#like i said most are gen but like gen: suggestive edition if you catch my drift | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sxveme-2 · 4 years ago

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blueberry pancakes // bucky barnes

MASTERLIST

Description: A single mother. Juggling being a mom, a full time pediatrician, and a difficult ex who believed now would be the best time to finally be a father. A soldier ripped out of time. Ex-assassin turned superhero. Learning how to balance a new domestic life with handling demons of his past, while facing the trials of the future. a love story began over something as simple as chocolate chip pancakes with hidden blueberries.

Disclaimer: I do not own any original Marvel characters! All canon plots and canon characters belong to Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios. This is an original work. You may not publish it anywhere else

Status: Edited

Note: Takes place after endgame. I have elected to ignore Tony's death and Steve's leaving. Did not happen. Quick Reminder! My works are only published here, AO3 and on Wattpad, thank you.

Chapter Two: The One With the Fanboy

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 1854

Now lets do a quick background explanation of a pretty key player in this love story. Hunter Osborne-Harvey. The child of Scott and Lily. He was created out of what was believed to have been love. That's what Lily had believed at least. When Lily had found out she was pregnant, while juggling a relationship as well as working through medical school, she did not believe it at first. She had taken around eight pregnancy tests before she eventually ended up at the doctor's office...confirming her biggest fear.

She was expecting.

Scott proposed to Lily shortly after she had broken the news to him. Lily, who had been caught off guard, had accepted with no hesitation. The two had only been together for around a year and a half, and that really was not enough time for two people to decide whether or not they would settle down for the rest of their lives together. Not to mention, the two together had no money. Well...that was what she thought. Turns out, Scott's family had a rainy day fund for him, and the two seemed to be well taken care of.

Where the money came from? Lily was never sure. She supposed his family was most likely saving up for him to go to an ivy league school, but only had to pay for a simple engineering course instead. Leading their son into a successful career. So when Scott began to work full time, he seemed to be home even less. It was shortly after Hunter was born, when things began to really go sour between the two.

After work, Scott would typically go out with his buddies and come home piss drunk to struggling med student, Lily, rocking a fussy Hunter in her arms while studying for a large test the next day. Instead of offering help, he would stumble off to bed and pass out instantly. Leaving Lily to rely on her advanced mind to get her through med school. And somehow, she did it, with hard work, tears, and many nights sleeping at Genevieve's away from Scott.

As Hunter grew up, he seemed to face a few...development issues. He rarely spoke, and could be found sitting alone in his room staring out the window, a lost look in his deep brown eyes. Scott and Lily fought night after night over this particular issue, and a few dozen others. This carried on for seven years of Hunter's life. He would lay awake at night and listen to the insults that were hurled back and forth. His father would end up storming out of their small one story home, which cued a string of sobs from his mothers lips. On these nights, Hunter would crawl into bed with Lily and hold his broken mom close as she slept.

It was later uncovered that Hunter's IQ was off the charts, just like his mothers. Doctors suggested advanced work and study methods. This led into some of the most aggressive fights. Lily wanted her son to be taught as a regular kid, instead of being held at a higher level like she was. Constantly being singled out and then ridiculed if she got anything wrong. Scott, however, believed Hunter should be taught at an advanced rate, so in the future he can be worth billions.

That night got particularly heated, and Aunt Gen had to come and pick him up to stay at her apartment above her cafe. They stayed up all night and watched movies before falling asleep on the couch. The following day, his Grandpa and Grandma picked him up and said he'd be staying with them for a bit.

A week later, he was informed of his parents' separation.

And now, he lived happily with his mother 90% of the time, dreading the weekends he'd have to be at his fathers with his dad's new wife and baby girl. He was ignored most of the time, being left to fend for himself as Mary, his step-mom, and his father would go out to friends' homes. He had to care for Leila, his half-sister, with a useless babysitter.

Anytime he brought up a change of custody, Lily would shut the conversation down. Though she suffered all those years with scott, the blonde knew that he loved hunter. Even if he did not have a very good way of showing it. She knew Hunter would rather be home with her, grabbing breakfast at Aunt Gen's, ordering pizza for dinner while watching movies and shows. Playing in the backyard with joey.

Sleeping in Lily's bed when he heard her crying at night.

-----

"Who's here?" Lily wondered aloud as she walked to her and Hunter's usual spot near the kitchen at a booth.

"Okay, Hunter, if I tell you, you have to swear not to go all superhero nerd on me okay?" Genevieve grinned while sliding into the booth next to the young boy, "I know your whole obsession with these righteous men and women." With a reassuring nod from the quiet boy, Lily watched as Gen began, "The one and only Captain America is here. With his two best confidants, Falcon and Winter Soldier."

Lily's eyes immediately turned towards her son. She couldn't help but grin widely at the bright and beaming smile that lit up his face after Gen broke the news. His chocolate brown eyes sparkled as the fanboy in him boiled to the brim. But, he had promised to keep his composure. Instead, Lily watched as he pursed his lips and his grin grew bigger.

"Where are they sitting?" he managed out, attempting to take deep breaths to relax an overwhelming amount of adrenaline and nerves dancing through his body.

Gen nodded her head gently towards her left side, causing both mother and son to glance slyly to where the few people in the cafe seemed to be also sneaking glances of. And sure as shit, there the three sat. Chatting lowly over coffee and pastries. Glancing back towards her son, Lily could see the excitement growing more and more the longer he looked at his heroes. All over his room, posters of Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, etc, littered the walls. Action figures and collectibles stacked up on his shelves. Hardcore fanboy. It was endearing to see.

"Mom! Could I go ask for an autograph?" Hunter pleaded as he looked over at his mom and aunt, who exchanged weary looks. The two shared that telepathic conversation that all best friends can do, before turning towards the boy sat opposite of them.

"Go ahead kiddo. But do not make a scene." Lily started with a gentle smile, leaning forward with her pointer finger extended. The blonde boy wrapped his pointer finger around his mothers before sliding out of the booth and towards the men he idolized, "We just made a huge mistake, didn't we?"

"Nope. You did. He will never shut up ever again," Gen chuckled while sliding out of the booth, "usual order I'm guessing? Secret blueberry pancakes for Hunter and croissant with icing sugar for you?"

"You know me so well, and I hope he doesn't shut up. It'd be nice to hear him talk from time to time." Lily chuckled as a waitress poured her coffee into a mug.

Bringing the hot liquid to her lips, Lily’s eyes turned to glance at the group her son just went to talk to. They all had sideways smiles on as they laughed at something said. Whether it be from her son or one of them. The heartwarming smile that Lily seemed to be known for stretched across her lips as she sipped the dark liquid in the white mug she held. All of the sudden, Hunter turned and pointed back towards their table, the three men's eyes following his arm. They all raised a hand and gave a gentle wave.

This in turn, caused Lily to basically spit out her coffee. Or more so...actually spit out her coffee.

One of the men, the one she recognized as the Falcon, noticed the spillage and stood from his seat, making his way over and sliding into the booth across from the young girl. Lily's eyes blew wide as her cheeks flushed a bright red against her fair skin.

"Steve has a tendency of making women spit out their drinks, something to do with his charm or something," the dark skinned man chuckled as he cleaned the coffee off the table, "Sam Wilson. And I'm guessing you know the blonde. and the rugged robocop would be Bucky Barnes."

Bucky Barnes. Lily's eyes slid from the coffee in front of her to the other two men still putting up with her obsessed son. She seemed to catch the gaze of the long haired one, the superhero mentioned prior. Right as they locked eyes, both turned away. Lily's cheeks only heated up more as she cleared her throat.

Like said before, she wasn’t much of a talker.

"Sorry about my son, he loves you all a lot," Lily said, her voice a mere murmur as held the mug up to her lips, "Oh and uh...I'm Lily. Lily Osborne."

Sam seemed almost...shocked? by the words that left the blondes lips. As though he didn't believe a part of what she had said. Was she known among the superheroes or something? Maybe her fathers botanist studies? Or the fact a young boy was in love with superheroes? But they all seemed pretty unlikely. Most young kids liked superheroes. Especially those who fit the same archetype as Hunter.

"There is no way in hell you're that young kid's mom. You're way too young." Sam laughed softly, shaking his head.

So that was why he didn't believe her. Most people have that assumption. That they were brother and sister rather than mother and son. Lily was only thirty three, and had a youthful glow to her it seemed. Though whenever she looked in the mirror, all she saw was all of those years of hard work and sadness. The weight of being a single mother weighing down the under eye skin that was now seemingly bruised. The dull aura of her busy work schedule and stress with handling a fairly difficult ex-husband.

"Yeah, he's my son. Look's more like me than his father, luckily." Lily laughed softly, nibbling at her lips. A nervous habit. Her mother used to scold her on the daily for it, saying that the precious skin on her lips was for the kiss of someone she loved, not to be pulled open by anxiety.

"Well he's a sweet kid-” Sam stated before being interrupted by Steve and Bucky calling him, as they headed towards the door, "It was nice meeting you Lily. You've got a good kid on your hands," he continued, writing down an address and number on a napkin, "Swing him by the compound one day. I'll give him a tour."

Lily gave a simple nod goodbye as she slid the napkin into her purse, grinning as her beaming son returned to their booth, looking more vibrant than ever. He began to rave about how awesome Captain America was and how quiet the other guy was. Bucky, right. Gen slid their food down in front of them before sending lily a quick wink.

"Aunt Gen these are blueberry!"

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x female oc #female oc #oc tag #original character #marvel #marvel fanfiction #the winter solider fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #james buchanan barnes #the avengers #tfatws #single mom #sebastian stan #fluffy #romance #comedy

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waywardnewcomer · 5 years ago

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Reunited Finale

A/N: So it’s been a while. I edited this myself so all mistakes are my own. This is the final part, I hope you enjoy the ending! Thank you for sticking through this with me, sorry the updates haven’t been regular. Please go back and re-read, there are a lot of precursors to this ending!

Summary: Y/N’s happy ending is threatened by a car crash yet again, will it ruin their family or reunite them once and for all?

Warnings: Car accident, memory loss, a whole lot of fluff

Pairings: Jared x Stepdaughter!Reader, Genevieve x Goddaughter!Reader, Jensen x Niece!Reader, Misha x Niece!Reader, Danneel x Niece!Reader, Vicki x Niece!Reader

Word Count: 1.4K

Previous Part Series Masterpost Masterlist

Jared took a long look at Gen and kissed her pale temple. He looked up at Jensen and nodded.

“I need to see Y/N.” He smiled sadly, “Will you stay with her please?” He looked to Danneel.

“Of course, I’ll call the minute something changes,” She smiled at him nodding her head.

Jared nodded and followed Jensen out of the room, sighing softly. Jensen patted his hand on his back and lead him towards Y/N’s room.

Jared could hear you thrashing and shouting from the end of the corridor. His eyes widened and he quickened his pace to see you.

“Woah, Woah Y/N, Y/N.” Jared grabbed your flailing arms and looked into your eyes and whispered your name softly seeing you visibly calm down.

“Jared?” You looked at him softly, glad you recognised a familiar face. You collapsed into his chest, breathing heavily.

“I’m here, I’m here.” He gave Misha and Jensen a worried look over your head. Why were you so unsettled?

“I didn’t know where I was, I was so confused. Wait. Where’s Mom?” You asked frantically.

“She’s fine she’s in another room sleeping.” Jared sighed, deciding not to go into the gory details.

“What happened? Who are these men standing in my room?” You asked with a puzzled look on your face.

Jared looked between you, Jensen and Misha confused. Then it clicked.

“You called me Jared,” He sighed making you look at him weirdly. “Y/N what’s the last thing you remember?”

“Me and Mom going to pick you up from the airport.” You spoke as if it was obvious, getting scared at the concern etched onto his face. “What? What is it?” You looked around at the men in the room, all of them with the same sad look on their faces.

“Y/N your Mom died 6 years ago in a car crash. You’ve lived with Gen since then and with me and Gen for the past 2 years,” Jared sighed. “This is your Uncle Jensen and Uncle Misha, my co-stars.” He gestured to the men beside him.

“What?” You asked tears forming in your eyes. “NO, you’re wrong! You’re wrong!” You shouted.

“Y/N,” Jensen tried, speaking softly.

“Get out. All of you. GET OUT!” You shouted letting your tears roll down your cheeks.

The men ushered out of your room and looked to Jared softly.

“You okay man? That was a lot.” Jensen patted his hand on his back.

“Yeah, it was just hard to relive it all.” Jared sighed, “Look I’ve got to go find her doctor. Can you go sit with Gen? Just so I know she has people.”

They both nodded and gave him a solemn hug before walking down the corridor.

Once Jared had spoken to your doctor and allowed him to do a few tests he walked back into your room hoping you had calmed down.

“You can sit down,” You smiled sadly. Jared obliged and took your hand looking to the doctor for answers.

“Y/N has suffered from trauma from the car accident and is suffering from localised dissociative amnesia. She has forgotten the most painful part of her life and has lost all the memory from then to now. However, this should come back within the next few days. Just be patient.” The doctor smiled.

“Thanks, doc.” Jared smiled and shook his hand. He looked back towards your sad face.

“Okay, fill me in.” You sighed softly, knowing you had a whole 6 years to catch up on, making Jared smile softly.

Just as Jared was recounting the engagement one of the men from before, who you had now come to know as Jensen, popped in looked at Jared urgently and just said, “It’s Gen.”

You’ve never seen him jump out of his chair so fast. You looked up at him worried.

“Can I come? Please, if I lost you for 4 years I don’t want to be away from you another moment in case it happens again.” You begged him, making him nod indecisively.

Jensen got you a wheelchair and wheeled you down behind Jared’s long strides to Gen’s room. He hadn’t uttered a word about whether it was good or bad news since he’d barged in on your reminiscing but the tug at the corner of his mouth suggested it was good news.

“Gen!” Jared exclaimed as he saw her eyes open and her talking softly to Daneel, sat up slightly in bed.

“Jare, how are we all? Oh Y/N look at you.” Gen exclaimed reaching out for your hands. Jensen wheeled you closer so you could grab on.

“I have memory loss.” You stated sadly, looking into Gen’s pained eyes.

“We’ll get through it, like a proper family,” Jared smiled putting his arms around his girls.

*2 months later*

Recovery had been tough on all of you, your memory came flooding back a few weeks after the accident causing your heart to break all over again, Gen had a lot of rehabilitation and Jared was rushing himself about silly looking after you both. As a family, you had decided to set something to look forwards to as a recovery goal. Your adoption.

The day had come and Jared had gone to the courts to sign the forms, you and Gen were waiting in the foyer, arm in arm. Your life as a family was about to begin. As Jared came out waving the papers and smiling you shrieked in delight and ran and jumped to hug him, him spinning you around.

“I am now officially your Dad.” He sighed clapping his hands on yours and Gen’s backs. “To commemorate this occasion I have come up with an amazing Dad joke so brace yourselves.” His voice rose with anticipation.

“Oh god, Dad please don’t.” You begged laughing.

“You’re gonna love it. What do you call someone with no body and no nose? Huh?” He laughed at himself.

“Go on before you die with excitement,” Gen sighed jokingly.

“Nobody knows!” He laughed at himself, looking at the two of you waiting for you to join in.

“That was terrible.” You laughed, your Mom nodding in agreement.

“Right let’s go we have a wedding to get to.” Jared winked making you look at him in surprise.

“What?” You asked confused.

“Surprise! You’re the maid of honour so we gotta go get ready quick!” Gen squealed, grabbing your hand and taking you across the courtroom foyer to the changing rooms where Danneel and Vicki were waiting with makeup and tongs.

“You were all in on this?” You asked laughing.

“Of course, now chop chop get in the chair so I can work my magic.” Danneel laughed, ushering you into the chair in front of her.

Walking down the aisle with Jensen and Misha by your side was surreal, your family dream was finally becoming a reality. You stood to the side looking at your Dad and grinning. You turned to see your Mom walking down the small aisle in the courthouse, in a simple gown and watched your Dad physically go weak at the knees.

You looked around the room seeing your Mom and Dad’s closest friends and family and sighed, you were finally part of something special. You spent the whole ceremony feeling grateful and teary listening to the absolute adoration they shared for each other. Your parents made this happen, even though they weren’t around they gave you the best life you could have asked for.

“Time for the honeymoon,” Jensen grinned once you had all gone out for a celebratory meal.

“Honeymoon?” You asked inquisitively, this day had already been overwhelming enough. “You’re leaving me so soon?”

“You’re coming with stupid!” Jared laughed softly, “We’re going to the summer cabin, and everyone is invited.”

“Really?” You squealed making the adults laugh.

“Of course, Honey’s coming too.” Gen laughed and gave you a kiss on the forehead.

That night you started the long road trip to Malibu from Texas, taking a full day it made you exhausted. You slept most of the next day and woke up to the smell of BBQ wafting through the house.

You quickly got dressed and grabbed your denim jacket heading out to your favourite spot, greeting your family as you went by. You sat on the dock and looked out onto the lake, just as you did 6 years ago and sighed. You were finally a family again, this time with different people and a whole lot more love. Honey came bounding over to your side licking your face making you giggle, followed by your Dad behind.

“You okay sweetie?”

