#car audio competition

[morelhifi]

Join us at the CarMediaWorld-EMMA EUROFINALS, Saltzburg, Austria

Join us at the #CarMediaWorld and the EMMA Eurofinals in Saltzburg, Austria, on April 20-22, 2023. Find us in Hall 2/6 Booth A5. Can't wait to see you there!

[dijidweeeb]

Album Cover - Bass All Stars, Bass Check VII (2007)

[jcmarchi]

FRVR AI makes game creation available to anyone - AI News

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/frvr-ai-makes-game-creation-available-to-anyone-ai-news/

FRVR AI makes game creation available to anyone - AI News

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Over the years, the video games industry has become one of the biggest and most influential mediums in the entertainment segment. Despite the myriad of games available on the market, from expensive AAA titles to casual games, millions of gamers are brimming with innovative ideas and dream of creating their own unique gaming experiences that studios often overlook. The team at FRVR appears to have found a solution, how to make game development accessible to everyone with the power of AI.

About FRVR

Chris Benjaminsen and Brian Meidell, veterans of the video game industry, launched FRVR in 2014 intending to make games more accessible to anybody, at any time, and anywhere. Over the years, FRVR has led the quest to democratize game distribution by removing barriers that gamers may face when playing their favorite games.

Today on the FRVR platform, gamers can find a wide range of games spanning many genres that are playable on Mobile App Stores, Facebook Instant, Microsoft Windows via Windows Start, Samsung phones, Discord, Steam, Television, and even newer cars. Over 1.5 billion players worldwide have enjoyed the studio’s creations, with some games attracting over 100 million monthly users.

With no plans to abandon its mission of making games available to everyone, FRVR has expanded its efforts towards democratizing game development with the release of FRVR AI. This tool lets anybody, regardless of professional background or skill with code and art, create their own games they`d like to play.

How FRVR AI works

The idea behind FRVR AI is to make the game creation process accessible and simple for anyone who wants to express their creativity, whether it’s bringing a long-held vision to life or entering the game development field to monetize this craft further.

Getting started is extremely easy: users simply provide the AI model with a brief description of the game they wish to create. After that, FRVR’s AI engine develops the game’s basic structure, logic, and assets, making it playable right away. Further users can refine the gameplay or visuals by simply interacting with the tool through written instructions until they are satisfied with the final result.

The user-friendly layout of the tool is designed to help creators navigate around easily. FRVR AI is divided into five major sections: an input field for communication with the AI model, a live preview for game version playback, a history tab for viewing and modifying history, a code tab for examining source code, and an assets tab for creating and modifying visuals and sounds.

Beginners and experienced creators who are unsure about their next steps in game creation can always get assistance thanks to the tool`s strong self-direction function. FRVR AI can analyze the original game description, change history, and source code to automatically propose what it deems to be the next logical step for the game.

The generative AI capabilities produce ready visual components, and let users modify the size, color, and shape of objects to create a distinctive appearance for their games. Recently FRVR AI received an update that lets players add sound effects and backing audio for their creations, which can drastically enhance gameplay dynamics and improve immersion.

Like many other AI tools, FRVR AI provides record-keeping on all the prompts that the AI system receives as well as their outcomes. However, what makes it rather unique is the fact that it can revert to any previous state, making the users feel free to try out different options without fear of possibly ruining their game by making a wrong move.

Using FRVR AI is easy and efficient no matter what device the creators are working. The clear and user-friendly interface makes the experience fast and seamless on both computers, tablets, and smartphones, enabling the users to make games from anywhere at any time with the ability to capture and document ideas on the fly. Whether at home or on a trip, the FRVR AI would be a great companion for anyone starting a game development journey.

One amazing aspect of FRVR AI is how effortless it is for users to publish their creations on the FRVR platform. Simply clicking the share button allows a game to be included in the library granting access to anyone who wants to enjoy the newly crafted game.

Conclusion

FRVR AI is currently available in the beta version. Users can join at beta.frvr.ai and start working on their games after their submission is reviewed. The tool has already attracted a large community of over a thousand creators, including game developers and hobbyists, who constantly share their experiences and feedback. Creators can also enter monthly competitions with a $2,500 prize pool available to all users.

The team at FRVR keeps working on the tool and regularly releases new updates, improvements, and entire features. Through analyzing the creators’ feedback and keeping up with the trends, FRVR aims to make an inclusive platform where anyone, from newcomers to seasoned developers, can have a great time creating, sharing, and playing fun games.

[labrecha]

Presentan Car Audio Tuning Competition

Presentan #CarAudio Tuning Competition en #Torreón

Torreón, Coahuila de Zaragoza / Mayo 2 de 2024.- El próximo 9 de junio, los entusiastas del automovilismo tienen una cita en la Plaza Mayor de Torreón, donde se llevará a cabo el evento Car Audio Tuning Competition. Este espectáculo, que celebra su decimoctava edición, promete ser una experiencia inolvidable para todos los aficionados al mundo del tuning y el car audio. A la rueda de prensa donde…

[scrompsautobotsrchives]

The grand race

Alright, first Mirage fic !! *Cracks knuckles* Lets do this. Word count:1K

Mirage lived for adventure even back on cybertron. He would always get up to antics which would have pissed off the prime leader back then. Now on earth, it was his personal playground, He would always toy around with the police in chases, Doing the best stunts he could do. But he always wanted to do more.

One day as he was cruising around the city, He parked nearby just to watch the city go by. He then saw two friends walk up to each other and have a quick chat before one said. "You still down for the race tonight ??"

"Yep, I also heard that they jackpoted the prize to a $1000" The other said enthusiastically.

"Woah..." That was all he needed when he started to zoom back to the makeshift HQ, You were busy helping Optimus and Bumblebee setting everything up when you heard the familiar revving.

"Hey y/n !!" He transformed and kneeled to your height, eager to tell you the news. "Guess what I heard today ?? Your gonna love it"

'What's up ??' You stopped what you were doing and gave him your full attention.

"I heard these guys in the city talking about a race that's happening tonight"

"Oh yeah, They do those almost every year now"

"Really ?? We should go !!"

But before you could give your answer, a familiar prime's voice boomed. "Absolutely not Mirage, We need to remain undercover and away from prying eyes, Drawing attention to yourself will only cause more damage then good" He said, bee whirred in laughter and soon the radio flicked to an audio of the Nelson Muntz... "HA HA !!"

"You must promise me to stay away from that race" Optimus said firmly.

"Yeah yeah sure, I'll stay very well away so far away... Dude don't leave me with these tightasses bro, We'd make a great team" Mirage whispered to you pleadingly.

"Mirage you heard what Optimus said, I'm not doing a race just so you can get kick out of it" You frowned to him.

"But what about for friendship ??" He said, making you raise an eyebrow in dissapointment.

"Ah or or or what about for cash ??"

You looked up at him. "How much are we talking ??"

