#lot of t-boy swag you can fit in that guy | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sortasirius · 4 years ago

Note

Prompt: Sam sets Dean up on a blind date. Dean is reluctant but Sam talks him into it. Dean meets Cas at the diner/wherever and hates to admit it, but the guy is kinda really hot and he's really enjoying their conversation. Before they've finished their meal, a girl/guy approaches their table. It's the person Sam wanted to set Dean up with. Cas realizes he got a text message half an hour ago from his actual blind date, who had to cancel at the last minute. Heheh :D

Boy I really swagged in fifteen minutes late with Starbucks on this one huh? Sorry for being AWOL, y’all, life got me a little down recently but I’m feeling better, love you all eternally and here’s some absolutely shameless AU fluff.

Thank you so so much for prompting me this, literally any and all prompts are welcome at all times always <3

Words: 1341

“This is embarrassing,” Dean whines, staring at Sam who’s staring at his phone, paying Dean no mind.

“It’s not embarrassing, lots of people go on blind dates.”

Dean rolls his eyes, Sam was purposefully missing the point here, he shouldn’t have to explain why this was embarrassing, why having your younger brother, who is in college, set you up with a blind date with someone he met at a party is embarrassing.

“I don’t think I’m ready.”

Sam looks up from his homework, equal parts exasperated with American History in the 1800s as he is with Dean himself. He takes a long swig of coffee, sweeps his hair out of his face, and fixes Dean with a stare that makes Dean feel like he’s being x-rayed. He turns away from Sam’s eyes, looking out at the park they were sitting in, Sam insisting that only commuting to and from work wasn’t enough fresh air for him, and had dragged him out to the park by their shared apartment to study in Sam’s case, to crush 40 levels of Candy Crush in Dean’s.

“You’ll be fine, they’re really nice, I think you’ll like them.”

“You really won’t give me any details?”

“Nope.”

Dean sighs heavily, looking around for some inspiration, some excuse as to why he can’t go on this date. He just doesn’t do dating, much less the type of dating that should be left in a nineties rom com. He comes up empty.

“Fine, but you have to do dishes for the next week. And laundry.”

Sam grins into his history books.

“Fine.”

Dean isn’t nervous as he walks into the little diner, because he doesn’t get nervous, thanks for asking. He doesn’t pick the seat at the booth the hostess shows him so he can see the door on purpose, he just happens to like to sit this way. He’s also not tapping his foot on the linoleum floor and twisting his hands together, because that would mean he cared about this, which he does not.

The diner’s familiar, which is a blessing and a curse, because he knows what’s good but also can’t look at the menu for something to do.

This is dumb. He feels like he’s twelve.

The door jingles, and Dean’s head snaps up. The guy speaking to the hostess is a little shorter than Dean, but not by much. His hair is dark and sticking up in all directions, he’s got a killer jawline, and the type of stance that says he knows he’s hot. He leans toward the hostess with a smile, and she stares at him for a second too long before leading him straight towards Dean, and he has to fight the urge to stand up and throw himself through the glass window to avoid this whole thing. Damn Sam, he really knew his type.

“Hi,” the guy says, and Dean tries his best not to stare at the way his dark jeans hug his hips and the way his t-shirt is just a little too small across his chest and shoulders. Fuck.

Dean takes the hand that’s offered and the guy slides into the booth across from him. His eyes are bright blue and so intense that Dean feels his throat constricting like he’s having an allergic reaction. This is going to be a fucking disaster, he had not expected this guy to be this hot.

“Hey. I’m Dean, nice to uh, meet you.”

“Dean, that’s a nice name. I’m Cas.”

“Cool, hi Cas.”

Dean will not let this be awkward, this guy is too hot not to take back to his apartment.

“So, what do you do?”

“Straight in with it, then?” Cas smiles a crooked smile that Dean melts a little at, “I’m a writer, I work for the university as a professor.”

Dean liked that he put the title of writer before professor.

“That’s cool, what d’you teach?”

“English and literature, depending on the semester. What do you do?”

The conversation is far easier than Dean had expected. Talking to Cas is as easy as breathing, and they go from one topic to the next with ease. From sports, which Cas knows nothing about, to literature, where Cas spends five minutes doe-eyed over Dean as he talks about his love for Vonnegut and Tolstoy. Dean doesn’t even really taste his bacon cheeseburger, which is a real shame because they’re the best in the city.

“I have to say, you aren’t what I expected,” Cas smiles at Dean with bright eyes and Dean feels himself turning red.

“Yeah you really aren’t either, not that I’m complaining or anything.”

“Glad to hear there aren’t any complaints.”

Dean grins, taking a bite of his burger and not even caring if he’s graceful about it.

“Who would I go to with complaints?”

“Hm? Oh, you’d have to take that up with the HR department, but they’re on an extended vacation at the moment,” Cas taps his own head, making a face that makes Dean choke into his fries.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had an HR department, it’s just sheer chaos up here.”

Cas laughs this full laugh that makes Dean laugh as well. He hasn’t found someone this easy to talk to…ever, except for Sam. As much as he dreaded this meal, he’s dreading the end of it even more. He thought “connections” with people right off the bat were made up by Hollywood to sell tickets to bad movies, he had never expected to connect with someone this fast, but the idea of the date being over made his palms get sweaty.

“Listen, I don’t wanna assume-” Dean begins, right as a pretty girl with long blonde hair comes up to their table, breaking the little bubble of bliss that had developed over the course of their conversation.

“Hi, so sorry to bother you, are either of you Dean?”

Dean looks her up and down, surprised. He doesn’t recognize her, and he’s not one to forget someone he meets.

“Uh yeah, I am.”

“I think we were supposed to meet for lunch forty five minutes ago?”

Dean looks from Cas, to the girl, to Cas again. Cas’ brow is furrowed with confusion as he goes digging through his phone. Dean watches his eyebrows knit, his eyes widen, and his mouth fall open as he looks up to stare at Dean.

“Um. My blind date texted me half an hour ago saying he had to cancel.”

They stare at each other, it feels like Dean’s brain is trying to catch up. The girl, Dean’s actual date, is watching them, looking more curious than annoyed.

“So…”

“So we weren’t meant to be on this date.”

Dean blinks several times. Fuck it, maybe this was down to fate. He turns back to the pretty girl and gives her his most charming smile.

“I’m so sorry. Can we, uh, reschedule?”

She eyes them, and Dean hadn’t even realized he and Cas were leaning across the table, as close to each other as the plastic would allow.

“Uh, yeah, we can. No problem.”

“I really am sorry.”

She smiles awkwardly and heads out the door. Dean immediately puts his face in his hands, Cas starts laughing.

“What’re you laughing at?”

“That was so awkward, I thought you were going to shrivel up right there.”

Dean rolls his eyes and picks up a couple of fries, pretending to ignore Cas, like he’d known him all his life. Cas pulls himself together after a couple of minutes, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand.

“What were you saying, before your actual date interrupted ours?”

Dean blushes again. But again, fate right?

“I was saying, I didn’t want to assume anything, but are you free later this week?”

Cas grins, and takes Dean’s hand in his. His hand is warm and solid and Dean does not want to let it go.

“I’ll check my schedule, I may have a couple of blind dates to cancel, but I think the HR department can fit you in.”

#my writing #destiel #spn #supernatural #deancas #anyway send me all prompts pls and thnk u #anonymous #lilly answers

364 notes · View notes

eitelle · 4 years ago

Note

Hi!! Congrats on 60 followers btw! 💗

I am a female and I’d like to matched up with a guy from Haikyuu. I am ENFJ, (but sometimes enfp). I’m outgoing and generally nice to everyone, but I have a very sassy, goofy personality. Naturally flirty and very affectionate, and my love language is physical touch. I have my moments when I get shy and anxious, especially around someone I really have a crush on. Yet at the same time I’m the person always trying to hug and cuddle my friends even after roasting them. My favorite colors are blue, red, purple and pink. I love some teasing. I’m passionate about acting and singing. I love to listen to all kinds of music. I have long curly blackish hair and I’m 5’2. I’m a Gemini Sun, Cancer Rising and Gemini Moon. I am a caring and adaptable person, and like to make people happy I always finding a way to slip a stupid joke in🙄( joking is my coping mechanism) . My favorite food is tacos. African-American, and I like someone that I can relate to. I don’t have a specific type, but I do like someone with goals and passion. I like someone I can laugh with and also have real conversations with. I’m so into the romantic lovey-dovey stuff, yet sometimes I act like a little boy💀. I can be loud asf, even just when normally talking cause I usually have a lot of energy.

As far as style goes, it varies from 12 year old boy with some joggers and a t-shirt wayyyy too big for me , to like a 90s baddie with some hoops on, to girly with skirts, sweaters and some knee high socks. As far as accomplishments go, I’ve won state in theater and continue to pursue acting. It’s something I’m very passionate about. Some flaws of mine are overthinking and my anxiety. Like I’ll overthink an entire situation before I really know what happened and assume that someone like hates me. Or I’ll assume I’m talking to much and that’s it’s annoying so I just kinda.. shut down. My anxiety can get kinda bad, i get all shaky and I care a lot about what people think of me (although I try to deny it). So I’ll need someone who can bring me back to earth every now and then. But it’s getting better with time and I’m trying to stress myself out less. When I’m out I’ve got such a big personality and I’m making dumb jokes and dancing, but when I get home I’m just chilling and watching anime. (Although I will dance and make jokes if I feel like it). And I’m a night owl!

Sorry if this was too much!! I really appreciate what you are doing 💗.

OH MY GOD IM AN INFJ THAGS SO COOL!! MY ONLINE PERSONALITY IS LOWK ENFJ THO SO I THINK THATS SO SWAG SHSHSHS (if u recall me saying otherwise shhhhh thats when i trusted 16personalities) ALSO STATE IN ACTING??? UR SO COOL WTF?? ANYWAYS

ok i was actually just wanting to do a matchup w this character n it just so happens u seem to literally fit what id say is his ideal type so i have matched you with: semi eita

GOSH I LOVE HIM OK HCS: (also im so sorry for doing these so late shshs 😖)

forst of all hes def helping w ur lines

like hes such a good person to help prep u

hes also like lowk very lowkey shdhd and honest/blunt so if u ever get an anxiety attack i think hed tell u how it is like straight up n that ur overreacting but in the way that snaps u back to reality

n hes like ur anchor shdhd

i think thats so cute

and sometimes he gets stage fright so i feel like your presence would just help comfort him

OOH ALSO YALL WOULD PROB RELEASE SO GS TOGETHER

N HED LOVE SINGING W U 😫‼️

i feel like hed call u angel, his muse, or his bitch. no in between.

i also feel like he loves how hes so pale and his hair is gray and hes tall n ur lowk short n ur skin is darker and ur hair is like complete opposites and he loves that

like the opposites but fits so well together thing

yall def listen to ricky montgomery together idec.

and taylor swift.

ooh i know for a fact that mans had a hamilton phase but thats why hes so hot tbh

yall also make like photo/mood boards of yall or playlists lol i feel so lonely rn help-

if one of ur anxiety attacks comes in public u know this man is gonna pull the “im famous u want a photo?” to drag attention away from u shdh

oh u def call him suga by “accident” to make him mad HAHAHSJSH

prob the clubbing people but i could see him n u watching anime together and u accidentally hum the ops while harmonizing by accident sometimes shahsgdj

GOSH OK THAT WAS LONG SORRY OK ANYWAYS NOW ITS TIME FOR A ONE SHOT!! (also if u ever need to talk ab something my dms r always open!!)

IS THAT THE TOUNGE N LIKE TEETH THING BUT IN ANIME??/7;6&3);&;7: I JEVER NOTICED THIS WHAT THE FUCK

on a normal friday night, a (your age) person would normally be out with friends, or maybe even going clubbing. but not you, no you and your boyfriend were sitting on the couch, howl's moving castle on your tv and your head on his chest.

it was a chill day to say the least, you and him both having a full day off and spending it like this the two of you too exhausted from the weeks events already. you had random music playing in the background. by random i mean random it went from ed sheeran to lil uzivert all the way to BTS; needless to say it was kinda a mess. but that was how you liked it.

all of a sudden ‘The Schuyler Sisters’ from the original broadway cast of hamilton: the musical started blasting interrupting the beautiful silence w background noise.

you turn to look at your boyfriend, your chests now pressed against each other to look at him staring just past you at his phone, a light pink blush tinting his ears.

“a hamilton kid i see..” you tease playfully noticing how he flushed even deeper.

“o-oi shut up, my- my mom set it for me ok?” he tries to say, his excuses unheard as you burst into laughter tired of holding it in.

“we- well at least pick it up,” you say between laughs.

“fine. hello?” he says as he answers the call. “oh- but today, no i understand. of course. ok ill be right there.”

as he shifts you look at him all of a sudden concerned, you didn’t want your boyfriend overworking himself afterall.