“Just reminiscing, I sat in this spot 6 years ago, so much has changed but I still feel so loved.”

“You always will be, we’re a family now.” Your Mom came over and wrapped a blanket around your shoulders.

“We’re never getting split up ever again,” Jared muttered to himself, smiling at the scene of his family all together once more.

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ameftowriter · 5 years ago

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5738 A.D. 4,1 (UPDATED) (Dr. Stone fanfic)

From here: https://ameftowriter.tumblr.com/post/188742703889/5738-ad-41-dr-stone-fanfic

This is the updated version of the fic above. After watching Episode 22 I had to change this a bit and edited it better to make sure it flowed smoothly. Also I may plan on putting more chapters but I’ll have to see to that later.

Anyway, I love Episode 22 so much and it touched my heart so! I have two more fics incoming that I posted along with this, so that will be incoming soon.

Ao3 | ffnet

Part 1 (This!) | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 ???

Gen still has a hard time taking everything in. Was it really the year 5739? The mentalist just couldn’t wrap his head around it. On top of it all, those statues. So many statues.

They were people, turned to stone.

He realized that something terrible has happened and it affected every human being on earth.

He was affected too, considering the position he woke up from. The last thing he remembered was that he had just finished his act. Hearing the cheers and applause from a delighted audience, that's when everything went dark.

And the next thing he knew was a bright light, and faced an open ocean.

He wondered if this was a prank, he’s seen a lot of celebrity prank shows, to be a victim of that disgusted him. He was a mentalist, being subjected to a prank like this defies his very image. He grumbled at the thought of it as he stood up from his position.

That is until he heard a deep commanding voice from the background.

“Welcome to the year 5739 AD”

He felt cold sweat drip off his currently naked body. He turned to recognize the man who broke him out of the dark stone prison. It was Shishio Tsukasa… the strongest primate high schooler.

He heard him say something about making a choice. That him and those statues behind him were selectively chosen for his new world…

Gen looked up and just could not believe what he saw...

He was then given some clothes to wear, made by their resident tailor named Yuzuriha. He didn’t know who she was, but was grateful for her.

It was… clothes he supposes. It was a tunic of sorts that reached up to his knees. Made of animal skin. He wanted to ask for a T-Shirt and Jeans. Then again… if it really was year 5739, and everyone was petrified…

He nearly stumbled on a statue lying around. He gained back his footing and turned to see what tripped him. His eyes widened to see that it was his manager.

Memories of the man flooded his head. When he first started, he would try to use him, booking his shows back to back, expecting him to nearly give up his own education, family life, and his private life for his acts. He tried to milk so much money from him, Gen was sure it was borderline illegal. But eventually, he found a weakness to the man and he became an easy target for Gen’s manipulation. Sometimes he used him as a guinea pig for any new acts he had thought of. He nearly had him prance around the streets naked once as a form of revenge.

But if it wasn’t for him, he wouldn’t have become this popular and famous…

He wouldn’t have had the money to…

Tsukasa shattered the manager’s head beneath his feet.

Gen nearly jumped back at the sudden destruction in front of him.

“I apologize for startling you.” Tsukasa spoke up, “I remember this man once, he was your manager yes?”

Gen could only nod.

“He tried to charm me to having you and I do more shows together, he treated us as if were freaks in a carnival. I simply cannot stand adults like that…”

It didn’t take a mentalist to know that every word he spoke dripped of hatred and loathing. Gen looked at the remains of the destroyed statue, and felt his stomach churn.

He hated his manager yes, but…

For someone to just mercilessly destroy that…

They had arrived at the Empire of Might as Tsukasa had called it. Gen could only look at it with awe as he saw various forms of treehouses and caves formed from the mountain. But most of all, he saw that almost every man and even women around him were muscular and looked like they would be able to carry him like he was a feather.

Then Gen met the said tailor, Yuzuriha, and the big oaf that he was pretty sure was her boyfriend, Taiju.

They were friendly and chipper. Gen was surprised to see this. After all it's been about 4000 years and everything around them is gone. For them to act this way.

Well… he wouldn't verbalize it without any sort of evidence. But to him it seemed to be just an act.

He wondered why.

Gen thanked her for the clothes. But wonders if he could ask her for something more… sophisticated. Something that suits his style.

Tsukasa agreed, he saw Gen as a valuable member of the Empire, but he also needed him for a mission.

Yuzuriha agreed to do it without any questions asked.

Gen missed paper and pencil or any kind of writing instruments. But it seemed that the girl understood his directions nonetheless.

Now, he’s curious as to why they're acting this way.

While they waited for his new outfit, Tsukasa then began explaining to him his goals. Goals of creating a new and better world without the adults who tainted it. Gen listened to him intently, and felt himself get pulled into Tsukasa’s ideals. He knew what he meant and fully understood his words and reasonings. After all, he made a living using and exploiting the naivete and idiocy of the adults that ruled the earth. He knew and understood the pain and suffering Tsukasa has mentioned. He had experienced it himself as young as he was. And yet the scene of his manager being crushed underneath Tsukasa’s feet kept playing over and over his head….

Sometimes Gen wondered if that's what kept him from being swayed by Tsukasa's words…

But at this moment he was afraid. Very afraid for his life. He was reborn into this "Stone World" and was spared from a fate worse than death. To even show any resistance to Tsukasa or any of his people would equal his untimely demise.

So he as it was many years ago, put on his mask and showed his agreement to the man's ideals and goals. Even showed support and gave suggestions on who to pick and revive. The mentalist was a master of weaving words into the most believable of sentences, right down to the inflection of his syllables.

Tsukasa was pleased. And that was good enough for him.

That night, Gen just could not sleep. He tossed and turned endlessly as he made the effort to close his eyes and forced his body to sleep. He thought of everything he could remember on how to go to sleep, but that failed him too.

It was strange to him. He remembered during his performance that he was so exhausted that he could collapse the moment he let his body relax. Yet when Tsukasa broke him out of the stone prison that he felt so energized that he could run a marathon and not feel winded. And he certainly still feels that way. He wonders if being asleep for so long had made him catch up to his lost sleep. All nineteen years worth of it.

Well, he did the math and technically he is now 3739 years old…

If there was any kind of sleepiness in him at that moment, Gen had completely lost it.

3720 years… is a really, really long time…

Yuzuriha finished his new outfit the next day, he was very grateful for her. Especially after hearing the fact that she spent all night with it. Gen felt a bit bad for her, until he heard her voice crack just a little…

Gen did not have supersonic hearing, but as a mentalist, he taught himself to pay attention to people’s subtle noises. He wondered if Yuzuriha was lying to him.

He tried the new outfit on, and it fits him just right. He was definitely impressed with her.

Later, Tsukasa began explaining to him about a certain “miracle fluid” that had broken him out of the petrified state. And that it was located in a special cave. Which was also dubbed, Cave of Miracles.

A miracle fluid that undid the petrification? He couldn't believe that it was even possible. That peaked his interest, not that he would show it.

As Tsukasa brought him to a cave and along a few other muscular men with him. It seemed that he wanted to show respect to nature's bounty and sorts. It was something that lost his interest, and it fell into deaf ears. Thanks to that distraction though, Gen had tripped over a giant root, but he quickly gained footing and held himself against a tree near the cave. He brushed his fingers against a tree without realizing it.

He felt something odd.

He knew tree bark was rough and could hurt depending on the tree, but even so, this sensation felt weird to him. To him it was like… like… Something was engraved into the tree.

He moved his hand away and saw a carving into the tree he held on.

A.D. 5738 4, 1

“Fifty-seven, thirty-eight… Four, One…” Gen read the engraving. “5738, 4, 1…”

It was like everything he had known right now had changed.

His thoughts came back to when Tsukasa told him the current year. He wondered so many things that day, that even today he was still trying to take it all in. He wondered how… how would Tsukasa be able to determine the current year. From what he saw of the strongest primate high schooler, he was more than just a muscleheaded idiot. He had strength, he had skill, he had smarts.

But even so that did not give him a proper answer as to how and why he knew the current date.

Does Tsukasa even know this engraving?!

Was it even really the year 5739?

But this engraving shows it. 5738… It’s been a year since the engraving was written in the tree. April 1st… How did the writer knew of the exact date even…

“5738… April 1st…” Gen repeated himself, “H-How…. How did… How could someone…?”

“No…” Gen gathered his thoughts, “Someone… someone must have carved this after breaking out… They had to. But… How would… would they know the exact date…”

“Is it even possible…?!”

He read again the crude kanji and the numbers written on the tree. It was clearly there. It wasn't some sort of hallucination… It was actually written there…

The mentalist's heart swelled with hope.

“This… this is…” Gen shuddered in excitement at the realization of someone like that ever existed, and broke out first, and to do this, “This is too antastic-fay! Whoever did this… Must be…”

Then his thoughts were interrupted by Tsukasa calling him to the cave.

Gen quickly dashed inside. To see Tsukasa standing in front of a pile of… bat guano. Gen’s nose scrunched up at the awful smell and saw yellow liquid dripping down from the cave’s ceiling, to a clay bowl.

He quickly deduced it as a so called “miracle fluid” that Tsukasa had mentioned. But when he read Tsukasa’s expression and listened to his voice, he felt there was more… than just that fluid…

That night, he couldn’t stop thinking about that engraving.

5738 A.D. April 1.

He wondered who could even do that. In that darkness. For almost 4000 years, calculated the year, month and date. The exact date?! He wondered why would the person even bother to calculate. When normally you'd think of surviving first.

He thought of possibilities. He knew you can tell how old a tree is by cutting it and counting the number of rings… But that would have been a gigantic tree. He considered the number of natural disasters that could have destroyed it way before the next millenia… So he scratched out that idea. He thought maybe some sort of machine that could tell the time had survived, but he hasn’t seen a sign of any kind of civilization, let alone a machine that could tell the time. His thoughts wandered of any kind of sci-fi theory he’s seen. But just like before, he saw nothing…

Nothing from the year 2019.

Gen curled up onto his sheets. It has hit him again, the realization that there was nothing left from the year he knew. No buildings, no cars… no cola even…

He felt the sudden urge for a bottle.

As he realized he couldn’t sleep once again, he stepped outside of his living quarters and saw the stars in the sky. It was numerous, more than he could ever count.

Count…

That's when he thought of something… a completely ar-fetched-fay possibility...

Yes, there was no machine or anything that could tell the time, but the fact remained that time still moved forward, no matter what…

It was something insane. Something that no human being should be able to do, but it was possible…

He had heard rumours of a kid who counted the exact seconds within a month, and he had counted it exactly.

“To count the passing seconds…” Gen thought to himself, “To do that during all that time in the darkness…”

Many feelings he suddenly felt for this mystery counter. Excitement, pity, delight, fear... In order to do that, he would have had to remain conscious all that time… Gen eventually felt nothing and his mind went completely blank after a while. When Tsukasa revived him, he thought everything before was just a dream… a long 3720 year dream…

Gen gritted his teeth, he was nervous, he was scared, he was so lost in this new world, but to even think that there was a person like that, a human being that could do such a thing...

He had to find them… he had to find the person who could have done this feat… He had to know. He had to know this person. He had to pick him apart and understand his own way of thinking. He had to analyze everything about him. He had to know how and why would he do such a ridiculous yet logical thing.

He hadn't felt this eager in knowing a person he hasn't even met.

The rest of that night spent thinking about this person. He smiled at the thought of someone else being this unique.

It was like… to him it was like getting excited over a book he had heard only good reviews about.

Yes, he was skeptical, but the thought of someone like this.

It got him excited.

The next day, the third day, Tsukasa called for him after his meal.

He was called to be given a mission…

“Those dusty old fossils who used to be in power…” Tsukasa began as he led Gen to a path in the forest, it was a bit further from the Empire, “Are even less necessary in this natural world of stone…”

Gen didn’t hear a hint of hesitation from those words. In fact to him Tsukasa spoke of his ideals in such great confidence and conviction, that the mentalist felt a bit swayed by those. Especially when he said…

“But I see a massive amount of potential in you… Gen.”

Gen felt himself snap out of that trance. He knew Tsukasa had a lot of natural charisma, but even he as a master of minds, felt like he was grabbed instantly and quickly, as if he got there by himself. He cursed himself mentally, as he remembered how Tsukasa crushed the statue of his manager, again. And all of the other pieces of statues he has seen scattered everywhere, crushed with his bare hands or by his men.

“There’s something I need you for…” Gen’s attention was grabbed again as Tsukasa cleared some branches to reveal a treehouse, made by… concrete? He wondered. “And your skills as a mentalist will be invaluable…”

Gen saw on the side a few empty jars, crude makeshift spears… he was surprised that even the ladder that leads up to the treehouse was still sturdy. To him it looked like it was all abandoned.

But that wasn't where they went, rather, Tsukasa led him to a hut near the tree house. It had a worn out sign that said, “Laboratory”.

Tsukasa led him inside and the mentalist saw broken clay pots everywhere. He watched his step, as he moved in closer to see more and more broken pieces scattered everywhere. To him it was an obvious sign that whoever lived here scrambled to take everything and left. To the untrained eye that is.

Gen saw this was too intentional. It was too much of a mess for him. He thought maybe a scuffle, but that would have caused those shelves to fall apart. To him, it is as if the previous occupants just intentionally took those jars and smashed them.

“Follow them for me.” Tsukasa gave him his mission, as it also confirms Gen's deductions. “And get inside of their minds… Perhaps I'm being overly cautious, but I want you to track down this man Senku and tell me if he’s dead or hiding out somewhere…”

Senku…

That is the name of the person he was tasked to look for.

‘Senku…’ Gen thought to himself. He tried to think of anyone he knew by that name, none came to mind.

So he asked, “Who is Senku?”

“He, was the first of us to revive…” Tsukasa replied.

‘First? Don’t tell me…’

“He used his knowledge of science to create a formula to undo the petrification.” he continued as Gen took in this invaluable information, “That’s how he revived me…”

Gen couldn’t hide his surprise anymore.

‘This Senku person… revived Tsukasa? He created a formula to undo the petrification?’ The pieces started to fall into place...

“This man…” Tsukasa continued as Gen felt the man’s voice grew bitter, “His only desire is to revive everyone, no matter who they were…”

‘What? He… what? He wants to revive… everyone…?!'

“He’ll bring back the same people who ruined our world.... And they’ll make weapons…” Gen felt every word laced with pure hatred, as he still tried to take in everything.

“He was the most intelligent man alive, and that’s why I killed him myself…”

He saw Tsukasa’s eyes narrowed as he finished his sentence.

'He killed him…' Gen held back even his own expressions, 'He killed this Senku…'

When he first met Tsukasa in this new world, he was kind, considerate, gentle to everyone in the Empire and even to the animals. He would ensure that every part of every animal killed was put to use, even the organs. For Gen to hear him say that. For Tsukasa to kill another human being… he got even more scared of him.

Gen started to doubt himself. He wondered if there really was someone who could take down the Strongest Primate High Schooler. To kill the "smartest" man alive, as he called this Senku.

But even so, the fact that Tsukasa had to send him, a mentalist… to make sure that Senku is alive.

There was no doubt. Senku is alive.

He finally understood what he had to do.

Gen enjoyed it. He enjoyed experimenting and toying with the human mind and the limitless possibilities of the human psyche. He mostly used it for his own benefit and gain, but that's what the world, the previous world, taught him. To him adults were easy picking, even more so than teenagers and children. He knew as one grows older, the ideals and beliefs, and biases a person has learned will stick longer and thus harder to change or remove. Gen knew of this and exploited it to his heart's content. So it was child's play for him to figure out what had occured in this laboratory.

He asked Tsukasa if he could stay a bit more to inspect the area. The man let him, and asked if he knew the way back.

Gen knew the way back.

When he realized that he was finally alone, he quickly observed the area. He looked at the pieces of the broken jars, the stains on the floor and at the walls, he saw the various broken tools nearby. He then rushed into the tree house and saw the same mess as the lab. Gen saw this as a laughable way to make it look like they got scared and escaped.

Smartest man alive? More like the world's worst crook if he had ever seen one.

He remembered Tsukasa’s expressions, the hatred in his words and the shakiness of it. That was also obvious. Tsukasa was scared. Very scared. He only knew of Tsukasa as a fearless man who would stare down other fighters bigger and stronger than he was, and took them down easily. For someone to induce such paranoia and fear in him...

He has to know. He has to know who this Senku person is.

He just has to!

After gathering what he can from the area, he went back to the Empire. He gave Tsukasa what he could deduce from it, and said that he and his companions that he too figured this out from the tracks, that they probably dashed at around southeast to where the Empire was.

Tsukasa was impressed by him. He mentioned that the two companions were Taiju and Yuzuriha.

Gen faked a shock, well to everyone it looked like a real shock. He knew some of the bigger and heavier footsteps belonged to a heavyweight like Taiju, and smaller, lighter footsteps belonged to a woman, Yuzuriha fits that description.

Tsukasa explained to him that they returned after he had subsequently killed Senku and buried him in that direction. Gen was right it was southeast to where they were, Hakone (or it would have used to be considering the lack of any buildings).

He also mentioned that they were Senku's best friends.

That's what stood out the most.

