#i like that he's still wearing a chunky black watch like jay

[xofeno]

And now his new costar is posting stuff. I've missed this. 🤗

source: carterredwood instagram story 2024-08-19

[sickboynotes]

There’s a spider that’s been sitting in the corner of the bathroom for months and months and months. I thought it was dead maybe but i saw it flex it’s leg yesterday

There was a blizzard and I went and put on my boots and flightsuit and jacket and gloves and went and sat in the snow. Wind roaring, the kind of wind and snow where you try to take a breath and all the air gets sucked out of your lungs

Everything is in that phase where it’s all yellow and dead and white and black. All the dead grasses and the asphalt and the snow

Saw a dead caterpillar on the trail. Fuzzy, black and brown. It was first thaw so really we were just wading through mud, plum had the time of her life though.

Saw a herd of deer at fort snelling at dusk, later we saw, too late- my exceptionally unobservant (and not wearing glasses at the time) but there was a big buck in the center of the trail that I didn’t register until we were maybe ten feet away from it and plum let out a tiny bark, it moved fast but it was that sort of situation where things happen very slowly, I just felt like I was looking into it’s face for a very long time before it left.

Baby bald eagle

We come back along the trail, the parent is gliding on the wind circling the water

There was a noise coming above us, I thought it was a bird but Erick thought it was a frog

Had a nightmare about the deer that we thought had chronic wasting disease but really it had been attacked by something, it was genuinely an awful sight, that wandered into our friends yard while we were sitting there

The spider in the bathroom really moved today! It bolted across the wall and tried to catch lunch in some gnat that lacked the sense to not fly by. The spider missed, anyhow.

First hailstorm of the year! I really don’t look forward to leaving, I love the sort of biblical weather that’s common here. Being a little kid and getting yelled at to come inside because tornados are dangerous and so is hail.

Saw murmurations of Starlings up near Fargo! I’ve only seen them a handful of times but this time I saw like six different groups and managed to get decent video, I showed it to my grandpa and he was unimpressed which I thought was a little funny, he’s the crybaby and the bird expert of the family.

Went and picked up some paper and saw an individual turkey standing on the traffic barrier post in the middle of downtown St. Paul, very funny just watching it sit there.

Plum (my dog) ate a piece of already chewed gum today!!! Which I really would have preferred she didn’t as it’s poisonous to her, but we called pet poison control and she’ll be fine thank god, but I can’t help but be like would you just go into the forest and start eating neon blue things? Like that’s Always gonna be poisonous to you. So why do

that?????

Went on a very long walk, the jury is most likely going to finish deliberating tomorrow. I realized I could not think at all and could clear my head so I walked out the door and speedwalked in a giant circle for two hours in the rain which is exactly what I needed I think. I found an instant photo on the ground of two people with backpacking gear on kissing.

Swarms of birds just soaring on the wind over the valley (that functions as the border between MN and WI. I felt my heart leap in jealousy over and over again each time I saw a bird complete a circle.

We went camping and saw a few herds of bison. There was a flock of geese fighting and screeching at least until 1AM, and they were still going at it when I woke up at 6. While sort of laughing at myself because I already knew the answer I texted my grandfather asking if geese were nocturnal

Was staring at the ceiling trying to think and there was a little wispy spider. I pointed him out and Erick said he’d been in that corner for months

Lots of little chunky spiders on the trail in the prairie, I haven’t ever spent significant time in western Minnesota so every time I’m there it’s really striking how western Minnesota feels like... well. The West. All hilly and yellow and endless.

Was coming down a somewhat busy road and there were a flock of turkeys crossing (or refusing, rather) to cross the road. Not really that uncommon but I haven’t seen a whole flock outside of Northeast.

The Cooperman’s said no to going out to the badlands (“you want us to go to MEDORA?!”) which. It’s a loss because that means we can’t use Sam’s rav4 but it’s fine I have other friends that want to go hang out on a cliff side or whatever the technical geological term is!!

We fell asleep and woke up to two river otters swimming back and forth ten feet in front of our tent which was... mostly just really surreal.

Also woke up at like five to a blue jay singing it’s song. And woodpeckers

Saw my grandparents for the first time in... four or five months now that we’re all fully vaxxed and I don’t remember what brought it up but we were talking about how many bison there used to be, and I brought up how passenger pigeons used to turn the sky dark and my grandfather said “Martha died in 1914 in Cincinnati”, apparently referring to the last living passenger pigeon. And then he made a joke about how he can’t remember anything important but he can remember that. I thought it was really sweet since he used to keep pigeons until my grandma developed pigeon fanciers lung.

It’s the time of year when you can see ducklings all in a line in the pond/drainage ditches off the freeway

Milo says I can take the train up to Vermont and sit in the mountains with him if I ever want to get away from the city. But ultimately, I don’t have business in Vermont, I have business in New York.

I looked up and suddenly everything was green, the trees aren’t just budding anymore. The trial really ate March and April out of everyone’s conscious here I think

Went over to my grandparents and they have every bird ever in their yard, and two albino squirrels and bees that Do Not Like my grandfather.

This is mostly like wishful thinking in regard to “nature” or really it might be a sort of anti nature but I want to go to White Sands so badly. I’ve wanted to go to the Trinity test site for a handful of years but this year is the first time it’s feasible- except they only open it to the public two days a year and none I don’t think this year because of covid. So I want to go camp in the missile range, since that’s as close as we can get to the trinity site. It’s a compulsion- a circle that I desperately want closed, but we have to go as soon as possible once school is done if I don’t want to die of dehydration in the desert.

The river is thawed and judging by the calendar it’s been thawed for a good long while. We went to a park by the river and I realized I’ve only ever lived in cities with a major river cutting through downtown. I don’t want to leave the Mississippi. Anyway, the giant sheriffs boat sitting there ruined any sort of quiet introspective moment I could have had.

[glennsparadice]

Chasing Thrills

(The Bizarro ninja are underrated so I wrote this. Takes place in Season 2. Basically an AU thing where the Bizarro ninja return, and they’re determined to make the true ninja’s lives a living hell while making the most fun out of it. Also I gave them cool names based on their elements to avoid confusion. Kai is Pyro. Jay is Electrik. Zane is Storm. Cole is Rock

Word Count: 1726) 

The boys are back, and this time, they take orders from nobody.  

Pyro sits behind the wheel, his legs above the dash board, one crossed over the other. The music which blasts from the radio makes his head bob to the beat, shamelessly. His eyes are closed with the bliss of the moment. 