"$1000, I can get that to you easy"

Now what you could do with $1000, ooooooh you could buy that new games console that just went on a market. You looked at Optimus who was helping Bee before back at Mirage.

"Ok, I'm in" You nodded.

So later in the night, the two of you went out. Heading to the start of the course where all the racer's would line up. You got out as you heard rap music playing on full blast, People catching up and taking selfies. You saw a dude with a clipboard standing nearby, Taking down the names of another person who arrived before you.

"Guess that's our ticket in" You closed the door and went up to him. "Hey, I wanna enter the race"

"Awesome, What car are we racing with ??"

"The Porsche behind me" You nodded to Mirage.

He nodded and took down your name as well. "Alright, your in kid"

"Thanks" You headed back to Mirage and got inside. "Ok remember, we need to make this look natural so nobody notices something's off ok ??" You reminded him of the rules.

"Don't worry, your boy's got this" Even in car form, you could tell Mirage had a huge smirk on his face.

You lined up, Eyeing the competition. some had modified cars ranging from old to new. They took this seriously.

"This'll be easy" Mirage chimed in, revving his engine as he got into place. "Relax"

You nodded as you gripped the steering wheel, Watching someone walk to the middle with the chequered flag, signalling the race was about to start. The contestants around you started to rev up their cars as the flag was raised, and then with the swish downwards, Tires skidded on the road and soon everyone was off.

"Come on Mirage !!" You cheered as you made pretend movements on the drivers seat.

"'scuse me 'scuse me'" He chuckled softly as he passed some contestants with breeze.

But some were proving to be a little bit of a challenge, like we said, some were modified specifically for this race. Mirage grumbled as he attempted to pass some of them. "Move over !!"

The driver in one car could only chuckle and pressed the nitro, picking up speed.

"Damn it !!" You pushed the pedal to the medal, and Mirage began to speed up, pushing a little more and sped past the guy, blowing dust in his face.

"WOOHOO !!!"

The first lap was done, Just gotta keep up the momentum. "Let's kick some aft !!" Mirage cheered.

You cleaned up the second lap, But on the third, one of the contestants began to kick it up a notch. Mirage was cruising along when he felt that he wasn't ahead anymore. "Huh ??"

You watched as one of the contestants sped past you, This car looked like it went through hell and back on the performance.

"Shit !! Come on we got this !!" You reminded.

Mirage was determined, as determined as ever to win this. He tried to speed up as best as he could, Tires burning every drift. The other driver wasn't giving up as well, Both of you pushing the pedal to the medal as the finish line was nearing. The crowd cheered as the two of you crossed, Mirage made a total stop. "Did we win ??"

"I'm not sure ??" You got out of the car, asking the racer. "Yo what's going on ??"

"Beats me" He shrugged.

Because it was such a close call, Some people had to review the footage on their phones just to see who touched the finish line first, You waited for almost 5 minutes before one nodded and shouted. "It was the Porsche !!" Making everyone cheer.

"YEAH !!" You were so goddamn happy, Mirage was so goddamn happy, Oh screw it you were both so goddamn happy.

Others watched as you showed off from mirage and as promised, you were awarded the $1000. You drove off soon after.

"Holy shit that was incredible !! Did you see the guys face !!??"

"Oh, he was so mad !!" Mirage was so happy. "We gotta do that again sometime.

"Maybe... Just maybe" You smirked. You made your debut, a race or two never hurt anyone.

Taglist: @callofdudes

[lyralit]

1989 (taylor's version) inspired writing prompts

the rise and fall of a socialite

Gatsby-style parties that end in flames

red lips on a poisoned glass

a meet-cute than ends up in the tabloids

the audio recordings left behind after a celeb's mysterious death

the music charts/bestselling lists are overtaken by an unknown young artist

an artist releases the singular most successful song of all time before disappearing

childhood friends who rejoin by coincidence after their successes years later (bonus if they didn't know it was each other -- pen names? changed features? -- and are competition)

a car crash with a celebrity and jail escapee in the front seats

reclaiming a broken reputation years later

moving out of your first home

meeting your first heartbreak after you've healed

rain and smeared makeup and breath fogging up snow-frosted windows on a busy street in the middle of the holiday season

being introduced to your first, secret love

choosing to rebrand yourself for the first time

an aspiring starlet visits a retired legacy

falling in love with the one person out of reach

affairs on a camera-filled movie set

[definitelynuwonhere]

I can’t stop giggling about the Wedding Audio. I’M NOT EVEN LISTENING TO IT, DIALOGUE JUST KEEPS COMING TO MIND OR LIKE, I IMAGINE WHAT ELSE COULD’VE GONE DOWN, IT’S CONSUMED ME.

- LIke i swear the guys got to the venue first because the mates had to take a pitstop to get drinks, because the weather was not it

- And they definitely had a dance party in the car, like Shut up and dance played, you can’t tell me otherwise. And they also played a song for each couple. ‘Five Minute Friend’ by TROY for Baabe and Ash, and ‘I’m inlove with A Monster’ for Angel and David

-I also wanna say that when the bouquet was thrown it was caught by Samuel and Darlin’ winked at them

-David and Asher had a dance off, with Milo interjecting to show that he was the prettiest of them all

-Darlin’ getting a little too competitive with ‘Pack Trivia’

-Christian getting jumped into a hug by Asher, and then there’s just a cute moment with all the other pack members

-Marie gives a toast that leaves Asher tearing up and David fucking weeping.

-All of them playing the ‘Drink If you have’ and Angel and Darlin’ are just getting absolutely hammered

I could do this all day long guys please

[moonlight-tmd]

Audio edits bring me new ideas-

Team Prime and Elite Guard having some sort of beef with who's really a better team and them having a little competition event to prove it. Not everyone has their role matched or can be tested easily so only a part of the teams compete-

First is Optimus vs Sentinel in combat- the first one to disarm the other one wins. Sentinel pulls shady moves left and right and Op just goes with it, I guess they do bicker while they're at it which results in more like "real violence than just a spare" type of combat. Eventually the clash they have ends up injuring Sentinel unabling him from using his shield, but it also breaks Op's axe which also disarms him. It's a tie. (Op doesn't regret injuring Sentinel one bit)

Next day is Prowl vs Jazz: whoever strikes the most targets in a timed run wins. They're not much on competition against each other but they still take it as a little fun test for themselves. They end up in a perfect match with points and targets, a well respected tie.

Then the final competition is up, Blurr vs Bumblebee. Race across the city. The first on finish line wins. Bee surprisingly takes it easy, unlike Blurr who is practice-speeding left and right even tho he doesn't have to. The race day arrives and they both start out at the other side of the city, Prowl and Jazz give them the signal. Jettwins spectate above and watch Blurr leave Bee in the dust- but Bee doesn't chase him. Instead he takes a different route in the alleys and on buildings. At the finish line stands Ratchet, Op, Sentinel and Bulkhead. Longarm, who's been chosen as the judge in the competitions, awaits any sight on the final stretch of the race.

