#it's really a combo of two but if you guess either you get a prize

[roserayne]

Weekly Drawing

[sole-cuore-amore-e-droga]

Belgium brings their ex-vocalist back to Rotterdam 2021

Here we chop chop boys like we chop chop wood

This review space would’ve been reserved for Belarus. Unfortunately, their broadcaster was not ready to make nice, and ultimately refused to serve EBU with anything but not-even-so-thinly-veiled propaganda, so much so that EBU, after all they’ve given the time for them for to snap out of it, finally had to be like “bye bitch” (- Lizzo) with enough push from the fandom, and informed everyone that Belarus will miss this year’s contest <3

Which means that I don’t have to deal with 41, but with 39 writeups to do overall, if my timing permits! The Roop could’ve always used a little less competition, anyway /j

Speaking of The Roop’s competition, time to aim at another one of their semifinal folk with a review. Come forth, Belgium!

ARTIST & ENTRY INFO

Hooverphonic, eventhough they’re not as big of a name as Flo Rida, is the biggest act to compete in this year’s Eurovision, and even had lasted longer as a thing than Flo Rida. He barely even got his proper famous kickstart around in the 2000s. Hoover have been around at least for 5 years more than him, if “Years active” section on Wikipedia is anything to go by. And back then they were just known as Hoover, correct. Their lineup of singers has changed for quite some time, but otherwise the band since its inception is rooted in basically two men: Alex Callier and Raymond Geerts. They used to have a keyboardist too but was he a part of their glory years in 2000? No? Thought so, he’s irrelevant then. In fact, their first vocalist wasn’t even present on their first album, so they went to have another one, who did just one album with them before 2000 and left. Now I’m only constantly and consistently bringing up 2000 because that’s when they had their break out moment in relevancy - after they changed their singer once more before they found someone called Geike Arnaert - the woman you’re seeing on the MV’s thumbnail right now, and not someone certain for whom there was a public outcry for she is the only Hooverphonic component that’s not coming back from 2020 to 2021. But more on that later. I’m here to present you the break-out hit, for those who just don’t know:

I used to like to think of Hoovers as trip-hop sensations, well not in the style of Massive Attack because they have their trip-hop sound with actual hip hop thrown in, Hooverphonic’s style is that but with a tinge of symphonic.

Well, “Mad About You” wasn’t really the only hit they had, before that they got a bunch of minor and domestic hits, and their music was used for soundtracks. So it’s a little bit cheating still to think of “Mad About You” as their breakout hit, but that’s still the biggest song of the band. If I were to recommend you stuff from them that aren’t necessarily the biggest hits but still, “The Night Before” with yet another one of their vocalists is pretty good.

So when I tell you that Hooverphonic is a band of a very long career. Well some bands do survive a lot without having their lineup change for 10+ years, but Hooverphonic vocalistes come and go sometimes, and for 2020 forray, when they were first announced, they came in to that talk show studio where they were guests in with a promising little starlet Alex Callier found at The Voice Belgium (for the Flanders region) and was her mentor there, Luka Cruysberghs, as their current vocalist.

Is it just me or her and Stefania Liberakakis look like they could be cousins?

All went smooth and dandy, until Alex started spouting stuff about Eurovision the fans found not amusing, such as calling Eurovision a circus or something, later begging and pleading to medias that his statement was “lost in translation” - now I would say it happens to the best of us, like for Tornike, but deep inside I think I know Alex meant what he meant, inside or outside context. Because everything just went even more sour when everyone found out Hooverphonic were missing from the common song “Love Shine a Light” for the 2020 consolation programme in place of Eurovision, and when they were forced to explain, Alex just straight up said he didn’t like the song, so he decided to not do it. Fuck, I myself don’t adore the 1997 winning song, but I like it, and would’ve still done a piece of that song out of respect. Take it or leave it, god damn. Also they were noted to be the only people plugging in their other material in the time when Eurovision 2020 artists on the consolation programme were either saying inspirational stuff or “hope to see you soon!” or a combo of both, once again, courtesy of mostly Alex. Now I’m not saying his ego is bigger than Kirkorov’s... of fucking course not, no one has an ego bigger than Kirkorov’s. The only thing that can beat him in that regard is if someone booked Kanye West for Eurovision last minute.

Following 2021, they were very excited to jump on the “leave 2020 songs behind” train, while a few artists like VICTORIA and The Roop rallied for to keep their entries in tact if they were allowed to. And with that, in late 2020, they went ahead and celebrated the 20 years of “Mad About You” by getting rid of Luka as a vocalist and bringing back the aforementioned Geike to reprise her part. Seems pretty reasonable, but for the Eurofandom it was simply seen as a dick move, and mostly for the reason that all 2020 artists deserve a 2021 chance, even if they’re band members. What felt more dickish is that Luka was straight up told “byeeee u’re no longer our bandmate xo” on a Zoom call between band members. Like, it’s fine to be told you’re fired in person, even if still humiliating, because what’s the other better way? What’s equally worse is to be told this via email, but the email you were sent was sent like a few months ago and you only read it NOW. At least I guess that proves we know what the “sad and losing game” was that Luka asked to be released from now, heh.

Not to worry Luka-stans, as Alex will still have her, just as not the part of the band anymore. But instead give her a solo career. Yeah well we’ll see how long that lasts.

With the 2000 glory heydays lineup of Hooverphonic we have their entry be “The Wrong Place”, as the completely quite different song they promised (or didn’t) when saying that they will certainly and absolutely get rid of their old one for the 2021 if they had a choice. What they didn’t get rid of is the theme of the worse part of relationships - “Release Me” is about probably wanting to be let go of and released rather than kept by the side when it’s probably not working out. “The Wrong Place” is one of those episodes that probably happened during then - they had a house conflict, she chose to have a smoke to forget about it, the man’s after her Johnny Cash T-Shirt. Not much else to say about the song’s technicality fortunately than I’ve already said so much about the band, so how does it fare in the Hoover-lore, for me?

REVIEW

See, I would like to root for Luka ever having her chance to get to experience Eurovision if she wishes, but maybe it’s lowkey for her own benefit she wasn’t the chosen vocalist for the song, as Geike could do “Release Me”, but Luka wouldn’t be able to do “The Wrong Place”.

“The Wrong Place” is well-suited to the first vocaliste’s melancholic blend-in timbre, and a singer like Luka would sound a little too light on this with her soft-spoken sound of her voice. Besides, I don’t think she could be old enough to relate to the lyrical subject’s domestic struggle issue. Not to say 20 year olds don’t smoke and drink, it’s just that “The Wrong Place” feels a little bit too much mature enough.

Although I think that both of them could absolutely rock the music video visuals.

The song itself is very Hooverphonic. They used to do this kind of standout triphoppy sound back in the days, but as of lately they kind of grew out of the label to do more of the music that kinda sounds like movie soundtrack music. Idek the exact label I could give it to their music so move soundtrack music it is I guess. It has a decently paced structure (could’ve done without the overly repetitive ending where they repeat “you’re in the wrong place” over and over, like ffs I know where I am!!), and interesting lyrical choices. Such as “organic cup of... tea”, as in, WOW! HOOVERPHONIC HAS ENOUGH WITH THE TEABAGS FULL OF GROUND AND GRINDED TEA! THEY WILL ONLY MAKE TEA FROM PURE HERBS AND FLOWERS, AS IT WAS USED TO BE DONE! and acting like her Johnny Cash T-Shirt is the kind of prized possession her man is not allowed to wear to rub it in her face. Imagine if it was something more mundane. “Don’t you ever dare to wear my... pink polka-dot T-shirt”? Damn right it doesn’t seem to suit the mood lol.

It’s not what I exactly wanted from Hooverphonic, but probably what I subconsciously needed from them anyway, ever since they were announced for 2020. I only got into “Release Me” sometime AFTER the contest, “The Wrong Place” is a bit more instant to stand behind. So well done to them to commit to their craft.

Approval factor: I guess I do have to stamp this with my stamp of approval. It’s nice and all. Follow-up factor: “The Wrong Place” follows up as a more of a Hooverphonic discography track after the fairly average and overlookable “Release Me” (eventhough the latter has the tinge of theirs as well because it’s a more symphonic ballad, and they do have symphonic stuff on their discog afterall). As a Eurovision entry, it comes across as even better somewhat, and even slightly more standout, but that might not necessarily work in their favour. Qualification factor: And that’s because they’re absolutely stranded in the semi with too many qualification choices to name. Belgium gets to be a bit quasi-obvious, but they’ve failed with a Hooverphonic-penned song before, plus, the pop girlies of this semi are more likely to eat out a band like this alive, but I wouldn’t exactly say Belgium is doomed to fail either, because I am positive Hooverphonic will think of something. I’m just saying that shocking things can happen every now and then.

INTERNAL CORNER

Well, considering Alex Callier is not running his mouth this time as much as he did so last year’s season, I think it’s safe to say that Hooverphonic have had nothing to write home about.

No, wait...

Well I did mention that Luka got replaced as one of the events that happened to Hooverphonic’s lifetime, but thank God that Alex promised her a solo career, right? Right?

Well, apparently, we’re getting towards it.

And the first lyrics of her first solo forray post-Hooverphonic-vocalist-duties features the lyrics about possibly her making someone “regret it”. Lol now watch this song to be a karma kick into Hooverphonic’s ass if Belgium happens to not qualify this year. Luka forewarned y’all with sharp precision.

Annnnnd that’s pretty much it, besides the band jumping on the trend of turning their entries into a Festivali i Këngës 59 acoustic night European version by presenting their own acoustic version of this track. I did not have the kind of courage to link to the Azerbaijan’s “slow version” on their review in fear of overruning my post even longer than they would usually be for these reviews, but at least it moves people to a certain degree

Well, my question of the days is, does “The Wrong Place” in acoustic make you sad twerk?

ANY LAST WORDS?

Belgium’s big weakness is when it comes to stage their entries, notably for the last two years where the Eurovision actually happened. Sennek was awkwardly put in the middle and succumbed to the curse of Lucie Jones of grimmacing too much and therefore ruining her score in the process, possibly. Eliot was just simply upstaged by the decision to include big drums on stage. Alex Callier acknowledges all that sort of thing, so if anything goes absolutely right and Hooverphonic manage to make it to Rotterdam (which I think they can do because Belgium and Netherlands are neighbours lol? unless their lockdown rules get super strict in May), he should get on to mending all the flaws that Belgium had in the past for staging, and have a spectacular vision. Because it’d be sadly hilariously ironic if Hoovers miss out on the final due to the staging again. Can’t just constantly blame the vocalist - Geike would be flawless live, if Hooverphonic trusted in her for so many years. Can’t blame the song - it’s not too bad. So staging, I guess.

Good luck Hooverphonic, you’ll certainly need it. Also can RTBF consider that they could send anything else from the Wallonian music scene other than The Voice Belgique acts~

[suitofvibraniumarmor]

Headstrong

Part Three

Summary: After moving past the locker room incident, Bucky and Haven continue on with training for an upcoming fight.  Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OFC Word Count: 1895 Warnings: Angst; discussion of cancer, amputation, infidelity, drunk driving, car accident and related injuries.  A/N: Taglist is open, you can be added to the one for this fic or Buckvember simply by sending an ask. Happy Reading!

Series Masterlist

Right after dinner, Haven put on a touch of makeup, smoothed out her shorts and t-shirt, and slipped into a pair of sneakers before telling Wes she was going out for a little bit. 

When she entered the bar, she looked around for Bucky; he raised his right arm to get her attention at a booth toward the back of the place. She waved an acknowledgement, stopping at the counter to order a drink for herself before she joined him. 

“Thanks for meeting me,” she started, sliding into the booth. “After this morning … honestly, I wanted to forget everything about it, but Wes said it’s probably best not to ignore it and let tension build up.”

Bucky nodded. “Sure, I can understand that. I hope you know, Haven, it was truly an honest mistake. I wasn’t paying attention, I’ve never been there before. It won’t happen again.”

“Thank you,” she replied, smiling softly. “I know it was a mistake — I was never worried about that. I wasn’t exactly gracious in my reaction, but you caught me off guard. I apologize for that.”

“No apology necessary.”

Her drink arrived. She thanked the waitress and took a few sips before continuing. “And I want to apologize for the way I declined your lunch invitation. We’re going to be working together closely and often, but I thought if I kept things more professional than I did with my last coach … it’s a self-preservation thing, I guess. I let things go too far with him, let it become personal. Too personal, and it almost cost me my career.”

Bucky assured her that he could understand. “Boxing was the most important thing to me, and it was taken away. Turns out, it takes two flesh arms to stay in the ring. I got lost for a while, hid away — I’m sure you heard about that. I’m pushing myself, taking this job and getting back into the business in any form. What I’m trying to say, Haven, is that we don’t have be best friends or anything, but, besides all the work together we’ll be doing, we’ve got some things in common. There’s going to be a personal note to our relationship, but even that doesn’t have to cross professional lines.”

“Thank you,” Haven told him quietly. The tension in her shoulders released and she continued to sip at her drink. She wanted to tell him more, but the words wouldn’t come. Something she was doing was giving her away because a few seconds later, Bucky’s warm fingers covered hers. 

“When you’re ready to talk about the rest of it, we can. There’s no rush.”

Haven pulled her hand out from under his. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They finished off those drinks, and Haven paid the tab for both of them. They bid each other goodbye with a wave in the lot and went their separate ways. 

For a couple of weeks, they kept things what Bucky called casually professional. They didn’t see each other outside of the gym again, he was extra careful about which locker room he went into at the end of each session, and he didn’t push her for any personal information. He didn't offer any, either. 

Haven was getting stronger and more ready for a fight by the day. They hadn’t been training together long, but Bucky could see she was chomping at the bit to compete. Her punches were coming harder and faster when he called out combos, their sparring sessions were becoming more intense. 

“There’s a fight in Los Angeles at the end of the month,” Bucky informed the siblings one afternoon after he and Haven had showered, and Wes was able to join them in the gym. “I think Haven can be ready by then. The other fighter on the card, Helen Cho, is also a newer pro and, from my research, I think she and Haven will be a good match.”

“You really think I’ll be ready?”

Bucky nodded with enthusiasm. “Without a doubt. Honestly, I’d put you in the ring against this girl today, if we had to. You’re a natural boxer and your lighter training while you recovered probably helped you to stay on track. What do you think?”

Haven looked at Wes, who nodded. “All right. I’m in.”

“Great,” Bucky smiled. “We’ll get you on the card and start training harder over the next couple of weeks. I want to be in Los Angeles a few days before the fight to do some training in their weather, get your body adapted to it.”

The next task was to contact the right people, find a flight and a hotel, and work out a temporary training schedule. They talked about nutrition, too; all of them wanted Haven in top fighting condition so her first pro fight could be a win. 

While Bucky put the finishing touches on the training schedule, Haven and Wes quietly argued about something by the door. Wes finally won out after a few minutes, it seemed, and left the gym. Haven huffed, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. Bucky wouldn’t have been surprised if she stomped her foot for effect. 

“Coach, do you have some time to talk before you leave,” Haven asked, blurting it out as a statement and not a question. 

Bucky nodded and motioned for her to join him in the ring. They both sat on the edge of the ring, their legs hanging over. Haven leaned forward on the ropes. Bucky kicked his legs with his hands in his lap, patiently waiting for whatever it was she had to say. When two minutes passed and she hadn’t said anything, Bucky decided maybe it would be easier for her to open up to him if he opened up to her first. 

“Right after I won my last title, I couldn’t shake the pain in my left arm,” Bucky began. “I did three more fights and it just got worse every time. Finally let my trainer convince me to get it checked out. Doc did x-rays and found a mass on my humerus.”

Haven frowned. “Cancer?”

“Cancer,” Bucky echoed. “It could have been removed and maybe beat with chemo, but I let it go on too long. I didn't want to hear that whatever was happening would end my career, but it did anyway. They had to take the arm, or it would have taken my life.”

“I’m so sorry, Buck.”

He smiled, both in gratitude for her empathy and because she hadn’t called him Coach. “The upside, I guess, is that being a prize fighter puts you in line for cutting-edge technology like this.” He flexed his prosthetic arm and a light whizzing came from inside the thing. “I can’t fight but I can function. And I’m alive.”

She sniffled, and Bucky could see that her eyes had glazed over. “Do you ever get angry that you can’t compete anymore?”

“Sometimes,” he confessed. 

She leaned back on both arms. “I was so angry when I thought my career would be over. Punched a hole in the wall in my bedroom one day because I got so angry.” She looked up to the ceiling, so Bucky kept his eyes on his hands in his lap. “Brock Rumlow was my coach from the very beginning. I was training at this gym in town, straight out of high school, not even sure if I wanted to do this for real, and he was new to coaching. He told me I had potential, so my dad and Wes went all in. They built this gym, and the three of them got me into the amateur league. Brock was a good coach, until he wasn’t. A few years ago, we started dating. It was always there, somewhat, I guess, despite the age difference, but we decided to make a real go of it.”

Bucky pressed his lips into a thin line. He fought Brock Rumlow when they both were amateur fighters and knew about Brock’s reputation, but this wasn’t the time to comment on that — especially when he didn't know how much Haven was aware of. 

“Besides coaching me, Brock had a management agency that he owned. It went under, and Brock lost his mind. He was drinking all the time, sleeping around. I was so concentrated on getting my pro bid, I ignored all of it.

“We were coming home from a party one night though, and Brock had been drinking. We were arguing about the cheating — I’d had enough, I guess, and I wasn’t exactly sober. The argument really escalated and Brock lost control of the car.” She drew in a deep breath, staring ahead as though the images were playing in front of her. “The car rolled a few times, crashed against a light pole. How we managed to keep that out of the news, I’ll never know.”

Bucky scooted closer, covering one of her hands with his metal hand; she didn’t even wince or pull away. “How extensive were your injuries?”

“Ironically, I broke my left arm right about where you said your cancer was at. I’ve got a rod and a plate supporting it now. Bruised kidney, shattered spleen.”

“You’re lucky that’s all you made it out with.”

Haven paused, then nodded. “Yeah. I am. Anyway, after that, I told myself that I would keep boxing and my personal life separate. I wouldn’t ever again make the mistake that I made with Rum with anyone else.” She turned to look at him. “This fight, this championship you think I have a shot at — all of that means the world to me. I want to come back strong. I don’t want to be the girl who almost lost her shot because she dated her coach and it came back to bite her in the ass.”

“Hey,” Bucky said, shaking a finger at her, “as your coach, it’s my job not to let anyone bite you in the ass.”

She laughed, and Bucky found that he quite liked the sound. “Well, thanks, I appreciate it. I mean, I think I’ve got a pretty nice ass and bite marks would just ruin the image.”

“I’ve seen it,” Bucky reminded her, “and — not to overstep — but bite marks or not, Haven, you do, in fact, have a nice ass.”

That made her laugh even harder and painted her cheeks with a blush he hadn’t seen since the day of his interview. She swatted at him playfully, but Bucky dodged out of the way, slipping out of the ring with Haven not far behind him. 

He waited with her while she shut down the lights in the gym and locked up the building. She walked with him to the front of the house where he was parked, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Starting to get chilly at night,” Bucky commented. 

“Yeah, it is.”

Bucky fished his keys from his pocket, wanting for some reason to linger in their goodbye. “Running tomorrow morning?”

Haven gave him a thumb’s up. “Bright and early.”

“I’ll see you then. G’night, Haven.”

“Night, Bucky.”

She had skipped the ‘Coach’ bit again; Bucky wondered if she even realized she had done that. He got into his car and pulled out of the driveway, waving goodbye one more time to Haven before turning his eyes to the road. 