Gen wondered to himself as to why they were kept under surveillance. Now it made sense, Tsukasa was worried that they might turn on him eventually. Even with the power difference, there was an instilled fear that Senku would come back for them and have a scientific weapon that could be used to defeat him.

That's what the mentalist deduced at least.

So Taiju and Yuzuriha were… no are Senku's friends. He filed that important tidbit for later.

Tsukasa had given him information that was more valuable than even he thought.

He was also told of a blond haired, blue eyed girl that seemed to have no knowledge of science and had a very primitive way of thinking. He was (truly this time) shocked to hear that there is a possibility of a village of primitives in that area, and that Senku might have made contact with them if that was the case. So now he had a destination in mind.

Hakone. Around a two day walk from where they were now. Gen didn't particularly like the idea of walking so far and so long, but his desire to meet this Senku was what pushed him further.

Before he left, he asked Yuzuriha for some extra materials and a cutting tool. Part of him wanted to tell them that he was going to see Senku, just to gauge their reactions. He knew if they didn't react to what he expected it, then it was truly confirmed that Senku is alive.

But he held his tongue on that. He didn't want to risk then getting caught on this mess.

Gen himself haven't really decided on if this Senku really is the person he was looking for. If he was the mystery counter. All he knew was that, he was a threat to Tsukasa's ideal world.

The smartest man alive vs the strongest man alive.

A typical brain vs brawn...

His journey was long and painful, especially since he didn’t wear any shoes. Along the way he picked up many nightshade flowers and stored them into various hidden sacks underneath his clothes. He even found many berries and even some small animals he could use to make fake blood bags for his own protection, just in case everything went downhill for him. He knew when to expect the worst. After all, he made a living from expecting the worst in people and exploiting it.

His journey took way longer than two days. He was exhausted, yes, but every step further was one step closer to meeting this Senku. He thought it was worth it.

From what he knew about the positions of his shadows, he had deduced it was around noon. He walked further and further through the forest, and that's when he heard something, music. He heard music playing nearby, he walked closer to the source, and saw it, clear as day. A village, built on two small peninsulas connected by a bridge.

It was the primitive village that Tsukasa told him about. There were primitives living in this area.

And in front of it was…

Well to his surprise. It was a ramen stand.

Gen approached the stand closer then was quickly given a bowl of said ramen by a child wearing a melon mask over her head. He thought it was kind of cute.

He felt a pang of hunger as he took a whiff of the bowl on his hands. It was a crude version of ramen that he knew, but well, he supposed it was still ramen. So he took a bite.

Gen nearly gagged from the taste.

He remained very quiet despite the complete awfulness the dish had. He couldn’t even call this ramen. He heard this was foxtail millet ramen.

Once again he nearly gagged at the thought of foxtail. Foxtail, was what the noodles were made out of. He could feel the grainy texture and the bitter aftertaste of the ramen.

It was ositive-pay awful!

But he heard nothing but praises for this dish. Gen peered to see other people wearing similar clothes like the one the melon girl wore. It looked like they were almost inhaling the ramen. It was a complete consensus that it was the best thing they've ever had.

That's one other thing that hits Gen.

He sighs and misses something way more than ramen right now.

One of them quickly asked for seconds and Gen sighed and realized with the stereotypical glutton man. He supposed that in any kind of era there's always a glutton.

Then his attention quickly changed when he saw the man at the stand itself, putting the ramen together.

His hair stood out the most, literally. Even at the year 2019, he would have easily stood out. He wondered if it's dyed or if he used any hair products. Almost every bit of his hair stood upwards defying gravity. To Gen he looked like a walking giant leek or bok choy. Then when he turned sideways, that's when Gen finally saw his face. He looked sweaty and tired, but his face is full of eagerness and pride, that admittingly seemed contagious. The most noticeable features were the two jagged scars that lined and bent up from his forehead down to this eye line and just below the eyelid. The Mentalist instinctively touched his own scar.

He remembered the explanation Tsukasa gave him. That these scars are just a side effect of the depetrification process.

Gen remembered the day when he saw his reflection at the river and saw the scar running underneath his left eyelid, where it turned to shape his mouth then went straight down his chain and his neck. To him this was a reminder that he was petrified and awakened. Which meant, this man was…

“Are you the man who made this incredible food?” He heard a young girl approach the man with such eagerness and obvious intent of flirting, “the one called, Senku?”

Senku…

This green haired, prideful, obviously exhausted guy...

Is Senku?

Gen tried hard to cover his laughter. This was the man that Tsukasa, the strongest primate high school, was scared about? He looked physically weak. Everything about him was so lanky and skinny. It completed the giant walking vegetable set. Big green leaves and a nimble easily breakable stem.

He was….

'This was the man who wrote that date on the tree isn't it?'

He saw a familiar equation written on Senku’s outfit.

E=mc2

'Yeah… definitely the science nerd around here.' Gen chuckled internally, 'Who the hell writes that on their own clothes?!'

When the girl asked Senku what kind of girls he liked Senku simply answered this:

"A kind that would pump a ton of oxygen into my furnace"

Gen groaned internally at that answer

'And he's uninterested at romance. Like he's some sort of a Shonen protagonist…'

Gen managed to breathe and calmed himself in order to prevent getting noticed by the villagers. Senku had made the ramen for them. It was errible-tay. He could barely call this food.

'So this is what Tsukasa was talking about.' Gen just placed everything together in his head, 'This Senku is a scientist, through and through. He made the depetrification formula, he made this ramen, he has that silly equation on his clothes, he even has a furnace! I see why Tsukasa-chan fears him… but…'

Gen had to make sure. He wasn't going to just mingle with him and the primitives.

The blond villager girl whom Gen deduced as quite strong, and possibly the girl that Tsukasa ran into before, even expressed her displeasure at that answer. He wondered if she had some feelings for this Senku person.

The Mentalist admits that Senku is quite handsome. It was a shame to him that he isn't interested in romance. He would have loved to have gotten closer to him. But he supposed that he still has a job to do.

Well to everyone in the Empire of Might it was his job.

To Gen….

It was some assurance.

If this Senku is what he thought he was, that this Senku is the man that striked fear into Tsukasa's heart.

This handsome, nerdy, passionate man…

Might be the counter he was looking for.

Better strike while the iron's hot….

"Ah… this ramen is making me wickedly thirsty…" Gen admitted to himself, out loud for everyone else to hear. "A cola, would be great…"

And with that, Gen had Senku's undivided attention.

The Mentalist then went to work, fully analyzing this Senku to his heart's content.

Little that he knew what would happen later that within the past 3700+ years of his life, would change for the better.

'This is worth it…'

#dr stone #dr. stone #asagiri gen #shishio tsukasa #ishigami senku #fanfic #dcst #ogawa yuzuriha #ooki taiju #the psychoanalysis of Asagiri Gen

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ghostmartyr · 6 years ago

Text

Pokémon White Randomized Nuzlocke Run [Part 2]

Here we are in Part 2, where I have maybe learned a thing about how to keep these from being dreadfully boring. Part 1 saw us defeat the first Gym, as well as my dawning sadness about the HM state of my available pokemon.

Now we move into the Badge 2 phase of the game.

Breathing Pokemon:

Boeing (Latios)

Frogger (Seismitoad)

Timon (Tepig)

I think I will be ignoring the Cut problem until I absolutely can’t, which will be in about five minutes.

I don’t know why I didn’t walk left earlier, but I didn’t. Is there grass here? Can I catch something? My team is basically just Timon and Frogger. I love Boeing, but he is not made for this rough life. He likes relaxing and eating. Not fighting.

And the answer is that the Professor’s scientist friend has supplied a plot barrier. Sigh.

Welp.

....

I can’t even pretend to be surprised. Dang it, Boeing.

I don’t want to use anything outside the confines of the challenge if I can help it. The idea is not, “win all the fights” under these conditions, it’s beating the game.

Congratulations, Boeing.

You’re temporarily useful.

Grass! Beautiful grass!

Also Team Plasma.

Cut is so much more useful than Psywave and I am very sad.

Team Plasma dealt with, obligatory plot detail I wasn’t paying attention to dealt with, we are now free to pursue the grass.

Or will the grass pursue us.

I can’t remember how Tangela evolves normally, or how it evolves given the settings of the run, but I do think that Tangela probably could have learned Cut just fine, and I can’t remember if the Move Deleter costs anything, or even where it is in this version.

But that’s only a concern if I catch a thing that can learn Cut. Let’s do this, Boeing.

Sleep Powder is hypothetically useful. I don’t think it has ever hit when I try to use it.

Two Poke Balls and nothing. I think I am going to sacrifice the Great Ball some random NPC gave me.

Victory!

Good job, Boeing. See, isn’t life more fun when you’re useful?

You know, I don’t normally nickname my pokemon. They just keep the same name every edition of them in the wild has, and that’s perfectly fine with me.

Your name shall be... Grape.

Because look at all those vines writhing... writhe... wrath? Grapes!

Such thought. Much wow.

I think it’s time for healing and grinding.

Oh, but first, Grape! Let us find something out about you.

He is Brave and quick to flee. His Speed suggests that he isn’t that great at fleeing.

Other pokemon we could have gotten from the HM grass spot of doom include Sudowoodo and Beedrill. Tangela looks to be rarest of the set, so I suppose we can add lucky to Grape’s list of traits. There’s a Potion and a Parlyz Heal lying about that I go grab, and until the plot brings us back later (probably sometime after we get Strength), this area is just going to be a grind station.

Until I get bored after about three minutes and want to go back to exploring. I’m not sure I’m made for a Nuzlocke.

...Why is Constrict a move? It’s about as useful as Splash, only with the false hope of being capable of dealing damage.

Yeah, I don’t have the patience for this. I’m going to go left again and see what there is now that the plot isn’t keeping me trapped. ...Only after I talk to Fennel again. Apparently just letting her collect the whatever thing is not enough, I have to listen to her discoveries.

I do not. Button mashing away, we now have our C-Gear and Pal Pad. I think the first of those will end up having uses. I mostly remember all these different event skins being available for the gear.

Now I should be able to go.

Ha. I have conquered the plot barrier.

Since this is a separate section from the garden area, I think once I have some kind of rod or Surf I can come back and nab something from the water. ...I wonder if grass vs water even matters in a randomized run. Are they all completely random, or random within water? I should know these things.

My guess would be completely random. I cite the level 4 Salamence on Route 2. But either way, something to come back to.

Aw, how cute. I’m gonna demolish you (I hope).

It looks like battling is going to happen before finding out what pokemon belong to this route. In the interest of learning how to do this better bit by bit, I think I’ll limit capping battles unless something truly ridiculous happens. This early in the game there shouldn’t be much tension.

I will probably keep track of how many times Psywave misses if I use it, though. That obviously falls into the realm of Importance.

I will also say that Lillipups continue to be terrifying. And that I am so temporarily glad that Boeing knows Cut. Consistent damage. That hits.

I can’t believe this game encourages taking preschoolers’ pocket money. I know I’m only ten, but wow.

Ah, but the nice thing about beating up preschoolers (’ pokemon) is that they have a teacher around very used to healing pokemon up. Walking back to centers to heal is one of the not so fun aspects of

Whoops.

So it’s a good thing I only did grinding, because I clicked the load file option instead of the save file when I was trying to save. Good grief. I am become error. Will return momentarily. With one fresh water short, because I was stupid and a Beedrill almost murdered Timon. Also Timon now knows Flame Charge.

Okay.

Back to making forward progress, hopefully.

Let me go in the grass, Cheren. You’re supposed to be one of my two best friends. The fact that I had to be reminded by a professor whose name I also couldn’t be counted on to remember myself does not take away from our friendly bonds.

There really are a lot of non-NPC duels at the start of this version.

Okay, let’s go squad.

Boeing and Timon do a good job taking down his Meganium. I think I’ll let Frogger take the Purrloin. As the one on the team who did not need grinding, he hasn’t been used in a bit.

And that’s that. Cheren is sad/frustrated because we have the same number of badges, his starter is fully evolved and useful, and yet he still can’t win. Of course he can’t; the run would be over if he did.

But before we can celebrate and get into the grass, the plot arrives.

Team Plasma please. At least I have the option of going into the grass before getting the little girl’s pokemon back. Which I will take.

Let’s see what we get!

...Another thing that doesn’t need my help to evolve. Sigh.

As ever, that only gets a chance to annoy me if I catch it, so time to see how that train goes. I’m going to try throwing my only Great Ball. Psywave got it into the red, so...

Awesome! Based on videos I have seen recently most people aren’t that lucky when it comes to catching these things. Now I can sulk about having a fully evolved team (except for the treasured Timon) in peace.

What the heck do I name you, though? You’re a dinobird... Oh, I know. I’ll call you Ptera. Welcome to the team, Ptera. Let’s check you out.

He has a Mild nature, and he’s proud of his power. I feel like that Defense is going to end up making me cry, and I don’t think you’re a Special Attacker, so the Nature is pretty much all flavor. It’s nice to have something that can Fly; hopefully he’ll be around to use it.

...Oh geez, that Ability. Ptera Ptera Ptera... You are going to make me so sad.

The good news is he can kill his wild kin in one hit. So that’s convenient.

I’m sorry, what.

This is the exp grass now. Other finds include Octillery. Grape eats them for breakfast.

...

Oh.

It knows Aurora Beam.

It got a critical hit.

Grape was only a few points off of full health.

There was no way to know.

This is really sad.

I am so sorry Grape. You were a valued member of the team. You were only with us a short while, but you knew Grass moves. You balanced everything out wonderfully.

The exp grass is a dangerous place.

Maybe if I had just gone after the little girl’s pokemon...

It’s too late.

Grape is a raisin.

In the process of going after Team Plasma, it looks like Chimecho might be replacing Audino in the rustling grass. Maybe once, maybe always. Who can say. That would take paying more attention when messing with the settings.

A place to find Grape’s replacement. It would have been where we’d finally have a team of six, but...

Oh hey we found something already.

Okay, I can roll with that.

......Surprise, Ptera is stronger than expected. I knew enough to use Wing Attack, not Rock Throw, but I guess Ptera is just that good. Filed away for future reference. No new pokemon. A fitting tribute to Grape’s absence. The slot may remain empty for a little longer.

We get some Heal Balls from the little girl, and those could actually really come in handy. Assuming I ever properly catch a new teammate again.

One battle against an NPC later, and I think it’s safe to say Ptera is the new Frogger. He is overpowered for this section of the game.

You know what wouldn’t be overpowered? A Slugma.

I forgot about the darker grass. Route 3′s has Minccino, Teddiursa, Quilava, and Emolga.

Boeing could you please just learn something good. Please.

Whenever I see an Octillery now I’m just going to be filled with so much hate. I will kill every one that comes across my path. Unless I screw up and it kills me again, which is an absolute possibility.

We’ve made it to the next Gym city. Normal type. That shouldn’t cause any particular problem, but I do remember this fight packing more of a punch than I was expecting the first time I played, so cue the grinding montage I’m not going to screencap.

As well as the exploring the town montage I’m not going to screencap.

One of the NPCs asked me what I started with, so like a fool, I said Snivy, since that’s what Boeing replaced.

Now I have a Miracle Seed. And nothing that knows Grass moves.

Grape casts a long shadow already.

New area means new pokemon. Ones I have no plans to murder, but might very well anyway.

!!!!!

It’s. Grape’s replacement.

I love Shroomish and Breloom. One of the best pokemon in any gen, and I would dearly love one to follow me on this journey.

Yesssssss.

Let’s see. How about Palm, because your design reminds me of a pomegranate.

Palm has a Calm nature, and is somewhat of a clown. I’m pretty sure that is not the combination I want, since Breloom is more of a physical attacker, but hopefully it won’t matter too much. Poison Heal is a useful Ability to have.

Other things we could have caught in Pinwheel Forest: Vileplume, Froslass, Klink, Clamperl, Bellossom, Glaceon, Ducklett, and Metagross.

Wow. That’s a nice collection.

Oh hey and this happened.

Timon is now a robust Pignite, and has a move that will be of great use in the Gym!

We’re just going through the forest and annihilating everyone, but I spared a moment to commemorate Palm’s moment.

Tympole confused him, and he still used Absorb twice in a row instead of hurting himself. Then he snapped out of confusion and won. Contrary Nature aside, I am liking our new addition very much.

Especially since the fight against the next Tympole followed the exact same script. Good job, Palm.

The rest of this is basically all grinding, which is fun for me since I don’t have to come up with something clever to say when nothing much is going on. That is one benefit of doing this in this format.

My usual rule of thumb for these games is ten levels per gym until that much grinding becomes unbearable. Everyone’s currently level 18 (Ptera’s 16 and trying to fix that almost resulted in a Glaceon murdering him), and I’m thinking I might have hit that point.

...Yeah, I definitely have. I’ll just hit the Gym and let Ptera nom some things. Boeing will probably have to sit this fight out, because as we all know, what Normal type really means is Lillipups that know Bite. Those are not things for Boeing to face.

It is amazing how many different patches of grass suddenly have pokemon when I’m trying to leave a place, good grief.

Hello, am I fighting you again already? Or are you just doing your mysterious thing?

No, yeah, we’re doing a battle. And he opens with a level 13 Pidove to my level 17 Ptera. I don’t think he’s going to win this one. N, of course. Ptera has it in the bag, because I think it’s fair to say I have overleveled myself.