“darling is everything ok?” you ask afraid of the answer. then you notice how hes not meeting your eyes and how hes tapping his knee with his pointer finger. his little tell he was trying to hold in laughs. “oh haha very funny semi now drop the act can we please just go back?” you try to reason.

“oh but getting u annoyed like this is so cute >w<“ he laughs seeing you grumble about how he was ‘so annoying’ as you turn to ignore him.

“oh shut up.”

“make me :p”

“maybe i will,” you say before stuffing a pillow in his mouth and leaning your head against it. “now enjoy the movie.” </3

HES SO PRETTY OML 🤩🤤

ohmygod now its time for my last texts for this event ahhh

OK I HOPE U ENJOYED SORRY THIS WAS SO LATE SHDGSH

#AHHHH AHHHH AHHHHHH #OH MY GOD #IM GONNA CRY WOW #THIS EVENT #HAS BEEN #WOW #YEAH #michelles 60 follower matchup event #SHDHJSHDJDHDJD

6 notes · View notes

teampandawang · 6 years ago

Text

26 REASONS TO LOVE MIN YOONGI

We are so grateful for being able to celebrate this precious lil’ bean birthday. We love him so much.

We hope you enjoy it!

AGUST D

The bad guy side of Yoongi. This man made us all his bitches in the Agust D MV, and we’re not even complaining. But leaving his sexiness aside (just for a while, ‘cause damn) let’s talk about how creative this name is. It is a reference to his stage name with BTS ‘Suga’ and his city, the place that made him who he is, we just love it.

MIN YOONGI

There are different sides of him and we learned to see and love all of them. Suga is that talented man that kills us with his stage presence every time we see him doing his work, and Min Yoongi is the sweet boy who once felt insecure about life, but now is living his dream, being the person he always wanted to be.

RAP SKILLS

This is the whole truth: He is one of THE BEST rappers from this era. His skills are something out of this world. This man was born to do this, and he knows it because we all can see how much passion he feels doing it.

DANCING

Continuing with the serious tone, BOY CAN DANCE. Just go see one of his fancams. He has improved a lot in his skills.

PRODUCER

Let’s don’t forget the number of BTS’ songs he produced, along with the ones he made for other singers like Suran’s If I Get Drunk Today or the collaboration with Lee Sora in Song Request. He is an amazing songwriter and producer, full of passion for his job.

PIANO

The melodies he can create with it can light up your day and make it rain in the same second. They are just beautiful masterpieces that bless our ears.

TONGUE TECHNOLOGY

That thing with his mouth isn’t just about his skills as the amazing rapper he is. When he’s performing he sticks out his tongue and immediately he becomes the sexiest men alive.

GUMMY SMILE

If you tell that this is not the sweetest smile you have seen, we won’t believe you. His gummy smile might be the most adorable thing in this world. Is so full of happiness and somehow innocence, what a charm.

SQUISHY

Let’s make a point here: who does he think he is? He is around with that badass attitude sometimes but with his squishy little face is just almost impossible to take it completely seriously, he is just too cute.

TINY

And continuing with the previous point, the size difference between him and the rest of the members don’t help his serious expression, he is so soft and tiny that it melts our heart. Let’s cry together...

POKER FACE

But for hell sure that he can look like a rock if he wants to. But let’s clarify something: there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a poker face most of the time. We all have different ways of expressing our feelings and emotions, just like him.

SCREAMS

But he can be LOUD, like really loud. When he is in the mood there is no one and nothing capable of stopping him. Like those high-pitch screams that he makes when he is excited or the noisy ones he makes to hype the other members:

J-HOPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

SAVAGE

This is part of his charms. His comebacks are GREAT. He always has some acid comment to spice things up and make ARMY and the members laugh at his occurrence. His entire presence says SAVAGE, is just part of his swag.

DAD FEELINGS

He is such a caring person, he just doesn’t show it explicitly, but once you understand his way to show love to those he cares about, you see just how sweet and protective he actually is, especially with his younger members, those he feels he kind of raise.

IN YOUR NEXT LIFE...

He looks so grumpy sometimes. Even though, he said he wanted to be a rock in his next life. A MF ROCK!!! It’s just because he’s lazy and wants to lay down the whole day.

SKINSHIP

He has said more than once that he is not into skinship, but PLEASE, we know that’s not entirely true. He loves taking the other members’ hands in his, he is s o f t.

SLEEPY

Who can blame him? Sleeping is one of the guilty pleasures of this world. It’s the most perfect thing to do. And taking in count how much does he work, HE DESERVES IT af.

HAIR COLORS

We have seen every possible color in his hair, but a funny thing about it is how (involuntarily, as he said once) he managed to match his hair color with the album cover he is promoting at the moment.

SATOORI

Don’t you feel attacked with his Daegu accent? Btw, that features on the way he talks makes him even cute, it’s something traditional that we as foreigners, can find cool.

KICKS

This is one of his inexplicable features when he’s performing or on the MV’s. We don’t know if we are the only ones that had noticed it, but he has a strange obsession about doing this kind of little kicks. Btw, he doesn’t look aggressive, just cute.

PRE-DEBUT

I totally believe that every ARMY needs to see his audition video for BigHit, it’s meme gold. Seriously, you won’t regret it. But jokes aside, he had a rough time then, but he overcame his issues with the support of the fandom and his members. He is a perfect example of how things can truly get better, so everybody out there.

Keep going, you can find happiness!

RAP LINE

We ain’t gonna lie: BTS’ rap line is AMAZING. They sweat talent. Each of them has their own style and they make it fit perfectly in their songs. Masterpieces like Ddaeng need more attention, not just because it is fire, but also ‘cause its genius lyrics.

TAE’S LOVE LETTER

There is a really special video, the BTS Dinner Party, where Tae revealed that Yoongi once sent him a long message saying that he loves him (Jungkook also received such message from him). This is just proof of the taste of how sweet this precious man is. Always grateful and full of love.

SOPE

This is THE ship. The way Yoongi’s attitude and energy change when Hoseok is around is heartwarming. He feels happier and more excited when his sunshine is around. They complement each other perfectly.

SHOOKY

This tiny friend is the exact representation of him. Hope y’all are giving this precious character the love they deserve.

BTS

And finally, he is part of BTS. It means something different for everyone, for ones it means the group composed by 7 talented men who make really good music, and for others is an angel’s hand that came to save us from the dark room we all have to surpass. But we can agree on one thing: They deserve all the success and love they are receiving.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOONGS!

Thank you for all your hard work and those inspiring songs. Hope you know that ARMY is here for you and the rest of the members, and we will support you no matter what as long as you’re happy, that’s all we want.

385 notes · View notes

nes-writing-paradise · 6 years ago

Text

Anniversary Surprise

Au: Okay so the other chapter was taking too long so I decided that I’ll post this one first! This chapter does have some timeskips and stuff so I’ll point those out when they happen.

Plot: Yena decides to do something special for their anniversary with a little help from her members while still surprising them.

~A few weeks ago~

Yena looked around the living room, smiling fondly at all the members. The ten of them were having a lazy morning together at the dorm, relaxing before they had to go to schedules later in the day. Everyone sat in various places around the room, talking quietly or sitting in silence with a book or on their phone. She noticed how relaxed everyone was as they lounged around and she turned her head to look downwards. Her smile grew at the sight of Jisung, who was laying on the couch with his head on her lap as Yena played with his hair. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through her through his hair, deep in thought. Noticing her distracted state, Jisung turned to look up at her and poked her cheek. In response, she blinks and looks down at him as he tilts his head.

“Is something wrong Noona?” he asked her. She smiled and ruffled his hair.

“Nothing, Sungie. I was just thinking.” she said, earning a curious look from Jisung. “I’ve been thinking of getting a tattoo.”

“A tattoo?” Jisung asked, his voice louder then hers as he sat up in surprise, gaining the other members’ attention.

“What about a tattoo?” Minho asked from his spot on the other side of the couch.

“Noona said she wants to get a tattoo.” Jisung answered him.

“Wait, really Gen?” Minho turned to Yena with a look of surprise.

Yena shrugs. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but I just don’t know what it would be.” she said.

“Why haven’t you brought this up before if you’ve been thinking about it for so long?” Chan asked.

“Well I mean, I was still unsure about it until now. What do you guys think? Should I get one?” she asked. There was a moment of silence as everyone considered it. Then Changbin finally spoke up.

“I think if would be cool if you had a tattoo, Noona.” he says with a shrug, some of the other members nodding in agreement.

“You think so?” Yena responds.

“Yeah.” Chan chimed in. “It’s your choice if you want one or not, but either way, its fine by us.” he says.

Yena smiles. “Glad to hear that. “ she says. “Now onto the other thing dealing with the tattoo that I was kind of thinking about it.” she added.

“What other thing?” Jeongin asked curiously.

Yena took a moment to organize her thoughts. “So you know how I said I wasn’t sure what to get even if I get a tattoo?” she started looking at the others. “Well, I want my first tattoo to be something really special so...” she paused, dragging out the last word before continuing. “I want you guys to choose the tattoo for me.”

Her words were followed by silence as the nine boys processed Yena’s words. They all stared at her in surprise while she smiled at them, hopefully.

“...Genie are you sure?” Chan asked. “That’s a big deal, do you really want to give us the responsibility of something that will be on you permanently?” he adds, making Yena nod without any hesitation.

“Yeah, I want you guys to choose my first tattoo.” she said wit certainty in her voice. “I trust you guys and I want this tattoo to have a special meaning.” she explained. “I know I’ll love what you guys choose so... please?”

Minho sighed, then smiled. “If you’re absolutely sure about it. I guess we can.” he agreed, looking at the others, who hesitated a bit before agreeing, Yena smiled.

“We won’t disappoint you Noona.” Jisung said, leaning back down to lay on her lap again as she beamed at him.

“I know you won’t, Sungie.” she stated, ruffling his hair. “Oh! Don’t tell me what you guys decide on. I want it to be a surprise.” she added.

“Do you know where you want it though?” Woojin asked.

Yena nodded. “I’m thinking of putting it on the back of my shoulder.” she replied.

“We accept this mission!” Felix suddenly burst out, making everyone laugh,.

~Weeks Later~

Two weeks had passed since Yena asked the boys about the tattoo and by now, they all started to have a lot of fun with the idea. The boys seem to have taken a liking to messing around with Yena, suggesting ridiculous ideas for the tattoo. The members loved to make jokes about the entire situation, Yena realized very early on.

“Hey Noona.” Hyunjin called out when he entered the kitchen where Minho and Yena were leaning on the counter and eating toast.

Yena looked up at him as she took a bite of her food. “Yes Jinnie?” she replied.

Hyunjin smiled innocently. “How do you feel about having ‘red light, green light swag’ as a tattoo.” he asked. From behind Yena, Minho faked a cough, trying to stifle his laughter.

Yena rolled her eyes, jokingly. “I regret asking you guys to do this.” she said with a sigh. Hyunjin and Minho burst into laughter.

“If not that, then what about the ‘nana’s from My Pace?” Minho suggests, making Hyunjin giggle. Yena covers her face with her hands to try and hide her own laughter.

“Or just have Felix’s entire verse from Mixtape #3.” Hyunjin added between fits of laughter.

“You two are having way too much fun with this.” Yena said, stifling her giggles.

“Hey guys. Whats so funny?” Felix asked as he and Jisung walked into the kitchen.

“We’re deciding that Yena’s tattoo is going to be the ‘nanana’s from My Pace.” Minho answered, making Yena snort while trying not to giggle and the three other members burst into laughter.

“Guys be serious.” Felix said, suddenly halting his laughter. “Obviously the tattoo needs to be to be Jisung’s ‘Wow, she’s hot’ from Wow.” he said, earning a shout of protest from said boy.

Yena covers her face as they all laugh and she shakes her head. “I knew I should have just asked Chan.” she said but her smile betrayed her... until she realized Jisung stole her toast.

~With the boys a few days later~

The nine boys crowded around the computer, talking over each other. They had waited until Yena left the dorm before they started discussing ideas. Minho’s phone buzzed while they were all arguing and he unlocks it.

“Yena says she won;t be home for several hours because her and Dongyeol are at a dog cafe and the puppies need their attention.” he announced, reading her text with a chuckle.

“Okay perfect.” Woojin says with a chuckle. “That gives us enough time to try and come to some kind of a decision.” he stated.

Seungmin nodded. “So we have decided that the actual tattoo is going to be song lyrics.” he said.

“Yeah, and we also have the list of lyrics narrowed down to two...” Woojin agreed, looking at the list Chan had pulled up on the computer.

“Now we just need to choose one.” Changbin added.

After some silent consideration, Minho spoke up. “I think we should go for the first one. The second one is kind of too long.” he pointed out and the others nodded.

“Good point.” Chan said, as he erased the second lyrics. “Now we just need a design.” he informed.

“Well it’s Noona, so it has to have some elegance to the design.” Jeongin suggested.

“And it should be something simple, knowing her.” Jisung added, Minho and Woojin nod.

“Agreed.” he says, starting to test out different fonts while everyone watches the screen. “Lets keep the color black?” he asks, earning sounds of agreement from the others.