Storm sits on the passenger seat beside Pyro. He is in control of the music. His index finger, which is in the shape of a USB, is inserted into the car radio, transmitting music files from his system to the radio. Unlike Pyro, he can’t get into any song that comes on. He groans less than five seconds into each song, switches, listens, repeats.

“Stop changing the music!” cries Rock, who sits on the right seat in the back. He’s wearing the sunglasses he had worn when he and his crew visited Darkly’s as a “souvenir” of his experiences. A slice of Devil’s Food cake lays on his lap, threatening to slide off unless he grabs hold of it. He smudges a layer of icing off the cake with his pinky, wipes it on his bottom lip, then licks it off. 

“All right,” Electrik mumbles, though his attention is set on the mirror reflecting his face, “don’t share.” He rubs a hand over his pasty colored cheek, removing a smudge of either dirt or blood- he can’t tell. He grins at the mirror, red eyes wide with devilish joy. Surely, he looks well enough to stun Nya. She hasn’t seen him in a while, but he knows she misses him. After all, he is much better than that obnoxious ninja, Jay. 

Rock moves the plate of cake as far from Electrik as possible. “I had asked you if you wanted some before, and you said no.”

“Well, I didn’t want cake at that time!”

“Yeah, and now you do?”

“Hell yeah!”

“Too bad then!”

Pyro watches them from the rear view mirror. “Boys, boys. Easy, now.” 

The black and blue evil ninjas huff. They mutter their final threats to each other before finally settling down under the red ninja’s command. 

“I found a good song!” Storm exclaims. The music that plays isn’t as upbeat as the other bunch of songs. A woman raps the lyrics of the song in a voice that sounds forced, too deep to be her own. She skips several beats, and the song relies mainly on the unnecessary violin strumming in the background. 

Pyro blasts fire at the radio until the object is left black and the sound drowns out. 

“Garbage,” he says. No one complains. 

A different noise is heard. This time, it comes from outside. It’s a mixture of prideful exclaims and cheerful laughter. Four ninja appear from behind a building. They’re dressed neck to toe in their designated colored gis, hoods down. Their eyes have their own unique color, not a bright red. They cross the street and use their hands to make dramatic gestures. Most likely they’re talking about a successful mission, or the moments from the mission where the clumsy blue ninja had to be saved from his doom. More laughter. Blue ninja bows his head, curses his friends.

“Ninja,” Pyro sneers. His hand is already on the key, one twist away from starting the engine.

“Oh, great!” Rock whines. “We finally find something interesting to do and Pyro broke our radio!”

“No heist music!” Electrik buries his face into his hands.

“This would not have occurred if Pyro allowed my music to play,” Storm adds. 

Pyro bangs his fists on the dashboard. “Blame me all you want, but who was the one switching songs?” 

Their argument becomes too sloppy that no one can tell who’s talking, or who they’re talking to.

“How are we supposed to chase the ninja without any music?!”

“Maybe if you guys weren’t so reckless!”

“Hey, why are you looking at me? I didn’t do anything!”

“Shut up! This is all your fault!”

“Don’t tell me to shut up!”

“Shut up!”

“All of you shut up!”

“You shut up! You have no right telling us to shut up!”

They all fall silent at the sound of the ninja’s vehicle driving away.

“No more arguing.” Pyro turns the key, takes in the roar of the engine. “It’s time we catch us some ninja.”

The bizarro ninja drive a sleek, white car with an open convertible top. Unlike the ninja’s chunky, monstrous looking vehicle, their vehicle does not attract too much attention. They calmly cruise the damaged streets, successfully avoiding potholes and litter. No passerby takes notice of the chase going down in front of them. Not yet, at least.

Storm fiddles with the car’s control panels, which, surprisingly, were not damaged by Pyro’s outrage. “What method should we use on the ninja?”

“I want to surprise them,” Pyro says, eyes burning at the large vehicle ahead of him. “Give me Transparent.” 

Storm nods. He scrolls down the control panel, clicks on a bullet point, then sits back as their once white vehicle becomes no longer visible to the human eye. The inside of the car remains, but looking out the window where the side mirror should be, he sees nothing but empty space. He runs his hand outside the window, over the invisible car, and outlines the top of the side mirror with ice. 

“Now they see us,” Storm whispers.

A wave of heat emits from Pyro’s fingers onto the ice, melting it instantly. “Now they don’t.” 

The invisible car drives into the back of the visible car. Gently enough to not cause harsh impact. One of the ninja jumps out of their seats to check. A puzzled look rests on his face as he returns to his friends with news that nothing is behind them. 

“I want to say one!” Electrik exclaims. “Go Hypno mode!”

Storm looks at Pyro. Pyro nods. 

They switch lanes as well as methods so that the car is no longer transparent, but covered in green, moving swirls. With both cars now side by side, participants from either side can see what’s going on in the other vehicle. 

“It’s them!” Kai shouts. “Those damn impostors can’t seem to quit, huh?” 

Cole forces Kai’s head back to the road. “Don’t look! I’ve been hypnotized once, and I do not want to go through that again!” 

“But the swirls look so pretty!” Jay sighs. 

“Jay!” Zane says, actual fear in his voice. “You mustn’t be looking!” 

Cole has to physically close Jay’s eyes. “My hand is staying here unless you grow some common sense!” 

“Uh, guys,” Kai interrupts. It’s then that the ninja realize how much their vehicle is moving. “I have to look. I have to look!”

“No!” Cole shouts. “Zane, take the wheel. Kai, Jay, if you look at the car, I swear you’ll be eating nothing but Cole-made food for the rest of the month!” He unbuckles himself and unlocks the hatch above him. 

“Where are you going?” Zane asks. 

“I said take the wheel!” His body wheezes through the hatch. “I’m going to handle this myself.” 

Avoiding glancing at the enemy’s car, Cole hops from the roof of his car to the inside of theirs. Immediately he kicks at the control panel, causing it to spark before turning black. The enemy’s car turns back to its visible, white color. Cole grins at his accomplishments. 

“Not cool, dude!” Electrik groans, nunchucks in hands. He skillfully flings the weapon so that it purposely launches close to Cole, but misses. His technique is far more advanced since the last time the ninja had to deal with the bizarro ninja, but Cole assures himself they can be defeated the same way. One hit and they’ll be destroyed. 

Cole whips out his scythe, but because of the small space inside the car, he awkwardly holds it an angle which still gives him no space to attack. “Fantastic. Another Jay.”