Headstrong: @disastersoldierbucky @ashleymalfoy @amanda-teaches @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan @tanelle83 @tellmewhatyouwill @capandbuckylvr @pinknerdpanda @ntlmundy @siggy85 @itsallyscorner @m-blasterrr @just-the-hiddles​

Buckvember: @peace-love-hobbitness​ @disastersoldierbucky​ @connie326​ @rebekahdawkins​ @wonder-cole​ @shynara51​

[murasaki-murasame]

Now that Regina and Basileus’ banners are done, here’s my part two on how my free summons have been going.

TL;DR: problematic anime boys got me acting unwise u_u

Firstly, for the Regina banner, I managed to get her on around the fourth free multi, and over the course of the banner I also got dupes of Hawk and Louise. I also got a platinum prize that gave me a sunlight stone, so that was nice.

Then on Basileus’ banner I got sent into a bit of a spiral because I quickly realized that I really wanted to get him [since I have a weakness for male wand units, and he just seems really good in general], but I only had like half a spark left after the whole Zethia/Bahamut banner, so I was wondering if I might end up having to whale if I couldn’t make myself skip this banner. Which lead me to double-checking my unread stories, and apparently I have over 150 adventurer stories, 70 dragon stories, and 30 castle stories that I haven’t read yet, so if I really wanted to, I could go through a lot of that and spark without whaling. Including the 40 sigils worth of diamantium I already had in my account.

I decided to just do a daily deal then and again on the final day of the banner so I could at least save myself some single tickets, and I immediately got Basileus on the daily deal I did on the second day, so here we are I guess, lmao.

I ended up not getting Sandalphon from the free summons, but even though she looks really good I can’t be bothered chasing after her specifically after getting so lucky with Basileus, especially since I also already have Gala Elly so it’d kinda sting to get dupes of her. At the very least I can dream summon Sandalphon later if I really need to.

And even though I was ready and willing to spark on this banner if I needed to, at this point I want to just quit while I’m ahead and make sure I have a safety net for the upcoming limited banner hell season, lol.

I have a feeling I might skip Halloween, but I might be really tempted by the November gala [+ Christmas], and I’d like to have a spark saved for New Years as well.

Anyway, I haven’t had much time to actually test him out yet, but Basileus does seem really strong. He seems to have good personal damage, but even though it’s not as high as other wind units like Gala Ranzal, it’s made up with by the fact that he has a huge amount of utility in his kit which matches up really nicely with endgame content. He has stormlash, high hit count [his ranged and sigil unleashed modes do like 35 hits per full combo, lol], spammable defense amp, both strength and defense debuffs, and dispel. He also has personal overdamage, but I think that probably doesn’t matter if you have any other source of overdamage in your team.

But in general he just has an extremely loaded kit, which also seems pretty much entirely immune to nihility, so he just seems like an extremely good unit who will probably stand the test of time.

His dual combat modes mechanic is probably his only weakness, since it divides up his utility, but that gets solved when he goes into sigil unleashed mode and he just switches into one mode that does everything. And with how his kit works, he only spends like two minutes in sigil locked mode anyway, and he gets it automatically unlocked in phase 2 Dominion fights. Either way I think it’s mostly just an issue in auto fights since in manual you can just move in and out of your two modes as you need, but it’s not a huge deal. I think his ranged mode is more valuable than his melee one, and it sounds like his AI defaults to that, so you’d still get a lot out of him.

He also kinda feels like he overlaps with Gala Notte a lot, since she also has stormlash, dispel, and high hit counts, but I don’t think it’d be that hard to just run them together. I think Notte could also be nice as a backline option for Basileus, since he has a really high hit count to make use of her shapeshift prep co-ability. Sorta like how people use Saiga as a dragon battery.

Since his defense amp is on his S1 and doesn’t have a cooldown, I think that you could probably maintain team defense amp levels with just him, but I’m curious to try him out with Yukata Lathna and see how easily they can build up defense amps. It’d at least be nice to make it easier to get the full effect of Lathna’s S2.

And on the note of amps, it’s kinda sad in a funny way to compare Basileus to Myriam. It feels like an unfair comparison to make, but they’re both 5* wind wands with spammable amps, and Myriam only came out like six months ago. But when you compare them to each other, you can really tell how Cygames was way too cautious and conservative with how they made the early amp users, because they didn’t want them to be overpowered, but they ended up just making them extremely weak and bare-bones, so now newer amp users like Basileus just have it as one aspect of a much more detailed kit. It’s also pretty telling that both of Myriam’s abilities only trigger if she has a team strength amp, but nothing in Basileus’ kit is locked behind achieving a team defense amp.

I don’t really have a lot to say about Sandalphon since I didn’t get her and I don’t plan on chasing her, but she does seem like she’s probably going to be the best water healer from now on. Hopefully since I have all of the other ones I can go without her for now.

I also don’t really have many thoughts on Regina, even though I got her and have used her a bit in the event raid. I don’t exactly plan on using her much in the long run, but that’s mostly just because I like Gala Mascula too much to kick him out, and it’d be a pain to try and run them together, lol. She might end up being really good in the Surtr fight, but right now her kit just feels kinda weird, and she’s lacking in utility that actually matters in current content. I’m glad we finally have a permanent 5-star water blade who’s better than Valerio though, lol.

So yeah, I’m glad I was able to get Basileus so early and quit while I’m ahead with this banner. Now I’m in a much better position going into the holiday season than I would have been otherwise. I dunno how much I care about Halloween Sylas and Dragonyule Nevin, but they might end up being strong enough that i’d want them anyway, and I’ll probably at least want the new zodiac units for my collection. We also might get Gala Nedrick in the next few months, not to mention the heavily implied Gala Archangels, so there’s that to prepare for as well.

Also, today we found out that we’re gonna get a wind focus banner between now and Halloween, along with a new type of platinum showcase that specifically gives you adventurers you don’t have yet, so that’s cool. Element focus banners are kinda meh, but at least it’s something that I won’t be tempted to spend resources on, and there’s still like five different wind 5-stars I don’t have yet that I’d like to get from it.

The platinum showcase is a lot more interesting, though. I hope we’re still going to also get a paid dream summon soon, but this is at least a way better deal than regular platinum showcases. I’ll probably end up going for this since I have enough diamantium to do it twice. I think I have like 28 non-limited 5-stars that I’m missing, so I’d have a relatively low chance of getting any specific ones, but there’s a fair few that I’d be happy to get.

Realistically I should wait until the last moment to do it in case I get any new 5-stars from the wind focus banner, but I’m going on a trip for a few days to get dental work around when this ends, so I might at least do it before that happens just to make sure I don’t miss out. But I might just end up doing it immediately tomorrow because I’m impatient, lol.

On a related note, I’m going to save my free dream summon from this event until all the free summons are over, but for now I’m planning to get Summer Verica from it. I’m not entirely sure who I’d get instead if I manage to get her from my free summons or the platinum showcase, though. Probably either Pinon or Nevin.

I guess there’s also the scratcher 5-star summon that I’ll get eventually, but that’ll probably just be a random dupe, lol.

[missksj]

choose your hero!nct127

ﾐ☆ genre: punch inspired!au, video game au!, superhero au!

ﾐ☆ word count: 7k

ﾐ☆ warnings: mentions of greatest fears and nightmares, fighting, death, light smut but nothing too vivid, and sm ceo and dispatch make an appearance ew i know

ﾐ☆ author’s note: ah my first nct 127 headcanon and second creation on this site! yes i know it’s been a long time coming since punch dropped but ever since i saw the music video, this idea popped into my head. i heard of other nctzens talking about this aesthetic when mentioning the mv, but hopefully you like my take on it! please enjoy and look forward to more writing from me in the future! thank you so much! ps this is not proof read yikes sorry

Velvet clouds of psychedelic purple with the scattered rays of sunset hues made an unnatural background for the logo’s electric lettering with lightning strokes cracking the static screen in your stuffy apartment. Outside was a different matter. A thunderstorm jolted the placid crimson sky to a violet that only nature could create, although the graphic designers of PUNCH: NCT 127 came close. It was rather befitting for the stark opposition of the hurricane raging outside to the retro sparking aesthetic that you’ve witnessed for the ninth time, and it was the most pivotal. It was as if the thunder was the applause, the lightning rallying behind you, the pelting of the raindrops reverberating the hammering of your heart. Almost victorious in a way, the non-player hero that lurked in the background of the other eight paths taken would finally be the alternate hero to your player. He was a prize in the reverie that you constructed solely from his brief bio to the artificial mannerisms and quotes that he generated in the story lines which enabled you to project your fantasy on mundane men. The comparison was cruel, fictional characters were even crueler. Nimble fingers and darting eyes fell into a comfortable routine, familiar with the introduction story, it was a race between the controller’s buttons and the spiteful lightning that would sever the power.

[FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY]

[PROPERTY OF THE NCT 127 DIVISION UNDER THE SM AGENCY]

PRIORITY IDENTIFICATION 

[NAME]...F/N L/N

[ID #]...07201607

[STATUS]...Active

[CLASS]...Agent

[ALIAS]...Punch

[TEAM AFFILIATION]...N/A

Welcome to the NCT 127 Division, Agent L/N. I am Lee Soo-Man, the Director of the SM Agency and your guide for your latest mission: THE FINAL ROUND. On behalf of the whole SM community, we apologize for the abrupt summoning, but your presence and skills are crucial if we are going to defeat the DISPATCH terrorist. For too long, the person that cowers behind the mask that claims itself DISPATCH has tormented South Korea for too long, and only you can stop them. It cannot be done alone though, if you so choose to take on this responsibility, I will assign one of the nine superheroes of your picking to share this task. Do you accept it?

CLICK [YES] TO CONTINUE

CLICK [NO] TO RESTART

I am pleased that you have accepted the assignment. For the duration of the mission, the NEO ZONE will be the location of the base for you and your partner. Intel, equipment, and training will be at both of your disposals. Now that you have been briefed on all inner workings of the mission and the NEO ZONE, there is one last obstacle until you defeat the enemy. The selection of your partner is based on compatibility and trust, I implore you to consider wisely until you make a final decision. The designated superhero of your liking will be under one of two teams, FUTURE OR DREAMER. Both equally beneficial, but the bonds of loyalty run deep between the members, you have to determine which one of their morals you value more. Heed my warning though, with the right set of skills and talent,  you and your partner will be unstoppable but tread lightly your connection with him. After all, you are his only weakness. Which team and hero will you choose?

CLICK [TEAM FUTURE]

CLICK [TEAM DREAMER] 

You now have the option to choose your hero.

Before your perplexed mind could comprehend the change of dialogue, a streak of lightning had pierced the stillness of the undisturbed bedroom and released the tempest that was once contained to reality. With the abundance of consuming darkness, shards of glass pricking your paling skin, and tree branches pounding for entry--your white knuckles and twitching eyes fathomed the only connection you had with actuality; a plastic controller and the flickering avatar of your destined hero you chose only seconds before. Your heart had been thumping, not from the anticipation of a new adventure, no, it was pure fear that jolted your numbed muscles to sprint to sanctuary. The thunderstorm mocked your failed attempt at fleeing as another surge of electricity enveloped the room in white and sparks rippled at your ankles as you ran away but the tethering currents from the screen wrenched you back.

SOUL TRANSFUSION NOW COMPLETE_

Team Future

Taeil

Power: Pyrokinesis

A very vocal opponent when he’s on the battlefield, you might be on the other side of the area but you can always figure out where he is located by listening to his strange grunt/growl combos, enemies usually have to process the inhuman sound that came out of a small man but you just roll your eyes and toothy grin grows as you run to him for back up

Says “let’s get it!” any chance he gets, always attempts to make it your team chant before going on a mission but everyone votes no, even you

Loves to wear long sleeves as a staple piece of clothing despite his already burning temperature, he claims it eases him as if it were security blanket, and he enjoys when you tell him he looks adorable with his sleeved paws

During winter though, he always has to stock up on sweaters because you are always stealing them, whether it’s the feeling of his residual heat ghosting over your skin or look of complete adoration glazing over his eyes as he devours that look of yours, it’s a great excuse to wear one

If you had to assign ‘roles’ in the relationship, you would so be a top, he’s the most chill boy out there as you throw tantrums or squeal out of pure joy when you are finally promoted, it’s either purring hums out of his mouth or a silly smile as he gazes at you 

Physical affection is minimal between you two unless you initiate it, but it’s mostly wrapping his arm around you, it’s in no way conveying that he doesn’t love you, but rather love to him is experiencing moments with you, making memories while watching a funny movie or dancing horribly to a playlist he created

An exception is when you end up falling asleep on the couch as you two watch a movie, he secretly loves to carry you back to bed as he tucks you in and truly soaks in what you mean to him

His hair gradually transitioned to its current red as his powers grew throughout the years and he would always dye it but his genes overpowered any artificial color, not until you said you liked his hair like that, he decided to keep it

King of making you smile especially when you are down, he can’t stand seeing you sad so he insists on becoming a goofball until your sides hurt from laughing so hard

Takes training way too seriously, you always start off competing but by like the 100th crunch you are wiped but he’s still going 

Becomes sulky when his Disney Hades costume doesn’t come out as planned because his fire is red and not blue, but it was the best decision ever when you suggested Ghost Rider for the Halloween party, Taeil never looked better with just a leather jacket covering his bare skin

You finally convinced the clothing department to give you a fireproof uniform because Taeil has really bad aim, and your clothes are rags after a mission

Figured out you had a crush on Zuko when you were younger, so he would rewatch it with you and definitely cosplay Zuko, perhaps even role play with it if it’s something you were into

Having sex with Taeil was searing pain shooting through your thighs, tender love handles, heaving chests and lactic acid seeping through your muscles as he cheered you onto the last lap--it was a workout in itself with a sweltering room that reflected his aroused emotions

Both of you are constantly battling, whether it’s a rap battle or a cooking battle, Taeil is in love with the passionate side of you

Breakfast in bed is a tradition held during the weekends, he says he loves to spoil you but he just loves tasting his own food while you give him compliments on how delicious it is

Taeil is usually saved as a last resort for dangerous group missions, you’ve heard stories of his past battles as if he were legend already, but you’ve only witnessed his true power once by scorching down the enemy in one go, flames clawing his body as the inner glow within him exploded like he was a supernova--someone had to drag you out before the building collapsed on itself from the stifling heat and the roaring fire

You pinch his bouncy cheeks as often as possible just to see him roll his eyes while he fights off the widening smirk that makes his doe eyes curve into crescents, but it’s the blooming crimson of his cheeks that you indulge in, lightly sizzling your fingertips until you can’t take the pain any longer and yelp slips out, but Taeil swiftly swoops in and kisses your fingertips in an apology, it was a good pain though

It’s a normal night for both of you, 2 AM and your blabbering about everything and nothing, and Taeil always ends up the saying the same line to you as he coaxes you to sleep because he knows how grumpy you become in the morning, “I’m grateful we’re together, who would make you a fire if you were stranded on a deserted island? You definitely can’t, so, hmm, I guess it has to be me”

Johnny

Power: Lycanthropy

You’d suspect him to be bear when he morphed with his build and height, but he’s a hulking chestnut brown wolf with gentle eyes

Basically a puppy on steroids always expects a treat and good belly rub after eviscerating all his targets

Has the ability to shift at will, so during winter nights you can find him nestled around you for added warmth

During the colder months, he usually wears knitted sweaters and oversized coats in his human form because it reminds him of his fur, and he claims he likes to keep you warm while he holds you in any form

Creates video tutorials of both of you sparring with each other, lots of constructive criticism and compliments on your ‘form’

Begs you to ride him into a mission just for the sake of it, he can so see you as a badass warrior on their monstrous steed

Johnny’s favorite time of day is during the end when you wind down with him and you tell him every detail of your day despite you two being joined at the hip as partners

Always asks questions out of plain curiosity and simply in love with the sound of your voice, it’s the equivalent of you petting his sweet spot on the back of his ear

Without a doubt, he howls in bed while having sex, he’s always teetering the edge of shifting and even though you repeatedly tell him it’s fine to let go, the splintered wood of the headboard and floating feathers of a slashed pillow is evidence of how much concentration he puts in to keep you safe

Manicures and pedicures on a regular basis in the Suh household got to keep those claws clean

Adamant about not getting a pet dog with you, his excuse is he would get too jealous of another canine but his stance is weakening with your improved puppy dog eyes

Multiple jokes about ‘starting a pack’ with you

While in his wolf form, he can understand human language but he doesn’t have the ability to communicate, so both of you rely on subtle gestures

Naturally has a small smile, always nudges you with his snout, and whenever you make a joke to him, he bears his canines that are frightening to most but to you it’s comforting

Johnny’s greatest fear is if you two are ever in an argument and his anger blinds him to the point of him unconsciously shifting and accidentally harming you

Even clumsier in his wolf form, he doesn’t realize actually how massive he is which makes him a hazard to normal-sized beings

Gets most of his stances and moves from the wolves from the twilight series, he won’t admit but he’s certainly inspired by them

Sexual appetite is at a peak when the full moon comes out, growl central!!

