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makeste · 5 years ago

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BnHA Chapter 248: Internships II: THE MENTORING

Previously on BnHA: Endeavor asked Deku and Kacchan to give him the rundown on their character arcs, and Izuku said that he was trying to master his new definitely-not-a-second-quirk quirk, while Katsuki explained that he was trying to find “what he lacks” because he is going for 100% completion in his redemption arc and will accept nothing less! Gotta finish all those sidequests! Anyway so Endeavor was surprisingly into the whole mentoring thing for both of them, but then his own son was all “dad I’ve got something to say too” and Endeavor was like “oh shit” and Shouto was like “I still don’t like you as a person or a father and I only came here to learn flashfire from you!” and fandom was like “HOLY SHIT RIP THAT MAN HAD A FAMILY” and Shouto was like “YEAH I KNOW THAT’S THE WHOLE PROBLEM.” Anyways then they went on a walk, and Endeavor told the boys to try and take down a villain faster than him before the end of the winter break.

Today on BnHA: Endeavor and the Rowdyruff Boys take to the streets and fight some crime. Endeavor spends a lot of time giving the youths advice about how not to be so fucking slow, and even though he’s a bit of an ass about it, he makes some strong points about how a split second can mean the difference between life and death in a hero’s line of work. Anyway so he tells Shouto and Kacchan to work on storing up their power and releasing it all at once, and he tells Deku to work on making his Air Force as automatic as his Full Cowl is. They all sit around and munch on some bread, Deku does a bit of monologuing, and then we cut to ONE WEEK LATER and FUYUMI WANTS TO INVITE ALL THREE OF THE BOYS TO A FAMILY DINNER!? Motherfucker why does the last fucking panel have more exciting content than the rest of the chapter combined. Well anyways, at least we’ve got that to look forward to.

(All comments are my unspoiled reactions from my initial readthrough of the chapter. I did a quick edit for grammar and clarity afterward, and added a few ETAs in the process, but aside from that there are no changes.)

YESSSS IT’S MY GIRLS

is this a new dragon form for Ryuukyuu? it seems like something in between her big ol’ Smaug form and her human form? or maybe this is just forced perspective making her seem smaller than she actually is here. anyways she kicks ass as always and still want to see her breathe some fire

I just realized everyone on this team can fly? except maybe Hadou? but I seem to recall her hovering over some bad guys when using her powers a while back though. I really don’t remember much about her quirk; I’m glad the anime will be getting up to that soon, because actually seeing it in motion will probably help it to stick more in my memory

(ETA: she can release her shockwaves from her feet to levitate! everyone on this team can fly confirmed! well Tsuyu can’t, but her quirk is basically an offshoot Spider-Man brand so it��s close enough.)

moving on! looks like we’re getting some DEKU INNER MONOLOGUE

okay, several things that I like about this before we continue:

look how fucking comic-booky this is. the main character parkouring through the city streets, thinking Deep Thoughts in square boxes? pretty sure this is the first page of every single comic book ever made and I LOVE IT

that metaphor about learning to walk when everyone else was already focused on where they were going to run. god I love me a good metaphor. though Deku, you were technically 15 when All Might actually gave you the quirk. that’s not on you though, that’s on Horikoshi who I’m sure has already realized the error by this point and is probably kicking himself and will write a 10,000 word apology in the volume omake

the fact that SIXQUIRKS!! IS FINALLY BEING ACKNOWLEDGED AS A THING AGAIN OMG. I’ve only waited like 5 million years for more of this, so pardon me if I lose my fucking shit depending on where this is all headed. omg. this stupid manga

anyway!

they seem to have stumbled upon a game of Mario Kart in progress. at least I’m pretty sure this is a Mario Kart character. actually it might be Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog

so now Endeavor is MERCILESSLY CUTTING OFF HIS PATH WITH A WALL OF FLAME forcing him to abandon his bike if he doesn’t want to die a fiery death!

Endeavor truly does not give a fuck! not that All Might was any better, punching huge dents in the hoods of cars and shit. the moral of this story is, don’t be a villain. just don’t. because the number one heroes will fuck you uuuuuuup

now Endeavor is yawning and looking over his shoulder at Kacchan and Deku all, “oh you guys were there too?” but not really but basically though

(ETA: oh my god I just noticed the “hit-and-runner” part. have the people in this town never heard of brakes? do they know that red means stop?? also does Endeavor really spend the majority of his day just flying around dealing with traffic violations. I guess technically it’s still New Year’s, so it’s probably a slow day and also everyone is probably drunk.)

god you kids are so slow. it’s because you’re on that social media all the time! and watching all that MTV. kids these days don’t play outside in the fresh air anymore! back in my day!! anyways tough luck you young whippersnappers

Kacchan is grumping that he’s at a disadvantage because of the temperature. I forgot all about that

hey Kacchan I think your best friend has something he wants to tell you there

loool

OF COURSE HE REALIZED but uh, go ahead and spill it anyway if you want. but he definitely did realize. whatever it is that you’re about to tell him

so Shouto says that Endeavor is propelling himself by shooting flames from his feet, and that it’s probably a compressed version of the “jet burn” technique he used in Kyushu. you know, the one he used to fly, and Hawks was all “Endeavor you can fly!?” and Endeavor was all “this isn’t flying, this is falling with style” and we all rolled our eyes

anyway guys. if this is the beginning of Shouto finally learning to fly as well, I will get up and do some kind of happy dance, I don’t even know. do you even know how long I’ve wanted this. PLEASE

lol so Kacchan is all “okay I actually did know that, are you telling me you only just figured that out now” aaaaand yeah. I wasn’t gonna say it, but. Shouto how many times did you sit there and watch Endeavor blast off before you finally said “oh my GOD he’s BLASTING OFF!” sob. IT’S ALL THAT MTV AND AVOCADO TOAST! that noise isn’t even real music! get off your phone and have an actual conversation!

Shouto is so handsome and so good at accepting criticism. what an all-star. please start flying around soon my little Canadian flag

so now Endeavor is blasting off again and sassily hinting at which direction he’s flying off to next. “there’s a major street in that direction”

so now they’re taking off after him

that’s an interesting way of saying that he’s setting the whole town on fire. how do the people in Endeavor’s territory all manage with their daily commute? “almost there boss be there in five... oh hold up... Main Street’s blocked off by a raging inferno, I’ll call you back”

Endeavor says that heroes must be able to do “anything and everything” on their own, which is a curious thing to say in this manga which has time and time again made a point of demonstrating how teamwork gets the job done! I’m not sure I agree with this, Endeavor!

though I guess he just means they need to be able to handle it all if necessary. but I mean, sometimes that’s just not possible. using his own example of Kyushu, there’s no way he would have been able to handle the Hijinks Noumu while protecting all the citizens and fighting off all the other cannon fodder noumus all at the same time. I’m not even sure All Might would have been able to do that. maybe this is an example of how Endeavor still doesn’t have all of this hero stuff figured out yet

lol oh my god

Endeavor that was like four chapters ago, why are you only now bringing this up. act your age

OH SNAP GUYS HE’S MENTORING BAKUGOU. AND BY MENTORING I MEAN PICKING A FIGHT OH MY GOD

DON’T MIND ME I’M JUST WATCHING THIS OLD GRUMP TEACH THIS NEW YOUNG UPSTART JUST LIKE TOMMY LEE JONES IN MEN IN BLACK OMGGGG

so Kacchan is again saying that he needs more time in the winter, but like. Kacchan that’s not like you to make excuses. are you just going to hibernate for three months out of every year and only save people when it’s warm out?? or what

and Endeavor’s saying the same thing

oh shit y’all he’s getting real with them now

oh shit

by the way how fucking dangerous is this town, jesus. supposing that Endeavor wasn’t out here on patrol, what would be the daily casualty rate? first we had that glass guy rampaging downtown earlier, then that motorcyle guy who probably hit a dozen people, and now Tommy and Gina here nearly get run over by a speeding truck. what is this, Gotham City

anyway now Endeavor is saying TodoBaku rights so I’ll shut up

BECAUSE SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME KACCHAN THAT’S WHY! now hush!!

Shouto’s asking if this is related to him learning flashfire, because lest we forget, he’s here for ONE REASON and ONE REASON ONLY lol

so Endeavor says the two of them have to learn how to store up their energy and release it, and how to “condense” their power

you guys I am super hyped about this. not only because BEST FRIENDS PART TWO: THE FRIENDENING!!, but also because this will be the first time Kacchan has gotten a physical power-up in like, ever. (well, AP Shot I guess, but shh.) if he and Shouto are not both flying by the end of this arc then what even is the point!

anyway so Endeavor’s telling them all this technical shit about what to do, blah blah blah, but the short version is they need to be able to go from zero to sixty instantaneously, and release all the stored-up firepower focused into one single point, and to practice doing that until it’s second nature to them

omfg Deku’s so excited

BECAUSE HE HEARTS YOU KACCHAN lol this isn’t anything new, don’t be so shocked. ACCEPT HIS LOVE

though come to think, that really is impressive even for Deku that he knows about that particular technique, because Kacchan created AP Shot back when Deku was supposed to be developing his own ENTIRELY NEW FIGHTING STYLE, which you would think wouldn’t have left him with much time to spare to also keep tabs on his rival and write down his every move. so is his Big Hero Brain just that good, or is this chapter also promoting BakuDeku rights in addition to TodoBaku rights? you decide! but you already know which one I think it is lol

so now Endeavor is giving some bonus mentoring to Shouto

(ETA: why is Kacchan the only one who actually eats his lunch sitting down. these weirdos.)

you guys I love Shouto so much but does he really need it broken down for him to this degree? “son, you know all the things you do to control your right side? try doing those things to control your left.” Shouto: “!!!!” all those video games and participation trophies have fried his brain! too much Instagram! this new generation is going to the dogs

now Endeavor is turning his attention to Deku! but I’m more focused on the fact that they’re eating lunch, because my priorities are just like that

like lol, check out this panel of Deku talking with his mouth full

whole chapter was worth it just for this. boy you’re gonna get crumbs all over your super suit

Endeavor’s asking if Deku can raise his power level subconsciously, and he says he can for Full Cowl, but not for Air Force

so he says the first thing Deku should do is learn to control Air Force subconsciously, and forget about the Bloop for now

and Deku is all “what about parallel thinking” but more importantly, LOOK AT THIS

CAN I JUST GET A WHOLE CHAPTER OF EVERYONE EATING BREAD. LOOK AT THOSE CHUBBY CHEEKS. THIS IS AMAZING

Endeavor says a big part of parallel thinking is being able to do it without consciously thinking about it, and damn he’s right

IT’S ALL ABOUT THAT INSTINCT! also how does he know the man is yawning? you can see him from up there?? DOES HE JUST KNOW EVERYTHING

and he says that once Deku can do two things at once subconsciously, he just needs to add one more thing. damn, he really managed to break it down so that even this chronic overanalyzer can understand the concept

practice, practice, practice until it’s second nature. solid fucking advice

hey everyone Kacchan is still eating. just a PSA

that’s one for the family album. my handsome boy

okay like. it’s a nice speech, but we get it already dude. you can stop talking now and we can move on to something new

so then there’s some more Deku monologuing, pretty much the same stuff he was saying at the start of the chapter, and then Endeavor hits us with this little bait and switch gem

like, the first part sounded almost comforting, and then PSYCH!!!! but I guess he’s just trying to get them all fired up

(ETA: and like, just a few chapters ago we established how the success of these three kids is actually CRITICAL TO THE FATE OF THE ENTIRE WORLD, APPARENTLY. so yeah this is a total bluff. deep down he’s actually sweating and thinking “holy shit they better not fail.”)

and Deku’s finishing up his monologue by saying his maximum speed is doing things one by one. well that’s fine. so now will there finally be a segue?

YAYYYY

OH SHIT YOU GUYS!!!

are we gonna finally get into that TODODRAMA I have my popcorn ready to go!

lmao “and he’s even got friends with him, right?!” ah Fuyu you are the best. she’s so happy Shouto has finally found himself some good pals

OH MY GODDDDDD

HEY WHAT THE FUCK!!!

YOU SON OF A BITCH!! TWO THIRTEEN PAGE CHAPTERS IN A ROW, AND YOU FUCKING END WITH “NEXT TIME, IT’S A TODOBAKUDEKU DINNER AT THE HOUSE OF DRAMA!” AND THEN YOU HIT US WITH THIS. NEXT TIME I’LL JUST HAND YOU A KNIFE AND YOU CAN JUST STAB ME DIRECTLY IN THE CHEST TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU, YOU BASTARD. WHAT AM I GONNA DO FOR THESE NEXT TWO WEEKS WHILE I WAIT FOR THIS CHAPTER OF EVERYONE SITTING AROUND AND EATING BREAD WHILE FUYU PRESUMABLY TELLS THEM THE STORY OF “THERE ACTUALLY USED TO BE A FOURTH KID BUT WE DON’T TALK ABOUT HIM ANYMORE BUT WE WILL NOW!” BECAUSE THEY GODDAMN BETTER

sob. this chapter was basically just a thirteen page trailer for the real meat of this arc. some nice mentoring did occur, I’ll give them that, and I very much enjoyed it. but I’m tired of feeling like we’re just treading water waiting to get to the next big thing! surely all of the set-up is finally done now, right? everyone has their goals established now, we’ve had a mini-time-jump and school is about to start again, and we’ve done our preliminary testing of all of the TodoBakuDeku dynamics and confirmed that all components are firing on all cylinders. basically what I’m saying is we are good to go! ready to get off of this bench! GO AHEAD AND PUT US IN, COACH

anyway guys so here’s a list of what I want to happen at this dinner:

Shouto being all “this is my sister Fuyumi” and Kacchan and Deku being all “COME AGAIN?” because they legitimately thought he was an only child

Fuyu chuckling about how Kacchan reminds her of her dad, and both Kacchan and Endeavor being grossly offended by this

Deku and Kacchan spotting a family photo on the mantel, and Shouto explaining “yeah, that’s my mom, and my brother Natsuo... AND... MY OTHER BROTHER, TOUYA” and then the camera rapid-fire pans to Fuyu and Endeavor and Shouto’s SUPER AWKWARD EXPRESSIONS, before ZOOMING IN ON THE PHOTO OF TOUYA, AND BOY DOES HE LOOK FAMILIAR OH MY GOODNESS

Deku and Kacchan eyeing each other all “holy shit wtf did we get ourselves into” as it begins to dawn on them that they wouldn’t have enough time to unpack all of this even if they had an entire crew of movers on the job. not even Marie Kondo could clean all this shit up. GOOD FUCKING LUCK BOYS

so yeah! lots to look forward to! so I’ll try and be patient. at least we’ve got the anime to keep us all occupied. who’d’ve thought the Basement arc would one day be our salvation. life sure is funny

#bnha #boku no hero academia #endeavor #midoriya izuku #bakugou katsuki #todoroki shouto #todoroki fuyumi #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #makeste reads bnha #and it says a lot that one of the reasons I'm so sure it's finally going to be That Time #is because out of all of the remaining unresolved plot threads #the todoroki 'our dead brother who isn't actually that dead and has now turned evil' plot #is actually the *least* effed up of the remaining plots #so like assuming that we're going to keep escalating from here #this is actually the natural place to start #and from there we can move on to the child experimentation and afo theory reveals and the end of the world #lol we sure are in for some good times #bnha 248

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bearpillowmonster · 4 years ago

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KH: MOM Review (Gameplay)

Every Kingdom Hearts game feels different. It's always innovating and always adding new types of gameplay. This is no exception. Rhythm minigames are no stranger to the Kingdom Hearts series but a whole game based on it is new.

I don't play a lot of rhythm games but I have played the infamous Atlantica section in Kingdom Hearts 2 as well as the Symphony of Sorcery in Dream Drop Distance and the Ice Cream Beat of Birth By Sleep, Guitar Hero and I'll even throw in the Honeybee Inn rhythm game in FFVII Remake. Out of all of those, Atlantica has been my favorite, that's right, I actually didn't mind it.

Now this system is entirely different than any of those, at least to me. It's definitely the most complex though but just hold on because I know how the word 'complex' can be triggering for a game, I just mean in comparison to the others is all. It's not a DDR right, left, up or down. So without further ado...(Nonspoiler for this part, it’s just gameplay)

This game begins with a stage. You're thrown into it without any notice, there were things that I didn't grasp until near the end of the stage, luckily it doesn't count towards a score yet, and after it is the tutorial but that's just the opening so if you're clueless and want to be prepared, I would say to try out the demo, I didn't even realize how much it helped me until I played the actual game.

I wanted to say at just how friendly this game is to newcomers, it's literally all laid out for you. Nomura came out with HD remasters and collections of the previous games then a recap of the franchise on YouTube then put it IN Kingdom Hearts 3 and people still complained because they don't know the story and are too lazy to play the other games. Now Nomura's packed it all into one whole game to sum it up, explained from the perspective of Kairi herself so that you're still entertained while catching up. If there was ever an easy path to get into Kingdom Hearts, this is the answer. If I hear complaining about it from this point forward, I will be pissed. Now, as you can see, I didn't make it to story yet but that's not entirely what I'm talking about. All the buttons and functions are the same as a regular game, you basically have it all but the different keyblades (well you can collect them but not use them because they're cards). You can play as casually as you want, a song here and there. There are even options for a shuffle and sort function if you want to just jump to track selection but you'll need to unlock them individually in World Tour first. This may sound complicated but that's where the clean and accessible the menu comes in, I have to give props for that.

You're on a set track, it runs on its own, does its own thing except when you're gliding which is just moving left and right to collect notes. You use the normal KH abilities to your advantage because some enemies will be high in the air so you need to jump and slash at the same time but you can't just button mash any more, there's timing involved now. Once you get used to the gameplay, it's quite enjoyable, you may even get a song that you hit every note, my first one was 'Another Side', the first try too, I didn't hit all excellent though.