They went through about nine different fonts, arguing about different fonts until they were down to two. But out of those two fonts, the boys just could not come to a conclusion.

After several minutes of arguing, Felix had enough. “Okay let’s decide this once and for all.” he walked up to the screen and looked between quote in the two fonts which were written side-by-side. Then he moved his finger back and forth between the two while the others stared. “That one!” he said, when his finger came to a stop, landing on one of the fonts.

“D-did you just use eanie meanie to choose that?” Chan asked him.

Felix smiled and nodded, “I mean, nobody else had any better ideas.” he defended.

“Works for me.” Seungmin said with a shrug and the others agreed.

~4 days before the anniversary~

Yena knocked on the door leading into the studio Chan uses, opening the door when she heard him answer. She poked her head through the door and smiled. “Hey Chris.”

Chan turned to look at her and smiled back, gesturing for her to come in. “Hey Genie. Whats up?” He greeted. Yena walks in and closes the door behind her. She takes a seat in the chair beside Chan.

“I was wondering, Minho said that you guys decided the final design for my tattoo right?” She asked, earning a nod from Chan. She smiled. “Would you be willing to get some free time tomorrow evening then? Like for an hour or two?”

Chan looked at her in confusion. “I guess we can make some time.” He said, running through their schedules in his head. “Why?”

“I want to get the tattoo tomorrow and I don’t want to crowd the shop and take everyone.” She explained. “So, I want you to come with me as moral support.” She said.

Chan smiled. “Sure thing Genie.” He agreed. “Why so soon though?” He asked.

“I kinda want to get it before our anniversary as like a surprise thing for everyone” she explained.

Chan nodded. “Alright then, tomorrow it is!” He said. Yena beamed and lunged to hug him, almost kicking her chair over.

“Thank you!” She said excitedly.

Chan chuckled and hugged her back. “Sure thing, Genie.”

~Evening the next day~

Chan and Yena sat at a table outside a small convenience store, munching the last of the food they had gotten from the store. There was about half an hour until the tattoo appointment and Chan had insisted on Yena eating something before-hand since she will be losing blood in the process.

“You nervous?” Chan suddenly asked, opening his bottle of water.

Yena nodded. “Yeah a little bit.” She said, tugging her fluffy bomber jacket closer around her. “Mainly because its my first tattoo... and I just realized that I don’t really like needles.” She stated.

Chan chuckled. “You’re gonna do great Gen.” he reassured her. “And I’m going to be there anyway so don’t worry too much.” He added.

Soon they were done with their food and were on their way to the tattoo shop. Yena had linked her arm to Chan’s as they got closer to the shop, her hand tightening on his arm. Chan smiled and patted her hand as they walked into the shop.

They were greeted by one of the employees as soon as they entered. “Hello! What can we do for you?” The employee asked.

Yena smiled nervously. “Hello, I called yesterday to book a tattoo appointment.” She informed them, making the employee nod and opened up their appointment book. Then Yena gestured towards Chan. “I said that my tattoo was going to be a surprise for me so he is going to be the one explaining the tattoo.” She explained and Chan nodded.

The employee seated Yena in the lobby and lead Chan into another room to talk about the tattoo design. While she waited, Yena began to text some of her friends, informing them about her whereabouts. She smiled as she received words of encouragement from her friends.

Yena soon heard footsteps and looked up to see the tattoo artist and Chan walk back into the room. Yena put her phone back into her bag and stood up and Chan smiled at her.

“Alright, are you ready?” The artist asked as he lead her and Chan to a different room where the machines are located.

Yena took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, let’s do this.” She says.

The artist nods and instructs Yena on what to do as he pulls another chair over for Chan to sit in near Yena’s chair. Yena takes off her jacket and hands it over to Chan, leaving her in a halter top, as she sat down and let the artist put the stencil on the back of her shoulder.

“Does that look like what you were thinking about?” The artist asked Chan after placing the stencil on Yena. Once gaining Chan’s nod of approval, he quickly got to work setting up the inks, needles and everything else that was needed. “Alright, let’s get started.” He said, picking up his machine once he had everything set up. “This shouldn’t take too long but let me know if you need a break, okay?” He informed Yena, who nodded.

The machine buzzed to life and Yena reached her hand out towards Chan, immediately. Chan smiled and held onto Yena’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. Once the machine actually made contact with Yena’s skin and the process began, she seemed to visibly relaxed.

“Not as bad as you thought?” Chan asked her when he saw the tension leave her shoulders.

Yena shook her head, “Its not too bad. It kind of feels like a small pinching feeling.” She answered.

As the tattooing process continued, Chan and Yena started to talk about random things, Chan trying to distract Yena seeing as she was getting more fidgety. He kept a hold on her hand the entire time and kept her busy in random conversations about movies, books and anything else as the artist worked.

Finally after about an hour, the machine was finally turned off and the artist sat back and announced that it was done. Yena let out a sigh of relief and finally let go of the death grip she had on Chan’s hand. Chan stood up and walked behind Yena to check it out first as the tattoo artist went to go get a mirror in order for her to see it.

“Oh wow.” Was his initial reaction.

“Does it look good?” Yena asked him, anxiously.

“Yeah! It looks amazing.” Chan replied. The tattoo artist soon came back with a hand mirror and motioned them over to the full length mirror on the wall. “Ready to to see it?” Chan asked as Yena stood up.

Yena nodded nervously and accepted the mirror from the artist and turned to face away from the full length mirror. She adjusted the hand mirror to see the tattoo and gasps when she see it. The black ink stood out against red skin around it from the process. It was a simple quote designed in black ink and a beautiful cursive writing. A smile made its way onto Yena’s face when she made out the words and put the quote together. She looks over at Chan, who stood off to the side, smiling widely while hiding his phone as if recording her.

“Do you like it?” He asks her, already knowing her answer, judging by her reaction.

Yena nodded excitedly, a wide smile on her face. “I love it!” She exclaimed. “I knew I made the right decision to have you guys do this.” She says as she put down the hand mirror. She jumps over to hug Chan, making him laugh as she does so. He hugs her back and pats her back while he laughs.

“I’m glad.” He said as they let go of each other and handed her back her jacket. “We knew that was one of your favorite lyrics and we knew how much you loved the song so..” he trailed off, beaming at her as the artist came back with some supplies.

They quickly get the tattoo patched up by the artist and pay for the tattoo. As they leave the shop, the artist give Yena a sheet of instructions on how to take care of it to make sure it heals properly since it is an open injury. After leaving the shop, Yena skims through the things written on the sheet, and relays the information to Chan of things she will need. They stop by the store on the way home to pick up up things needed and then head home.

“What do you think about now telling the others about this yet?” Yena asks Chan suddenly as they near their dorm building.

Chan glances at her in confusion. “What do you mean, Gen?” He asks her.

“How about, we keep the tattoo a secret for now?” She replies, turning to look at him. “It should be fully healed in a few days so... how about we keep this between us for now and then I reveal it on our anniversary day.” She explains. Chan thinks for a second then smirks.

“Sure. The boys are going to get the shock of their life.” He says with a chuckle.

~Anniversary Day~

Yena grinned excitedly as her and the others piled into the dorm after practice. She exchanged a knowing look with Chan, who smiled back at her and nodded. They then began to usher the other members into the living room, claiming that there was a surprise for them, earning confused looks from the members.

Yena stood in the middle of the living room, in front of the members who stared at her in confusion. She looked over at Chan, who stood to the side with his phone out to capture the members’ reactions.

“What’s going on, Noona?” Jisung asked looking up at her from his place on the arm of the couch.

Yena took a deep breath and looked at the members. “So.. remember when I had you guys design a tattoo for me?” She asked, earning nods from all the members as looks of recognition slowly appear on their faces.

“Are you finally going to get it?” Felix asked excitedly. Yena and Chan chuckled at the excitement of the eight members. “Do we get to see you get the tattoo?”

“Well... not exactly.” Chan replied. “It’s too late to watch it live, but I did get a video of her reaction.” He added.

“Wait... you already got it?” Woojin asked her.

Yena smiled and turned around letting her jacket fall off her shoulder to reveal her, now healed, tattoo. She heard gasps from behind her and a chuckle from Chan.

“Happy anniversary guys.” She said, looking over her shoulder with a smile on her face.

The 8 members crowded around Yena to get a better view of her tattoo and even Chan put away his phone and joined them. After the initial shock had worn off and the members actually got a good look at the tattoo, they were in awe.

“It looks prettier then it did on the computer.” Minho comments with a smile.

Woojin nods. “It really does look amazing.” He adds before turning to Chan. “How did you know about it anyway? And what do you mean you got a video?” He questions him.

Yena laughs. “Well I couldn’t just go and get this without one of you guys since I didn’t even know what the design was. So I took Chan with me for moral support.” She explained, laughing at the slightly offended faces of the other members. “We went and got it done four days ago.” She added.

“And you hid it for so long?!” Felix exclaimed, sounding offended.

“I wanted it to be a surprise!” Yena defended, making the others laugh.

“Well it looks really pretty, Noona.” Jisung said, giving her a hug. “But I can’t believe you didn’t take me!” He added, making Yena chuckle.

“You?! She should have taken me too! I’m her best friend!” Minho exclaimed.

Yena rolls her eyes. “Thank you, Sungie.” She said while ruffling his hair. “And I couldn’t just take everyone! It would have gotten way too crowded!” She said defensively.

Woojin chuckled and shook his head. “Alright, alright. Leave her alone guys.” He said then turned to Chan. “Now, about that video.” He said.

Chan smiled and opened up his phone gallery as the 10 of them gathered around him to watch the video of Yena seeing her tattoo for the first time.

And there we go guys! My special anniversary chapter that I was very excited about! This chapter took a long time to write though! I really enjoyed writing it though so it’s all good.

Masterlist

#stray kids imagines #stray kids au #kpop au #kpop imagines #female kpop additions #felix imagines #female addition #female oc #bang chan imagines #han jisung imagines #changbin imagines #jeongin imagines #seungmin imagines #woojin imagines #lee know imagines #hyunjin imagines

16 notes · View notes

innuendostudios · 7 years ago

Video

youtube

New video essay: Three Short Arguments on The Secret of Monkey Island. I’ve been planning this since I first started making video essays three years ago.

You can support my work on Patreon. Transcript below the cut.

Three Short Arguments on The Secret of Monkey Island

1. Theme

The adventure game has long positioned itself as the genre that treats games as a storytelling medium in the same way the novel treats prose and film, television, and theater treat performance. And many adventure games from the classic era feature the things we have come to expect of a good story: intricate plots, compelling characters, and pretty good dialogue. But, often, some of the higher-level things we expect from a narrative are missing, things like character development or solid pacing, and I couldn’t point to many classic adventure games that have something even so basic as a theme.

But The Secret of Monkey Island, what I’d argue is the most influential graphic adventure game ever made, has a theme. In fact, it has two. And each one is neatly encapsulated by a single line of pretty good dialogue.

Here’s the first: Early in the game, protagonist Guybrush Threepwood has to get these petals fed to these dogs because reasons, and he can do this by just rubbing the flowers on a hunk of meat, but he can also stew the meat in a pot of soup and add the flowers to the broth. And, if that’s the route you choose to take, when he drops a petal into the water, he says, and I quote, "It's not a bay leaf, but every cook makes substitutions."

Here’s the second theme: Another early puzzle is Guybrush having his path blocked by a bridge troll. He can't get to the other end of the island without giving the troll what he wants, but the troll isn’t interested in money. When asked, he says he wants "something that will attract attention but have no real importance." The solution is to give him a red herring.

These are the twin themes of the The Secret of Monkey Island, the guiding principles behind not just its story but much of its design. Together, they form the game’s philosophy, because, yeah, it has one of those, too.

A good example of the first would be basically all of Part Two, essentially one long puzzle chain that is literally Guybrush as a cook making substitutions. He needs to cast a spell following a recipe for which he has none of the ingredients. Need monkey blood? Use some wine. Need brimstone? Use gunpowder. Need a pressed human skull? Use the Jolly Roger. And, despite all this “obeying the letter of the law but not the spirit,” the spell works; apparently the gods that govern this universe aren’t picky.

Now, savvy viewers are maybe saying, Ian, this is a genre famous for thinking a deflating duck floaty around a clamp on a string is an effective way to pick something up off the ground! Jerry-rigged solutions are what adventure game puzzles are. But most games treat this as a gimme, part and parcel with playing an adventure game. They don’t bother to justify it thematically.

Guybrush himself is a jerry-rigged solution. It's laid out early in the game, when he declares that he wants to be a pirate. At first the pirate leaders dismiss him, but then they remember that the fabled Ghost Pirate LeChuck is terrorizing the Caribbean and all the other pirates are too scared to go out on the water. "No pirates means no swag and no swag means no grog and we're getting dangerously low on grog." That's the only reason they take Guybrush on, because they're making do; in this world a pot will serve as a helmet, root beer will serve as a magic potion, and a baby-faced cabin boy with no skills with serve as a pirate. Anything in a pinch.

