#definitely my favorite non-game thing to come out of aa

[ot3]

What're your thoughts on the aa movie? I haven't seen it in years but I remember thinking it was very charming, though fast paced. I appreciate their commitment to everyone's dress and hair styles. Sorry if you have it tagged somewhere, I'm on mobile and the search is awful

i've seen it, i think its a great! it's rare to see an adaptation take so much creative liberties with its source while managing to stick so true to the spirit of the thing. phoenix's actor does a great job, and i love that he is capable of going :3 in real life which is not something i knew i needed for phoenix but i definitely did need for him.

i think it does some fantastic stuff visually where the colors are pretty muted and the settings are more fully realized than those of the game in a way that really serves to make the events feel more grounded and less cartoony. but then they balance that out by giving both the settings and costuming the right amount of quirkiness to not be bland or gritty, and to still keep some of that playful energy in there. i think the hologram nonsense they do in the courtroom is a fun way to adapt video game mechanics for a movie and it's goofy enough to make the courtroom drama feel the proper amount of campy. its also just very visually appealing! its well lit and has some solid shot compositions! like it looks good!

the scene where maya gets to yell at redd white is awesome, and im always shocked by how well the movie does making you empathize with yanni yogi of all people. i get the sense that it was made by someone who really cared about its source material but didn't feel limited or constrained by that, and was instead able to channel that into something with a distinct voice rather than being a crude imitation. definitely worth watching at least once.

also the child actors they cast were soooooo cute i want to put apple slices in their lunchboxes

[morphogenetic]

Mediaposting 2024, #6: Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2/The Great Ace Attorney Resolve

Completed: April 21st, 2024 (/i still have to watch the DLC episodes that didn't get released with the official loc, I guess but I'm not playing it any more so ?? lol)

Time spent: 49.5 hours (will be like 50.5 after the DLC stuff)

Rating: 9/10 (more objectively. but a very biased 9.5 in my heart.)

ohhhhh my god alright where do i even start with this. i guess i also have to talk about dgs1 a little bit in this review/mini completion log but I will TRY and keep it to just 2. [editor's note: somehow succeeded with this! lfg]

first, to get the non-spoiler parts of this out of the way:

please for the love of god play this fucking game if you've played the original AA trilogy but not the DGS duology. i can not stress this enough. i would not recommend playing them as your FIRST aa games because a) they will set your bar way too high (and too low simultaneously bc wow dgs1 still has whack as hell pacing) b) there are a few details, especially in this particular game, that will evoke no reaction in you if you haven't played at least the main three games but WILL cause you to start gnawing on drywood if you have Knowledge Of The Future

the whole dgs duology - and specifically as a duology, bc 2 makes no sense without 1 but 1 by itself is not on this level - is absolutely in my top 3/4 AA games now. i admittedly have not replayed the original trilogy in quite a while, buuuuuut T&T/AAI2/DGS1+2 are my new top 3. not necessarily in that order, give me a bit to think about it lol.

im going to be thinking about this game for the rest of my life probably. i can see why my best friend wanted me to play it for uh. seven years. because yeah it really is that good.

i want to cosplay four different designs from it. i have not wanted to cosplay anything new (to me) since neo twewy came out three years ago. take that as you will.

music still slaps. obviously. my favorite new song is absolutely partners (IYKYK) but agh. the new theme(s) that characters get are all so fucking good. clenches fist. the leitmotifs

definitely becomes relevant in retrospect in a few places where capcom obviously cut the hell out of the budget but they saved it for where it matters so i dont care. im also uh. very used to low budget VNs so frankly even 3D models are better than I'm used to LMFAO. i also you know. didn't realize that they did that until after the fact. so. they hid it well

if you havent played this go and play it (after playing the original AA trilogy). please for the love of god im on my hands and knees.

everything below the cut (i.e. below this point) has blatant unfiltered spoilers. you have been warned.

okay so welcome you've presumably played all of dgs2 if you're reading this. i have THOUGHTS. a lot of these will come off as critical/negative but i need to strongly emphasize that these are the only reasons that this game is not a 10/10 for me and otherwise i'm in love with it. it is fucking CLOSE. i am not talking a lot about the things i really love because that is.............................a lot of the game for me and we'd be here all day. the critiques are much more limited in number. but. you know.

dgs2 absolutely has much, Much better pacing than dgs1 does overall. it does not take 3 cases to get past a bunch of tutorial cases. this is a good thing. however..............the first two cases are still very slow. i won't call them pure filler, because a) reminding us about yuujin was a very good idea, b) they contribute to the Themes of the game. and im glad hosonaga was there again and (of all of the side characters we could have had) seeing souseki was good. i like them. but they really didn't need to be there to fulfill the themes of the game. case 2 in particular feels like a filler case, which I do not love given how tight the rest of the plot feels. if anything i feel like they should have done an interim flashback case without susato, as much as I adore susato, because as-is it's canon that ryuu had 3 cases in the span of a week. which feels INSANE

speaking of better pacing: im so glad dgs2 remembered that AA games can take investigation breaks between courtroom shit because running through ALL of the trial after ALL of the investigation in 1-5 was. let's say. taxing. the 'finding their footing' aspect of the first game

i do kind of wish we got One more case with the masked apprentice where susato wasn't there at all for the entire case. if only because then the delay between ryuu Thinking It and susato Knowing it would be even more painful. but i do really appreciate that they don't try to make it a woah big reveal as much as a painful "i know who you are but you don't." really adds a certain je nai se quois or however the fuck you spell that. idr. its 1 am when im typing this

also hey asougi can we fucking unpack how susato (the girl you were raised with to some extent, probably not like your sister but your weird younger cousin) called your name and you didn't remember who you were but you DID remember when you saw a wax reconstruction of your dead dad. can we fucking talk about that for a minute. can w

speaking of asougi. my god. they did such a good job with him. i think i wouldn't have cared nearly as much about him if all we had was the dgs1 stuff but his extreme motivation for the truth almost turning him into a violent attack dog is. aaaaaaaaaah. god. and the parallels between him and his father's followers (read: the von karmas) that one has from playing the mainline AA games. truly brainworm material

speaking of this: i can absolutely tell they did NOT think about writing the professor stuff with this game until they added in the masked apprentice - before he got turned into asougi - even though the reaper was obviously something that was planned. i do not care personally about this, because game dev is weird as hell and it REALLY works with asougi and van zieks' character arcs. in the same way that i don't think [SPOILER CHARACTER] from vlr would have been as good without the knowledge of 999, i think if barok had been foiled against a new character it wouldn't have worked as well. all that said. it sure is obvious they didn't know what they were doing. this makes me even more impressed that that they got it to work at all

the same is true of everything with the hound of the baskervilles but im really glad that they took it in the direction that they did.

also man it is so obvious that they probably wanted to have this be a proper trilogy like the original trilogy but then budget happened. because 2-3 through 2-5 all slap but they feel so fucking weird next to 2-1 and 2-2. like i dont feel that theres anything missing per se but a little more time for character growth would have been nice. hell even adding in an extra case (and/or editing 2-2....)

the only writing thing, aside from. 2-2 being like that. and the other weird pacing issues..that extensively is off to me is the whole assassin trading plot. i do think it is Very stupid and that they clearly wrote themselves into a corner with 1-5 on how to deal with it because they just...proceed to not deal with it until 2-4 and 2-5. however. even with that said. i actually kind of like that it is so stupid. because stronghart definitely feels SO obsessed with his version of justice that he wouldn't think through the potential downsides of having two free-roaming assassins running around and maybe coming to get his ass. obvious flaw that would not occur to him because of his insane ass behavior

its still dumb. but it's ace attorney dumb. so i can excuse it a little bit

stronghart being a damon gant expy was funny but goddamnit was it predictable. making him be so obssessed with justice that he talks to ryuu about it for 4 hours was funny as hell though and absolutely adds to him as a character. still dont like him that much Personally but hes definitely a character

his breakdown was peak. by the way. top 3 breakdowns in the series

jigoku being like that kills me. also. the way he just let genshin

g. genshin impact (sorry)

i dont care that sherlock's bullshit was a deus ex machina bc honestly.....electricity was real at that point. its fine

also. holy shit i love ryuunosuke in this game even more. 'i'm not doing this for you, kazuma. i'm doing it for the truth.' BANGER!!!!!!!!!!!! his growth across these two games is really good but especially in this one he shines so brightly

however..........this game made the glaring lack of ryuu's parents even more obvious. its not like i Need it or anything but considering how he very literally refers to yuujin/susato/sherlock/iris as his family in 2-4.....where are your parents!!!! what was your childhood like!!!!!! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT I WISH COULD BE ANSWERED!!!!!!!!!