How do party members work? Well let's say you have Sora, Donald, and Goofy in a party. You have 3 buttons you can press to attack, Sora's the only one that can jump and the only one that can use the reaction commands so you need to pay attention to all three because there could be enemies on the floor and in the sky at the same time. The one thing I will say is a little bit of a complaint and that's that it doesn't tell you which buttons to press except on specific stages, it just has the symbols, I guess that's what makes it more combat oriented but it's definitely different and a little bit harder. But I guess it gets to be muscle memory, after a while. If you already know the themes, it gets easier for you to manage because you focus more on what you hear and less on what you see, that's how I started getting better with timing. I experimented with pretty much everything I could think of so I tried it with low volume and found that I missed a whole lot more because I couldn't hear it, which might be obvious because it's a rhythm game, but it just goes to show how important sound is. I even tried using headphones, I suppose that's up to you, it definitely made the music clearer but my performance was about the same.

What do songs net you other than progress? Well you get materials. Also similar to KHUX, you get crafting materials except these ones you can use for potions and stuff, I did a potionless run because I didn’t feel the need (but I also didn’t do it all proud either) but I used a few summons and item boosts just for fun. You can also craft cards, which are really just for looks to see in the Museum after you finish one of the memory dives (which I'll get into) but the way you get the cards, grinds my gears because it's gacha, you craft them and it's a surprise what you're going to get...so it's essentially a loot box that you don't pay money for?? What the-

(notice how it says KH2 or Days at the bottom, you don’t even know. Of course I have Writhing Shards rn but that’s because I beat the game and didn’t open a whole lot of keyblade cards but the memory and scene ones are the annoying ones for me)

You don't even have to "finish" the song, just get it most of the way before you die then you'll still get credit and still get a ranking, just no exp. Now, there are also stars, stars are from 'missions' for each stage, if you play KHUX, it’s kind of like how it says “get this amount of Lux” or “use this type of medal” or “don’t use continue” so most stars are just “get this many points” and you need to collect enough stars to get to the next area. With that, so long as you have enough stars, you don’t “have” to play every stage, just like regular Kingdom Hearts and skipping worlds, I did though, just for sport, except Let it Go, just for spite. I could see plenty of fans going after those A+++ Proud Performer 3-Star rankings, I can't wait to see the hype it generates, same with the co-op.

They went all out when they didn't have to. The Museum is where everything is collected, so all the cards you collect and craft. You can also just play the song on its own without gameplay through the Museum, so if you want headphones to just chill, it's really nice. You can also play the cutscenes and memory dives on their own without the gameplay. There are "feats" or missions such as finishing a certain number of songs, like Nook Miles or the ones they had in Re:Mind. You can collect profile pictures for your co-op or versus account, mine is Simba (even though I don’t really use it). But the co-op can get pretty intense as you can “sabotage” each other, which seems similar to a Smash or Mario Kart match, adding that much more to the gameplay.

A few more complaints, one is that certain enemies from a stage, (say, the Wyverns) won't have the same attacks as the other stages, sometimes they'll have it so that you jump to hit them and sometimes they'll just have them take a normal hit without the jump so you can't memorize what each enemy requires (there are too many to really do that anyway). The other thing is more just opinion based, particular enemies such as Large Bodies tend to carry a weight so you need to hit them more than once even if its just one enemy. How it does this is that you hit it and then the enemy gets knocked back as your next note so you hit them again. There were definitely times where I struggled because I knew I was hitting the buttons but nothing was happening, I would guess timing was the problem in some of those cases but the indicators can be difficult to keep track of because it has to be “just right”. I think even just a line on the floor to tell when you’re supposed to hit would be a major help but in a way, I feel like that’s on purpose. Also, in the Museum, you can view all the cards EXCEPT the Keyblades which is pretty shotty if you ask me, what's the point in grinding to get my favorite Rumbling Rose, if I can't even look at it properly?

(also new names for some keyblades (this is a zoom-in))

There will be a lot of things happening at once which can be daunting, I do appreciate that they included the easy, standard, and proud modes though. Keep in mind, each of those are used for individual songs, not playthroughs so if you want to change, go ahead, at least as far as World Tour goes. On top of that, there are different modes that also gauge at how good you are (to use on the track selection). There's the basic mode which I already explained, then there's the one button mode which should be self explanatory, and then there's the performer mode which is quite a lot to put on your plate all at once because on top of normal gameplay, you're adding new buttons and things in the middle of your attacks, I would probably only recommend that after you've got a decent amount of experience because I tried it day 1 and it seems like you would need a good understanding of the game and to be on the same wavelength before even attempting it. You can view a playthrough of each stage called a "demo" which is the little play symbol button next to the "play" button, it shows you how you should be playing to get an A+++ rank and giving you a heads up of what's to come, all excellent all the time. On top of that, when I was playing Xenoblade, one thing I proposed was flicking the analog stick in a certain direction for each move, that’s present here in the form of bosses and memory dives but if you want it to, you can go into the menu to enable it for regular gameplay. You'll find out if you want it on the very first stage, again, I would only recommend it after a lot of experience.

Your characters level up but it mainly just has to do with HP so you don’t die so easily but at the same time, you have potions so I don’t see much of a point for normal gameplay. All three of the party members only have one health bar, so leveling does come in handy for the bosses. However, I don't understand how each party member has a different level, maybe it's just based on the amount of notes you hit with that character but it's kind of weird because I don't think it matters. Even on the team selection part of the play screen, it has one compilitive level so why would they be different on the menu?

For bosses, you only encounter a few. If it were me, I would've made one per game but it is what it is. You don't worry about jumping anymore, it's just holding the attack button down instead and the amount of "dodge" notes that you hit will work in your defense whenever the boss attacks. Once the dodge section is over, it actually tells you how you did with the dodging section. The first time I ever did it, it said "Oh No." it has a sense of humor, it took me a while to nail those ones you hold down which is odd because I rock the gliding sections most of the time.

There's only one more type of gameplay type I can think of, memory dives. It's similar to a boss but you're flying and there's a scene playing in the background, also some of the directional notes will have doubles, so you need to point the analog stick in different directions which is as difficult as can be because you have to use BOTH analog sticks (took me forever just to figure that out). You 'mainly' gain the memory dives from crafting which is a bit odd but you unlock the recipes and items as you go through World Tour and then play them separately in Track Selection, until you get to KH3 at least.

Keep in mind that I played the demo on both PS4 and Switch and compared the two, my performance was about the same, though I will say this. With Switch, you can take it on the go and just do a few levels here and there as well as remove the joy-cons. The thing about that is that I feel the need to shake the joy-cons but there's no function that uses that in the game, I really wish there was though. And those directional ‘slide’ notes have to be way easier on PlayStation because the analog sticks are right next to each other.

#kh #mom #melody of memory #kingdom hearts #gameplay #review #game #kh: mom

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posthumanwanderings · 5 years ago

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alright so I’ve done a top 10 favorite obscure SNES games and my top games in general are real obvious / similar to others (all you need to know is that Chrono Trigger is the BEST GAME OF ALL TIME :) ) so I’ll do instead a.... ~Top 10 SNES Memories~

1. dat pre-launch Super Mario World hype at Sears (how I played SNES for the 1st time, then afterwards at a babysitter’s house cause we didn’t get one right away)

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2. witnessing the first RPG I’ve ever seen, Final Fantasy IV (FFII in NA). I didn’t actually know how to play it, was too young so my older brother would get home from school yelling at me thinking I fucked something up but I didn’t accidentally save anything luckily. so I watched him and his friend beat it from midway in the game, the underground cave of monsters part to be exact.

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3. everything about Donkey Kong Country, from gameplay to presentation and this video that came with Nintendo Power magazine:

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4. playing copious amounts of Super Mario Kart with my cousin all summer while drawing our own maps and character creations during game breaks. also truth be told, but I came up with a very Bowsette like character back then, with a very similar look but only differences were that she had red hair and was Bowser’s wife, not just the princess alter ego of him.

5. celebrating my 7th birthday at Pizza Hut while getting Star Fox as a present from my mom which came out a week before. for its time it was one of the best looking console games and it drove me towards loving much of the on-rails shooter genre.

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6. between the time Star Fox released and before Final Fantasy VI came out my parents got divorced, so I remember vividly how much FFVI and other SNES RPG’s around the time I learned to play from watching my brother helped me cope with it all, just immersing myself in another world and its story. no salty feelings about it now, but gaming definitely helped with my escapism from shit you can’t help in life. so, thanks Squaresoft : )

7. METAL WARRIORS head-2-head mode! I might’ve talked to one person IRL who knew exactly what was up when I mentioned MW, but I see other peeps on the net low key appreciate how intense those matches could get. made me wish the actual Assault Suits games had 2-player Vs. mode, or even co-op.

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8. Street Fighter 2 and each revision afterwards was HYPE. from playing it in the arcade to seeing a decent home port, only getting buffer and faster with each release which we got with no regrets. I still play this classic game (SSF2x) on Fightcade to this day, the perfect fighting game.

9. Super Metroid’s deep, desolate atmosphere is embedded in my mind as one of most mood inducing games I’ve ever played. all while still just a 2D game too. foggy, cloudy transparencies, alienating / suspenseful music, nice use of lighting in dark areas and ambiguous ruins that the Metroid series never fully explains until the Metroid Prime series and Zero Mission. on my top 5 favorite game list.

10. sometime in the early 2010′s I had what I call an SNES Renaissance, when I got back into playing emulators but wanted to check out games I never heard before thanks to the blogs at the time showcasing the hidden 16-bit gems. my list I wrote before were the games I beat then, and there’s still plenty more for me to check out, especially the RPG’s!

had a lot of fun fond memories playing the Mega Man X games, Yoshi’s Island, Mario Paint, and losing my mind with Contra III, but I think I wrote enough already for this. currently about to beat the PSP version of FFIV (then maybe check out FFIV After Years?) then play more SNES favorites from my past and some new ones before switching it up to the next system focused vibe (o you already know..) show dat grey and purp box some love for me, and feel free to post some of your own memories here as well : )

#snes #super nintendo #list #text #gaming memories

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wikipediathefreeencyclopedia · 6 years ago

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compilation of my favorite otp prompts 5

tag

cute weather/seasonal AUs your OTP [x]

when it rains

who wears the designer raincoat/umbrella set and who is wearing oversized polkadot rainboots and a huge yellow duck raincoat

going for a walk in the rain and splashing in puddles

which one seduces the other into standing under a tree before shaking the branch and soaking them

gOING SWIMMING IN THE RAIN and making out maybe

fall (aka autumn)

who buys mulled cider, who buys hard cider

who wears the really intense halloween costume, who wears a sheet with holes in it

snow/winter

Who builds the snowman, who eats the carrot nose bc they weren’t paying attention (”OH THATS what the carrot was for, my bad”)

oh no we stayed out too long and need to warm up better share the shower/hot chocolate to conserve resources

person A burying person B in snow and then kissing their forehead and walking away (“YOU MOTHERFUCKER YOU CANT LEAVE ME HERE” “I love you too I’ll be back!” “EXCUSE ME”)

imagine your competitive otp [x]

making ridiculous bets on whose wind-up toy will win the race (may include sabotage)

having a food competition (with a food both of them hate)

having a cake-baking competition

sabotaging each other in mario kart

Some height difference things for your OTP [x]

The taller one sitting on the floor between the shorter one’s knees as the shorter one braids/plays with their hair.

The shorter one tackle-hugging the taller one when they come home from some sort of trip, hoping that they’ll both fall to the floor in a pile of limbs and cuddles/kisses, but unfortunately the shorter one isn’t strong/heavy enough and they both remain standing.

Bonus: to compensate, the taller one decides to pick the shorter one up.

The shorter one having to sprawl like half their body across the taller one whenever they ride the bus/train so as to give the taller one all the leg room.

Or, the shorter one sitting down and immediately noticing that their feet don’t touch the floor, becoming embarrassed by this, and then pretending that they’d rather just snuggle up super tight with the taller one.

Bonus: the taller one realizes exactly what’s going on but says nothing. Or teases them endlessly about it, up to you.

The shorter one physically sitting in the taller one’s lap.

The taller one standing behind the shorter one and putting their arms around their shoulders, then resting their chin on top of the shorter one’s head.

Bonus if they’re watching the stars/sunset/ocean together.

Imagine your OTP: Orchestra edition [x]

‘I didn’t bring my music but you gave me your extra copy and I blurted out that I loved you, and we could have awkwardly moved past that but then you accidentally said that you loved me back’

‘I was in the very back row of your concert so I could barely see the stage but I was so impressed with your performance that I decided to hang around and see if I could meet you, and it turns out that you are actually very cute holy shit’

AU List #3 (Theme: Jobs/Work) [x]

“You stood up for me against that really rude costumer who almost made me cry, thank you.”

random aus to consider though [x]

we pulled an all nighter trying to play monopoly and i think i may have confessed some weird shit

Hospital OTP Prompts [x]

I’m a bit loopy on the drugs they gave me for the pain and I told you that I love you and it’s the only thing I remember afterwards AU

The doctor is constantly telling you off cause you keep making my heart beat go faster when you’re talking to me AU

Things I need to be written [x]

person B is a half mermaid and person A orders the salmon for the both of them

Who wants some AUs? [x]

“‘You’re gonna get a cold if you stand out in the rain!’” AU

“I’m on the swings at the park and looking real depressed why did you come over to talk to me?” AU

Weird OTP Prompts for all your fanfiction needs [x]

You’re colourblind, and I managed to get you glasses that will let you see all the colours, but instead of being amazed, you’re just really offended by the colour purple, and you’re yelling at me for wearing a purple shirt.

“Do you masturbate?” “I–I’m sorry, do I know you?” “No, now answer the question.”

I’m colourblind, and you gave me these really awesome glasses that let me see colour, and I’m pretending to really hate the colour purple because I want you to take your shirt off. But really, purple is a fucking ugly colour.

Some of my actual experiences in musicals/plays... [x]

hey we’ve never talked before so now we’re playing love interests how about that AU

hey we’ve been good friends for years so now we’re playing love interests how about that AU

I play a police officer and at one point I get to arrest and drag your character offstage and I’m having a little too much fun with it AU

Did somebody say OTP PROMPTS? [x]

Person A dips Person B (like the dance move, but then get distracted and drops them).

A walking in on B absolutely killing it at Just Dance.

Person B wins Person A a gigantic stuffed animal at the fair.

Person B reading to Person A on the couch to help them fall asleep.

A and B having no mercy on each other in Super Smash Bros.

Person A playfully teasing Person B about how cute they are.

your otp finding each other annoyingly endearing [x]

you’re so stoic or deadpan most of the time but when you get flustered your face lights up red like a beacon and it’s so cute.

you have no idea what personal space is and it’s really distracting when your face is two inches away from mine, what if i turn my head and accidentally kiss you

you don’t like snuggling or a lot of touching but when you’re asleep you’re a cuddler for better or for worse

MORE AUs for you [x]

you’re a magician and you pick me to be your assistant for a trick but the real magic is how you managed to slip your phone number to me while you were sawing me in half au

I made my thousandth paper crane and wished to find my soulmate and the next day you move in next door to me what does this mean au

AUs based (loosely) on things that have happened to me recently [x]

I just watched you fill up a container with dry dog food biscuit by biscuit what the hell are you doing

76 OTP prompts list [x]

Person B is reeaaaaaally tired, but Person A is super, super energetic and loud. Trying to get Person A to shut up, Person B kisses Person A.

Imagine person A of your OTP relentlessly flirting with B in public, just to see B blush.

Imagine Person A of your OTP seeing Person B with bed hair for the first time, and being totally blown away by how cute/hot/etc. they look with their hair being a huge mess. Bonus: if Person A gets flustered when Person B pokes fun at them for liking it.

Imagine your OTP getting in a fight and one of them yelling that they love the other one and then it gets really quiet.

Imagine your OTP cuddling under a blanket on a cold winter night. Person A gently wrapping their arms around Person B and lightly kissing down their neck making Person B shiver from something other than the cold outside.

Imagine your OTP running into each other under the mistletoe. Person A blushes and goes to suggest that they don’t have to kiss but Person B cuts them off with a kiss.

Imagine person A walking out of the bathroom after a shower, half-naked and wreathed in steam, and B immediately dropping whatever they were holding. Bonus if it’s an animal which gives them the stink eye before slinking away.

Imagine your OTP living in a dorm. Person A thinks that person B is kinda cute, but otherwise doesn’t feel much for them. Person A goes to borrow a textbook from person B and walks in on person B in their pajamas with their hair all messed up and person A thinks it’s the cutest thing ever.

Imagine person A of your otp is reading a book late at night and person B can’t sleep so they ask person A to read to them so person A starts reading out loud and a few minutes later person B is completely knocked out and person A gives them a kiss on their forehead.

Being on the brink of admitting their feelings for each other but then getting interrupted.

“You were trying to reach for a box of cereal and a whole shelf’s-worth of cereal boxes fell on you here let me help”

OTP Prompts [x]

Imagine Person A seeing Person B and just having the most powerful, undeniable urge to have sex. Just out of the blue with no provocation except for Person B’s existence. Bonus if they’re having conflicting feelings about acting upon the urge because they’re in public.

no title [x]

‘i keep bumping into you everywhere and you’re starting to get weirded out but i’m not stalking you it’s just a string of coincidences i swear no wait let me explain’ au

Random OTP Prompts [x]

Everyone I talk to mentions you at some point and I didn’t get it but now we’ve met and I do. I definitely do.

We knew each other when we were like 2 years old because our moms are friends and we haven’t seen each other since but now your family is visiting and you’re a lot hotter than you were when you were a toddler.

Everyone thinks I have a crush on your friend but actually I like you which is even more embarrassing.