The most treasured item you two have is a portrait of wolf-Johnny on his hind legs, attacking your face with slobbering kisses and you grinning brightly because nothing can compare to the bliss of that snapshot

Taeyong

Power: Superhuman Speed

After every assignment, Taeyong’s personal mission is to dote on you, this usually happens by using a covering or his own jacket and slinging it over your shoulders, if there is grime or blood on it, he lets out soft ‘sorry’ even though you always tell him not to

He knows it’s his job, he understands the need, but that doesn’t mean he is comfortable with the bloody side of it, and so he loves talking to you after incidents, your voice is soothing and it helps him process all the trauma, he says it’s for your sake but you know in these moments you are his crutch and you gladly accept the job

Naturally, a faster walker than you so he always manages to be a few feet ahead of you, but when he sees you fall behind, he holds your hand and  tugs lightly while matching your pace

After enhancing his speed,  he always has flushed cheeks and a glossy sheen across his forehead, so you make it a habit to kiss his forehead, cheeks, and lips to cool him down

It doesn’t work, his heart his pulsating harder than ever and does that exasperated airy laugh as an attempt to stabilize his heightened emotions while walking away so you don’t witness his even redder face

You give him piggyback rides after missions, his energy is basically depleted by then, so a jacket for a piggyback ride seems like a fair deal even though he fights you the whole way but you know he adores being cared for

You were the one to convince him to dye his hair pink in an effort to have an easier time spotting him during assignments and now he’s pink blur racing off to defeat villains

When he lightly peppers kisses on your face, the smacks get louder until he finally lands on your lips and it’s the most exaggerated sloppy sound he can make while he squeezes your cheeks

Weekdays for him are for cooking dinner, and you occasionally join to help him but mostly it’s him feeding you bits asking if everything is seasoned well and by the end, he is cursing because half the dinner is already gone

Type of boyfriend to remember you mentioning something you like and a few days later, he buys it for you or he randomly buys you things that remind him of you and leaves it for you as a surprise

Always doodling on you or leaving you notes with drawings so he can remind you that he loves you or to hydrate

After stressful missions, he just plops on top of you, his nose inhaling your scent as he forces his heart to match your rhythm, it lasts for about twenty minutes or until he can finally recharge

Taeyong’s gym locker in the NeoZone is plastered with couple photos of you two and photos of you modeling or candid while he directed you with his camera

The only way you can convince him to give you ten more pushups or five more pullups is if you bribe him with kisses and it always works

Very sacrificial, it’s one of his main flaws, he’ll get super flustered and annoyed when he sees you in the line of fire, so he’ll ultimately take all the heat and scold you after to put yourself first

His face usually has a cold blank stare to it as he observes his surroundings but once you collide into him and coil your arm around his, he grows this massive grin that only you can create

Never takes advantage of his speed with you, his surroundings are always in a constant race and he’s always anticipating the next move, but with you, your a serene presence washing over him; calming him, grounding him to capture every moment of you so it isn’t a blur but a vivid mural

Definitely tender and sensual in bed, once tried to spice things up by using his speed but he almost broke you, so now he only changes his pace if you request it

With your head on his chest every night, the last thing you hear before you fall asleep is the rapid thumping of his heart; it’s the only lullaby you’ll ever need

Yuta

Power: Supernatural Swordsmanship

Cut his hair with his kodachi and you most definitely needed to clean up the edges

Villains dread combating with Yuta, not just because he’s insane with a sword but he only talks about you and your relationship while fighting as if the opponent will answer his question of whether he should give you a cookie or ice cream cake for your birthday or even both 

Rather than making you feel better when you feel down, he would be your soundboard, a shoulder to cry one, a great pair of ears; patience and multiple ‘mhms’ as you unravel your worries while his fingers swirl on your thigh and he kisses your temple

You two could be on opposite sides of the room but his eyes would always gravitate to you and he would wait until you notice so he could meet your gaze and he would do the dorkiest faces, especially his famous lion rawr aegyo, it makes you realize how good of a father he would be

Goes wild when he sees your body tremble beneath him as the cold metal of the kodachi glides along your skin

The only thing rivaling his love for you is his love for his katana, it’s bond that can never be severed and  it’s a trust that only develops between soulmates, you could never understand but you accept and allow it to be the third partner in the relationship

It shouldn’t be possible for Yuta to look like a prince walking out of an otome game right after a battle, but there he is, glistening skin with swept hair and twinkling eyes as he sheathes his katana across his back as if he’s going to ride his horse in the Sengoku period

It’s usual occurrence to catch him absentmindedly talking to his katana, you wouldn’t be surprised if it could talk back, he can summon it by hand already, that sword and he shares one brain cell but he usually uses it as a mirror

You’re a killer couple, not only with looks and fashion but it’s quite a sight to experience as you shoot a bullet to his katana so it can ricochet at a target eighty feet away

Manages a rigorous training session before you wake up and when he’s done, he ends up collapsing on top with his sticky body as you screech at him to get off

The training facility in the NeoZone is rarely used because Yuta is a big believer in fresh air and beautiful scenery will motivate you more, so your sparring on the edge of cliffs and sprinting along the seaside

Alternates between reading books with you outside in your backyard with a makeshift picnic or both of you cuddled in bed with the open windows and the only source of light is the sun

If you have missions abroad, he convinces the agency to always give both of you one day free so you can act like tourists, nobody can say no to his dashing good looks and he knows it

One year for Christmas, you got him custom made tiny katana earrings and it’s literally the one pair he uses now, at least on his lobe

Yuta isn’t the overbearing type when it comes to jealousy, he shouldn’t have a say in what gender your friends are but when he sees a certain person obviously flirting with you it just takes slight glint of his katana to blind the intruder and they are already scurrying off 

Gets a kick out of playing real-life fruit ninja

Decided to shave a slit in his eyebrow with his katana one spontaneous night, he got out of the bathroom with a huge grin and asked, “does this make me look more badass?”

Your hands always end up somewhere around his stomach, gliding across the lean muscles, squeezing around his hips, twiddling his piercing, you name it, you can’t keep your hands off him

Nakamoto Yuta is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, the pang of fear thrills you as you witness his lack of mercy and fiery anger at injustice as he slaughters anyone that stands before him, but that wicked glint in his eye softens just for you and then you see the scrawling of your name engraved on the hilt of the katana, and you know you are the only one that knows the true Yuta and you feel so blessed

Doyoung

Power: Precognition 

You beg him every possible waking minute for him to allow you to do his makeup if only to contour his insanely sharp cheekbones, he finally relents but he has a scowl on his face the whole time

You’ve become quite a baker with Doyoung but he always has to guide you so his arms snake around your waist as an excuse yet he acts completely innocent when he knows it makes you distracted

Playlist for every occasion, especially when he’s having sex with you, the house ends up feeling hollow whenever he’s away without his angelic voice but to your surprise, Doyoung leaves you secret audio files lulling you in a trance

His mouth becomes a cherished part for you, especially the way the corners of his lips curl up naturally, the small smirk instantly widening when in front of food, or the blinding white teeth as he’s gritting them when approaching an orgasm or laughing at you, not with you

It takes about five minutes for Doyoung to arrange his plushies in the right position so you both don’t ruin them as you cuddle

One arm draped over a plush and the other wrapped around your back, or him in a fetal position with his plush embraced into his chest as you act as the big spoon

Hand holding is strictly for the bedroom with him, but he knows you admire his hands often, so he’ll have him some type of connection with you when out in public; whether it’s his pinkies wrapped around yours, curved into the loop of your pants, or his delicate veiny hand wrapping around your sleeve

End up catching him more than once, gushing over the phone with his brother about how in love he is with you and you may not lurk in the background for a few minutes until you interrupt the conversation by saying hi to Donghyun

Downtime for you two is building a puzzle, coloring some pages, playing board games and him smug with his victory, watching some documentaries or kdramas, and if you two bought some new furniture for your renovating house, he would most definitely want to do it by himself as you laugh while handing him pieces

Manages to still be shy when you both kiss, it’s you who initiates the subtle peck on his pouting lips, but soon the soft curve of his lips invites you more while your hands cup his warming cheeks--he’s a contradiction of being timid but with all the confidence as he nibbles your lips as if you were a delicacy

Training for you two equals nap time, his power allows him to rely on his mind rather than his body, so when you ultimately force yourself to exercise, Doyoung is laying on the couch, lazily cheering you on

Always giving you little compliments in your earpiece as he guides you around for a recon mission, and still holds his breath when he tells you about the unforeseen event that you need to be prepared for even though he knows you can handle it with ease

Studies multitudes of intel before a mission because he can never be too prepared, and it eases his nerves knowing that he can take every precaution in ensuring your safety

Would dedicate a photo album of himself on your phone, and even send you his recent selfies, telling you to choose one of them as an updated contact photo

You clown him 24/7 but he clowns you right back, it’s always a constant playful banter between you two, his eyebrows would furrow when you called him cute, the trembling of lips broke his facade, and when he does it to you, you essentially become his baby as he bites your cheeks but tell no one or he would deny it

From the moment you two wake up until you both arrive at headquarters, he has sullen look across his features, he would brush his lips across your temple and a hoarse good morning would escape his mouth in a notion to acknowledge you, but until he gets coffee in his system his energy hasn’t been restored yet, but your use to it as you tug him to the break room with his lidded eyes

Alone time is a must for you two, it could be both of you in the same room doing your own thing without communication or different parts of the house or mostly you would leave to run errands and Doyoung stuck in his room, but at the end of the day he crawls to you and says a small ‘hey’ as if his day just started from the moment he set eyes on you

Doyoung was always on alert, aware of incoming predictions that he had no say in but easily accepted, it’s a strain on his mental being, a reason why he needs to center himself by being alone, but then you come

Your blank, just like him, you’re unpredictable and foreign to him, but it’s not until you two kiss for the first time, that a hazy premonition reveals itself in a form of two children that share your hair but his feline eyes, it’s fragile though and uncharted, he knows that he needs to do right by you to get to the last level that seemed like paradise to him

Team Dreamer

Jaehyun

Power/Being: Android

During his exoskeleton stage, Jaehyun requested that the scientists create dimples during his living tissue transplant because he heard “they’re to die for”

Definitely thought it was a weapon utilized to kill his enemies

You make a habit to poke at his dimples until you feel the exoskeleton underneath, an oddly comforting sensation that makes you realize that Jaehyun doesn’t have a heart but his actions say otherwise 

Literally the personification of steam coming out of ears in cartoons with scalding red tips, this only happens when you’re in danger or when he sees you in what he perceives as provocative

It took five hours to draw an array of tattoos on him for a disguise on a reconnaissance mission, and a certain neck tattoo was going to make you abandon the mission and your sanity

Sadly, he had to erase them because the “the bad boy” persona was an official disguise in his hardware and couldn’t be revealed to the public

Jaehyun kept one design, however, a soft beauty mark on the apple of his left cheek, he claims it’s your signature as his owner but you like the word partner better

Programs all your training sessions and signature moves to his hard drive because he believes there is no better instructor than you  (except Bruce Lee)

The first time you helped him clean his internal munition unit, you couldn’t decipher any of the weapons so you gave them your own personal nicknames, he kept correcting you but he got tired so he now calls them “wholly fist” and “boom boom pow by the BEP”

You joke around with him that because he was created on valentine’s day, he should be credited as a sexbot but he always frowned at that comment until he figured out he could turn the tables on you by saying “I could be your sexbot”

Whenever he sees another person eyeing you in what he perceives is attraction, he activates his instant kill function with laser red eyes and declaring “target locked”

Suave and intimidating when you two first meet but truly transformed into a ‘soft boy’ after downloading your Pinterest board 

Whenever both of you are out in public, eyes ogle him and mouths gawk, but Jaehyun is oblivious to it all until he turns to someone and starts up the most wholesome conversation about something mundane and you know that person melts with ease because Jaehyun was built to reflect human nature, but he was doing better than most in your opinion

Lots of arcade dates with him, he quickly figured out the algorithm of each game just so he can overflow you with gifts and so he can show off his basketballs skills because he knows you love eyeing his arms in action

When he’s with you though, he’d rather listen and absorb every action and word that you produce, he wants to immerse himself in you because he truly believes that you are all that is good about humankind

Archives every single detail that you speak, and replays it for you when you forget something or to prove you wrong, there is no in-between

Robot sex!!!! That drilling option though...oof

The moment he realizes the blaring internal alarm warning him of his elevated temperature and the shorted circuits whenever you are near, he correlates it to what humans label  “love” so he downloads files on expressing these so-called feelings

Instead of saying “I love you”, he says “I dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin you” when he first confesses, and you assume there is a chemical imbalance within him so you rush him to the infirmary but for the first time, Jaehyun stalls and his eyes are clouded with retrieved information glowing neon green until he settles on “I love...I love...I love you” (yes, he stole it from Mr. Darcy, so sue him, he’s a fracking android)

Jaehyun sometimes doubts his ability to love you and even you sometimes question if you can love a piece of metal, but then you observe him before he joins you in bed that he triples check his instant kill function is disabled and he gushes about the new song he discovered and you are so sure that he was made for you

Jungwoo

Power: Lightning Bolt Projection

Gets easily flustered with the most pouty lip ever when you call him ‘Zeus’, it was his failed superhero name when he was trainee, but to you, he is much better than that jerk of a Greek god

Dressed up as the actual Zeus once for the office Halloween party and the year after that as a lightning bolt and you a storm cloud

Whenever Jungwoo craves attention but you’re occupied with another task, he repeatedly zaps you, not enough to harm, but until you cave in yet when you want to be annoyed with him, his owlish eyes and trembling lips easily subdue you

Your shoulder is a sacred space for him, it's the perfect fit for his head to settle in with a toothy grin and the warmest ‘mhms’ as he listens to you speak

Jungwoo was never much of a fighter, his powers were swift enough to eradicate enemies with not much mobility, but training sessions with you were more than enough of an excuse to spend time with you

Lately, your skin has been electrifying, not only the amorous glow you were emitting, but everyone you came in contact with felt a slight spark

Hair treatments are a must, the frizz is wild with Jungwoo, you really need to ask about his hair products because his hair so fluffy despite the amplitude of currents running through him

While brushing your teeth with him, he always shoots out finger hearts to you and winks through the mirror, it’s a great way to start the day

Never felt more grateful for his power until you were attacked on an assignment and your heart failed, it took four shocks to revive you with streams of tears and muttering to any God to hear his prayer

He’s most himself in the rain, umbrellas have never been on your shopping list

Definitely shoots bolts out of his finger guns and then blows on them afterward, if he’s feeling flirty, an added wink explodes your heart

Your biggest cheerleader when you are kicking ass during a mission

It’s a tradition for him to rake his fingers over your back with slight ripples of electricity while you cuddle in bed, it does wonders to relax your muscles

It’s been months of practice to improve his bolt voltage and range, but he finally managed to write ‘I love you y/n” in the sky, he couldn’t help it, he’s bursting at the seams with adoration for you

Both of you in the kitchen is a sight to see, you season but he cooks the food, his specialty is slightly charred chicken

Packs both of your lunches so you can eat together on break

Gets scared easily and as a result will discharge a lightning bolt as a defense, so pranks are off-limits between the team members

Literal sparks when you kiss, numbing and exhilarating as currents pass through your molding bodies to create goosebumps and raising hairs

When he thinks of home, his first instinct is to be cradled in your arms, watching trashy movies as a thunderstorm quakes the earth

Mark

Power: Compulsion

Mark might excel in whispering but when you turn the tables on him, with your sultry murmurs, he can’t help becoming a puddle of blushing mush

Never once used actual compulsion on you, the only exception is when you figured out the surprise birthday party he was planning for you, he redirected your attention to grocery shopping

His favorite part of you is your right ear because it’s where you naturally tuck your hair at and he just loves to twirl a strand of it in his finger while he mutters sweet nothings to you

You’re his bodyguard during missions, he can’t possibly get that close to targets while they attack if you aren’t watching his back

Even when he is supposed to be acting intimidating during an assignment, he can’t help but stutter and repeat ‘uh’ a thousand times, but he gets the job done eventually

Your literally breaking sweat, contorting your body so four targets don’t reach Mark, and he’s over there oversharing with another target

“The love of my life is about to kick your ass and you aren’t going to do a single thing about it, booby head” or “make the password ‘mark and y/n forever’ or else”

Naturally whispers in his sleep with his stinky breath in your ear, and you try to push him off but he just clings onto you like a koala 

In the morning though, the slight breakage in his voice from pitched to croaky as he says good morning to you is on repeat in your head for the whole day

Mark’s give away when he is about to use compulsion is him licking his thin lips, and almost makes you get knocked out by the enemy because your already under his spell

Does a tiny dance for any occasion, from doing the laundry, stripping naked, or when you two had your first kiss

It’s the strained grunts, the heavy breathing, and the showering of hushed compliments in your ears that makes you reach your peak in bed, Mark always sounded better when he was being pleasured

To him, your voice is the loveliest sound across the universe and your adorably awkward cackle that you so desperately try to hide as he reenacts vines to you is what happiness is to him

Ice cream dates consist of him bringing a tub of ice cream to a yogurt shop because he knows you prefer it

Coughed over his first fart with you but now he loves to fart on you as you pretend you are suffocating and gagging

Has a folder in his photos dedicated to you where it ranges from blurry to candids and in during most of them he was either hyping you up or teasing you

Greets you with a ‘yo!’ whenever he enters the room

Will always buy you any lip product associated with watermelon and you’ll always buy him baseball caps for him to wear

Despite being loud for 90% of your relationship, he is most vulnerable with when he whispers his greatest fears, future goals, and nightmares to you because your the only one he can trust

With the many decibels that Mark Lee varies in, your favorite by far has to be the ascending chortle from the low HAs to the high HEEs with clapping hands and a scrunched nose that puffs out his cheeks-- it’s pure bliss to you

Haechan

Power: Light Manipulation 

Haechan is utterly in love with your cheeks, instead of biting them or pinching them, he opts to kiss them whenever he has a chance, it’s rushing heat of your blush and the swelling of your smile that he lives for

The little spoon in bed, just so he can wrap his leg around you and nestle his head in the crook of your neck just like a koala

Literally always a brat to you, it’s the many ways he shows you affections

You asked him once to paint your nails, and now he does it every Friday ever since he discovered the ‘my hands look like this so hers can look like this’ meme even though his hands just have bitten nails

A man of action, Haechan shows you love through his movements with a heart framed by his fingers or blowing a kiss

Needs to always be physically attached to you, whether it’s hugging you from behind, leaning his head on your shoulder, or falling into you when he’s in a fit of giggles, he needs you to know that he will never let you go

Snarky remarks and cheesy jokes define your relationship with Haechan

Manages to always wake up before you on those lazy mornings with you burrowed deep into his side, and he can’t help but be memorized by your presence but soon feels selfish when he moves a ray of sunlight to your eyes so he can just peek at the explosion of colors in your eyes when you flutter them open--ah yes, this is his favorite part of the day

Loves to play video games with you into the late hours of the night, especially overwatch, but your always the first one to pass out, so he makes sure to tuck you in and dim the light of the screen so it doesn’t bother you

Most nights the both of you are wide awake so you end up playing ‘what the light?’, a game where Haechan creates 3D objects out of light and you have to guess what they are before he finishes them

Oh, and shadow puppets! He’s become quite the expert with them, he creates the most ridiculous stories with them but you join him by voicing the characters

In addition to ‘I love you’ as a goodbye, you have a secret intricate handshake with him, his excuse was that if you two ever question’s one identity if ever an enemy swapped bodies, you two would know the truth with the handshake but in reality, he just loves that extra time with you before you two part 

It’s either Haechan teasing and making fun of you or he’s doting on you, there is no in-between because after all, you are his idiot

If he’s in the mood, he’ll solidify light photons into the shape of a sword and call it ‘sunflower’, he just loves to tell the tale that he took out fifteen assassins with a sunflower, but usually, he blinds them or burns them

Goes the extra mile for you to create a spotlight on you when you are giving a mission brief at headquarters, that’s the love of his life right there and he’ll make damn sure everyone notices them

Recreates Edward’s sparkling in the sun scene just so he can see you beam with laughter 

Master of mood lighting during sex, and don’t even mention when he hits his climax, bulbs flickers and lamps explode

It might be a trick of the light, but Haechan’s eyes are vividly bright and he’s drowned in golden hues of sunlight, it makes you wonder if he was plucked from the star itself

Yet, as your lips quiver and your glassy eyes blink the last remnants of tears in Haechan’s cupped hands, there is an inner glow from them as you bask in their warmth, he can’t help but proclaim that you are the sun of his world, you are the light of his life even when it feels like his is diminishing

[chiaki-translation]

ACTOR’S CIRCUIT: Event Translation Ch5-7

Continuation for ACTOR’S CIRCUIT, it’s finally the time for the race~

They’re still ambassador of safe driving though...

Btw, I don’t work on weekend so expect the next update to be next week~

ACTOR’S CIRCUIT Ch1-4 / / Ch 5-7 / / Ch8-10 / / Epilogue

Disclaimer:

A3! is owned by Liber Entertainment

Azuma:

It’s finally the day for Veludo Race.

Misumi:

I’ve changed into the uniform, the preparation is complete!

Taichi:

Eveyone’s uniform looks so cool! As expected of Yuki-chan!

This is going to be so lit!

Kazunari:

The circuit lane is so big too!?

The vibe’s so great!

Tsuzuru:

I’m a bit nervous…

They’re going to broadcast this in the television right.

Tasuku:

Yeah, I was told that they’re going to record it.

Director:

Everyone has practiced well, it’s going to be fine.

Tsuzuru:

Hmm? The people over there are…

Taichi:

Woah, they’re conspicuously pitch black!?

Azuma:

It’s a familiar face.

Director:

It’s the Scarecrow theatre group… I think.

Tsuzuru:

I don’t want to be involved with those people anymore…

Let’s just get away from here…

Aaron:

You guys… MANKAI company right?

Tsuzuru:

Uh, they found us.

Azuma:

It’s been a while.

Aaron:

Kukuku… It’s such a fate to meet here.

Today, we will send you to the underworld with our pitch-black wing.

Prepare yourself.

Tasuku:

…Their sense of evil is strong.

Tsuzuru:

They really don’t change…

Taichi:

We won’t lose too!

Kazunari:

Yes! We’ll show you a brilliant run!

Misumi:

Yeah, we won’t lose~!

Aaron:

You’ll regret those words later.

I’m looking forward to it.

Taichi:

…He’s gone.

Director:

Eh… anyway!

Everyone should concentrate in their own race and do your best.

The first priority is safety alright.

It’s going to be dangerous if you got distracted by the people around you.