Palm was continuing his great streak of not letting Tympoles make him hurt himself, but sadly he did hurt himself once in this fight. Still, not bad, and much better than I usually get saddled with.

Ptera fighting the Timburr might be an incredibly stupid idea. He can one-shot them, but if they get a Rock Throw crit, it will be bad. This has been learned from the Fighting trainers in the wild that I didn’t screencap.

Those guys were at level 16, though. N’s level 13 is nowhere near the same brand of problem, and Ptera cleans up.

Alright, that settled, can I enter the gym now?

I forgot about the museum in front. Lenora’s got good taste.

Another Fresh Water for me. This one I don’t plan on using up. I don’t think I’ll need to, based on N’s levels. I really overtrained for this whole badge, probably. But that’s okay. I don’t like worrying about my pokemon dying every fight. Steamrolling is fine too. The main fun with all of this is finding out what I’ll end up with and raising them.

Then the very first trainer has a level 17 Patrat.

I feel less silly in my decisions.

Followed by a level 17 Herdier.

This is where I would consider doing more grinding, except by the time I’ve decided to stop grinding, I am generally not going to start again for a while.

The trainer with more than one pokemon starts with a level 15 Lillipup, so the Gym Leader’s are probably around 17-20. That should be okay. I’m healing before I go forward anyway, and Ptera’s going to grow another level beforehand just by beating this last trainer.

I really like Lenora’s Gym. It’s educational and has a secret staircase. I don’t think you can ask for more (though if memory serves, some of these get pretty wild this version).

Heals, then fight. This should be fine.

I want this office.

Ready... FIGHT!

She’s opening with a level 18 Herdier with Intimidate. Sigh. I forgot that was an ability. That might make this a little more awkward than I want, but Ptera is still part Rock. If things are going to go wrong, they should go wrong slowly enough for me to switch.

Take Down with a Leer boost only does 12, so yeah, this should be okay.

She uses a Super Potion, it takes three of any of Ptera’s attacks to down it, but Ptera gets a crit, and it’s Watchdog time!

I remembered she had this one.

For the sake of safety, I’m going to let Timon and his super effective attack handle this one. I think the Watchdog likes to sleep things.

A level 20 Watchdog. Do not want. But I believe in you, Timon. Go for it.

Uh.

Huh.

Fuck?

That’s. Wow, okay.

Watchdog with Retaliate. Awesome.

I don’t trust Ptera’s Defense to withstand whatever comes next, so Frogger... please do not die. Please. I need you to be alive and useful, because I just lost one of the greatest helps to this run.

Of course it has Hypnosis.

It’s so red. So close.

Retaliate does 30 damage without the fainting teammate ahead of time, and now Frogger is asleep and in the red. He needs to get out of there now, but I think Pursuit could be one of Watchdog’s moves.

I have one Soda Pop. He’s asleep anyway, so I’m willing to try it.

Geez this is scary.

tfw Watchdog also has Crunch and now Frogger’s Defense is lowered.

He isn’t faster, I don’t think. Even if he wakes up...

Switched to Palm and now Palm’s asleep.

Switching back to Frogger.

Frogger takes two Crunches, needs a Fresh Water, the next Crunch is a critical hit, and Frogger is still asleep. I have two Super Potions, now one, and Frogger is still alive and still asleep.

What in the fuck.

I know the sleep counter gets reset if you pull it out, but come on.

He finally wakes up, and because Watchdog only needed one more hit, victory is achieved.

Not worth it.

Lenora I don’t like you anymore.

And before we can end this segment, Team Plasma attacks the museum. Yay, plot. Plot to distract from the pain. The horrible, sad, awful, pain.

I can’t even remember their excuse for stealing the skull. Was there one?

I don’t know and care even less.

So we are assigned to search for the thieves with Burgh, Castelia’s Gym Leader, while Cheren and Bianca stay at the museum. Bianca is playing Fennel’s gopher, so we now have Dowsing Machine (MCHN) we will never remember to use, but if you’ll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to.

...Bye.

I know the screenshots don’t show it, but you did a great job. Nothing else would have survived the gym if you hadn’t made training in Pinwheel Forest so straightforward. You did good, Timon.

Next Gym gets grinding. No complaints.

#Pokemon #Nuzlocke Challenge

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classywastelandbread-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Nothing Gold (Hanahaki AU): Green With Jealousy

Here, have ~12 pages of jealous younger brother inspired by a lovely chat with @gastriticmouse. I...I don’t know if there’s a tissue warning in this so I honestly have no idea what to tell you.

Edited while listening to “Hallelujah” in various different covers on repeat...or while keeping it in mind because I’m not allowed to have fun at work. The verses/phrases that kind of stuck with me the most were:

Maybe there’s a God above But all I’ve ever learned from love Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you And it’s not a cry that you hear at night It’s not somebody who’s seen the light It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn’t much I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you And even though it all went wrong I’ll stand before the Lord of Song With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

In which Genji’s got no chill, Zenyatta is trying to tell him something, and Hanzo just wants his brother to be happy.

In which there are ways definitions of coping and different ideas of what is “okay”. The team is trying and Genji is just trying to get his brother back.

“What ails you, my student?” Zenyatta asked, his orbs spinning neutrally around him.

For a long moment Genji didn’t respond though his fingers tightened into fists. “Many things,” he said tightly.

“Do you wish to speak of them?”

Genij hissed out a tense breath. “Not really,” he said. “But…only because I don’t wish to cause you distress.”

“Your distress is upsetting to me,” Zenyatta said gently. “If it is easier for you to let it out, then I beg you to tell me.”

For another long moment, Genji was quiet. “It is...my brother.”

“Ah,” Zenyatta said understandingly. It had been over a month since Hanzo had the surgery to remove his heart. The brothers still hadn’t reconciled over it.

Genji looked away. “He spends so much time with McCree...in the garden...I feel like I’m losing my brother all over again.”

“Perhaps you haven’t found a way to reconnect,” Zenyatta suggested gently. “Perhaps there are things that you may still do together that will bridge this gap with you.”

“What good would it do?” Genji asked bitterly. “He cannot feel.”

Zenyatta hummed. “But he can want - and he only wants you to be happy.”

“And I want him to be happy too,” Genji snapped back. A moment later he turned away. “I’m sorry for yelling, master.”

Thoughtfully, Zenyatta lobbed one of his orbs toward Genji and watched it bob and swirl around his dear student. “He cannot feel happiness, but he remembers what it’s like,” he said after a long moment of thought. “He sometimes comes up here and meditates with me - perhaps you could join us sometime?”

“Why would he meditate?” Genji asked bitterly, letting the orb nestle in his palm. “He has no emotions to gain control over.”

“Meditation is about inner peace, not control of emotions,” Zenyatta pointed out. “It is a connection between a calm mind, a calm body, and a calm spirit. There are still areas that an Empty One can work on for meditation. I suspect that Hanzo enjoys the quiet - in his own way, of course.”

Genji looked down at the orb in his hands and the gentle golden glow that it gave off. “I don’t know how to act around him anymore.”

“Just because he doesn’t have a heart doesn’t make him any less your brother,” Zenyatta pointed out. “Take it slowly. He is...upset that you are distressed.”

Genji tried, he really did. He found Hanzo in the rec room, sharing a couch with McCree and Hana. To his surprise, a decent portion of the team was also there, some reading (Angela) or working on needlework (Reinhardt).

Ignoring the rest of the team, Genji approached the back of the couch and Hanzo turned his head toward him. “Do you want to meditate, brother?”

Hanzo cocked his head to the side. “Would you like to?” he asked. “We were just watching a movie.”

Next to his brother, McCree smiled. “Why don’cha join us, Gen?” he asked with a tense laugh.

“No thank you,” Genji gritted out. “I will meditate alone.”

Hanzo gently brushed off McCree’s arm and stood. “I will join you, then,” he said in his flat voice. “Thank you for inviting me to movie night.”

“Aww,” Hana said with a pout. “We wanted to see if we could get him to cry.”

Surprised, Genji whirled around. “What?”

Hana shrugged. “Chill out, Robocop.”

“Nothin’ malicious,” McCree said, tipping his head back so that his hat fell off his head. “Aw, heck.”

Hanzo bent and placed it back on his head, pulling the brim down over his face while Hana laughed. “They’re just challenging the current reigning champion of the Sad Movie Challenge,” here Ana paused as McCree lifted his hat in acknowledgement. “To see if Hanzo may be able to usurp his throne.”

For a long moment Genji stared at them as if they had all grew two heads. “That is the most fucked-up thing I had ever heard,” Genji snapped.

“Has it occurred to you to ask Hanzo?” Hana asked tartly, twisting to scowl at him. “Did it occur to you that we asked him first? Or that maybe we wanted to spend time with him whether he’d cry or not?”

Genji turned to Hanzo who shrugged. “They invited me to movie night after dinner,” he said. “I accepted and voted for the movie. It would be...nice to watch the movie without crying.” Hanzo tilted his head to the side. “Would you still like to meditate or would you join us?”

The rest of the room was very ostensibly not watching them and Genji gritted his teeth. “What do you want to do?” he asked Hanzo in Japanese.

Hanzo shrugged. “You had wanted to meditate. We can still do that.”

“No,” Genji said roughly. “You had other plans. I can meditate alone.”

The man that used to be his brother tilted his head to the side again. He appeared confused but that probably wasn’t an emotion he could feel, Genji thought bitterly to himself. “You don’t need to do it alone, brother,” he said.

Once upon a time, those had been the words that Genji had always wanted to hear from Hanzo but now...now his voice and eyes were dead and empty like some kind of movie caricature. Genji shook his head and turned to leave. “It is fine,” he said roughly. “Enjoy your movie - if you can.”

He winced to himself at the pettiness in his voice and he hurried to leave. As he was ducking through the doorway he heard McCree ask in Japanese, “What was that about, darlin’?” Gritting his teeth hard enough to hurt, he hurried down the hallway.

Later that night Genji managed to catch Hanzo as he and McCree walked down the hallway in the dorms. Seeing him, McCree leaned closer to whisper something to Hanzo who nodded. McCree tipped his hat to Genji, tapped the back of Hanzo’s hand with the fingers of his prosthetic hand, and walked away whistling a jaunty tune.

“What was that about?” Genji asked, unable to keep the hint of acid from his voice.

Hanzo shrugged. “Did you need something?”

“I wanted to know if you wanted to meditate tomorrow morning.” Genji winced; that sounded needy and pathetic even to his own ears.

If Hanzo thought the same, he graciously gave no sign of it though Genji was fairly certain that it was because Hanzo couldn’t feel disgust or embarrassment anymore.

“Are you unwell?” Hanzo asked instead, to Genji’s surprise. “You ask about meditation often. Are you unwell?”

Genji grit his teeth. “Is it so much to ask to spend time with my brother?”

“It is not too much to ask,” Hanzo replied. “I was...concerned that you were asking so much about meditation.”

He ignored the sick feeling in his gut at the realization that Hanzo’s hesitation was because he was unable to articulate exactly what he felt - because he felt nothing at all. “Do you want to meditate or not?”

Hanzo considered him for a moment and his blank look sent ripples of unease prickling down Genji’s back which he hastily tamped down. “What time?”

“Before breakfast,” Genji said, relieved.

To his surprise, Hanzo shook his head. “McCree and I usually go out to the garden before breakfast.”

Genji gritted his teeth. “Can you not wake up earlier?” Realizing just how petulant he sounded, Genji looked away. “I’m...sorry.”

“There is no point in being polite to someone who can no longer become insulted by your rudeness,” Hanzo said and Genji turned away completely. “I have upset you, haven’t I?”

He clenched his fists. “How can you be...okay with this? How can you be so complacent with this kind of life?”

“Because I cannot feel otherwise,” Hanzo replied simply. “Do you want me to wake up earlier to join you for meditation?”

Genji hissed not unlike an angry cat and stalked away. “Don’t bother.”

“What ails you, my pupil?” Zenyatta asked and a moment later, he felt the telltale warmth of one of his orbs floating above his shoulder.

“I spoke to Hanzo yesterday,” he admitted in Nepali. It was still a relatively new language for him so he relished the attention it required because it meant that there was less for him to be upset about Hanzo.

Zenyatta hummed and his orbs bobbed and spun as he slipped into lotus position. “What did you speak about?” he asked in the same language.

Genji took a moment to gather his thoughts and words. “He watches movies with the team because he thought he could enjoy the movie without crying.”

“I heard,” Zenyatta said neutrally. “He and Jesse McCree are now tied as the Kings of the Sad Movie Challenge.”

Whirling, Genji turned to stare incredulously at Zenyatta. “What?”

“Neither of them seem too upset to share the title,” Zenyatta added and Genji had the feeling that his master was trying to tell him something.

Genji snorted. “I tried to ask him to join me for meditation this morning but he said that he already had plans.” He wasn’t sure how to say garden so he didn’t elaborate on what Hanzo had decided was more important than Genji.

He had the feeling that Zenyatta was eyeing him and if he could, he would be wearing a little sly smile. “He and McCree go out to the gardens every morning before breakfast,” Zenyatta said in English and Genji sighed.

“I don’t get it,” Genji complained.

“Are you not happy that your brother has managed to find his own happiness?” Zenyatta asked.

Genji hissed a harsh breath out. “He cannot feel happiness,” he reminded his master harshly. Then he stopped, thinking about Hanzo and McCree’s kiss in the garden the other week. “And I think he’s just leading McCree on.”

“If Jesse McCree decides to enter a relationship with Hanzo, then is that not his own decision?” Zenyatta asked and Genji once more had the sense that his master was trying to tell him something.

But it sounded too much like scolding in that wise voice so he said nothing more and let his master’s warmth and peace flow over him.

He turned and watched Hanzo straddle McCree’s lap in the garden. The two men spoke quietly to each other beneath the spiny emerald leaves of some silly plant they had in the garden. It was McCree’s baby, some God-awful thing that had probably been found in some kind of trash heap but the cowboy loved broken things - just look at how he treated Hanzo!

He watched the two men talk. Their lunchtime alarms rang - a habit that Hanzo had picked up when they learned that he couldn’t feel hunger and one that McCree had followed himself, ostensibly to make sure that Hanzo wouldn’t feel awkward about it.

As if Hanzo could feel.

Genji scoffed to himself and wondered how differently things would have played out if Hanzo had been Empty before...before everything.

There was a commotion downstairs and Genji peeked his head over the edge in time to watch Ana shoot Soldier 76 with a sleep dart. Shaking his head, he turned back to Zenyatta and tried to focus on meditating.

“I’m streaming tonight,” Hana announced at dinner a few nights later. “You’re all welcome to join – it’s a special segment with Hanzo.”

Incredulously, Genji turned to stare at the man that had once been his brother.

“Horror games,” Hana continued as if she hadn’t noticed Genji’s behavior. “Join us if you dare.”

Angela frowned. “Don’t forget to sleep,” she told Hanzo sternly. “Just because you can’t feel tired doesn’t mean that your body doesn’t need rest.”

“I will be fine, Dr. Ziegler,” he assured her in his weirdly empty voice. “I added a few alarms tomorrow to make sure I rest.”

“What kind of horror movie?” Reinhardt asked excitedly. “Will it be fun?”

Hana’s explanation faded into the background as Genji watched Hanzo mechanically eat. “Are you okay with this?” he asked in their native tongue.

“I would not have agreed if I wasn’t,” Hanzo pointed out in the same language. “I am…interested to learn what a horror game would be like as I am now.”

McCree was looking at them curiously so Genji didn’t say anything else; he returned to his plate in sullen silence, not noticing the empty looks that McCree and Hanzo traded at his behavior.

Genji did end up attending Hana’s stream, which had been moved to one of the minor common areas because so many people were interested in playing. After a brief introduction to Hanzo and his situation – and Hana had apparently requested that Hanzo wear a v-neck shirt that not only showed off his muscles but also revealed some of the ropy scars from his surgery.

He watched, sick to his stomach, as they had a brief Q&A session before they started the game (in reality Lúcio and Reinhardt were trying to figure out how to hook up her consoles to the TV and how to adjust the lights and cameras she used for her streams). Genji watched with gritted teeth as strangers asked increasingly personal questions of the Empty man his brother had become.

How far did “want” go?

Could he feel physical pleasure?

Can he masturbate? Did it do anything?

If Hana allowed the question, Hanzo would answer them as obviously discomfort was not an emotion that he could feel.

Does he regret his decision?

Does the person he fell in love with know what he did?

There was an uproar over the chats when Hanzo said that the subject of his affections knew and accepted his choice. They asked more questions but Genji’s ears were ringing.

He had tried to ask Hanzo this question before but he hadn’t answered. Why would Hanzo share this with complete strangers and not his brother? To say that it hurt was an understatement and he tried not to let his bitterness show as the stream continued.

“Here!” Reinhardt boomed, shoving an unlabeled bottle of beer in Genji’s hands. “You look like you need it.”

He didn’t, he really didn’t, but he took it anyway and drank deeply.