and asougi. i could write an essay on asougi alone i think. but i adore how both he and ryuu are like 'you've changed' at each other and neither of them are wrong but then by the end they're like 'wow you're the same as before.' theyre so fucking gay. anyway

and sherlock (WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU WHY DO YOU LIE FOR FUN LIKE THIS????????)

and yuujin (partners ~ game is afoot starts playing and i start crying). obsessed with how they only had to write the dynamic for a single case and you can believe all of it because they can just go. lol. ACD canon. anyway

and susato

and, most surprisingly of all for me.....fucking barok van zieks. i would not call myself a Fan of him in the way i am a Fan of asougi and ryuu, but i am obsessed with him. he did so many things wrong but realizes he genuinely fucked up and wants to atone for it. he gets genuinely upset in prison when he can't join the red-headed league. he's a professional alcoholic. he has bats in his office (???). what is wrong with him. (i know the answer is 'literally everything that could be wrong with a person.' but still

i love every single character in this game (or i hate them but because they were written to be hated)??? how did they manage this again. dgs1 helps so much here because the character growth.

argh. the character parallels with everyone realizing their parent / mentor figure was fucked up and/or hiding shit from them in some way. thinking emoji rotating in a circle goes here

wow that magically became way less critical as i was writing it. i thought it was going to be a lot stronger of a critique. its still weird pacing stuff basically that bothers me but i have very minor complaints that im forgetting aside from this

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAH HI GUYS IM BRAIN ROTTING NOW FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this has had almost the same brain impact on me (as evidenced by the 1 million words about it) as raging loop i think and thats never a good sign since i still think about raging loop at least once a week despite the fact that i played it 3 goddamn years ago

[phoenixfangs]

Coming from me, someone who has only played the first game, about AA: What ships in the fandom do you think people just Don't Get? I know the big one being the boys Miles and Pheonix so odds of numbers people are likely to mess up that dynamic often.

But any others that stand out in the fandom that have you thinking They Wouldn't Say That vibe? Please, feel free to go wild, I'm curious

kobi im kissing u on ur mouth for indulging me

ur totally right that people get narumitsu wrong, ill steal a phrase from pepper analysis of franmaya (another ship people get totally wrong but they explained it better in fewer words djffkj) to say that people often reduce them to sunshine boy and grump (boring dynamic), or worse, seme and uke. people will really write these guys like theyre bad yaoi stereotypes and think its Good just because it made them horny

now i love yaoi. i love porn. i love porn of these guys. but they are the MOST complex characters in the entire series, so reducing them to Just top/bottom for the sake of beating off to it is so. idk frustrating lol

its not all bad though, my buddy bloodofgrapes (hiiii hello grapes) probably produces my favorite nsfw content where bdsm concepts and roles like top/bottom are Intentionally Part Of It, because he actually puts a lot of thought into the dynamic as it pertains to phoenix and miles, rather than just stapling yaoi tropes onto them. the characterization in his comics/fanart is top notch, high recommendation 👌 (obviously this also means the non nsfw content that grapes makes is excellent too, as an aside)

idk if u know who kristoph is, if ive perhaps auts-ed out at u about him before, but he and phoenix make up krisnix, which is my Current ship brainworm. i dont even bother looking up ship content of them because me and pepper are the only people on the planet who understand them apart, and them together. read a fic where (admittedly they werent dating, idr if they had a relationship pre-fic but whatever this is more about the general dynamic) kris abducted, tortured, and like Half Killed phoenix and yknow as much as i feel kris Wants phoenix dead, kris is SO hung up on having phoenix in his life that he could never actually go through with killing phoenix. hed probably kill himself right after djfkfjdja he wouldnt know what to do with himself if phoenix werent around

aside from that one fic, my Dread is that people write it to be this completely one-sided abusive relationship where phoenix is a hapless victim and its up to miles to (somehow) save him by being his Real Love, because a kinder codependent relationship with the "correct" partner is the solution to a mean codependent toxic relationship 🙄 and the thought of that makes me sick to my ass

the thing about krisnix is that its, to quote one of my favorite jokes/lines in vbros, "a game of cat and also cat": there are highs and lows, wins and losses, for both parties because they are worthy adversaries, they are contemporaries. i think kris Does do a lot of shitty toxic things to phoenix, but i dont think phoenix is above giving some of that energy back during the 7 years they know and are circling each other. To Me its very much unhealthy obsession by the blake robinson synthetic orchestra, theyre Definitely stalking each other

and also they fuck nasty

[forrests-waterfall]

Can I ask for Little!Technoblade headanons? No pressure! Your account feels very comfy btw!! :]

Little!Technoblade Headcanons

A/N :: Doing this request made me so happy aa! Anything Little!Technoblade related gives me so much comfort since he’s like, my favorite character n all! Hope you enjoy these hcs as much as I do :D.

Techno’s regression is usually involuntary rather than voluntary. He tends to regress 2-3 times a week. His little age is 4-9 but sometimes he goes lower, though not often.

Philza is his long term caregiver, Ranboo sometimes babysits Techno but they hang out more when they’re both little. Techno finds Ranboo to be like a sibling figure when regressed.

When he’s little, he loves anything that’s shiny. Especially gold items he may find. So his pacifiers, sippy cups, all have jewels on them! (And he will definitely decorate Phil’s face with plastic gems)

Really enjoys being read to, he loves story time so much and is basically the only thing that convinces him take naps or go to bed.

He’s very shy around new people, and can be shy the first couple of minutes into regression as well. Though he can be kind of talkative if you speak to him about certain interests of his. (Special interests, if you will)

But besides that, he’s a bit of a quiet little and will let people know what he wants/needs by hand movements and so on.

When little, he sometimes shakes his head because it makes his jewelry move around and it makes noises he likes. (Though the jewelry is eventually taken off when he’s small)

Enjoys guessing games, mostly because he knows a lot of the answers (usually) and he just loves getting the questions right and getting praise for it.

Likes spinning in circles because of his long hair, he just likes seeing it move. Though, sometimes he absolutely hates his long hair when small and just needs it to be tied up in a bun or two, or even a braid. (In conclusion, he likes his hair getting played with)

Very very curious. Will ask questions about anything and everything he comes across—he just wants to know as much he possibly can!

So many chew necklaces/toys. For sensory and non sensory reasons. If he doesn’t have a chew necklace/toy, he will chew on his sleeves, fingers, and almost anything he can find.

Little Techno actually really enjoys arts and crafts. He likes decorating pages with whatever stickers he has to try and make it look pretty. (He totally has greek mythology themed stickers, because y e s)

Gets very embarrassed whenever someone praises him for something he did good.

Will more than likely ask for hot chocolate when small. It’s like, his favorite drink and he constantly wants it.

He talks in piglin and English when regressed, mainly English but he does switch back and forth between the two by accident. He finds it easier to speak in piglin when small.

[lizacstuff]

Hi! Your thoughts on the epi? How emotional was the ending? I also loved that the stories came full circle (Apollo and the little prince). With how much they were discussing the strawberry allergy, I knew it was a matter of time before an allergic reaction emergency would occur. Serkan is not perfect but honestly who's parents are? I'm glad he got the reassurance he needed from both Eda and Kiraz. I'm also glad the truth about Aydan and Kemal's five year relationship is out to Serkan.

My apologies in taking so long to answer this, but LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. For me, this was a very gentle, but very enjoyable episode of television. I think you'd have to go back to season one episodes 4,5,6 to find three episodes in a row that were as good as 43, 44, 45 (coincidentally episode 4,5,6 of the 2nd season). How delightful that cliffhangers in season 2 are emotional plot points for our dynamic duo, instead of the nonsense like falling off of boats or getting caught by a gunman while playing detective, or non-stop, third-party psycho trauma like we endured during 29-38.

The ending was very emotional! As you say, it was always a matter of time before the strawberry allergy played a role, they've mentioned it too many times this season for it not too. Here it played two roles, first putting Kiraz's life in danger thus cementing their burgeoning family unit AND being the genetic tie between three previously hidden generations. Potent stuff.