With his good manners, perfect English, and utter inability to lead a crew, Guybrush resembles the other pirates in the game a lot less than he resembles... an early 90's computer nerd. A young guy who wants to act like a pirate; presumably you bought the game because you want the same thing. Guybrush is a terrible candidate for being a pirate, but, by some rounding error in fate's ledger, he gets to be one. The wish-fulfillment is that you’re getting away with something.

The second theme is the idea of things central to the game having little to no intrinsic value, and it runs deep. One of the better gags in Part Three is this red herring about a banana picker. Shipwrecked castaway Herman Toothrot mentions that he lent it to the cannibals, and there's this ongoing puzzle where you have to collect a bunch of bananas, sometimes with very roundabout methods, so, yeah, a banana picker would be useful. When you meet the cannibals, they imprison you (for stealing bananas), and inside their jail is the banana picker. But it's too big to fit through your little escap-y hole so you leave it behind. By the time you can come back through the front door to take it with you... you've already solved the puzzle where you needed bananas.

And, get this: The cannibals don't even want it! The only reason they have it is because they lent Herman the key to the monkey head idol, and they won't give him his banana picker til he gives them the key. And Herman doesn't want the key, he's just keeping it til he gets his banana picker. So this banana picker has no value to anyone in the game, it's all just the principle of the thing.

And that’s true of the entire plot of The Secret of Monkey Island. What are Guybrush’s three trials to prove himself a pirate? Find the treasure of Melee Island, defeat the Swordmaster in combat, and steal the idol of many hands from the governor's mansion. The treasure is a tourist attraction, the Swordmaster fights until she gets bored of him, and the idol of many hands, when procured, is likened to a fabulous doorstop; nobody actually wants it, it's just a thing that's hard to steal.

And Guybrush’s entire quest is equally pointless. He arrives on Monkey Island to rescue the Governor just in time for her to be taken back to the island he started on, which means he would have done just as well sitting on the church steps the whole time picking lint out of his bellybutton. He does defeat LeChuck, but only after bungling Elaine’s better plan to do the same, so the only thing he actually accomplishes in the entire game is solving a problem he himself created two minutes earlier.

The plot of The Secret of Monkey Island is something that attracts attention but has no real importance. It is a series of improvised solutions to meaningless problems. It's all right there in the title: we never learn the secret of Monkey Island; there almost certainly isn't one.

And if you wanna get technical about it: The pirate leaders say, to become a pirate, Guybrush has to complete three trials and bring them proof of his success. The way the game is designed, the kidnapping plot always begins right after you finish the third, at which point all the pirates disappear. Which means he never shows them proof that he completed all three. Guybrush never actually becomes a pirate.

But that’s the point. Guybrush doesn’t want to be a swordfighter, treasure-hunter, or thief; he opens the game saying he wants to be a pirate. Swordfighting, thievery, and, er, treasure-huntery are only valuable as means to an end: performing pirate-ness.

The fact that Guybrush never finishes the trials is no more important than the trials themselves, is no more important than the damsel not being an actual damsel, because the damsel in distress was only ever an excuse to go on an adventure. In this world, pirates dig up treasure not to make themselves rich but because that’s what pirates do; who cares if all that’s in the chest is a t-shirt? The journey has to be the destination because destinations don’t matter; nothing matters; nothing is supposed to matter.

Yeah, the game’s philosophy is nihilism. But it’s cheerful nihilism.

2. Design

When designing an adventure game, there are a couple types of player you have to contend with. One experiences the narrative the way it's supposed to be experienced. If someone tells them to go to Algiers to meet with Omar al-Jabbar, they're going to go to Algiers and meet with Omar al-Jabbar. But then there's these other players that I refer to as futzers. They’ll make their way to Omar al-Jabbar eventually, but they're gonna futz around along the way. Anything that smells like a puzzle, they're going to start solving it, so they tend to get ahead of the story; by the time Omar al-Jabbar tells them what to do, they've already done half of it, which weakens the story, because, generally, this scene [Indiana Jones finding well of souls] shouldn’t come before this one [Indiana Jones measuring the staff].

Most adventure games are designed for normal players. Most adventure game players are futzers. That leads to problems. Here’s how Monkey Island avoids them:

The game begins with Guybrush saying he wants to be a pirate and being directed to speak with some pirates in the Scumm Bar. He instantly has an immediate objective and a larger goal. A normal player will just head to the Scumm Bar, while a futzer will interact with every hotspot along the way. So, between the cliffside and bar, there's only one hotspot, a re-election poster for Governor Elaine Marley, a character who is not relevant yet but soon will be. The next hotspot is the door of the bar.

Now, a normal player might head straight to the back to talk to the pirate leaders, but a futzer will chat up everyone in the bar first. This guy tells you a bit about the island and the LeChuck situation, this guy tells you more about LeChuck, this guy is a gag who just tells you about LOOM, and then there's the dog... who tells you about LeChuck. The next hotspot is the pirate leaders.

If I haven't made it obvious: Guybrush has walked in a straight line left to right with no inventory, no puzzles, no branching paths, and nothing between him and his first objective that isn't immediately relevant or can’t be experienced out of order. If he talks to the pirates first, he knows why the leaders are taking him on; if he talks to the leaders first, they hint at “this LeChuck thing” which the pirates can then fill in. Everything makes narrative sense no matter how the you play.

You can contrast this with Monkey Island 2, where you get vague hints of what your larger goal might be while chatting people up around town, and only stumble on your first objective halfway across the island, by which time you’ve probably solved half the puzzles with no context while you were searching for the plot. It’s a futzer’s paradise.

Now, you know what else is neat? Once Guybrush is done talking to the pirate leaders, if he keeps following that line to the right, it ends at the door to the kitchen. The pirates in the front mention that the cook is inattentive and they all sneak into the kitchen from time to time. So I'm willing to bet that, for the overwhelming majority of you who've played the game, sneaking into the kitchen was the first puzzle you solved.

Guybrush can complete his three trials in any order. He steals the idol of many hands by breaking into the Governor's mansion, which he does by putting the guard dogs to sleep, after giving them a sedative he finds in the forest, which he feeds to them by spiking a hunk of meat, which he finds here in the kitchen. Guybrush finds the treasure of Melee Island by digging it up in a clearing, which he reaches by following a strange map, which he buys from a shady guy in town, which he affords after getting paid to get shot out of a cannon, for which he uses a pot as a helmet, and he finds the pot here in the kitchen. And Guybrush defeats the Swordmaster by learning the art of insult swordfighting, which he masters by fighting strangers on the road, whom he challenges after getting trained by Captain Smirk, whose house can only be accessed after paying the bridge troll, whom Guybrush bribes with a red herring, which he finds here in the kitchen.

Unless you're the type of player who waltzes past the Scumm Bar because you refuse to be told what to do, in which case no one can design for you, these are your first three bits of inventory. This is where the game opens up, where you are now free to go in any direction, and this tiny bit of suggested linearity at the beginning makes sure that all three paths you can follow become available to you at the same time.

I hazard the reason The Secret of Monkey Island is so influential is that the design of Part One is, in many ways, immaculate. Just look at how each of the three trials stresses a different part of the engine: The treasure hunt takes place in the picture window and the player’s mind, stealing the idol is all about inventory and telling jokes with the sentence line, and swordfighting takes place entirely in the dialogue system, because how else would you gamify an Errol Flynn movie?

There is a playfulness to its design, stemming from a time when each adventure game still had to write its own rules. As much as modern adventures have refined and improved on Monkey Island’s template, I’m always amazed when I think that, before this game, the template didn’t exist.

3. Character

There's a quality to Guybrush in The Secret of Monkey Island that was never recaptured in the sequels. Later games put Guybrush somewhere on the spectrum between smartass and dipshit. But in Monkey Island 1 Guybrush is actually the straight man. His deal is he's clever without necessarily being intelligent, the brightest dim bulb in the Caribbean, smart enough to realize that everyone he talks to is a wacko and everything they have him do is nonsense, but not quite smart enough to do anything about it.

It may be the limits of EGA graphics and a small animation budget that Guybrush is Buster Keaton, utterly stone-faced no matter how ludicrous things around him get. By the sequel the team had 256 colors and so they had Guybrush mugging for the camera. But, here, the world is a cartoon, and he knows it, but he plays along.

There's this great moment where he opens the Monkey Head Idol by jamming an enormous q-tip in its ear where he just looks at the camera like "what the fuck am I doing?" It's this great Oliver Hardy moment. "I wanted to be a pirate. I guess this is it?"

I can kind of respect what they did with Guybrush in the second game. They made him a dick. Monkey Island 2 Guybrush is selfish, conceited, neither intelligent nor clever, he's definitely not the straight man anymore, and Elaine hates him because fame turned him into a shitty boyfriend. He's on a quest for the biggest buried treasure known to piracy, not because he wants another adventure but because he's The Guy Who Blew Up LeChuck; that's his reputation, and that was a while ago, and if he doesn't soon become The Guy Who Found Big Whoop he's going to stop being famous.

The very idea of getting huge off your first adventure and feeling obligated to go on another one just to keep up appearances even though keeping up those appearances kind ruined your home life, I'd almost think that was a metaphor for doing a sequel to a hit game with a one-year turnaround... if not for the fact that Monkey Island was never that big of a hit and no one asked Ron Gilbert to do a sequel. He apparently just started working on one.

Still, none of the other games in the series try anything so bold, so I respect Monkey Island 2 for walking its own path, I just... don't like it. Even when I was 7, the nihilism didn’t feel as cheerful, more like thumbing its nose at the idea of having ever cared about any of these people.

And, you know, I like Dominic Armato's interpretation of the character, but Monkey Island 1 will always be the canonical Guybrush to me. The kid who's maybe a little too swept up in Pirates of the Caribbean.

And as long as we're talking about Guybrush, we do have to talk about Elaine. The team that made Monkey Island 1 and 2 were the only ones who knew how to write Elaine. In Monkey Island 1, Elaine is a subversion of a trope, the kidnapped woman who secretly has the whole situation under control. In Monkey Island 2, she's not subverting anything, she's just a capable, respected woman with a rich life outside of the main character; LeChuck is so fixated on revenge he doesn't try to kidnap her; and in the end she rescues Guybrush! (Well, almost.)

But what happens when Ron Gilbert, Tim Schafer, and Dave Grossman aren't on the team anymore? Monkey Island 3: damseled, rescued by Guybrush, immediately re-damseled, rescued by Guybrush. Monkey Island 4: stripped of her governorship, to be restored by Guybrush, then damseled to be... actually at the last minute Guybrush helps her rescue herself, so that's something. Tales of Monkey Island: damseled as the curtain rises, rescued by Guybrush, damseled again, rescued by Guybrush, triple-whammy damseled, rescued by Guybrush, but, then, says it was somehow on purpose.

This is what people don't get about Elaine, why you can’t write her as a damsel: the essence of Elaine is that she's the only major character who isn't a pirate, and she's the best pirate. That's why Guybrush loves her: she's everything he wants to be. And she doesn't love him because he's the pirate who rescues her, she loves him because she doesn't want a pirate, and, deep down, he isn’t one; he’s just a sweet boy who likes pirates.

Obviously this is, to some degree, headcanon. But it’s headcanon that makes more sense than most of the sequels do.

Part Four: Epilogue

The Secret of Monkey Island is a game I’ve known backwards and forwards since I was six years old. I can’t remember what it’s like to play this game for the first time. I can’t separate what’s on the screen from how my pre-adolescent brain filled in the empty spaces. And I certainly can’t tell you whether or not it’s “good.”

Objectivity is overrated. What I’ve said in this video is the product of playing, thinking about, and loving this game for the last 28 years. I hope it has provided you some insight that objectivity wouldn’t. (And it could have been so much longer, you have no idea.)