By the time Hanzo was an hour into the game, Genji was well and truly plastered, having drunk deeply of one of Reinhardt’s strong home brews and some of Torbjörn’s alcohol that only he and Brigitte could pronounce. “I’m going out for a walk,” Genji said as he waved off all offers of help. “Just to clear my head.”

Hanzo watched him, the game paused, with his head cocked to the side. “Are you well?” he asked, his face pulled into a mimicry of the expression McCree wore when he was worried.

He waved a hand and was moderately alarmed at how loose it felt, as if his joints would release and the limb would go flying. “I’m fine,” he said and wasn’t quite sure in what language he spoke. “Just going for a walk.”

The empty shell that used to be his brother regarded him with blank brown eyes for a moment longer. Hanzo nodded. “Be well then, brother.”

How casually he said the words now, Genji thought bitterly to himself as he stumbled out the door.

“Should we go after him?” he heard someone ask as he walked away. It may have been Hana. He didn’t hear if there was an answer – it was a moot point anyway because he stumbled out the window and fell down into the garden. Fortunately the window was only on the first floor so it wasn’t too far of a drop, somewhere around a meter.

He still landed on his back and stayed there for a moment, winded from the surprise, staring up at the thick clouds above. When he heard footsteps in the stairwell, he scrambled to his feet and skittered away, pressing a hand to his maskless face to keep from giggling like a child. To his drunk mind it was like a great game of hide and seek and he ducked and wove around the dead and dying plants with over exaggerated motions. In another life his brother would have scoffed at him and told him…

His brother.

Genji stopped suddenly, a wave of sobriety hitting him like a punch in the gut. Hanzo.

Once upon a time, Hanzo would have scolded him for being so frivolous; this new Hanzo didn’t even bat an eye – as if he didn’t care.

Did he even care? How could he when he cut out his heart?

Genji sighed, recognizing the Discord his master so often spoke about; the Disharmony that wore down their attackers in the field as surely as the waves did to stone. Hanzo’s choice was his own, he reminded himself. There is more to this that I don’t know.

And why not? The Disharmony whispered back. Why did he not share this with his brother?

Gritting his teeth against the voice, Genji stalked down the garden path. In the glory days of Overwatch, the strip of land had once been a thriving garden. This particular area had been tended by the landscapers and arborists with a few other patches scattered over the property serving as personal plots of land to improve morale. Now after years of neglect there was a riot of greenery where some plants thrived and others perished. Someone had begun cutting back the plants, trying to tame nature once more and Genji assumed it was probably the Bastion unit and its avian companion. They had been found in the forest, he had been told, so most likely it was most at home in this overgrown area.

So reminded, Genji was more careful as he walked in case he startled it. He was probably just sober enough to dodge if it was startled and attacked, but it wasn’t something he really wanted to test.

Your blade against Hanzo’s was not something you had wanted to test, either, the Disharmony whispered. But it still happened.

Sucking in a deep breath, Genji braced his shoulders against the cold whisper of the voice and pressed on. Happened. It’s in the past and I’ve forgiven him.

Forgiven him of what? Of killing you, yes, the Discord replied. But what about this new abandonment? What is he running from this time that made him cut out his heart?

Genji stopped. That wasn’t fair, he scolded himself in a voice that sounded very much like Zenyatta. Hanahaki is deadly-

So deadly that he had to cut out his heart? The Discord wanted to know. So deadly that he chose to have it removed rather than confess?

That confession was in some ways as debilitating as the coward’s cut conveniently slipped his drunken mind.

They call it a coward’s cut for a reason, the Disharmony pointed out.

Genji shook his head and continued his walk, picking up the pace a little. It was time to find his master and his bed; he’d had enough of that day.

The garden path spat him out into the courtyard near the kitchen and he paused. When the weather was warm it was converted into an outdoor patio, or at least it had been in the heyday of Overwatch. The grass hadn’t yet reclaimed the tiled areas but a few enterprising plants were peeking through the grout and cobblestones. He could still see the areas that had once held the supports for awnings and synthetic torches in the nighttime when they had evening gatherings.

The rest of the courtyard had fallen into as much chaos as the rest of the garden had, though in a much tamer way. Weeds ran riot over what had once been well-treated lawn and most of the grass had died, so far out of its natural climate and without people to properly care for it. The bushes that had once hidden a waist-high wall (waist-high so that the spoiled Overwatch operatives could stare out over the ocean while they ate) were skeletons of their former selves, reaching with greedy fingers toward the sky.

Genji kicked at a puff of brownish grass and winced when it crumbled. Everything in the garden was dead or dying except for a little puff of dark green hidden among the skeletons of the past.

How many times had he seen Hanzo and McCree taking care of the thing?

He walked up to it and realized that it was the first time he had actually seen the thing up close. It was easy to remember when McCree first decided to plant the wretched thing – it was hideous and had caused Bastion distress with how close to death it seemed. But McCree had shooed Bastion away – firmly but gently – and insisted that it remain where it was, within full view of the kitchen.

Kneeling beside it, he brushed the leaves with his fingers. The sensors in his armor plates couldn’t feel too well and he didn’t feel like taking off the gauntlet on his only flesh hand so he settled with watching the leaves and flowers bob as he handled them.

He had never been one for plants so he couldn’t begin to guess what kind it was. Something with a hundred wrinkled petals like crumpled pieces of paper in hues of gold and bronze and orange. The buds looked inordinately smug and gritting his teeth, he pinched one off meanly.

“Yuck,” he muttered out loud at the sharp, herbal smell; he flicked his hand and watched the bud plop down in the dirt at the base of the flower. Then he picked it up again and ripped it in half just to let the petals – tipped in gold and orange with pale white hearts where they hadn’t quite grown into their pigment yet – spill out over his hand.

A moment later they were whisked away by the brisk breeze and scattered themselves along the dead grass.

“I don’t see how he can like you,” Genji said to it, curling his lip when he could still smell the phantom traces of the plant. “You look more like a weed. Yet every day he comes here and cares for you…”

He fell silent and this time the Discord washed over him like waves on a shore. He cares for a plant but not his own brother.

Can he care or does he just not? Just for you?

“Hanzo cares,” Genji said, turning his head away from the plant, somewhere in his drunken mind thinking that he didn’t want the plant to think that he was talking to it. “Or he wouldn’t have come here.”

That was then, the Disharmony insisted. Before he saw the cowboy again. Do you really think that he would have stayed otherwise? Would he have opened up to the team the way he has?

Genji reached for the plant and pinched off one of the flowers this time, wrinkling his nose again at its off-putting smell. “I wouldn’t think he’d like you,” he said directly to the flower. “You’re not even pretty and you smell terrible. I’d think with how traditional he is and how stuck-up he still manages to be, that he would want something else. Like sakura, maybe.”

He laughed suddenly, realizing what a fool he was being – sitting there, speaking to a plant like it could understand him. But as he was about to stand, he caught sight of its roots and paused.

Perhaps at some point it had needed support and the cowboy had shoved a dowel rod into the ground at its base and loosely secured it crudely with a zip tie. Hanging from a string tied around the zip tie were two pendants he recognized from years ago when Hanzo had been the young heir and McCree had just been a nobody in the desert.

The pendants were worn with age but they had been tied together and to the zip-tie with a flat, translucent cord – what genji recognized was a piece of Hanzo’s bowstring.

Genji hung his head. How hard had he tried to reconcile with Hanzo? How hard had the journey been to accept who he had become – and by whose hands – enough that he could feel even the smallest measure of comfort around the one who had tried to murder him? How long have he carried around one of his master’s orbs in order to feel even the smallest measure of peace around the base?

How many times had he fought with Hanzo about himself, about his team, about his choice to join the new Overwatch? How many hurtful words had been slung, how many times had blades been drawn? How many times had his master had to bring him back from the edge of Discord and back into the embrace of the Iris?

How easily had Hanzo begun to smile again – around McCree? How easily had Hanzo begun to join team bonding events – because McCree asked him to? How many times had he attended meditation with Genji and Zenyatta though clearly agitated, clearly uncomfortable, and admitted that it was because McCree had pestered him to?

He threw the ugly flower to the dirt and ground it with his fist until all that was left were scattered petals and green pulp. A smear of gold and orange was left on his knuckle and his nose burned with the bitter, medicinal smell.

Vindictively he yanked another flower off and did the same thing, tearing its leaves off and grinding the bulb of the flower into the dirt and grass. It was strangely therapeutic and he pushed himself to his feet to keep from destroying the rest of it. He wobbled a little, drunk and disoriented.

“I don’t know why I’m letting you get to me,” he muttered to the flower and kicked at it with his foot. He missed so he swung again and fell over. “I’m too drunk for this,” he told the heavy clouds above as he rolled over on his back and stared up at the sky.

Shoving himself to his feet he let himself back in to the kitchen and stumbled back to the room he shared with Zenyatta. “Are you well?” Zenyatta asked, powering on just enough to ask.

“Drunk,” he grumbled. “Took a tumble in the garden. Gonna clean up.”

Zenyatta gave a “sleepy” trill that always made Genji smile. The gentle glow of his optics faded as he powered down again.

It was short work for him to remove his armor plating and wipe down bits of dirt and greenery from his body. Just to be safe he took a quick shower and dried off, dumping his armor in the special buckets of cleaner that he and Zenyatta had for just that purpose. He rubbed his hands over it quickly but from the smears of brown and green decided that it was best to let it soak – inside where he was comfortable, the icy voice was fading and now he was sleepy.

Stumbling to his bed, he flopped over, smiling when he felt the gentle nudge of one of Zenyatta’s orbs. Tucking it to his chest, he fell asleep.

The storm promised by the heavy clouds he had seen the night before broke sometime early in the morning and Genji woke to a dull, echoing roar as rain thundered down on the base.

Breakfast was a strangely somber affair, or seemed to be when Genji walked in. Even the Bastion unit was inside though it stayed in a corner where it wouldn’t drip rainwater all over the tile. It chirped a two-note greeting when it noticed him.

“Good morning,” Genji said as he immediately walked over to the sink and gulped down a glass of water. “Some weather today, huh?”

Angela was looking out the window. “Do you think they’re alright?” she asked. She squinted as if she could see past the silvery curtain of rain and mist.

“Probably not,” Hana muttered into her breakfast. There were dark circles under her eyes, probably from staying up late to stream. “But it’s not like they’d care if we dragged them back in.” Despite her bitter words, she pushed her chair away from the table and picked up one of the damp umbrellas by the door. She bounced on the balls of her feet at the door and the Bastion unit moved to open it for her. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said to it.

The roar of the rain was startling and popping open the umbrella, Hana stepped out; the Bastion unit closed the door again and the sound was abruptly cut off. “Let’s get some towels ready,” Angela suggested but Ana was already coming back from the hall closet with an armful of starchy standard-issue towels.

At the door, the Bastion unit trilled and opened the door in time to let Hana shove a soaking wet McCree into the entry; it closed and she ducked back out and was obscured by the rain.

McCree’s clothes poured water and soon a puddle had formed beneath him. “You look like a drowned rat,” Genji said with a laugh.

The cowboy made a face as he tossed his hat on the ground where it landed with a wet smack. “Feel like one,” he said with an odd look on his face. He accepted the towel from Ana before he let her remove his drenched serape and folded it into a crude cloak around his neck and shoulders.

“You’re going to catch cold,” Angela scolded, throwing another towel over his head while Ana ran back into the hallway for more towels. “Get yourself dry, cowboy.”

“Don’t much see the point,” McCree said. “Seein’ as I’m probably gonna have t’ be the one t’ drag Han in.” he jerked his thumb out toward the back garden. “Doubt Hana’s gonna be able t’ convince him to get back.”

Ana came back with another stack of towels which she shoved in Genji’s hands. “You tell him that I will sleep him and have him dragged inside if I must.”

“Ain’t gonna care much,” McCree said as he moved back toward the door. “Not when his plant’s dead.”

Genji looked back and forth between Ana and Angela. “What’s this?”

Shaking his head, McCree walked back out into the downpour and disappeared; the Bastion unit gave a worried warble as it closed the door again.

“Hanzo’s plant is dead,” Ana said grimly. “Something must have gotten to it last night and the rain isn’t helping. He’s outside trying to save it.”

“Why?” Genji asked with a frown. “It’s just a plant.” He thought back to his vindictive pleasure in ripping apart the bulbs and flower the night before. In some ways it felt justified now – though Empty, Hanzo still seemed to care more for the ugly plant than his own brother. Or his own health.

Ana and Angela exchanged glances and through the window they could see shadows moving; the Bastion unit trilled and opened the door for Hana and Hanzo to come through. Hanzo grabbed a towel from Ana and briskly wrapped it around Hana who was shivering. Gently he pushed her toward Angela and turned back to the door.

“Let me through,” he said roughly to the Bastion unit. It trilled what sounded like a denial. “Let me through,” he said again through gritted teeth.

The Bastion unit opened the door again but this time McCree blocked the doorway with something wrapped in the towel that had been around his neck. “Don’t worry,” McCree said in a strangely hollow voice. “I got it.”

Now that Genji was watching, he noticed that neither McCree nor Hanzo were shivering despite being drenched but Hana’s teeth were chattering audibly while Angela hurried to get her dry. Ana wrapped her up in another dry towel and briskly rubbed her arms with it despite her complaints her arms would be red from the scratchy towels.

“D’ ya think it can be saved, big guy?” McCree asked, tilting his head back to look up at the Bastion model. “We’re kinda flyin’ blind here.”

Genji squinted, realizing that there was something on McCree’s throat – a scar, faded with age but still visible. There was a matching one on Hanzo’s throat – Genji would know because he had stared at it so many times.

“On no,” a voice said behind him and Zenyatta hurried past. He tossed orbs around – one to Hana and one to Genji who hadn’t realized quite how upset he was becoming until an orb nudged his shoulder. Zenyatta tossed one each at Hanzo and McCree though when they approached their target they wavered, wobbled, and returned to Zenyatta.

McCree wasn’t smiling as he turned around, revealing the bundle in his arms. What had been whole and healthy the night before was now a crumpled, sodden mess. The few leaves and branches left hung limp either by water or from being crushed and there were no whole flowers left, only bits and pieces that - if Genji would bet if he thought to check - had been crushed between plates of armor.

Pieces that had so cruelly been ripped off by a jealous brother, pieces that had been kicked and smashed and torn apart vengefully. Genji’s ears rang as he stared, first at the plant, then the matching scars on Hanzo and McCree’s necks.

“Oh no,” Hana cried, running to their arms to look at the plant. Even Ana and Angela looked distraught in ways that neither Hanzo nor McCree were able to feel. “Oh, Hanzo - your heart!”

#Hanahaki au #nothing gold #mchanzo #Hanzo Shimada #Jesse McCree #Hana Song #Reinhardt #Genji Shimada #jealous brother syndrome #tekhartha zenyatta #genji's got no chill #I like marigolds #yo so many times I almost typed magnolias instead of marigolds you have no idea #they're marigolds #DC writes

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tonystarkbingo · 6 years ago

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Week Six Roundup

Mod Note: Because of holiday and other real life stuff, Mod Tisfan is a little behind on reading everyone’s fics for this week. So if there’s no note beside your fic, don’t worry, I’ll catch up soon! Promise! I’m so excited at how much work everyone’s done!

Name of Piece Wedding Dress for Sale, Worn Once By Accident by @voodoofee Square Filled continued A3 freesquare Rating M Warnings smut, light dom/sub Summary Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes Bucky finds a strange note in the elevator reading, Wedding dress for sale, worn once by mistake, with the number of someone named Tony. Bucky only knows one Tony but he doesn't think that's the guy’s name. Why else should the packages he sometimes receives be addressed to one A. Edward Stark? Whoever it is, Rebecca's wedding is coming soon and he wanted to buy her a dress. Maybe this one fits? He's pretty sure she won't mind that it has already been worn once... Chapter 8

Name of Piece: What Happens at the Beach House by @tisfan Square Filled A1: Fake Relationship Also on A03 Rating Mature Warnings: fake relationship, blowjob, accidental nudity, there was only one bed, bed sharing, pining, idiots Summary: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes

“Come on, I need this,” Tony begged. “I know, I know, it’s degrading, and you’re straight, but it’s my mom. She’s not going to stick us in the same room or anything.” Narrator: She did, in fact, stick them in the same room.

Name of Piece Quantum Realm Travel gone Wrong by @toneestark Square Filled K1 - Crossover Marvel x Marvel Rating teen and up Warnings graphic violence, zombies, hurt/comfort Summary gen

Tony Stark and Hank Pym have a way to reverse all of Thanos' wrong doings, but they need a quick trial to ensure that the technology can work. Winding their way into a worm hole through the quantum realm, they finally make it to an alternate universe and an alternate timeline, only it wasn't quite what they were expecting...

Name of Piece Giving Him Excitations by @polizwrites Rating Mature Warnings No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Sex Toys, Vibrators, Exhibitionism Square S2 - Vibes in Public. Summary: Tony Stark/Steve Rogers Tony Stark is a sneaky, kinky SOB and Steve kinda loves it; it certainly makes their next team meeting more interesting.

Mod Tisfan’s Commentary slightly different twist on this trope. Hilarious.