“It’s Electrik!” The bizarro ninja hits Cole with his nunchucks. “With a ‘K’!” 

“Watch where you’re fighting!” Rock whines. He notices Cole, who is pinned to the floor by one of Eletrick’s feet, lightning nunchucks dangling threateningly in front of his face. “Look who’s making this way too easy.”

“One ninja captured!” Rock calls to Pyro. 

Pyro glances behind his shoulder for a second, and in that second alone, Zane manages to hit the side of the car. “You made me lose focus!” He blindly scrolls through the control panel, presses on what he believes is the Self Driving method, then leaps out of his seat. He crawls to the backseat, where Rock and Electrik have a careful eye on Cole. 

He snatches Cole’s scythe. “I’ll take that.”

“He’s kinda strong,” Electrik whispers. “Can I release him now?”

“Why do you keep asking me questions as if I make up your decisions?”

“Because every time I do something without asking you, you get mad at me!”

“Maybe because you make the stupidest mistakes!”

Rock gets between them. “He’s right, though. He won’t be able to hold him off for much longer.” 

“Well, do me a favor and keep him company. I expect him here and alive when I return.” He forces the scythe through the open top of the convertible. “Storm, come with me.”

The two bizarro ninja hop from the hood of their car to the hood of the ninja’s car. Jay yells. Kai hits him. Zane swerves the car to a safe parking place. 

Kai puts on his hood. “Three against two.”

“It’s not as fun if I’m not fighting myself!” Jay pouts. 

“Fighting is not a priority,” Zane adds. “Retrieve Cole’s scythe and we should be all right.”

“And retrieve Cole himself,” Kai says, ignoring the scraping of the scythe above them. 

“And,” Jay says, pointer finger up, “don’t get our weapons taken.”

Zane nods. “Agreed.”

The ruckus caused by the two bizarro ninja above their car grows louder. It begins to feel hot, then cold, then both. There’s a wind of dirt blown their way, cackles, and a whole repeat of weather. 

Kai looks both his team mates in their eyes. His eyebrows lower for emphasis, yet a confident shine remains in his dark eyes. “We can do this. We defeated them once, and we will defeat them again.” 

The other two ninja nod, a strong connection to their team encouraging them to fight. 

“Ninjago!” 

[parkersharthook]

Girl Meets Descendants

(Lucas Friar x Maya Hart) (Riley Matthews x Farkle Minkus) (Mal Bertha x Ben Florian)

Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, child abuse, neglect

6k+ words

CHAPTER TWO

The characters of Girl Meets World thrown into the Descendants Universe. So what happens when Maya (maleficient’s daughter) and Farkle (dr. facilier’s son) are stuggling between their feelings for certain Auradonian kids and the mission they were sent to accomplish. [descendants 1 storyline with more characters]

Character Descriptions/Background

“Get up you worthless children!” Maleficent’s shrieks rang through their small room jostling Mal awake. She groaned and sat up slowly, stretching her back. Just as Maya had predicted, there Mal was sitting at the foot of the bed while Maya continued to sleep. Mal stood up and lightly kicked Maya causing her eyes to flutter open.

“Get up dickwad. We have to get ready to go to Auradon.” Mal said with a small chuckle as she headed to the tiny bathroom.

“Yeah thanks, assface.” Maya quipped back immediately as she pushed herself to a standing position. They weren’t actually insulting each other, for your information. That’s just how they communicated and it was all in love. “What time are we being picked up?”

“Three.”

“What time is it?”

“Eleven.” Mal responded. “You think the others are up?

“Probably.” Maya said as she changed into her last outfit that wasn’t packed away. “I mean we usually start roaming the streets and scaring the kids at like nine.”

Mal poked her head out of the bathroom, “Are we not doing that today?”

Maya shrugged as she folded up her ratty pajamas, “I don’t know. It’s our last day on the isle for probably a while, maybe we should do something else.”

“Like what?”

Maya dropped the half folded clothes into her duffel and zipped it up, “I don’t know.”

Mal came out, her face now covered in perfectly done makeup. “You sound sad. Think of all the havoc we’re gonna wreak there.”

Maya sighed, “Yeah I know and that’s gonna be great but this is home.”

“A pretty crappy home.” Mal muttered before standing back in front of a cracked mirror to apply her dark purple lipstick. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

Maya glanced down to her clothes: ripped purple jeans, cropped knit olive green top, leather jacket, and her favorite over the knee boots with a chunky heel. “I always wear something like this.”

“I know.” Maya frowned at her sister, “At least do something with your hair.”

“I’m just gonna put it up in a bun. What are you wearing, princess?”

“Bitch, I ain’t no princess. I’m just wearing what I can put together.”

“So some form of ripped jeans with a tshirt and your purple leather jacket and combat boots?” Mal smiled and nodded at her sister’s words, “Then why are you getting angry at my clothes?”

“Because mine are actually cute. Plus, this hair… unbeatable.” Maya couldn’t lie about that, Mal’s hair was such a gorgeous statement piece. It sat just above her shoulders and rested in flawless natural waves. The deep purple played a beautiful contrast against her pale skin and the silver highlights made her green eyes pop.

“Damn you right. But I promise you that my makeup will be better.”

“Of course it will you’re a fucking artist.” Maya just shrugged and went into the bathroom as it was her turn to not only use the mirror but also the shared collection of makeup. Maya swiped on black eyeliner in a fierce wing and applied some dark purple lipstick that almost could be classified as red. She threw her long green hair up in a messy bun, allowing two strands to frame her face. She may not believe it, but she was fucking gorgeous.

A small bell started ringing below the girls’ window and Mal poked her head outside and looked down. Beneath the window on the street was Evie, with her hip cocked to the side, and Jay who was leaning against the side of the building.

“Get down here, we got shit to do.” Evie called up. Maya was out the window in a flash grabbing onto the rope and swinging down the two story apartment. “You don’t even hesitate anymore do you?”

Maya laughed slightly as she watched her sister come down a lot slower, “Nope. Been doing that since I was four, that’s a lot of years to rid me of my hesitation.” She glanced to her sister once more, “Mal has always preferred the stairs.” Mal finally put her heeled feet on the ground and stood up to face her friends.

“What do we need to do?” Mal asked as the four headed down the street.

“Well first we need to pick up Farkle and Carlos.” Jay stated as we walked up to a red door and knocked loudly.

Evie gasped and grabbed his arm, “What if Cruella’s in there? You’re gonna get him killed.”