#video essay #adventure games #the secret of monkey island #monkey island

51 notes · View notes

gohyuck · 7 years ago

Text

Sleepovers with NCT Dream

anon asked: Am I allowed to request sleepover/slumber parties with NCT Dream? Just somethin cute n fluffy

okay so i’m not sure if this is like each individual member or with the group as a whole so i did...both?

uh for each of them the other members aren’t present because just...assume that the specific member kicked them out for the night or they dont wanna bother member/reader haha

under the cut

mark

“fight me mark lee”

you regret the words like...as soon as they leave you because the moment you finish your sentence you get a face full of pillow

youd forgotten your clothes in the excitement of being able to sleepover at your boyfriend’s so long story short you’re decked out in one of his thinner t-shirts and a pair of his sweatpants

moments before disaster (aka The Pillow) struck you’d been chilling out on the couch and you both were pigging out just watching tv or something

then mark decided to s t e a l a c h i p f r o m y o u r b o w l

you couldn’t just TAKE THAT

so yeah you mouth off and then get pillowed in the face and after the initial shock wears off you kinda just calmly get up and walk slowly towards the kitchen counter to put your food away so it doesnt spill

all the while mark is shaking in his boots the fear is BUILDING

because hes going over the scenarios of what you might do next in his head he doesnt notice you discretely picking up a pillow

he does feel it tho when you hit him upside the head with it

W A R ensues its like... Armageddon

until you pin mark down because hes laughing way too hard to fight back

“cry uncle” “NEVER” tickles him once “uNCLE”

he calls for a truce and you give him one with a warning about stealing food and hes like ok fine ill get my own chips next time and you guys resume watching the movie

his arms around you and youre just using him as a headrest/backrest and its overall a really soft time tbh

mark is really comfortable tbh

and you guys have been dating for a while (dream’s parents) so it’s just like a normal date, practically

its just really chill like you guys dont do much other than marathon movies and pillow fight and pig out

and make small talk

and steal kisses

playing random games like ispy or something just seems like a mark thing

planning future hang outs and dates lol

“hey on our next date im taking you out to dinner” “and a movie” “you bet” “mark i was kiddi-” “its my treat”

it gets late fast though (time flies when you’re having fun) and you notice this and look over to say that maybe you guys should sleep only to find your bf knocked out on the other side of the couch

again

you cant help but smile at the sight

he’s so overworked, you don’t have the heart to wake him up

instead you turn off the tv, put up all the foodstuffs and clean the area quickly, put the pillows up and lay a pillow out on the ground by the couch and find a blanket and then turn off the lights before lying down

when mark wakes up the next morning he wakes up before you and sighs before stepping over you lightly to brush and stuff and to pour cereal for the two of you (hes not even going to TRY to cook)

once you wake up hes like “why didnt you wake me i wouldve taken the floor” and youre just like “yeah thats why i didnt wake you” and he just shakes his head because he cant argue with you and honestly hes

kinda touched, just a little

you have to leave all too soon but you dont go before getting a goodbye kiss and a promise to have another sleepover very soon

just....soft..soft times

renjun

board game central

hes just

head in the game lolol (dont kill me for that joke)

monopoly? clue? sorry? you name it he’s got it like...this boy doesn’t play when it comes to board games

no pun intended

the first half of the night is just you guys playing random board games as best you can with just two people

and then he brings out the chess board

that’s when it gets bumpin tbh

by bumpin i mean you and your boyfriend nearly wring each others throats during the match...but with your minds...because neither of you are speaking you’re THAT concentrated

it’s.....2 hours long

and in the end you guys have to call a draw and like you sit back and just stare at each other blinking and eventually renjun speaks

and his voice is hoarse because neither of you have spoken in a while and the first thing he says (very matter-of-factly, too) is “i’m going to flip the board now”

and you just go “go ahead” hoarsely as well because you’re just in mild shock that nobody won that intense ass match

he flips the board and looks up and stares at you and you stare back and suddenly the two of you are crying of laughter like

majorly uncontrollable you’re just rolling on the floor wheezing

after you both calm down renjun goes to the kitchen to find something to eat and he’s like “it’s 1 in the morning oh my god we haven’t even eaten dinner what the heck” and that sends you into another fit of laughter

“wait but we still have to have like a pillow fight and watch dumb romcoms and horrors and stuff we have so much to do and so little time” “renjun we don’t have to do all the cliche sleepover stuff” “ok but consider this: itll be fun” “its like ass thirty in the morning though/??” “are you saying we cant do it because if so now we HAVE to do it” “...you get the pillows i’ll get the popcorn put the worst movie you can find into the dvd player”

after a few movies its like 5: 30 am and the two of you are still awake

“are you still up” “no are you” “no”

neither of you wants to be the first to fall asleep

competitive couple af

you guys start a two person game of truth or dare and it ends up getting mushy because for a truth renjun asks you like how you knew you wanted to date him

and you get serious and stuff (which he didn’t foresee he expected an answer like “well you look like moomin and like....i love moomin”) and you come at him with like “when i started noticing that your eyes sparkle when you sing and just how happy you make other people and how you love what you do and how-”

he attacks you with a massive hug because oh my god you’re so sweet he’s getting a cavity

“i like you a lot, you know” “i’d hope so i just ate like 90% of your snack stash renjun” “i take that back”

you guys are still awake when mark comes back to the dorm

when he gets out of the shower, however, is a different story - you and renjun are dead asleep while sitting on the couch, awkwardly wrapped around each other

a photoshoot courtesy of mark’s phone camera ensues

(mark goes to sleep to ice cubes in his pillow that night, courtesy of you and renjun)

jeno

king of planning

like he mentally knows everything that can and will go wrong and stuff and knows where the extra pillows and blankets are and is aware of what you’re gonna wanna do and just...he Knows

the first thing you guys do when you get to the dorm is bake brownies

he makes sure to take videos of the whole process and send them to the other members

jeno: guess what yall are missing out on ;) jisung: i hate this family

the kind of bf to try to feed you the brownies and get the food literally everywhere but your mouth

for as put together as he is you guys end up having brownies and ice cream for dinner lol neither of you can be bothered to cook dinner

“babe should we order out” “i mean you can if you want to” “...but jenoooo that means getting up and getting to my phone” “that’s what i thought”

has a cache of games and movies and shows

“take your pick”

you guys end up playing random card games like ERS or blackjack for a while

it honestly is never boring tho because you and jeno are just so comfortable with each other every moment is great no matter what you’re doing

i feel like jeno’s the kind of guy to call his SO a bunch of cute nicknames like he just wants you to know how cute he thinks you are and he does that thru nicknames

“love...” “babe...” “sweetheart...”

after a while though you run out of card games to play and jeno’s about to suggest watching something on tv when he sees your expression

“...what’s on your mind” “...we could mess with your members a little...” “prank calls?” “you know me so well”

within an hour the two of you have convinced yuta that aliens are real and can use cellphones and gotten taeyong to believe that “swag” is a polish swear word and that donghyuck needs to be punished whenever he says it

and jaemin thinks he’s being relentlessly contacted by clowns from a circus in the next town over who think that he’s stolen their tiny car

you guys pass more time just talking and stuff

and putting on songs and dancing to them it’s Good Fun

he makes you take his bed and sleeps on the floor in a sleeping bag

you feel awful about it though so when you’re sure he asleep you go find the other sleeping bag and take your pillow and sleep beside him on the floor

he’s super shook when he wakes up but when he realizes that you didn’t want him to be lonely on the floor his smile is as bright as the sun

texts his friends for help on how to cook a nice breakfast

jeno: yo does anyone know how to make breakfast haechan: yeah jeno: cool what are the directions haechan: i didn’t say i’d give them to you

by this time you’re awake and just like “ok let me handle breakfast”

the two of you just end up eating plain rice and eggs (because you aren’t confident in your kitchen skills) and giggling over the crappy pictures you’re taking of each other eating

all in all the perfect date/sleepover

haechan

the moment you walk in the first thing that happens is that haechan pulls you into a hug

the second thing that happens is he holds you at an arm’s length, looks you straight in the eyes, and goes “we have to make a pillow fort”

you 100% agree it’s a necessity

after putting your bag down on the kitchen he basically drags you to the living room

the couch gets pushed back against the wall, the coffee table is moved to the side and chairs are moved back so there’s just a big floorspace directly in front of the tv

“let’s use four chairs as like pillars to hold up the blankets and bring all our food, phones, everything in so we don’t have to leave the fort the whole night” “i like the way you think.. we should go out some time, get to know each other better” “hyuck we’re dating”

i feel like haechan’s the type to be reserved with pda and stick to handholding (only sometimes, even then) because he’s embarrassed around the other members because they like teasing y’all

BUT when you guys are alone he’s totally different

like after the fort is finished and there are blankets above your heads and you’re both changed into makeshift pjs (just shorts and shirts tbh) and theres pillows around the fort’s perimeter and the tv is on he’ll like

grab whatever you’re currently eating and hold it up and whenever you lean over to reach it he’ll just lean back or move it just out of your reach again

“give it backkkk” “only if you kiss me” “...honestly i was going to do that anyways but now that you’re asking i don’t want to”

leaning into him and him closing his eyes because he expects a kiss and his arm naturally lowering lolol you grab the food and move back without even a peck on the cheek

a pouty haechan emerges

he wont talk to you again unless you kiss him and youre like ugh this big baby

but you dont wanna spend the whole night conversationless so you comply and he pulls you in

suddenly yall are rolling around in the fort laughing and having a play fight just cute af tbh

“hey hyuck we have approximately 9 hours before the other guys come back and i have to go and we have to sleep sometime so we basically have 3 hours to pull some amazing prank” “not to worry, sweetheart - i already have an idea”

and thats when you two set about to turn literally everything upside down in everyone’s rooms

it takes forever because he puts music on while you guys are working and you both end up ballroom dancing to michael jackson

once its done neither of you can breathe from laughing so hard

he makes a really quick dinner and the two of you eat it in the fort

while trading stories from the past couple weeks

“so you’re telling me she just...drank the entire cup of coffee after pouring two monster energies into it” “yeah she straight up chugged it i was in AWE”

all of this is done facing each other while holding hands on one side and eating with the other

“hey is that my shirt” “might be? i just found it in my drawers” “it’s definitely mine” “no wonder it’s so soft”

you guys fall asleep really late (or early, depending on how you look at it) because you spend so much time just TALKING

there’s 80s movies playing on the tv in the background

you fall asleep on your pillow but wake up like sideways using haechan’s chest as a footrest or something just...weird sleep position couple

the two of you wake up to confused exclamations from the other members

“hey maybe we should eat breakfast somewhere else so they don’t kill us for the upside downness” “get your keys i’ll grab money”

jaemin

buys a telescope just for your sleepover

“what’s the point of having a roof if you can’t climb on top of it and stargaze”

has you go up the stairs to the roof first so he can keep a steady hand on your back since the stairs are narrow

you guys have to make like three trips up and down from the roof before settling down

the first trip you guys set the telescope and blankets up and you go down because you need to go back and bring the food up

the second time is because you have to bring pillows up

the third time is because jaemin forgets his phone oops

its still kind of light out when you guys get up on the roof so you pass time by taking selfies and talking and stuff

its cold af outside and youre freezing despite your jacket so jaemin bundles the both of you up in a blanket (or 4)

“so the best time to watch the meteor shower is between midnight and dawn but we can just look at other cool spacey stuff before then” “why would i look at other stars when the brightest star is right in front of me” “that’s the cheesiest thing i’ve ever heard i’m breaking up with you” “aw jaemin you know you love me”

you have to stop him from trying to eat what is essentially just a whole bunch of tomatoes in rice paper in one bite

jaemin forgets to bring games up to the roof and hes too lazy to go downstairs and get anything

youre not bored anyways tho

once it gets darker you guys start pointing out some cool stars and constellations

“babe it’s orion’s belt” “nana look at that star, it looks so bright!” “almost as bright as you” “i already said that about you earlier, try again”

play fighting over the telescope

he lets you look first though

when the meteor shower starts you’re both in serious awe

“can you believe that we’re so small and just..tiny and pliable and insignificant in this universe and there are huge things like meteors just streaking through this vast space of nothingness and just wow” “i’m just glad i exist at the same time as you” “jaemin that’s...that’s not even corny or anything that’s just super cute i can’t even make fun of you for it” “it’s true, though”

both of you forget to take videos of the shower

because you’re just enthralled with the fact that the literal sky is like...on fire and shit

jaemin the type to press chaste kisses to your cheek and pull you ever closer to him at random intervals

Soft BF Alert

eating dinner while watching

he points at like every meteor and is like “look at it goooo”

“gotta go fast” “jae if it was possible to literally delete somebody i’d do that right now...blocked” “you love me”

sings under his breath and you record a vid of him doing it without him knowing because its so cute and just...hes so good at singing youre shook

once it starts getting really late and youre yawning and stuff hes like ok maybe we should go downstairs and sleep

it takes two trips to get everything back down to the dorm rip

at least jaemin doesnt forget his phone this time

once you guys get back neither of you can decide who gets the bed

“you can have it babe i sleep here everyday” “no way i cant do that to you, ill take the floor i practically live here its like home”

its wayyy too late to argue tho you both end up sharing the bed

overall an amazing date like???? meteor shower AND a sleepover with your bf in one night?

thats one successful night

chenle

theres an unspoken meme war between the two of you

like nobody really mentions it its there...looming...constantly...

meme war as in you guys constantly taken ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS pictures of each other and use them as reaction images

throughout the night each of you take/send pics of each other to the other dream members

“we should cuddle” “ok how do i know youre not gonna like...lick me or something for a picture of my expression” “you...well you dont but-”

you convince him to watch the ouija movies that are out

he makes it through them but like...

chenle’s either screaming throughout the whole movie or totally shell shocked and you’re just lol @ him

“this isn’t even that scary” “speak for yourself” “i am - come out from under the blanket babe i swear it’s not that scary”

after the movies he’s like “im never letting you choose what to do ever again ever” and you get him saying it on video for the Jokes

its his turn to choose

his immediate response is karaoke

chenle sets everything up for it while you order in dinner because lbr neither of you are looking up the directions to anything with cooking

he screams directly into the mic while youre on the phone to test it

(and takes a pic of your eyes going wide and you jumping a little bit)