I was thrilled by all the domestic Edser in this episode. Outdoors, kitchen, living room, bedroom, kid's room, we got it all! I just loved the family time, and the sexual tension and the way they grew closer throughout the episode. I saw some criticism that they made no progress in this episode, but I disagree with that. Just because they didn't make out or have sex, doesn't mean they didn't progress. In this episode they went from being on opposite sides of a custody battle to agreeing to buy a car together, travel together, work together, not to mention having a romantic dinner together.

So buckets of progress was made, however, more on that later, first the supporting characters...

(more under the cut)

What a relief to have both Eda and Serkan treating Aydan and Ayfer as the meddling interlopers they are! Serkan wordless, furious glares were delicious, seriously I don't know how AA had the courage to stay in the house with him looking at them like that, he couldn't have been less welcoming. And Eda actually questioning her aunt about why she was there was a surprise. Of course Ayfer continues to be super punchable. I really, really wanted to hit her right in the face when she gloated over Kiraz calling him Serkan Bolat. Seriously, bitch? You know that's your grandniece, right? And you know that she must have some issues about her dad being absent from her life (which you are partially responsible for) so the fact that you're gloating that a man who was prevented from knowing he had a daughter (again, partially your fault) and a girl who was prevented from having a father (again, you bear some blame) have an emotional barrier in their relationship is beyond shitty. What happened to her personally that made her such a cynical asshole?

Aydan on the other hand is still annoying but she has her own problems, lmao. I'm dying because early in the day the episode aired, I said to both @echoapothecary and @melly326 that it was a shame that the show had decided to waste the potential of Sinan's resemblance to Kerem. I have been hoping they would do the Serkan father storyline since the moment the character was introduced, but the day I give up hope for it is the day it happens! I legit had no expectations that there was even a chance it could still happen.

Personally I'm excited, It's nice that the writers gave Aydan some cover, she didn't lie, she simply didn't remember they had hot baby-making sex back when she was having problems with Alptekin. Imagine what might have happened had she remembered at the time. If Aydan had come clean and left Alptekin, Serkan never would have been sent away, Aydan would have had the support she needed when Alp died and Serkan would have grown up loved. I hope Alptekin suspected the truth, because it would go a long way in explaining why he was such a shit-stain to Serkan his whole life.

It was obvious what direction the story was going from the conversation between Kemal and Aydan when he told her they'd "you know'd" that night, but I still let out a squeal when he revealed his strawberry allergy. Three generations of aversion to frangeria. Google tells me that severe strawberry allergy is rare so this really is an obvious flag they've been waving in front of everyone.

The story also dovetails nicely with Serkan's own journey with surprise fatherhood. We know he hasn't taken to Kemal, has been suspicious of him, however hopefully his own experience being kept out of his daughter's life will make him sympathetic to his newly found father.

Engin and Piril... were there. I can't tell you how much I don't care about Engin's out-of-the blue catering business, or Piril's suspicions. However, I did enjoy the 3 way family phone call, once again Can comes through with the right bit of info for Kiraz, he's definitely the most useful member of that family.

Pina and Kerem were also... in the episode. I did giggle when Asst Kerem admitted he was stunned into silence by Serkan's charisma. Tell me about it.

As for Melo, she stole the show among the supporting characters. Her heartbreak was palpable, but WHYYYYYYY did she have to fall for such a no-personality sad sack? Seriously, even drunk that guy is boring. Also why is he lurking outside Eda's house like a creeper, staring in windows? What does it take to get through to him? Serkan and Eda are following a court order and living together, they are in the process of making their first lunch together, you, sir, are not needed at their home for their first meal as a family. GIVE THEM SOME SPACE!

I really don't get what Melo sees in him. However her crush gave us the funny scenes with the mug turning red and also the heartfelt friendship scene with Eda. It's about time Eda is shown taking an interest in her life, it was really lovely how Melo got over the awkwardness of telling her and Eda was supportive and kind. Also hopefully it made Eda aware of the problems associated with not drawing hard boundaries for someone she knows has feelings for her. Draw the boundary, Eda.

As for Eda, she was a bit softer this episode, you could see Serkan getting to her. One of my favorite things about the episode was how Serkan was subtly planning their life together as a family, and Eda being swept away with the tide and going along with it. (gif set here) Family car? check. Family trip to Italy? Check. Sharing an office and working together at Art Life again? Check. Answering questions and giving preferences about one specific house Serkan is designing? Check.

This is significant because no matter that Eda still (understandably) needs time to forgive Serkan and to trust him with her (and Kiraz's) heart again, deep down she knows it's inevitable. She knows they're inevitable. There's no reason to seriously fight the inroads he's making into their life, because she knows he's going to succeed. In the deep recesses of her mind, she knows she's going to forgive him, and that they're going to be together, not just as co-parents to Kiraz, but as a very much in-love couple. However, she still needs a little time to get there. And that's okay. You don't erase five years of loneliness and heartbreak in a few days, nor should you try to. There's no reason for her to rush to let him back in her bed or into her heart, there's time for her to heal and for him to prove she can trust that he won't leave her again, even for noble reasons.

The bet was a clever way to extend their time living together. And I liked the detail that she was secretly so pleased to have him there, and still so attracted to him, but she knew she couldn't let him know because then it would be game over. He'd settle in and never leave. Not that I think she wants him to leave, she doesn't and that's what scares her. She clearly wants him, and wants him there, she got melty every time she looked at him with Kiraz, but she can hardly be blamed for needing to take it slow. That being said, while putting Kiraz to bed, I loved how Eda's plan to put Serkan on the hot seat completely backfired on her. Hee hee. She decided to tell Kiraz that they're being honest and to ask whatever she wants (that could have gone really wrong, by the way, if she asked if Daddy had really been in space) but daddy's-girl Kiraz immediately turns it back on Eda and wants to know if she loves Serkan Bolat and then sets them up in the same room. Good girl, Kiraz!

I immensely enjoyed the tension of Eda and Serkan sharing a room and sparring about which side they have to sleep on and OF COURSE they can only sleep facing one another. And OF COURSE Serkan migrated to the bed in the middle of the night. Funny how these two keep waking up all wrapped up in one another, almost like... they not only gravitate to one another, they also calm and comfort one another.

Once again, every scene between Edser and Kiraz was gold. I can't say enough how tiresome I usually find children on screen, but here I'm just delighted by her precociousness. Even her making a giant mess in the kitchen was endearing. As I said, I loved how much domestic Edser we got this episode. Them running around the kitchen with their daughter, having a flour fight? Pure delight. And I swear Maya Basol looks more like a mixture of Hande and Kerem than their own child would. It's simply uncanny.

Beyond their domestic scenes, it was lovely to see them both just falling back into a spot where their lives were intertwined. Loved Serkan driving her to work at the hotel, and then driving her home again when she quit. Not to mention how supportive he was, I'm not sure how she didn't either jump him right then and there or start crying in relief, when he was telling her she has the talent to be doing bigger more prestigious jobs and now that he was here to help she could do it. Eda's had support in raising Kiraz from Ayfer and Melo, but they really don't understand her career. Serkan understands. He is the life partner she's been missing.

Eda and Serkan seem to be on the same page as far as their families interference, being annoyed at both Ayfer and Aydan, I'm glad to see neither trying to defend mother/aunt to the other. Eda also seemed annoyed by Serkan moving his office to her house for the day, and she made several inferences, as she's been doing, about him putting work first. This is completely understandable, IMO. He left her on their wedding day for work, and he used "work is the most important thing to me" as the reason both times he broke her heart. Yes, after the fact, she found out that there were other, much bigger reasons and work was just the excuse, however that doesn't erase her deep-seated, pavlovian-like response she has to him seeming to prioritize work. She lived five years, raising their child alone, thinking he loved work more than her. It's completely natural that she's holding onto that for a bit. And it's okay if he needs to prove to her that he can prioritize her and Kiraz over work before she lets it go completely. I get it.

As I said, I enjoyed Serkan trying to trap her with the mood mug, that's the kind of gentle friction and comedy I'm here for. Of course he does catch her later on the phone admitting that she loves that he's there and it's game, set, match. For Serkan. I think we're all glad he won that bet. However, him removing his bed on the floor was a bold move and he pretty much deserved her locking him out after he did it. I read a lot ridiculous discourse on this, and my response is: you're taking this show too seriously again. This is a romcom move, it was done for comedy, and I promise you Serkan is able to fend for himself. If he didn't want to be kicked out, he shouldn't have tried to force his way into her bed again. Waaaaay presumptuous, man.