Jay just waved her off, “She’s at her fur factory from 6 to 12. Always is, always will be.” Carlos appeared at the door a moment later, shirtless and damp.

“What do you guys want?” he asked somewhat bitterly, “This is the first time in days I’ve been able to sleep-in.” He opened the door wider and let his friends into his apartment as he had done numerous times before. They passed the living room which was covered in furs and walked up the familiar steps to his small bedroom.

“You weren’t even asleep, you just took a shower.” Evie said as she lightly slapped his chest. He winced from the sharp ring on her finger and walked over to the discarded shirt on his bed.

“You don’t by any chance have hot water do you?” Mal asked uncharacteristically sweetly. He bent over the edge of his bed to pick up the shirt and the group of friends couldn’t help but notice the long claw marks running down the length of his back. You could see the remnants of old ones and some fresh ones that were just barely scabbed over.

Carlos’s head popped through the shirt opening and stared at her, “of course not.” Evie walked over to the window and turned on the purple lantern. That was how they contacted one another. They all had a set of five lanterns, each of them a different color, in their windows so they could let each other know when they were needed.

Farkle’s color was purple, Jay’s was orange, Carlos’s was red, Evie’s was blue, and Mal and Maya’s was green. They saw a small purple light blink twice before staying on for five seconds and then turning off across the isle. They knew Farkle got the signal.

He arrived a few minutes later, letting himself in and up to Carlos’s room. He found his friends scattered about the room talking. “What are we doing?’

“Waiting for you.” Maya snipped back quickly earning a glare from Farkle, “We were thinking about showing the isle what they’ll be missing.”

“What do you have in mind?” Maya just smirked and shared mischievous glances with her other friends, “Oh come on guys just tell me!”

Maya laughed and rolled to her feet, helping Mal up behind her. “Don’t worry just follow us.” Farkle groaned but followed his friends out of the apartment down the street. They slowly sauntered through the muddy streets making their way to the town square. They picked up little snacks and knick-knacks on their way there, not bothering to pay the merchants. They reached the town square quickly, a cracked, mossy fountain sitting in the middle of it with buildings and merchant carts all around it. They all followed Mal and Evie to a white building that faced the town square and stopped. Jay pulled off his backpack and tossed a can of spray paint to each person.

“Get to work!” Evie said cheerfully.

“We’re just spray painting? Isn’t that kind of boring?” Farkle asked in a whiney tone.

“We’re gonna spray paint this entire wall before we leave so that any time someone comes to here they’ll be reminded of us, the baddest of them all.” Maya explained as she started painting large strokes. It took them two hours to cover the entire wall of the building but when they finished and stepped back, it was a masterpiece. You could never say exactly what is was, filled with multiple designs and pictures all by people with different styles. Dark purples, blues, and greens filled the wall predominantly but you could still see the splashed of red and orange, curtesy of Carlos and Jay. And then at the very top of the wall was a large dripping crown, almost an insult to royalty, and inside were the words printed in an intimidating bold Long Live Evil. All of them were satisfied with the turn out and wandered back through the growing crowd of angry civilians. They all ran and laughed as they dodged the flying rotten food being thrown their way. Maya stopped suddenly though and with a wicked smile she murmured a small chant and waved her finger causing all of the merchant carts to be turned over and ruined. She quickly escaped back into the dark alleyways to catch up to her friends as they all made their way back to the apartments.

Farkle and Jay were the first to part ways as they had to gather their stuff and meet back at the hideout. Evie was next and then it was just Mal, Maya, and Carlos. They reached the street in front of both of their apartments and hesitated for a moment. “Carlos, can I talk to you?” Maya asked suddenly. He just nodded and led the two into his apartment while Mal went the other way. They went up to his room and flopped onto the floor next to each other.

“I just wanted to get some things straight.” Maya almost whispered. Carlos scooted a little closer and linked their fingers together.

“You’re nervous about going to Auradon.” Carlos suddenly said. Maya just nodded. The two had always been like this, being the youngest of the group. They had always been close and had always shared their innermost thoughts.

“Is that stupid?” She asked, her voice trembling.

“No. I’m nervous too. I don’t think we’re gonna be very liked over there.” He said with a small laugh.

“When have we ever been liked?”

Carlos snorted, “That’s true. We just need to remember our roots, we can’t let them change us.”

“I don’t think they will.” Maya leaned her head on his shoulder, “I’m nervous to leave my mom.”

“Why?”

“She’s all I’ve ever known. Sure she isn’t great and she abuses me but she’s still my mom. You gonna miss your mom?”

“No.” his answer was quick, “Not at all. She’s just done so much to me that I will never be able to forget. I’m honestly kind of excited to leave.”

“You know what I’m definitely not excited about?”

“What?”

“Not being able to see you anymore.” It was true. Maya and Carlos had a fling going for some time now. It was nothing serious, no feelings involved. Just two friends using each other for pleasure.

“We can still see each other, we just have to be careful.”

Maya shook her head, “Auradon Prep is a boarding school as in all the girls share a room and all the boys share a room. There’s no way I’m having sex with you with Jay and Farkle in the room.”

Carlos squeezed her hand, “Okay true. But that doesn’t mean we can never do it.” He leaned in close to her ear, “we can probably find a bathroom somewhere.” He pressed a light kiss to her earlobe causing Maya to giggle. He trailed down some kisses to her jawline before finally reaching her lips. He gently pushed her back onto the floor and hovered above her. Maya’s hair was falling out of her bun and was now splayed around her head like a rotten green halo. Carlos wasted no time in pressing his lips hungrily against hers causing her to moan slightly. He kept their fingers intertwined and brought her hands above her head.

“Maya!” Mal’s voice rang out across the street and Maya sighed from underneath Carlos. She gently pushed him off while he ran his hand through his hair. She fixed her hair as she walked over to the window and looked towards Mal. “They’re gonna be here in thirty minutes! You need to get your stuff together!”

“I’m in the middle of a conversation, give me fifteen minutes.” Mal nodded and turned back to whatever she was doing. Maya made her way back to Carlos and sat back on the ground, “This is the last time, you got fifteen minutes.” Carlos smiled wickedly and instantly attached his lips to her neck. Yeah, he was gonna miss the Isle.