Kazunari:

Alright!

Taichi:

Even for the same troupe, we will all become rival during the actual race, let’s all do our best!

Azuma:

Sakyo-kun said that it will be great if someone win and acquire the prize money on top of advertising the troupe.

Tsuzuru:

Well, isn’t that the hardest thing to do…

Announcer:

To the theatre groups participating in the race, we will be giving out the map with the designated checkpoints, please gather around.

Tasuku:

Then, I guess we should go soon.

Director:

I’ll be watching from the audience’s seat.

I’ll cheer for everyone!

Taichi:

Director-sensei, I’m going first!

Misumi:

I’m going first!

<Shifts to Taichi/Azuma’s Car>

Taichi:

Azuma-san, pleased to work with you today!

Azuma:

Me too, pleased to work with you.

Taichi:

When we received the map earlier, they said that the checkpoints differ between each pair.

I have to be careful not to just follow the car in front…

Azuma:

For that, I’ll be doing the navigation so don’t worry.

Calm down and let’s do this.

Taichi:

Hehe, so reliable!

Announcer:

With that, finally, Veludo Race Start!

Azuma:

I already know where the checkpoint is, let’s go.

Taichi:

As expected of Azuma-san! Alright, we’re leaving!

<Shifts to Checkpoint>

Spectator A:

Oh, the first one has arrived!

Spectator B:

Good luck on the task!

Azuma:

This is the first checkpoint.

Taichi:

There’s something lined up on top of the table?

Ah, mini cars!

Azuma:

The task is written on the paper beside the mini car, it said to choose one.

Doggy-kun, go ahead and choose one.

Taichi:

Alright…!

Audience C:

Another one has arrived!

Audience D:

Oh, it’s the Scarecrow team!

Aaron:

Kuku… MANKAI company, we meet again.

<End of Chapter 5>

Kazunari:

Tax, you look so cool!

*shutter *shutter

Tasuku:

Oi, you can stop taking pictures already.

What happened to the navigation.

Kazunari:

Hehe, sorry!

Ah, but the checkpoint is over there!

Tasuku:

You checked with the map right.

Then let’s make the stop.

Kazunari:

Eh? The one over there is…

<Shifts to Checkpoint>

Kazunari:

Oi! The two of you has checkpoint here too?

Taichi:

Ah, Kazu-kun, Tasuku-san!

Aaron:

Fuh, we’ll make our way first.

Go ahead and struggle behind.

Tasuku:

They’re the Scarecrow right.

Azuma:

They came slightly later than us, but they got a simple task so they went ahead.

Kazunari:

Ah, so what was the Scarecrow’s task?

Taichi:

It’s a tongue twister.

Tasuku:

I see.

Then, what about yours?

Taichi:

Our task is to do an “Etude”, that’s what’s written!

Tasuku:

It’s a task unique for a theatre company huh.

Azuma:

Kazu and Tasuku too, don’t you think it’s good to choose your task first?

Kazunari:

Ah, you’re right!

He! They wrote the task on the mini car!

So cutez!

Alright, then~… This one!

Tasuku:

So what’s the task?

Kazunari:

“There’s no task, go to the next checkpoint”… eh!?

It seems that we can just continue!

Taichi:

Eh!? There’s that kind of thing too!?

Moderator:

Takato and Miyoshi pair, task cleared!

Points have been awarded!

Kazunari:

Oh! So lucky!

But we won’t know how many points we earned?

Tasuku:

If the points depend on the task, this is going to be a matter of luck too…

Kazunari:

Ah, right! Let’s go see Azu and Taicchan’s etude!

Taichi:

Eh, but it’s a chance to get closer to victory, is it alright?

Tasuku:

It’s true, but it’s rare to see Nanao and Azuma-san perform together, I actually also want to watch it.

Azuma:

Then, we should do it immediately, Doggy-kun, so the two of you can continue quickly too.

Taichi:

Right!

<Short Time Skip>

Taichi:

Haa… I really don’t know how to let go… My dream of racing again…

Even thought I’m a pro racer, I continued to lose, I couldn’t match up with my comrades, I couldn’t show my face to the team either…

Running away is, there’s no other way, even though it’s about myself…

Azuma:

Excuse me.

Taichi:

Hmm?

Azuma:

I heard you provide a luggage transporting service.

Taichi:

Ah, the shop looks like nothing right now.

But I guess there’s nothing to do from the beginning.

Azuma:

I see.

Then, I want you to transport this box.

Taichi:

It’s a really small luggage.

What’s the content?

Azuma:

I can’t answer that.

Taichi:

You can’t answer?

Carrying a mysterious item is a bit…

Azuma:

Please, I’ll give you a suitable compensation.

Taichi:

I have no choice…

I understand, I’ll do it.

Azuma:

Ah, but… I’m scared you’ll end up looking at the content, why don’t we do it together.

Taichi:

Hah? Then why don’t you just do it yourself from the beginning.

Azuma:

Well well, isn’t it fine.

Then, I’ll leave it to you.

Taichi:

Understand.

Then I’ll take the luggage—oh!

Damn, I dropped the box…!

Hmm? The content of this box is… a car key?

Azuma:

Ah, I got found out.

What should I do with you now…

Taichi:

So, sorry! I didn’t do it on purpose!

At, at least spare my life…!

Azuma:

Haha, I’m just joking.

This is yours.

Taichi:

Ha?

Azuma:

Have you forgotten the face of your former teammate?

I’ve arranged for a new car, so you can come back once again as a racer.

Taichi:

…! You…

I see, you changed your hairstyle so I didn’t realize.

As a racer, huh…

Is it fine for me to return…?

Azuma:

Returning and all, the one who disappeared without saying anything was you right.

I believe in you.

Once again, let’s aim for victory together.

Taichi

…!

Thank you…

There are people who believe in me…

Let me race again with everyone this time.

Moderator:

Nanao and Yukishiro pair, task cleared!

Points have been awarded!

Spectator A:

That was great!

Spectator B:

The exchange and facial expression really hits you!

Kazunari:

The two of you are the best!

It was super great!

Tasuku:

Yeah, it was interesting.

Taichi:

Thank you!

Azuma:

Fufu, I’m happy if you say so.

Kazunari:

With this, Taicchan has finished your task too right!

Tasuku:

Should we head to the next checkpoint then.

Taichi:

Yes!

<End of Chapter 6>

Tsuzuru:

Ikaruga-san, it will be a bit more before we reach the checkpoint… Eh, what?

Misumi:

Kazu and the others are there~!

Tsuzuru:

But we were told earlier that the checkpoints are different between pairs.

Our checkpoint will be on the left…

Misumi:

Ah! I discovered a triangle~!

Tsuzuru:

Wai, Ikaruga-san! That’s not the way!

Misumi:

The triangle comes first~!

Tsuzuru:

Eh!?

<Shifts to Checkpoint>

Tsuzuru:

Haa, we managed to reach the checkpoint somehow…

Taichi:

Ah! We have the same checkpoint as Misumi-san and Tsuzuru-kun this time!

Tsuzuru:

This time, you mean, you have finished another checkpoint.

This is the first checkpoint that we reached you know…

Azuma:

Really?

Tsuzuru:

Ikaruga-san was distracted by triangles so we ended up making a detour…

Misumi:

Tsuzuru, I’m sorry~

Tsuzuru:

Nah, it’s good that we can arrive safely in this place.

Taichi:

Then, we’ll be going first!

Tsuzuru:

Eh, you have already cleared the task?

Azuma:

Thanks to Doggy-kun who choose the lucky card with no task.

Taichi:

I was a bit jealous because Kazu-kun managed to choose the lucky card earlier, I’m very happy that I managed to get one too this time!

Tsuzuru:

Seriously. I’m jealous too…

Taichi:

Then, we’re off!

Tsuzuru-kun and Misumi-san too, do your best!

Azuma:

See you.

Misumi:

Then, let me pick that lucky card too!

Tsuzuru:

I’ll leave it to you.

Misumi:

Eh hmm~ This one!

Ah, it’s not the one with no task~

“Choose an item from the top of the table and use them to create a dialogue!”

… That’s what’s written there.

Tsuzuru:

The top of the table…

Misumi:

There’re a lot of items to choose~

Tsuzuru:

Basically, use this to make a monoboke huh…?

Uhh… the bitter memories are coming back to me…

Misumi:

It’s alright if we do it together!

I’m sure it will be fun~

There’s a triangle too! Which one should I use!

Tsuzuru:

Well, Ikaruga-san will do it too so I have no choice…

I have to do it.

…Alright, let’s go!

<Short Time Skip>

Misumi:

Look look~, I found a triangle~

Eh, but there’s no sound…

Tsuzuru:

No, that’s not a triangle, it’s a road sign!

Misumi:

Ah, I know!

If you do this, you can play a guitar!

Tsuzuru:

You don’t even have a guitar pick!

Anyway, isn’t it too big for a guitar!

Spectator A:

Ahahaha!

Tsuzuru:

On the circuit course, there’s a carrot tumbling along the lane.

Misumi:

Tsuzuru~!

That’s not a carrot, that’s a triangular cone!

Tsuzuru:

Cone!? You mean, corn…?

Misumi:

That’s not what I mean!

Spectator B:

Ahahaha!

Spectator C:

That’s nice~ A triangular combo~!

Moderator:

Ikaruga and Minagi pair, task cleared!

Points have been awarded!

Misumi:

We did it~, The task is cleared!

Tsuzuru, let’s go to the next checkpoint!

Tsuzuru:

Haa, I was really embarrassed…

But, I’m glad we’re able to clear it safely.

<End of Chapter 7>

[trashfor-imagines]

If There’s Light There’s Hope | 7

Bakugou x Fem!Reader (BNHA)

Summary: U.A. High School was your dream. You wanted to save people. You never expected how wild your journey would be and you certainly never expected a hot headed boy to play as large of a role as he would. Warnings: Swearing. [1] | [2] | [3] | [4] | [5] | [6] | [7]

-

Since the newscast of Endeavor defeating that Nomu, everyone was visibly studying and training harder to become heroes. Bakugou’s kidnapping was secretly your motivation for working harder than before. You could never tell anyone. It’d be a giant blow to your boyfriend’s pride and make him feel de-mascluinized. You knew it was a huge weight on him and no one had really helped him work through his feelings. Every day you did your best, but there was only so much you could do on your own.

Luckily, you understood pride. In fact, you hadn’t forgotten about the rematch you wanted against him. You were just waiting for Aizawa to conduct a sparring lesson. Both you and Bakugou had approached your teacher asking if you could fight each other, but your requests were consistently rejected. And despite Bakugou insisting that you should just break the rules if you really wanted a rematch so bad, you weren’t having any of that and you let him know quickly what was up. If you two were going to fight, you weren’t getting placed under dorm arrest for it and missing classes because of him.

It was a Friday when Aizawa announced that after lunch the class would be performing 1-on-1 battles. You could barely contain your excitement, practically buzzing from your seat with energy. Unfortunately, you were dejected as Aizawa explained that battles would be chosen at random and then follow tournament style where winners faced each other. A fight between you and Bakugou just couldn’t be easy, could it.

For the first round, the bottom 12 in the class fought and the six winners would move on to fight the top half of the class and thankfully that didn’t include you thanks to Bakugou’s tutoring. For your first round you had to deal with Mineta, who only made it because he had a BYE round from the luck of the draw. That little perv managed to stick one of his balls to your elbow and you got stuck to the ground while trying to slide away like a baseball player from his grabby hands, but you managed to palm his face and blast him, knocking him out and sending him flying into Iida’s arms. In the second round, you faced off against  Tokoyami who’s a total badass in your opinion. Dark Shadow was a nightmare. It was only because of your new super move and equipment updates that allowed you to store enough energy to win, but dousing Dark Shadow in bright blasts until he was too weak and catching Tokoyami off guard with a physical attack combo when he was blinded by light was the right strategy.

“Ready to do this?” you chirped, sending Bakugou a flirty wink before settling into a fighting stance.

“Hell yeah.” He wore a confident sneer.

“Remember, don’t hold back.”

“You don’t have to remind me.”

Aizawa sighed and crossed his arms, “Go ahead and begin.”

Bakugou let out a blast with his hands, rocketing himself at your figure. With quick thinking, you barely missed him with a rolling dodge, feeling the heat from his quirk lick at your skin. As he shifted to make another run at you while you were still on the ground, your hands extended toward him, firing off a powerful two handed blast that sent you both flying backwards in opposite directions.

He was faster to recover, so you turned and ran to create some distance. Noticing he was closing in, you pulled off a round-off at the last moment, serving him with two kicks to the chin before blasting him again when your feet touched the ground again. The two of you were relentless sending kicks and punches, bolstered by your quirks. Your match was a demolition man’s dream.

Unlike your other matches, there wasn’t time for shit talking. Instead it was filled with grunts and screams. The two of you were too busy keeping up with one another’s movements. You knew that if you started talking, you’d slip up and you figured he thought the same. He was never one to be quiet in a fight. It felt good to know he was taking this as seriously as you.

You thought you could gain the upper hand until both of your hands locked with his own. You could feel the heat from his smoking gloves. Quickly, you attempted to send a blast to counter him, knowing that you couldn’t pull your hands from his locked grasp, but his quirk’s functionality was quicker than your own and your blast wasn’t large enough, so you were sent flying across the training field, your arms blackened by soot and possibly singed skin, but you couldn’t think on it or your stomach would turn. Luckily your hands and arms still worked, confirming with a few small sparks you released, before you ran head on to serve your boyfriend tenfold for that move. Timing it, you sent a flying kick in his direction, using your quirk to propel your velocity and up the impact damage. It slightly pained you to see his expression as specks of blood few from his mouth, but you couldn’t stop; not when he wouldn’t either.

During that split second as you observed the blood leave his lips, you felt his hands lock around your ankles and a vicious smile instantly lit up his face. With a twist of his body, he spun around twice before releasing you, sending you flying high upwards above him and the rest of class. As you felt your body fly, you evaluated your current position and calculated your next plan of attack, absorbing as much light as you could in the process. It was bad, you still hadn't managed to fully overcome your quirk’s side effect so you needed to end this quickly. With a twist of your body, you free fell head first toward your boyfriend, hands glowing and ready as you counted down in your head.

With a battle cry, you pointed your hands at him and released your super move: Celebration. A flurry of lights continuously reigned down upon him, whistles and whirring sounds screeched and rocketed through everyone’s ears. You couldn’t see him anymore, but you knew you were hitting him. It wasn’t until the last moment when a hand emerged from your lights and the smoke that you realized  that hand’t been enough.

His hand blindly made contact with your face and he lit you up, blasting you parallel across the ground. You had barely opened your eyes when he ran up on you, swinging his fist. His knuckles skimmed your cheek, thanks to your quick thought of turning your face aside. A tree stopped your forward trajectory; a blessing and a curse. You didn’t have time to think, pulling yourself away and running back toward your classmates. You could see them talking about your fight, but you couldn’t understand what they were saying. All you knew was that you were extremely irritable and-

Were those your parents with Aizawa? Shaking your head, you blinked rapidly, the images of your parents fading away. This wasn’t good at all.

A rough yell from above you broke your wandering thoughts and you tucked into yourself rolling onto your back and raising your hands to blast him in the chest. You managed a shaky kick up and gathered as much energy into your hands as possible, running at Bakugou as fast as possible. He dodged your first punch and you managed to miss his as well. Your second punch landed and you used your quirk to blast him in the gut, but he suffered through it and locked your wrist in a viselike grip. Before he could punch you, you threw your free fist first at his face, but he caught it with his free hand and took your second blast.

It was this moment, with your faces so close, that you realized the gap between the two of you. You definitely did a number on him, but despite how much his arms must have ached, you were in the midst of a heat stroke and wouldn’t last much longer.

“Don’t be a jerk and hold back.” Your lips moved before your mind even comprehended what you were saying.

“Suit yourself,” he growled out. A head butt with two large blasts to your torso finally took you out. You could hear your classmate’s cries of disbelief as you lie on the ground motionless with your eyes closed. “Hey get up or they’ll think I killed you.”

Opening one eye, you guessed your expression must have really been something considering the way your boyfriend looked down at you. You were absolutely spent. You needed to get water in your system and cool down your body safely, ASAP, and you were pretty sure you were bleeding in a few places. Exhausted, you asked him to help you onto your feet. You wanted to throw up from your change in perspective, bracing against his strong shoulders and taking deep breaths as he walked you over to your classmates. Aizawa checked you over.

“Bakugou! She’s your girlfriend!”

“How could you be so brutal? You should have held back some.”

“Not cool!”

“Fighting like a villain again.”

You gently squeezed Bakugou’s hand, feeling some heavy emotions radiating from him. He pulled his hand from you, growling and turning away, getting ready for the final match against Todoroki. “She’s my girlfriend, not a weakling.”

Now that made you smile. It didn’t feel so bad to lose; you trusted he wasn’t holding back. Your eyes were gentle and seemed to sparkle as you caught him side-eying you. You smiled at your classmates. “If I thought Bakugou held back at all, I’d definitely break up with him.”

“Well congratulations, he didn’t. Your prize is a visit to Recovery Girl,” your tired eyed teacher spoke, motioning to Iida. As class rep and the fastest, he was told to take you to Recovery Girl’s office for treatment. She was shocked to see your blotchy red skin and beaten so badly - you had never had to visit her before outside of regular physicals the school had students do.

Iida got out of there as quickly as possible. The jerk could have stayed in solidarity. You had to sit through her tirade on being safe since you were just a student, knowing your limits, and getting help when you know you needed it. Her rant was so incessant you wondered if getting healed by her quirk was worth losing your hearing and mind over. In the end you were instructed to finish a gallon of water to rehydrate and rest for a few more hours until you recovered from your exhaustion.

For a few hours, you’d been sleeping soundly when you turned over, blinking awake. You froze momentarily before relaxing, realizing the head of blond hair belonged to your favorite King Explosion Murder. Sighing softly, you reached out and ran your fingers through his hair, surprisingly soft. Biting your lip, you held in your laugh as he nuzzled into your touch.

The door to the office opened and Recovery Girl walked in. She gave you a knowing look, glancing down briefly at Bakugou before scuttling off to her desk. “That young man showed up right after you fell asleep. Quite the quiet type isn’t he.”

Quiet type?

Bakugou?

You merely smiled at her. “Am I allowed to leave?”

The petite woman scuttled over to you and checked your temperature quickly. “Seems fine. Remember what I said to you today. Know your limits, you’re still a student.”

“Yes ma’am,” you acknowledged, turning back to your slumbering boyfriend. You pressed your lips to his ear and gently whispered, one of your hands rubbing his back to wake him up, “Katsuki, wake up; let’s go back to the dorm.”

He stirred and ruby eyes blinked sleepily at you. His usual pout settled onto his face and he pulled away, getting to his feet, hands shoved into his pants pockets waiting for you. Lying back, you stretched your limbs in relief before you slipped out of bed, pulling your shoes on. You offered your hand to Bakugou, but when he didn’t accept, you simply played it off, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear before leading the way back to the dorm.

As the two of you walked the long path back to the dorm, you slowed your pace until you stopped, letting him pass you by a few steps.

“What’s going on with you?” you asked. He stopped walking, but didn’t bother turning around. You continued speaking, watching as his shoulders tensed and raised with every word you spoke, “Bakugou, seriously. Tell me what’s wrong, I’ll listen to you.”

“Would you shut up already,” he spoke, his shoulders dropping as he hunched over. His voice held no animosity, but it was evident something wasn’t right.

You were stunned for a moment, until you realized what he actually said to you. “Hey! Don’t tell me to shut up! Stop being a jerk and tell me what’s going on. I’m only concerned about you.”

“Then don’t be.”