Buuuuut... how did Serkan get off the balcony? I don't know, but as I said he can fend for himself. Dude probably spent the night on the living room couch. Serkan's sneezing was cute, but being cold doesn't give you a cold. Maybe it's an allergy from too much time outdoors, lol. LOVED Serkan smoothly convincing Eda to come back to the office. If he'd approached that directly, it might have been a weeks long endeavor to get her to make ArtLife her office, but Serkan building the play school was genius! He never wastes time, that guy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but this was impressive.

It warmed my heart how they fell so easily into working side by side. Casual conversations about what they were working on, and, you know, randomly deciding to go on a family trip to Italy with your estranged lover, as you do. Which all led to one of my favorite scenes... dinner! They got back to honest, open communication and it was lovely. Thankfully, Eda stopped letting him think she was running off to spend time with Burak and I adored Serkan coming clean and allowing himself to be vulnerable in admitting that he'd made the dinner for them and that he'd been upset when she didn't show. That's how you make progress. Just beautiful.

As for the "we need to all tell the truth" scene, that was silly, but if it gave us Aydan's secret being revealed I'm a-okay with it. About time! Buba was once again annoying and it was cathartic for Serkan to be able to tell him he doesn't like him. Same, Serkan. Seriously, can he and Ayfer fall in love and move to the country to run an Alpaca farm or something? The hospital scene was very poignant, I wrote more about it here. Now what I need is for Eda and Serkan to walk out of that hospital room and, out of relief, fall into the tightest hug. Crossing fingers!

[gh0stbird]

Okay Now Do The Rest

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Bright but argumentative. I was never afraid of pointing out things I didn’t feel were fair hfhddh

When we were learning numbers kids would often write 91 for nineteen, just flip them, y’know, and Ms. Potter yelled at the class for it. Baby Generiq went into it about how it was an understandable mix up because you do say the number first. In twenty-three you write the two first, so in nineteen it’s easy to assume you would write the nine first.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

Tired.

8. movies or tv shows?

TV shows. Every book adaptation should also be a series not a movie. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Honeysuckle and sunshine

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

Floor hockey! My friend and I used to be brutal and swing at each other’s shins going after the ball. Also it was reminiscent of golf, which I competed in.

12. name of your favorite playlist?

I have an untitled playlist I cycle my current music in and out of, but Newton’s Third Law is my favorite named one!

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

I don’t- I guess the yellow smarties. Don’t come for me they taste like lemonade.

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

I assume this means assigned book and not the reports we got to pick for ourselves. Ah, Night was good. Lord of the Flies was fine but way overhyped. Again, don’t come for me.

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

If I can tuck my legs into the chair I am sitting in that is ideal!

18. ideal weather?

When you know it is going to rain and you get to stay home

19. sleeping position? (Skipped on accident)

I reeeally like pressure, so either against something or on my stomach.

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

Phone notes and a notebook! Sometimes a blank document but I always find it strangely intimidating

21. obsession from childhood?

Warrior Cats, Percy Jackson, and Maximum Ride were my big three!

22. role model?

Aa I try to straw from people I want to copy, but there are talents I look up to. Rachel Chavkin is a brilliant director, and there are so many artists and authors I look up to and who inspire me.

24. favorite crystal?

Obsidian because it’s black like my hea- I’m kidding, I do love obsidian, but it’s Rose Quartz because it’s a very very pretty, soft pink and makes me happy.

25. first song you remember hearing?

The mobile above my crib played Imagine by John Lennon. My childhood room was themed after it as well!

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Swim or sit in the sunshine. Ben and I usually go driving with the top down as well.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Walking through fresh snow is amazing, so are snowball fights and building snowmen.

28. five songs to describe you?

Oh fuck yes

Hurricane - Hamilton

The Reckless and the Brave - All Time Low

Almost There - The Princess and the Frog

All This and Heaven Too - Florence + the Machine

Facade - Jekyll and Hyde: A Gothic Musical Thriller

30. places that you find sacred?

I don’t typically find places sacred, but certain headspaces are very special to me, and time spent with loved ones means more than enough to be considered sacred.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

A black blazer with a white button-down and a skirt.

32. top five favorite vines?

I am in Missouri (misery)

I love you, Bitch

I want a Church girl

Obama’s “I know because I won both of them”

I won’t hesitate, Bitch!

33. most used phrase in your phone?

“No worries”

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

That fucking PFI bandana boot sale I stg

35. average time you fall asleep?

Somewhere between 9:00 and three in the morning

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

Some girl doing bunny ears on her friend. I don’t remember what the caption was

38. lemonade or tea?

Both. Mixed together. It’s called an Arnold Palmer and it is my favorite drink

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Lemon cake!

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

We duck taped out principal to the wall once. Also some kid broke their tray over another kid’s head at lunch one time.

41. last person you texted?

The family group chat, though Beau if Discord counts

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

I wear a lot of leggings so jacket pockets!

44. favorite scent for soap?

We had some Lily of the Valley hand soap that was amazing

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy, I think! I’ve never done super heavy into the other two. Though I definitely don’t want to ignore sci-fi because two of my favorite stories are a little science-fiction-y

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

A t-shirt and shorts

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

A banana. Generally accepted as a fruit and kind of just rolls with it, but is actually a berry

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

I fucking hate Hamilton-ing on main, but

“And when my prayers to god were met with indifference, I picked up a pen, I wrote my own deliverance!”

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

That changes every time Beau and I play HetaOni together, but I have fucking lost it for at least five minutes the last two sessions.

51. current stresses?

I dunno, man, life? My hair could use a wash

52. favorite font?

Covered by your Grace and I’m a big Spectral baby. These are both google docs! I don’t know if that makes a difference.

54. what did you learn from your first job?

Patience is important when teaching material, but never be afraid to find another approach better suited to the person you’re tutoring.

55. favorite fairy tale?

Robin Hood!

56. favorite tradition?

My family does homemade Springfield cashew chicken for Christmas!

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

Uhh lots of self-acceptance shit no one really wants to read

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

I can pop the joint at the center of my foot

That’s all

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

I sort of like my role as mom friend, so maybe I could keep that role in a sort of action-based anime that followed a group of friends

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

“I am not the protégé to waste your time on; I'm complete!” Jekyll and Hyde: GMT

62. seven characters you relate to?

Haha

Lisa Carew - Jekyll and Hyde: GMT

Japan - Hetalia/Oni

Garnett - Steven Universe

Hfhddh that’s all I can say that aren’t my own characters

63. five songs that would play in your club?

I Don’t Like Clubs, but

Overwhelmed - Royal + The Serpent

Backseat Serenade - All Time Low

Go Big or Go Home - American Authors

The Nights - Avicii

Tempo - Lizzo

64. favorite website from your childhood?

Webkinz!

65. any permanent scars?

Yep - One from a bad bike wreck. My body rejected the dissolvable stitches so it’s a lot bigger than it was supposed to be

66. favorite flower(s)?

Lily of the Valley, daisies, Day Lilies, and Dandelions! I also love honeysuckles but I don’t know if those count.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Accidentally drank rancid milk once!

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? (Haha, nice)

The fastest, free way to fill up your potions on Wizard101 is to play Potion Motion to level three.

70. left or right handed?

Right handed

71. least favorite pattern?

On myself, animal print

72. worst subject?

I’ve never been intuitively good at History, I do think it’s interesting though.

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

I don’t like to take it until I can’t move without it.

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

Kindergarten? I had mono and then scarlet fever twice, so my baby teeth were pretty much ruined and they all fell out very fast.

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

Curly fries!

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Kalanchoe’s, it literally Window’s Thrill. These babies are fairly temperamental outside and love partial sun, so the window is the perfect spot for them. And! If you keep them happy! They’ll bloom! My personal favorite is the pink bloom.

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

What’s wrong with coffee from a gas station? Also I don’t like seafood.

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Earth tones!

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

Lightning bugs

82. pc or console?

PC!

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Podcasts - talk radios actually tend to get under my skin for n o reason

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie, but let it be known I was brutal with mine. We did human sacrifices and the like.

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Mythology!

86. cookies or cupcakes?

Cookies, but I’m a slut for whipped frosting

87. your greatest fear?

Losing control!

88. your greatest wish?

A life beyond where I am now. Haha Stop chasing new down the hallway you’re so sexy haha

90. luckiest mistake?