--

The peasants and villains of the isle watched as the pristine black limo slowly inched through the crowded streets. The quiet horn honked every minute or so to move the people out of the way before it stopped in front of Mal and Maya’s apartment. The driver stayed where he was as another man dressed in a sharp suit stepped out of the car and went to the door. He firmly knocked twice before Maleficent swung the door open. She had a wicked smile on her face and stepped out of the doorway, a trail of villains following her. She walked to the middle of the street, her hands folded in front of her body. Jafar, Cruella, Dr. Facilier, and The Evil Queen followed her out of the house.

The man cleared his throat slightly, “I have come from Auradon to pick up the new students of Auradon Prep.” He unfolded a large piece of paper, “Maleficent’s daughters Mal and Maya, The Evil Queen’s daughter Evie, Jafar’s son Jay, Cruella de Vil’s son Carlos, and Dr. Facilier’s son Farkle.”

“Kids!” Maleficent suddenly shrieked without warning causing everyone to cringe at the high pitched voice. The children came through the door a minute later, each carrying their bin of their belongings and their backpacks slung over their shoulders.

The man ushered them to the back of the limo and opened the trunk. Each child put their bin and backpack in the trunk and stood next to it awkwardly.

“Do you need help with your other bags?” The man spoke, his voice almost robotic.

The kids glanced to each other before Evie spoke up, “That’s all of our stuff. We don’t have any more bags.” They noticed the man’s eyes widen slightly before he just nodded and went to the door.

“It is time to say goodbye, we are on a tight schedule to get back to Auradon.” He opened the door for the kids as they slowly stepped forward to their parents.

Jafar stepped forward first and harshly patted his son’s back causing Jay to wince and hiss in pain. “Steal good things and bring them home for me boy.” He turned away and called back, “don’t disappoint me!” Jay shook his head and got into the limo as Dr. Facilier stepped forward next.

He leaned in close to his son and whispered harshly, “I need all the magic you can get. Make whatever potions you can and bring them back to me. Voodoo for life?”

Farkle nodded and looked into his father’s purple eyes, “voodoo for life.” His response was meek but satisfied his father and with that Farkle ducked into the car.

The Evil Queen stepped forward and quickly pinched her daughter’s cheeks. Evie whimpered slightly but kept her posture straight. “Get a husband and find a castle with a mother-in-law wing. That’s all you need in life. A man, a castle, and a crown. Understand?” Evie just smiled into her cheeks and nodded, eagerly moving away from her mom to join her friends in the car.

Cruella was next as she grabbed Carlos’s arm to pull him into a rough hug. She hugged him bone crushingly tight and moved them back and forth. Carlos didn’t reciprocate the hug and just let him mother work though the supposedly affectionate action. “Stay away from the dogs but bring me the furs!” She squealed as she pushed Carlos towards the open door. Carlos grimaced and practically dove into the car. Maleficent waited for the other adults to head back upstairs and take their place on the balcony before approaching her daughters.

She stood in front of both of them with her arms crossed, “You know your mission. Don’t fail me.” And with that she whipped around and strutted away. Maya let out a huff before stepping into the fancy car with Mal in tow. The kids all marveled at the limo. The lights rapidly changed colors to match the beat of the music playing. There were jars of candy lined up in a cabinet and a tall bottle of champagne stood next to them. Maya quickly grabbed the bottle of alcohol and popped it open without a sound, a trick she learned when half-empty champagne bottles were sent their way on special occasions. She quickly took a sip from the bottle and passed it to Jay who had an outreached hand and was stuffing his face with chocolate. He grabbed the bottle and took a large gulp before glancing out the window. He dropped the bottle and gasped causing everyone to follow his eyesight. They all began to scream as they saw the edge of the isle nearing closer and closer.

“It’s a trap!” Carlos yelled and quickly latched onto Jay. Everyone closed their eyes and clenched their jaws, ready for their impending doom. But a minute later when they were still happily driving along they all started slowly peeking through their lids to discover the glittering, golden bridge. Maya’s mouth literally dropped as she watched the gorgeous bridge appear as they drove across it.

The car soon drove off the bridge and back onto land and within the minute they pulled up in front of the large regal school. Jay and Carlos had stuffed their face with more chocolate while Farkle was inspecting all the weird alcohol that was in the mini fridge. He pocketed a few bottles quickly as the limo slowly came to a stop. The driver put it in park and quickly got out of the car to open the door for the villain kids who came tumbling out.

Jay and Carlos were the first to hit the floor in a tangled ball of limbs as they fought over something trivial they found in the limo. Farkle’s long legs exited first as he quickly left the car and pulled the two apart. Evie looked ethereal as she made her way out of the limo. Her fishnet clad leg slowly moved through the opening and the rest of her body followed elegantly once her heeled boot touched down on the ground. The wind blew her hair from her face as if she was in a slow motion movie. She kicked Jay’s foot with her heel and gave him a look that instantly silence him. She had that power over him. Mal was the next one out and she was as casually cool as ever. The metal buckles on her boots clanked together as she stomped onto the hard pavement and stood with her hip cocked and her arms folded. Finally, there was Maya. She was a mix of Evie and Mal per se. Her over the knee heels caught everyone’s attention but she wasn’t trying to and soon stood next to her sister in what could only be called a power pose. But not of course before blowing the extra strands of hair out of her eyes.

The six of them looked like an explosion of a dark shaded rainbow and suddenly they were surrounded by pastel blues and yellows and pinks. In front of them stood a middle aged woman with short brown hair and a tight knit smile. She firmly held a clipboard in her hand and eyed the new kids. Next to her was a gorgeous woman who couldn’t look older than 30, with golden brown braided hair and a flowy yellow dress. Her smile was also tight but less judgmental but her eyes were filled with worry. Then came a tall broad shouldered man who kept his hands clasped in front of his body and oozed the essence of power. The last two were a couple of teenagers. One a young male with kind eyes and a genuine smile and the other a young girl who had a grimace on her lips and more evil in her eyes then some people on the isle.

The older woman stepped forward, “Welcome children to Auradon, the most magical place on earth!” She twirled her arm in the air slightly causing both Mal and Maya to go wide eyed. “I am the fairy godmother, granter of all things happy and wonderful.” She did a small curtesy and Maya could feel the smirk playing on her lips. “This is Queen Belle and King Adam.”

“Welcome to Auradon, we are so happy to have you. My husband and I would love to personally show you around the campus of Auradon Prep but unfortunately we have many meetings. So my son, Ben, has offered to take our place.” Her voice was sweet. Mal thought it was almost too sweet.

“Hi guys, I’m Ben—“

“Prince Ben.” The girl with long brunette hair chipped in.