Name of Piece Occupational Hazard by @novarain01 Square Filled S5 - occupational hazard Rating Mature Warnings NSFW art fill Summary

Tony Stark, laying on red bedsheets, wearing skimpy underwear and covered with lipstick, bite marks, rope burn, and a sarcastic grin, looks up at the viewer.

Mod Tisfan’s Commentary: you can just feeel the smug, here...

Name of Piece The Vague & the Unmistakable by @wakandan-wardog Rating general Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Additional Tags: Fluff and Humor, Birthday Fluff, Flirting, Suggestive Themes, Not Beta Read, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant Summary:

Looking back on it, there are several things that should have tipped Steve off that today was his Birthday. (Starting with the fact that it’s suddenly clear Tony engineered every one of them.) Square Filled: T4: writing format: five things

Name of Piece Soulmates Aren’t Just Lovers by @celtic7irish Rating: Teen Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes/Tony Stark Additional Tags: Forced soulbonding, Imprisonment, Abandonment Issues, winter soldier programming, Bucky Barnes is still in there, Tony Stark is the most stubborn, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Bucky needs a hug, Soulmates, TWS on never happened Summary:

Hydra wants Tony to build them Stark/Chitauri Hybrid weapons. When Tony refuses, they decide that they’ll make him more pliable. By forcing him into a soulbond with the Winter Soldier. After all, his programming should supersede Tony’s stubbornness. Right?

Square T1: Forced Soulbonding

Mod Tisfan Commentary: Beautiful and riveting. I hit the subscribe button SO FAST.

Name of Piece Where We Wanna Be by @rinnwrites Square Filled A1 - Meeting Alternate Universe Counterparts Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James “Bucky” Barnes/Tony Stark Additional Tags: Multiple Universes Colliding, Meeting Alternate Universe Counterparts, Domesticity, Portals, Inhumans (Marvel), Getting Together, What Could Have Been Summary:

Tony and Bucky stumble through a portal to an alternate universe and they run into themselves, in a world without Avengers….or their enemies.

Name of Piece Always by @ouzoathena11 Rating: General Audiences Additional Tags: How Do I Tag, there’s a book club, and some inside jokes, It’s really not much, just some fun, Tony Stark Bingo 2018 Summary:

Tony bringing Darcy Lewis to Stark Industries brought more than he thought- including a book club!

Square A4- Always

Name of Piece A Place to Call Home by Stark-n-Barnes Square Filled S1 - Holding Hands Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, Neurosurgeon Stephen, Ex-Military Tony, Recovery, House Searching, Moving In Together, Marriage Proposal, Friend Reunions, Realtor Bucky, Holding Hands Summary: Stephen thinks moving in together would be a great idea, Tony disagrees. But can one, beautiful townhome change all that?

Name of Piece Schmoop - @bill-longbow Square Filled K3 - schmoop Rating: General Audiences Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, James “Bucky” Barnes/Tony Stark, Additional Tags: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Hopefully not Avengers 4 compliant, Schmoop, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, ALL THE FLUFF, waking up together, Angst, Not A Happy Ending, Coma Summary:

Tony’s content. There’s no other way to put it. The fighting’s over, the endgame has been played, nothing to fear anymore.

Mod Tisfan Commentary I read this by accident because it’s not very long. Now I am depressed.

Name of Piece Rewards for Good Behavior by @dracusfyre Square Filled R2 Gossip Press Rating explicit Warnings sexual content, jealousy Summary Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes

This is a continuation of my Dark!Tony story Positive Reinforcement (part 1 of Operant Conditioning) though it can be read as a smutty standalone.

James gets jealous when Tony turns on the charm for his adoring public.

Name of Piece From the Heart that Bleeds by @duckmoles Square Filled A3 - free square Rating gen/preslash Warnings Post Infinity War, possible spoilers Summary

Steve spends his hundredth birthday in Wakanda, still dealing with the fallout of Thanos. He doesn't feel like he's one hundred. He feels like he's one thousand.

(In which Steve and Tony tentatively start to forgive.)

Name of Piece Slack Water, part six: Shoals by Tisfan Square Filled K2: Reunion Also on A03 Rating Mature Warnings: Consentacles, tentacle sex, marine mating habits, oral sex (sort of? I dunno, Tony’s a fish!) Summary: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes

Bucky’s never actually been free. While Bucky is discovering what freedom is like, Tony is learning everything his mate likes. Fleeing south, Tony eventually brings Bucky home…

Name of Piece Out of Touch by Mitochondrials Rating: Explicit Square Filled: T3 - Fuck or die Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Additional Tags: Brief mention of Jarvis (William), Post-The Ultimates 2, Fuck Or Die, happy birthday steve, Dildos Summary: “I appreciate the sentiment. It’s very touching,” Tony said, and then paused, taking Steve in. “My, my, you’ve really forgotten haven’t you?” He reached to brush a hand along Steve’s cheek, causing Steve to shiver and lean down closer towards him. “You darling, brute of a man. It’s been your birthday going on six hours now. You’ve missed the fireworks? They’ve been going all week.”“I—” Steve blinked. Oh. Tony is suffering the aftereffects of some AIM engineered breeding chemical. Steve, despite his embarrassment, firmly advocates helping.

Mod Tisfan’s Commentary One of my personal favorite tropes, also, I love Ultimates, they’re so... I don’t even know the word, but their relationship is so delicious.

Name of Piece Aberrant Outcomes by @dracusfyre Square Filled K3 - Noncon Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/Non-Con Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark Additional Tags: Steve and Bucky are Not Friends, No actual rape but definitely non-consensual activity, Bucky Barnes's Trigger Words, Groping

Summary: James inadvertently follows Captain Rogers into the jaws of a trap.

Title: Try, Try Again Collaborator: @27dragons & @tisfan Link: AO3 Square Filled: S3 - Fuck or Die (Tisfan’s Tony Stark Bingo) and T5 - Fuck or Die (27Dragon’s Tony Stark Bingo) Ship: Bucky/Tony Rating: Explicit Major Tags: non-con, sex pollen, hand job, masturbating, coming untouched, fantasy, oral sex, anal sex, violence, kidnapping, hydra trash party adjacent Summary: Madam Hydra’s most successful project was Snowmelt; breeding children from the Winter Soldier. When she returns unexpectedly from the dead, she decides that Tony Stark will be a good donor for a new wave of experiment children. But first, she needs genetic material. And for that, she has a special drug for Tony.

Title: Resolving Dissonance - by @dracusfyre Square Filled: T3: Slave Fic Ship: Tony Stark/Bucky Barnes Rating general Warning Dark!Tony Summary President Stark decides its time to reconcile with Captain America.

edited to fix misattributed fic: From the Heart that Bleeds was erroneously linked to @rinnwrites instead of its proper author, @duckmoles/Kirael. I’d say I don’t know how that happened, but we all know the truth... I made a mistake! Mod Tisfan

#tonystarkbingo2018 #tonystarkbingo #week 6 round up #round up

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shadowphoenixrider · 7 years ago

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SPR rambles about Jurassic World: Evolution

So.

I really quite like Jurassic World: Evolution. I think the £45 price tag is a bit sharp (and the ‘deluxe edition’ can take a long walk off a short plank), but it’s a good game if you’re looking for a dino park management simulator. Which I was! I used to play Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis, and longed for a next-gen update, and this, for the most part, is.

It’s good at getting you to juggle multiple things, then it starts throwing things at you while yelling ‘think fast!’, either laughing when you drop everything, or nodding approvingly when you manage to catch them. You’ve got to manage money, your dinos satisfaction, your visitors satisfaction, adverse weather conditions, power, and the reputation of the three divisions of Ingen; Science, Entertainment, and Security.

There’s a slight...dissonance with these three, or rather, with Security. Science and Entertainment are pretty straight forward (Science focuses more on the dinosaurs, Entertainment more on visitors), but Security...I dunno what that dude is smoking, but he seems obsessed with making the dinosaurs fight or generally create mayhem. And it’s like...I thought your role would discourage me from that...? I feel that they didn’t have many ideas for what missions he could give you, so stole from Entertainment a little.

That’s another thing; in Operation Genesis, you had three different types of visitors; those who wanna see the dinos fight, those who just liked the dinos chilling out and being happy, and those who wanted to see period specific dinos together. That’s not in Evolution, aside from a slightly unnerving obsession with dino fights, encouragement to tailor a dino’s habitat to keep it happy, and a slight push to apply ‘skins’ to your dinosaurs that suit their habitat, which is a bit of a shame. I say ‘habitats’; what I mean is the ratio of grass to trees. This isn’t Zoo Tycoon, where you’ve got to customise how much desert dirt is on the ground. Although, knowing how persnickerty that game got, maybe that’s a good thing.

Another thing that was in Operation Genesis that I miss from this game is the ability to issue commands to your rangers whilst you’re selecting a dinosaur. In OP, if you needed to cure a dinosaur of a specific disease, or tranq and move it, all you had to do was select the dino and then the appropriate command. In Evolution, however, you’ve got to click away, select the ranger or your helicopter, depending on what you need, select a specific team, and then ‘add task’, and then you’ve got to click the dino. That’s at least two unnecessary clicks, and the game feels fiddly because of this. It doesn’t help that the rangers only have AI on missions, and you have to manually tell them to refill feeders and you have to click on the damn thing to find out whether it is running out or not - can you see a pattern emerging?

You can’t click from one building to another, you’ve got to click off one building and then the one you want. If you want to look at another species of dinosaur that isn’t the one you’re currently selected, you gotta click off them and then the other. This can lead to a butt-ton of frustration when a situation crops up, like some arsehole has sabotaged your power stations and you’re scrambling to issue an emergency alert to get visitors into bunkers before a dino decides it wants to kick its fence over. (That said, despite the game insisting the dinosaurs are itching to get out, I’ve only seen one dino try to smash its way out, and that was in a programmed sequence where it had to get out to fulfil an objective. If you give a dino 100% comfort, they’re quite happy to stay locked up, even velociraptors, though granted I haven’t gotten far enough to start housing T rexes.) This is worse when you’re quietly perusing a menu as the game has no pause function, not even in menus (except the Esc menu).

The game has you progress through several ‘scenarios’, building parks on different islands with different conditions, like already being in debt, or storms striking the island every now and again, or lack of space, and what is nice is that all the parks you build exist permanently on the islands, and you can go between them as you wish. In fact, you’re encouraged to, as you unlock things on later islands that you can bring back to earlier islands to improve them and up your parks’ rating, unlocking more goodies and upgrades.

The only problem with this is that sandbox mode is locked behind this ‘campaign’ mode, and only completing all the previous islands lets you access this. I don’t mind this, but there’s no differing paths to construct your parks. They all feel very samey after a while. You can reskin your rangers and helicopters (and dinos), but you can’t reskin buildings, or customise them in any meaningful way. You need more, you build more. That’s it.

And unlike it’s predecessor Operation Genesis, Evolution ain’t getting saved by mods, because of its Denuvo DRM locking it out, and if you try to mod it regardless you can kiss your EULA goodbye (I stumbled onto it by accident whilst pouring through the menus, and spotted the clause, that’s how I know). I’m 99% sure this is Universal being a spoilsport, but it could be the game devs Frontier as well (they made Planet Coaster - does that have mods? Let me know.).

This sounds like I’m shitting on the game and I hate it - I don’t. I very much enjoy it. The game looks gorgeous, you’ve got the vocal talents of Jeff Goldblum in there being wry and sarcastic (sadly, no Chris Pratt whether Owen Brady shows up, booo), and dinosaurs are great; beautifully animated and very easy to fall in love with. Also you can make an I. Rex later on, so that’s a bonus!

There is Day One DLC for it under the handle of a ‘Deluxe Edition’ for a insulting £10. I say ‘insulting’ because it contains only extra dinosaurs. They’re not any of the main dinosaurs, thankfully, although I think some people might feel a little peeved that the Styracosaurus is in this DLC (a more spikey triceratops, basically), and perhaps the Suchomimus? Anyway, the Styracosaurus, Suchomimus, Archaeornithomimus, Crichtonsaurus, Majungasaurus dinosaurs are contained within the DLC. Whether it is worth your money depends entirely on whether you like these dinos, but for me, who’s already coughed up £45 for the main game, an extra tenner for some more dinos I’m not attached to is just a little bit rude. £5 is more acceptable.

My opinion? I would recommend waiting for a sale or price drop. Nothing severe, just something to take it below the AAA price of £45; I feel it’s just a bit too much for what they’re offering. I don’t regret purchasing it for that much, but for someone who’s bit more conscious of their spending, I’d suggest waiting. It’s good, but not that good.

#SPR rambles about video games #Jurassic World: Evolution #it's not a review just an opinion by me

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squirenonny · 7 years ago

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How you even get people interested your fics, asking for a friend thanks

Aw, man, isn’t that a question for the ages?

So I’m gonna preface this by saying that there’s no magic quick-fix to attract more readers (however much we all wish there were.) Writing for the big ships or posting a fic featuring a popular trope/AU when it’s popular is going to get you more readers than writing niche fics, but chasing trends isn’t going to make you happy and it might even hurt the quality of your work. When you post and whether there was some big fandom or IRL event that drew attention away from the newly published pages (or flooded them, burying your fic under ten pages of Klance week ficlets or whatever) can also play a big role.

Secondly, and I know you’re probably not going to like hearing this, try not to worry too much about numbers like hits/kudos/bookmarks/reviews. They don’t mean as much as you think, and they aren’t a reflection on your skill as a writer or the value of your story. The best thing to do is to find some other way to measure success–maybe it’s how many words you’ve written, maybe it’s whether you stick to a consistent update schedule. Maybe it’s reaching that scene you’ve been dying to write for forever. But make sure it’s something that’s in your control, because depending on the faceless masses for validation sucks, and you deserve better.

Okay, on to some advice for attracting readers.

1. Rework your summary. Confession time: I hate writing summaries. Hate it. I’m already not good with short form and trying to sum up a story in a hundred words or less is even worse. But it’s one of the most important skills for a writer to learn, since it’s your one shot to get people interested enough to click that link. If you’re stuck, here are some suggestions, with examples of how I’ve used them for my own stories.

Pick a (short!) excerpt from your piece. Maybe a brief exchange of dialogue, maybe the opening line, maybe something else. It should be something that doesn’t require context to understand and that makes people want to find out what happens next (or what led up to this moment.) Example:

This psychic—Lance the Lucid, according to the posters, and Keith wasn’t even going to comment on that—was a charlatan, plain and simple, and Keith kind of wanted to punch him. Sure, Lance knew how to put on a show, but Keith doubted there was anything more to the act than charm and dramatic flair.

Pidge sighed, catching Keith’s eyes. “At this point, they’re pretty much our only hope.”

If you’re writing an AU, especially a canon divergence AU, put the focus on what you’re changing. Example:

Shiro used to dream of Earth. That was before the Arena, before Haggar, before he joined the Galra army. At least he has an ally, a Galra officer named Keith. Together they plan to bring down Zarkon’s empire from the inside.

Matt never thought he’d see his family again. Then he crash-lands on Earth and Pidge rescues him from Garrison custody. But his homecoming is short-lived. Now the Holt siblings, along with Lance and Hunk, must find the Voltron lions and free the universe from Galra control.

Or: Galra!Keith, double agent!Shiro, red paladin!Matt, black paladin!Allura, full series AU.

If you’re writing something tropey, or a twist on a cliche, maybe highlight that. Example:

[following a short description of plot] Canonverse Soulmate AU with romantic and platonic soulmates (and some gray areas in between)

Sometimes the simplest thing to do, especially for shorter stories, is to do a one-two punch in your summary. The set-up and the punchline. The scenario and the twist. The status quo and the catastrophe. Think “Long ago, the four nations lived in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.” Or better yet, the next part of that intro–defining the Avatar and then hitting us with “and then he vanished for a hundred years whoops.” Whatever you do, keep it short. Example:

When Keith was seven years old, he spent a year in La Quinta with a boy named Lance, the best friend he ever had. Ten years later, Lance and Keith reunite at the Garrison–only Keith doesn’t remember who Lance is.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that shorter is (usually) better, but you want to include enough to hook readers’ attention. It’s hard, I know, but keep working at it and it’ll get easier. Seriously–write five completely different summaries for your fic, all under 100 words. Give yourself a 5 or 10 minute limit for each so you don’t agonize too much. Set them aside for a while, then come back and see what works. Or write a list of all the things you’re most excited about in a given piece, cut out any major spoilers, and try to work one or two of the others into your summary.

2. Be strategic about your tags. If you’re posting on AO3, use tags people are going to search. Angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, any tropes that feature prominently, any relationships (especially gen ones) that are a major focus. Be wary of overtagging–Shatt shippers, for example, know all too well how common it is to search for Shatt and turn up only Klance fics with a passing mention of Shiro and Matt going on a date. But plenty of people search for specific tags in trying to find new stories. Use that.

Similarly, if you post on Tumblr, use your tags efficiently. The first five tags on a post are the ones that the post will show up in (i.e. if you have a tag tracker or go to tumblr.com/tagged/____) Tumblr’s search looks at the first twenty tags, I believe. So use your first five tags for either the most popular or the most niche aspects of your fic. (i.e. tagging it “klance” will have a larger potential audience, though it’ll get buried pretty quickly; tagging “matt holt” or “shatt” gives you a much smaller potential audience, but one that’s more starved for content so will probably click your link at a higher rate.) Prioritize, and leave your organization tags/tag commentary for after.