“is everything alright on your side” “yeah just ...make that three orders of chicken im gonna be eating my woes away tonight”

chenle gets out the hoverboard and tries to teach you the dance moves to chewing gum

that quickly stops because you fall onto him

twice

within a span of four and a half minutes

nobodys there to roast though so you guys laugh as hard as you want

a lot of screaming

you love his laugh its so bright and happy just!!! wow

ngl since you started dating him his laugh kind of influenced yours so you laugh a lot louder than you did before chenle

when your food comes in youre too busy screaming lyrics to a song to get the door so chenle grabs the food

and tips the deliveryboy even more than he usually would

“you’re going to scare away the neighbors with that singing” “i’m surprised people still live here after you moved in chenle, dolphin sounding little-”

eating on the floor while facing each other

“close your mouth while chewing” “ok hon but to tell me that you spoke while eating” “listen, zhong chenle-”

having a staring contest

loser has to wash dishes

spoiler alert: you lose because he starts smiling and you cant stare straight at him when he smiles without smiling back and blinking really hard its like looking straight at the actual sun

hes super loving and cuddly so while youre washing dishes chenle backhugs you instead of cleaning up the karaoke equipment

“yah you’re sidetracking me” “we should dance instead of being boring and washing dishes like an old married couple” “you can dance while i’m being productive”

he does just that - tries to sidetrack you EVEN MORE by dancing ridiculously while you try to wash dishes

ends up in a soap and water fight

i feel like chenle would sleep a little earlier than the other guys so when youre done cleaning up your (late) dinner and hes done mopping the floor of the remnants of soap hes like maybe we should sleep

you agree because its almost like 1 am and youre tired too

pulling out a big family size sleeping bag in the middle of the living room floor and finding pillows

putting on light instrumental sleep music

waking up to chenle taking like a million pictures of your terrible bedhead and sending them to all of his friends

chenle’s just so fun to be around alfskjdk

jisung

ngl i feel like the night would start off just a little bit awk with jisung

like not awkward to where no conversation is being made awkward just more like small talk while sitting a good foot away from each other on the couch and friends is running on the tv in the background awkward

you get tired of that really fast tho

bc you and jisung have been best friends for a g e s it shouldnt be like this

so you bean him with a throw pillow

straight upside the head like hes an alarm clock that wont shut up

it takes him a second to react but once he does its chaos

he hits you back with like twice as much speed and power

suddenly both of you are on the floor fending for yourselves while trying to attack the other

you fight valiantly but hes just

so dang tall that eventually he grabs the weaponized pillow right out of your hand and holds it way high above your head

“checkmate” “...oh shut up :/”

after that though its a lot more comfortable like you settle into your usual pattern of relentlessly teasing each other

“lets put on mickey mouse cartoons jisung you’ll be able to relate” “are you even tall enough to see the tv” “not everyone can be a beansprout”

jisung pops popcorn for the movies and instead of eating it while watching the movie the two of you just throw kernels at each other and laugh at how dumb the other looks with popcorn in their hair

after a while jisung’s like “we should go out back there’s like... a singular tree and some grass and we can just chill” and you’re like well that’s new in the city so it’s a good opportunity so you agree

bringing a needle and thread outside so you can sew together flower crowns of leaves, grass, and dandelions

jisung leans against the tree while watching you make a mildly lopsided crown

he cant help but laugh when you put it on his head

“hold on im gonna take a picture” “do i look like a beautiful princess” “like a model, jisung, the prettiest princess ever” “will you be the frog to my princess?” “that’s the worst pick up line i’ve ever heard i’m considering taking back my flower crown”

you almost go inside after that but jisung’s like wait what about a flower crown for you

and you’re like oh i forgot i wasn’t really focusing on making one for myself haha

so jisung takes the needle and thread and makes you one

it’s not as pretty as the one that’s on his head but itll do

taking like 20 selfies together with the flower crowns before going back inside

after that he teaches you some of the nct dances

including stuff from the other subunits

“can you teach me taeil-ssi’s cheerleader dance from paju” “...this lesson is over”

jisung making rice and meat for dinner

you fry vegetables and try your hardest not to make anything explode

afterwards you’re lying down on the couch and he’s on the floor below you

the lights are out and its been a while since theyve been off

youre halfway asleep when

“i know youre my best friend but i think i want to date you”

aaaaand youre wide awake again

“wait, jisung, what?” “i thouGHT YOU WERE ASLEEP OH NO” “did i hear you correctly???” “im so sorry i’ll-” “i like you too you absolute idiot oh my god i cant believe neither of us said anything i-” “-move to cuba and change my name you’ll never have to hear from me again-” “-we are SO DUMB wow okay well we have to get together now its the next logical step-” “-and i’ll cut all connection off and. wait. wait, you like me back?” “-and. dude wait have you not been listening to me at all?? yes??”

and that kids is how you and jisung end up together

jisung texts all of his members before you both really do go to sleep (after an awkward hug and a massive bout of embarrassed laughter) that he finally confessed

you wake up to 89 texts and 2 missed calls

“taeyong says i have to keep you safe and make sure you eat three square meals a day” “is it disrespectful if i block my hyung and surrogate mother”

!! youre dating park jisung congr a t s

ALL OF NCT DREAM

you open the door immediately to hug bombardment by chenle and jaemin

mark closes it behind you (and shrugs apologetically) considering you cant because youre sandwiched in between the two other members

the first thing all of you do is eat because haechan’s made dinner (with, as jeno keeps reminding everyone, jeno’s help)

hc: all he did was heat the water jn: but it was necessary and helpful, wasn’t it

the second order of business is to push everything out of the way in the living room so the floorspace is entirely open

there are, after all, eight people there and its getting tight on the chairs

everyones just like eliminate the seating options and thats best - then everyone will just have to sit on the floor

you: so whats next rj: lets play monopoly everyone, collectively: NO mk: i still have nightmares from last time

jisung suggests twister and everyone (foolishly) agrees

jaemin calls out the colors and limbs and soon you find your left arm reaching over chenle’s right leg and your legs trapped under jisung’s torso

hc, monotonously but muffled as his face is somewhere under renjun’s right armpit: wow this is so wild

after that ends badly (mark nearly suffocates from jeno’s left foot being literally in his mouth) everyone agrees on never taking a suggestion from jisung again (including jisung)

you suggest a movie marathon and everyone throws pillows at you because that’s “basic”

jm: what about truth or dare jn: wow nana that’s actually a good idea jm: im going to ignore your tone and take it as a compliment anyways

truth or dare quickly causes everyone to become absolute messes because stuff like this happens -

you: renjun, truth or dare rj: truth you: so if you had to gently caress anyone here’s bellybutton, whose bellybutton would it be rj: i

mark and haechan and chenle can each barely breathe because theyre laughing too hard

meanwhile renjun’s mentally going through his brain files of everyone’s bellybuttons and ruing the day he was born, not necessarily in that order

jeno’s videotaping the entire game for future blackmail

hc: jisung if everyone here was a redwood tree who would you set on fire js: you hc: you..you couldnt have hesitated? for even just a secon d

jn: chenle go out in the street and yodel cl: you didnt even ask me truth or d- jn: do it

by the time truth or dare ends its pretty late but youre all way too hopped up on each others embarrassment and general having fun with friends to sleep

cl: karaoke? hc: karaoke. you: maybe karaoke will be our always

the noise level grows like exponentially once karaoke comes on

and it was already pretty freaking loud to start out with

mark’s halfway through a particularly soulful rendition of eminem’s lose yourself when you take a look at the clock

you: guys its almost 3 in the morning jm: sleep is for the WEAK js: chenle’s been knocked out for at least a half hour jm: exactly

mark and jeno move chenle onto the couch and put a blanket over him while you, haechan, and renjun set up sleeping bags and pillow and blankets on the living room floor

jaemin and jisung turn the music off and make sure the kitchen and everything is clean (and twister is put away)

you turn off the lights and lie down in the bag between mark and renjun

you: we should do this another time jm: minus the twister everyone: minus the twister

jeno wakes you up by stepping on your stomach the next morning while trying to escape renjun and his Pillow of Wrath

the pillow fight’s a little late but hey

8 am is better late than never

a quick breakfast is had while everyone takes turns brushing/showering/changing and it hits 10 am quicker than expected

everyones sad when you have to go back home but!! you all had fun and thats what counts

youre not surprised when mark texts the group chat later about hanging out again soon

921 notes · View notes

thevhenan · 8 years ago

Text

Mass Effect Andromeda Impressions/Adventures #2:

Everything under cut~

Up to getting Jaal and then finding the scientists.

I have pictures!

I was thinking about going through the whole story in these but that is A LOT of work so I'll cut it down to the interesting bits of my journey.

First off, I want to say even though I'm playing Female Ryder people weren't kidding when they said Male Ryders VA sounded like a clone of Nolan North. HOLY SHIT. I mean, I kind of heard it in the trailers but it wasn't until I seen some gameplay I was like WTF. I mean, just give Male Ryders VA half the jobs and Nolan the others and we'll have that voice everywhere (even though Nolan is almost everywhere in the first place). Speaking of which, is it just me or this NPC an actual clone of default Scott? Just different hair. MY BROTHER IS AWAKE GUYS.

At first I had an 'off' feeling about the Initiative/Jean Garson. It felt... kind of propaganda-y. Sanctuary in ME3 if you will. I'm hoping she won't be a villain esp. because her VA is trans but another part of me thinks in might be an interesting twist. At least thinking she might not be dead and maybe there is some sort of conspiracy there. I don't know. I get like there is more to her story.

The animations aren't nearly as bad as people acted like they were. They even have some good animations *gasp*. Of course the ones people nitpick are the only ones I've seen that are pretty bad but that's it. I also think a lot of the 'problems' stem from the eyes which is a lot less noticeable if you picked a preset that is asian/doesn't have big eyes/brown eyes. Other than that the graphics are way better and most of the animation isn't even that bad. I have faith that the longer the game is out the more that is patched. Take DA:I for example, I don't even think most of those animations needed to be patched but they did it anyway.

I like the Tempest but I think I would have preferred stairs as opposed to ladders... Ladders wouldn't have been so bad if you didn't auto climb them. Kind of messes up the flow? The see through floor is pretty cool though although I almost had a heart attack the first time. I also like that the crew has bunk beds and stuff, makes it feel more natural and the board they talk on is a cute touch. Also, I know we have a lift but I rarely use it because??? I don't know.

THE PYJAK IS SO CUTE AND YOU GET BANTER FROM THE CREW. 100% worth it if only for him (yes I decided that the pyjak is male). I loved how he was in one of the crews bed. Best boy ever.

I so far really like the worlds (only been to two playable areas) they are so pretty but so far I prefer not having the Nomad. I don't know, I like not having to worry about air/enviorment just enemies and CHARGING INTO THEM YEAHHHHHHH. Anyway, kind of wish the Nomad could climb for days like the Mako but hey, at least it doesn't take fall damage.

Some of the side quest are really fun. I think with the scanner you can do more mystery solving so it allows for a lot of options. Kind of reminds me of the Batman games in that aspect.

I'm really interested in Alec's story which makes me infuriated because all those memory fragments are in places I can't reach. CURSE YOU GAME. My completionist ass upset.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the addition to the codex where it not only tells you your relationship with your crew and decisions regarding them but your more major decisions and your personality!!!! Tbh the personality system seems a little Myer Briggs to me. Like, Head vs. Heart is T vs. F and Formal vs. Informal is P vs J. I'm an INFJ so unsurprisingly I'm heart and formal. I didn't even really want her to be that formal but Idk myself seeped in? That or I just think being polite to new species and people is the way to go. I'm personally pretty formal until I know you well enough. It's more...safe?

I really like the Sudoku type puzzles. At first I didn't understand but then I was like 'oh this is sudoku'. It might be a little much for regularly doing it but you don't have to do it that much so I'm fond of it.

My opinions on companions/others currently:

Cora: I LOVE HER. Tbh I thought she'd be more cold and closed off but she's not, which is good. Of course being cold at first isn't bad either. Like, that's how I am but she's a lot warmer than I expected. She's serious but warm, I like that. I especially like the kind of inside joke between her and Ryder at the beginning about Dragons. Hey, talk about dragons when we first meet and you have yourself a friend for life.

Liam: I figured he'd be really friendly but man, Liam is just the best. You instantly feel bonded with him (and Cora!!). I don't know why the hell people keep comparing Vetra and Jaal to Garrus when Liam is more like him than either. Hell, I knew that going in. I mean, Liam is for sure more optimistic and 'I LOVE EVERYONE' (though apparently he doesn't like Vetra very much???). Still, former cop CHECK, techie CHECK, designated bffl CHECK. Like? IS it because he's human? Okay internet. I mean in all honesty I wouldn't compare any of these new squadmates to older characters but if you had to Liam would be more like Garrus than any other. Vetra shares the sister thing with Garrus but that's literally it. Off on a tangent. Still, Liam is great and I'm such a sucker for his accent. Could hear him talk all day. Please, talk all day Liam. Narrate my life.

