other models are far more expensive to tax: the E 300’s 167g/km equates to £500, the E 350d £800, and the E 400 £1,200. In all cases, the E-Class Cabriolet is subject to the £310 surcharge for cars costing more than £40,000, equating to a cost of £450 every year from year two. Image 6 of 11 Image 6 of 11 Insurance groups The E 220d should be the cheapest to insure, with a group rating of 40, although ticking the box marked ‘Premium Plus’ raises the premium by one level. The E350 d is likely to be the most expensive to insure (group 45), while the E 400 isn’t far behind (group 44). Depreciation The E-Class saloon is expected to hold onto 45 per cent of its value, and we would expect the Cabriolet to follow suit. The fact that it’s a genuine four-seater and all models are equipped with the desirable AMG Line trim will help its cause. Other factors that will influence the residual values include must-have options, the right colour, leather upholstery and 20-inch alloy wheels. Image is everything in this segment - so be careful when selecting one of the colourful roof options.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mercedes/e-class/101442/cabriolet

[privateplates4u]

Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet review

For  Feels like a baby S-Class Cabriolet, stylish good looks, genuine four-seat comfort Our Rating  4 Against  Expensive to buy, lacks excitement, only AMG Line trim in UK 2017 The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet is comfortable, well-built and great to look at Image is everything in the convertible segment and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet ticks many boxes. Feeling every inch the ‘baby S-Class Cabriolet’, the E-Class boasts an insulated fabric roof, four full-size seats and a surprisingly large boot. Avoid the more expensive six-cylinder engines and opt for the E 220d, which suits the smooth and relaxed nature of the E-Class Cabriolet. A real class act. 23 Oct, 2017 4.8 Going topless has never looked so good. With styling clearly influenced by the S-Class Cabriolet, thanks to its more compact proportions, the E-Class Cabriolet manages to upstage its larger and more expensive sibling. The S-Class derived insulated fabric roof – available in four colours – lends a classic feel to the Cabriolet while providing the theatre of opening or closing in just 20 seconds. The front end is imposing, without appearing aggressive, while you’d be hard-pressed to tell it apart from the S-Class from behind – especially if you remove the badges. Only the ‘Aircap’ deflector lets the side down. The automatic draught-stop system comprises a wind deflector in the roof frame and a draught excluder behind the rear seats to reduce turbulence for all passengers. In our experience, it only serves to increase wind noise at speed and is less effective than on the C-Class Cabriolet. On the flipside, the Airscarf neck-level heating system for the driver and passenger remains a great addition, and a must-have feature in the often damp and miserable UK. Roof up or roof down, you can have a conversation at motorway speeds in the E-Class Cabrio, meaning you might even begin to question the relevance of the Coupe. But if the outside is desirable, the inside is spectacular. The quality and details are exquisite, with top-notch materials and a plethora of neat features. Again, the cabin is inspired by the S-Class, with a minimalist dashboard flanked by a pair of air outlets inspired by jet engines. There are a further three, smaller air outlets in the centre of the ‘floating’ dashboard. Image 8 of 11 Image 8 of 11 In the back, passengers are treated to a pair of individually sculpted seats, a pair of cup holders and two more beautifully engineered air vents. While some cabriolets might leave rear seat passengers feeling shortchanged, in the E-Class they’re part of the theatre. Overall, the interior of the E-Class Cabriolet feels closer to the S-Class than it does the C-Class. A masterclass in fit, finish and ambience. Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment The E 220d and E 300 feature Mercedes’ standard 8.4-inch screen set in the centre of the dashboard, while the E 350d and E 400 boast the impressive 12.3-inch media display. This setup is optional on the lesser models. Similarly, the six-cylinder versions feature the impressive Comand Online system, comprising a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which blends seamlessly with the central display a single piece of glass to create a high-tech feel. Again, the upgraded screen is available as an option on the four-cylinder models. Audio fans will be tempted to tick the box marked ‘Premium Plus’, which includes a Burmester surround sound system. At £2,895, it’s not a cheap option, but the 13-speaker and 590-watt system is one of the best in the business. Image 9 of 11 Image 9 of 11 3.7 Mercedes has worked hard to inject what it calls ‘luxurious sporty character’ into the E-Class Cabriolet. But while suspension lowered by 15mm and track width up 67mm at the front and 68mm at the rear (compared with the previous model) might hint at something sporting, this remains more boulevard cruiser than B-road blaster. Image 3 of 11 Image 3 of 11 The entry-level E 220d is actually the range sweet spot, offering the best blend of efficiency, dynamics and performance. The engine is impressively smooth and relaxing, and performance is respectable. It’s far from rapid but feels effortless when cruising. With 4Matic all-wheel drive, the E-Class Cabriolet tips the scales at more than 1,900kg, so even if the six-cylinder versions are reasonably swift off the line, they’re not out-and-out sports cars. The handling is composed enough, but the Cabriolet is hardly light on its feet. Merc’s Dynamic Select system is standard across the range, providing access to a choice of driving modes, but our advice would be to stick the car in Comfort and enjoy the impressively plush and refined ride. Just avoid the 20-inch wheels, which can thump over our imperfect roads. Air suspension – standard on the six-cylinder versions and optional on the others – does take the ride quality up another notch, but it’s expensive and we’d think twice before ticking the option box. Instead, sit back and enjoy the comfort-tuned standard suspension. Engines There are four engines to choose from: two petrols and two