3. Your first chapter should pack a punch. This one may be a little harder to put into practice if you have an existing fic you’re trying to drum up interest in, but it’s worth keeping in mind. If your summary and tags get people through the door, your first chapter (in a multichapter fic)/your first few paragraphs (for any fic) is where people decide whether or not this is worth reading. Goals to strive for:

Your first line, or at most your first paragraph, should hook reader’s interest. It should ask an implicit question–what’s happening? How did we get here?

(the equivalent of) Your first page (a couple hundred words, tops) should establish the situation and forward momentum. Diving straight into action with no context can be confusing, but lingering too long on exposition can make people tune out before they get to the good part. I’ve heard it said that the first 250 words should establish three things: character, context, and motive. Who are we focused on, what’s happening right now, and why does it matter? There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but make sure you know why you’re deviating if you decide to do so.

Your first chapter (assuming you have more than one) should leave people wanting more. Don’t leave them in the middle of the set-up, or they may not be motivated to continue. But don’t give them everything they need to see where this is going, or they won’t bother waiting to find out.

**Update: There’s now a follow-up post talking a little bit more about how to start a story, with examples!**

4. Persistence is key. Out of all the advice I can give you, this one’s going to be the hardest to follow, I’m sure. It can feel like you’re throwing words at a void and getting nothing back. Sometimes you have a real slow start. Sometimes you’re writing self-induldgent rarepare stuff, and it seems like you and two other people are the only ones who ship it–and those other two never comment.

The thing is, writing fic (especially as a newcomer or writing niche fic) is like playing Marco Polo at a death metal concert. Not only are you shouting into a sea of noise, but you’re also trying to find the relative handful of people who are going to answer. But here’s the thing: if you yell “Marco” once and get no response, then go home, you’ll never find those other people. If you keep yelling–maybe stay in one spot and yell over and over, maybe wander around calling out every so often–you’ll find someone, and then you’ll find someone else, and then maybe someone else will start shouting with you and find three more people. It starts slow, but it builds momentum.

In terms of fic, though, what does that mean? It means keep writing. Maybe keep hammering away at this one fic–excellent if it’s something you’re excited about, something you need to write no matter what. You keep putting it out there and you’ll start to beat back the wave of random chance that conspires to bury your fic because of weird posting times or an onslaught from a fandom event.

Maybe write a bunch of shorter fics, participate in bangs and exchanges and other events. You might hook readers with your Klance soulmate AU that you did for a secret santa, then tempt them into trying your other stuff (true story.) You might make friends by chatting in a big bang’s discord, and they can help you write more attention-grabbing summaries, or can signal boost on Tumblr. (Or just be that one person who stans your writing and keeps you motivated through low hit counts on AO3.) Or you might just hit a whole bunch of people’s rarepair/nich buttons and start building a following that way.

Or maybe it means going a little more off the rails. Try a different fandom. Write original fiction. Write an 80k Marauders-at-Hogwarts fic for yourself, edit it, and only then start posting a chapter a week so you can grow your reader base without the low number of comments chipping away at your motivation because joke’s on you, hit counter. I already have the next chapter done. And the one after that, and all of them, so they’re still coming even if no one’s reading. ha-ha! (Also a true story.)

Look, the point is, building a reader base is hard, and it’s frustrating, and a lot if it is based on luck and fandom trends, and you’re always going to want to get caught up in the numbers. Even once you have readers, you might get frustrated because the tropey shipfic with a shoddy plot that you BS’d your way through has ten times as much love as the lovingly crafted, well-plotted AU that you’ve poured literally thousands of hours into. Because writers are all starved for feedback, and with the exception of people lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to hit a fandom sweet spot and get shot straight into the realms of That One Fic Everyone Knows About–with the exception of those freak accidents of fate, the people who have sizable followings are almost always people who just plain love to write and do it regardless of what anyone else says or does.

So don’t write for the readers. Write for yourself first, and love what you write. Write stories that need to be told. Stories you can’t bear not to tell–because when you care that much about a story, it shows, and when the right people find your story, they’re going to love that you love it. Trust me. The right people are out there. You just have to keep shouting until you find them.

#anon #answers #writing #advice #writing advice #long post

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japanessie · 8 years ago

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Hey! I found your blog recently and I also just started listening to MFS and I really like their music. I'm a bit lost as to where to start to learn more about them and their motivation/thoughts behind their music since it's been a couple years since they've debuted. What would you suggest?

Hello (^^)v Welcome to the fandom.

I’m guessing you probably discovered them through their more popular songs like ALONE, 不可逆リプレイス or the more recent ones like Missing You. Firstly, too many people get caught up in singer Hiro’s family relations and ignore the other members. So, I would highly encourage a new fan to NOT follow that crowd XD

There are basically 4 aspects to MFS that all fans need to know OR you won’t understand the band and what diehard fans talk about:

1. Band members & the personnel changes.2. Their musical roots especially the main songwriter Sho Tsuchiya + their twin band named fromus.3. Hiro’s lyrics in relations to his life story.4. The important people in their team especially their boss GEN, A&R exec KTR (Kentaro Suzuki) from Japan Music System (JMS) & circle of friends. Also, their earliest mentor K ( Kei Goto) the late singer of Pay Money To My Pain (PTP).

BAND MEMBERS

1. Sho Tsuchiya ~ leader, guitarist, main composer (currently only functions behind the scene & as a non-touring member)2. Nob @ Nobuaki Katou ~ bassist3. Teru @ Teruki Nishizawa ~ guitarist (many like to categorize him as rhythm guitarist when Sho was in but I personally disagree because he played both lead & rhythm guitars even from the 1st album)4. Kid'z ~ drummer (officially joined on 3 Mar 2016)5. Hiro @ Hiroki Moriuchi ~ vocalist, lyricist6. Masack @ Masaki Kojima ~ drummer (officially left on 3 Mar 2016)

Note: MFS current members “deactivated" from public social media in early 2016. So, don’t bother looking XD

PERSONNEL CHANGES

Sho’s hiatus:Sho remains as a member. He announced his hiatus in October 2015. I won’t call it “inactive" like some people do because he’s still composing with them and most recently served as the Sound Producer for ANTITHESE. He’s just not a touring member for now. He didn’t give specific reason other than family matter.

Drummer change:Masaki didn’t state why he left but it looked like he didn’t want to be tied down to only one genre of music. He was active playing outside MFS before his departure. So, he probably wanted that musical freedom even though he loves MFS. But his decision was enough to badly crush the two youngest members at the time, Hiro and Teruki, from what I observed. Those two younger men were still emotionally dealing with Sho’s hiatus at that moment. Kid'z is their friend / labelmate who had always got along well with Teru & Hiro. He had worked together with Sho & Nob before too. Co-incidentally, his band officially split up in Nov 2015. So, he was the natural choice to replace Masaki. But Kid'z was drumming as a sessionist musician for singer ナノ(nano) at the time MFS took him. He stopped using his real name and took on a stage name Kid'z* after that.

* I personally don’t use his real name in public anymore out of respect for his decision. Understandably, he was initially worried about MFS fans’ reaction. Also, it was and probably still is an awkward situation for him regarding his former bandmates when their band split up and he went to their biggest rival band just a few months later. So, I chose to respect his wish to start anew.

THEIR BEGINNING

On my blog so far, the interview that tells their formation year story the most is this one from GEKIROCK.

MFS GEKIROCK Interview March 2016 Translation

The band did describe how they got together in this video interview around minutes 01:42 to 02:58.

youtube

My Japanese listening ability is not up to that point yet though, sorry. Hiro explained how he and Sho met at a PTP concert. Couldn’t catch what Sho said about Hiro & Masaki with the music playing in the background :-/ Hiro also said he and Teru knew each other when they were high school students. Well, the GEKIROCK interview is a pretty good picture of their history.

FOR OLD PHOTOS of MFS, check out these places:

My First Story Unofficial fanpage on FBMy First Story Thailand fanpage on FBex-drummer Masaki Kojima’s Twitter @kojimasa

THEIR TWIN BAND fromus

Ignore whatever musical comparison people made about them and OOR. The real band to compare MFS to is their real twin band fromus, a piano-rock unit. I made an entry about them here.

http://japanessie.tumblr.com/post/140215899677/meet-fromus-mfs-real-twin-band

I personally feel that musically, MFS first two albums are the direct guitar edition fromus. Just take MFS, change the singer & then the guitars to piano. You’ll get fromus.

OTHER MUSICAL INFLUENCES

They do have influences from old school hard rock & metal. Sho and Nob are already in their 30s. Both men said they started on guitar with British rock legend Deep Purple’s Smoke On The Water. Guitarist Teruki grew up with a heavy-metal-music-loving father and would often cite Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica as his early influences.

DISCOGRAPHY

If you want to see their musical & lyrical evolution, try to listen to their songs chronologically from the 1st album to the current work.

Albums & Singles

1. MY FIRST STORY ~ MV Second Limit & Take It Back2. THE STORY IS MY LIFE ~ MVs The Story Is My Life & The Reason3. 最終回STORY (Saishukai STORY)4. BONEDS (a joint 4-band project in which they contributed 2 songs)5. BLACK RAIL ~ MVs Black Rail & FAKE6. 不可逆リプレイス ( Fukagyaku Replace) ~ their breakthrough song IMO7. 虚言NEUROSE ~ MVs 虚言NEUROSE, Child Error & Someday (lyrics MV available on Livehouse iOS App & STORYTELLER website)8. ALONE ~ MVs ALONE & 失踪FLAME * 9. ANTITHESE ~ MVs The Puzzle (exclusive for STORYTELLER members only), Missing You (there’s another STORYTELLER-only version too) & Last Call

Update: 12 Jan 2017. Sorry I forgot the MVs from the ALONE single XD

They also have a special 2-track single dedicated to band leader Sho Tsuchiya, released to the public at the Budokan called:

We’re Just Waiting 4 You (available at MAGIC ROOM while stock lasts)

DVD Collection so far:

1. THE STORY IS MY LIFE Final at Shibuya Club Quattro (bundled with 最終回STORY) ~ the only official DVD released when Hiro still sported his natural black hair colour.2. The Ending of the Beginning at Ebisu Liquidroom.3. BONEDS Tour Movie (with AIR SWELL, BLUE ENCOUNT, SWANKY DANK).4. ITSUWARI NEUROSE Tour Final at Shinkiba Studio Coast.5. MFS at A.V.E.S.T. Vol.9 (released as a free bonus for ANTITHESE Pre-order)

TIDBITS Info (^_-)

Hiro called 虚言NEUROSE creation process as “creating a human-like superhero" & the sound as “listening to the radio in the city“. Does that make any sense to you? LOL. Read what he said in this interview:

Hiro’s Interview with Rockin’ On Japan magazine Jan 2015

HIRO’s LYRICS

Sho let Hiro be in charge of lyrics writing from the start (from an interview for Yamaha Music).

Hiro comes from a famous family thanks to his parents and his successful brother. As a result, he was heavily thrashed on the internet by people who disliked his “easy entry” into the music industry. Hiro used to be very active on Twitter but the criticism against him soon turned into cyber-bullying. I personally had seen the cruel things people wrote about him on Japanese 2ch forum.

I can only guess what happened that drove Hiro to leave social media. Other than abusive online comments, some people probably took advantage of his Twitter presence by sending inappropriate messages or even being intrusive about his brother Taka’s personal life. He tweeted an angry response about 2ch on 14 Feb 2013. Then he wrote on his blog on Ameblo (now deleted / deactivated(?)) that “people’s words can hurt". A few months later, he tweeted “I started blocking fucked up people" in English. Not long after, he tweeted his final tweet “Goodbye forever" and abandoned Twitter in Sept 2013.

He then channeled his anger through the song BLACK RAIL in 2014. He explained it in this interview.

Hiro MFS Rolling Stone Japan Aug 2014 Interview Translation

From then on, a lot of his lyrics reflected what he was going through while writing them.

It must be noted that the special project singles ALONE & 不可逆リプレイス (Fukagyaku Replace) were written for the themes of those projects. Hiro talked at length about ALONE around its release and there are a bunch of them that I posted on this blog.

For details on ALONE Project with HAL College, read these posts:

HAL Project Special Musician Interview with MFS Translation

MY FIRST STORY Flying Postman Interview Translation

Hiro’s ALONE Blog Translation

What is HAL Project & HAL College?

不可逆リプレイス / Fukagyaku Replace was made for the historical anime Nobunaga Concerto. Interesting to note that Hiro wrote the lyrics not from the main character Saburo’s point of view but the other guy Michi. The lines, “I don’t know why but you saved me ………… “ all the way to “I will follow you ….. keep you close to me,” were directly inspired by what Michi said to Saburo in the finale or Episode 10.

The lyrics of Someday are for the late K.Hiro said in Kaohsiung, Taiwan that “This is a very important song to me,“.

His blog entry translation on K’s death

ANTITHESE Lyrics & Hiro’s personal stories

The Puzzle & Tomorrowland are about his heartbreak over Masaki’s departure.Home is about his family who split up after his parents divorced.

IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN MFS TEAM1. GEN ~ boss, owner of INTACT Records, owner of Zephyren, organizer of AVEST Project, formerly of Subciety clothing brand.Twitter : @Zephyren_genInstagram : Zephyren Gen2. KTR (Kentaro Suzuki) ~ A&R + marketing exec of JMS, marketing exec of Deviluse clothing, regularly seen at MFS video shoots and concerts.Twitter : @kkktttrrr, Instagram: Kentaro Suzuki3. The late K @ Kei Goto ~ vocalist of Pay Money To My Pain (PTP), mentor in MFS early days.4. Nori (producer), Makiko (merchandising) but she’s better known now as the lady who covered Rassungorerai with Hiro XD

* Update (Jan 2018): I believe Makiko is not in the staff team anymore but she remains a close friend. Here is the YouTube link to the video of her and Hiro.5. Japan Music System (JMS) ~ the music distribution company specializing in indie music and the one that markets/promotes MFS musicYouTube Channel: JMSTVOnline shop for bands’ merchandise: MAGIC ROOM ONLINE STORE

5. Circle of friends among many: Shirakawa-san (SAKAEYA clothing shop manager) ~ the members regularly visit his shop.Twitter: @sakaeyatenchonano, SWANKY DANK, AIR SWELL ~ artists they had musically collaborated with.

The funny interview with Hiro & KOJI about the Sink Like A Stone collaboration in which Hiro admitted the song’s high notes were difficult to sing is here.

STORYTELLER Fan Clubhttps://xxxstorytellerxxx.comAll MFS members let go of their individual public social media after the club was launched in 2016. If you’re interested to join, feel free to ask questions on how to do that.

In case you have an iOS mobile device ……..

JMS created a Japan-only iOS App called LIVEHOUSE where they feature videos from JMS artists. The videos vary from live performances, interviews, behind the scenes etc. However, if you create a different Apple ID specifically for Japan iTunes account, you can still download the App and watch those videos even if you don’t live in Japan.

*Update (12 Jan 2017): You will then get to watch videos like this one!

**Update (15 June 2017): JMS decided to stop the App by 31 May 2017.

Lastly yet very important, don’t believe any ridiculous claim about Hiro and his brother Taka hating each other because they don’t. You’ll find such comments at some point, I’m sure. These two brothers love and support each other away from the public eye and rightfully keep their family relationship private.

I hope that will give you a good start (^_-)

#reply #my first story

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ladystylestores · 4 years ago

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Skagen Falster 3 X by KYGO smartwatch review

Introduction

Skagen is a Danish lifestyle brand that’s been making watches for 30 years. Though the brand finds itself under the Fossil Group of watch brands – it brings a unique style. Skagen’s watches are regarded as minimal, yet stylish and functional. This is exactly how I’d describe the Skagen Falster 3 smartwatch.

The latest edition of the watch is in partnership with premium audio lifestyle brand X by KYGO. Unique to this edition is the matte black wrist strap and watch body. The wrist strap carries the KYGO “X” and you get some exclusive watch faces. The Falster’s overall design is more refined with the third generation, but it does share the same key traits with the first iteration: a round, flat watch body with floating lug ends.

Skagen Falster 3 specs and features:

Case: 42mm stainless steel watchcase with matte black finish; 11mm thick

Display: 1.3″ round OLED screen; 416×416 px; 328 ppi

Battery: 310 mAh; magnetic pin fast-charger

Weight: 41g (without straps)

Strap size: 22mm; interchangeable quick-release pin

OS: Google Wear OS 2.17

Chipset: Snapdragon Wear 3100

Memory: 8GB ROM; 1GB RAM

Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.2 + LE; Wi-FI 802.11n; NFC

Misc: 3 ATM water resistance up to 30 meters; Google Pay, Google Fit,

Compatibility: Android or iOS (with limited features)

Aside from the solid design and looks of the Falster 3, there’s not much else that sets it apart from other Wear OS watches. It’s worth noting that there is no shortage of features – the Falster 3 has fitness tracking, heart-rate monitoring, standalone GPS, NFC for Google Pay, rapid charging, a built-in speaker, and a microphone. There’s a plethora of sensors including altimeter, ambient light, and gyroscope. There is no cellular-enabled variant of the Falster 3.