Reunited AUs [x]

“we’re texting for the first time in forever and i told you about some stupid thing i did and sent a sarcastic ‘you must really miss me, huh’ and you just replied ‘yes’ and i think my heart just broke” au

Spoopy Halloween AU’s for ur OTP!!! [x]

we were supposed to go on a double date to this horror movie but neither of our dates showed up and it’s really just our friends trying to get us together

we both got dragged to this stuffy Halloween party by our parents wanna kiss in the corner?

#writing #writing prompts #otp prompts #au prompts #prompt list #compilation of writing prompts #otp aus

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banduckoot · 5 years ago

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Crash Bandicoot Game Idea

In the planning stages of the original Crash Bandicoot, Naughty Dog had the idea to implement an unlockable bonus game inspired by one of their earlier titles: a fighting game! Sadly, this was not to be.

And seeing how Crash didn’t get to be in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale either, it got me thinking about what a Crash Bandicoot fighting game would be like. So here’s what I’ve written down so far for my idea, Crash Clash!

Ever since the birth of his video game career, Crash Bandicoot has secretly dreamed of being in a fighting game. After getting snubbed by one tournament too many, however, Crash has decided to take matters into his own furry hands and start one of his own! No holds barred, anything and everything goes, and the champion wins the title of “World's Best Fighter”! Soon, word gets out about Crash's tournament, and now everyone in the world is invested in what has become much bigger than what Crash was anticipating. Even Dr. Cortex and his minions show interest in the goings on, and they may even take advantage of all the media attention Crash's tournament is getting...!

THE ROSTER

Crash Bandicoot Our hero, he's in charge of the tournament as well as a competitor! Crash has good stats all around and has medium weight... your most basic fighter with no outstanding strengths or weaknesses. Crash utilizes punches, kicks, belly flops, and of course spin attacks to put the smackdown on his opponents.

Coco Bandicoot Crash's little sister is a martial arts master, particularly fearsome for her kicks and chops. And just like non-mutant bandicoots, she can flip her opponents over and slam them into the ground! Coco isn't quite as strong as her brother, but she does move faster, and is a bit lighter as well. She wants to bring a whole new definition to “fight like a girl”!

Crunch Bandicoot Our favorite musclebound marsupial with a prosthetic arm that hits like a freight train! Crunch doesn't like hurting people, but he's glad for the opportunity to show off his strength. He utilizes wrestling moves to take down his opponents, as well as punches and kicks.

Dr. Neo Cortex Wherever Crash is, Cortex is sadly not too far behind. The bad doctor knows he's quite physically weak compared to everyone else in the tournament, which is why he's packing multiple weapons, including his trusty ray gun! He's also equipped with special armor to increase his defense, including a helmet for his massive noggin.

Nitrus Brio Cortex's former colleague wants to prove himself worthy for a change, so thanks to his trusty mutagen formula, N. Brio changes into his monster form to kick butt and take names! Monster Brio is pure brute strength, clobbering opponents with his fists and crushing them in his bulky arms. It'll take more than jumping on his head to stop him this time...

N. Gin Guess who built a mech suit for himself just to participate in this tournament? Yup, N. Gin did! It's not as big or explosive as his previous ones; it's just big and durable enough to give him the strength and protection he needs to take out even the biggest opponents. It's even outfitted with lasers and small missiles!

Nefarious Tropy N. Tropy relies heavily on his giant tuning fork to best his opponents, whether zapping them with energy blasts or smacking them hard with its hefty weight. He also uses his time warping powers to teleport and avoid getting hit back. The armor he always wears provides him with plenty of defense as well.

N. Trance This egg-like being from the 5th Dimension can stun his opponents with hypnotic blasts, as well as temporarily grow in size to crush them, or float to avoid them. However, being egg-like, his defenses are kind of pitiful.

Nina Cortex Not willing to let Coco have a chance to be the World's Best Fighter, Nina has entered the ring just to spite her blonde rival. Like Crash, Nina uses spin attacks as one of her offensive techniques, but she also has long-reaching, hard-hitting punches thanks to her bionic metal hands.

Ripper Roo Hopping, biting, kicking, and scratching with his razor-sharp toenails are Ripper Roo's secrets to success in the ring. He also somehow carries explosives with him, which he plants as he pleases around the arena or on his opponent.

Koala Kong Aside from punching and crushing his opponents, Koala Kong seems to have a never-ending supply of heavy objects to throw at them as well! Where does it all come from? Who knows!? Does everything have to make sense in the world of Crash Bandicoot!?

Pinstripe Potoroo Pinstripe was forced to put away his tommy gun for Crash's tournament, as actual bullets are kind of a no-no in family-friendly fighting games. Thankfully, Pinstripe is perfectly fine with good-old-fashioned beatdowns! Doffing his jacket and tailored shirt to reveal a white undershirt, Pinstripe primarily uses boxing techniques to make his opponents eat dirt.

The Komodo Brothers Komodo Joe and Komodo Moe fight as a team, swords a-swinging! Knock one of the brothers out, and the other one is left almost defenseless. Joe is lighter than Moe, the latter of whom is a heavyweight. Try targeting one brother at a time if you want to get past them!

Tiny Tiger Crushing, clawing, and biting his opponents makes Tiny a happy Tasmanian Tiger. He's especially eager to put the hurt on the bandicoots.

Dingodile Slow-moving and heavy, but pretty dangerous nonetheless. Dingodile will blast you with his flamethrower, smack you with his tail, and bite you with his sharp teeth if you manage to get too close. He may not have a lot of muscle, but his bulk and firepower are not to be underestimated.

Fake Crash As always, Fake Crash wants to prove his might against the real Crash. His fighting style is similar to that of the real Crash, but with a twist that makes it seem “drunken” and unpredictable in style. Fake Crash's moves are just a little bit stronger than the real deal's, but he moves somewhat slower, too.

Papu Papu Our favorite native chief can bonk the daylights out of you with his club, bounce you backwards with his massive stomach, or use magic to summon small clones of his opponent to do his dirty work. Papu Papu is as strong as he is heavy, so watch out!

Penta Penguin Small, fast, and light, Penta can easily dodge many a blow from an opponent. However, this also means he can be easily knocked out... assuming you can get past his spin attacks, flips, and belly slides.

Baby T Baby T is finally putting his sharp teeth to good use, as well as his powerful legs and foot claws. He can also headbutt his opponents, often charging the attack first before sprinting forward. Be careful that he doesn't fling himself out of the ring when he does this!

Tawna Bandicoot How can Tawna possibly say no to the opportunity to kick some booty in a fighting tournament? She uses kickboxing to beat down her opponents, and is all too eager to use everything she knows against a certain evil scientist...

Yaya Panda Formerly a kart racer in two different mobile circuits, Yaya has decided to return to her first true love: kung fu! She's sort of a shadow of Coco, but has far superior stats to the bandicoot, moving faster and hitting harder. So... maybe Coco is really a shadow of Yaya?

NEW CHARACTER: Porkbelly This huge mutant warthog is highly disciplined in the art of sumo wrestling, and has a fearsome and oftentimes reckless personality. It is unknown which scientist mutated Porkbelly, but he doesn't seem to have any loyalties towards anyone, anyhow. He's just a very big pig with a very big belly, and an even bigger competitive streak.

... And that’s all I’ve written so far. I want to add more characters and come up with different modes and mechanics, but I’m not sure if I can focus long enough to do that. If anyone has any ideas of their own to add, let me know!

#Crash Bandicoot #game idea #mine #fighting game #too many characters to tag

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jadehqknb · 7 years ago

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Haikyuu Father’s Day Headcanons

I woke up feeling domestic today so in honor of Father’s Day I put together some random headcanons for some of the Haikyuu boys. I hope you enjoy them and happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

Karasuno

Daichi has been teased for being the “dad’ of his group for years so it’s no surprise he takes to fatherhood officially like a fish to water. He is the king of shoulder rides and tickle fights.

Sugawara is the best at bedtime stories, often coming up with “multi-chapter” renditions he continues one night after the other. It’s his ploy to get the kids to bed. “Well, if you want to know what happens to Marxa and Meddy, listen to your mother and get ready for bed.” Works. Every. Time.

Asahi cried when his daughter - the first born - came into the world. He couldn’t help it, she was just so tiny and perfect and a piece of you and him that he was overwhelmed. He was a bit afraid to hold her at first but once that sweet bundle was nestled in his arms it was over for him; he didn’t know he could love two people with an equal level of devotion in such different ways.

Tanaka loves all that being a dad entails. He’s there for his kids first bike ride, roller skate fall, getting stuck in a tree and needing daddy to save them. He chases away monsters from under the bed or in the closet and is always the first to kiss a boo boo and make it feel better. He’s their hero.

Nishinoya’s energy is able to keep up with his brood - four kids - rather well. He loves “tagfest” the most, running through the park as his kids squeal with glee and “daddy, catch me” sounding over the fields.

Ennoshita documents every little bit of his children’s lives that he can, for posterity (and a little practice). But he makes sure to set the camera down and actually be in the moment with them, frequently caught off guard when he’s editing later to find his wife sneakily grabbed the camera and got some scenes with him as the main star.

Kinoshita is the best breakfast maker and loves doing it with his kids. They make a mess of the kitchen but the end results are usually delicious. They horse around a bit during the cleaning and it’s a bit loud but the job gets done.

Narita enjoys reading with his kids. They’ll pile on his lap either in bed or on the couch and he’ll pop open the book of the day, reading aloud and doing voices and sound effects much to his children’s delight.

Kageyama wasn’t sure at first if he wanted children, afraid he wouldn’t be suited for the roll of “dad”. But once he does have them he does well. Unsurprisingly, when they’re old enough, he’s the first to encourage them to try out volleyball but if they don’t want to, he doesn’t love them any less. He just tries to understand whatever they are in to.

Hinata is another energy filled dad, able to play for hours with his kids without seeming to break a sweat. He’s frequently seen with his “little crows” at official matches, swelling with pride whenever he hears squeals of encouragement whenever he scores.

Tsukishima tried to be firm in regards to keeping his kid out of his and his wife’s bedroom; that is their sanctuary. But when his little girl came crying during a loud and violent storm, he simply lifted her up, kissed her cheek, laid her between himself and her mother and snuggled away her fears.

Yamaguchi frequently plans playdates for his kids and those of his former teammates, usually on Sunday mornings or afternoons when most of - if not all - of them are available to get together. Occasionally they’ll go to an amusement park or zoo or some place similar but most of the time the dates consist of the dads chatting over simple sandwiches while their children run about a park and play together.

Ukai wasn’t sure he wanted kids since taking care of his “little rascals” was already so exhausting but eventually he decides he does want to and when he does he’s never lacking for willing babysitters, all of “his boys” from that first year of him coaching offering their help to raise his twin boys.

Aobajosai

Oikawa loves taking his two little twin girls shopping. Buying them cute, matching outfits just makes his day. They have way too many, but that doesn’t stop him from doing it. When they get older, they’re more resistant to it but will make sure to go at least once a year - on Father’s Day - and let their dad pick something for them.

Iwaizumi enjoys cooking and his Father’s Day tradition with his kids is finding a traditional dish - either from their country or another - and trying it out together. Whether it comes out right or they like it or not, it’s the experience of cooking together that they love. And if it doesn’t come out right, they just order take out.

Matsukawa frequently tortures his children when they are older with typical dad jokes, especially around their significant others when they start dating.

Hanamaki likes to do family outings / experiences with his kids on Father’s Day rather than have them buy him stuff he doesn’t really need. One year, when they were in middle school, he planned a volunteer day at a local shelter. At the end of the day he said, “Now that you have some of an idea of what it takes to take care of a dog, do you still want one?” When they all agree they did he told them to work together to pick one to take home.

Yahaba spends time with his kids doing art projects. They want to color? He’ll color with them. Paint? It’ll be outside with drop cloth and smocks but sure, why not? Sidewalk chalk and hopscotch? He’s there. Watching his kids be creative is one of his greatest joys.

Watari’s kids love to snuggle with him. They’ll crawl in his lap to watch a movie or beg him to lay with them during nap time when he’s home.

Kindaichi is rather competitive so he has to watch himself whenever he plays games with his kids not to get too into it. He won’t just let them win, though. They have to learn the agony of defeat, even in Mario Kart.

Kunimi - because of his dislike for loud, energetic beings - struggled through his kids toddler and young childhood years. He was there for them but it was a tough go. He does exceptionally well during the latter school years frequently being a source of help for them during homework time.

Kyotani is - unsurprisingly - fiercely protective of his kids. He can be a bit harsh with them but his attitude has mellowed out and they know above all else that he loves them. God help the boy who tries to date his daughter.

Nekoma

Kuroo is also fond of the dad jokes or science puns and frequently uses them to diffuse arguments with his kids, either between each other or with him.

Kenma - shockingly - loves playing video games with his kids. His proudest moment was when his son asked for his own PSP for his birthday.

Yamamoto, when they are old enough, teaches his daughters self defense to protect themselves from the numerous boys he just knows will be after them. They roll their eyes but do as told, teasing him with tidbits uncle Kuroo and Yaku told them about his own high school days. This only encourages him to increase the training, must to their chagrin.

Kai is the party planner for his kids’ birthday parties, taking whatever theme they want that year to the extreme and creating a wonderful experience for their guests and themselves.

Yaku loves baking with his kids. He’s always finding new recipes to try and they laugh their way through techniques they don’t understand, learning as they go and eating the fruits of their labor. After clean up, they go for a run or bike ride together to “burn off the sugar” before crashing for a nap.

Inuoka does finger puppet shows for his kids. He lets them make the characters out of arts and craft supplies then uses a stage box he built himself to put on productions for them. Sometimes they write the stories together and sometimes he makes it up for them to simply enjoy.

Lev is a master of hide and seek and his kids frequently challenge him in it. When his youngest managed to hide for over an hour it prompted him to put trackers on them, linked to their mother’s cell phone so he can’t cheat.

Other Team Favorites

Bokuto gives the best “horsey” rides, willing to get down on all fours and properly run about and buck, his children squealing with joy as they ride. It usually ends with Bokuto collapsed on the grass and his kids piling on top of him in fits of giggles.

Akaashi is a master at getting his babies to sleep. He rocks them gently, trailing his fingers over their forehead and down their eyelids prompting them to close. When they’re asleep, he lays them in their crib and watches them sleep for a little, a soft smile on his face.

Aone is a human jungle gym for his kids. They love to climb all over him, hanging from his strong arms or neck. They also love to wrestle with him, frequently ganging up to try to take him down. Aone just smiles quietly through it all, enjoying the time playing with his kids.

Koganegawa is just as entertained as his children watching animated movies. On Saturday nights, they cuddle together on the couch with snacks and drinks, pulling out of a hat what movie they’re going to watch from their massive collection.

Ushijima struggled in the beginning of fatherhood due to the unpredictability of children; babies in particular. But once he got the hang of the basics, he began to enjoy the experience more. The first time his son cuddled up and fell asleep on his chest he was a lost man; fatherhood, he decided, was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Semi is the dad whose kids can talk to him about and tell him anything. He takes their opinions, thoughts, ideas, worries, fears, arguments all in stride, allowing them to have their say (respectfully, there is no reason to be rude and it just makes you look stupid). When they’re done, he offers his advice, opinion or answer depending on the nature of the discussion. They may not always like what he says but they respect him because he respects them.

Tendo was quite nervous to have children to be honest. Would they like him? Would they think he was scary? Then, his daughter was born and all his fears melted. He might have shed a few tears, but he’ll never admit it. He gets her into manga when she’s older and the two of them will spend hours fanboy/girling over their favorites.

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huffletiika · 6 years ago

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The life of Lutteo pt.1

Okay, so... This is something very interesting. When the trailer for the second part of season 3 came out @deliverychicafresa, @from-red-string and I started talking about how that scene where Sitteo are talking about how Luna and Matteo met looked like Simón had dolls that looked like mini-Lutteo in his hands, and BAM! this was born.

I’ve been chosen to publishing it, but this is a team-work, written by the three of us, so if you like it give my girls some love as well.

The final cut of this is over 7k words, so we decided to split it in two parts. This is the story: Matteo gets home earlier thinking about having some time alone to have a rest. But, instead of that, he finds Simón playing with dolls that suspiciously look a lot like him and Luna. The problem: that’s not the first time he has seen those mini-versions of them, and much worse, it won’t be the last.

Simón

The door isn’t locked twice as usually.

Instead, it swings open immediately and reveals worn sneakers in the middle of the hallway. They look suspiciously close to the ones Simón refuses to throw away, no matter how much they tear at the seams, he still insists they’re “as good as new.”

Right now, they confuse him.

Matteo stops in his tracks while the song on his lips dies. A glance on his phone reassures him it’s Wednesday indeed, so he should have the flat all alone for him for at least three more hours.

Those weekly afternoons are a ritual for him, and he loves this time in the quiet apartment. Living with the Rollerband is great, really, and he appreciates their friendship, especially when he compares it to the rough start he had with Simón. Matteo would pick sharing a flat with them over living with his parents anytime, although he keeps stumbling over the guitarist’s gross shoes and although Nico could stop stealing his expensive shampoo…

Anyway, it’s not like he hates the guys. He just needs these few hours for himself, for chilling on the couch and charging up on silence. For writing songs without being influenced or distracted by anyone else. Sometimes, for uni too.

But apparently, today he can kiss his lengthy shower and the composing session goodbye.

With a sigh, Matteo enters, taking off his shoes and moving both them and the sneakers out of the way. “Hello?” he shouts up the stairs.

No reaction.

Perhaps he still has a chance to finish this new song today.

The hope spreading in his chest however dies the instance he sets a foot on the staircase. Word snippets reach his ear, in a voice that sounds like Simón is here, and that wants to appear fifty years older.

“Do you, Luna Valente, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

At the mention of Luna, Matteo ruffles through his hair, then straightens his shirt and fixes his vest. It takes him some more seconds to realize what Simón just said, and an added “I do” in a squeaked tone to realize Luna isn’t actually here.

He frowns, at himself or Simón, he can’t tell.

“You may kiss the bride” follows from the couch, along with kissing noises. Faked kissing noises, which doesn’t make this any less weird.