Vetra: OF COURSE I LOVE VETRA. She has a certain swag about her especially when you first meet her you are like SMOOTH, NICEEEE. I mean, okay I suppose you can compare it to when you first see Garrus in ME2 (but that's it okay and I'm done talking Garrus!!!). She is a little closed off and I like that. She's really cool. Unfortunately I still don't feel like I know that much about her besides she's a smuggler and cares a lot about her sister (and her sister is really cute!). Anyway, her and Jaal are leading my 'who I should romance' poll in my head. I don't know, I guess I'll decide after both their personal mission. Right now I feel like I know Jaal better even with him being closed off a bit. I also wish during one on one convos you could see her eyes better :/. It seems like in cutscenes you can but when you are just talking to her it's harder to see them. I WANT TO SEE YOUR PRETTY EYES. And sorry, I'm being weird and creepy. I'll stop.

Peebee: I like her lots. I didn't know if I'd really like her voice at first, same with Cora but once I talked to them in game I was in love. EVERYONE HAS SUCH NICE VOICES. Her voice really fits her. I like her personality a lot but she still is still pretty secretive along with Vetra. Can't wait to know more. I do think Ryder and her would get along and do get along quite well because they both love exploring. I really am into their interactions so far.

Drack: Okay, I admit I was a bit skeptical about Drack. Like look, I'm a Krogan fan but I know Grunt and Wrex and a lot of Krogan we've encountered were quite similar (the males at least) and I was hoping Drack wouldn't be just a copy. He's pretty wise and cares so much about his grandaughter. It's ridiculously sweet. And yeah, he's still pretty combat heavy but that's what I expected. Anyway, I was hoping he wasn't just another stale stereotype and so far he's exceeding expectations so I'm happy and really like him.

Jaal: He's as great, I was a bit nervous he was over hyped but he really is great. I'm really interested in him and his culture and everything. The interaction between him and Ryder is top notch and I feel the chemistry so right now he's a front runner for me to romance. I mean, look at my favorite romances and it's really no surprise I like him. He has a mysterious type air that I'm all about and Angara have such interesting eyes! I just got him yesterday so his personality hasn't settled as much as the others but basically, he's worth the hype to me (though I do think the people wanting to f him right off the bat were a bit much but hey who am I to judge). I got to know him and I like him.

Suvi: She's so dreamy even her voice *sigh*. She kind of has a voice that has a dream like quality like Solas' voice (whether you hate him or not he has a dream like voice, you can't deny it it's likely done on purpose because the fade and such). She's also so cute and a scientist and religious. She makes me think if Josie and Leliana from Dragon Age had a baby she would their offspring. Yeah, needless to say can't wait to romance her. I'm not going to do it this round because personally don't feel like she fits well with my character as Vetra and Jaal do but I'm for sure going to role up a cute lady to romance her. She's so happy and loves her work and exited and perfect jaodlkjaodad. Yeah, she's my type.

Gil: I REALLY like Gil. They did a good job with making likable crew omg. He reminds me of a mix between Alistair and Dorian from Dragon Age. That'S MY JAM. Having a lack of m/m romances is horrible but ya'll Gil is the shit and I don't appreciate people saying he's 'uninteresting' and 'bad romance'. I just really like him a lot and it was so fun playing poker with him ^^. I feel bad because the codex said I 'lied' about cheating but TBH they made me do it in the first place. I wouldn't have done it if I had the choice. I didn't lie. I just didn't tell the truth. That's the thing about poker anyway, right? God, I feel bad now.

Lexi: HER VOICE YA'LL. I feel like she's the new Seth Green of the series. The celebrity that will stay through the whole series (if there is one). Also, the fact that she and Joker are not interested in the main character and like someone else. EDI for Joker and Drack for Lexi. Anyway, I like her and if I didn't like her her voice is enough. Still, she's fun to talk to so far.

Kallo: He's a cutie. I'm really happy for him. Don't know wtf there is going on with him and Gil but w/e. He's a good pilot. Not too much of an opinion yet because I don't feel like I got to know him as much unfortunately but I'm exited to learn more about his personality!

Options so far (That I can think of):

More Emotional, More Formal

Cares about Dad (took heart options when it game to Alec)

Told truth to Scott about dad, lied about Andromeda Okay to be fair though I figured we'd get it better by the time he wakes up and I don't want him to lose hope after telling him his Dad died. I want him to pull through and you pull through with hope. I didn't want to lie and I kind of wish there was a third option because I didn't want to say ‘IT'S SUPER HORRIBLE LOL’ but I didn't want to say ‘IT'S AMAZING’ either. Just like 'We hit a few bumps but we're on our way to making it better'. Maybe the truthful option said that but it didn't seem like that from the text.

Lied to Gil about cheating (look above to see explanation)

Set up Science outpost Female Ryder is all about the science, Liam and Vetra said science and Science will help more in the long run and help the people that are already here that are suffering.

Set the guy who 'committed the murder' free This was a hard one and I forgot his name so forgive me. But bottom line, he didn't do it. Whatever his intentions were he still didn't actually commit the crime. I do think there should have been punishment but he didn't need life or be executed because of something he didn't actually do.

And that's it so far! I'll give more thoughts later.

#mass effect #me #mea #mas effect andromeda spoilers #mass effect andromeda #mea spoilers #me:a spoilers #andromeda spoilers #ryder #text #lily ryder #mass effect andromeda impressions

0 notes

catherinejimenez · 8 years ago

Text

2016: ON THE TOP OF MY LIST

Last year, I’ve watched more than 10 Korean dramas and there’s this 4 particular dramas that really catches my heart.

Disclaimer: This blog post might contain spoilers so if you haven’t watched the dramas that I will be mentioning here, I hope you can forgive me :)

W-TWO WORLDS

Synopsis: W-Two worlds is a fantasy-romance about a man and a woman living in different worlds. Yeon Joo is a doctor living in the real world and her father is the author of the most popular webtoon, W. And Kang Chul is the lead character of that webtoon. Things becomes complicated when Yeon Joo’s father decides to kill Kang Chul and Yeon Joo gets pulled into the comic world and met Kang Chul.

I was able to watch this drama because of a friend who keeps on telling me that there’s a drama that she’s really into. I wasn’t interested at first because I’m still not yet done with Game of Throne’s season 4. But after few weeks of convincing me, I started to watch the drama and the story began.

It wouldn’t be much to say that it was love at first episode for me with W. The first few episodes of the drama were good but a little dy. But after few more episodes I started to like W. It’s a great fantasy story, a lots of twist and turns. You can’t never be comfortable because you just never know what’s going to happen next. I love the whole concept of a character having to learn he’s from a work of fiction. It’s unbelievable and devastating for the person involved.

What I liked about W-Two Worlds?

Aside from the drama’s bold storytelling, the execution of the two worlds is really my favorite. A serious kudos to the whole production team,because they managed the transition of the two worlds so skillfully.

A cute OTP. Yeon Joo and Kang Chul is really cute together. They can turn the serious scenes into romantic one real quick. One of my favorite scene of them is during the time that Yeon Joo confessed her love to Kang Chul. Before, Yeon Joo randomly says those words to him but he’s not affected at all (It’s her way to go back to the real world). This time, it’s different, he got swayed by Yeon Joos confession.

Overall, W-Two worlds was fun and crazy ride. With action packed fantasy story. It’s highly recommended if you’re a fan of those kind of genres.

MOONLIGHT DRAWN BY CLOUDS (LOVE IN THE MOONLIGHT)

I have to tell you this guys, I really really love this one. Seriously. This drama reminds me all over again why I fell in love with traditional dramas. It wasted no time in grabbing my heart and hold onto it really tight for the entire 18 episodes.

One of the things that comes to my mind when I think of MDBC, aside from Park Bo Gums sweetness, is that this drama is really well made. From the execution of scenes to the delivering of lines, everything.

Yeong (Park Bo Gum’s character) was my favorite among the cast of the show. Yeong’s character is full of charm and you couldn’t resist it I’m telling you. One of my favorite scene of him is during the confession and first kiss on Episode 7. The way Yeong approaches into confession and eventually to his first kiss scene to Ra On got me so kilig. Ugh. This boy makes my heart wobble, seriously. Another one is in Episode 14, when he comes face to face with Ra On in the secret meeting place. I won’t forget his “I will never forgive you” line before walking to Ra On and grabbed her in his arms. I never thought those words could be so romantic. I still haven’t moved on from that.

If there’s a leading man who’s really charming and handsome there should be a better half who has the same characteristics as him which really suits for Kim Yoo Jung. She’s one of the child actresses who’s really grown up so beautiful and talented. I can still remember her, portraying the role of young Yeon-O in Moon embracing the sun (which is my all time favorite drama). I really like Kim Yoo Jung as Ra On, she’s really natural. She’s funny without looking like she’s trying hard. Kim Yoo Jung consistently looks like she’s being herself.

The cast really suits the drama. Aside from the leads, Kwak Dong Yun really catches my attention. His cool but caring friend role is loveable (I’m so kinikilig while typing this one.) Special shout out to the Princess and Master Jung’s loveline. I also enjoyed their love story, even though it’s mostly played for comedy afterall, they are the reason why Ra On and Yeong met.

GOBLIN: THE LONELY & GREAT GOD

Goblin made me speechless and fall in love in less than a few minutes. As someone who watched many dramas and (I can say) can predict almost everything that’ll happen next, this drama made me laugh, cry & cringe when I didn’t expect I would.

Synopsis: Goblin is about a general way back in Goryeo, who got killed out of jealousy by the King. Because of his desperate wish for revenge, God gave him the chance to become goblin, a creature with immortal life and superpowers.

Goblin is really unpredictable. This drama made me cry, laugh out loud, cringe (Paulit ulit ako haha) and so much more. This drama caught me offguard. It’s so fun to watch and that’s not even all. It makes you think about so many things especially God, good and bad, death, your deeds, you past and so on. It’s really a drama for everyone. It has everything you could wish for: Romance, comedy, poetry, drama and so much more. There’s something about this drama that was really addicting.

Why I like Goblin a lot?

Aside from the unique pairing of Goblin and Eun Tak, the bromance between Goblin and Grim Reaper is really enjoyable. The way they annoy each other is such a riot. Lol One of my favorite funny moments of these two is when they are trying to learn how to use cellphone. Deok Hwa, a younger servant of Goblin, told them the basics on using phone. He said, they should go first to the appstore to download apps then suddenly Goblin started to wear his coat. I was laughing so hard during that scene.

Goblin and Eun Tak’s loveteam is a breath of fresh air. It’s an unusual pair because of the age difference but the chemistry of the two is really cute.They’re not the typical clingy couple but there’s something in them that will make you love them.

Grim Reaper and Sunny’s amazing lovestory. I really love the concept of their relationship. Grim reaper being innocent about impressing girls is so adorable. I think fellow KDrama fans will agree on me that they are another example of second lead syndrome. I seriously hoped that they could make another drama together.

WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK JOO

One word to begin with….. Sweeeeg!

Synopsis: Kim Bok Joo is a weightlifting athlete in a sports university. Her seemingly ordinary life becomes interrupted as she reunited with her elementary schoolmate, Joon Hyung who’s currently an athlete of the swimming team.

WLFKBJ possibly one of the underrated dramas last 2016. I love almost everything about this drama because it really shows the charm and trials of the youths. I seriously wish I could just fill this blog post with only heart emoticons. This drama makes my heart so full and I’m loving it so freaking much. WLFKBJ feels so raw, real and beautiful with more resemblance to life and less of fiction. From the moment I saw the preview online, I felt like this show would really fits my taste.

Here’s the main things that made this show works for me:

The people and stories feels real and relatable. While dramaland is full of shows with fantastical and unusual set-ups, this drama’s charm lies in just how ordinary it’s setting is and how ordinary its characters are.

Lee Sung Kyung as Kim Bok Joo. Oh my God I love her. At first I will admit that I found Bok Joo’s acting a bit exaggerated and her body movements so unnatural but once I accepted that Bok Joo really is a person who walks weird and who really couldn’t help crumpling her face into a pout on a regular basis, I grew to love her. I seriously can relate to Bok Joo, from dealing with self-image, to crushing on boys, to finding meaning in what she does. Maybe because Bok Joo is relatable, I often find myself in her.

Nam Joo Hyuk as Joon Hyung. I Honestly prays to God to have my own Joon Hyung. I just love how he cares so much for Bok Joo even before they become a couple. Which leads to my next favorite thing, Joon Hyung Sweetness. I love it. I love that Bok Joo doesn’t need to be anything or anyone other than herself, to inspire this kind of loyalty, affection and head-over-heels love from him. The two of them shared an amazing amount of chemistry in this show. The skinship feels so natural and easy, I feel like they’ve cuddled a lot before and I’m completely blown away. These two is consistently cute together.