Ben awkwardly nodded, “I’m a senior this year and I’m here to show you guys around. So Fairy godmother, mom, dad… I will, uh, take it from here.” The three adults nodded and walked towards a large stone castle. “So this is Auradon Prep. It’s a pretty basic campus set up. Right now we’re in the foyer or entrance, this leads directly to the dorms which are set up in a large circle around the quad. That’s where you can sit and eat lunch or study or do whatever. On the other side there is a tourney field and in between are the classrooms. I’ll officially show you guys where to go but for now let’s check out the dormitories.”

Ben began to walk forward when the girl next to him forcefully linked arms with him. She stepped lightly next to him before turning around to face the kids, stopping the whole group in the process. “I’m Audrey. Ben’s girlfriend and daughter of Queen Aurora.”

Mal and Maya heard Carlos choke in the background but the two just had identical smirks on their faces. Mal spoke up, “Daughter of Aurora huh? Like poke your finger on a spindle and sleep Aurora?”

Audrey nodded with a thin smile, “Uh-huh. And you would be?”

Maya spoke up this time, “I’m Maya and this is Mal, we’re the daughters of Maleficent.” Audrey’s eyes narrowed and she stared at the two.

“Well then no hard feelings right? Like I totally don’t blame your mom for ruining my mom’s life.” She said sarcastically.

Mal let out a fake, small laugh, “Yeah and I totally don’t blame your grandmother for inviting everyone to the coronation except for my mother.” The two laughed awkwardly before sighing in unison. Maya just bit her tongue and watched the exchange.

Ben laughed slightly trying to break the awkward tension, “Okay… let’s get going shall we.” The group came upon a large stone statue of King Adam, “This is my father. He founded Auradon many years ago when he believed that all of our kingdoms were too divided. It was mainly a place built just for this school so all of us kids to grow up together but it expanded over time and more and more people moved in. He was soon elected King after it was made by his subjects.” He clapped his hands twice and the statue morphed into a beastly figure.

Carlos jumped back with a small fright while Farkle marveled at the magic, “so that was magic?” His interest spoke in his voice.

“Yeah, my father wanted the statue to transform so all of the people that come here know that looks don’t mean everything. He was given a second chance, which is something I strongly believe in.” He quickly made eye contact with Mal before coughing slightly and diverting his gaze.

Mal looked at the statue unimpressed, “Does he shed a lot?”

Ben chuckled, “Yeah… he’s not allowed on the couch.” Mal fought the smile that was trying to find its way onto her lips. “We should keep going.” They finished their walked down the stone pathway and into a large building. “These are the dormitories you will be staying in. We have the 3 girls in one and the 3 boys in the other.”

Audrey tugged on his arm slightly, “Bennie-boo we gotta get going.” She batted her eyelashes at him. He quickly glanced at his watch and then nodded.

“Uh… yes I hate to leave you guys this early on in the tour but I do have some business to attend to. But I am leaving you in the trusty hands of-” He looked around before motioning to two completely different looking people. “Lucas! Doug!” The two men turned around to look at the prince and then glanced at each other. “Guys this is Lucas and Doug and they will continue the tour. I have to run but introduce yourselves!”

Lucas, who stood tall above the other boy, had his strong tanned arms crossed in front of him. His shaggy dirty blonde hair fell clean above his bright green eyes. “Uh I’m Lucas. I’m captain of the tourney team and I’m a senior. Take it away Doug.” He patted the thinner boy on the back before walking away without a word. Maya who stood at the back of her group, watched him leave and caught his eye as he glanced backwards.

Doug swallowed loudly, “Uh… I’m Dopey son of Doug. Wait no, I’m Doug son of Dopey. Uh I’m in the band and yeah…” He stuttered slightly as he stood intimidated by the villain kids in front of him. “Um I’m also head of the student registration so I have your schedules here. You have two classes in the morning and then a few hours for personal interests and then another three classes in the afternoon.” His shaky hands handed each kid their own schedule.

“Remedial goodness?” Jay asked with frown.

Doug nodded nervously, “it was just added. Um… so because we don’t know what your previous education was like we would like for you guys to take a placement test so we know what classes we know where to place you guys.” A loud scoff was heard from Maya causing everyone to face her.

She stepped forward intimidatingly, “So coming from the isle where no good schools were thanks to your king you expect us to immediately take a test so you know that we don’t know anything?” Her tone was harsh, “How about you actually try to better our lives for once and just put us where people are age will go and we’ll take it from there.”

Doug lowered his clipboard and tried to hold his ground, kind of. “Well that’s not really how it typically works-”

“Well you also don’t typically have villains transferring into your classes do you?” Maya asked taking another step forward, “So why don’t you just say that we all placed where we should be for our age and we can just move on? That way we don’t have to cause any….” She pretended to think for a moment before shrugging, “trouble. You wouldn’t want any of that, now would you?”

Doug gulped again and shook his head furiously. “Of course not. Look at that, you all passed. I’ll get those schedules printed out for you right away then. Why don’t I show you to your rooms?” Maya smiled cheekily and motioned to her fellow VKs who all had a wicked smile on their face. They followed the smaller man up the grand staircase to a long hallway filled with golden doors. Students stood in doorways in awe as they watched the darkly colored new kids saunter down the hall. Doug opened the door to one of the rooms. It was a large room with two beds against the left wall and two desk against the right wall. There was a large TV on the wall directly in front of the doorway with a small couch and a chair set up in front of it. There were also two dressers on the same wall as the doorway and an attached bathroom.

“There are only two beds?” Carlos asked pointing to the beds. “Ben said there would be three.”

Doug shook his head quickly, “uh that was a mistake in paperwork because that’s against fire code. So in this room we have Jay and Carlos. On the other side, the girl side, we have Evie and Mal’s room and then a few doors down this hallway is Maya and Farkle’s.”

Maya wrinkled her nose in disgust, “So I have to be surrounded by a bunch of sweaty boys?”

Evie snickered and lightly shoved her shoulder, “You already gone soft on us?” Maya glared at the girl behind her before straightening back up to face Doug. “Isn’t co-living kind of against your policy here?”

Doug nodded and gulped fearful of what he had to explain next, “yes but we thought it would be best for you… uh… new kids to room together until you got settled. Then once you’re comfortable being here, we can pair you up with some Auradon children.”

Jay scoffed and blew his hair out of his face, “You mean once you’re comfortable with us being here.” Doug didn’t respond so Jay just pushed into his room. The rest of the group followed, eager to see what it looked like. Carlos instantly flopped onto a bed and sighed.