When Matteo reaches the end of the staircase, he finally spots Simón.

“What the…”

Simón shrieks. Two dolls quickly end up behind the sofa cushions, but during the second Matteo sees them, he already feels haunted by the presentiment that they look an awful lot like Luna and him.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Simón stutters while he hides behind his plush guitar.

Matteo isn’t sure if whatever it looks like is better or worse than whatever it actually is. “Okay, wow, I have so many questions.”

“I was doing… voodoo. Yes, it’s voodoo. A Mexican charm for bad luck in relationships. Really nasty. You don’t wanna know.”

Raising an eyebrow at his friend, Matteo grabs the dolls.

And immediately regrets this. Regrets coming home, too.

Simón whines.

They do look like Barbie versions of both Luna and him, his doll even comes with the very same vest he’s wearing right now. Luna’s doll, however… is wearing a wedding dress.

And that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is the sense of deja-vu, are the memories he suppressed for a good reason hitting him right in the face.

“Oh no,” Matteo whispers, “I’ve actually seen these before.”

The only thing different is the wedding dress, and he’s not sure he wants to know who bought it. (He wonders if it would look as beautiful on the real Luna, though.)

“Don’t you wanna know why I’m home already?” Simón asks, desperation lingering in his tone which isn’t quite muffled by the plush guitar.

“Kinda,” Matteo gives into the lame distraction, if only to get at least one of the questions burning his mouth out of the way.

“Remember how Luna had a cold? I think she passed it on to me and Juliana sent me home before the whole café gets sick too.”

“Interesting,” Matteo replies before he takes a step back. “So, instead you’re spreading your germs here?”

Instead of an answer, Simón sneezes.

Matteo takes another step back and frowns. “Nice. Anyway, you still owe me an explanation on mini Luna and mini me.” He waves the dolls in his hands. Only now does he notice the tiny strawberries printed on doll Matteo’s shirt. He rolls his eyes.

Meanwhile, Simón groans and presses his face deeper into the plush guitar.

“I figure this isn’t for voodoo,” Matteo adds. Shakes his head. “You didn’t get Luna right, either. She’s much smaller than me.” Could none of his friends recognize their height difference? At least this one thing? It wasn’t that subtle, after all.

Simón chuckles, taking him by surprise when he gets up and snaps the dolls out of his hands. “That’s not my fault, you can complain to your best friend about that. He was the one who gave them to me.”

“This son of a…”

Gastón

Matteo loved those afternoons at Gaston’s place where they both could forget about the constant drama happening at the Jam and Roller (there was always something) and just beat each other at video games, watch any new movie or series on Netflix, or play improvised sessions to compose new songs all while stuffing themselves with his best friend’s mother’s food.

(That woman deserved heaven.)

But this time it was different, this time it felt as bittersweet as possible.

They were sitting on the floor, their backs against the bed’s footboard, as they played what could be their last Mario Kart competition for a while. Around them were his friend’s belonging, packed and ready to be sent to Oxford before their trip to Cancún started, since Gastón wouldn’t be flying back to Buenos Aires with them.

That afternoon, after their game ended, the console would be packed as well.

Just the thought of having to say goodbye to his best friend for God knows how long on the morning after the competition was killing him.

In between them, a very sleepy black Labrador was napping, completely unbothered by the loud noises both boys were making. Gastón had just pushed Matteo’s car out the road, so the Italian was way behind, and swearing in all the languages he knew.

“You cheater!” he shouted, adding curses Gastón couldn’t possibly understand.

Meanwhile Gastón stood up, laughing and dancing to celebrate his victory. “In your face, Balsano!” he said, pointing at him. “Now say it!”

“I won’t,” he replied, putting the control away.

“What? No… no, we made a bet,” Gastón claimed. “If I won you would say it. Well, flash news, I kicked your ass! So, this is your moment to shine like the moon, astronaut.” He pointed a non-existent microphone at him. “Come on, I want to hear it.”

Matteo snorted. “You only won because of your crappy dishonest move,” he stood up as well. “You don’t deserve it.”

Gastón gasped. “You’re really denying me my last wish, Matteo Balsano?” He seemed as offended as if Matteo had said movie adaptations were always better than the actual books.

“You’re not dying, bro.” Matteo rolled his eyes.

“How would you really know?”

“You’re just moving to another country, dramatic idiot,” Matteo tried to sound as casual as possible, as if he wasn’t actually dying inside. He was, though. How could he survive in Buenos Aires without his best friend? He was the only one who could tell him to get his shit together.

At the floor, the dog had finally woken up, and was looking at them alternately like he was watching a tennis match.

“Just,” Gastón repeated, shaking his head. “I’m just gonna k–” he got interrupted by his mother calling him from downstairs. “You got saved by the bell, Balsano,” he said, leaving the room.

Matteo sighed, then looked at the puppy.

“Your owner is gonna kill me, Loki.” He crouched down, and scratched him behind his ear. “But at least I have you as my witness.” The puppy yawned and licked the palm of his hand, and then started running around the boxes and suitcases, sniffing around, jumping and getting on top of all them.

“Hey, hey… dude, that’s not yours,” Matteo tried to get at him when he noticed a sock in his mouth, but the dog was faster and went to hide under the bed.

Loki, the God of mischief.

The name fit him perfectly.

The Italian knelt beside the bed. “Come on, Loki. Give it back,” he tried to reach the dog, stretching as much as he could to catch him, but the trickster was fast enough to avoid his hand, which hit a box instead.

Curiosity hit him, so he took it out, and forgot about the crazy doggo who stayed under the bed with his loot. He wondered if his friend had forgotten to pack something, while he tried to decipher the words printed on the mysterious package.

«The Doll House, custom dolls by request» he read, and laughed.

Gastón was such a nerd.

Matteo imagined there would be some cool action figures inside that his friend had bought, maybe from Star Wars, or Harry Potter. It might be a very random, minor character for him to purchase it in one of those custom stores. That encouraged him to open it, but his friend’s arrival stopped him.

“Don’t!” Gastón screamed, as he entered to the room, passing over the bed, and trying to grab the package from his hands.

Matteo didn’t allow it. “What do you have in here?” he suspiciously asked, trying to peek inside, but it wasn’t easy with Gastón chasing him around.

“It’s… erm,” he nervously said, still trying to get his box back. “Porn! Yes, porn! You don’t want to see that, it’s terrible,” he attempted to get the package again, but failed because no way did Matteo buy it.

“Do you really think I would believe you have porn under your bed?” His best friend was the smartest person he knew, he wouldn’t do such a stupid thing like having printed porn there when his mom entered his room all the time. “Come on, don’t be ashamed… I know you’re a big nerd, you don’t have to hide your action figures from me.” He tried opening the box again, and when he did two Barbie dolls fell on the floor.

He started laughing out loud.

“Man, you should have told me you play with dolls... I would have gotten one for your birthday,” he said, still giggling while he picked them up.

Only when he held them in his hands he noticed how much one of those dolls looked like him.

“What the…?” he started saying, and then looked at the other. It was a tiny version of Luna. “Gastón, I think I’ll need an explanation.” Panic tinted his voice, as he plainly stared at the dolls.

They were dressed like them. Even with his favorite vest!

“It was going to be a joke,” his friend explained, taking the dolls from his hands, and putting them out of his reach. “I ordered them when you and Luna started dating, and I was going to use them to bother you. You know, the usual,” he shrugged. “But they arrived when you had already broken up, so I had to keep them at the box and... well, I might have played with them a couple of times, I mean, look at them, would you leave them in a box?”

Matteo winced.

The mention of his failed relationship with said chica delivery still hurt, even if he was claiming to everyone else that it didn’t, or if he had been telling himself that those feelings belonged to the past.

“I would have thrown them way,” he said, looking away. “Luna’s height isn’t even accurate.”

Oh, grumpy Matteo was back.

Gastón rolled his eyes. “Well, they are mine, so you can’t touch them.” Carefully, he put them back inside the box, and then on his bed. “And you still have something to tell me.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

If Matteo thought he was going to get rid of the bet, he obviously had been very wrong.

“I told you I won’t say that.”

The Argentinian raised his eyebrows. “Oh, you are still not doing it?” he asked. “Well, then… new penance: you’ll have to explain me how’s it that you say you’re over certain moongirl, when you are clearly not.”

Gastón knew his best friend so well he was sure he would give up in 3, 2, 1…

“Ok, fine! I will say that stupid thing!”

Gastón smiled, triumphant. “Perfect. I’m listening,” he said.

Closing his eyes, Matteo took a deep breath. “Ok, Gastón. I…” he sighed. “I love your puns, and I’m going to miss them more than anything when you��re in Oxford,” he growled with discontent.

The brightest smile appeared on Gastón’s face. “Good job, Astro. That’s all I wanted to hear,” he gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “See? It wasn’t that hard.”

Matteo only rolled his eyes in response, still thinking about those ridiculous dolls.

Pedro, Delfi & Jazmin.

“Could you please stop playing with those dolls? It’s distracting.” Pedro pleads, as he looks at his friend, who’s laying at one of the couches in the cafetería, playing with the mini-versions of Matteo and Luna.

Don’t get him wrong, seeing his friend doing that is the funniest thing ever, but that’s the problem: he’s trying to focus on the numbers on the paper sheet in front of him, and it’s being the hardest thing to do, as he keeps looking at the guitarist and laughing at his impersonations of their friends.

Simón looks at him with puppy eyes.

“Five more minutes,” he begs, turning the dolls’ heads at him, as if they have joined him in his plea.

He chuckles.

“Don’t you have something else to do? Like, checking the lights at the rink, for example?” Pedro asks him, leaning at the bar. “I mean, it seems like you are not sick anymore, so I would appreciate your help… if you and your friends aren’t too busy, of course.”

It has been a hard week at the Jam & Roller, only having the new guy to help him with the chores of the cafeteria, as his friend has been sent home by Juliana due to sickness, and Nico seems to be very busy hanging out with his girlfriend. Now, the Mexican is back at heathiness, and the only thing he does is playing with those damned dolls.

“Killjoy,” Simón mutters under his breath as he sits up at the couch, and puts the dolls on the table. Pedro looks at them with curiosity. “I still don’t get it, how is it that Matteo let you keep those?” he asks.

“Gastón gave them to me, so they are under my custody,” Simón shrugs. “Hey! Can you keep an eye on them? I will go check the thing with the lights,” he asks as he stands up and walks to the counter, leaving both dolls next to his papers. It’s still early and no one is there yet, so Pedro just nods.

“You should have left them at the loft,” he says, though, and the Mexican rolls his eyes. “I will put them into my locker later, ok?” he replies as he walks his way to the rink. “Just, don’t let anyone see them.”

Pedro looks at the dolls and sighs, thinking about how crazy it is that someone has actually made these dolls of the couple, but then focuses on his papers again and completely forgets about them until his girlfriend and Jazmin arrive.

“Hello, boyfriend,” Delfi says, stepping up to give him a peck on the lips from the other side of the counter. “How are you?”

His attention is fully on her, so he doesn’t notice the redhead curiously looking at the dolls.

“Much better now that you are here with me, girlfriend,” he replies with a soft grin, and goes in to give her another peck, but then Jazmin’s voice stops him.

“What are those?” she reaches at the dolls before he could put them away.

“They are…” he tries to take them from her hands, but she quickly steps away from the counter. “Not mine,” he takes all the responsibility from himself.

“Oh, they look like Luna and Matteo,” Delfi says, taking Luna from her friend.

“Mini-Lutteo!” Jazmín screams, a bit higher than the human ear tolerance. “Awww, they are so cute!” she hugs Matteo, who’s still on her hand. “Can I keep them?”

“No, you can’t,” Pedro shakes his head, and then glances towards the rink, confirming that Simon isn’t coming back. “I told you they aren’t mine, I can’t give them away,” he then explains.

Jazmin pouts.

“Wow, the details are amazing.” It’s his girlfriend who speaks this time, looking at the doll in her hand as if it’s a piece of art. “Who made them?” she wants to know.

“I don’t know,” Pedro shrugs, putting his papers back inside the folder. “Gastón gave them to Simón, and he has been playing with them for weeks now,” he rolls his eyes.

Delfina laughs.

“Do they know about this?” she asks, moving Luna’s arms so she’s rising them.

“Who? Luna and Matteo?” he questions, and she nods. “I know Matteo does, but I have no idea about Luna. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t, though.”

“Oh, I would pay to see her face when she sees them,” the brunette giggles, and Pedro frowns. She sighs. “I’m not being mean, babe. I just think it would be funny.”

“It would be, indeed,” her best friend agrees. “And it would be even more funny if we film it! The views at Ja-Jazmin would go insane.”

“No, no… it would be for Fab & Chic” Delfina takes Matteo from Jazmin hands, and hugs both dolls against her chest. “You said you would never do that kind of content.”

“That’s so unfair, it was my idea!”

Pedro looks at both friends and an amused smile starts to grow on his lips. Yes, Jazmin and Delfina tend to be a little too much for his sanity when they start this kind of discussions, but with time he has gotten to even have a little laugh from them, like when you watch a comedy show on tv.

They really are very passionate when it comes to their channels.

“Girls, I really don’t think it’s a good idea to do that to the poor girl,” he tries to make them stop plotting to get the poor Mexican girl embarrassed on camera. “I have an idea: why don’t you give me those toys back, so I can put them in some safe place, and then let me invite you to a milkshake,” he then offers.

“I have a better idea,” Jazmín interrupts him, and takes Matteo from Delfi’s hand, placing it in his hand. “And you can’t steal that from me, Delfina!” she threatens her best friend. Pedro looks down at the doll he’s holding, and frowns.

“I’m going to make a show about doll-Lutteo,” she continues, taking out her tablet. “It’s going to be called ‘The Lutteo adventures’” she opens her palms and looks up, like she’s already imagining the billboards. “Or better, ‘The life of Lutteo’, yes! That sounds better,” she’s almost jumping from excitement. “You two are going to be the actors, well… you are going to move the dolls and say the dialogues, that’s all. And I… I will be the director and executive producer, my followers are going to love it. We can recreate the most important Lutteo moments, and make weekly polls to know what scenes people want, Ja-Jazmín is going to explode. People love Lutteo.”

Pedro shakes his head and puts the doll back down at the counter.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” he says.

Jazmin pouts.

“Why not?” she asks, like she’s a 5 years old that has been just told that she can’t eat ice cream before dinner.

“Because, first of all, you would need permission from Luna and Matteo to do that: the first one has no idea about the dolls, and I’m sure as hell Balsano would never agree to a show where he is portrayed with this... thing,” he explains.

“Pedro is right, Jazmin,” his girlfriend supports him, and that brings a smile to his face. “And, I’m sure it wouldn’t be as successful as you imagine. I mean, they are just dolls.”

“But they are LUTTEO dolls,” Jazmin fires back. “They become trending topic every time we publish anything about them. Don’t you remember the #LutteoSí, #LutteoNo poll from last year?” she asks the brunette. “We had to take it down because they crashed the web page! My followers want Lutteo so badly that they would gladly enjoy a show about these two.” She points at the dolls.

Pedro sighs.

“It’s still a bad idea,” he says.

“Or… maybe you are just scared!”

Ok, now he can’t understand her. Him? Scared? Of what? He looks at his girlfriend to figure if she knows what her best friend means, but she shrugs, as she’s as lost as he is.

“Afraid of what?” he asks, very sure he will regret it.

“Of not being a good Matteo, of course!” she answers, as if it’s the most obvious thing ever, and he frowns. He could be a good Matteo… he could be an AMAZING Matteo, indeed. After weeks of living together, he’s sure he could easily imitate a lot of things about him, especially the way he speaks.

“That’s not true, I can impersonate Matteo,” he says, without thinking what path his words would make him take.

“Do you?” both girls echoed the other, sounding like they don’t believe him, so he takes Matteo’s doll and starts moving it to prove his point.

“Hey, I’m Matteo Balsano,” he starts to say, ridiculously failing at imitating the Italian accent, but he doesn’t care. “and I’m the best skater at the Jam & Roller.”

Jazmin starts laughing like a seal with hiccups.

Delfi takes Luna next to his Matteo. “Are you sure?” she asks, with a voice that’s supposed to sound like Luna’s. “Because you look more like Matteo Fresa Balsano for me,” she adds, and then giggles.

He does, as well.

“Hey! Why are you calling me a strawberry?” he asks, back at impersonating the Italian. It is, indeed, very funny.

“Because that’s how we all call snobs in my country,” Delfi plays along. “And you’re the snobbiest snob I’ve ever met.”

They keep playing for a while, teasing each other like they have seen the other couple do many times, making them skate as if they were wearing skates (he would have to ask Simón if the dolls had them), and even making them kiss after a little bit of banter.

They are so entertained they don’t get to notice Jazmin filming them. And, much less, Jim and Yam walking towards them until it’s too late.

They have already seen the dolls.

#Soy Luna #soy luna fanfic #SL Fanfic #Lutteo #Lutteo Fanfic #Luna Valente #Matteo Balsano #Simón Alvarez #Gastón Perida #Gastón Battan #Pedro Arias #Delfina Alzamendi #Jazmín Carvajal #written by me #Mandy #Bia #DollLutteoFic

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smoothshift · 6 years ago

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Got my Dream Car: 2018 Lamborghini Huracan Performante! (Pics and Review) via /r/cars

Got my Dream Car: 2018 Lamborghini Huracan Performante! (Pics and Review)

Pics: https://imgur.com/a/1qER434

2018 Lamborghini Performante Review:

This car is next level incredible.

Now that we have that covered, let me expand with a look at the past (Warning: very long post).

I have been fortunate enough to have driven and owned a fair number of awesome sports and supercars, and I think I have been on the car equivalent of what guitarists might call a "tone quest". I'm on a "Car Quest". Trying a bit of everything and figuring out what will work for me. In my experience, there is unfortunately no substitute for actually living with a car to know how you feel about it, a Test Drive only does so much. As much praise as a car might get in reviews, rarely are the people reviewing it from the context of ownership. So the cars I have owned in the past have greatly informed what I was looking for this time around.