“You idiot,” you yelled at him, swinging your hand down toward the side of his neck for a swift karate chop, but you didn’t make contact with his neck.

He easily caught your hand in his and with a simple motion pulled you toward him, turning in time for you to collide against his chest while his arms wrapped around you tightly. “Yeah, I am an idiot.”

“Bakugou,” you spoke into his chest, voice muffled.

“I lost against Icy-Hot. I was too busy worrying about you,” he admitted, his fingers gripping you a bit more tightly. You tried to escape from his embrace, but he only clung tighter to your form, trying to prolong this moment just a bit longer. “I can’t let that happen any more. I’m going to be the Number One Hero one day so I can’t get distracted. I’ve decided we’re over.”

At first you weren’t sure you heard him correctly, but you knew better than that. You heard him loud and clear. How dare he? How dare he blame you for losing? How dare he try to make this decision on his own? You felt your body begin to shake, angry, and without a second thought you managed to pull back enough to slam your face forward towards his own. His arms released you in shock as he reached up to grab his nose. Stumbling back a few feet, you placed both hands over your forehead, tears falling from your eyes. You weren’t sure if you were crying before or after the headbutt, but you didn’t think it really mattered anymore. You couldn’t even look at him now that you were free.

“You’re a coward! Why don’t you just think about getting stronger instead of coming up with shitty excuses for losing? Don’t blame other people for your problems Katsuki. If you want to break up then fine, we’re broken up, but just remember that you wanted this and you’re a moron to ask for it.” You couldn’t bare to stick around, quickly making your way to the dormitory.

Yaoyorozu was the first to run into you. You really must have been a sight because she dragged you off to the bathroom, forcing you to sit on the counter as she tended to your forehead. You were thankful she didn’t ask you any questions and left you alone after neatly applying a square bandage to your forehead. How embarrassing. By the time the two of you left the restroom, Bakugou had returned and Kirishima was pestering him about how he got his bloody nose.

Somehow, everyone in 1-A knew the two of you were over by the time homeroom started the next day.

Perfect.

[orihara-infobroker]

Seclusion Day Eighteen

“Oh come on! That was so cheap!” Izaya protested as Akabayashi jostled him, using the distraction to execute a series of attacks in the game they were playing.

“Gotta learn to focus better,” Akabayashi responded, laughing as he scored a win. Izaya huffed and shifted further away from the redhead as the next round began.

“I was trying to be nice to the rookie but since you’ve decided to cheat…” Izaya pulled out his cheapest combos, forcing Akabayashi’s character into a corner.

“What the hell was that?” Akabayashi retorted indignantly. “That shouldn’t even be allowed!”

“What shouldn’t be allowed is playing video games when you should be working,” Shiki observed as he appeared in the doorway of his office with his coffee cup. “If you’re any louder, my neighbours are going to complain.” He made his way to the kitchen to refill his mug.

“If they haven’t complained about Izaya yet…” Akabayashi responded as he mashed the controller buttons, attempting to redeem himself in another round. Izaya prodded Akabayashi’s thigh with his foot.

“Your trash-talking needs work. How are you going to beat all the kids in online gaming if your worst insult is that I’m loud?”

“Is that what I was supposed to be doing?” Akabayashi responded with a grin. “If you really want insults…”

“How about you keep your insults to a minimum, along with the noise? I have work to do, even if you two don’t.”

“You say that but you’ve already done the daily call. You’re really not required to do anything else. It’s not like you’re on a clock.” Izaya threw his hands in the air as he won the third round. “Yeeeessss! Suck it, Mizuki!” Shiki moved behind Izaya and tugged his head back. Izaya grinned up at him and offered up the controller. “Take a turn.”

Akabayashi grinned. “Call it a coffee break.”

Shiki sighed and let Izaya go, pulling out his smokes as he joined them on the couch. “What else do you have?”

Izaya grinned and moved to the stack of games that had arrived that morning, along with the game system. “Borderlands? We can do co-op.”

“Sure.” Shiki lit his smoke and grabbed the controller as Izaya switched out the games. “Too bad it’s co-op only.”

Akabayashi snorted. “Should switch our team meetings to Overwatch matches.”

Izaya settled on the couch between them with a snicker. “So you can watch Aozaki fail to figure out how to play?”

“Yep,” Akabayashi replied. 

“You do realize that Overwatch is team-based, right? So if he sucks, we all suck?”

“I’d take a loss to watch him fail.”

Shiki eyed Akabayashi with mild disdain. “Nice to see where your priorities are.”

“You know…” Izaya mused. “Japan doesn’t have any teams in the Overwatch League.”

“The what?” Akabayashi asked.

“Esports?” Izaya replied, rolling his eyes. “You keep saying you know what the kids are into and you don’t even follow esports?”

“And you do?”

“Of course not. Who wants to watch a bunch of Koreans play video games on TV? I don’t watch sports either, for the same reason. It’s boring. But I do know about it. It’s a fascinating shift in social dynamics.”

“Look what you did, Mizuki,” Shiki accused the redhead with a long-suffering look.

Izaya stuck his tongue out at Shiki before continuing. “Fundamentally, all of the sports we enjoy watching are rooted in skills that could be considered necessary. Physical strength, the ability to protect ourselves and murder our enemies or dexterity based skills that reflect the ability to hunt, as an example. What little tactical thinking there is tends to be relegated to the coaches or one or two members of a team and almost always revolve around battle. Video games provide an entirely mental arena and are heavily stigmatized as not being real sports even though they tend to have very similar rule structures.”

“They’re games, not sports,” Akabayashi commented. “Haruya stop stealing my shots… Have you played before?”

“Nope. I have good hand-eye coordination. Maybe if you had two eyes you could keep up.”

“Oooooo low blow!” Izaya exclaimed with a laugh. “But what is the difference between a game and a sport? Is it solely the physicality?”

“That is the definition,” Shiki replied.

Izaya wrinkled his nose at the answer then shrugged. “Well, yes, but pretty much everything else is the same. Yet society encourages only sports as valuable. The mental skills required in playing games is less valuable than the ability to throw a ball or tackle an opponent. I mean, look at the struggle in the yakuza. The old men who believe that brawn is the answer are clashing with the younger men who believe that intelligence is the future.”

“Different generations, different thinking,.” Akabayashi shrugged. “Haruya, stop camping. Why am I not surprised you picked a sniper?”

“Just like no one was surprised you chose the soldier?”

“Exactly. Esports is fascinating because it shows a change in what society values.”

“I don’t think it does,” Shiki countered with a slight smile. “I think that intelligence has always been valued, at least in our culture. Intelligence doesn’t lend itself to easily entertaining forms of showmanship, however. Sports is an easy to watch, easy to interpret show of physical prowess. Watching shogi, on the other hand, simply looks tedious to those who don’t understand the nuances of the game or lack the attention span. Watching people show off their quick-thinking and mastery of team-based tactics in a video game is far more interesting than watching two old men play shogi.”

Izaya paused to look at Shiki with a slight pout. “You just subverted my argument!”

“Was it an argument?” Shiki replied with a smirk.

“Tch. Your point is… valid.” He admitted reluctantly. “It’s still fascinating to see the shift in societal perception. Video games were considered a waste of time, something that only kids did, silly and pointless. Now they are being viewed in a different light. Being a ‘gamer’ is becoming normalized instead of embarrassing and nerdy. People can now become professionals at playing games, just like athletes.”

“How profitable is it, though?” Akabayashi asked. “I don’t imagine it’s that good a job.”

“The League pays $50k US annual salary. Plus the prize pool depending on how far they get.”

“$50k?” Akabayashi shook his head surprised. “That’s more than some salarymen are making. Haruya, you should consider changing careers.”

“Do I look like I would enjoy sitting in front of a computer playing games all day? Besides, I make more than $50k.”

“You know what would be an even better idea?” Izaya asked with a grin. “Awakusu sponsored Overwatch Team! I bet you could totally sell Mikiya on the idea. Yakuza sponsored esports. Just think of the team names you could come up with.”

Akabayashi and Shiki exchanged a look. 

“The Tokyo Ninjas?” Akabayashi suggested.

“Tokyo Samurai,” Shiki countered.

“Predictable.” Izaya criticized.

“You’d probably name the team with a cat reference.” Akabayashi teased.

“Tokyo Neko?” Shiki snorted.

“Doesn’t really flow. You could just call them the Tokyo Yakuza. One of the teams is called the Outlaws, after all.”

“Ah yes, I’m sure that wouldn’t cause problems at all.” Shiki chuckled.

“It’s just a gaming team. No one will think anything of it.” Izaya insisted with a grin.

“He’s probably right,” Akabayashi agreed. “They’d just think it was a media thing.”

“Not only are you a wealth of information,” Shiki told Izaya. “But also a wealth of strange and terrible ideas. How much would that even cost?”

“Around $30 million.”

“Somehow I don’t think Awakusu has that kind of capital to invest.” Akabayashi laughed. “Maybe Medei could do it.”

“Too bad. Guess you’ll just have to stick to your life of crime.”

“I think we’re good with that,” Akabayashi replied with a laugh.

“Agreed,” Shiki seconded. 

[hyphypmic]

Happy Birthday Dice!!!

AHHH IT’S GARBAGE BOY’S BDAY!!!!

—

“No.” The gambler turned around swiftly, ignoring the enticing sounds of the slot machines, laughter and the clink of the tokens and coins against each other.

But before Dice could storm out of the casino, Gentaro and Ramuda caught him by his arms.

Gentaro clicked his tongue. “Daisu, Daisu, Daisu…” He shook his head. “We have to try. Your birthday falls on an auspicious-“ He grunted, Dice trying to escape from his and Ramuda’s arms. “Day.” He finished.

“Don’t be a spoilsport Dice uwu.” Ramuda pouted, still dragging the gambler to a slot machine. “Let’s try! And I bought the credits anyway~”

Dice groaned and hung his head. Sure he could easily escape his friends, but he wasn’t even going to try to overwhelm them with his reckless strength. “But guys, I’ve lost every time I’ve gambled on my birthday.”

“You lose every time you gamble.” Gentaro said flatly.

“Why you-“

“Aaaaaand!” Ramuda said cheerfully. “It’s not like you leave the casino with anything! At least we’re leaving with you this time!”

“Hmmm yes…” Gentaro said, wincing as he stopped the struggling Dice from escaping. “Unless of course we find a more profitable person…”

Dice growled but didn’t attempt to deny it. “Well!” He shrugged out of their grip and turned back around, not taking the humiliation of being dragged (being dragged out is different). “Let’s go!”

Ramuda and Gentaro looked at each other and hi-fived.

—

“HEY NO!”

Ramuda looked up innocently as he kept pushing in more and more credits. “Why?”

“You can’t just! I mean!” Dice groaned and slumped in the red chair. “You can’t just put in so many! You need to do it one by one!”

Ramuda shrugged as he continued to put in what might be his tenth credit. “It’s tiring to put it in credit by credit.” He continued. “Let’s just see what happens!”

Gentaro smiled softly. “It is not your money anyway.”

Dice wrinkled his nose, but the other two knew he was thinking about it.

“Twenty credits!” Ramuda smiled and gave Dice a peace sign. “That should be enough!”

“EHHHHH???”

The author exhaled through his nose. “Am I going to pull the lever or are you?”

Dice’s hand shot out to grab the lever. “Me.”

Gentaro chuckled lightly as Ramuda started cheering softly, his eyes lighting up like a kid’s.

“Then pull it.”

“Do it Dice, do it Dice, do it Dice!”

Dice pulled it down with aggression and the slots started spinning.

Ramuda cheered and Gentaro just folded his arms in front of him, watching the symbols and numbers flash by.

There was a certain tension and anticipation in the air as the numbers wizzed by, the scent of alcohol and cigarettes a mix with the slight metallic tang of the machine.

Gentaro was just silent, not really making as much noise as the cheering Ramuda.

The first one locked on a seven.

“YES!” Ramuda cheered his arms raised with a big smile plastered on his face.

The second one locked on seven, but part of Dice knew that the third one wasn’t—

“Oh.” Gentaro said.

“JACKPOT!!!!” Ramuda cheered and hugged Dice, the gambler so in shock that he was just staring.

“I…” Dice started tearing up.

“Do it again Daisu!” Ramuda said as he swiped the casino card to claim the money. “Nineteen more times!” He then looked at a waitress passing by. “Can you get us some drinks please uwu~”

The waitress giggled. “So cute!” She winked. “Of course honey!”

Ramuda rattled off some drinks (which were very expensive and specific drinks) and turned back to Dice. “Again again again!”

Dice shook his head, snapping out of his shock and gripping the lever again with a new sort of vigour. “Let’s go!” He exclaimed as he pulled it again, his eyes on the prize.

Gentaro leaned over to Ramuda. “Are we ever going to tell him we rigged this machine?”

Ramuda only smiled. “No…” He said. “It is his birthday after all.” He giggled. “Besides, it’s only this machine. Once he changes it, well..”

“Isn’t this illegal?”

Ramuda slapped Gentaro’s arm lightly. “Silly liar! Of course it is!”

Dice cheered again, not getting the jackpot, but getting a desired combo. Ramuda handed over the casino card to Dice so he could claim the credits, the gambler swiping then instantly pulling the lever again.

Gentaro looked back at Ramuda with what must have been a horrified expression. The pink-haired man only winked. “I have connections. How do you think anyone wins in this place.”

Gentaro would have a response to that… except he didn’t and he couldn’t deny that claim either. He just smiled. “I guess he deserves it.”

“He does!”

Dice turned around. “Eh? What are the two of you standing there for! Come here!”

Ramuda and Gentaro looked at each other again, smiling as they joined the overjoyed gambler.

“Happy birthday Daisu~” Ramuda said, accepting the drinks from the waitress and passing it to the other two.

“Happy birthday.” Gentaro echoed.

Dice laughed and raised his glass, the three of them clinking their own, cheering to the wonderful night ahead.

It was probably the best birthday Dice ever had.

[xmenwickedgame]

Here’s to the New Year (drabble)

//So I wrote this last year around this time. I just didn’t have a blog to share it on. Although some things have changed for my muses in a year I thought I’d upload this anyway. 

Happy New Year!

___

Sometimes ten years makes all the difference. 

That was the thought running through James Xavier’s head this evening. He was seated in the family room—distinct from the living room as this was smaller and almost exclusively reserved for his family as opposed to the growing student body. One of the many changes made over the last decade but not necessarily a bad one. The Xavier family and all extended members had a rough and rocky history: they deserved a space to let their hair down or however the saying went. Be the man and/or woman behind the curtain and just...unplug. On the off-chance someone somewhere needed something, well, that’s what telepathy was for. Mister Xavier to the rescue in record time. James smiled to himself, nestling further against the sofa he currently occupied. He remembered a time his powers caused more trouble than solutions. Another welcomed change in the last decade.

“What’s so funny?” Ventured a voice. James met the gray eyes of the woman seated beside him.

“Ahh, nothin’ Em,” he replied with a lazier grin. “Just reminiscing.”

Emily Clearwater was his best friend and significant other: she was one of if not the first major change in his life all those years ago. When he’d been a boy of fifteen and she a girl near-about that age—her Time Lord DNA made it difficult to tell. It worked out though, he mused, because he too aged at a slower rate. They’d been through hell and back, he and Emily had: sometimes hand in hand, others with teeth bared and bleeding hearts. Here they were now about to start a family.

Warmth filled James’ yellow eyes—eyes like his mother’s, but only the pupils—and he shuffled up just slightly.

“Reminiscing?” Emily echoed as he wove an arm around her shoulder. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you use that word.” She laughed as she spoke, a warm, hearty sound. He couldn’t help but echo it.

“Oh yeah?” James asked, kissing the crown of her auburn hair. “This mean I get some kinda prize?”

“Oi!” A loud and deliberately obnoxious voice belonging to the Doctor cut in. 

“Whatever you’re gonna give ‘im you give in your own private quarters. ‘s nothin’ anyone here wants to see.” The elder Time Lord waved his hand at the two in what looked like a scolding motion. James fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was unable, however, to fight off a blush and by the way Emily’s skin warmed up beneath his chin she’d apparently failed as well.

“Shite dad,” she grumbled and James was very sure he heard an eye roll in there. “We aren’t kids anymore.” Emily slid a hand over her baby bump. At four months, she was just starting to show. “Are you gonna keep the lectures up once the baby’s born?”

The Doctor scowled and leaned forward in the loveseat he currently occupied. 

“I will if you two can’t keep your hands off each other.”

“Seriously, Doc?” James jumped in. He had, in the last decade, managed to score good graces with the older (way way older) Time Lord but that didn’t mean they always saw eye to eye. James placed his hand over Emily’s before continuing. “You don’t think we’d actually—“

“Okay that’s enough of that.” Announced the unmistakable voice of Raven Darkholme. All heads turned as she entered the room, a tray of finger foods balanced in each hand. Haha, James thought and while it was juvenile he couldn’t help himself: mom to the rescue.

“Need help, love?” Asked the Doctor, grabbing the arm rests as if prepared to stand. Raven shook her head: James didn’t miss the slant in her scaly brow.

“You stay put, Mister.” She said, crossing into the center of the room. An oval coffee table with a protective glass top sat there and it was on this glass she at last set down the trays. It was then James noticed she’d dressed up slightly for the evening: nothing flashy but the dark collared shirt and skirt combo (with accessories) were a step above her usual attire. Weird. Not necessarily a bad weird; it was New Year’s eve after all. They’d all gone the extra mile in one way or another. Himself more a half than the full but hey, he was among family. If combed hair and a button-down with jeans didn’t fly, why bother staying in? There were more than a few places around accepting that kind of attire. If James wanted to, he could spend a casual night in a smoke-filled bar, entertaining strangers who gawked at his eyes and marveled at his ‘magic tricks.’ Maybe in another life he did just that. The current James, however, would much rather his present company. He fit right in among the mutants and aliens. A soft laugh dropped from his lips and this caught Emily’s attention.

“What are you smirking about?” She asked, a bemused look on her face.

“Hm? Ah nothing. Nothing important.” Emily poked his shoulder. “Come on, you already used that one tonight. Tell me.” James‘ eyebrow stayed put but his smile widened.

“Fine,” he said. “I was thinkin’ how cute you look with your nose all wrinkled.”

“You were not.” Emily said, a touch of color in her cheeks again. She laughed as well now, a laugh she hastened to muffle behind her hand, lest (he guessed) she subject herself to more paternal embarrassment. The Doctor however no longer seemed interested in monitoring their PDA: attention refocused almost solely on Raven. It used to bother James and Emily both—wasn’t there some kind of rule against courting your son’s-girlfriend’s-father? (Or your daughter’s-boyfriend’s-mother?) Ten years really made a world of difference.

“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Asked the Doctor again when Raven returned to the door. She paused, arms crossed beneath her breasts.

“No. Thank you. I’m just waiting on the boys.”

“Oh yeah?” James chimed in, peering over Emily’s head. “Who’d you rope into helping this time?”

Now it was Raven raising a brow. And people assumed he’d inherited that trait from his father. “Why? Looking for a stand-in while you go crusading across the galaxy?”

Way to play left field there. James blinked, temporarily at a loss for words. If the surrounding silence was any indication, he wasn’t the only one. 

“Wh—no.” He sputtered. “I was just—“ and then he caught the smile playing on her lips. That victorious maternal smile when she knew she’d gotten through to him. “...sorry, mom. Wasn’t fair to leave you alone with the holiday stuff.”

“No it wasn’t,” Raven agreed. She paused, yellow eyes roving from what looked like face to face. “Lucky for you all,” she went on suddenly. “I wasn’t alone.” 

Raven looked to the doorway again. “Logan! You said you were right behind me.”