Blurr emerges from the turn and is speeding towards them, Sentinel says some snarky comment like "Looks like your yellow brat is not as fast as he thought". But then, on the bridge above the road there's a yellow car- Bee, drifts and jumps off the edge- in slow motion he winks at Blurr who's right below him and transforms right in front of him, booking it to the finish line. Blurr tries to go faster but Bee sways just enough to block him from getting next to him. They cross the finish line, Team Prime's cheering when the two come to a stop and Sentinel is so pissed and accuses Bee of cheating.

"I didn't cheat- we only had to get from point A to point B the fastest. There was no established route we had to stick to in the race." Bee claims, cutting Sentinel off. "He's right sir, there was no rule forbidding Bumblebee to use an alternative path." Longarm confirms. Setinel is just steaming with rage and Blurr is equally upset that he lost to a compact. Bee then turns to Blurr and with the most smug expression says "You may have speed, but I have smarts and agility to pull maneuvers you only dream of doing."

Team Prime wins and Bee has official right to brag about winning that race. Team Prime couldn't be more proud of him.

[ghostfrog28]

Yuurivoice Characters And Listeners As Incorrect Quotes!

I already did this with Escaped Audios (sort of, it was mostly DennysVerse) but for these, the way the listeners respond will mostly be based off of my OCs for them (which I will make posts about eventually) PS, this is mostly Boo and Alphonse lol

~~

Alphonse: [Grabs Boo's ass while they're gettin groceries out of the car]

Boo: Excuse me thats my ass

Alphonse: That's our ass. We're married, bitch

~~

Finn: If I were a gardener, I'd put our tulips together.

Sunflower: Aww, babe. That's so sweet.

Alphonse: If I were a gardener, you'd be my hoe.

Boo: ... thanks

~~

Lucien: *stroking Angel’s hair* you're so tiny.

Angel: *sleepily* I could beat the shit out of you.

Lucien: *lovingly* | know.

Or

Alphonse: *stroking Boo’s hair* you're so tiny.

Boo: *sleepily* I could beat the shit out of you.

Alphonse: *lovingly* | know.

(It’s funny cuz my OC for Boo is 6’0, meanwhile, my OC for Angel is 5’3)

~~

Charlie: My boyfriend is too tall for me to kiss him on the lips. What should I do?

Boo: Punch him in the stomach. Then, when he doubles over in pain, kiss him.

Angel: Tackle him.

Star: Dump him.

Rook: Kick him in the shin.

Casper: NO TO ALL OF THOSE. JUST ASK ME TO LEAN DOWN.

(my Casper OC is 6’4 lol)

~~

Boo, making chicken and dumpling soup, dropping a dumpling on the floor: This is sadder than the time I almost died in College

Alphonse or Seth, choking on his coffee: Excuse me?

(rewrote this one a little bit)

~~ ⚠️ Slight NSFW ⚠️

Boo: I can’t eat this, its far too hot

Alphonse: You're far too hot yet I still manage

Room: Um-

Auron: WE'RE ON A DOUBLE DATE, I'M RIGHT HERE

~~ ⚠️ NSFW Again ⚠️

Boo: oh fuck me

Seth: yes please

Boo: what?

Seth: what?

Alphonse from the other room: HE SAID YES PLEASE!

~~

Alphonse: BOO! WHERE'S MY-

Sugarboo: By the door

Seth: Sugar! Do you know where the-

Sugarboo: In the kitchen

Charlie: Hey Sal (OC name), have you seen my stack of-

Sugarboo: On Seth's nightstand

Sugarboo: Independent my ass. You guys would fall apart without me

(Sal is my OC for Sugarboo)

~~ ⚠️ Slight NSFW ⚠️

Charlie: bro-

Casper: No, no, hold up, rewind.

Charlie: ...

Casper: My tongue was down your throat just a second ago, and now you're calling me bro??

~~ ⚠️you guessed it, NSFW ⚠️

Seth: What exactly do you think of me?

Sugarboo: Somewhere between "fuck you" and "I'd fuck you."

~~

Alphonse: I don't think | can mansplain, manipulate, or malewife our way out of it this time.

Boo: *cracks knuckles* Manslaughter it is.

Alphonse: What- no!

~~

Star: When Faust was born, the gods said, "He's too perfect for this world."

Auron: Please. When he was born, the devil said, "Oh, competition."

~~

Boo: I don't need to go to bed. I'm not tired, I'll be fine.

Alphonse: But, darling, I'll be so lonely without you. Come curl up in my arms so l can feel whole again.

Boo: O-oh. Well... Wait. Are you trying to seduce me into healthy sleeping patterns??

Alphonse: Is it working?

(this one could be vise versa)

~~

Alphonse, at some point: You speak RUSSIAN ?? Say something !!!

Boo: Ты самый красивый мужчина в мире, любовь моя (You're the most beautiful man in the world, my love.)

Alphonse: What does it mean ?

Boo: It means don't give me orders you fucking bastard

(Another little thing, my OC for Sugarboo is half Russian and half British)

~~

Seth, after learning Sugarboo also speaks Russian: Does Sugar think in English or Russian?

Alphonse: Bold of you to assume Boo thinks.

~~

Rook: Ugh, life can be difficult sometimes.

Sal (Sugarboo): But death, on the other hand...

Rook, squirting Sal with a water sprayer: No, Sal

~~

Boo: I don't think Faust is very happy about you dating his brother.

Rook: What makes you say that?

Boo, reading a text aloud: Rachel (Rook). I hope this message finds you before I do.

~~

That’s all for now! Hope you enjoyed!

[chemicallady]

I WANNA FEEL LOVE AGAIN

Part 1 ; Part 2 ;

Couple: Noah Sebastian x Fem!Reader

Content Warning: I made a little homage to three fanfiction I really love! I leave you to find the references ;)

Taglist: @ada-clarence , @badalmondzzzz , my wifey @starsomens , @raventherockstarhippie @blacksoul-27 , @somewhere-diamond

Summary:  This is just cute. I swear.

But you never promised me to be wiser of better.

Time flies.

Two years passed by so fast that you almost didn't notice. At first, your job was not demanding at all, compared with the rest of the crew. You have to accompaning Noah or any other member of the band to attend the interviews, most of them for radio stations. Taking notes for integrations on their website. Keep an eye on publicize enough any tourdates or merch drop, find sponsor for bigger venues and check at the end of the day if the guys need something for the day after.

You had to spend a lot of your time on the band socials, especially instagram and twitter, which you have always shared credentials with your brother and the rest of the band. You also create their TikTok and take care about the creation of fun contents.

It was way easy before the release of Death of Peace of Mind. After the beginning of 2022, you were on the road more than at home. A lot of famous hosters started to ask for an interview with Noah. All the lights switched on the future promise of rock music when Just Pretend became one of the most used/listened songs on TikTok.