Logged into Omegle in like 2015 and some rando asked me to join their Doctor Who roleplay. Luckiest moment of my gd life.

91. boxes or bags?

Bags! They’re easier to store

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

Sunlight! But in the late afternoon when everything is bathed in orange.

93. nicknames?

Mom is the most prevalent!

94. favorite season?

Fall into winter. Peak leaf crunch!

95. favorite app on your phone?

Discord or Notes

[were-cheetah-stiles]

The Summer Fling (Chapter 8) - Dylan O’Brien

Author: @were-cheetah-stiles

Title: “San Diego Convention Center”

Relationship: Dylan O’Brien x Reader/OFC

Author’s Note: This is July 20th. Okay. Cool. Bye.

Summary: Dylan spends his morning talking about his relationship with you to Tyler and Colton, before he has an uncomfortable run in in the middle of the convention center.

Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine

"Bro, I am so emotional today, I can't even talk about Teen Wolf before the panel or I'm gonna lose it. Can we please talk about something else?" Tyler complained to Colton.

"Fine. Let's talk about you. Bella Thorne? Really, Ty?" Colton teased and Dylan snickered.

"Oh, yea, this is a better topic for him." Dylan mumbled sarcastically, without looking up from his phone.

"I mean, honestly, Tyler, what were you thinking? She's kind of trashy and she was way too young for you." Colton criticized Posey over his choice in women.

Posey chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, man, be nice. She's hot and, she's actually really sweet... and what are you talking about? Jeff is like twenty years older than you." Tyler countered, bringing up Colton's fiancé.

"Yes, but I'm almost thirty and we're in love,

 so.." Colton pretended to glare at his old friend, and then observed Shelley walk by with Linden and Melissa while staring at Dylan, who didn't notice any of the exchange. He turned back to Tyler, who simply shrugged. "You not talking to Shelley?" Colton leaned over and asked Dylan, who was sitting in the holding room in the basement of the convention center with the rest of his cast, scrolling through articles about the Mets on his phone.

He looked up at Colton and then glanced over at his estranged friend, then bobbed his head to the side. "Not really, I guess. I think Britt won her in the divorce." Dylan barely laughed at his own joke.

"How you holding up, buddy? You look good.." Tyler gripped Dylan's shoulder and massaged it for a moment.

Dylan's mouth turned up at the corner and he clicked his phone off. "Thanks, Pose. You look good too." Tyler smirked and Colton shook his head and laughed at the two best friends. "I'm doing good though." Dylan paused as Sprayberry sat down next to Tyler and joined their conversation. "I've just been hanging out, you know? Enjoying New York and shit." Dylan smirked, then rolled his lips back into his mouth to suppress the involuntary smile. He began jiggling his leg as he watched Colton and Tyler smirk at each other.

"What's her name?" Colton asked smugly.

"Y/n." Tyler answered with a grin.

"Is she an appropriate age?" Colton made a playful dig at Tyler over their earlier conversation.

Dylan chuckled and folded his hands over his stomach and leaned back in his chair. He was relaxed getting to talk about you. He knew that they would be the easiest questions he'd get to answer all day. "Yea, she's like ten months older than me."

"How'd you meet her? What does she look like? Give me the details, man." Colton prodded, leaning forward and poking Dylan in the knee with his fingers. Tyler leaned forward a smidge as well, curious to learn more about the girl that Dylan had been spending his summer with.

Dylan unlocked his phone and pulled up the photo that was taken of the two of you by Jay at Silly Lilly's weeks earlier. He handed the phone to Colton, who zoomed in on your face, and tilted the screen so that Tyler could see it too. "Yo, she's hot. Who is that?" Dylan Sprayberry said as he glanced over Tyler's shoulder at the phone.

"Dyl's little summer hook up, or?" Colton teased, tilting his head to the side.

"We're figuring it out when I get back next week." Dylan smiled.

"Sick, dude. Yo, Khylin, Shell and I are going upstairs for a smoke, you coming?" Sprayberry asked Dylan.

Dylan smiled and shook his head. "Nah, actually, I'm good."

Tyler cocked his head back and smirked at Dylan. "You finally quit?"

Dylan bobbed his head back and forth. "I mean, it was never that serious, but since I've been hanging out with Y/n, and she fucking hates smoking, I haven't really been doing it anymore, especially the past two weeks." Dylan clarified.

"So she's a good influence too?" Tyler asked, his mouth in a full on grin.

Dylan nodded, then stared down at the floor and thought about you, a massive smile breaking out on his lips. "She's pretty phenomenal actually."

"What's she like? What does she do? What have you guys been doing?" Colton pried. "Give us the deets."

Dylan laughed and then began rubbing at the slight stubble growing on his jaw. "Okay, well, she went to Boston College with Julia, and that's how I met her. She's really smart, and funny and fun and she's always down to do whatever, and she's really adventurous and active, so she's really got me out and doing things, which is good, but at the same time, we've burned through like five seasons of Game of Thrones in about a month, so she's also kind of a homebody, which I love, and she's obviously beautiful..." Dylan gestured to his phone, resting on top of his knee, reminding them of the picture he had just shown them. "She's got great taste in movies and tv and music..." Dylan looked at Tyler. "Actually, bro, you'd fucking love her taste in music. I was going through her iTunes the other day and she had all this shit you listen to."

"Yo, she's from Long Island, right?" Tyler asked, having been caught up a little more about you by Dylan beforehand than Colton or Sprayberry. Dylan nodded. "You think she listens to Bayside?"

Dylan snickered and then picked up his phone. "Let's find out.. It's early enough that she maybe hasn't left for work yet."

Dylan O'Brien: Hey, you. I'm talking about you to Colton and Tyler and DylSpray, and Ty wants to know if you listen to Bayside.

"What does she do?" Sprayberry asked, as they all watched Dylan compose the text to you.

"She wants to be a journalist or work for a non-profit maybe, but for now, she works a couple of part-time jobs and just travels a lot. She had been all over Asia this spring, and was in Vietnam when she had to come home unexpectedly." Dylan explained, glancing at his phone again to see if you had texted him back yet. You hadn't.

"Damn, she's a world traveler then." Colton smirked, and raised his eyebrows.

Dylan laughed and nodded. "Yea, we watched the new trailer for AA and she immediately clocked one of the filming locations as Piazza Navona. It was crazy."

"So what've you guys been doing in New York?" Sprayberry asked still sitting next to Tyler, not having gone up to smoke with Shelley and Khylin, instead getting wrapped up in hearing Dylan's updates.

Dylan smiled genuinely and rubbed the screen of his phone against his black trousers. "We've been watching a ton of Thrones, so that's definitely one. We went paddleboarding and surfing and kayaking, and um, we've been walking her dog a bunch and just kind of hanging out at the beach. We've gone on a few hikes, and I took her to see Spider-Man..." Dylan paused to try to remember all of the dates that you had been on since you got back from Kansas. "We've been in the city a bunch too. I took her to a Mets game, regardless of the fact that she's a die-hard Yankees fan."

Tyler cut him off. "Dude, what? You're hanging out with a Yankees fan? That's so fucking weird for you."

Dylan laughed loudly and nodded. "I know. But what I learned from that date is that, while she will heckle me and tell me that Derek Jeter or Andy Pettite wouldn't have made that mistake, or whatever bullshit, she is actually just a New York baseball fan at heart, and she knew a lot about my Mets and she was shitting on the Rockies for the entire game. It was fucking great." Dylan smiled and thought back on how much fun he had at the baseball game with you. He continued listing off the things you had done. "What else..? We went to a winery on the North Fork. We went to The Met and she showed me all her favorite art. We saw Six Degrees of Separation on Broadway..."

Colton interrupted. "Oh my god, how was Allison Janney?" He asked.

Dylan smirked and then felt his phone buzz. "She was really good." He grinned as he handed his phone to Tyler, showing him what you had texted him back.

Y/n Y/L/N: i'm a Long Islander.. i think i would get my ass kicked if i didn't listen to Bayside.

Y/n Y/L/N: i'm at work, so i had to dig through my pictures, but show this to Posey.

"WHOA. WHAT THE FUCK, BRO!" Posey yelled, an excited smile spread across his face. "She collects records and has Bayside? Is she part of the Cult? Dude, dude.. I am so stoked on this chick right now. I'm texting her back."

Dylan laughed and let Posey do what he wanted, trusting his best friend not to make an ass of himself. "So, yea, we've been doing a lot and I really like her and we've just been having a lot of fun. It's been a really good summer so far."