The Skagen Falster 3 has a retail price of $295, which is on the high end for a Wear OS smartwatch, so let’s find out what the Falster 3 offers and if this stylish package is worth it.

Design and display

The Falster 3’s Danish styling is minimal and attractive. The watchcase is round and flat – measuring at 42mm in diameter and 11mm of thickness. The lug ends (where the wristband attaches) floats outward, which gives the Falster its unique look. The watch case is made of stainless steel and in the case of the X KYGO Edition of the Falster 3, it’s matte black everything.

The 1.3-inch OLED screen has a thin bezel around it, and the fit of the glass around the case is tight, but there is still a slight groove that can sometimes get gunked up with food or debris. On the left side is a slot for the loudspeaker, and the right side has a total of three buttons. The microphone is also on the right side, as well as a noise-reducing mic at the top of the case.

The middle button doubles as a rotating crown, and can be used for scrolling through the app menu or looking through recent notifications. The other two buttons can be customized for shortcuts.

The back of the case is also black, save for the charging interface and the heart rate sensor. The charging interface consists of two contact rings that let the magnetic charger work in any orientation. This charger has had issues in previous versions of the Falster, but I haven’t experienced any in the time I’ve used the Falster 3.

The X KYGO variant of the watch comes with a silicone strap that features the KYGO “X” on the wearer’s side of the band, and a white strap loop (also with branding) accents the all-black look of the watch.

The glass and watch body are both built sturdily. Its stainless-steel body and matte finish are strong and durable. I was installing a new dishwasher and was under the sink wearing it and I realized I forgot to take it off before I jammed my hand past some pipes. I was sure that I scraped it up, but it turned out there was not a scratch on it. Watches go through a lot of rough use and based on my time with this watch, I have the impression that it’s built to last like a real watch.

Features, controls, and Wear OS

Wear OS isn’t at the same level as other wearable platforms from Samsung, Apple, or Fitbit. There’s still a level of polish missing from Wear OS but who knows how long it will be before Google revamps the interface. A major update isn’t only expected, it’s long overdue. Google does seem to be working on it, so hopefully we’ll see it by the end of this year.

With that said, there are a couple of things that do let the Falster stand out among other Wear OS alternatives. Although Skagen isn’t the only watchmaker to do it, the rotating crown does add another layer of precise navigation throughout Wear OS. Of course, you still need to tap on the screen to select.

The other worthy feature is the Battery Modes that are built into the UI. This makes it easy to customize exactly what battery-consuming features are enabled or disabled without having to dig through menus. The “Daily” mode turns on most features and is meant to recharge every night. Then there’s “Extended Mode” which claims its “intended for charging every few days”.

There’s a “Time only” mode that is supposed to last a week. It’s a super low-power mode that will only show the time for a brief moment when you press the side key.

A customizable mode lets you select exactly which features are on/off. You can also set a time (probably overnight) that you want the Watch’s Bluetooth to be turned off.

Strangely, none of the included battery profiles include the tilt-to-wake option enabled by default. Perhaps this is how Skagen intends the experience of the Falster – you can still raise the watch to see notifications as soon as the watch buzzes but it won’t wake up the watch until you touch the screen or press a button otherwise.

There are three buttons on the Falster 3. The top, center, and lower button. The upper and lower buttons can be programmed to act as app shortcuts. The top one defaults to the watch face styles shortcut, and the lower one defaults to Google Fit. The middle button will always act as Home/App drawer while press-holding this button will call Google Assistant. The rotating crown lets you scroll through lists or notifications and it’s worth mentioning that rotating the crown won’t wake the watch.

I’d suggest Skagen to add a long-press option to the customizable buttons so you can add two more app shortcuts. They might as well do double duty since they don’t do anything else.

One issue I kept experiencing was that I would find the watch to have no connection after wearing it for a few hours. You need to make sure that Wear OS is whitelisted in your phone’s battery-saving settings. However, there are other times when the watch is updated with music control and notifications, but still shows as is if it was disconnected. This happens mostly after taking off the watch for the night and then putting it on in the morning.

As I write this very text, my attempts to go into the Settings to reboot the watch have rendered both the touchscreen and rotating crown unresponsive for at least 10 seconds. Rebooting the watch had no effect on the half-disconnected Bluetooth, so I tried to reboot the host smartphone once I disabled battery optimizations to the Wear OS app on Android.

In the end, it appears that this is a long-time issue of Wear OS since the last major update in 2018. A combination of restarting the watch and making sure the Wear OS app is open on my OnePlus 8 Pro seems to fix the bug for a bit. This occasionally happens after I take the watch off for the night.

A platform that has been around this long has no excuse being this buggy. This has nothing to do with Skagen, this is more to do with the inner workings of Google and how it controls Wear OS updates across all brands. The added battery saving features and watch face customization from Skagen is great, but it’s a shame the OS it runs on still feels like it should be a Beta product.

I’m reminded of this every time I set up a Wear OS device. The setup process can be glitchy, slow, and with lots of stuttering – which does not make a great first impression to any consumer.

Fitness, performance, and battery life

The Skagen Falster 3 has a continuous heart-rate monitor and built-in GPS for logging runs, bike rides, or any way that you want to work out using Google Fit. Fit on Wear OS has improved a lot over the years but it still has some catching up to do compared to other fitness-oriented platforms, or Apple and Samsung’s Health platforms.

I do a lot of yoga and I like being able to track my heart rate with the Falster 3. The heart rate monitor works consistently, and its reading doesn’t jump around as much as I’ve seen with other Wear OS watches. I’ve also tracked biking and walking sessions with the Falster 3 using Google Fit.

The band that the watch comes with isn’t ideal for fitness. I don’t love the included wriststrap, but I do love that I can easily swap it for my favorite 22mm fitness band. The watch itself doesn’t exude that it would be intended for fitness. Just keep in mind that it does not have a raised bezel, so the glass could be more prone to damage in more extreme sports.

The watch is quick and snappy for the most part, but there’s certainly room to optimize the OS. This is despite the watch running the Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset. The 1GB of RAM keeps the OS responsive and the 8GB of onboard storage is a welcome addition. However, with Google Music now being phased out to eventually be replaced by YouTube Music, there’s no longer a music platform for Wear OS that officially lets you save music for offline listening.

The Falster 3 has a 310 mAh battery, and it shares the same capacity with other Fossil Gen 5 smartwatches. Sadly, battery life on the Falster 3 is not strong. The Battery Modes do make it really easy to maximize your battery life by flipping off features that you don’t use.

If I workout for about an hour, it normally depletes about 30-35% of battery, which is a huge chunk of the day, gone. Keep in mind that whether you work out or not, you can expect – with certainty – that you’ll have to charge the Falster 3 every day.

The great news is that the magnetic charger on this watch is quick. Two pins on the back make contact with two metallic rings around the charger, so you can slap the charger onto the back without having to line it up. I found the charger to work well and it recharged the Faslter 3 quickly.

From a depleted battery, I was able to recharge the Falster 3 to 42% in half an hour, and 94% after 1 hour – reaching a full charge just a few minutes later.

Verdict, pros and cons

The Falster 3 is one of the best performing Wear OS smartwatches available today. That said, other platforms like Samsung Tizen and Apple’s watchOS are far ahead of Google’s Wear OS, and we wish that would change. Wear OS has a lot of potential, but Google isn’t harnessing it.

The Falster 3 is a minimalist smartwatch if I’ve ever seen one. Its design is minimal and elegant, and I like the matte-black-everything theme. Software is as expected from Wear OS: unpolished. Battery life leaves a lot to be desired, as well. The crown is a nice touch, but its implementation was not 100% thought out.

Fossil is on Gen 5 of its smartwatches, and the Fossil Group’s family of brands has enough success to keep selling stylish watches that run on the Wear OS platform. The Skagen Falster is a nice-looking watch that can handle the occasional workout here and there, but if you’re after a more fitness-focused experience, you might want to look elsewhere – and there are cheaper options.

Pros:

Stylish and elegant design

Battery Modes are a useful way to control what uses battery

Charges quickly

Supports interchangeable bands

Rotating crown

Cons:

Wear OS

Rotating crown doesn’t work in all situations

Battery life could be better

A little pricey

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michaeljtraylor · 6 years ago

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The GOP’s tax refund nightmare

Editor’s Note: This edition of Morning Money is published weekdays at 8 a.m. POLITICO Pro Financial Services subscribers hold exclusive early access to the newsletter each morning at 5:15 a.m. To learn more about POLITICO Pro’s comprehensive policy intelligence coverage, policy tools and services, click here.

The GOP’s tax refund nightmare — It might not be fair given most people got a net tax cut. But the reality is that shrinking tax refunds are becoming a big headache for the GOP whose tax bill was already unpopular. Take just a few local headlines from recent days across the country:

Story Continued Below

Spokane Spokesman Review: “Your federal tax refund only a pittance? You’re not alone. Here’s why.” … Charleston Post and Courier: “Yes, you may get a smaller federal income tax refund, or have a tax bill to pay” … Detroit Free Press: “Smaller tax refunds mean some won’t catch up on bills” … News Center Maine: “Tax refunds tank travel plans for some” … The Lima (Ohio) News: “Smaller refunds surprise early tax filers”

WALL STREET AND 2020 DEMS — One of Wall Street’s biggest nightmare candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), officially jumped in the Democratic race on Monday and immediately shot to the top tier, second in many polls to Joe Biden. Sanders will base his campaign in part on his plan to break up the nation’s largest banks including J.P. Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley.

WHAT ABOUT SHERROD? — As we’ve reported, Wall Street would strongly prefer Biden or perhaps Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar or Beto O’Rourke. But our Zachary Warmbrodt and Daniel Strauss report this morning that bankers may also be okay with Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who is “viewed by many in the industry as a reasonable alternative.”

GOOD WEDNEDAY MORNING — Hope DC survives the … 3 inches of snow? Email me on [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @morningmoneyben. Email Aubree Eliza Weaver on [email protected] and follow her on @AubreeEWeaver.

THIS MORNING ON POLITICO PRO FINANCIAL SERVICES — Patrick Temple-West on the SEC’s proposed rule that would offer help for big startups seeking IPOs. To get Morning Money every day before 6 a.m., please contact Pro Services at (703) 341-4600 or [email protected].

The U.S. and China resume lower level trade talks in DC ahead of higher-level meetings starting Thursday aimed at getting to a point where Trump can extend the March 1 deadline for a deal … President Trump hosts Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at the White House … FOMC minutes at 2:00 p.m.

TRUMP TALKS DOWN MARCH 1 DEADLINE — As we’ve been reporting for a while, Trump appears inclined to keep the China talks going and not ratchet up tariffs on March 2. Here’s what he told reporters on Tuesday: “The real question will be: will we raise the tariffs? I know that China would like not for that to happen. So I think they are trying to move fast so that doesn’t happen. But we’ll see what happens. I can’t tell you exactly about timing, but the date is not a magical date. A lot of things can happen.”

This may make it harder for USTR Robert Lighthizer to use the deadline as leverage. But it’s a pretty clear window into Trump’s thinking.

The 2020 Election. The New Congress. The Mueller Investigation … Keep up with POLITICO Playbook. Be in the Know. Sign up today here.

MORE ON BROWN from Zach and Daniel: “The Ohio senator has called for breaking up the big banks and has even fought against Democratic colleagues who supported financial deregulation. But according to bank representatives, Wall Street watchdogs and others who have worked closely with him in Congress, Brown has also earned a reputation as someone open to dialogue with the industry in his role as the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee.”

BERNIE GETS IN — Our Holly Otterbein: “[N]early four years after he kicked off his 2016 campaign at a 10-minute press conference outside the Capitol, this time will be a lot different. He starts as a frontrunner in the polls, armed with near-universal name ID, a massive email donor list, and a digital media empire that is currently unparalleled among other 2020 candidates. His left-wing policies, dismissed as fringe in 2016, have been embraced by much of the Democratic Party.” Read more.

Via WP’s @daveweigel: “Sanders campaign says it’s raised $1 million since its launch three and a half hours ago. Donations from all 50 states.” … By day’s end that figure was up to $4 million. … Sanders will also get the CNN town hall treatment next Monday night.

WARREN: TAX MILLIONAIRES TO FUND CHILD CARE — Our Kimberly Hefling: “Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren … rolled out a plan that would tax millionaires to fund free child care for millions of low-income children and affordable care for others. … Warren said the proposal would be paid for by an ‘ultra-millionaire tax; that would apply to families with a net worth of more than $50 million.

“‘Experts project that the Ultra-Millionaire Tax will generate $2.75 trillion in new government revenue over the next ten years,’ she wrote. ‘That’s about four times more than the entire cost of my Universal Child Care and Early Learning plan.’”

STOCKS BOUNCE BACK AFTER WOBBLY START — AP’s Alex Veiga: “Stocks shook off an early wobble on Wall Street Tuesday, finishing modestly higher and extending the market’s gains into a fourth week. Solid earnings from Walmart encouraged investors to bid up other retailers and consumer goods companies.” Read more.

TOO BULLISH ON RATES? — WSJ’s Akane Otani: “Stocks and bonds are rising on bets that the Federal Reserve has ended its nearly four-year campaign of interest-rate increases, worrying investors who believe the central bank could upend those expectations later this year.”” Read more.

WILBUR ROSS IN MORE HOT WATER — Our Patrick Temple-West: “The head of the Office of Government Ethics has refused to approve Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’s 2018 financial disclosure report, citing an inaccuracy concerning the former investing mogul’s holdings of BankUnited stock.

“The action is the latest blow for Ross, who has repeatedly drawn scrutiny over his personal finances since he was nominated for the Commerce job. He is scheduled to testify next month before a House committee. … In a statement on Tuesday, Ross said he held 100 BankUnited shares totaling about $3,700, ‘an amount that federal regulations deem de minimis and below the threshold of a possible conflict of interest.’” Read more.

OCC HIT OVER ETHICS RULE — Our Victoria Guida: “For a decade and a half, a top bank regulator failed to properly enforce an ethics rule prohibiting federal officials from having a financial interest in the industries they regulate, a key government watchdog told the White House and Congress

“The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which supervises national banks, ‘engaged in a serious ethical lapse spanning 15 years by failing to implement any’ oversight under the rule between 1996 and 2011, according to the Office of Special Counsel, which handles claims from government whistleblowers.” Read more.

SOC GEN PRESSURED — Our Zachary Warmbrodt: “Louisiana Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy are calling on French bank Société Générale to release millions of dollars to victims of the Allen Stanford Ponzi scheme, 10 years after the massive financial fraud was first revealed.” Read more.

SEC LOOKS AT ‘TESTING WATERS’ BEFORE PUBLIC OFFERINGS — Reuters’ Katanga Johnson: “The [SEC] proposed … to expand a rule that allows companies to sound prospective investors out privately before going public. The move forms part of a broader push by SEC chairman Jay Clayton to make it easier for companies to go public by relaxing rules, amid worries that a 50 percent decline in U.S. listings over the past two decades is hurting investors.” Read more.

YELLEN CAUTIOUS ON YUAN — Bloomberg’s Randy Woods: “Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen signaled it may be harder than U.S. trade negotiators think to prevent China from manipulating its currency. That’s because some of the tools central bankers use to stabilize their economies also end up weakening their exchange rates. As a result, it may be difficult for negotiators to define what is currency manipulation as opposed to benign monetary policy.” Read more.

HOUSING PROBABLY CAN’T CAUSE A RECESSION — NYT’s Conor Dougherty: “The United States has had 11 recessions since the end of World War II. All but two were preceded by a big decline in the housing market. Inside that bit of trivia lie some fundamental insights into housing’s outsize role in the business cycle, along with clues to suggest that the economy is on firmer footing than the increasingly pessimistic forecasts make it seem. The gist is this: The United States may or may not enter a recession this year, but if it does, housing is unlikely to be the cause, because it never really recovered in the first place.” Read more.

FED’S WILLIAMS CALLS FOR NEW ECONOMIC OUTLOOK — Reuters’ Howard Schneider, Jonathan Spicer and Trevor Hunnicutt: “New York Fed President John Williams on Tuesday said he was comfortable with the level U.S. interest rates are at now and that he sees no need to raise them again unless economic growth or inflation shifts to an unexpectedly higher gear.”” Read more.

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nicholerestrada · 6 years ago

Text

The GOP’s tax refund nightmare

Story Continued Below

This may make it harder for USTR Robert Lighthizer to use the deadline as leverage. But it’s a pretty clear window into Trump’s thinking.

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Source: https://hashtaghighways.com/2019/02/21/the-gops-tax-refund-nightmare/

from Garko Media https://garkomedia1.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/the-gops-tax-refund-nightmare/

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garkomedia1 · 6 years ago

Text

The GOP’s tax refund nightmare

Story Continued Below

This may make it harder for USTR Robert Lighthizer to use the deadline as leverage. But it’s a pretty clear window into Trump’s thinking.

The 2020 Election. The New Congress. The Mueller Investigation … Keep up with POLITICO Playbook. Be in the Know. Sign up today here.

Source link

from RSSUnify feed https://hashtaghighways.com/2019/02/21/the-gops-tax-refund-nightmare/

0 notes