“It’s so comfy.” Carlos smiled. Jay walked over to the TV and eyed it before running his hands along the back of the couch.

His faced showed indifference but his eyes showed happiness, “it’ll do.”

Doug nodded, not trusting his voice. “Why don’t I show you guys Farkle and Maya’s…” He walked down the hall and opened the door. The room was decorated just like the guys except it was rearranged.

“Thank Hades that it’s not pink and fuzzy.” Maya said with an obnoxious gag as she lightly fingered the grey silk drapes that hung by the windows, “But it’s so bright.” With a flourish of her hand, the drapes in the room closed and the sunlight was instantly dulled.

Doug squealed at the sudden use of the unexpected magic. “Yo- you have magic?”

Maya just smirked and snapped her fingers causing Doug’s band hat to jump off his head and into her hand, “yep.” He was frozen in shock as the VK’s laughed and walked back into the hall. Maya placed the hat back on his head and dragged him into the hall. “The last room?”

Doug weakly agreed and swiftly moved down the hall, through a common area, to the other corridor. He came to the last door and opened it causing everyone to burst out laughing while Mal just looked horrified. Everything was pink and frilly.

Evie fought the smile that was coming onto her lips. While she wasn’t a fan of pink, the sunlight made her glow.

Mal frowned, “This is disgusting.” She followed her sister’s lead and closed the drapes to help dull the princess feel of the room.

Doug finally found his voice again, “okay so I will let you guys get settled in your rooms. I have band practice so I can’t show you around but feel free to explore the campus but no one is allowed off the school grounds during the weekdays. Classes start tomorrow and if you need anything you can ask me or Ben or even Lucas if you can find him. Your bags should be brought to your room soon enough.” With that he scurried off, eager to get away from the villain kids.

Evie huffed as she sat down on the edge of her bed, “That was welcoming.”

“It’s Thursday right?” Mal said with an inquisitive eye. Carlos hummed and nodded. “So with tomorrow being our only school day… we can plan tomorrow night and then steal the wand over the weekend.”

Everyone began to smile wickedly as their parents’ plan came to life. After the VKs talked a little bit more, they split off to unpack their stuff. Maya appreciated the lack of pink on the boys’ side but already had to send a few hateful glares to some guys who looked at her wrong. She huffed as she shoved one of her last tshirts into a drawer.

“This sucks.” Maya groaned as Farkle came out of his large closet chewing some gum left for them on the pillow… ugh princes and princesses.

“It’s not that bad.” Maya glared at him but he just continued on, unintimidated of his friend. “Hey keep the evil eye to yourself… it could be a lot worse. At least we have nice beds, spacious closets, warm water… working plumbing.” Maya couldn’t help but nod at her lifelong friend.

“Yeah the plumbing and hot water is kind of nice.” Maya relented, “Okay so it could be worse but don’t go all soft on me Farkley. We have a mission, one that I intend to keep.”

Farkle held up his hands in defense, “Don’t worry mini maleficent, we’ll get the wand. But who knows how long we’ll be stuck here so might as well enjoy it.” He turned to see Maya still deeply frowning, “Come on! We have a break from our parents for at least a night. That deserves some kind of relaxing.”

Maya sighed and sat down on her bed, “Yeah I guess you’re right. I’m just kind of nervous.” Farkle leveled her a small smile.

“Don’t be. We’ve got this. You know why… cause we’re rotten,”

Maya smiled at him and finished the statement, “To the core.”

“Exactly! Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a nice long hot shower.” Farkle got up from his chair and walked into the large bathroom. He shut the door and locked it with a click.

Maya laid back on her bed and inhaled slightly. She closed her eyes and felt a single tear escape her lids, but she didn’t know whether it was a sad or happy tear. A knock came at the door so Maya quickly wiped her eye and stood up. She swung the door open with her hip cocked and came face to chest with a tall handsome man.

She lifted her eyes to meet his, “can I help you?” Her voice unimpressed but her eyes were scanning his broad shoulders and strong arms.

“Doug wanted me to give you this.” He handed her a copy to her schedule, “And one for the scrawny dude wherever he is.” Maya took Farkle’s schedule from his hand and quickly flicked her rest, sending it towards his bed. “Okay… well I’m Lucas. I was told to tell you that if you have questions to ask me.”

“Where’s your room?” Maya asked with a hint of a flirtatious tone to her voice as she leaned against the doorframe. This was how she got her way, no one can resist her charm.

She felt his eyes rack up and down her body, “lucky for you I’m right across the hall.”

She snickered, “seems more like an unfortunate event really.”

He smirked at her seemingly hostile banter, “well I can guarantee that almost every girl from Auradon would love to be in your position.”

Maya rolled her eyes, “Well I’m not from Auradon am I? Plus, those pink princesses are boring and…” She looked over him once again, “tasteless.”

Lucas’s tongue poked his cheek, “Tread carefully…”

“Maya.” She finished for him, “Or else? You’re going to tell on me?” She batted her eyelashes him, “Oh darling. I’ve seen two year olds scarier than you. But I appreciate the effort.”

Lucas snorted, “God this is going to be hell having you here.”

Maya frowned at him, “Well then welcome to hell buddy. We’ve been waiting for you to join us.” Before Lucas could get another word in Maya turned and slammed her bedroom door closed. Lucas clicked his tongue and walked into his own room, god was this going to be hard.

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[wristwatchjournal]

No Longer Made: Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph SLQ019

Launched in 2005, the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph still looks futuristic today. Limited to 2,005 pieces, inspired by high-performance sports cars, and powered by an absolute peach of a Seiko movement, this reference SLQ019 is a no-longer-made highlight of the Sportura collection. Here’s a hands-on look at this time machine, the real beauty of which is that whether it takes you backward or forward in time is up to you.

Funky subdials and mighty impressive movement details we’ll look at soon enough, but we’ll start with something else. Why? Because when you see the SLQ019 out in the wild, it’s not any one detail that stands out. No, this watch is like a lightning strike on the wrist — it’s like seeing Dr. Emmett Brown from Back to the Future walk up to you on the street in full-time travel gear. As watch lovers, I don’t think any of us would be left without at least some sort of reaction to give when seeing a friend, colleague, or random acquaintance rock one of these rare beasts.