”I am right behind ya,” came the graveled growl of a one Logan Howlett. James ducked his head as the burly Canadian entered the room. The grin he wore would’ve all-too-easily caught Logan’s eye. Was he too old to call his mom a super-hero? Because damn, the way she commanded their rambunctious rag-tag family suggested nothing less.

“Put the bottles over there,” Raven said, nodding to the coffee table and when she did James noticed he was in fact carrying dark glass bottles. At a glance they all looked like champagne, but that was a lesson James didn’t need relearning: since he could remember, or at least for as long as they’d been close, sparkling cider—the kind free of alcohol—was included for the celebration. This year was no exception and thank goodness for it: he might’ve long since reached drinking age but champagne did no good for a mom-to-be. Half Time Lord or not, they’d agreed to play it safe. Besides, his father didn’t drink either.

Speaking of my dad, where is he? James sat up straighter, clearing his view of the doorway. No sooner did he then in limped Charles Xavier, his dad and apparently another extra set of hands. The older man carried with him several champagne glasses. Okay, that was new. Charles slowed as he crossed through the doorway, glancing shyly at Raven as though waiting for instruction. James’ parents had made as much peace with one another as they could but seeing them work together, when had that started? Or had it already and he in his ‘crusading ’ simply missed it?

“On the table, Charles,” said Raven gently and the elder Xavier bobbed his head. James tried his best not to stare. Charles had gradually emerged from his frightened shell since coming home but guilt and self-loathing, these took longer to overcome. Was ten years the time needed to heal all that? To heal the pain between his parents? James felt a finger that wasn’t his push his chin up. He took the hint, closing his mouth.

‘Thanks for that,’ he told Emily telepathically. He felt that same hand slide across his arm.

‘You’re welcome.’

The last two members of their family—Hank McCoy and Alex Summers—entered soon after. Alex almost immediately on Charles’ heels with the rest of the glasses in tow and Hank a little while later with a pretty but very athletic-looking woman James didn’t recognize.

“Hope it’s alright.” He said to Raven. She smiled, patting his shoulder.

“Of course it is, Hank. You don’t have to ask.” She slipped around him as he led his date towards them, closing the living room door. There was a sense of accomplishment in that, James felt it from his seat: a satisfied finality that now, together at last, they could ring in the new year.

‘All set mom?’ James asked, using his powers again. She looked over at him and though she said nothing at first, she didn’t need to: her eyes spoke volumes by themselves.

‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘I’m all set, James.’ Then she joined the group right as Logan turned the TV on. Dick Clark’s face materialized before them, preparing for the Count Down as he always did. Some things never changed. For the most part though...for the most part they did and, James decided, watching his family interact, those changes often came for the better.

See you later, ‘87. Can’t wait to see what’s gearing up in 1988.

[sinsiriuslyemo]

Good afternoon, guys!! Here is the next episode of Cuba v DR!!

EPISODE 13

You knew it was bad news the second Eddie called just as you were getting out of your first couple’s therapy session to meet you at home. He’d said he wanted to talk and wanted both you and Nevada there, another red flag in your mind. Now you sat sipping your cafe con leche beside your husband with a tight grip on the cup.

“What do you think is wrong?” you asked softly. “Do you think he owes the Triad?”

Nevada couldn’t help the laugh that burst from him. “What the fuck are you talking about?” he asked. “Oye, you’re gonna break that cup.”

“Since when does he call a family meeting?”

“Baby, you’re being paranoid, even for you. It’s not a family meeting, he just said he wanted to talk, right?” Nevada said, propping one foot on the coffee table as his arm draped over the back of the couch behind you.

“Baby?” you asked, arching a brow.

“Yeah,” he replied, bobbing his shoulders. “You made me go to that couples therapy shit, and the therapist said, we gotta start trying to meet each other halfway. You said you like that lovey-dovey shit, so I’m trying to meet you halfway,” he answered softly. “Cut me some slack here.”

You took a deep breath and sighed. “You're right, it's probably nothing.”

“How’s Lily doing in school?”

“She's being quiet, a bit withdrawn but she seems a bit better.”

“That’s good--” Nevada was cut off by a knock on the door and he got up to open it. “Oye, tell your tia that she was being paranoid for no reason.”

Eddie furrowed his brows. “Tia what's wrong?” He moved to you, giving you a tight hug and kissing your cheek. “I'm sorry I made you worry, I just needed to talk to you both.”

“What about?” you asked as you stroked his hair. He was so grown now, it made you want to cry.

“Oye, what are you crying about?” Nevada asked, looking down at you.

“Greyson got offered a really amazing job,” Eddie said with a smile.

Nevada looked at his nephew. “Oh, good for him.”

“It's in Miami,” he added. “And I'm going to go with him…” It had taken him a while to adjust to the idea but he knew in his heart Greyson was it for him, he'd be stupid to let that go.

Nevada’s brows shot up on his forehead as he drew the corners of his lips downward. “Coño, good for you. What are you gonna do there?”

“I'm gonna transfer to the University of Miami and finish my degree. Then I'll see how it goes from there.”

“That's amazing sweetheart,” you said softly and pulled him into another hug. You already missed him.

“Still wanting to be a lawyer?” Nevada asked.

Eddie nodded. “Yeah, if I play my cards right I'll be the next one with a job offer. But it's gonna be good... safer,” he hesitated on the word, not wanting to upset or hurt either of the people he loved most.

You just nodded and smiled at him. “I knew you'd be one of the ones to get out,” you whispered and kissed his forehead. Immediately Eddie felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

“That’s great, mijo. You getting out, making a life for yourself. That’s all we want for you,” Nevada agreed.

Eddie grinned at both his adopted parents before nodding. “I haven't told him I'm coming along yet. I wanted to tell you guys first...I feel like I'm abandoning the family,” he confessed. “I have three siblings that need me…”

“No, you’re doing what every person does when they get to be your age. You’re starting your own life, making an example for your brother and sisters,” you replied.

“Exactly. You don’t have anything keeping you here, you’re not married, no kids, you gotta take advantage of that. It’s not like you can’t visit whenever you want,” Nevada added.

“You guys really believe I can do it then?” he asked with a smile. “Move out to Miami?”

“Yeah, why not?” Nevada replied with a shrug. “You can take care of yourself, you’re smart…”

“You got this,” you added as you nodded with a grin. “You’re gonna do great...but you better not forget to call every once in awhile, and visit as often as you can.”

“I'd never forget,” Eddie said with a smile. You smiled back, you'd miss him every moment but it was all outweighed by the pride you felt for Eddie. He was making it out.

“Tia thought you owed the Triads money,” Nevada couldn’t help but say with a chuckle. “Exagerada.”

“Oye! I worry! Carajo…he's my baby!”

“I’m not a baby anymore, tia,” Eddie groaned.

“That’s right, mijo, you tell her,” Nevada chimed.

“No, you'll always be my baby,” you said softly and smiled at him. “But you're also so grown, I'm so proud.”

“Yeah, we’re real proud, mijo,” Nevada agreed with a nod.

“Thanks,” Eddie answered, grinning at the both of you. “We still have a lot to do before the move, but...I think it’ll be good for us.”

“So do I,” Nevada said. “Get out of all this, away from the bullets...and now we have an excuse to come to Miami to see you.”

“Oh Miami,” you mused with a grin. “Now I'm really warming up to the idea,” you teased.

Eddie smiled at both of you. He felt significant relief. Things were going to be okay, he was sure of it.

Omar stood beside Jose in the club. The dancers all were either with customers in the VIP section or on stage. The few patrons that were in the club were all businessmen either on their lunch break or hosting a “business meeting.”

“Is it me, or is this the slowest day we've had since we took over?” he asked, looking over at the man beside him.

Jose bobbed one shoulder. “It’s lunchtime. Not usually packed during the day.”

“Still, we usually have more people than this. We should try to do some promotional stuff. Get more people in here,” Omar answered.

Jose snorted a laugh. “I guess, hard to bring in people during work hours though.” He looked up at the ceiling for a moment before turning his head to Omar. “So I hear you’re looking for a roommate.”

“Yeah,” Omar answered. “Back in the day I lived with Manny, but since he moved to Attica, that’s out. Why? You interested?”

“My place isn't an option anymore. So yeah, I'm looking for somewhere new.” He gave a half shrug.

“Been trying to get my old place back,” Omar replied. “Extra room is yours if you want it.”

“How much for rent?”

“Not much. It’s rent controlled, so won’t ever go up.”

Jose nodded. “I'll take it.”

“Alright, sounds like a plan. I’m meeting up with Milagros later, so I’ll let you know if and when we can move in,” Omar said. He happened to glance up just as Destiny walked in for her shift and nodded a polite hello to her.

She offered a smile in return, giving him a friendly wave before heading to the dressing room.

“What’s going on with that?” Jose asked, having seen the exchange.

“Nothing,” Omar replied with a bob of his shoulders. “We took the kids to the park a few weeks ago.”

“Oh yeah, she's got one of them. Did Fallon have fun?” Jose asked with a quirked brow.

“Yeah, I mean she’s one, so she probably doesn’t know the difference,” Omar answered, shrugging.

“I dunno man, babies are like little slot machines. Gotta get the right combo to win with them. Eddie, cuando era un niño, used to think it was funny when I changed his diaper,” he said. “Fuckin’ funniest thing he'd seen all day apparently.”

“It’s cause they don’t know the real world yet,” Omar replied. “Either way, it was too weird. We probably won’t do it again,” he added.

“It's always a shit show when men and women are friends anyway.”

“That’s not true, it’s just that A) I’m technically her boss, what the fuck are we supposed to talk about? That’s why I don’t ever get involved with the dancers. And moreover B) I just got divorced, I don’t need to be dealing with another woman in my life,” Omar replied.

Jose shrugged. “Whatever you gotta do.” He patted Omar on the back before his brows furrowed as he noticed a patron sitting by himself. “You see the guy in the corner? Hasn't touched a drink or a dancer since he's come in.”

Omar turned his head to look; sure enough, sitting at a corner table was a man, dressed in casual clothes, looking around discreetly.

“Might be an inspector,” Omar said before he turned back to look at Jose with knitted brows. “We supposed to be having one this week?”

“No, we had one last month. It's too early for that.” Jose frowned and looked at the man. “Doesn't have a notepad like an inspector either.”

Knitting his brows, Omar started to walk over when the man stood up, taking one last look around. He met eyes with Omar and nodded once before he turned and left the club.

“We should tell Nevada,” Omar said, looking back at Jose.

“Go ahead, I'm gonna keep an eye out for a second.” Jose crossed his arms, frowning at the exit door.

“What do people exactly do at these kinds of parties?” Roxie asked as she wrote down names on envelopes for Rafael to then stamp. They had planned last minute to throw a gender reveal party as a compromise for not waiting until the baby was born to find out whether it was going to be a boy or a girl.

“I mean, whatever we want,” Rafael answered. “Usually you play games that either centers around the two of us or whether the baby will be a boy or a girl.”

She chuckled, “Like pin the nappy on the baby doll?” she teased.

“No, like...maybe we could make cookies, half in the shape of an apron, half in the shape of a briefcase and have people choose what they think the baby is,” he answered, immediately thinking of more activities as if the party was coming together in his mind. “Or we could make a list of things first time parents normally do and people can guess which one of us is likely to do what. Or we could get a board and write down our favorite names for a boy and a girl and people can pick which ones they like best. We can have prizes, blue and pink drinks, food…”

“I didn’t know I married such a party planner,” she mused as she jotted down his ideas. “What if I bake pink and blue cupcakes.”

“Sure...speaking of which, I’m surprised you were so calm giving the sealed envelope to another baker so she could bake the cake,” he replied with a smirk.

“I’m more frustrated about someone else baking the cake than someone else knowing. But I am eager to know who is in here,” she whispered with a poke to her belly.

“Well that was my point, I thought you might try to tell me that you make the cake blindfolded just so you could bake it,” he replied with a chuckle. “You think my sister will actually come to this?”

“I hope so. Have you spoken to her?”

“No,” he answered in a sigh.

“What about your mum?” she asked, stroking the back of his head.

“No,” he mumbled.

“You should try to reach out before the party,” she suggested.

He sighed heavily, putting a stamp on the envelope that would be sent to your place. “Yeah, I guess I’ll give her a call later.”

Picking up the next envelope, the hand that held a new stamp paused as he stared at the name. Clearing his throat, he tried to sound casual as he said, “You invited Amber and Troy.”

“Yes, of course. She’s my friend.”

His jaw clenched at the reminder. “What if I don’t want her there?”

“I don’t understand, she was at our wedding and you seemed fine. You see her at every Sunday dinner. What’s the difference?”

The difference was that Sunday dinner was out of his control, and her showing up at the wedding was him compromising, but he hated that Amber was able to insert herself so easily into his personal life.

“Nothing,” he replied softly, resentfully putting a stamp on the envelope despite his desire to burn it. “Just forget it; you want them there, it’s your party too, so I guess we’re inviting them.” He tossed the envelope carelessly in the pile and took up the next one.

“Do you have a preference on food?”

His jaw clenched as he shook his head and bit his upper lip, shaking his head. “No.”

She casually took Amber and Troy’s invitation back. “Stop acting as if your feelings mean nothing. You matter and so does how you feel. I will not have my husband uncomfortable at a party that is partly his.”

“I can grin and bear it if you really want to invite them, Roxie,” he said softly. “She’s your friend, not mine…” He hated saying that. He hated that he’d never explained to Roxie exactly why he didn’t want Amber so involved in his life. Especially because when he’d told some of what had happened between them, she had expected him to simple get over it, just like everybody else. As if he hadn’t already tried to for his own sanity. “So invite her if you want.”

“What did I just say?” She sighed. “I will not have my husband uncomfortable. That is what matters to me. I want us both happy and relaxed at the party.”

“I ignore her at Sunday dinner just fine,” he replied with a bob of his shoulders. “You clearly wanted to invite them, so invite them.”

She tore the invite in half, looking back down to her notes. “What if I made bangers and mash? I think people might like it.”

“Sure,” he replied, stamping another envelope.

They stamped in silence for a few moments before Roxie sighed and rubbed a hand over her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly as he continued to stamp envelopes.

“I don’t like when we argue. I know it’s unavoidable, it just makes me feel sick to my stomach. I just want you to be happy, I know you feel the same about me. I just want to spend our days cuddling until we’re too old to hear if the other person has any disagreements,” she teased.

He smirked softly, eyes still on his task of getting stamps on all the invitations. “I don’t like arguing either but arguments are normal, disagreements are normal. To be honest, it wouldn’t be a real relationship if we never argued. Couples who never argue aren’t comfortable enough with each other to be vulnerable nor express how they really feel. I think we’re lucky, we have the normal amount of arguments and we always talk them through in the end.”

She nodded slowly and hugged him tight. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he replied. “We should find a role for Mowgli in all this.”

She chuckled and nodded. “Mowgli!” she called out, looking around. “Where is my fur baby?” The little sound of trotting filled the air as the pig snorted in response and nudged up against her ankles.

“Well, well, well...look who came around to the term fur baby,” Rafael teased.

“Well if you ask me, he’s my regular baby too,” she said in a baby voice as she picked up the pig and kissing his snout. “Because I’m your regular mummy, right?” The pig snorted again as she giggled and hugged him close.

“You think he’ll feel jealous of all the extra attention the baby will need?”

“Of course, he’s the prince of the castle right now,” she said as she set him up on the table, letting him hop back into her lap gently as she smiled. “My smart baby,” she cooed. “I worry that he’ll feel undervalued. I don’t want the new baby to affect his self esteem,” she said as she scratched behind the pig’s ear. “You are a prince, no one will change that. You’re just getting another prince or princess alongside you.”

“We’ll just have to be sure to make some time only for him “ Rafael answered as he scratched behind the pig’s ear. “That’s what they say to do with older siblings anyway.”

The pig trotted into Rafael’s lap, settling down on him.

“He keeps sniffing the birthing tub,” Rafael said after a moment. “You think he’ll try to jump in it when he see you in it?”

“Maybe, would you like us to take you swimming, my love? You want to swim?” She moved off the chair to kneel in front of Rafael where the piglet sat.

“Okay, first of all, he is not swimming in your birthing tub,” Rafael said, smirking before he playfully added, “Secondly, do we need to get the pig to go away for a few minutes?”

She grinned up at him mischievously and leaned forward to kiss Mowgli, eyes looking up at Rafael from beneath her long lashes.

“Mowgli, away with you, sir,” Rafael said, eyes locked on his wife’s.

The piglet landed on the floor, walking off into another room as Roxie was running her fingers up his thighs, just barely missing his groin.

He hummed and bent to kiss her lips softly, sucking her bottom petal. “I love you so much, Mrs Barba.”

“And I you, Mr. Barba,” she whispered as she unzipped his fly.

Omar ran his eyes over his phone as he sat in the passenger's side of the SUV. After a slow morning at the club he and Nevada had decided to check up on one of the warehouse where they would store the guns before moving them.

“Talked to Chastity, she’s already all but forgotten it all,” Omar mumbled. “Although between you and me it’s not a stretch to picture her swiping cards off a John.”

“I already knew she was doing it, and I chewed her ass out for it,” Nevada replied. “Only reason I haven’t tossed her ass out is cause of this prick at the precinct. She already knows, she does it again, I’ll slit her fucking throat wide-the-fuck-open.”

Omar gave a nod of acknowledgement. “This pendejo is really going after you. The last thing we needed was this fucker with a mission. You think you would’ve fucked his daughter the way he’s focused on you.”

“Maybe I did, who knows,” Nevada replied in a chuckle.

As they pulled up to the warehouse, Omar frowned and sat up. Parked across the street from the warehouse was a black, unmarked car. To anyone else it may have just seemed like someone who had simply parked and walked the rest of the way to their destination, but Omar and Nevada knew better.

“Now what?”

“Son of a bitch has this place being watched,” Omar muttered in disbelief. “The balls on this fucker...”

“Fuck it, let’s try the one on 198th,” Nevada said, driving past the car.

Omar nodded, looking back to his phone for a minute. “Hey, what was with your wife and her brother on Sunday? Melissa said it got pretty ugly. She still not talking to him?”

“Not that I know,” Nevada answered. “She hasn't even mentioned him since then.”

Omar snorted a laugh. “It’s not like it takes a lot to get on Dama’s bad side anyway. What’d he do, forget to wipe his feet at the door?”

“A few weeks ago he was talking to Lucia about how my job is dangerous y no se que carajo. Stupid shit, stuff he’s been saying since day one. Thing is, Lily heard them talking. They didn’t know she could hear what they were saying,” Nevada replied. “It was an accident.”

“Lily okay?” Omar asked. “Accidents and shit happen, I get that. But it doesn’t mean it didn’t do shit to the kid. As long as she’s okay, all is forgiven, right? What’s the point in being mad if she’s fine?”

“That’s what I said,” Nevada replied. “I mean she acted weird for a few days. Didn’t wanna talk to me, didn’t even want me around, but as soon as we talked to her, everything got cleared up.”

Omar chuckled. “And Dama’s still mad? Man, she can hold a grudge.”

“You’re telling me,” Nevada mumbled. “Imagine what it’s like living with her,” he added in a chuckle.

“Suddenly I’m very glad to be single,” Omar replied, chuckling as well. “How’s Lily otherwise? I’m sure her head was already jumbled before the Rafael stuff. And her arm. She okay?”

“Yeah, she’s good. Still got a little mouth on her,” Nevada answered with a smirk as he turned the corner and his smiled faded. “You gotta be fucking kidding me,” he mumbled.

He drove past the second unmarked car, again parked directly across the street from his warehouse. Taking out his phone, he called Chibby as he turned the SUV around and headed back to the club. “Oye, I want bird eyes on all the warehouses, we’re on the way back right now...alright, bye.” He hung up the phone. “You believe this shit?” he asked, looking over at Omar.

Omar shook his head. “What are we supposed to do with two cratefuls of heavy artillery?”