And now, in the middle of the summer of 2023, the band is still rising. More money bring more responsabilities, the necessity of arranged a better shows, bigger interviews, more publicity, more interaction through the socials.

Everyone has to work the double, you included. Speaking with radio manager and small magazine specialized in all metal subgenders was a thing.

But now the band is too huge to stop at this level. And you werent trained enough for all this pressure, but it started to grow on you month after month, tour after tour. You are the guardian of Noah's schedule. You are not charming enough to compete with others PR, but since the crew is more similar to family meeting than a serious ansemble of professionals, you became competitive.

Hard work got big results like the european tour with Bring Me the Horizon. Oli wanted Bad Omens to open for him but you were the one who put all her soul and time on the project. On the papers. Because behing any tour there is a mountain of burocracy, sponsor phone calls and publicity. You had to team up with Matt, Miles and Davis so many times that at some point, that it's like having more than just one older brother.

From june 4th, the last day on tour, you are on vacation. You have nothing to do with music creation or audio/video sound checks. You just need a laptop, a lot of patience every time you scroll your emails, and the fantastic mojito your neighbour Brianna makes. A good reason to work on your balcony, along with the sound of the ocean, is her company. You don't have many friends but she is amazing. She moved from Minnesota after the shutdown, and she is an actress. Small roles, but as she always says, small roles bring bigger ones.

《 and it would have been ever better if my prick boyfriend didn't show up and basically assaulted the casting director》

You have heard this story at least ten times, but it's still amazing how boys can be idiots. 《 Why are you still with him? He's a bomb ready to detonate, Bri》 , you know that your concern will not help her in resonate, but you can't shut up.

《 I can't afford either the apartment or the car and you know that, y/n. Also, he is not that bad when he's sorber.》

《 But he never is! 》 you place the now empty glass on the outdoor table, disappointed in seeing her almost offended expression. It's a fortune that Matt isn't around. He has to deal with Jim at least twice a week. 《 You're my friend, Bri. The only one unrelated to my job..... I can't sleep over this situation anymore. I can help you. Move in with me and Matt, take care of my plant and Lucifurr for me while we are on tour. We don't want you to help with the rent. You just need to tell that dick to fuck off.》

《.... but he drives me to every casting》

《 and he's the reason no one is picking you in a very first place. This relationship is too toxic》

《 y/n I think you're crossing the line.》

《 He's gonna kill you one of these days!》

You both muted for a couple of seconds, the now tense air between the two of you being thick as a wall. Yeah, you cross the line but like Matt, you're no good in resonate with people who don't want any help. And like Matt you can't stand injustice, not at this rate.

But you know that you have to excuse yourself, simply it's hard to find the right words. You are not going to apologise for speaking your mind, but just about the way you did it.

《 y/n? Are you ready?》

A raspy voice catch you off guard. It's already seven??

《 Shit, Noah. I'm outside》, you yell in response, before turning again towards Brianna. She already reached the empty glass and without a word, and she comes back to her apartment. 《 C'mon Brianna. I'm sorry, just-for the fuck sake.》

Noah is standing right next to you when Brianna shut the door loudly.

All you can do is sigh out loud - a bad habit you inherit from the tall man on your side - before bringing your hands to cover your face in frustration.

《 What's going on, here?》 He asks , munching a candy.

《 I don't understand women.》

He gives you a funny look. 《 Damn, that's the real deal, man. Not the chicken/egg question, or what's our purpose on earth.... but why you girls act so weird. 》

《 Shut the fuck up, Noah. Not now.》

Your relationship with Noah also changed drastically in the last two years. It required some time and a ton of patience, but he open up to you and from thenon, you became a sort of confident of him. In return, he is the one you call when things are not going well. It was a bit embarrassing, the first months, but your friendship now is stronger than youve ever immagined. You feel like you can tell everything to Noah without being judged. Sometimes he laughs at you, of course, but he knows when a situation has to be manged seriously.

He cares about you with all his heart.

He doesn't aspect nothing in return, but he is dear to you on a level than only your brother have always been.

And he knows you deeply, that's why it is so easy for him to detect how worried you are.

《 Do you think he beats her? I mean, Steve is a scumbag, but I can't figure him being actually that violent. He is always too high to have some form of coordination.》

Since his arrival - Noah has the keys of the apartment so he can come and go as he pleased, especially when both you and matt are not in town and someone has to take care of Luci- Noah asked you questions on Brianna's situation.

He knows you're concerned and he also can't pretend he is fine with your neighbors yelling at each others on daily basis.

《 I don't know but he is getting more and more jealous. She told me he's sabotaging her auditions, now.》

Noah takes a sip of the iced tea you offer him, before grab your hand on the surface of the counter. 《 Start to call the police on them, when they argue. Maybe you're right. He is not beating her yet. But he could start.》 You nod slowly, thanking him with a soft smile. 《 By the way, do you feel okay? Wanna postpone our date?》

He loves to joke around with you, because he knows how this helps in rising your moral.

You pretend to get offended. 《 I would never, ever decline a date with you. Let me change in a more adequate outfit.》

《 take your time, the limo's driver can wait downstairs.》

You giggle, before leaving him in the kitchen, reaching your room for a quick change. In five minutes you're ready: a ponytail, red joggers and a tank top.

《 Ready to run, pretty boy?》

《 I'm always ready, chicken butt.》

Noah has never told you the real reason why he has taken the work out so seriously, but you're glad he did, because you joined him on his program and honestly, you feel at your top right now. It's not a matter of aesthetics, but you feel healthy. You are less tired at the end of the day, and you can endure the - at least- 15 working hours while Touring. Back at home, it became a habit of the two of you going out for a run daily during the sunsets since Noah is not an early bird and you'd rather work in the morning.

The place you chose is on the street that runs alongside the beach in Malibù. One of reason why you got used to LA is also the precious view of the ocean while the sun sinks in it and paints the sky in gold.

There is a small beach, hidden in the stunning nature of the Pacific Coast, that has become your spot. Every day you reach that beach, stretch a little and then go back to your apartment when usually Noah showers before leaving.

Today is a Saturday and even if you don't have big plans, Noah sometimes takes his chances on a Saturday night. Even God took a day off on Sunday, right?

《 It's the red hair?》

You ear him chuckles while you bend, grabbing the tip of your toes to stretch your back.

《 No red hair as far as I can recall》

《 So... the girl you helped at that dive bar?》 You rise again, bringing your arms to the sky 《The one who broke up with her cheating boyfriend? Or maybe your neighbour? I like her. I remember you told me she was so happy when you sent her our merch.》

Noah pushes you a little, making you loosing your balance while a giggle leaves your lips. 《 You're making me look like a fuckboy!》

《you are a fuckboy, always surrounded by beautiful women. And don't look at me like that! I know you like it that way!》

Noah is young and awesome. You got a crush on him in the beginning of your partnership. It's more than obvious that he has a significant number of choices when he wants to spend a night out.

This used to hurt you a bit, but the feeling of jealousy or envy - you still don't know what it was - disappeared in the moment you realised what you have.