"What does your sister think about you basically dating one of her friends?" Colton asked.

Dylan watched as Tyler and Sprayberry took a goofy selfie and sent it to you and he smirked and shook his head, then turned back to answer Colton's question. "She actually doesn't know."

"How does Julia not know, man?" Sprayberry asked.

"Quit pressuring him, guys. It's new." Tyler teased Dylan and handed him back his phone. "She's hella cool, bro. Definitely an upgrade. Keep her."

Dylan laughed, and a small blush rose to his cheeks, which he tried to hide as he began rubbing the sides of his face and jaw with his hand. "Yea, she's really great, but uh, I don't know. We haven't even discussed if it's just like a summer fling kind of deal or if this could potentially go somewhere yet.. Plus, I'm a little afraid that Jules is going to be pissed, either at me or at Y/n or at us both, and I just don't want that."

"Julia always seemed cool, I'm sure it'll be fine." Colton reassured his old friend, and Dylan bobbed his head to the side, and began chewing on his bottom lip.

"Hate to break up this reunion, boys, but we're heading up. Dyl, sweetie, you're going up in the next elevator." Melissa walked over in her vibrant floral dress and beautiful black curls, and prompted the group to get going up to the panel. Colton and Sprayberry followed her over to the large service elevator that would take them up to the convention hall, but Tyler stayed behind and put his hand on Dylan's knee.

"Dyl, you seem much better, but I missed you, dude."

Dylan smiled and leaned forward to place his hand on Tyler's shoulder. "I missed you too, man. I'll be out here a little more next month, I go back to New York pretty quickly this week though."

Tyler nodded and stood, Dylan following suit, and he embraced his best friend in a tight hug. "I love you, bro. I can't believe we're about to do this."

"I love you too, Ty. I'll see you upstairs, alright?" Dylan patted him on the shoulder and watched as he walked off to join the rest of the cast in the elevator.

Dylan sat back down; he knew it would be about five minutes before he would get to go upstairs to the panel. He checked his phone. He had seven text messages.

Holland Roden: Dyl, have fun today. Enjoy it for the both of us.

Holland Roden: I miss you tons. We have to get dinner the next time we're both in LA.

Holland Roden: And don't ignore Shelley. The two of you were best friends. Just try to remember that. Loveeee you.<3

Tyler Hoechlin: Love you too boo boo.

Dylan snickered at the text from Tyler, and scrolled past one from his mom that he swore he would answer later, and one from Taylor Kitsch stating how excited he was to start press and see him again. Then he got to the text he wanted to see: yours.

Y/n Y/L/N: YO, YOU SHOULD COME OUT FOR A HOMETOWN BAYSIDE SHOW. IT'LL BE DOPE.

Dylan laughed out loud, took a screenshot of the text conversation, and sent it off to Posey. He then went back to text you.

Dylan O'Brien: Posey is in love with you now.

Y/n Y/L/N: can i assume this is my Dyl and not Sprayberry?

Dylan's heart skipped a beat over the words, 'my Dyl'. An uncontrollable smirk broke out across his face.

Dylan O'Brien: It's your Dyl. I miss you a lot.

Y/n Y/L/N: you're the cutest. i miss you too. :( what are you up to right now?

Dylan O'Brien: I'm about to go upstairs to the panel. I'm really nervous actually.

Y/n Y/L/N: you're going to have the time of your life. enjoy it. try to take moments every so often to just look around and take it all in. you're going to do great :)

Dylan O'Brien: :)

Dylan O'Brien: You're the best. I'll talk to you later tonight. Have a good day.

He locked his phone screen, shoved it in his pocket, scrunched the left sleeve of his dark gray henley, and stood up to follow the security guard upstairs to do his final Teen Wolf panel ever.

After the emotional and bittersweet panel was over, Dylan had to do interviews and attend some small sponsored parties with his cast mates. It didn't matter that he kept getting seated next to Shelley, he was flying high on endorphins over how well the day was going, and how supported he felt by you; always sitting in his front pocket, a call or text away if he needed you. He decided to take Holland's advice, and pulled Shelley aside before the IMDB interview with Kevin Smith. They talked for a few minutes, with Dylan reassuring her that they were still friends and he still loved her, and her apologizing for what Britt did to him. They hugged it out and Dylan began feeling much more relaxed.

Dylan was feeling good enough, and slightly intoxicated enough that, along with some security, he decided to walk through the floor of the convention center to interact with the fans a little more before leaving. He walked through with Tyler, Sprayberry, Cody and Khylin and the moment that they hit the floor, they were swarmed. They managed to get about half way through the building when they came across the cast of Riverdale finishing up their signing event and being pulled away to their panel.

"Shit... fuck shit, shit." Tyler whispered as he saw Dylan connect his eyes with none other than Britt. "We have to go..." Tyler tugged on Dylan's shirt, but didn't get him to move.

"Dude, people are watching." Cody commented, scanning the crowd that was forming.

"Cody’s right. Just say hi, and leave... fuck." Dylan whispered to Tyler.

"Well, this isn't going to be good." Khylin mumbled as he watched Dylan's ex-girlfriend approaching rapidly with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Dyl. I was wondering if I was going to see you today." She hugged Dylan, who's breath hitched in the back of his throat as he smelled the familiar fruity scent of her shampoo. "Hey, T-Pose." Britt tried to lighten the mood and went to hug Tyler, but he backed up slightly and simply nodded at her. "Hey guys." She smiled at Cody, Sprayberry and Khylin behind the two older boys. The three of them simply smiled and waved halfheartedly. "So, I heard the panel went well."

Dylan glanced around him and noticed the increasing presence of camera phones being lifted in the air around them, trying to get a shot of the awkward Hollywood couple reunion. He pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows. "Yea, it was good."

"Listen, we gotta go.." Tyler interjected, but was quickly cut off by a fan who got through the security barrier around them.

"Oh my god, oh my god. Oh my god, can I please get a picture? Oh my god, this is so exciting. Please?" She glanced between the cast and Britt.

Tyler smiled and nodded and positioned the sweet young girl in between him and Dylan. Cody, Sprayberry and Khylin all gathered around to join the photo-op, but before the security guard could snap the picture, the young fan grabbed Britt's arm and pulled her in. "Please, I am so glad the rumors weren't true and you two are still together. You have to be in the picture. I loved A Dog's Purpose so much."

Dylan sighed and lightly put his arm around Britt's shoulders as she wrapped hers around his waist and they all stood for a moment for the picture. "Thanks, sweetheart." Tyler hugged the fan one last time before security escorted her back outside of the group.

"Dyl, can I talk to you really quick?" Britt asked in a hushed tone.

Dylan pursed his lips and exhaled deeply, still feeling the eyes of a third of the convention center resting intently on their exchange. He was both grateful and miserable over the next interruption.

"Hey, babe, we're going in, are you coming?" Dylan looked over and immediately recognized the fake orange mop of hair talking to Britt. He connected eyes with the younger man and felt sick. "H-hey, man.. Good to see you." KJ hesitantly extended his hand out to Dylan's and Dylan shook it reluctantly. Dylan didn't say a word.

"Yea, yea, I'm coming right now..." Britt told KJ, then returned her gaze to her ex. "Um, I'll see you or text you, okay?"

Dylan simply pursed his lips and quirked his eyebrows up, then watched her walk away with her hand in KJ's. "Let's get the fuck out of here... Spray, give me your cigarettes." Dylan turned and looked at his friends, then held out his hand as Sprayberry placed the entire pack in Dylan's palm. "Let's go."

Dylan smoked in the car with Khylin and Sprayberry all the way to the hotel, then chain smoked the rest of Dylan's pack until his hands stopped shaking. He felt the anxiety begin to melt off of him as the thick smoke filled his lungs, and finally he relaxed.

Dylan decided to stay in instead of going out with Tyler and the rest of his cast mates, and laid on the large and white king sized bed in his hotel room. He checked his phone. He had four texts from Posey, checking in on him, one more from his mom and seven from Britt. He couldn't stand to read any of them. The one person that he wanted to talk to had not texted him once since that morning. He felt doubt and panic begin to creep into his mind, and he finally tossed his phone across the room, landing gently on the carpeted floor.

He pulled his hands up to his face and rubbed hard against his closed eyes, trying to stave off the early stages of a stress headache. He decided to get up, grab his phone and just call you. He was certain that you weren't texting him because you wanted him to enjoy his time with his cast, but he needed to hear your voice and make sure that your silence wasn't something more. He tapped your number and watched as the call connected and began ringing. It rang and rang and then went to voicemail.