Nevada sighed. “We’re gonna have to use the club.”

“You outta your fucking mind, man? Where the hell are we supposed to put them?”

“We can use a couple of the VIP rooms. Tell the girls they’re being deep-cleaned,” Nevada answered.

“Shit, I don’t know about this, bro.”

“It’s two days, we’ll be fine,” Nevada said.

Omar sighed heavily, running a hand over his face and letting his head lean back against the headrest.

“Alright,” he relented finally.

[therecklessseeking-blog]

June 25, 2018  Funnel Chasing in Iowa

I woke up super early one Monday morning. By super early I mean 8 am, because I’m normally sleeping until noon or later easily. For some reason, the night before I was able to pass out in time for me to be well-rested.

The trip that day was a split-moment decision. I remember lying in bed cycling through the morning ritualized web pages- weather.org, the SPC, weather.us and then over to my favorite radar app to see what was currently underway.

What I saw was that nice yellow bubble at the top of Missouri into Iowa with a 5% chance of tornadoes, but for some reason I wasn’t actually in the mood to drive out that far. I have a desperation to teleport sometimes. I like road trips. I like being far away. I like the freedom that comes with tourism, and the lack of true obligation. God, are the usual routes boring though. You can only travel on 70 so many times before you’re numbed to the usual array of fields and impatient drivers.

I knew that I was leaving for somewhere though, and I get out of the house by 845 am. It wasn’t a bad turn around to get up, dressed and packed within 45 minutes. My hallmark is indecision, and that can waste a lot of my time.

What was eating at me though was exactly where to go. Sure, there was that nice spot to the north, but the soaring index on weather.us also hinted at the vast amount of severe storms that would move northeast across the Ozarks straight to my county. And the timing suggested that I could explore cave-ridden and creek-laden areas for a few hours before they really started to develop.

As I traveled further and further west down 70, I knew that I would have to make a decision- and to be honest, for some reason I was really fixated on what all the data was saying about the southern routes I had in mind. Places like Sedalia and back roads to the southwest. Plus, since the storms would develop within Kansas and move east, it would be a longer chase. A chase that followed me.

There was a lot of anxiety surrounding that decision though. At the last minute, I kept asking the universe to synchronize some sign into my life. And oddly enough, it appeared in the clouds itself. They hung low, and moved north. I saw the curls I like to see, and one cloud curled itself right into an arrow. North it is.

But f*** driving all that way into Kansas City. I hate city driving, and Kansas City is one of the worst I’ve ever been to yet. I feared more wasted time just based off the inevitable urban traffic.

I’d been looking at the radar every 20 to 30 minutes and I noticed that the low pressure system sitting over Nebraska had already spawned some storms moving up interstates 29 and 35 around St. Joseph, which was another hour and a half away from me. I’ll admit I wasted quite a bit of time getting food, getting lost on the way to food, and then-having a bit of that anxiety earlier -taking a bit too long staring at the radar at one or two exits to decide what I was doing. Oh well.

I figured that I’d make it to MO-13 and go north from there. It’s an older highway, and it goes through some towns you can tell have been raised and broken down in history. This included Lexington, stage of a huge battle during the civil war. The long, rolling fields were stunning. And time consuming. I still had the paranoia that I was driving farther and farther from home on a weak whim. At least everyone was speeding.

I knew that taking MO-13 far enough would lead me to Interstate 35, but apparently that road has been closed for a while just beyond Hamilton, so I decided to sit behind a Dollar General for a second and check out a map. US-36 west would solve that issue immediately, and save me a lot of time. Meanwhile, I get a notification on my phone that the storm chaser/patreon I follow, Pecos Hank, was also aiming for that slight risk zone. Based on the clouds I’d seen coming up 13 off to my west, and the winds in my favorite app, I felt an increasing confidence in my decision of North vs South, and I race on. I reach Interstate 35 by 1:20 pm.

Now, I don’t normally recommend speeding at all. I’m a 5-over-the-limit type of person any other time. But as I’m looking at both the radar and the sky more and more on the approach, I realize that the show is setting up. There’s a bit of convection to the east and west of me. They all just looked like heavy rain so far, but my anxiety was increasing. There was an active range of over 70-90 miles easily, with some storms steadily popping up and moving quickly in the east right over Princeton Mo, and then of course the storms that had already been active near the Kansas/Nebraska border much closer to the low pressure system.

Just before 3 pm, I’ve reached Eagleville MO and jump off the highway to look at the radar. There's a new wave of convection to the south of me, filling in the rainless middle ground and heading north towards me. What I also notice is an organized line of storms approaching the Missouri river heading northeast. I’m near the convergence zone of these storms, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for.

Quickly, I choose a few roads to work their magic. North on US-69, west on MO-46, and not a car in sight I ride the hills to view the horizons bringing me the results. On a bend of 46, I manage to find a nice little hill to take a picture or two and check out any sheer in the clouds.

I still had just under an hour left though. The line to the west was moving much faster than the individual cells to the south and I could just barely make them out on the horizon, so my goal is to move more slowly to the converging point and stake out various places to watch the clouds set themselves up.

Hatfield showed some promise. Just a few houses, some of them abandoned:

There’s a natural area an eighth of a mile south of Hatfield called Pawnee Prairie that did the trick. The parking area was a nice clear overlook on top of a treeless hill, with a few farmers fields surrounding the area. Google says I sat there for close to 30 minutes as I watched the cells approach me. My camera failed to record like I asked it to, but what I noticed was the signs of low pressure. Low hanging clouds rush in west ahead of the storms, as if they gravitated to something else. With all precipitation on the radar heading either north or northeast, there was definitely something hidden happening in the sky. I abandon Pawnee Prairie and continue west down 46, stopping to find a field or two to take more pictures

15 miles away, my actual target was around Grant City MO. The line I’d spotted earlier was only growing stronger and closing in, and it was a race to find a suitable space for viewing. Suitable here means “tall, clear hill with a drive-able road and space to pull off to the side.” None of which is ever guaranteed nor marked with a sign, and as I close in on Grant City, I realize just how close that storm in getting and just how massive that storm became.

I still had no real intention on running into Iowa just yet though. The storms were only yet to arrive and something screamed “STAY!” Turning north onto US-169 I spotted the one road that would be suitable for my needs. North Lyon St (CR 286) is a dirt road springing off the top of Grant City, and right on top of the very hill that originally blocked the westward view from 169. It overlooked a large amount of the western fields, and although quite a bit of the southern sky was blocked by trees, I managed to get nearly 20 minutes of video of the wall cloud and heavily developing rain on the front end of the storm.

The thing was, while I spent so much time looking off to the west, I never moved myself to see what was to the south edge of the system. I had my prize view and signs of very minor rotation, and when I get that much, moving is paranoia. As the rain began falling over me my video quality was dropping, with auto-focus fixated on the droplets on my window. That’s when I checked radar.

Oddly enough, just south of me, a little hook echo had been forming, and I’m off speeding again. Trying to avoid the holes of this little dirt road in the rain was a challenge enough, but keeping my head clear as I race back south down 169 into Grant City was another challenge. I backed into someone’s driveway across from the second Dollar General of the day and began recording what eventually would form into the funnel I had been waiting for.

Now this video is a compilation of the whole event- from suitable hill to the chase it lead me on straight into Iowa up US-169. If you want the most interesting parts only, I guess my advice is to skip ahead 5 minutes

I’ll admit that parts of the audio are cut out to make it family friendly. When the funnel was forming straight ahead of me, there was still this vague aura of control over the situation. I had a southern escape route right across the street, and for a while, I felt not fear but exhilaration and joy. To think I could have missed the opportunity by going to Sedalia, right?

Any way, what I figured out was I’m completely silent until I repetitively cuss myself out for about 5 minutes in totality. No offense to myself, but what I realized after it passed over me and headed towards the hill was that it might really drop- in which case, I know better. That thing could have thrown any part of those trees at me. I had the legitimate warning of every storm chaser and meteorologist spinning around me faster than the funnel. While it’s great to have video of a tornado, it’s just stupid to film yourself getting hit by one.

I stalk it up 169, cross the Iowa border, and she’s still rotating nicely. I’m trying to find some sort of country road that would let me see over all the bad hill-and-tree combos. I started to understand why chasing in Iowa was such a tease. It’s beautiful, and the twisters are willing to twist but they play “The Floor is Lava” better. It was probably all the hills causing that.

While there are definitely less trees than my part of Missouri and the Ozarks south, man are all the views sporadic. I found myself leaving 169 for a few minutes when I’d found a hill, realizing that the storm was progressing too far ahead of me, and then racing back to catch the ground I lost.

It was also these hills that let me realize this rotation was dying.

Everything’s just started though, and I’m getting a bit scrambled trying to trace where the rotation is trying to head off to while not getting caught in some downpour. There’s just something about the middle of nowhere that makes phones slower and vague and while I’d bought a road map book of everywhere I could possibly end up that day, unless I had some sort of radar on the top of my car strictly to run my own data, I’m running the majority of this chase on finding hills for views and then routes to get over there.

That’s pretty much were I detoured the wrong way- watching the sky too much and missing a turn that would have landed me in the dense rain that popped up to my east. Instead, my stubborn self caught the most vivid rainbow I’ve ever witnessed- on a route that led me on a scenic view of a town that had no good road to the main roads I was aiming for. I’m left with a phone camera that couldn’t necessary capture how grand it was, but I’ll always remember it.

Looking back, it was sort of a mixed blessing to view the storms at such a distance. I was never really caught in any rain, but the hesitancy I had to really approach from the main paved roads caused me to lose track of it. The problem was that the main highways ran straight into any cells path moving north, and these elongated monsters moved fast and heavy. Any parallel path I found though was slippery (dirt and water don’t let you move any faster than 40 miles per hour either) and always carried the greater risk of concealing the horizon behind trees.

I did manage to find a few hills that made me realize just how much rotation a slight risk area can involve. Looking across the valleys around me, I spotted at least three wall clouds either rotating or forming around me. Two belonged to the same elongated cell maybe a good 5 miles to the east that had dumped so much rain in front of me earlier on.

There it was again- that overwhelming need to teleport. The anxiety only increased with an overwhelming need to be everywhere at once too. Complete storm omniscience is all I was really asking for. It's so toxic that it's hard to make decisions, and made me increasingly impatient with myself to get going. I appreciate the view, but I always realize that I fall behind. Soon I'll lose the storms to the same hills and back roads I vouch for.

It's easier to just post a map outlining the route rather than explaining it, because I elected a ton of back roads filled with charming old buildings that only served to keep me out of the action, but still in view of something happening.

As I got closer to Des Moines, I realized two things:

A) Nighttime was approaching within the hour, and I didn't have the best camera for all the amazing lightning happening, nor would I be able to see any rain or tornadoes approaching me on my drive home B) My cell phone only has so much memory, AND I've literally filled it all with clouds and cat pictures. Not to mention several 10-13 minute long videos of rotation from this and previous chases. This phone brand doesn't even contain bloatware either, so I've definitely outdone myself.

Yet I still record

I find an exit off of interstate 35 just a few miles south of Des Moines to sit and stare over the clearest horizon I've found yet. I'm refusing to give up the fight. I start to delete selfies, apps, games- anything for just a bit of memory. I start spamming my snapchat story with videos knowing that I'd have 24 hours to download anything I uploaded. All for one of the greatest sunsets I've seen yet, and a lot of SLCs (too bad my snapchat segregated the videos into fragments).

What I was most upset about was the phone thing. Nighttime storms are my favorite, and because night is the exact time that most severe storms roll through my area I was accustomed to chasing them more. This time I'd be left with nothing to show, nothing to save. The clouds glowed with rapid fire. I could tell with the intensity of each strike, these storms still had quite a while before they decided to retire, and I begrudgingly begin to drag myself down the highway home. It'll take me 5 hours- if I don't stop.

For a while I have to. Just a few miles out of Des Moines, I thought these tornadoes were coming for me anyway. There were still warnings active of course. There had been for a few hours. But I realized with the downpour, the radar, the split second views of scud to the north, and the fierce power of the wind under my car that I might very well have been in the draft suctioning into the storm. The rain fell sideways. In fact, it wasn't even falling. I stopped at a Casey's and even being under the shelter at the furthest point the rain could enter from, I was still absolutely soaked getting a literal seven dollars worth of gas. I gave up.

As I carry on, maybe an hour out, the sky is clearing, and I see the cloud tops of numbed cumulonimbus under a full moon and the active ones still firing off to the north. Dreamy, I think. Absolutely dreamy. I'd pull off to gawk, but something tells me the highway patrol won't like it too much with a “DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS” sign posted nearby.

Thanks for reading.

[gamebrocorey-blog]

Dead Cells First Impressions: OHHHH YAAAAAH!

   I listen to a lot of video game podcasts during my job and workout, and many if not all have been giving upmost PRAISE to a new indie game called Dead Cells. I heard about Dead Cells ages ago when it initially released on Steam in early access. I knew it was going to be great but wanted to wait for the full experience, plus I saw it was coming to the Switch. I actually pre-purchased this game a few weeks before it’s launch and didn’t get around to playing it until a few days ago. All I can say is IF I WASN’T WRITING THIS BLOG RIGHT NOW I’D BE PLAYING DEAD CELLS!!! OH MY GOD IS THIS GAME GREAT!!! Dead Cells in simple terms is a rogue-lite metroidvania 2D action game... I guess those aren’t that simple of words. It’s basically a 2D action game that changes every time you play it. You’re always finding new weapons, enemies and secrets, as well as getting cells to unlock some permanent upgrades. Oh yah, didn’t I mention every time you die, you restart from the beginning? Thus is the nature of rogue-lites, but that’s why I love them! Dead Cells mixes challenge of a Souls game with exploration of a metroidvania, and I’m absolutely in love! 

   As challenging of a game Dead Cells is, they still help new players out right from the get-go. The first run you have in Dead Cells is almost like a tutorial, showing you the basics of how to play and how the items work. Once you play some more runs though, it’s all on you. Figure it out genius!!! I’ve played for about 3 hours and I’m still learning and perfecting the runs. I remember starting very slow, than going very fast and dying constantly, now I move pretty fast through the levels while barely getting touched. The combat is a good mix of easy and hard. Attacks all depend on the type of weapon you’re currently using. The game starts you out with a pretty quick short sword, but you can find even faster daggers or strong slow heavy weapons. Most attacks performed by enemies are very drawn out so that you have a window to dodge or parry. Whenever you start are run, you are given the choice of taking a bow or a shield. The bow acts as a projectile weapon, while the shield can be used to block and parry, as well as absorb some minor damage.This choice at the beginning really showcases the fundamentals of Dead Cells, play the game how you like! The more and more you play, the more items you unlock and the more combos you find! Discovery and exploration is a BIG role in good metroidvanias, and Dead Cells even does this right!

   Dead Cells has two different types of exploration progression that works great and is fantastic. One is time sealed doors. As your progress into the hard levels of the game, you will find doors that look like hourglasses that are either blue or red. If they’re red, they will be locked and a message will appear saying how much time you were short of unlocking the door and you will have to try again next time. But if they’re blue, you sure did go fast and can pass through the door to obtain your prize of power-ups and gold! I also believe some of these timed doors can lead to new areas as well as unlock more lore in the game, but I can’t confirm this yet. The other type of progression is through platforming options closed off by runes. Runes are unlocked by beating specific mini-bosses, and are permanent unlocks that allow the player to access new areas through various means. The first rune you unlock allows you to to create a ladder out of a pile of cells, unlocking access to new areas! As you play the Dead Cells, you will find many different road blocks in platforming that you will realize will need a specific rune. This and the fact that each run is different adds vast replay-ability to the game overall! I was a huge fan of The Binding of Isaac and can tell Dead Cells is going to consume MANY of my hours! I hope to report back in a week or two for a full review of Dead Cells! Now if you excuse me, TIME FOR MORE DEAD CELLS! 

[murasaki-murasame]

On the one hand, we’re getting Ilia in the next banner as part of a prize showcase that’d be worth summoning on just for the extra rewards alone, but on the OTHER hand, I didn’t manage to get Gala Zena from any of the free summons, and then the worms in my brain went brrr and I think we all know what happened next :)

Also now that I’ve had time to experience the 2.0 update for a week or so, I’ve got a lot of thoughts on that to talk about too

First of all, I got absolutely no 5-stars of any kind from my free summons on the gala banner we got before the Zena banner, so that sucked, lol. I was genuinely tempted to at least go for a pity-break, but I decided against it, since that banner in general was so unappealing to me.

Then for the Zena banner I at least managed to sit back and see how the free summons went, and I got Meene and Midgard Zero off of them, which was nice. But of course that meant that I didn’t get Gala Zena, and I just couldn’t hold myself back from chasing her, lol.

Thankfully I managed to get her after an extra 70-ish summons, so I didn’t have to spend THAT much to get her, but I almost immediately got a dupe Meene from my ticket summons so that kinda hurt, lmao. I also got a dupe Andromeda [who’s now at 3UB], and I think those are the only 5-stars that I’ve gotten from these last two banners. The 5-star dragon ticket from the log-in bonus gave me a dupe Gilgamesh [who’s at 1UB now], though.

In general my summons were a bit more barren than I’d like, but I can’t really complain since most of them were free summons, and I managed to clear out the whole Zena banner, lol.

If I remember right, I had about 270 summons before this, and now I’m at around 200. We’ve still got some anniversary related wyrmite coming in the near future, though, on top of the free summons, so I might still be able to spark on the mid-month gala remix banner if I want to. But I’d probably only do that if Gala Alex is featured and I don’t get her from my free summons. She’s now the only gala unit I’m missing, so she’s a pretty high-priority spark target.

Which is also a big part of why I’m not really that interested in summoning on the Ilia banner, and by extension why I decided to go ahead and chase Zena now. I mean, that was still a dumb decision since if I ended up needing to spark her, that would have drained my entire stash, but still, lol. Ilia’s non-limited, and she seems to be the only new unit on the next banner, so if anything I’d mainly just be summoning for the extra rewards. Also I don’t really have any high-priority dream summon candidates anymore, since I got I-Nefaria and S-Mikoto a little while ago, and I got Meene from this banner, so I could just dream summon Ilia later on anyway.

But mainly I’m just kinda salty about how she’s basically a direct improvement over the new Joe alt, lol. I was hoping she’d at least be flame or wind or something, or even have a different mode type, but she’s literally just Joe but better, which is lame, since I really like Joe, and even if I got Ilia I dunno if I’d want to replace him on my light team. So that on it’s own kinda deflated a lot of the hype I had about Ilia.

Anyway, at this point my main priorities are to be able to get Gala Alex whenever she’s available again, and to hopefully get any new gala dragons when they come out. I’d also really like to go into the New Years banner with a spark saved up, just in case. Even though that’d probably require skipping Christmas. So we’ll just see how that pans out, lol.

All that aside, the 2.0 update has been out for a while now, and boy has that sure changed how the game feels, lmao. I think it’s an almost entirely good update, but there’s a lot of awkward growing pains going on as we have to adjust to all these new and changed systems.

I know that the new wyrmprint system gives us more flexbility than the old one, and that it at least gives a reason to want to use a lot of the 4-star prints, but I really hope they implement some sort of preset option soon, because having to keep setting up 4-5 wyrmprints on every single character is really awful. I’m also not a huge fan of how expensive it is to get extra copies of prints, but I get the logic behind it, and thankfully event prints are extremely cheap to get extra copies of. Which at least means that new players can pretty easily get four copies of Plunder Pals before eventually getting specialized skill damage prints, but I feel kinda bad for anyone who didn’t get all the Megaman event prints, since they cover basically every single important wyrmprint ability, lol. 