I loved my 991.1 Turbo S, perhaps one of the best all around cars that blurs the line between sports car and everyday supercar. One of the easiest and most refined cars to live with, though at the cost of not being the most exciting on your average drive. I had come from an E90 M3, and though almost everything was a massive upgrade from the M3, I was particularly disappointed by the Turbo S's engine note.

The Ferrari 488 I had after the 911 was all excitement, perhaps to a fault. It taught me that a constantly "engaging" car may not always be the most fun to drive all the time. It could be a handful in the wrong conditions, and I also learned quite a bit about Ferrari as a brand, which wasn't to my personal taste. The R8 I traded the 488 in for, gave me a kind of this balance between those two worlds. It was immensely easier to live with and drive everywhere for a multitude of reasons. It boasted the everyday convenience of the 911 with a lot more excitement. The genuinely nice Audi cabin, seats and sound system paired with a NA V10 engine and a fantastic AWD system made that car one of my personal favorite cars I have ever owned and lived with. It felt like it could tackle almost anything with confidence.

Because I have a car problem, I wanted to see what the "next level" of supercar had to offer. I had driven the McLaren 720S largely expecting to find myself calculating ways to afford it after the test drive, but I found that car to be a bit overwhelming and perhaps even scary. The car is light, has an insane amount of power to the rear wheels, and is mindblowingly fast, even at speed! But it was a bit intimidating on the test drive, and I was worried that living with it might be a bit of a handful. I think if I were a better driver I might be less intimidated by that, but I think with this much power, in the real world there is a huge benefit to AWD. When you are driving around traffic, and navigating around other drivers and cars, having a car that feels solidly planted when you are managing this much power and torque is a huge benefit.

I genuinely love McLaren as a brand, and I really respect their business model and what they are doing to the market (even at the cost of their own used market), but I do feel like the cars are still a bit quirky and a touch unreliable still, but I think they are really close to making a really perfect car for me. That 600LT was damn close!

So this brings us to now, or let's call it last summer:

I went to test drive the Performante after my friend recommended that I check one out. I wasn't expecting too much, after all this has a tweaked R8 engine, with a marginal 20 or so extra horses and 30 lb/ft of torque. The car shares the same platform and they have similar AWD systems. I figured that as the glorified "Lamborghini R8" with a wing, it might be a bit more Loud and Italian, but effectively the same car.

The test drive, however, proved that wrong. The Performante absolutely blew me away and I couldn't stop thinking about the car. So I started studying the market and shopping, and waiting for the perfect time to strike. Eventually I found the spec I wanted on a pre-owned one at a price I was happy with, and I went for it. On a quick side note, I have to thank Lamborghini Dallas and Tactical Fleet for helping me work out this deal!

Anyways here are my very initial thoughts on my new to me Performante:

What an engine! Although as smooth and quick in response as the R8 and familiar in character, now sounds like it's being powered by a dying star, right behind your head. If the engine being too loud to live with is an 11, this is perfectly sat at 10. And for being slightly more powerful, the car somehow feels noticeably faster in a straight line. I can't imagine an aftermarket exhaust doing much for the sound honestly, it already sounds like one. I thought the R8 sounded amazing, but this is just a completely different level.

What it also feels, is notably lighter, and the 200 or so lbs shaved off of the R8's weight account for a bit of that, but the brakes must be the other half of that equation. This car feels a lot lighter and nimbler than its 3424 lbs curb weight might suggest. Keep in mind that's still 250 lbs heavier than the 720S, but this car can stop arguably more confidently on the road thanks to the fantastic brake feel. But that's not the best part.

The best part is the cornering. Now I haven't pushed this car near the limit so far, but I did take the R8 to the track and on some fast and fun spirited drives, and the way the Performante by comparison turns in and grips just on the road is just nothing like I have experienced to far. It remains so planted and confident in those moments that you just keep on wanting to push it. The steering is near telepathic, I don't know how much more direct steering can feel on a car before you just end up with an oversized go kart. To be fair, the 720S and the 600LT steering and feel were damn good as well in this category, with the 600LT actually being maybe a true 10/10 to the Performante's 9.9/10. And yes, the 600LT basically feels like an oversized go kart. In a good way.

This car is also somehow comfortable. Now I have read very polarizing things about the comfort seats' comfort, but at 5'10 or so and not skinny I'm actually very happy in the cabin. The ride is firm as one might expect, but given that I had the R8 V10 plus which forces fixed suspension, the Performante in Strada mode is actually a bit better at absorbing the bumps. Put it in to Sport or Corsa, though, and you will be able to tell if that nickel you just drove over was heads or tails.

This car, by the way, is so easy to drive. This is not intimidating. I feel like in Strada, anyone who isn't a car enthusiast could confidently drive this car. They somehow maintained that friendliness and ease of driving that the R8 gives you packaged in this fighter jet themed cabin.

One thing I would personally steer clear of, unless you plan on mostly tracking the car or driving it hard, are the Carbon Fiber seats. They look amazing (though they don't match the Forged Carbon in the rest of the cabin) but they are perhaps the single most uncomfortable sports seats I have sat in. Maybe they were built for small framed Italian men, but if you have anything close to broad shoulders, those will be absolutely crushed in to proper driving position as you drive. If you like driving in any position other than absolutely upright you will not be happy. By contrast, I think both Porsche and McLaren make substantially more comfortable sports seats that seem to offer just as much support and bolstering. Had something like those been available for the car, I might even have opted for those. The comfort seats are actually surprisingly supportive for what they are, and should be good for longer drives, so that's the way I went on mine.

By the way that forged carbon has to be one of my personal favorite accents on the car. The gloss front splitter and rear wing look like shiny black marble and contrast the car beautifully in basically every color. The inside satin forged carbon accents not only work beautifully Alcantara covered interior, but also stop any of those surfaces from blinding you when the light hits them. Good thinking. This is what happens when Germany and Italy work together.

With all of that said, no car is perfect, so let's cover some of the faults and downsides:

The cupholder situation is hilarious. If you opt for the 600 dollar travel/smoker package you get an ashtray and a single Porsche 911 style cupholder that comes out of the dash above the glove box. The front trunk is probably the smallest I have ever seen. You might think they are all small, but seriously check out how big they are on the 488 and 720S, they are almost...practical? Actually there isn't really much interior storage space other than some nets behind the seats and the glovebox.

The rear visibility is hilariously bad, though in a funny way, it's slightly better than the R8 with there being small vents on either the side of the rear glass that you can sort of peer through, but still, it's not great. Also the car sits low, and although these pretty much are always spec'd with lifts, you have to remember not only to use it, but to lower the car before you park it because it's bad for the lift to sit up for extended periods of time.

Also, this is a bit of a weird one, but I have noticed on the Gen2 R8 and the Huracan, the dead pedal area is quite small and not that far from the brake, you kinda have to get used to how that feels, because it's different from most cars.

The sound system is also not great, maybe I was spoiled by the genuinely awesome Bang and Olufsen system in the R8, but I have the upgraded Sensonum sound in mine, and it's just not that good, probably not worth spending the money on to be entirely honest, as in true Lambo fashion, it's an expensive upgrade.

Now these little issues genuinely don't ruin the experience, some of these are just things you deal with this type of car, just like the attention you know a supercar will garner. So it's down to a cost/benefit analysis with this car, but in my case it's an easy win for the benefits on this one.

I don't think I have ever instantly connected with or been as content with a car I have brought home, and for the first time ever, I find myself not really wondering about what else is out there for me. It kinda feels like I have finally found my own personal dream car.

This is not to say I won't trade into something else down the line, though it would be nice to have this for at least a few years. But i'll put it this way: Whatever car I will move to after this one doesn't exist yet.

tl;dr: 10/10 would recommend

#reddit #autonews #auto #cars

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radramblog · 3 years ago

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Retro Games WTB

So for reference, this and the last two posts were written on the same night. We went from serious discussion about sensitive and graphic material in media, to silliness about shooty mans, to this. The thing is, I’m going away on a weekend camping trip (Melbourne got delayed again but at least getting to go on this is a silver lining?), and when this post goes up (assuming I figure out how to schedule it right) is the one day where I’m just never at home. The Saturday of a weekend trip. I don’t know if the place is going to have cell signal, and I’m not letting that of all things get in the way of me posting more bullshit.

It’s been a long night.

I was originally going to do, like, a tierlist thing, but staring at the list of these was just depressing. Motherfuckers put Homestuck in the Video Games section multiple times, and I had to stare at the fact that someone went out of their way to make a FNAF shipping tier list. And lots of people played it. Fuck, man.

I don’t know if me talking about a bunch of games I want to buy is actually more interesting, but I’ll be damned if I can’t do that easily and for a lot of words. Plus, it’ll force me to actually come up with a complete list.

(editors note this is ridiculously absurdly long and it has no images it’s just 2.5K words of jack shit and me tiredly trying to make jokes about old games you probably haven’t heard of you’ve been waaaarned)

N64

The prospect of collecting all the N64 games I want is somewhat daunting, especially considering my region-based issues. But I’ve made some solid progress since that one time I talked about my collection (and I cannot be fucked dragging that post up at the moment). I’ve acquired Banjo-Kazooie and a Kirby 64 cart that I sure didn’t know was coming in fucking box.

Anyway. I’d like to pick up Smash 64 at some point, if only for the novelty of it. I’ve played it, like, once? And that was a very long time ago, the first time I ever played an N64 (possibly the only time I even touched a controller before I bought my own), and I wasn’t as mediocre to functional at Smash as I am now. 64 is kind of a whole different animal, though- no competitively viable maps by modern standards and the engine is fucky- every character combos so well that they run 5-stock matches instead of 3.

(From this point on, I’m literally looking at a Wikipedia list of games and picking ones to comment on, so it’s alphabetical)

Banjo-Tooie would be nice, I suppose, but I’ve barely played the first one- let’s maybe do that before I start thinking sequels. I didn’t realise until I actually picked up the game that Kazooie is like, a massive asshole? Extremely rude? Apparently that’s their character trait and I just didn’t know. Banjo seems like such a cool bloke, why does he hang out with them?

Even though I’d never be able to play it, the Australian version of Beetle Adventure Racing actually replaces the titular cars with Holdens, which is fucking hilarious and I need to see it.

I’ve heard a lot about Conker’s Bad Fur Day, that it’s basically Banjo/DK but M rated. I…don’t imagine it’s aged particularly well. Man, remember when he showed up for Project Spark, though? Yeah, me neither.

Donkey Kong 64 is another classic, and I’m sure it’s really good. I have managed to pick up an Expansion Pak, so there’s half the cost of it gone, too. I’ve never actually finished any of the Country games, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t play like one, so. I also never watched the HBomberguy charity marathon, so I am pure and unspoiled as to the grisly details of this jungle bash.

On the one hand, Goldeneye is arguably one of the most iconic FPS games of all time. On the other, it’s not aged particularly well, and I don’t have a cadre of people to hang around being nostalgic for it, because we’re all either younger than this game or barely out-age it. I hope someone reading this feels old now. (sorry)

Even as a Pokemon fanatic, I’m not buying Hey You, Pikachu. That game barely worked with people in the USA, imagine that shitty microphone trying to decipher my accent on fucking N64 hardware. Also it’s pretty lame even if you can get it to work, so.

Majora’s Mask is currently my White Whale, because I want nothing more than to play that game. I’ve heard so much, it sounds and looks so fucking incredible, and as I said I have the Expansion Pak now so I can actually run it. One day, man, one day. Once again I should probably finish Ocarina of Time first, but like, I know I’m going to play this one, so.

I guess Mario Kart 64 would be worth picking up, apparently it’s one of the better ones. I reckon if people showed up to play fucking Beetle Adventure Racing before knowing the game was actually really good, they’ll show up for Mario Kart. I’d rather buy 64 than 8, frankly.

I could barely get any interest in my bootleg-ass copy of Mario Party 3, I’m not going to spend stupid money on the other ones.

Oh, apparently Mega Man Legends came out on the 64 as well? I thought that was just on the Playstation. I mean, people really seem to like that sub-series, but then people also liked Star Force, so I don’t know if I can trust the Mega Man fandom on anything. (MMBN legacy collection when, Capcom)

Yo so there was a Neon Genesis Evangelion game for the N64, and apparently it’s a fighting game? Japan-only, of course, but my console can run those anyway. And like, that sounds funny and cool, I’ll punch Sachiel to death, why the fuck not? Who needs a progressive knife. Congratulations joke.

God Paper Mario is so fucking expensive god damnit

Perfect Dark rounds out the trio of “hey I have the expansion pak now”, but I know substantially less about it. So, maybe?

The Pokemon games I’m missing (and care about) are Snap, Puzzle League, and Stadium 2. I’ll consider Snap if I can find a cheap copy, as I know it’s pretty limited (and the new one just came out), Puzzle League is probably meh, and Stadium 2 sounds fun but I’d need to then buy a GSC cart to get the most out of it and they aren’t cheap. Unless I get a Japanese one, but apparently, they’re only compatible with Japanese Stadium 2 (er, Stadium GS), so I’d have to double down on illegibility.

Oh fuck, right, Star Fox. Man I thought I was going to get away with just talking about Star Wars here (I’ve already got the good ones), but I forgot about fuckin Star Fox 64, aka The Good One. Shit I gotta get that don’t I? Fuck me. At least searching for one will be slightly easier because the PAL version has a different name.

Oh, and Yoshi’s Story looks like a trip and I don’t know if that’s a good thing. Like, this just looks worse than Yoshi’s Island if I’m being honest.

GBA

I haven’t actually talked about by GBA collection on here have I? TL;DR- it’s a console I’m very nostalgic for, but my collection is lacking because all the carts in Malaysia were bootlegs.

Jesus there’s so many more GBA games than N64 ones. Like, in general, not just on this list.

Advance Wars is a solid maybe, because the carts are super fucking expensive, I’ve never played the series, and the remaster is coming soon. But apparently they’re good? Big shrug energy.

Wow, they made two whole Banjo games for the GBA. Both of these look like shit, though, so fuck it. No wonder I never hear anyone talk about them.

Boktai is an interesting series I’d like to maybe give a shot. It’s a JRPG made by fucking Hideo Kojima, where the cartridge had a light sensor in it to encourage you to play outside by buffing the main character. Which was an interesting choice on the notably not backlit GBA. It also has crossover stuff with something we’ll get into later.

I’ve played Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow to death, and as a result I’d love to pick up a copy of it’s GBA prequel, Aria of Sorrow- it’s apparently almost just as good. I’ve not heard much about the other two GBA Castlevanias, but they’re apparently similarly excellent- a stark comparison to the mediocre to bad N64 ones.

If someone buys me a cartridge of Crazy Frog Racer I will play it and that is a fucking promise.

There are like three whole Fire Emblem games on the GBA, though only two came out in English. I actually have a bootleg of one of them. It’s another one of those ones that are unreasonably expensive because it didn’t sell well and they didn’t make that many as a result, though. So probably not worth getting a real one unless I fall super head over heels for the series- I don’t see that happening soon.

Oh right, Golden Sun. Another JRPG franchise for the GBA. There were a lot of those, huh? Anyway there’s like no way this guy is getting into Smash, don’t get your hopes up.

Harvest Moon is basically Stardew Valley, but older. Two games of it came out on the GBA, and I’m probably not about to commit to buying one of those rather than Stardew. And that game has yet to successfully appeal to me, soooooooo

I have a bootleg of Kirby and the Amazing Mirror, and that’s one of the ones where it probably doesn’t matter at all that it’s a bootleg, so I’m satisfied with it. Don’t have Nightmare in Dream Land, which I’ve played before on emulator and wouldn’t mind retrying, so maybe. I’ve never been massive on remakes if the original is viable, but I don’t have an NES so I’m sure not buying Kirby’s Adventure.

There are two Zelda games on GBA- a port of A Link to the Past which I have, and Minish Cap which I don’t. Minish Cap is very expensive!!! Aah!!!

Yo they ported The Lost Vikings to GBA? Wack. I guess Blizzard gets a shoe in this console’s door, then.

Yeah okay so there are like a million Mario games here, huh. Superstar Saga was the first Mario and Luigi game, and the one of those I’ve played (Partners in Time) was good enough that I’d bite for the original. Or I’d just go buy Bowser’s Inside Story. Mario Kart and Golf on the GBA don’t appeal super hard, and I’ve played Mario Pinball Land (long before that Alpharad Deluxe series), to the point where I don’t feel the need to actually buy it.

Speaking of Alpharad, I played Mario Party Advance on one of my Malaysian Bootlegs long, long before he made that video reminding people it existed. That game actually kind of fucks, for what it’s worth, and since my copy can’t save, I’d consider buying a real one. Assuming that Alpha’s video didn’t lead to a mass buyout or price spike.

Okay, so Mega Man Battle Network is kind of the big one on this list- definitely the White Whale so far, since to my understanding the series had extremely limited release in Australia. I do have a Japanese copy of 4 (Blue Moon) that I picked up because it was like 5 bucks, but A. 4 is godawful relative to the others and B. it’s a JRPG and I can’t read Japanese. But I would Do Things to get copies of 2, 3, or 6. Not so much 1 (because it’s not great), or 5 because I’ve nearly 100%’d the DS version on my flashcart.

Seriously, I’ve considered writing multiple blog posts on this series, I think it’s a super underrated gem. It’s an eSport on GBA for fucks sake! It’s also the series that crossed over with Boktai from earlier- apparently Kojima’s kid was a huge fan, so he got in touch to get some cross-promo content going. Funny how that works.

It’s not like they’re ever going to release Mother 3 anyway. Y’all aren’t even going to let me pay for this game, so you can’t complain if I buy a Chinese bootleg with the fan translation on it. I paid five whole bucks, and if they released it in English for real, I’d easily drop more on it. It’s a 10/10 game.