"You've reached Y/n's cell, I'm probably in a different country, you really should just email me." He smiled at your soft snicker. "Leave me a message and I'll maybe get back to you. Thanks."

He was both frustrated by you not answering, and also instantly calmed by the sound of your voice. He began speaking after the beep. "Hey.. Uh, I just.." He glanced at the clock under his hotel TV and shook his head. "I just realized what time it is there and now I'm grateful that you didn't answer and I didn't wake you. I'll just talk to you tomorrow. I hope you had a good day... I miss you..... okay, yea, bye."

Dylan sat down at the foot of his bed, placed his phone next to him, leaned his elbows against his thighs, and shoved his hands against his face. He felt the skin of his cheeks and lips move up and down with the movement of his hands. He thought about calling you again, just to get your voicemail and hear your voice one last time. He decided that running out and getting a pack of cigarettes would probably be a more thoughtful solution, and wouldn't run the risk of waking you up at two in the morning. He sighed heavily and scanned the room for where he had left his shoes. He walked over to his suitcase and pick them up off of the floor when he heard a gentle knocking at his door.

He walked over and opened it. "Hey." He said with complete and utter surprise spreading over his face.

"Hi."

Who do you think is at the doooooooor? Spoiler alert: It’s Hoech. 

@fuckwhateverfuck @l4life @ninja-stiles @lightbreaksthrough @maddie110201 @hattyohatt @stilinski-stydia-obrien @iknowisoundcrazy @leilaelizabeth @5secsxofamnesia @awkwarddly @completebandgeek @chivesoup @ivette29 @sunshineystilinski @twentyone-souls @obrosey-af @anonimereader06 @yaehl @theneverendingracetrack @fillthevoid-stilinski @teenwolf2424 @redstringlovers @jademorris @mrs-mitch-rapp93 @dailyburritos @lolaversuslipstick @mieczzyslaw @im-very-odd33 @amethystmerm4id @anonimereader06 @itsamberh @eccentricxem @mayahart02 @susybird @sp00der-m00n @like-a-bag-of-potatoes @kittykayrose @ellie-bee242 @nocturnalzeal @alexhmak @sumcp @girlwiththerubyslippers @wittystiles @gluetwentyfourobrien @stopit-ihateyou @mrs-mitch-rapp93 @lovefilledtragedy @r0s3mm @loveforbrains @arikachang @all-alone-he-turns-to-stone @omgimafuckingmermaid @inkedaztec @cafe-a-sabor-chocolate @carolinescookies @anastasiaaaaa

[asfeedin]

Godox V1 Review | A Speedlight Disguised as a Studio Strobe

An on-camera flash is typically the introduction most photographers have to flash photography. Once we evolve and start incorporating more off-camera flash techniques into our work, we often forget how pivotal the on-camera flash was in understanding and creating artificial light. About a year after Profoto unveiled the A1, Godox announced that they too were unveiling their very own round-headed V1 with similar features. This review isn’t meant to dispute the ethics or competitive nature of our photo gear industry, but really question whether or not you absolutely need this new type of flash.

I’ve owned the Godox V1 for close to a year now and I’ve used it at every single wedding I’ve shot. While many people have made a huge deal about the round-head, I am here to review the Godox V1 as a whole: what makes it different from a regular flash, how I use during weddings, and why it might just be the permanent on-camera flash solution you’ve been looking for.

Godox V1 | Pros

76 glorious w/s of power: jumping from traditional speedlights that give us an average of 50 w/s, this is a huge advantage for event photographers that need the juice on their on-camera flash to last a couple of hours.

120-degree rotation: such a minuscule feature that deserves more applause in my opinion. When you need to quickly switch from front bouncing your on-camera flash to back bouncing, it makes it so easy and effortless.

Modeling Light: this is a great tool to have when you are working in tight spaces and can’t set up your flash on a stand when you need the smallest bit of light (lighting rings, highlighting small areas in the frame, etc.). You’ll read later how this is also a Con for this particular flash.

Lithium-Ion Batteries: praise the battery gods – I don’t have to charge any more AA batteries! This was the biggest game-changer for a workhorse like an on-camera flash because I can shoot multi-day events without having to worry about recharging and recycle times.

Godox V1 | Cons

Material: the wheel and the buttons on my flash were particularly flimsy, and it could just be my model, but I found it to be a bit annoying when dialing in power on-camera because you have to use the wheel.

Modeling Light: this is a massive improvement from the AD200 modeling light, but not by much. Poor color accuracy and not that high of output, but it’s great for lighting small spots or objects.

Modifiers: while they attempted to give consumers the added bonus of offering magnetic modifiers for the round head, they missed the mark with the color accuracy (CTO Gels are way too green) and the “dome” barely makes a difference. I instead attached a MagGrip to my V1 and use MagMod modifiers with it.

Money: this isn’t the best financial decision if you are in need of an on/off-camera flash for basic functions (say an event photographer) when Godox makes cheaper pocket flashes. The strange thing is, the price jump to get an AD200 is less than $100, but, it doesn’t go on-camera. The Godox V860IIC is priced ~$100 less which doesn’t make much sense either. All in all…. way cheaper than competitors with the same w/s.

My 3 Favorite Ways to Use the Godox V1 For Wedding Photography

You’ll find that most of these techniques can be accomplished with a regular, rectangular head speedlight, the round-head isn’t the determining factor. What I want to focus on is that with the V1 you unlock the potential to have more power on-the-go, an essential feature for wedding/event photographers that get stuck in crappy lighting scenarios frequently.

[Rewind]: Godox AD200 Review | One Year and 75 Weddings Later

1. On-Camera Bounce: More Power, Fewer Worries

What makes the V1 different than using a speedlight for this technique is that I have less worry about my batteries dying out and faster recycle times. When I was previously working with Canon 600 EX-RT’s on-camera, I would have high anxiety during one very specific moment during weddings: reception ballroom grand entrances. These ballrooms have high ceilings, sometimes white, sometimes terrible color options, that make it difficult to bounce light off the ceiling on to the subject without powering up your on-camera flash to 1/4th or higher. Back then, I was working with 50 w/s being the highest power I could put out at 1/1 on the Canon, but with the V1 1/4th is sufficient enough to get me a better result, at a lower w/s output with faster recycle times since I am not using the flash at full power.

2. Modeling Light: Small But Significant

I mentioned earlier that the modeling light deserves a spot on both the Pros and Cons list of this Godox V1 review. While the color output isn’t the best, it has definitely helped me out in tight spots, quite literally, when I have needed just the smallest bit of light. This is a great tool to have on hand for wedding ring shots, spotlighting one individual, and highlighting objects to give them a bit more pop. For the example above I needed a secondary light to hit the second level of bridal details on the bench but couldn’t place a flash at the right angle without getting it in the frame or being too harsh.

3. Mobile Light Stand

I love placing the Godox V1 on a mobile light stand, preferably one that folds up for quick mobility, as a pin light during receptions. Some times, you’ll find that the reception stage is lit properly, however, we’ve all had weddings that didn’t have the budget or forgot to consider reception pin lighting. I typically place this light on the couple or the speaker, whichever needs the cleaner source of light, paired with a CTO Gel and a MagGrid.

Previously, I would use one of my Godox AD200’s for this but owning 3 of those gets a little pricey and using the V1 allows for the versatility to switch from on-camera to off-camera in seconds. You can click this image on the left to see a diagram of the lighting setup. This setup also works great for first and second shooters because it allows you to move around the reception ballroom and get good light on your subjects from wherever you are while still providing context. The most important part is that these lights are placed outside and off the dance floor to provide a non-obstructive view to the wedding guests. This is when having a little more power with the Godox V1 comes in handy because if it was a regular pocket speedlight, I would be pushing it to 1/8th or 1/4th at the current distance from the speaker.

Godox V1 Image Examples From Real Weddings

These images were shot at real weddings over the past year. A majority of them are using the Godox V1 with MagMod Modifiers to help shape the light.

  Godox V1 Review | Conclusion

You do NOT absolutely need a round-head flash. It’s not going to make the difference in your imagery because I am 1000% positive your clients or your photographer friends won’t be able to tell the difference. The round head didn’t even make the cut for my Pros and Cons list because it truly is an insignificant feature, to me.