Also it’s kinda awkward how the change to having every print just give one ability means that a lot of prints got indirectly nerfed, like Fires of Hate and Resounding Rendition, or Chocolatiers now just being 50% skill prep. Not to mention how so many prints are almost identical, down to the fact that even the affinity bonuses for a lot of similar prints aren’t even different either. So that’s kinda weird. But ultimately I do think this was a good change for the game. I’m also thinking now that one type of new endgame progression they might add eventually is 6-star wyrmprints, since it seems really noteworthy to me that the new wyrmprint UI is a 2x3 grid with only five slots taken up, and the other just being empty space. So they might introduce 6-star wyrmprints to fill in that extra slot later to add even more flexibility to the system.

Then there’s all the changes they made to the weapon system, which I think are gonna take a fair while for me to feel truly familiar with. There’s a whole lot to take in, and even though I think it’s more streamlined and easy to understand at the end of the day, it’s such a huge change from what i was used to that it just feels kinda overwhelming and strange. But I think the only part of it that genuinely feels bad is how it’s now WAY more expensive to fully unbind Agito weapons than it was before, since you have to now buy all of the last four unbind levels, like with HDT weapons, instead of it just being a one-time upgrade cost that gives you an automatically MUB tier 2 weapon if you had a MUB tier 1 weapon. So that really sucks, and I think it really screws over anyone who was holding off on upgrading their flame and shadow Agito weapons until this update hit, since now it’s extremely expensive compared to before. But apparently it’s an intentional design choice and not just an oversight, so I guess we’ll just have to deal with it. I'm also kinda annoyed at myself for dismantling all my 5t3s before this update hit, since now they’re actually worth getting for the weapon bonus system, but that’s not as big of a deal.

And on that note, I know lots of people don’t like how expensive the weapon bonus system is, but I’m just viewing it as a super long-term, end-game grind that intentionally gives relatively minor stat upgrades that nothing in the game is actually balanced around. It’s basically just an extension of the weapon dojo system for people who want to have something to keep grinding for once they hit the end-game.

I do really like how they condensed all the niche void weapons into just one weapon per element/type combo, though, and how their unique weapon abilities are now passively applied to all similar weapons once you unlock them. It gives you a reason to care about getting them, and grinding void battles in general, without forcing you to use super weak weapons if you need their unique ability. I dunno how much I’ll actually grind Void Agni after this, but it feels really nice to just have the scorching air res ability on my Agito/HDT weapons, lol. It’s also really nice that they let you do the same thing with the HDT Bane abilities, since that makes it way easier to grind them, and this update gives us a whole lot of reasons to want to get back into grinding HDTs again.

HDTs are just way easier now than they used to be, which is great. I think Cygames has accepted that they just weren’t very fun or well-designed as endgame co-op raid type content, and that people just want to be able to farm them solo for their drops. And this whole update makes it way easier to do that. On top of the earlier change to nerfing their opening blasts and reducing the damage that AI characters take, it feels like they only slightly raised their stats to compensate for the huge balance patch update, which makes them feel way easier to beat than they used to be. And they also reworked the fights a bit so that they actually have purple indicators for [most] of their attacks, and some mechanics like HBH’s volcanoes now actually work properly in solo, so that’s neat.

The introduction of solo versions of endgame fights is really nice. I think at this point it means that you can go through the entire game’s progression system without touching co-op [outside of events, I guess], which is nice, since I know it’s always been off-putting to a lot of people that co-op is basically mandatory for endgame content.

We also now have PVP [kind of], which is something I never expected, and I ALSO never expected that it’d actually be . . . really fun and well-balanced? It’s genuinely shocking to me that they actually managed to pull off PVP properly in this type of game, lol. This has always felt like the most anti-PVP gacha game out there, if that makes sense, so I never thought PVP would work, but the whole battle royale set-up actually works really well. Mainly because everyone works off of the same blank slate, and your account progress outside of the battle royale mode has absolutely no impact on how strong you are in PVP. It’s more of a skill-based thing, where you’d have an edge over newer players just because you’re more familiar with how to move around in the game and do stuff. There’s also the fact that there’s barely any difference in the points you get between first and last place, so you don’t feel like you’re missing out on much if you keep losing. And most of the stuff you spend points on are just cosmetic skins for the character you play as, but there’s also some genuinely good rewards like sunstones and testaments that you can fairly easily get even if you just grind for it by dying as fast as possible every round. I really hope they keep the rewards the same for each season, since having a fairly consistent supply of 2 sunstones and 4 of each testament every five weeks or so would be really good.

The whole balance patch also happened, and that ended up being a lot more of a big deal than I thought it might be. Even though they only tweaked everyone’s damage mods and not any of their abilities or anything, basically all of the buffs feel like what you’d expect from a mana spiral. A pretty huge amount of characters got their damage mods doubled or even tripled, and then there’s cases like Gala Euden who effectively had both of his skill’s damage mods quadrupled, lol. I was wondering if they might use this as a chance to effectively give mana spirals to old gala units without actually giving them mana spirals, and that’s basically how this went. On top of Gala Euden now being even stronger than before, Gala Mym got basically all of her damage mods doubled, along with a new strength buff on her S1. Gala Sarisse also got her S2 improved so that it always gives a team strength buff instead of alternating effects. And Gala Ranzal got what seems to be a really big improvement to his damage in general, along with his gauges now being easier to fill, so now I think he might at least be on the same level as Leif, if not stronger, which he really deserved.

They even buffed a lot of the weaker shadow units, which I wasn’t expecting, but I’m glad about it. Obviously Norwin was one of the first units whose changes I looked into, and I’m glad that he’s better than he used to be, but it’s kinda awkward to me that he has poison punisher effects on his skills now, when they didn’t change the fact that he has a blind punisher ability, and another ability based around inflicting blind. I think he still needs a proper spiral to fully morph him into actually being about poison, but he’s a lot better than he was before. They also buffed S-Norwin’s S2 for some reason, even though he was really good before this update, lol.

Vice also now has the honor of being the first unit to get straight up nerfed in the game’s history, but even with the nerf, I think he’s still one of the strongest 3-stars in the whole game, and he’s still worth investing in as a low-budget DPS option. I also actually like the fact that he inflicts poison on his S1 now, since it makes him a more consistent source of poison, but it also means he’ll be constantly afflicting poison, which might not always be good. I think it’s a good balance change, though. At the very least I’m able to easily solo eHJP in like one and a half minutes while still using him as my main DPS unit, while also having everyone equipped with gold fafnirs. So he definitely still does his job just fine.

Anyway, we’ve also got the whole second anniversary event going on, and it sure is a doozy. I think I liked Fractured Futures more, but this is still a good event in it’s own way. It’s not as intense or depressing, but I like the focus on lore and world-building, and it’s also just really refreshing to get an entire event where Zethia’s the protagonist for once.

A lot of what the event’s gone over has felt sort of predictable, but it’s still nice to get all this stuff explicitly spelled out, and it also means we get to see Ilia as a socially inept punk biker with a giant rifle, so that alone makes the entire event worth it, lmao. I figured we were gonna get something like this from all the increasing glimpses at how ancient civilization used to be technologically advanced, but seeing it play out like this is still really fun.

It’s also interesting to get the origin story for Morsayati. It’s not quite as interesting as I would have hoped, since it turns out that the Other is just Mordecai’s disembodied hatred, but still. Mordecai’s a surprisingly adorable character, and for a free unit he also feels surprisingly strong, which is nice. Although it does suck that he just straight up outclasses Hanabusa, lol.

One of the more surprising things about this event is that we’re also getting new world-building about the fairy kingdom, which seems to be setting up for how they teased at the main story moving over there soon. It’s pretty clear that sometime after chapter 18 they’re going to release Notte as a playable character [either as a welfare unit or as a gala unit], and I think Meene is kinda like the template for how they’ll handle Notte as a playable character.

We also now know that we’re getting a free character from chapter 16, and like most people I think it’s probably going to be Leonidas as a flame gun unit going by the preview from the digest, but it’s possible that he’ll be the next gala adventurer instead. I also think they might do something with Chelle soon, since I think they teased her showing up in chapter 17, and we also know that she’s apparently the one who introduced manacasters to the world.

The latest This Month post also talked about how we’re getting a new Halloween event for the middle of the month, which is kinda surprising. I think we’re still getting a Halloween event at the end of the month, so I wonder how this upcoming one will go. My current guess is that, since they didn’t say anything about the banner that’ll be run along with it, they’ll just be rerunning the old Halloween banner for it, and the event itself will just be based around the second year Halloween units, since they didn’t get their own event last year. At least that way we’d get two new Halloween events without having to deal with the stress of getting two differently entirely new Halloween banners in one month. I’m also hoping that they make the old Halloween units non-limited like they did with the Valentines ones.

They’re also apparently going another rerun of Accursed Archives [plus the Akasha event], which is kinda surprising, since I thought they’d just add it to the compendium. But at least this means we’ll get an extra set of rewards once they add it to the compendium later, lol.

We didn’t hear anything about a new Halloween event/banner at the end of the month, but we’re probably getting one, and unless Gala Alex gets featured before it, that’ll probably be what I save my next spark for. I’m not sure exactly how they’ll work it now, but I’m hoping that they’ll bundle the new Halloween units into a gala banner that also introduces a new gala dragon, since that’s also something I want to get, so it’d be nice to knock out two birds with one stone.

[halcyonkrp]

WHO’S THAT TRAINER ?

coming from los angeles, usa and settling into the dongnae district here in busan as a contest judge, he’s not participating in league! but don’t underestimate gm, can you guess who he is?

                                                                           IT’S DAVID JUNG !

ADDITIONAL POKEMON

espurr, noibat, pokachu, dedenn, mimikyu, emolga, misdreavus, quilava

POKEDEX ENTRY

i.

David was ten when he started taking interest in coordinating and performing. He was ten when he thought it was actually kinda fun, kind of a way to express his feelings, a way to play around and be a little foolish sometimes. Of course, he was ten when he took a liking to it, but he was five when he started.

His mother, the successful designer and judge for Pokémon Super Contests, had started working actively in L.A when she met the quiet, subservient and loyal love of her life, Joshua Jung, a Korean-American, and had her only son, David. His dad was a fairly simple guy, didn’t argue much, didn’t really feel the need to lead the family in anyway, since his wife already had a taste for doing so.

She was… A little bit… Overwhelming. And by little bit, it means she had a doll for a son, and playing with him was her hobby. Im Saeron was one famous contestant that had so many prizes she stopped keeping count. She judged in South Korean, and then moved to the States when it started getting boring, but once again, she reached the top and was filled with boredom and a lot of spare time. Money was no problem, all her prizes earning her a lot of television sponsors and commercials, her minute being worth a lot. Saeron’s son, David, was made to follow the same path and possibly be even more famous than his mother, and he had no choice but to comply.

ii.

He was a star. At the age of 13, he won his first contest, moves executed to perfection, mastering the cute contest. David was a prodigy, he was known and he was technically perfect, contestant pokémon and his own battle team hand-picked by his mother, all except for one. A stubborn, little baby fennekin that was supposed to be really cute and an important asset - according to Saeron - but she didn’t like to do as told. Dave sometimes pleaded, sighing in frustration, and his mother would scream “It’s clearly no good for this, I’ll take it back to the lab”, but the boy would protest. “Let me try one more. Just once more.”

Truthfully, when there’s no one around, they’d… Play. Princess, the fennekin, wasn’t a bad pokémon at all. It didn’t like being bossed around, but it was funny and playful and comforted David on his worse, cheering him up when nobody else could. His dad had no voice in that family, and sometimes the pokémon was literally his only real friend, since playing with kids (when he had to practice!) was out of the question.

He cried once, stroking the fur of the playful pokémon,  “Why won’t you… Please… I know you dislike that but… She’s gonna take you away, please…” He was too young and too afraid, back then his team was in constant rotation, he had no choice. He had to succeed with Princess. “We can do it… In a fun way, please listen to me…”

She wasn’t a bad pokémon. She didn’t want to leave either. So, once, she listened well. That once, they made the perfect combo. And that was when he was able to feel joy at what he did. At the age of ten, he felt he could really make something out of a difficult situation. That life may not give him the lemons he wanted, but at least he could give his lemonade his own quirky twist.

iii.

He stomped his feet.

“I want to choose.”

She glanced down, not in surprise, but clearly not used to hearing that tone. “… Excuse me?”

“It’s my team.” He repeated, Princess swaying it’s tail, quietly glancing while resting in his arms. She had grown to fathom a fairly appropriated look that resembled royalty, whenever looking at Saeron. His mother wasn’t content, of course, but this time a second person stood up. “Let him.”

Joshua, his laid back dad, seemed to have heard enough, finally. He looked at his wife severely, “I think this should be his choice, since he hadn’t have one up until now.”

She, of course, felt like protesting. Three pair of eyes stared at her, pressing down on her will. She was one for a good fight, but something told her, looking into her son’s eyes, that he was able to move mountains for this one. Something told her that the fire she saw there, for the first time, was something he could turn into passion, and that actually did play well into her own wishes. “… Very well.”

Dave smiled. He won…? He really sincerely honestly did win something, he did… It might have been an empty sense of joy, but he built his own team according to what he knew, and tailored his choices towards first victory. Thirteen, he practiced for three years for that, and after that victory, he did not stop winning.

iv.

Sixteen, the age he finally moved to Korea, and although he spoke Korean to his mother, fitting into the mannerisms after living so long in L.A was sort of difficult. Nonetheless, he had to, since his mother planned for him to Master his two favorite categories and then start his own career in judging.

He didn’t manage to make many friends, being mostly busy with schedules and showing up on tv as “The Contest Fairy”, some most certainly annoying tropes he had to play into, smiling a lot and being cute and dashing, followed by his Princess, now a feisty Braixen who refused to evolve any further from her adorable form.

At that age he also would, sometimes, unwind by performing and he even got a few prizes into that, even though it wasn’t what his mother wanted him to do. It wasn’t what she wanted… But in a different country, there was so much she could control. And, what do you know, David actually liked performing, he enjoyed it a lot. It didn’t cross his mind to stop doing what his mother wanted, as he still depended so much on her, specially emotionally. But… he felt really alive at that time, it was a short time, but it was the best one he had so far.

Reaching 18, he debuted as a judge. He acted in the region of Busan, but he resided in the modern and bourgeoisie Dongnae district, sometimes being spotted within the streets and asked for autographs. His childhood was dead before it could even be alive, and now he had to act like the coordi public’s boyfriend, cute and funny, humble and well mannered. Most of these were fake representations of himself, a complete made up character that knew how to rise, but somewhere in him resides a child who really missed playing around and doing nothing. As someone who’s got a lot to learn, he’s envied and hated by some of the older contestants, and adored by the younger population (specially by girls).

[dramarising-replacement]

http://dramarising.com/post/163032265627/questions-for-you-all

1-I have a lot of answers for this actually. First of all, the fact that it centers on dragon variants instead of cats or horses or whatever random creature that gets thrown in. Second, it’s not drawn in an awful generic anime chibi style. It’s still kind of cartoony, but in a way that’s more believable and appealing to a wider audience. Oddly also the fact that the dragon sprites are relatively large rather than being sticker-sized helps me get attached to them(I guess because with larger sprites you can see more detail). Third, The fact that holidays are relatively regular and don’t correspond to any real-life ones. Fourth, the dual-tone colors and the fact that they’re treated exactly the same as any other color rather than being some “special” thing that you can never get unless you sacrifice a goat to the admins on the full moon the night of the 25th every 12 years at midnight on Monday of leap year. Seriously, NEVER have limited colors. It’s very discouraging and it never works out. Fifth, Apparel. No other site i’ve seen bothers with an apparel system and only one bothers with custom skins. A mistake almost all sites make is making the mechanics revolve around breeding better offspring when really most people want to just get some nice permas and keep and customize them, with breeding “better” kids as just a bonus, and apparel helps with that. Sixth, The site mechanics are relatively simple, most pages are pretty easy to find, the interface is not great but better than most i’ve seen, and the average newbie could probably figure out most of it within a week. Seventh, the fact that you can trade premium currency with other players and there’s no such thing as an “upgraded” account. I know having VIP members sounds like a great idea on paper but don’t do it. Every site I’ve seen it done on was killed by it. Eighth, I cannot possibly emphasize enough the importance of the scrying workshop and gene scrolls in keeping me interested in this game. If they weren’t here, i can tell you with absolute certainty that i and many other people would have lost hope at getting anywhere and given up on this game years ago. No one breeds the exact combo you’re looking for? That’s alright, just find one with the right colors and save up for a genescroll or two. Want to give someone a big gift? Genescrolls. Want easy filler prizes for the top tiers of events? Genescrolls. You think this combo would be pretty but you can’t find any existing ones to make sure? Pop over to the scry workshop and check it out, then buy some genescrolls. Done all your daily quests and there’s nothing left to do but wait for the timers on everything to run down? Kill time by planning projects in the scry workshop. These two dragons look like they would make nice kids but you’re not sure? Foresee progeny those suckers. Ect. Ninth, a minor detail but still one that feels worth mentioning, is the lore. Admittedly i really don’t agree with most of the admin’s lore choices but the fact that they tried to make a coherent backstory at all is something all but completely unseen in the petsite genre and i appreciate the effort even if i don’t agree with the precise result. Distant Tenth, i like that multiple eye colors and elements are an option even if i feel the implementation of both was clunky and poorly-considered (If i want a dragon with 5 pixels that are yellow instead of blue i have to go through an entirely unsupported exchange with another player who will take my beloved dragons for a week and most likely never even give them back? What the shit?!).

2-Aside from daily quests like tomo and bonding, that would have to be mostly planning and executing gene projects.

3-The fairgrounds and to some degree the coli. Both are painfully mind-numbing and give very little reward for the amount of effort put in.

4-Definitely coli grinding. It’s such an awful drag that pays almost nothing and doing it constantly is a requirement to get anywhere in the game. Guys, i know a simple turn-based-rpg combat system is comparatively easy to design and program, but please consider doing something else. I’m getting really sick of seeing it.

Some extra notes for you-

-NEVER have a system of “If you’re offline for X time your account gets deleted/your dragons get given away/ect” or “Your dragons die at x age” unless you ABSOLUTELY HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. Take it from my personal experience, all of the above strongly discourage people from signing up or sticking with the game even if they do sign up.

-NEVER have limited/event only genes or colors. This strongly discourages creativity and gene/breeding projects because people will feel like they’ll never be able to do it and give up on the game, Or they’ll feel that experimenting with odd combos using these is “wasteful”. Limited species can be done, but i would recommend only having a few. 2-4 at most, and it would be best to have the event they come from occur annually(with obvious exceptions for cases like if they were kickstarter rewards).

-Even if you want a 2D turn based rpg system there’s still more you can do with it that the incredibly bare-bones system FR has. Take chrono trigger for example. Also music and sound effects would be appreciated.

-Personally i think it would be best if any species could breed with any other species, even if it realistically makes no sense. Having it so dragon a can only breed with other dragon a just makes everything frustratingly restrictive and reduces population diversity.

-Please don’t make every single species design a dumpy furry kitten blob creature. Us edgy and/or realism fan folk need some options too.

-Dom the way it’s designed was an awful idea. All it’s done is divide the community with tribalism and ensure one or two rich powerhouse flights permanently rise on top and monopolize everything so no one else can follow, which will eventually kill all the other flights because they’ll either give up and move or be driven out of the game by some combination of frustration and bullying. Don’t follow FR’s example on this. Just the word dom alone incites some of the most vicious flamewars known to the site.

-I strongly recommend drawing your winged creatures with their wings fanned out or in some other highly visible non-folded position. It’s just overall much more attractive and makes it feel more like the colors and genes on them make a real difference.

I know there’s plenty more but i can’t remember it right now so here you go.

Disclaimer: I am not a petsite designer. I’m just someone who’s made a habit of closely observing a lot of petsites.