Oh alright, there’s Pokemon. I’m actually 4/7 on the GBA Pokemon games, which is pretty good considering the price just keeps going up and up. I’ve actually considered making a Living Dex solely in Gen 3- however that would either require all the ones I don’t have (save Pinball) a Gamecube with Colosseum/XD (which I have thought about), or maybe both. A long-term project, for sure, but one I’d enjoy doing.

Apparently the Sonic GBA games are pretty good, save for the infamous remake of the first Sonic game- Sonic Genesis. That is, however, the only one of them I’ve actually played. And for a long time was the only Sonic game I’d ever played. Great first impression, huh? The Marble Zone OST unironically slaps, though.

Yeah okay so there’s like over a hundred games still on this list and I care about, like, none of them. Except maybe some of the Wario games and Yu-Gi-Oh games- and I know some of the latter are complete and utter garbage. Like, I’ve played The Sacred Cards, and that game is genuine shite. I’ve still only played one Yu-Gi-Oh game I’ve liked.

I guess I can close off this wall of text by saying I want to get a GBA flashcart so I can run romhacks on console, but there’s a bunch of different types and it doesn’t seem like anyone can agree on which one is the best, so I guess I’m in limbo a bit on that one. Still, it’s worth a look at some point- I’ve gotten so much mileage out of my DS one after all.

And that’s a full-ass list. Perhaps a little daunting, but something like this is a long-term project, and there’s plenty of time to adjust, or make trades rather than buy, et cetera. I don’t ever expect to like, complete a collection, but I’m happy getting things bit by bit.

Anyway it’s like 2AM now I need to be up in 5 hours oops if I’m late then sorry james lmao except you won’t possibly be able to read this until Saturday and it’ll be too late then ha HA

#ramble #retro games #gba #n64 #collecting

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magic-magpie · 7 years ago

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Can I Kiss You?

My previous fic was a smut. This is literally the most innocent form of fluff. That contrast tho. I wanted to write a lil’ drabble. Ended up being a bit more than a drabble, but oh well. It’s only a bit more. I have an inability to write actual drabbles. UsUk, and incredibly fluffy. Also, I will admit, I’m not 100% sure how kissing works. Never kissed a person, and probably never will. I researched it, but the majority of the articles were about french kissing, and I wanted the soft kind of closed mouth thing. I found one article and just went with it. It seemed accurate. Hope you like it! It’s 4:55 AM over here and I should be getting to sleep ‘cause I’m going places tomorrow. And by that I mean literal places. I’m not succeeding anything tomorrow, except maybe being more of a loser than I already am.

Word Count - 2,057

“Can I kiss you?”

They were lounging on Arthur’s bed, two sixteen-year-olds three months into their relationship. Alfred was wearing a baggy Marvel hoodie with more crinkles than a McCoy’s crisp, and Arthur’s shirt was just something he’d pulled out of his cupboard last-minute whilst still drowsy with sleep. They’d stopped feeling the need to impress the other with an impeccable appearance ages ago – they weren’t dating each other for their designer clothes and neatly-brushed hair.

“What?” Arthur said, startled. Alfred was blushing heavily, fiddling with his slightly-long sleeves.

“Can I... kiss you?”

So Arthur hadn’t been imagining things.

Alfred really did want to... kiss him.

Kiss him.

Kiss.

Arthur felt himself heat up and started playing with his fingers in his lap, bending them back and forth as he went over this new development. Alfred wanted to kiss him. As in, put their lips together. As in, get closer than he’d ever gotten with another human being.

“I – I mean, you don’t – don’t have to!” Alfred added hastily, holding his palms up as if to reassure Arthur. “I just thought, well... I dunno, I just kinda... wanted to, y’know?”

Arthur’s gaze shot up to Alfred, disliking the apologetic smile and slightly disheartened blue eyes. He quickly said, “Oh, I do want to! It’s just...” he put his hand on the back of his neck awkwardly, green eyes darting away, “I haven’t... kissed anybody. Ever.”

He glanced at Alfred to gauge his reaction (if he had the gall to laugh Arthur would have his guts for garters), and saw that, more than anything, Alfred looked relieved. And he did laugh, but it wasn’t one of mockery.

“Cool, neither have I!”

“What, you haven’t?” Arthur exclaimed, honestly surprised. “But you told me you were popular in America!”

“I’m popular over here too, in case you forgot,” Alfred huffed, “and being popular doesn’t equal loads of kissing, y’know.”

“I thought all you popular kids always got a bit of action! Well, sometimes more than a bit, if my school was anything to go by,” Arthur mused. The biggest scandal had been when one bloke had gotten two girls pregnant after having sex with the both of them on different areas of school property – and that was only one of the many stories he’d heard about the popular kids. Really, you couldn’t blame Arthur for assuming that it was the same everywhere else.

“What kind of messed up school did you go to?”

“Word of advice – don’t send your kids to Greenfield High.”

“Well, it can’t be that bad. You came out pretty good,” Alfred said, giving Arthur a playful nudge. Arthur smiled – Alfred’s compliments were always so sweet and pure.

“Well, I mean, I did hit somebody with a chair once.”

“You what?” Alfred exclaimed, wide-eyed and mouth agape. Arthur laughed.

“He was talking shit about my family, so I picked up my chair and swung it at him.” He saw Alfred wince. “I think I knocked the bloke out... got suspended, like.”

“Ouch... kinda feel sorry for him.”

“He made fun of my family. He can go rot in Hell for all I care.”

“True. I mean, your family’s so nice! Your mom makes Shepherd’s Pie every time I come over!” Alfred said. “And she said she’d teach me how to play poker! I’ve always wanted to learn how to play poker...”

“You’d be terrible at it, I’m afraid. Your poker face is the worst I’ve seen, and I’ve seen seven-year-olds’ attempts,” Arthur said, causing Alfred to huff.

“I can do a good poker face! Watch.” He sat up on his knees and pulled a serious expression, eyes staring right into Arthur’s. Arthur merely sat with an eyebrow raised and an expectant smile and waited... waited... any second now...

“Oh that’s not fair, you were putting me off!”

And there it was.

His lips which he’d been working so hard to keep in a straight line had formed a reluctant grin and he threw a pillow at Arthur, making him only laugh harder and throw the pillow back in his face. It turned into an all-out pillow fight, tumbling off the bed and crashing into furniture as they tried to one-up the other.

“Oi, I’m taking twenty pounds from your box.”

Alfred was currently straddling Arthur whilst holding a pillow mid-swing, and their heads simultaneously snapped up to see Arthur’s eldest brother, Allistair, messing around with Arthur’s money box. The redhead raised an eyebrow at them, but merely said, “Thanks, mate.”

“Hah, why’re you so red?” Alfred remarked once Allistair had left, climbing off of Arthur and smoothing out his un-ironed hoodie as much as his hands could.

“It may not have occurred to you that Allistair might not have seen the pillow, and only saw our, well, compromising position,” Arthur hissed. Alfred cocked his head, looking like a lost puppy.

“What was so compromising about it?” He asked. Honestly, this boy.

“Think about it. What do partners tend to do in bedrooms?”

Alfred still looked confused, and Arthur was just about to sigh exasperatedly and open his mouth when a look of comprehension dawned on his face, and he too went pink.

“B – but we haven’t even kissed!” He spluttered.

“He doesn’t know that, does he?” Arthur groaned as he stood up. “Let’s just hope that he saw the pillow. You don’t have a brother – you have no idea about the amount of teasing I’m in for if he didn’t.”

Alfred shrugged. “I have a Mattie, and that’s pretty much the same thing.”

They sat back down on the bed, Arthur with his back to the headboard and Alfred lounging on Arthur’s massive cushion. They fell into a comfortable silence, Alfred frequently interrupting Arthur’s writing to show him a meme or a cute dog or some such thing. It was times like these that Arthur cherished; as much as he loved going on outings with his sunny boyfriend, he found the relaxed dates at home to be, weirdly enough, much more fun. Fighting for the Doritos and dip, sharing a blanket and providing their own commentary for the cheesy romantic flicks, vying for the victory in Mario Kart – it was all just wonderful with Alfred.

Arthur let his gaze wander over to his boyfriend, drinking in the sight of him. His socks were mismatched, one black with stripes and the other bright neon green, and the cuffs of his worn jeans were turned up at the bottom. They were Alfred’s favourite pair, even if they were a bit long. His hoodie was also too big for him, but the baggy look suited him. It suited his soft blond hair, falling just short of his left eye with one unruly strand standing up straight. It suited his baby blue eyes which looked at the world with inquisitiveness and questioned everything that was. It suited Alfred; who hadn’t become disillusioned by all the problems of society, but instead saw them and vowed to make the world fit his optimistic ideals; whose form of icebreaker was to ask Arthur if he preferred fluffy socks or slippers; who had shyly passed Arthur a note in Chemistry telling him that he liked him; who was honestly just the sweetest person Arthur had ever met. He was the stars to Arthur’s night sky – beauty and light and brilliance.

“Ohmigod Artie, you have got to see this!”

Alfred pulled Arthur out of his reverie as he leant over to show him a video that left the both of them giggling something chronic. Amidst laughter, Arthur looked at Alfred, committing the sight and sound of him smiling and full-on laughing to memory, because although he was lucky enough to be no stranger to Alfred’s intoxicating, obnoxious laugh, he still valued each and every single one. They were all reminders that Alfred was happy and content.

As Alfred made to sit back in his position, Arthur suddenly took hold of his wrist. Confused, Alfred looked up at him. Arthur let go of his wrist, instead interlocking their fingers. He smiled, if a little nervously.

“We... we never did get round to kissing, did we?”

Alfred’s mouth formed a little ‘o’, and he went a little pink, eyes darting between making eye contact with Arthur and inspecting his mismatched socks.

“Do you still want to?” He asked, and Arthur nodded. Of course he wanted to. Alfred may have only been in his life for seven months, and been his boyfriend for only three of those, but he felt an incredibly strong connection there. What he felt... he didn’t know what it was, but he knew that it wasn’t going away anytime soon. And he didn’t want it to. He enjoyed being in a relationship with Alfred. Is it odd to want this for... for the rest of my life?

Alfred grinned shyly, and pulled himself up onto his knees. Arthur did the same, anticipation building up inside him. We’re doing this. We’re really doing this.

“So, ahah...” Alfred bit his lip (had his lips always looked so beautiful?), “how are we doing this?”

“Don’t we just, well, put our lips together?” Arthur replied. The most he knew about kissing was from books and movies, and those weren’t very reliable at all.

“I mean, I guess?” Alfred said, a little shy smile on his lips. Arthur found himself bringing up a hand to brush his thumb across them softly.

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry,” he said, voice becoming quieter, loud enough only for Alfred to hear.

Heart pounding, he slowly, ever so slowly, leant forward, eyelashes fluttering shut. This was it, they were actually going to kiss, they –

“Ah!”

They’d bumped noses, and Arthur opened his eyes, surprised. Alfred, meanwhile, was going cross-eyed looking at his own nose, poking it.

“Noses are annoying,” he remarked, and Arthur gave a little laugh. Honestly, trust Alfred to do such a thing. It was all these little stupid things that made him even more endearing. Alfred laughed in a bit of an embarrassed manner too, then turned his attention back to Arthur.

This time, when Arthur leant in and closed his eyes, he tilted his head to the right, hoping that Alfred would go the opposite way. Judging by the lack of nose-bumps, he did, and now Arthur’s heart was racing a mile a minute as he sensed Alfred’s lips getting closer, and closer, and –

Arthur’s lips were on Alfred’s and he could’ve sworn sparks flew. His lips were slightly rough, but Arthur didn’t care. They were Alfred, and that was all Arthur wanted. They pressed softly, hesitantly against his, and Arthur did the same, glorying in the feel of Alfred’s lips against his. Alfred tasted of chocolate and Coca-Cola, and Arthur loved it. This was a sensation he could quickly become addicted to.

Breathing heavily, not believing how wonderful that had been, Arthur pulled back so their foreheads were touching, green eyes gazing into beautiful blue. Energy coursed through him; if Alfred was his bright star, then that must have been what starlight felt like. It spread from his lips to his chest to the tips of his fingers, wonderfully intoxicating.

“Did you like it?” Arthur asked, hoping against hope that he had. Alfred smiled, a little flushed. His hand found Arthur’s and he stroked it with his thumb.

“It was... awesome,” he replied, and leant in to brush his lips against Arthur’s, sending another surge of happiness through him. “We should’ve seriously done that sooner.”

“Good point – we’ve been missing out on quite a lot.”

Alfred’s arms were suddenly wrapped around him in a tight hug, causing Arthur to lose his balance and topple backwards into the mattress, Alfred laying next to him.

“I’m...” He looked slightly embarrassed, as if he was struggling to find the right words, but Arthur waited for him to finish. “I’m really glad you’re my boyfriend, Artie.”

He had a stupid, dorky grin on his face, even as he went a little red. “I mean, I don’t think I could’ve done that with anyone else. I’m glad it was with you.”

Arthur couldn’t help the equally stupid and dorky grin that arose on his face. How could he, when every second he spent with Alfred was another second he fell further into his feelings, and Alfred was doing absolutely nothing to hinder the process.

“Here’s to many more, Alfred.”

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mwahahahahahahaa · 7 years ago

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30 days of domestic fluff: Day 6

Hey! Time for Day 6.

Link to Ao3

Day 6: Shopping for needs

Eponine wrote down the list in their notebook, checking the fridge and freezer to make sure they’d written down everything they needed as they listened to the sound of Cosette coming down the stairs, ready to leave.

“Come on, ‘Ponine.” Cosette called from the hall. “We don’t want to be out too long.”

“Just checking what else we need.” Eponine replied. “Can you think of anything else?”

Cosette came in, and read over the list whilst Eponine checked the cupboards.

“Only soap and toilet paper. Possibly shampoo. Oh, and bread. Do we have any bread?” Cosette asked.

Eponine shook their head. “No, we ran out yesterday. Okay, I’ll add that. Hopefully that’s everything.”

“If it’s not, we’ll remember in the shop. Or we can go to the forgot shop later.” Cosette said.

“Yeah. Okay, let me just find my bag.”

“I brought it down for you, love, it’s in the hall.” Cosette said, smiling at her partner.

Eponine felt their own lips turn up. “Thanks.”

The journey to the local supermarket wasn’t that long, about a half hour walk. Cosette and Eponine made the journey hand in hand, talking about whatever came to mind, from the latest Star Trek episode to politics. It was a good time to catch up, to discuss things that weren’t particularly important but nice to talk about. By the time they got there, both had been smiling most of the way. They headed in, grabbing a trolley and moving into the store. Eponine reached out, grabbing a box of rice crispies almost straight away. Those were Gav’s favourite. It was followed into the trolley by frosties, the only thing Michel would eat. Azelma and Jean didn’t mind, and Eponine grabbed a box of Weetabix for themselves. Eponine pulled out the list, crossing over those three items. Cosette looked at them fondly. She’d never really bothered with a list herself, but Eponine found it useful to remember things, and to be honest, it did work.

“Right, in this aisle, we need bread, porridge oats, and jam.” Eponine said, eyes fixed on the list. Cosette pushed the trolley, moving down the aisle to where those items were. Eponine shoved the list back in their pocket and moved with her, reaching out to grab items as they passed.

The bread was a multigrain loaf, which luckily all the kids were fine with eating. It wouldn’t last long; with sandwiches being made most days for lunches and toast being a popular breakfast option, bread went very quickly when shared between six people. They kept moving, Cosette taking Eponine’s hand in hers and swinging it as she pushed the trolley one handed down the aisle, Eponine only pulling away when they reached the jam. They usually got multiple flavours. The kids usually went for strawberry, but Cosette and Eponine tended to get blackcurrant jam as well, both for themselves and in case any of the kids wanted variety. There were various other sandwich fillings they used – Eponine usually made egg mayonnaise Sunday evening, and kept it in the fridge until it was used – but jam sandwiches were popular. Jean in particular loved strawberry jam and cheese sandwiches, and Gavroche would have them sometimes too.

Moving on, they collected the porridge oats and moved onto the next aisle, Eponine reaching out to grab eggs, milk, and cheese as they passed. Then they dragged Cosette over to where the pasta and pasta sauces were kept, selecting several different sauces, as well as some rice and a curry sauce. Unfortunately, they had to stick to nothing spicier than a korma in order to keep Jean happy (after all, he was only five, and spicy food wasn’t something he enjoyed). Next stop was vegetables, where Cosette grabbed some leeks, peppers, potatoes and onions, thinking about what she’d cook. Spanish omelette could be a good idea, and if they needed something simple the kids would never complain about baked potatoes, as long as they had toppings.

The pair talked as they moved around the shop collecting various items. Soap and other toiletries were last, being loaded into the trolley carefully so they didn’t squash the other food. Frozen pizzas were in there, as well as some ice cream, and biscuits. Eponine picked up some fruit juice, orange with no bits and tropical juice. Fruit juice was a good way of tricking the kids into being healthier. They all preferred it to water, and whilst it was more expensive, it did help.

“We forgot actual fruit,” Cosette pointed out. “Want me to run and grab some?”

“Yeah, I’ll get the rest and meet you at the till.” Leaning in, Eponine kissed Cosette on the lips before taking the trolley away from her, and looking at the list again just to check everything necessary had been collected. No tomato puree, they realised, and walked back to that aisle, taking a tube and throwing it into the trolley.

That was the last thing on the list as far as Eponine could see, even though they’d picked up a few extras. It was going to be a pain to carry all this home. Luckily there was a bus that went almost to their door, but even so. It was times like this that Eponine really wished they had a car. They’d only had driving lessons in the first place because their father had wanted them to work as a getaway driver, but it was a useful skill to have. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that useful when you couldn’t afford a car or insurance. They had their siblings to look after, and that was much more important than wasting money on a car they couldn’t actually afford, and didn’t necessarily need.