diesels. The entry-level E 220d develops 191bhp and 400Nm of torque to deliver a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 147mph. The 4Matic setup adds 0.2 seconds to the 0-62mph time and 2mph to the top speed. The six-cylinder E 350d delivers 254bhp and 620Nm of torque, taking the 0-62mph time down to 6.1 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155mph. The E 300 is powered by a four-cylinder petrol engine and can hit 62mph in 6.6 seconds. The flagship six-cylinder E 400 delivers 328bhp and 420Nm to provide a best-in-range 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds and a top speed limited to 155mph. Hybrid-powered AMG E 53 versions are expected to arrive later. In truth, the E 220d is the pick of the bunch for now. And if the act of selecting a four-cylinder diesel engine as the top choice seems sacrilegious in this post ‘dieselgate’ world, so be it. The fact is: it’s the engine best suited to the E-Class Cabriolet’s smooth and relaxed nature. Image 4 of 11 Image 4 of 11 The E 350d, while undoubtedly smooth and blessed with that added torque, is hampered by the additional weight, which blunts the performance and increases fuel consumption. It will also cost more to tax and insure. Meanwhile, the E 400 is far from being the topless AMG wannabe you’d hope it would be. The performance is best described as brisk, while the overall levels of refinement remove any sense of speed. It’ll also cost a considerable amount more to run than the entry-level cars. 4.2 Safety is an E-Class Cabriolet strong point, with active brake assist, parking assist, attention assist, a child seat recognition sensor and roll-over protection all standard across the range. The Driving Assistance package improves things further, adding a blind spot monitor, brake assist, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, evasive steering assist and Pre-Safe Plus, which takes preventive measures to protect the occupants in the event of a crash. The E-Class Cabriolet is unlikely to be crash tested by Euro NCAP, but owners should be encouraged by the five-star rating awarded to the saloon version in 2016. The Mercedes E-Class finished eighth in our 2017 Driver Power survey, scoring an impressive 92.56% for reliability. Sadly, Mercedes could only finish 21st in the brand survey, while its dealers were unable to make the top 10. Warranty All Mercedes models come with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty and up to 30 years European breakdown assistance. That’s par for the course and better than Audi, which limits its customers to 60,000 miles worth of coverage. Servicing The E-Class Cabriolet needs servicing every 15,500 miles or 12 months, whichever comes soonest. A three-year service package is available for £37 per month, which works out at £1,332 overall. 3.5 The E-Class Cabriolet is surprisingly practical, helped in no small part by the fabric roof, which leaves room for storage, even with the roof down. The only real criticism concerns the rather upright rear seats, which might be uncomfortable on a long trip. If the rear seats aren’t required, and you’re planning an extended holiday or trip to the DIY store, the 50:50 folding backrests create a through-loading feature. There’s also plenty of storage in the cabin, with a large glovebox, a lidded compartment in the centre console and deep door pockets. Size The E-Class Cabriolet has grown compared to its predecessor, with an overall length of 4,826mm, up 123mm from before. Width is up 74mm to 1,860mm, height up 30mm to 1,428mm, and the wheelbase up 113mm to 2,873mm. All very good from a practicality perspective – you just need to ensure the new E-Class Cabriolet will fit in your garage or on your driveway. It feels like quite a big car on the road, too. Leg room, head room & passenger space The increase in size is great news for rear seat passengers, with the amount of rear legroom up from 764mm to 866m. The fact that all four passengers have individual seats only serves to increase the feeling of space. Head, shoulder and elbow-room are also increased, most notably in the front, but also in the rear. Again, this enhances the sense that you’re in a baby S-Class Cabriolet, rather than a standalone model. Image 10 of 11 Image 10 of 11 Boot The boot might be shallow, but 385 litres provides a reasonable amount of luggage space. This drops to 310 litres with the roof down, meaning you won’t need to leave much behind if you intend to go topless. Despite sitting in the class below, the Audi A5 Cabriolet offers an impressive 380 litres with the roof up and 320 litres with the roof down, while the S-Class Cabriolets offers a relatively miserly 400 litres considering the price bump. 3.8 Unsurprisingly, the E 220d is the most efficient engine, offering a claimed 57.7mpg in standard guise and 49.6mpg when mated to the brand’s 4Matic all-wheel drive. At 41.5mpg, the E 350d is only marginally more efficient than the E 300 petrol, thanks to the additional weight and standard-fit all-wheel drive. The E 400 is the least efficient, at 32.8mpg. With CO2 emissions of 126g/km, the E 220d is the cheapest to tax at £160 for the first year, with 4Matic adding 20kg and an extra £40 in tax. The other models are far more expensive to tax: the E 300’s 167g/km equates to £500, the E 350d £800, and the E 400 £1,200. In all cases, the E-Class Cabriolet is subject to the £310 surcharge for cars costing more than £40,000, equating to a cost of £450 every year from year two. Image 6 of 11 Image 6 of 11 Insurance groups The E 220d should be the cheapest to insure, with a group rating of 40, although ticking the box marked ‘Premium Plus’ raises the premium by one level. The E350 d is likely to be the most expensive to insure (group 45), while the E 400 isn’t far behind (group 44). Depreciation The E-Class saloon is expected to hold onto 45 per cent of its value, and we would expect the Cabriolet to follow suit. The fact that it’s a genuine four-seater and all models are equipped with the desirable AMG Line trim will help its cause. Other factors that will influence the residual values include must-have options, the right colour, leather upholstery and 20-inch alloy wheels. Image is everything in this segment - so be careful when selecting one of the colourful roof options.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mercedes/e-class/101442/cabriolet