Source: reddit user u/Watch_Chris

While researching the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph, I stumbled upon this wristshot shared on reddit by u/Watch_Chris. I chose to feature this image because it so beautifully represents how the Sportura aesthetically fits into our lives in 2020. Given the limited time I had with this reference SLQ019, and the fact that I own and prefer rather more analog cars, I didn’t quite have the chance to create a similar image — so a special shoutout to this fellow watch enthusiast, wherever he may be in the world. Because here is something the Swiss don’t appear to know how to do at all, let alone do it as well as their Japanese competition: blend real-world functionality (not exactly a top priority for European manufacturers) with an implemented vision of futurism. One would risk being publicly stoned on a Sunday dawn somewhere in the Vallée de Joux for speaking such heresy.

A Seiko Kinetic ad from 1998. Not quite something you’d expect to see today.

Seiko A.G.S. — Ring a bell?

Seiko A.G.S. was introduced in Germany in January 1988, and it went for sale in the same year in Japan as Seiko Auto-Quartz. Short for Automatic Generating System, it was the world’s first quartz watch to be equipped with an automatic power-generating system, using an “ultra-compact power generator” that did away with the need to replace a battery. It was designed to work even when the wearer’s movements were slow, and to not break when exposed to sharp, fast movements or shocks. As Epson, a Seiko corporation, explains: “The automatic generating system watch (AGS) works on essentially the same principle as a bicycle lamp that’s dynamo-powered by the turning of a tire.”

A gear train multiplies the self-winding rotor’s movement by approximately 100, spinning a power generator at “ultra-high speed…”

The current that is generated by this motor is what charges a capacitor. The capacitor then supplies the electricity needed to drive the timekeeping circuits. Furthermore, Epson slashed current consumption by developing a number of new components, including a CMOS integrated circuit, stepping motor, and capacitor, as well as by establishing technology for winding tiny coils with wires having a diameter of just 13 µm. That is about a sixth of the thickness of an average human hair. A.G.S. was renamed Kinetic in 1997, but it is fundamentally the technology that lives inside the Sportura Kinetic. The design team succeeded in reducing total power consumption to just 0.7 µW and in driving the watch for up to 75 hours on a single charge. In other words, wear the Sportura Kinetic Chronograph for a normal day and you’ll add about three days of go-juice to its Kinetic E.S.U., i.e. Kinetic Electricity Storage Unit. Apparently, when fully charged, the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph SLQ019 has a power reserve of a full month.

One Heck Of A Quartz Movement: The Seiko 9T82

The Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph SLQ019 is powered by the Seiko Caliber 9T82. The 9T82 is a highly advanced and complicated version of 1998’s Seiko A.G.S. that incorporates a 12-hour chronograph capable of measuring down to 1/10th of a second. Power reserve, as we mentioned, is about a full month once fully charged through regular daily wear. This is only negatively affected by the excessive use of the chronograph — use it just a couple hours a day and power reserve won’t be affected. If you rely on the chronograph for longer than that, the energy required to drive its hands will deplete the power reserve a bit faster — but, thanks to the extremely high energy efficiency of its components, you won’t ever have to really worry about your Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph stopping.

Energy consumption is key — we have established that. In researching the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph SLQ019 and the Seiko 9T82 movement, we found an interesting quirk highlighted by Seiko in the manual of the watch: “Do not pull the crown out to the second click with the intention of stopping the second hand just to save energy. By doing so, a large amount of current flows through the built-in IC. Therefore, pulling out the crown to the second click will not save energy but, in fact, consume more energy than usual.” Just a dorky insight into the inner workings of the 9T82. Similarly, Seiko says “If your watch has a glass case back, do not expose the case back to strong light such as direct sunlight or an incandescent light at close range, as this may temporarily increase the power consumption of the watch circuit.” People say they like mechanical movements because they have a “heart” — well, the 9T82 seems to be no less of a living thing.

Made in Japan and assembled by hand, the Seiko 9T82 is a neatly finished and highly capable movement that is revealed through a transparent caseback. Measuring just 6.8mm-thick and 33mm-wide, it has 38 jewels and an accuracy rating of +/- 15 seconds per month. Its striped plates and countersinks with beveled edges are visible even though they are partially disguised by a Sportura text and what appears to be a pattern inspired by lightweight wheels used on sports cars.

The 9T82 movement drives the chronograph’s totalizers situated in dedicated subdials for x0.1 seconds, 60 seconds, and to the far right one that combines the chronograph minute and hour totalizers with superimposed hands. All these windows feature a bold orange color, complemented by the orange running seconds hand of the main subdial and the orange frame for the date offset to the right of the face of the watch. Additional levels of refinement can be identified in how the hand for the 1/10th of a second measurement always jumps exactly onto its markers. Even when the chronograph is stopped using the pusher in the top right, it always stops exactly on one of its markers, allowing for a clear reading.

Looks & Wearability

The Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph SLQ019 has a case diameter of 42mm with a substantial reach over one’s wrist. That’s due to the lug-to-lug distance of around 49mm further emphasized by the massive double end-link and beefed-up strap. The effect is yet more pronounced on the black coated metal bracelet. Nevertheless, with a case thickness of 14.2mm and a design that wraps around the wrist neatly, it’s a fine, if not outstanding, wearing experience among chunky sports watches.

Credit: Cazalea, WatchProSite

And if the funky-sporty-menacing styling of the SLQ019 isn’t to your taste, check out all the other references equipped with the 9T82 movement. Kudos to Cazalea from WatchProSite for assembling this picture, complete with reference numbers. The quirky dial layout is of course a defining feature, but it’s fascinating to see how you can go from the rather elegant SBCG003 through Jay Leno’s SLQ011 (sometimes misrepresented as an SLQ007),  all the way to full-on Japenese design madness goodness with the SLQ005 or SATX005. On a personal note, I can’t help but love that these watches got designed and made.

Value Retention & Summary

At the time of its release in 2005, the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph SLQ019 retailed for just under $4,000. Today, a nice one with box and papers will set you back roughly the same amount, though the selection is limited to just a few available pieces at any given time. Still, fine examples can be obtained and you can expect prices to linger around this mark. That makes the SLQ019 an expensive but arguably cool and charming option — and a safe one at that.

In summary, the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph SLQ019 is one heck of a watch lover’s watch that has so much going for it — movement, design, wearing experience — to keep its ownership fun. Valued at around $4,000, the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph SLQ019 is in a saturated field full of amazing watches… but none of those will be quite like this one.

The post No Longer Made: Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph SLQ019 appeared first on Wristwatch Journal.

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