There was no point worrying about it, so Eponine shoved the list back into their pocket and moved towards the till. The lines were long, which, while annoying, meant Eponine didn’t have to worry about Cosette getting back with the fruit in time. Sure enough, there were still two people in front of them when Cosette joined Eponine at the till, placing the fruit with the other items on the conveyer belt. Surprisingly, Cosette wasn’t alone.

Bossuet was beaming at them from beside Cosette, holding a bag from the in store bakery.

“Hey Eponine! Cosette said she’d pay for my croissants if I gave you guys a lift back.”

Eponine felt their shoulders relax. “I am fully in support of that. You sure you can spare the time?”

“I’m free all day now, was just heading back from dropping Musichetta off at work. I forgot to have any breakfast, so stopped in here.” He explained. “And what good luck! I get my food paid for, and the company of two of my close friends!”

Eponine smiled. “I mean, it’s in exchange for a lift, so not entirely free. But thank you, Bossuet. I was dreading carrying all this back on the bus.”

“No worries. It’s not like you live that far away.” Bossuet pointed out.

Cosette grinned. “Still, thanks. You heading home to spend time with Joly after?”

“Nah, he’s been called into work too, they needed him at the hospital.”

“You can spend some time at ours if you want. Gav will be glad to see you, as will the others.”

Bossuet brightened, if it were even possible. “That sounds like an improvement over spending the afternoon by myself.”

Eponine grinned. It was almost like free babysitting, having Bossuet over. He loved spending time with the kids, and they loved him. It would let them put all the shopping away and start on making lunch without being interrupted every five minutes. Bossuet knew that would happen, but also knew that he’d get free lunch, and that they’d be joining in after lunch anyway. It was one of Eponine’s free days, which was nice. It meant they could spend the whole day with their family.

They reached the front of the queue, and the cashier started putting through their items as Eponine pulled out their purse and several plastic bags, Cosette and Bossuet both taking up the task of filling those bags with the purchased items. The croissants, when they went through, were quickly placed in Bossuet’s large coat pockets instead, whilst everything else was bagged and then put back in the trolley to make it easier to carry it to the car.

Eponine paid the cashier once everything was through, and, wishing the cashier a nice day, started pushing the trolley towards the exit, Bossuet and Cosette following. They walked out to Bossuet’s car, and started loading everything into the boot. The sheer volume of stuff made Eponine grateful all over again for Bossuet’s willingness to give them a lift.

Cosette got into the front next to Bossuet, Eponine themselves sliding into the back. Bossuet’s music started playing almost immediately – Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Before long, they were all singing along and laughing, enjoying themselves. The journey back was much shorter than the journey there, simply by virtue of travelling by car. It was under ten minutes before Bossuet parked in front of their house, having surprisingly good luck finding a parking space for once. Eponine texted Gavroche and Azelma.

Hey, come help us carry everything in. Boss gave us a lift.

As Bossuet opened the boot and started passing bags out, the door opened to 4 kids who were much more excited than usual to help. Eponine and Cosette knew better than to think Bossuet wasn’t the reason, especially considering Jean and Michel both greeted their friend with hugs.

Bossuet laughed. “Nice to see you too, guys. Okay, okay, let’s get all this in and then I’ll teach you how to be better at Mario Karts.”

Gavroche and Azelma were more restrained in their responses, but both still very happy. Everyone grabbed some bags and started moving in, just about managing to get everything in one trip. Bossuet locked the car behind them.

“Okay, everything into the kitchen for now.” Eponine called as the kids went into the house ahead of them. The instructions were followed fairly well. Whilst not everything belonged in the kitchen, it was easier to have all the bags in one place to sort through.

Bossuet, once he’d put his bags down, pulled out his croissants to eat.

“You guys go play in the lounge,” Eponine said. “We’ll put everything away.”

Jean and Michel beamed, practically dragging Bossuet away. Azelma hesitated.

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” She asked.

Eponine smiled. “It’s fine, don’t worry. We’ll put it all away, you go and relax. Or work on your homework, if you haven’t finished it.”

Azelma pulled a face, but left, though whether to actually do homework was anyone’s guess.

Eponine and Cosette, meanwhile, turned their attention to the shopping bags before them. Cosette smiled, leaning forwards with a kiss.

“Makes it a little more interesting, don’t you think?” She teased, before moving to search through a bag. Eponine rolled their eyes, but couldn’t keep the smile from their face. They never could, when it came to Cosette. One hand searching through a bag, the other reached for Cosette’s hand to squeeze. It wouldn’t take too long to put everything away, but they could always take advantage of a few moments by themselves anyway, a moment to hug without Jean, who always got very excited by hugging, joining in. Not that they didn’t love Jean’s hugs too, of course, but it was nice to spend a few moments just with Cosette.

Surely the shopping could wait just a moment longer, Eponine thought, and they reached to kiss Cosette again, both of them smiling.

“We should do this after we’ve put things away.” Cosette said, her eyes warm as they met Eponine’s.

“Yeah, true.” Eponine forced themselves to pull away. “But if you think I’m not cuddling you all afternoon on the sofa, you’re very mistaken.”

Cosette grinned. “That sounds perfect.”

#30 days of domestic fluff #30 days challenge #Eposette #les mis #Eponine #Cosette #genderfluid Eponine #my writing

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socalsojourner · 6 years ago

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Las Vegas - Things to do with kids - Part 3

Want even more things to do with kids in Las Vegas? I think some of these will keep ‘em happy - I’ve done a lot of these and they are really cool:

SlotZilla Zip Line

SlotZilla at Fremont Street Experience is a 12-story zip line and is one of the best things to do in Vegas. There are two ways to fly, the lower "Zipline" and upper "Zoomline."

The Stratosphere Tower

At 1,149 feet, the Stratosphere Tower is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States and the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. From the observation decks you'll enjoy panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip and the Las Vegas valley. Thrill seekers can enjoy excitement over 100 stories above the ground on the Big Shot thrill ride and the High Roller roller coaster. For the less daring, there is the Strat-O-Fair midway attraction. The Stratosphere Tower is located in the Stratosphere hotel

The Toy Shack

FreeThe Vegas Toy Shack specializes in vintage toys from the 80’s. Transformers, GI Joe, TMNT, M.A.S.K and much more. The Toy Shack is located at the Fremont Street Experience

GameWorks

FreeBlast away at GameWorks. GameWorks has 47,000-sq. ft. entertainment with over 250 games, the world's tallest free-standing rock-climbing structure, a full-service restaurant, and two snack bars. GameWorks is located Town Square.

High Roller

This 550-foot tall observation wheel has a 360 degree view of Las Vegas. Instead of those old two seaters that seem to rock back and forth precariously, you'll be stepping into a state-of-the-art air-conditioned pod that's roomy enough for 40 people. You may walk around and take pictures from every possible angle. Tickets here.

Eiffel Tower Experience

The Eiffel Tower Experience, located at the Paris hotel, is one of the top things to do for Las Vegas visitors. Take a glass elevator to the 50th floor for a panoramic view of Las Vegas from this half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. Along the way, your tour guide, will point out can't-miss Vegas landmarks.

Marvel Avengers STATION

Dive into the world of The Avengers, where you can explore the history and scientific origins of the Marvel characters. From interactive minigames to exhibits featuring Captain America's uniform, to a green-screen photo experience with several Avengers-themed backgrounds. Best yet might be the interactive experience that allows guests to try on Iron Man's suit and go for a drive via virtual reality. Tix here.

Hot Air Balloon Rides

If you always wanted to go up, up and away on a hot air balloon ride, now's your chance. For 180 minutes, you’ll soar like an eagle on THE scenic tour of Las Vegas. Your tour also includes a snack and champagne toast (for those over 21). Vegas Balloons.

ATV Hidden Valley

Suitable for beginners and experienced riders, this ATV tour takes you to places in the Mojave Desert seldom seen. Come prepared for adventure -- this is the longest ATV adventure offered in Southern Nevada. You will be escorted in a van to the staging area in Jean, Nev., where your ATV will be waiting. After a short safety briefing, you will begin a two-hour ride through rugged desert and mountain terrain, riding through historic Hidden Valley, near extinct lava beds and across dry lakes. You also will enter the rugged McCullough Mountain Range for more trail riding. This tour covers anywhere from 20 to 50 miles of desert terrain, depending on group size and riding level. This tour includes bottled water. The morning tour includes a stop in Primm, Nev. for a short break. Note: Guests must wear closed-toe shoes. Sandals and high-heeled shoes are not allowed. Hats and sunglasses are recommended. For cooler temperatures, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket is recommended. Tix here.

Zero 1 Desert Adventures

It's time to get dirty, and one of the best ways to do it is off-roading through the Mojave Desert in a Polaris RZR XP1000. After your complimentary drop-off at Base Camp, there's a short training course that will polish your driving skills to expert levels. You've got a choice of a two hour, three hour, half day, or seasonal night tour that'll have you riding through the most scenic spots Vegas has to offer. The terrain is full of surprises, but that's not a big deal because your new driving skills will prepare you for all the rugged terrain Mother Nature throws your way. From twisty sand-washes to high-speed trails, you'll experience all the unspoiled desert has to offer. All the gear is provided, so the only thing you need to bring is your adventurous spirit. You'll even get to wear a state-of-the-art helmet with a PCI radio system so all your friends can hear your trash-talking as you leave them in the dust. Tix here.

Dig This

Perfect for the big kids at heart (14 years and older), this tour will have you operating a a state-of-the-art bulldozer or hydraulic excavator. After a brief safety and equipment orientation, you'll be given a hard hat, safety vest and radio. Once you climb aboard, you'll be operating an excavator or bulldozer in no time. And don't be intimidated by all the switches and gears. An experienced instructor will talk you through step-by-step via radio. In no time you'll be rolling gigantic boulders across the dirt, excavating trenches, stacking tires and playing "excavator basketball." Choose either the excavator or bulldozer ride, both missions are challenging and fun. With five acres of a super-sized sand box, you'll definitely have room to get down and dirty. Whether you grew up reading "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" or watching the cartoon show "Bob the Builder," Dig This will soon have you exploring the fun of this adult sand box. Tix here.

Pole Position Raceway

Whether you're a novice or experienced racer, Pole Position Raceway will send your heart racing. Located just off the Las Vegas Strip, this state-of-the-art, 60,000-square-foot facility features indoor race karts that zoom faster than any of their kind in the country.

The racing karts are approximately 18-horsepower and capable of going up to 45 miles per hour. These electric-powered karts are also environmentally friendly, emitting no exhaust.

Your adventure begins when you choose from a variety of packages -- including 2-Race Adult, 2-Race Junior, 3-Race Adult or All-You-Can-Drive packages. Join the ranks of celebrities like Star Wars creator George Lucas, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and NASCAR champion Kyle Busch, as you navigate the quarter-mile track through long straightaways, hairpin turns and other unique elements. Busch and seven-time AMA Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath are part of the team that brought Pole Position Raceway to Las Vegas.

At the end of each race, you'll receive a scorecard, which includes details like your lap time, position and overall race stats. Compare your results with other racers to see where you stand.

Pole Position Raceway offers an arcade, which includes a variety of racing games. The upstairs game room features two pool tables, a pinball machine, plasma TVs and a great aerial view of the track. Catch the excitement below and pay attention to how the experts execute the tricky turns.

Guests can stroll through the facility and see race cars, motorcycles, helmets and racing suits on display worn by professionals, including Dale Earnhardt Sr. Pole Position Raceway also sells memorabilia, including T-shirts and hats, so you can take a piece of your experience with you.

There is a complimentary shuttle service between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily (subject to availability, guests must call to confirm availability).

Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon Zipline

You've probably had dreams of flying, right? But did you ever think of actually doing this (and not by plane or helicopter) on your next Vegas trip?

Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon's zip-line tour in Boulder City gives you the chance to "fly" and experience the beauty of the Southwest desert mountains.You'll sit in your own paragliding harness that's suspended from cable wires. Travel from one point to another by flying over the desert ecosystem from the top of Red Mountain. Some riders have reached speeds of 50 miles per hour.

After a brief safety orientation, your guides will take you on a quick drive up to the canyon. From here, you'll take a half-hour hike uphill. Upon reaching your destination, you'll coast through four runs, each providing a different kind of experience, including a 450 foot plunge. Each run's takeoff platform provides a unique view of the mountainous terrain from a different elevation, showcasing the variety and beauty of the desert.

Nervous about flying? Don't worry -- the tour guides help make everyone feel comfortable. And if you're afraid of heights, let this be the ride that helps you overcome your fear.

West Rim and Hoover Dam

See two of the most amazing sights in the world on one tour -- the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam. Start out by driving through the scenic Mojave Desert, dotted with Joshua trees, visit the community of Dolan Springs and then head to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. The West Rim displays the Grand Canyon's natural beauty with no crowds, no guardrails and stunning views as far as the eye can see.You will have a guide on the tour who will teach you about the history, culture, geology and flora of the Grand Canyon. Your transportation on the tour is a 10-passenger Tour Trekker, a vehicle that is ideal for sightseeing and off-road adventures. This tour also includes a two-hour stop at Hoover Dam, which includes photo opportunities of the Hoover Dam bypass bridge, the Colorado River and Lake Mead. You'll have time on your own to explore this engineering masterpiece including visiting the exhibit gallery and the observation room in the power plant that houses massive generators. Lunch is included on the tour.

DOME at Container Park

The glowing sphere in Container Park isn't just a pretty sculpture—it's a portal to other worlds. Inside The Dome, 4K Ultra HD video stretches across the ceiling, creating 360° imagery that immerses viewers in the worlds of dinosaurs, aliens, and more. The family-friendly theater is decked out with 25 reclining seats, which comfortably cradle guests as they bask in the all-consuming visuals of shows such as these:

Dinosaurs at Dusk: Travel back in time to the land of dinosaurs to watch Tyrannosaurus rex, Pteranodon, and Triceratops in their natural habitat.

Earth Defender: In this game, players take lasers in hand and venture into space to defend Earth against the evil Metamorphs.

Led Zeppelin: '70s kids can stare in awe as stunning visuals dance in time to classic Zep tracks such as "Kashmir" and "Stairway to Heaven.”

More Info here.

What's the Container Park? The Container Park, located in Downtown, is an open-air shopping center built from repurposed shipping containers. Located just a few blocks away from the Fremont Street Experience, this open-air shopping center filled with boutique retail shops, restaurants, and live entertainment.

The Container Park, located Downtown, is an open-air shopping center built from repurposed shipping containers. Located just a few blocks away from the Fremont Street Experience, this open-air shopping center filled with boutique retail shops, restaurants, and live entertainment.

Marking the entrance is a 55-foot metal preying mantis sulpture which shoots flames during special evening occassions. Once inside the park you'll be surrounded by restaurants, bars, and retail outlets.

55-Foot Preying Mantis The feature attraction for kids is the children's park. Located in mostly a shaded area (key for those hot summer months) the park contains a 33 foot tall slide sure to delight the adventurous child in your group as well as a NEOS playground, an electronic game that requires kids to chase after flashing lights. Also at the children's park are large foam blocks, sort of like giant sized Lego, for building, throwing and jumping on! There's a one-of-a-kind interactive play area where both children and adults can have fun and be active while exploring their creativity.

Be sure to try SasaSweets Chillspot's one-of-a-kind frozen treats and Sweet Spot Candy Shop's vintage and classic candy. Children are not permitted after 9pm, even still, Downtown Las Vegas doesn't get much more family-friendly.

Twilight Zone Mini Golf & Arcade

Looking for an affordable, yet extraordinarily unordinary experience in Vegas? Twilight Zone by Monster Mini Golf is a unique 10,000 sq. ft themed attraction featuring an extraordinary custom-designed indoor glow-in-the-dark 18 hole miniature golf course entertainment venue.

This course is surrounded by custom designed out-of-this-world props, phenomenal artwork & a live on-course DJ blasting music straight from the past right into the 5th dimension with trivia, contests, and prizes creating a destination embraced by locals, tourists, and earthlings of all ages!

The arcade features new and retro games such as Space Invaders, The Walking Dead and more.

Area 51 Tour

The truth is out there and now you can conduct your own search when you visit a number of famous locations frequented by UFO enthusiasts.

Your tour begins with a quick stop near McCarran International Airport where you can see the planes for Janet Airlines. This fleet of unmarked jets transports workers to and from Area 51.

Enjoy a scenic drive by SUV through the desert on your way to view some very unusual ancient Indian petroglyphs that resemble aliens. Next you will explore a mysterious dry lake bed, the site of a number of UFO sightings.

Back on the road, you'll enjoy a beautiful drive along the "Extraterrestrial Highway" on your way to the famous Little A'le' Inn and plenty of photo opportunities. This store and restaurant has been the host of numerous documentaries and movies including "Independence Day." Here you will find a wealth of information on this top-secret area. Captain Chuck Clark, an ex-air force captain, has written a manual on Area 51, which is available for sale.

After a great lunch, which includes "Alien Burgers" you will travel to the infamous black mailbox that marks the entrance to Area 51, a sacred meeting place for UFO enthusiasts. You arrive at the absolute perimeter of Area 51 after traveling through the Joshua Tree forest.

At Area 51's perimeter you will see guards, detection devices, listening devices and cameras mounted among the cactus. Signs reading, "Top Secret Military Facility, Keep Out, Use of Deadly force Authorized" are scattered along the facility's border and guards stand watch behind the tinted windows of their SUVs.

Enjoy this extreme tour to the world's most famous military facility and inspiration for the "X-Files."