What you SHOULD consider, is that this is an upgrade to what we all formally know as a regular speedlight. With more power packed in the same compact design, it’s almost a no-brainer that this is the best solution for your permanent on-camera flash.

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Tags: disguised, Godox, Review, Speedlight, strobe, studio, V1

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[thecollegefootballguy]

2019 Top Games of the Week: Week 5

Week 5 isn’t as good as Week 4 if you’re into good, meaningful ranked matchups. The few matchups between ranked teams have little to do with the Playoff. But that’s fine, this is the space where this blog thrives. It might not look like it on the surface, but there’s a ton to watch if you’re willing to look underneath the veneer of the Playoff race. Let me show you...

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. NC State 3-1 (0-0) at Florida State 2-2 (1-1)

After Clemson the ACC Atlantic race is WIDE OPEN. NC State was a favorite to compete for the runner-up spot, but the Wolfpack’s loss to West Virginia has thrown that assumption into question. Florida State is slowly clawing their way back to relevance. It’s not happening fast but I think it’s happening. I’m not sure the Seminoles will win here, but they have the raw talent to do it at least. That’ll put FSU back on track to making a bowl, which is honestly a big step here.

9. #12 Penn State 3-0 (0-0) at Maryland 2-1 (0-0)

Boy this one lost a bit of shine after Maryland’s faceplant against Temple. Then Temple lost to Buffalo lol. It’ll be interesting to see how the Terrapins rebound from that embarrassment. We’ve seen what their offense is capable of when running correctly. Penn State will probably stomp the Terps here, but I’d love to see what happens if it becomes a shootout.

8. #5 Ohio State 4-0 (1-0) at Nebraska 3-1 (1-0)

I still can’t believe this is where Gameday decided to go. Ohio State is going to come to Lincoln and whip the Cornhuskers just as they have for the previous two seasons. I think the Huskers are getting better, by the way, but I’d be surprised if this isn’t another blowout.

7. Duke 2-1 (0-0) at Virginia Tech 2-1 (0-0)

Hell, as far as I know this will decide the ACC Coastal. I mean, probably not, but you never know. Duke has taken care of business after losing to Alabama in very predictable fashion. Somebody has to come out and challenge Virginia for the division. It could be the Blue Devils, or it could be that team that never ever loses to the Hoos. Virginia Tech has, frankly, looked like trash all season. I don’t have high hopes for the Hokies, but Duke is a pretty good intermediate opponent before the real heavy hitters come along. This is a pretty good opportunity to start looking good.

6. Washington State 3-1 (0-1) at #19 Utah 3-1 (0-1)

This probably would have been the #1 game of the week if things had gone differently in Week 4. Utah’s loss to USC has now put the Utes on their back feet in the PAC-12 South race. They pretty much need to win out to have a good chance at repeating as the South champion. Wazzu was once again looking like the North dark horse before a stunning upset at the hands of UCLA last Saturday night. The Cougars similarly need to step up their game to compete in the tougher of the two PAC-12 divisions.

5. Mississippi State 3-1 (1-0) at #7 Auburn 4-0 (1-0)

I think I’ve misjudged Auburn so far this season. The Tigers passed their first SEC test against Texas A&M, but the schedule doesn’t ease up. Mississippi State is no pushover and the Bulldogs are reorienting their offense, hopefully for the better.

4. #18 Virginia 4-0 (2-0) at #10 Notre Dame 3-1

I’ll put a ranked vs ranked games behind games featuring an unranked participant if it’s warranted. I think in this case it’s warranted. I’m very proud of Virginia and I hope they continue to have a good season, but I highly highly doubt they’ll be able to even threaten Notre Dame. Maybe the Irish will have a bit of a hangover after losing to Georgia but I don’t see it.

3. Arizona State 3-1 (0-1) at #15 California 4-0 (1-0)

Cal has shown a whole lot of upside, and the offense finally started scoring against Ole Miss last week. Arizona State is modeled in a similar manner, though perhaps not as successfully as the Bears just yet.  I would not at all be surprised if this game ends 12-10 or 9-7 or something godawful like that, but that means either team has a good shot at winning based on field position, turnovers, and penalties. Can Cal remain the PAC-12′s surprise dark horse?

2. #24 Kansas State 3-0 (0-0) at Oklahoma State 3-1 (0-1)

With how fascinating the middle of the Big 12 pack is, it’s surprising only one game from that conference makes the list. The rest of the games this week aren’t all that interesting in my opinion. We’ll find out a whole lot about who’s going to be chasing OU and UT as more of these teams play each other.

1. #21 USC 3-1 (2-0) at #17 Washington 3-1 (0-1)

This is the only game this week where two Power 5 teams with a real chance of finishing first in their division are playing each other. It could also be a preview of the PAC-12 Championship Game. USC is leading the South after the Trojan’s win over Utah. Washington is still reeling from their loss to Cal two weeks ago, but the Huskies can still get right back to the top of the standings as they host Oregon, Utah, and archrival Washington State. Last time these two played, USC upset #4 Washington during College Gameday to spoil an undefeated regular season for the Huskies.

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5 Group of 5 Games of the Week

5. Coastal Carolina 3-1 (0-0) at Appalachian State 3-0 (0-0)

I had a couple of good candidates for the #5 spot this week, but I ended up picking this conference matchup in the Sun Belt East. App State has a very real chance of going undefeated. Failing that, the Mountaineers should win the conference yet again, but that means taking care of business against Coastal Carolina, who have a P5 win (even if it’s Kansas).

4. Arkansas State 2-2 (0-0) at Troy 2-1 (0-0)

Two of the Sun Belt’s stalwarts square off in Troy. The winner will have some nice momentum before likely losing to App State at some point.

3. BYU 2-2 at Toledo 2-1 (0-0)

Here’s a pretty neat non-conference matchup. BYU has demonstrated how serious they are at competing at the highest level. The Cougars have taken down blue bloods Tennessee and USC and are looking to make a big statement this year. Toledo is usually one of the best MAC teams but the Rockets are going to be up against a very stiff challenge from Brigham Young.

2. Cincinnati 2-1 (0-0) at Marshall 2-1 (0-0)

The best G5 non-conference matchup for the week is definitely the bout between Cincinnati and Marshall. The Bearcats are fighting uphill in the AAC East race and the Thundering Herd look like the out and out favorites to win the C-USA East division.

1. Navy 2-0 (1-0) at Memphis 3-0 (0-0)

The AAC West is going to be a fascinating race. Memphis is definitely the favorite, but with Tulane and SMU seemingly on the rise, the Tigers are going to have some competition. Navy had a tough time in 2018, but the Midshipmen dispatched East Carolina with such ease they’re looking like they can pose a much bigger threat this year.

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FCS Games of the Week

7. #20 Delaware 3-1 (1-0) at Pittsburgh 2-2 (0-1)

I wouldn’t put it past Pittsburgh to lose this one right after beating UCF.

6. #10 Towson at #9 Florida

I’m just saying.

5. #12 Nicholls State 2-1 (1-0) at Texas State 1-3 (1-0)

All joking about the previous two FBS-FCS matchups aside, this looks like an upset waiting to happen. Nicholls has plowed through their first two FCS opponents with ease and will be heading into San Marcos with a full head of steam. The Colonels used to play Texas State every year in a rivalry game. I’m not sure if the Paddle Trophy will be exchanged here.

4. #18 Montana 3-1 (0-0) at #4 UC Davis 2-2 (0-0)

The Big Sky is usually good for at least one good football game a week, and Week 5 is no exception. Montana comes to Davis with the hopes of wresting away one of the coveted Playoff byes from the Aggies.

3. #12 Maine 2-2 (0-1) at #8 Villanova 4-0 (1-0)

The CAA is usually good for two good football games a week. Maine and Villanova have already had a few contests on the FCS Game of the Week and will probably play several more as the best league in 1-AA sorts itself out.

2. #2 James Madison 3-1 (0-0) at #24 Elon 2-2 (1-0)

The best squad in the CAA faces their first tough FCS road game this year as the JMU Dukes head to Elon to face off against the rising Phoenix.

1. #5 Weber State 1-2 (0-0) at #9 Northern Iowa 2-1 (0-0)

The FCS does such a better job creating exciting non-conference matchups than the FBS. Almost every week for the first month of the season we get a top ten matchup. Weber State and Northern Iowa have only lost (barely) to FBS opponents so far, so this is a real Playoff preview here.