All this girls can have noah for a night or two.

You can have him fully, you can call him in the middle of the night if a guy screws on you and Noah will bring you to buy ice-cream to McDonald's. You two can talk for hours about the absolute nothing or regarding the most difficult life choices.

You can mocking him, make him laugh in the golden light of the dying sun, in this very moment.

And that's more than enough.

Maybe you and Noah are not meant to be lovers, but he is your person and you are his. Like twin Flames, that doesn't matter how far they are.

They always burn bright.

《 I don't know, I was thinking for something casual. Like Netflix and chill.》

Lucifurr jumps off the sofa in the moment he hears Noah entering in your apartment. Your cat totally ignores you and starts to purr to the tall man that interrupts everything to kneel and cuddle the black ball of furr.

Satanic animal...

《 Then you should text the neighbor. She is the sweetest of yours hooks up.》

《 Then I can simply ring the door on my way back.》

《 Call her, Noah. Don't be a prick. The world doesn't revolve around you. Maybe she is planning to go out.》

You can hear him sigh in his annoying way. 《Can I shower here, anyway? I smell bad.》

《 You always smell bad.》

《 Am I???》

You exchange a glaze with him and immidiatly know its time to run. In the moment he leaves Luci alone, he is following you around the house while you yell for help. But matt isn't back yet, so you're on your own. As soon as noah reaches you (very soon, his legs are longer than yours), he huggs you tight, trying to put your head under his armpit.

《 NOAH STOP IS DISGUSTING!》 , you try to defend yourself hitting him on his back and between his legs with small slaps.

《Ei! Low blow! Don't slap my nutts!》

《 Don't sweat on me, you piece of-》

A yell interrupted the both of you, follow by a long cry and some smashed dishes. Noah realise the grip on you and sighs deeply looking at the wall that divides your apartment from Briannas one.

《 Is it always like this?》

《 almost every day, now.》

And there is something that broke in your cracking voice that completely shattered Noahs heart.

《 let's call the cops》, he says with a soft voice, hugging your shoulders. 《 I'll stay. We can watch a movie togheter.》

You look at him in surprise while he is reaching his phone. 《 and your date?》

《 you're my date》 , is the cheeky replay. The both of you smile, and you need a second. Not only because you're worried about brianna, but also because these small situations make you feel.... weird on your feelings towards noah.

You don't want to admit it, but a real date would be all you desire.

....but at what cost?

[tokuvivor]

Due to circumstances beyond the control of any others, @violetganache42 and I are splitting duty on this week’s highlights post (Competition Night edition). She did it for the shorts and episodes, I’m doing it for An Extremely Goofy Movie.

So without further ado, here we go.

“Polar Trappers”:

We bring ‘em back alive

@puffyducks: bro where is pabo

Donald hunting a penguin, which is now illegal to do so

Not the kid!

The baby penguin’s tear becoming a massive snowball

“Need 4 Speed”:

QUACK PACK (Again!)

Disney Ducks meet The Fast and the Furious

@spamtoon: huey you guys aren't in phineas and ferb

Daisy appearance!

The idea of Comet Guy Night

@ducklooney and puffy going off about humans being in the Duckverse

Us calling Donald and the authorities to kill Rocky the Rocket Throttle

From Negaduck ass car to Ratcatcher

@writebackatya: "This is like the Family Guy of the Duckverse"

Ludwig appearance!

puffy: "where's dick dastardly"

Puffy, Missy, and I using 90s slang

Daisy seeing the triplets in the race:

RIP ethnically stereotyped racers

WriteBackAtYa: "DuckTales 2017 needed a car race episode"

Violet: "Would Huey and Launchpad be commentators?"

WriteBackAtYa: "Yes Always"

Violet: "SOLD!"

Ludwig's toy kangaroo winning the race

@tealottie: erection joke

“The Missing Links of Moorshire!”:

Webby giving Scrooge semi-permanent hearing loss

Launchpad: "This lake will be used for the swimming portion of the competition."

Huey: T_T

Violet: "Cue theme song!"

Missy betraying Della with Daisy

Tony the Tiger?!

The entire coin toss scene 🤣

Us praising Glomgold

Missy commenting how Scrooge and Glomgold can't tuck their tails for golfing

The audio glitching like CRAZY

Fluttershy and Bubbles the Kelpies

Webby: "Talking animals wearing clothes?! :D"

@fantasticenthusiasttale: "Webby…"

Violet, internally:

"Bologna. Trampoline."

THE MUSIC USED FOR THE MONTAGE!

Louie yoinking money out of Glomgold's sweater pocket

Emo Dewey

"You people are no fun."

Webby: "Not everything has to be a life lesson."

Violet:

Violet pretending to be turned to stone by the Medusa Mist (as I like to call it)

Launchpad ending the episode with a life lesson… before trying to devour golf balls

“Dog Show”:

puffy: "you know who else is an orphan"

Dreamy: "Everyone in this shit is an orphan"

The dog show people being dogs

Goofy literally begging

Pixar ball

Mickey unleashing his inner dog

An Extremely Goofy Movie

Calling out all the characters from the previous movie as they show up

The fact that Pete is celebrating his own son leaving💀

How is Goofy single?

Goofy having major rizz (this point comes up quite a bit during the movie, and for good reason)

Max’s character development from A Goofy Movie being undone

Sad Goofy☹️

HDL mention!

Bradley Uppercrust III

@kaitosduckmania: “god this shit is so pretentious LMAO”

Will: “I want this review on the back of the DVD”

Max/Roxanne vs. Max/Bradley on Tumblr

Beret Girl!

Puffy: “you know who ELSE is called tank”

Violet: “MY MOM”

Puffy: “they’re snapping at us…MENACINGLY”

Bradley having the same VA as Johnny Bravo (also, The Man with the Yellow Hat)

Max’s horrified face when he sees that he and his dad are in the same class

Bobby wearing pink panties/briefs

Hidden Mickey

Goofy’s mispronunciation of the word “trigonometry”

Puffy: “the WHAT decimal system”

Sylvia being adorable

Goofy does a Donald-esque voice

Kai: “WHAT THE FUCK GOOFY YOU CAN MAKE THAT VOICE?”

Will: “Max’s whole character is that he doesn’t want to be like Goofy but like he is so much like his father that he doesn’t even know it”

More cheese pull (pizza in the last movie, nachos in this one)

BONGO MUSIC

PJ has rizz, too

Goofy and Sylvia dancing to Shake Your Groove Thing

Papa Dog

Us dumping on the inherent cult-like nature of fraternities, sororities, and the National Honor Society

The German judge low-balling everyone

Dreamy: “Is this the olympics all again”

Puffy: “this is MY olympics”

Max shooting down Goofy in the worst way possible

Goofy’s weed/acid trip dream (plus the Goofy holler!)

More Goofy sadness

Meta humor about almost everyone wearing gloves

Missy betraying Daisy with Sylvia

CHEATING!!!!!