#lasvegastravel #lasvegas #lasvegastourism #lasvegaswithkids

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usagijimin · 8 years ago

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Parlez-vous français?-Narry

Niall hates French. Well…he doesn’t hate it per say. He still thinks it’s a beautiful language and all; it’s just that he’s not very good at it. No matter how much time he spends making flash cards or staring at verb conjugations, he just can’t make anything stick. The only reason he hasn’t dropped the class yet is because of Harry, the grad student who’s been assigned to teach the two sections of Elementary French 1. He’d shown up to the very first day of the semester with a beret perched atop his long brown, curly hair, a box of fresh croissants tucked under his arm, and a widewide grin. Niall had liked him immediately. He was energetic despite their class’ early start time and the seeming lack of enthusiasm from his students, always moving quickly and constantly around the classroom in his painted on black skinny jeans. He was also unfailingly patient with Niall, no matter how embarrassingly slow he was at grasping certain concepts. More than once Harry had offered extra help for those who needed it, but Niall’s been too nervous to take him up on the offer yet.

’It’s the fourth week of the semester when Harry begins class with a brief announcement about the university’s French club. “I’m in charge of the club this year,” Harry announced, sat on the edge of his desk at the front of the room. “We meet once a week on Thursday nights in this room to watch movies, talk, and eat French food. It’s a lot of fun! This week we will be watching Les Choristes and making crepes, so you all should come and feel free to bring some friends! All are welcome!” The blonde girl next to Niall raises her hand. “If we go do we get extra credit?” “Peut-être…ou peut-être pas. You’ll just have to go to the meeting and find out, Amanda,” Harry replied, his smile turning slightly mischievous. “Now, let’s talk about la famille!” Niall already spends way too much of his time thinking about French class, so he’s not so sure why he finds himself standing outside the door to his classroom on Thursday night instead of out at the bars with Louis or Liam. He takes a deep breath and opens the door. There are about fifteen other people there. He doesn’t recognize a single one of them from class or from around campus. Harry’s at the front of the room, a griddle and his supplies all set up on his desk. He’s wearing a maroon sweater, the sleeves rolled up to reveal a series of tattoos. “Niall!” Harry calls out and their eyes meet. Harry’s green eyes are so warm it makes Niall insides suddenly feel like melted butter. He can’t help the smile that makes its way onto his face. “Come tell me what you want in your crepe!” Niall can’t look away from Harry’s long bony fingers as he pours some of the batter onto the griddle. He’s always wearing at least two rings on his fingers, never the same ones two days in a row. Harry starts adding in ingredients at Niall’s request. Caramel sauce. Sliced banana. Chocolate chips. When it begins to brown, Harry folds the crepe delicately and with his spatula slides it onto Niall’s plate. Niall’s not surprised to find that Harry is a good cook. The crepe is warm and soft in his mouth and he finds himself finishing it before Harry’s managed to even start the film. The film is about a music teacher who goes to work at a school for troubled youth and ends up forming a chorus. It’s better than Niall thought it would be. The moment it’s over, the room fills with the soft buzz of voices as everyone rises from their seats, pulls their coats on, and begin to quickly disperse, leaving Harry behind to clean up and pack up all his supplies. Niall stays behind to help him, earning two dimples in the process. “Thank you for coming, Niall. You were my only student who did.” Niall scratches at the side of his neck, feeling his skin grow a bit warm. “S'no problem. Was a good movie.” Harry’s face lights up at this. “I’m glad you liked it! I think it’s one of my favorite movies of all time.” “Really?” Harry nods, wrapping the long chord of the griddle around and around it and tucking it back in the box where it belongs. “Yeah. I’m a big fan of music and I think the music is really good. Also…I’m just a sucker for a good old fashioned redemption narratives.” Niall snorts and watches Harry struggle to juggle six plastic bags full of supplies, the griddle, and his own satchel in his two hands for a few seconds before he reaches forward and takes the griddle into his hands. “I’ll help you carry this.” “Thanks, I appreciate it. I promise my car’s parked close by.” They take the elevator down to the first floor of the old, dusty language building and they step out into the cool February night. Harry leads him two blocks to his red town and country mini van. “What?” Harry asks defensively when he sees Niall’s reaction. “It’s a hand-me-down.” “Sure,” Niall replies, biting his lip to hide his smile. Harry opens the side door and dumps all the plastic bags on one of the seats before he takes the griddle from Niall’s hands. “How far away do you live? Do you need a ride? "I’m alright. It’s only about a fifteen minute walk.” “Come on, get in. I insist. It’s the least I can do after you helped me out.” “Fine,” Niall says, walking around the passenger seat and climbing in. The car smells like the evergreen air-freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. Harry turns on the ignition and pulls onto the street. The two sit in silence for a solid minute after he gives Harry directions. Finally, Niall clears his throat and asks, “so, why French?” Harry laughs and uses his pinky finger to switch on his turn signal and Niall’s not sure why he finds that so cute. “I’m afraid the story’s not all that interesting. I took French in high school and really liked it so I kept taking French classes in college, thinking I might minor in it. I didn’t decide to major in it until my Sophomore year because of this great class I had on French Romanticism. And now four years later I’m here, doing research, working towards a Masters. What about you?” “What’s my major or why I’m taking French?” “Either really,” Harry says lightly, sparing Niall a brief glance before looking back at the road. “Well…I study astronomy and physics.” “Oh?” “I guess I like space. Always have. Had these glow-in the dark stars in my room growing up and I always liked to arrange them to form constellations.” “So I’m guessing French is just a ged ed requirement?” “Yeah.” Niall pauses. “Look…I’ve been meaning to say this, but I’m sorry I’m so bad at it all. French I mean.” “Why are you apologizing to me? You have nothing to be sorry for, Niall. Learning a new language is difficult and sometimes French is unnecessarily difficult.” “But not as difficult as I make it out to be. The other students aren’t having as hard a time as I am.” “The other students don’t even pay attention to what I’m saying most of the time and they’re not interested in what they’re learning. You listen and you try, and that’s all I care about.” Harry pauses and looks at Niall longer than he should while sitting in the driver’s seat, his expression soft. “And you came tonight which helps validates me a bit as a teacher.” Niall wants to tell Harry that it’s not the French that makes him pay attention to Harry or why he made the decision to come tonight, but he remains quiet. In the absence of sound Harry turns the radio up and the two nod their heads along to The Eagles. Harry pulls up to Niall’s small, red brick apartment building and shifts into Park. Niall reaches for the door before he can say something stupid, only to be stopped by Harry’s large hand on his shoulder. Niall’s theorist feels tight all of a sudden. “And I know I’ve said it before. If you feel overwhelmed or need help, I have office hours. Feel free to come. I usually spend the entire time on my computer watching Netflix. ” “Alright,” Niall says. “I’ll stop by.” “Good,” Harry replies, giving his shoulder a little squeeze. “Have a good night, Niall.” “You too.” Louis and Liam are sitting in the living room playing Mario Kart when Niall comes in. “Why are you so red?” Louis asks. Niall rushes to his room before they can ask him anymore.

Niall spends five whole minutes in front of the bathroom mirror, running his fingers through his hair, toying with different strands of his dark hair, before he calms himself enough to go knock on the door to Harry’s office. “Come in!” Harry yells. Niall takes a deep breath and pushes open the door. Harry’s sat reclining on his desk chair, his feet propped up on his desk, a laptop haphazardly propped up on his knees. “Morning Niall,” he grins. Unlike usual, his hair’s pulled back into a tight bun and he’s wearing a Green Bay Packers sweatshirt. “You’re going to break the chair and your back,” Niall says in lieu of a greeting. He sets his backpack down on the ground and makes himself at home in the black, plastic chair in front of him. “None of that,” Harry replies, his eyebrows furrowed and his lower lip jutted out in his best attempt at a serious expression. “You’re the one that came to me for wisdom and guidance, remember?” “Which is why I want you to live long enough for you to actually help me.” “Fair point.” He grabs the laptop and swings his legs down from the desk. “How are you doing today? Your classes all going well?” “Midterms,” Niall answers solemnly. Harry nods understandingly. “It’s a rough time for everybody.” “I’m running on no sleep and two Red Bull’s right now.” “That’s so unhealthy for you!” Harry scoffs. “Says the man who has a coffee cup on his desk right now.” “It’s tea!” “Yeah sure. Let me be the judge of that,” Niall says, leaning forward to take the cup in his hand. Harry grabs Niall’s wrist abruptly to stop. “It’s tea! I swear on my life!” “You sound a little defensive there. Afraid of being called a hypocrite?” Niall shakes Harry’s grip and grabs the cup. Once again Harry grabs Niall’s wrist and the two struggle to gain control. It’s not until Niall’s got complete control and their laughing subsides, that Niall realizes how close their faces are to one another. Harry’s breath fans across his face, the tip of his nose just brushing Harry’s. He can see the small mole on Harry’s cheek up close and personal, and he wants more than anything to kiss it. He quickly looks down at the cup in his hand and pulls back the lid just the smallest amount to reveal a cup of coffee. “I knew-” He’s interrupted by Harry’s mouth pressing hard against his. Niall lets the cup fall to the floor in favor of reaching out and cradling Harry’s face. His lips are warm and wet, and his breath is shaky when he pulls back for a moment, his eyes still closed. He lets Harry kiss him again, this time with slow sweeps of his tongue, leaving the bitter taste off coffee behind in his mouth. When Harry pulls back a moment later his lips look so plump and pink. His eyes widen. “Shit.”

#I'm not obsessed with the idea of Harry as a French major #you are #anyway...hope people like it #narry #narry drabble #narry fic

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ladala99 · 5 years ago

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Spyro Reignited Countdown Super Bonus Round - Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled

I really did not expect the Spyro Grand Prix to drop before Spyro Reignited came out of Switch, but it did! I cannot describe the hype I experience watching the trailer, and of course the wide grin on my face using my hoarded Wumpa Coins to unlock everything I could on day 1.

So, now that Spyro is a playable character, Crash Team Racing is a Spyro game as per my weird definition. So, here’s a review!

Gameplay

It’s a kart racer, with the original game debuting on the PS1. That means it has to be pretty simple, right?

Wrong. It’s inspired by Mario Kart for sure, but it has a mechanic that makes it stand out: drift boosting.

You can hop into a slide and boost three times before you must hop again. Each boost gives you a little more speed, and you build up what fans call “reserves,” in which your speed keeps going even after you stop boosting. These reserves also apply to the boosts you get from boost pads, which are more powerful than you can get from drifting alone. New to the remake is Blue Fire, the fastest you can go. It’s really intense keeping control of your vehicle while continuing to boost so you don’t lose your fire!

And then there’s powerups that almost all have a direct equivalent in the Mario Kart series: you’ve got your rockets (red shells), bombs (green shells), warp orbs (blue shells), clocks (lightning bolts), masks (stars), shields (horn thingy? except automatic), potions (banana peels) and canisters (mushrooms). There’s also TNT crates, which stick to you and only go away if you hop a few times.

Another difference is the fact that you can “juice up” these items by collecting 10 Wumpa Fruit, which are sometimes scattered around the track but usually are in specific crates. The juiced up effects make the powerups stronger and/or last longer, and also make your kart go faster, like coins in more recent Mario Karts. Yes, Mario Kart copied Crash. Antigrav was in Crash first as well, but it’s not in this game.

It has really steep learning curve. If you want to play it like you play Mario, Easy Mode is the only mode for you. Because Medium assumes you have some skill with the boost system. But there really isn’t any bonus to playing any particular mode, so it’s pretty forgiving.

Playable Characters

You start out with eight playable characters, split into four categories:

Polar and Pura are Turning-based characters. These characters turn very sharply, which is nice when playing the game like Mario Kart, but is actively bad when you are trying to drift down straightaways. They’re also really slow. Once you have a handle on the game’s mechanics, these are the hardest to do well with, but when you first start, they’re a bit easier to navigate with.

Crash and Cortex are Balanced characters. They’re slow, but not as slow as the Turning characters, and they turn sharply, but not as sharply as the Turning characters. You still will have a hard time drifting down straightaways. They’re slightly more usable than Turning characters once you’re skilled, but they’re still really difficult. Also: the visible stats lie.

Coco and N. Gin are Acceleration-based characters. They can reach high speeds and still will turn fairly easily. As you get better, you’ll find these characters easiest to play, as you can drift straight or turn relatively easily. Again: the stats lie. They’re better than they look.

Tiny Tiger and Dingodile are Speed-based characters. Experts will use these characters most of all, since they are, naturally, the fastest. Their awful Turning stats make it so they can drift in a completely straight line, but makes it difficult to turn with them. Not impossible, though, as this game’s hopping mechanics make turning possible, if you just get used to it. These guys are difficult for beginners, but once you’ve mastered them, it’s hard going back to anyone else.

More characters are unlocked in Adventure Mode, one by completing Time Trials, and an ever-increasing number through Wumpa Coins (which you earn by doing just about anything). All characters fall into one of the above four categories, essentially making them skins of one another. There’s also actual skins and other aesthetic differences available, but obviously these don’t make any difference to gameplay.

Game Modes

There’s several:

Adventure Mode is the story mode. A lot of things are unlocked here, including characters, karts, and paint jobs. Also, you know, there’s a story.

Single Races let you pick an individual course to race on with various rules. These courses include the Adventure Mode courses, courses from the game Nitro Kart, and all courses made available by Grand Prix (and the PS4-exclusive track is here too, if you’re on PS4).

Cup Races lets you race in cups of four pre-selected tracks. They’re not all covered by this mode and there’s not custom nor random cup, so it’s a little pointless. It is the only non-Adventure-Mode location to show Podium animations, though.

Time Trials let you race the tracks with a timer. If you’re good enough, you’ll unlock time trials by N. Tropy and Oxide himself. If you beat all of the Crash Team Racing and Nitro Kart times set by those two, you’ll unlock N. Tropy and a special skin for him respectively.

Battle Mode has some special courses and types of competition. I never use this mode outside of what I have to for the Grand Prix.

And of course, the Grand Prix itself. There’s various challenges spanning many modes that earn you Nitro Points. These points will unlock new karts, skins, characters, and other related aesthetic unlockables. This is where Spyro is located, and he’s only located here this month. Unless they repeat it later or something.

Wumpa Coins?

You gain a small amount of these every time you do a race or a battle. You can earn a lot more of them online, as you get a 5X boost for 30 minutes of on-the-track time (which depending on loading times can last for about an hour to about two hours in real time. The Switch’s load times in particular are awful).

You can also get Wumpa Coins through *shudder* microtransactions. And because of that, you need to be connected to the server to get coins at all. Only online races require a subscription to your console’s internet service, but everything in the shop (called the Pit Stop) is balanced more to the online race reward rate than the normal reward rate.

What if no internet?

Then no coins, no Grand Prix and no Pit Stop. You still can earn things through Adventure Mode and Time Trials, but the rest is blocked.

If the servers shut down right this minute, anything you have already bought with Wumpa Coins or earned in past Grand Prix would still be available to use. You just would be unable to earn or buy more things.

Given that this is a remake/remaster/whatever this counts as, and everything that was in the original is obtainable through its original methods, while this state isn’t ideal, it’s fair. You’re not losing out on any gameplay, and unlike Skylanders Superchargers, you still can access anything you’ve already bought.

Spyro’s Role

Spyro is being introduced into the game in a Grand Prix, timed to celebrate the launch of the Reignited Trilogy on the Switch.

This Grand Prix features Spyro as an unlockable character through the Nitro Gauge, and Hunter and Gnasty Gnorc buyable in the Pit Stop. Spyro is a Speed character, Gnasty is a Turning character, and Hunter is a Balanced character.

I think these make some sort of sense: Spyro is pretty fast, especially with a Supercharge powerup or in the Speedways. Hunter can do a lot of things, so him being Balanced has logic. Gnasty at first seems more of a Speed type from his boss fight, but the fact that his level is made of dangerous twisty paths makes being agile and Turning-based make sense.

There’s also a track specifically based on levels in Spyro 1. This track changes Wumpa Fruit to gems, and crates to chests. Anyone who gets an invincibility powerup or is rescued from being off-course gets Sparx rather than a regular mask, and the three Spyro characters have Sparx as the “mask” no matter what course they’re in. This includes Gnasty, as little sense as that makes.

Other characters gain skins for this Grand Prix, but not many are direct references to Spyro. Some are generic fantasy or fantasy-related skins, and a couple are direct references to a different Crash game that has nothing to do with Spyro.

There’s also three new karts, one having a scale-like plating and Spyro’s color scheme referencing Spyro, one that’s spiky and has an underbite referencing Gnasty, and one that’s... Arkeyan. Referencing Skylanders.

And that is what made my grin go full-on tears of joy. It’s not just Classic Spyro, it’s Skylanders as well. And Legend, as the Decals (patterns for the vehicle for the paint to go on) have designs extremely similar to menus and architecture from that series.

Beenox is really going all-out, and I love it.

The Pit Stop paint jobs are all gem-based, with facets that give them a really cool texture, and the wheels are Elemental-based, and I’m not certain if they’re Skylanders or Legend-based. Perhaps they’re both?

AND Spyro’s alternate color schemes include Dark Spyro as well as I guess Reignited gives him patterns with the powerups. But Dark Spyro! Based on the Skylanders version of him. But Dark Spyro!

I’m just full-on hype, it’s a dream come true, it’s new Classic Spyro content (Reignited Spyro content, I suppose) and it shares love for the rest of the series, too, even if the focus is on the first game.

Conclusion

I don’t have anything bad to say about this game. It only got on my radar because of the Spyro Grand Prix, was worth every penny from what was included in the box from the get-go, and the Spyro Grand Prix was everything I hoped it would be and more. The only thing I would change is have Elora or Bianca present, but really I expected no more than Spyro himself so I’m satisfied.

This is primarily a Crash game, celebrating the Crash series. It’s a difficult as a Crash game is known to be. And that makes it fun. “Dark Souls of Kart Racing” ha, Dark Souls is the Crash Bandicoot of... whatever genre Dark Souls is.

Of course, I’m reviewing while still in hype mode, but I’ve put so many hours into this game, and loved it. I can see myself playing it for months to come, and perhaps coming back to it for fun after years.

#spyro #crash bandicoot #crash team racing nitro fueled #video game review #spyro reignited

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