PJ flying off

Dreamy: “He went to visit Della”

“Mud! My only weakness!”

Will mentioning that the scene with the X crashing down was removed from the broadcast version of the movie after 9/11 (which we completely understand, because holy shit)

Also, sort of a Hindenburg reference

Goofy graduating! (And then telling Max he was getting a job at the school)

Sylvia having the same VA as Emma Glamour

Spam floating the idea of Max vs. Gosalyn for the X Games

Disco end credits!

Also, that was a goofy movie. Extremely, even.

[whatitshouldvebeen]

‘m so sad bc I think I missed the Johnny slaughter wave here on tumblr 😞 it ended before I could even begin to write for him 😪 my husband fr

I blame GUN media for handling their game terribly. When they stopped cross play they lost tens of thousands of players and never recovered (+ the hackers never stopped, ofc). Their game maps are basically puzzles that — once solved — become very repetitive.

Couple that with poorly handled expansions + patches including:

Releasing Black Nancy at the same time as one of the most anticipated killers of all time (Chucky) was released in their similar-genre competition Dead by Daylight.

Nerfing the killers too harshly like how they massacred our boy Johnny until picking him would make other killers leave the lobby to not be hindered by his dead weight. Sissy and Cook have also received similar nerfs, and Leatherface's revving sprint was stealth nerfed as well.

Ignoring things that made the game experience painful to play. For example, the car on the gas station that the survivors could just crouch in forever took something like 8 months for them to block. As someone who's worked on game environments, adding an invisible block would take about thirty seconds. And how grandpa would screw everyone over waking up, that was only recently fixed. Oh, and stunlocking the family forever with doors, that was fun...

And let's not forget GUN's rudeness toward their fans such as:

Responding to shipper's posts by vehemently denying that their ship would ever be canon.

Being sassy about people asking for alternatives to having to play leatherface every game by removing the requirement but not adding any new or fun ways to fulfill the leatherface role (sledgehammer Johnny? Mallet Leatherface?) + leaving barracades up with no way to destroy them.

Insinuating those of us asking for shirtless Johnny were being thirsty hoes for asking (and we were), making us have to fight for him to be shirtless, then being rude toward the people who then asked for thirst skins for Julie/Connie/etc. Most of their player base comes from dead by daylight, we are all thirsty and no one should be shamed for asking for skins they would like to look at.

Let's not forget the extremely overpriced Nicotero Leatherface skin that both had broken audio on release and who's chainsaw is significantly quieter giving a very real advantage to playing him. Also, covering half the main screen with an ad for it was very desperate IMO.

Lastly, the killers to victims ratio is outrageous, something like 1 killer to every 25 victims. Yet they keep making playing killer worse and worse (cough, like by adding Danny who's skill is still broken af, cough)

All these factors combined spelled certain doom for poor ole Johnny. While some people like myself are still loyalists, the fact of the matter is, GUN killed their boy. In a perfect world, Johnny would be added into a TCM movie to revitalize interest in him. But I think the game has no hope.

[redactedgender]

redacted audio headcanons: elliott & sunshine edition

im in my elliott & sunshine era rn it seems. i cant stop thinking abt them. so heres some of my hc for them! the sunshine hc’s are specifically for my oc (charlie, he/they), but im keeping it neutral so others can apply it to their oc’s/sunshine hc’s maybe :0

!! CW FOR MENT. OF SUNSHINE’S ACCIDENT. ALSO SOME 18+, MINORS DNI !!

; t4t elliott & sunshine. i don’t make the rules, i just enforce them

; following that thought, sunshine, geordi & guy were all elliott’s caretakers after he got top surgery

; elliott & aaron’s last name is hawkins, but elliott is technically elliott lewis-hawkins. his last name is hyphenated because ‘lewis’ was the name of his first foster family (they were the best one he had had at that point, but when the mom got pregnant they realized they couldn’t support two kids), so he uses their name to remember them by

; sunshine has a prosthetic leg from their accident. they walk with a forearm crutch or sometimes use a wheelchair during extra bad pain days. they also have lots of small scars from the glass across their body, mostly arms

; elliott has called sunshine “sunshine” since they first met basically. but, when guy heard sunshine call elliott “dreamboat” one random day, he made the joke that their ship name would be “daydream”. since then, whenever guy talks about the two of them, he refers to them as “daydream” (ex: “yeah i’m just in a call with geordi and daydream, what’s up?”)

; they have matching yellow lego charms that make a heart when you put them together (like this but yellow)

; (18+) they both have horrible oral fixations (canon but still). they both could live between each others thighs. the 69 position is one of their favorites because of that

; sunshine and cutie used to go to school together, but after cutie’s powers manifested they kinda stopped hanging out. sunshine never really liked cutie tbh. they aren’t aware that cutie is empowered

; sunshine and treasure are cousins, and treasure was the first person sunshine told about their (completely obvious) crush on eli when they realized they liked him

; eli’s favorite color is lavender, and also loves lavender scented things (he has the lavender & iris spray from bath & body works and practically douses his bed in it. it smells divine btw)

; elliott had a wattpad account. what he read on that site is between him and god

; elliott is a lord of the rings nerd. you mean to tell me the guy who made a whole-ass fantasy d&d session dreamscape with his partner featuring a full-ass dragon isn’t a tolkien nerd??

; elliott also loves d&d. he hasn’t played a lot, but has enjoyed it when he did; he once dm’ed a one shot for his friend group and it was a crazy ass story. he likes worldbuilding and character backstories the most

; sunshine collects cds from thrift stores. even from artists they don’t know anything about

; besides their house, elliott and sunshine have also discussed getting animals together. they decided on a dog named thor and a cat named mercury

; honey is elliott and aaron’s cousin. they don’t know elliott is empowered. honey and aaron are the two cousins who would disappear when they both got overwhelmed at a party

; elliott loves watching competition shows like “blown away”, he eats that shit up

; (18+) sunshine is a big reader, and absolutely eats up all different kinds of genres. sometimes elliott likes to “punish” them for not paying attention to him by using him mouth on them while they read erotica & edge them until they finish a specific number of chapters

; elliott hates tuna. like, haaaaates tuna. can't stand the smell, taste, texture, anything about it. the only thing he can handle about it is when its alive and intact; he can't even handle it in sushi

; in pjo, sunshine would be a child of apollo, and elliott would be a child of hypnos

; sunshine didn’t tell the group about the accident until they had a panic attack over a car crash in a movie. they had told elliott bits and pieces before that (and obviously he had seen their nightmares), but they felt as though they didn’t want to burden elliott and the rest of the group with their trauma

; OK SO. elliott and sunshine’s favorite movie collectively is “tangled”. i mean its their absolute fave. they watched it together on their first official date, it’s their comfort movie, they have matching jewelry of the sun symbol, theyve cosplayed/gone as flynn and rapunzel a bunch of times for halloween, etc. like these guys LOVE tangled. and apparently there’s a new disney ride of the lantern festival in disneyland tokyo. so, in a world where the balance didnt separate them, and theyre together and happy and healing, i like to imagine they decide to visit a disney and go on the ride if they have it there. and id like to imagine that when theyre in the lantern section, they both reach into their pockets and pull out boxes. and, with tears streaming down their faces and the biggest fucking grins imaginable, they propose to each other (and ofc they both say yes) <3

; the couple that are stoners together stay together <3 elliott likes to shotgun sunshine

; elliott is always the big spoon. he likes knowing hes protecting sunshine in both their dreams and in real life

━━━━

im so normal and regular about these two i promise (<- lying). i will add more as i see fit. also i might have a fic idea based on one of these headcanons, hehe :3c

[cazzyf1]

Peter Collins interview

Today, I found an interview with 50s driver Peter Collins, which I am particularly excited about as there is hardly anything out there with his voice. It didn't come with any video, so I have uploaded it here as an audio file, which you can listen to. Below the cut is a transcript. If you play this on the Tumblr app, it might open up the audio player on another tab, FYI. I have also found another longer interview audio with him from 1957, which not only has clearer audio but is around four minutes long and features him ranting about safety. I should hopefully have that uploaded by the end of this week! Enjoy, you lovely folk!

Interviewer: Could you tell us your age?

Peter: 24

Interviewer: How long have you been driving?

Peter: Since I was 17

Interviewer: What car did you start on?

Peter: Originally a Cooper 500, and uh and Allard and then onto an 1100 Cooper and then onto an Aston Martin HWM

Interviewer: How long have you been driving for Aston Martin?

Peter: This is my sixth year

Interviewer: Are you on a professional team besides Aston Martin this year? A Grand Prix team?

Peter: Yes, Ferrari

Interviewer: You are driving for Ferrari on the regular team. What competition are you looking forward to today here?

Peter: Well, I think it's all going to be pretty up from what I can see. The whole race—the speed of the race—will be governed by the tyre wear, and I think that the people who got the tyres that will last the longest and the breaks that will last the longest should stand a very good chance.

Interviewer: What do you think of the American course here today in comparison to European courses?

Peter: Well I think it is a great improvement on three years ago when I was here for the first time. It's uh it compares with certainly courses in England um that are held the same way on areograms circuits but really on the continent, the courses, in my opinion anyway, for my money, a little bit better *something* use the roads and uh they have natural hazards and not artificial ones which I think is a much better thing from racing standpoint.

Interviewer: Could you give us some performance figures on the Aston Martin, top speed and zero to sixty in...

Peter: Well, that's very difficult for me! Um, Mr (Wild?) could do it better than I could. I only know the things sort of maximum resolutions in minutes and, haha, what lap times we do. Um, I think they can go from, I don't know, I think they go from nought to one hundred miles an hour in about 16 seconds, I think, I'm not too sure. It depends on the axel ratio, of course. And a maximum speed is about 160 miles per hour.

[jenyifer]

Okay finally watched the BostonNick confrontation again. Couple of things I find hope in for BostonNick. Boston didn’t want it to be Nick. When top confronts him he keeps looking to the side trying to come up with an explanation to fit that isn’t Nick. Why would Ray have seen what happened in the car? He can’t master mind an explanation where he gets to keep Nick.

Then we get to the confrontation which hurts badly. Boston is looking for ANY REASON why this would have happened that doesn’t include the truth.

Boston kept leading Nick on despite knowing boy had crazy feelings for Boston. In fact it all starts from him. Episode 2 BEFORE NICK FINDS THE PHOTO OF TOP Boston assures Nick that they can push their status further than fuck buddies with sweet cheek kisses etc. It only gets worse from there. Boston is the one who kept making things fuzzy. ESPECIALLY after the TopBoston car incident. Nick after episode 3 is torturing himself with the audios to remind himself not to be in love with Boston because Bostons words lean that way. We know this from Nick’s end credit photo that Boston telling him he might just want to be with Nick for a while really screwed with his head. I think Boston definitely knew how Nick felt. In fact are we really believing Boston didn’t want Anyone to find out about him and Top? He pursued that man hard core not because of feelings for Top but out of Competition with Mew. I was surprised when he didn’t hold it over Top’s head after the Elevator fight. Instead? He goes fucks Nick again and tells Nick to come over to his house whenever he likes. (Makes nick do the self punishing audio listen again too). Boston then just ignores Top and Mew. He could have used the car incident as bait. But no. I think what he said in the fight was true.

Boston wanted it to be over with Top and his competition with Mew (harder said than done). He really pushed the tell Nick he’s the only one for me thing to the maximum following this. He didn’t want his friends or Nick to know playing that game obviously hadn’t worked out for him and he wasn’t willing to take it further. What truly hurts Boston as bad or worse than Top telling him he isn’t as good Mew or Ray yelling at Boston was Nick saying the truth out loud that he loves Boston.

Because Boston is in love with him too. Boston didn’t want the TopBoston thing to come out because he didn’t want to hurt Nick. He didn’t give a shit about Mew or Top. He didn’t want the new thing that brought him happiness to think he was inferior enough to sleep with his besties boyfriend. It is a step beyond normal evil isn’t it. That’s why when Nick says “why would I want to hurt you?” Boston pauses. What Boston has been doing becomes all too real for him in that moment. It is crazy to him to Love ANYONE. Boston has fucked up family dynamics and is probably in the closet. He couldn’t only love Nick if he wanted to. But he’s been wasting his time chasing him anyways. I feel like his last words to Nick are lies that Boston 100% knows should apply from Nick to him. Boston is the one who can’t get enough of Nick and he’s the one who can’t love. He has boundaries that he’s been too close to crossing because of Nick. In that moment he’d rathe hit nick than admit the truth.

“I never love you. You just can’t get enough of me.”

Although it does look like his punch was shocking and possibly regrettable. Boston has eliminated EVERY SINGLE PERSON FROM HIS LIFE IN ONE GO. But as we see later in the episode he does try to see Ray. I want Boston to come back to Nick on his knees but I know that’s unlikely to happen. I do think Boston does still have feelings for Nick but Nick did betray him and won’t tell him how Ray got the audio file. Boston gets to ponder that for a bit. It might even be why he went over to check on Ray in the first place to ask him how he got the audio so it could be destroyed. He also probably wanted to know the depth of Nick’s betrayal so he could justify to himself punching Nick.

[shapeshiftersvt]

My Encounter With the Jersey Devil

Every Spring, since 1984, the New Jersey Audubon Society hosts the World Series of Birding (WSB). Much in the vein of fundraising walks and runs, the WSB is a marathon aimed at raising money and awareness towards a specific cause (bird and nature conservation). Competitors in the WSB are tasked with identifying, by either sight or sound, as many bird species as they can in a 24 hour period. While there are multiple ways to compete, the top level teams, which often include career birders, collect pledges through their own dedicated website, travel all over New Jersey in that 24 hour period to identify birds, and must be present at the finish line at Cape May Point State Park at midnight at the end of the competition.

Around 2005, a friend of mine (we’ll call her Robin) was enthusiastically getting me into birding and proposed we compete in the WSB. She had another birding friend from the West Coast (we’ll call him Jay) who wanted to come visit and the WSB was the perfect excuse. We competed under the second level, which allowed for a more casual competition, essentially treating the weekend like an excuse for an intensive birding holiday, without the fundraising and finish line requirements. This was at least in part because of my own inexperience; but I was excited and eager and, equally important, had a car and the ability and willingness to chauffeur the three of us around Cape May County for the weekend.

Robin and Jay spent the days leading up to the WSB mapping and scheduling out the birding spots we would hit, while I spent them studying up on my visual and audio ID’s (a harder task back before there were easily accessed videos and archives of bird call recordings online). The morning of the competition, we piled into my little Pontiac Sunfire and headed south.

The original plan was that we’d arrive at our hotel in Cape May in the afternoon, eat, get some sleep, and then head out to hit our first spot at midnight. Unfortunately, late in the night, Robin wasn’t feeling well. So we pivoted. Robin would stay at the hotel to get some more rest while Jay and I headed out to the first spot. After we were done, we would swing back by the hotel and, hopefully, Robin would feel better and we’d all pile back into the car to continue competing.

Since the start of the WSB is at midnight, the first spot on our list was a prime location to identify the nocturnal birds on the species list — owls, of course, but also water birds called rails. This brought us to one of the most rural spots we visited that weekend, the kind of rural spot that most people don’t believe exists in New Jersey. Jake’s Landing is an earthen boat launch in the middle of a wetlands creek, that’s accessed via Jake’s Landing Road, a 1.3 mile long dirt road that winds through a white pine forest. While you can see the light pollution from the surrounding towns in the distance, the area immediately around the landing is so dark the only light is from the moon and the vast expanse of stars.

ID-ing rails required parking at the Landing and listening for the birds out in the marshy waters. But since it’s such a well-known spot for good birding, there were always other birders standing out there with you, also desperately listening for the rails. The owls, however, weren’t out in the wetlands, they were back in the woods. Which meant that to ID owls, we had to pull over to the side of the road, turn off the car, turn off the headlights, get out of the car, and stand there in the middle of the woods in the middle of the night in almost complete darkness to listen for owls. Now, I am a child of suburbia. I wasn’t used to that kind of darkness. I wasn’t used to just being outside in the middle of the night without a car between me and whatever might be lurking beyond what my eyes could see. I definitely wasn’t used to spending time that deep in the woods, and certainly not at night. Not to mention that just a few years before this, in 1999, The Blair Witch Project had come out to the kind of hype we hadn’t seen for a horror movie since Nightmare on Elm Street and wouldn’t see again until Saw. A found footage film about three college-aged film-makers camping out in the woods to investigate the local legend of the Blair Witch, only to become victims of the Witch themselves, I loved The Blair Witch Project, it’s probably my favorite horror movie to this day. But part of that love came from the fact that it scared the crap out of me.

I was not looking forward to owl hunting.

Jay and I left Robin at the hotel to sleep and drove out to Jake’s Landing. We stood around listening to rails for a while; I don’t remember if we ID’d any on that particular stop, but we did close out the weekend with at least one rail ID’d on our list. Then we drove back into the woods, pulled over, turned off the car, and got out … 

And everything was fine. Really. I mean, we didn’t hear any owls, which sucked (spoilers: I wouldn’t hear an owl in real life for another 5 years or so). But I actually wasn’t bothered at all. It was dark and quiet and I couldn’t see anything beyond about three or four rows of trees beyond the road, but it wasn’t even a little bit freaky. After a while we both agreed that we weren’t hearing anything and it was about time for us to go pick up Robin, so we got back in the car and headed back to civilization.

We spent the rest of the day traveling all over Cape May County, hiking around bird sanctuaries and nature preserves, tromping over farms, strolling along boardwalks. I got to see red-tailed hawks and bald eagles and egrets and a purple gallinule that had made its way up to New Jersey from Florida for some reason. We stopped for snacks and meals at the whatever the nearest Wawa was, caught naps in parking lots, saw other birders ranging from casual twenty-somethings like us, little kids on school field trips, and well-aged professionals with camera equipment that probably cost more than my used Sunfire.

Then, as night fell again and the diurnal birds tucked into their nests for the night, there was only one thing left to do: head back to Jake’s Landing to try again for the rails and owls. I wasn’t worried this time, since I’d gotten through the first time without getting even a tiny bit spooked. We drove out to the Landing, and listened for a while; again, I don’t remember which trip it was, but we were only able to ID one rail all weekend. Then we headed back into the woods, pulled over, turned off the car, and got out to listen.

But something was different. It was still just as dark, just as quiet, just as isolated, though this time we had another person in our group. By all rights, I shouldn’t have had any trouble standing out there and listening for owls. But the second I closed my car door, I could feel it. Something was wrong. I still couldn’t see anything past the third or fourth line of trees past the road, but it felt like I was being watched — we were being watched. The longer we stood there, the more time my imagination had to run wild, the more certain I became that whoever — or whatever — was out there, intended us harm. We weren’t welcome. I couldn’t have focused on owls even if there’d been any to focus on, I could only think about the growing feeling in my gut that someone or something was out there in the dark seething at us, watching and waiting.

Finally, just as the feeling was becoming too much, just as I was about to suggest we go, Robin spoke up. We weren’t hearing anything, it was getting close to midnight anyway, we should just head back to the hotel and get some sleep before we had to drive home in the morning. I don’t think I even responded, I just remember snapping open my door, practically throwing myself inside, and turning the car and headlights back on before Jay and Robin had even sat down, so eager was I to be in the relative safety of my little Sunfire. We finished the drive along Jake’s Landing Road in silence. I was perhaps driving a little more quickly than I should have along a dirt road a little too narrow for two cars to comfortably pass, but I was beyond ready to get back to the main road with its asphalt and street lights and unblocked views of the surrounding area.

After having the uneasiness of the darkness washed away by blessed halogen, I finally told Robin that if she hadn’t said something when she had, I’d been ready pull the plug over how freaked out I’d felt. Which was when she admitted that the reason she’d spoken up was because she’d also felt freaked out and couldn’t stand out there any longer. We spent the drive back to the hotel comparing notes, Robin expressing a similar feeling about being watched, and me explaining how I hadn’t experienced anything close to that on my earlier owl hunt with Jay.

Robin and I had both been raised in New Jersey, had grown up surrounded by stories of the Jersey Devil, and knew when we set out on this trip that we’d be spending much of the weekend hiking around areas within the Pine Barrens, the alleged territory of the Jersey Devil.

So what other conclusion could we come to than that we’d just had an encounter with the Jersey Devil itself?

-Krista