The Friendship of Bok Joo, Seon Ok and Nan Hee.I love that no matter what came between them, they remain as good friends. I seriously can see my friends on them. (Shoutout to my squad. Love you. Ewww Haha) So endearing and yes, full of SWAG!

So far, WLFKBJ is my most loved drama. I don’t know when will I get over because it only sets another standard for me to look at on the coming dramas this year.

The Dramas that I’ve mentioned above is highly recommended I’m assuring you all you won’t regret watching them.Goodnight, Good Morning and SWEEEG!

14 notes · View notes

ginnyzero · 4 years ago

Text

Completely Harmless Ch. 43

Completely Harmless An SSO SilverGlade Re-imagining Story (Or Fix it Fan Salt fic) By Ginny O.

When Lily and her friends wanted to buy horses and were directed to the Silverglade Manor and its myriad of problems, they didn’t expect to start a revolution. They were just a bunch a stable girls. Completely harmless. Right?

A/N: Things are only canon if I say they’re canon. Pre-Saving the Moorland Stables compliant for the most part. Posted in its entirety on my website. Posted in 2000 to 4000 word bits here. Rated T for Swearing Word Count 177,577

Chapter Forty-Three The Harp.... Lyre of Aideen. Shibby?

Linda woke Lily early. Long before the sun was up. “Come on, we have to go.” She whispered and shoved cocoa and toast into Lily’s hands. Lily groaned. It’d been a late night. Didn’t Linda remember that?

Lily’s horse whuffed and huffed as she got him ready. She patted his nose. “I’m sorry, boy. It has to be done.”

He nuzzled her in understanding. She gave him an extra carrot for putting up with this nonsense.

She and Linda rode to Firgrove. The hooves of their horses clopping dully in the early morning air. They didn’t go into the village proper, which was impossible since the gates were closed for the night still. Instead, they turned up a path that went towards a mountain pass. But they didn’t stay on the zig zagging track for long. Instead, Linda urged Meteor past a large pine tree and onto the grass where there was no path. But if Lily tilted her head and squinted her eye, she could see that there was a flat section that could be a path. No one used it, so it wasn’t worn down.

They had to turn around another copse of firs and continued upwards. There was a pass and around them in large piles were sleeping wolves. The horses lifted their hooves and gently set them back down very carefully. They turned into a shallow basin and inside was the primeval tree that Lily had seen during the trail ride.

“Almost there,” Linda whispered.

Lily reached up to try and touch one of the lights. It slipped through her fingers, brighter in the darkness of the early morning.

Another path led over the bowl again though it wasn’t easy to get over it. They had to walk the horses. And a path led out to a jut in the mountain that overlooked the Silversong River and the Hollow Woods. In the distance, the castle was nothing but a big blue shadow like the mountains.

They stood on the edge of the jut.

“This faces west,” Lily hissed.

“She rode from West to East,” Linda murmured.

“Talk about an opposite,” Lily mumbled.

“Shhh,” Linda gestured.

The sun broke over the mountain behind them and touched the mountains in the distance.

Lily strained her ears and almost didn’t hear it. She hit record on her phone just in case. But she shut her eyes to listen more over the sounds of the wind, the sounds of the early morning birds, as if they were delivered directly to her ears and no one else’s, the sound of harp notes. She hummed along as the same refrain repeated over and over.

The notes died.

Lily opened her eyes to find Linda staring at her.

“Perfect pitch,” Lily explained and turned her phone off. “Maybe it got my humming. Did you hear it?”

“Yes, it was beautiful.”

“The beat seems off though,” Lily murmured. She shrugged. They’d have to figure it out later. Her stomach growled.

So did Meteor’s.

Linda laughed. “By the time we get down Ma Anna’s shop should be open.”

“Good, we can have something more than toast!” Lily half-smiled. “Isn’t that right, Meteor?”

Meteor nodded rapidly in agreement.

They turned off going back down. Lily took a picture of the tree as they did.

Ma Anna’s pastry shop was open and they both got thick slices of Zebra Cake and more Cocoa to wash it down. By the time they were done with that, the transports were up and running so they were able to take a ride to Fort Pinta and hop a bus to Jorvik City.

“Um, can we stop at the party supply store before the museum,” Lily asked Linda with a wince. “Rainbow Week almost ended up a pastel pink disaster thanks to Loretta.”

Linda widened her eyes. “You guys pulled out all the stops. I don’t even want to know where you got the money.”

“Ask us no questions and we’ll tell you no lies,” Lily intoned. “I think you underestimate how much we were able to toss into a pot to get it going. Especially after we covered the Bulldogz share. The event paid for itself and gave us a kitty for this one.”

Linda blinked. “You all tossed money into a single pot.”

“Yeah, part of Club dues. You are paying us to help around the stable and the gardens. So, we take part of that money and put into the Club pot as dues. Then out of those dues we can contribute towards oh, group trail rides, or doing events like Rainbow Week.” Lily shrugged. “We haven’t had a lot of time to do trail rides or train the horses because we’ve been so busy.”

“Well, once we get things settled down, hopefully after the Midsummer, what is it you’re calling it, Midsummer Beach Party?”

“Right, it’s the Midsummer Festival over in Moorland, and the Fort Pinta Beach Party. But we’re going to expand it to make the Beach Party county wide and let Moorland keep the Midsummer aspects of it.”

“Have you talked to Tim about this?”

“Tim?”

“Tim Hooper, he runs the Beach Party as part of the Fort Beach Association.”

“Oh, him, I forgot about him.” Lily rubbed her forehead. “We were going to talk to him about Rainbow Week but then it slipped our minds. No. I haven’t talked to him.”

“He lives here in Jorvik City.”

“And he runs the Fort Pinta Beach Party because why?”

Linda shrugged.

Lily rolled her eyes. “Well, store first so I can see what’s available in ‘beach’ themes. Then I guess we can pound down his door to invite him to this afternoon’s meeting and then the museum. If it’s not too much of a bother.”

“You’re not a bother, Lily.” Linda grinned. “This is exciting. I’ll be documenting it for Jorvikgram.”

Lily groaned.

“You’re going to be a celebrity.”

The store had plenty of decoration types and Linda got plenty of pictures, even insisting that Lily pose among some flowers. “It’s trending.”

Lily did it to make Linda happy. She got her own pictures of the decorations that might fit the ‘beach’ theme.

They found a place to have a snack, and then went and knocked on Tim Hooper’s door. (Phone directories were wonderful things.)

Tim ran his hand through his long hair as he yanked it open. “Yes?”

It was obvious he was not expecting company, and college age.

“Tim Hooper?” Lily asked, just to make sure.

He grinned. “Shibby, that’s me.”

“Right,” Lily breathed. “Um, Tim, so, I’m Lily and I run a riding club in South New Jorvik County and the presidents of the other riding clubs and I are having a meeting this afternoon about the Midsummer Beach Party. As you’re part of the Fort Pinta Beach Association and do the Beach Party there. We’d like to invite you to this afternoon’s planning session.”

“Swag as, that sounds dope,” Tim said. “I’ll be there.”

“Right, the Silverglade Council House. Um be there, or be square?” Lily said tentatively.

“You’re a total tall tree, I’ll be there. Shibby!”

Lily nodded, eyes wide and a smile pasted on her face. “See you then.” She turned around and gave Linda the widest eyes she could. What the hell was Tim on?

Linda shrugged.

The door closed and Lily glanced over her shoulder. Tim was back inside.

“Okay, what drugs is he on? Is this just another Jorvik thing?”

“Tim is in a class of his own.”

“Just wow,” Lily breathed. “Wow.”

Linda giggled and they got on the tram to go to the Museum.

The Museum coordinator wasn’t precisely convinced that it was for a good cause. Linda had to bring up the Baroness’ name several times for him to let them take the harp out of storage. They had to find it among the boxes and medieval saddles and pottery. It had its own specially shaped case. He admonished that it was fragile.

Lily double checked the case over and satisfied it was sturdy, she saluted the museum coordinator with it. “We’ll take good care of it.”

But by the time they got to the bus, Lily was fuming.

Linda gave her an odd look.

“This isn’t a harp, it’s a lyre,” Lily hissed at her.

“It’s a type of harp.”

Lily sighed. “Well, you can’t keep the strings taut all the time. It will warp it. And gut strings depend on tension and thickness to make different sounds.”

Linda stared blankly at her.

Lily muttered under her breath. “And it doesn’t have any pins. This is going to have to be done string by string, by hand, presuming the gut is any good at all.”

Linda blinked.

“This is precisely why I never went into music,” Lily continued to mutter. “All the tuning and retuning.”

Linda ventured a question. “You were into music.”

“I was,” Lily said. “Music and travel most of the time don’t mix when you’re learning.”

Linda nodded not at all understanding.

“Too many teachers. Too many different styles of teaching. It gets too frustrating.” Lily wrapped her arm around the case.

“So, you’ve played string instruments.”

“Guitar, mandolin, um, viola, the idea is the same but in modern instruments, the length of the string also determines the tone of the note.”

“Lisa plays a guitar.”

“It’s not a one to one curve you know,” Lily said. “I’m going to have to play with it and,” she shrugged. “The Weeping Widow might not get her waking up right away.”

“Once you have the hang of it, and I know you’ll get the hang of it. We’ll be able to help the Weeping Widow and she can help us find out more about Lisa and Anne.” Linda nodded her head. “I have faith in you, Lily.”

“Any reason she wants me to do it, and not you. You’re the Soul Rider.”

“I don’t know. Healing is more Lisa’s thing. She was the first Soul Rider to awaken in this generation and bond to her horse.”

“Starshine. How is he doing?”

“Better. He misses Lisa. He’s annoyed that Elizabeth doesn’t want to believe him. I think he’s going to kick down her door.”

“I’d um, pay to see that.”

“Maybe Melissa will catch it on video,” Linda grinned.

“So, who awakened next?”

“I did,” Linda said. “The Moon circle is always second according to my reading. While the Stars have the power to Heal, the Moon has the power to see the past and the present. You don’t need still waters, but the mirror fountain at the garden will help. My visions have been clouded of late. I wonder if it’s Garnok interfering.”

“Or the future isn’t as set as they’d like you to believe. We all make choices. Our choices make us who we are and the intent of those choices matter too.”

Linda nodded. “That’s wise.”

“Harry Potter.”

Linda laughed. “You and your group have all this knowledge from the oddest places.”

“Okay, so Lightning is what? Defense.”

“Defense and offense. Alex has an ability called Soul Strike and she can make wards and shields.”

“And then Anne can travel to and from Pandoria, I think that’s what Alex said.”

“Yes, she can open and close the gates of Pandoria. We all manipulate Pandoria’s energy in different ways you see and for different purposes.”

“And too much Pandorian energy in the mundane world is bad.”

“It’s what changed the Jorvik Warmblood Sports and the Jorvik Starter Ponies to be what they are today.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever gotten really wild to see them.”

“They also can hide themselves if they want,” Linda said and sighed. “They don’t have to change to their true forms if they don’t want to do so. They only reveal themselves to those they trust most. It can take time to form that bond.”

The bus rumbled to a halt outside Fort Pinta.

“It is way past my lunch time,” Lily said.

Linda agreed. So, they made a bee line for the Fort Pinta café. Pia waved at them.

They both had lunch and Linda took a transport back to the winery taking the precious lyre with her with promises of research into the care and tuning of it for when Lily returned.

FOR THE ACCOMPANYING IMAGES PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE MY WATERMARK AND CONTACT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. I get it. Some of you might get excited and want to see this stuff in the game, especially the clothes, tack, and pets. However, the only way I want to see this in the game is if I get paid for it. If I see it in the game and I’m not paid for it, there will be hell to pay. You think I’m salty. I’d be angry. Personally, I’m not going to send this info to SSO. If you do, leave my contact information there! Don’t give them any excuses to steal.

Now, I’ll know you haven’t read this note if you leave me comments about how ‘salty’ I am about the game and if I hate it so much I should do something else. I am doing something else. It’s called Mystic Riders MMORPG Project. Mystic Riders however is a very baby phase game. You can check out our plans on the game dev blog. (Skills, Factions, Professions, Crafting, Mini-Games, 25+ horse breeds!) If you know anyone who would be interested and has money or contacts about game making, direct them to the blog.

#star stable #star stable online #sso #fan fic #jorvik reimagined #star stable salt #completely harmless #silverglade reimagined #oh boy the shibby dude #many nods to ruth westside

0 notes

married-world-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Unathi

I am outside the police station, crying in my car, unable to gather myself to go and drop the charges against PayPay. I decide that I will ready my addiction, “My Worth Crowned You”, while I wait. Perhaps some divine intervention will come upon me and help me decide on a way forward.

The chapter that I read is the where a professional side-chick is killed by the rage of the wife. Dear universe, if you are trying to communicate something with me through this book, please make your message louder and not subject it to just my new found addiction in ready My Worth Crowned You. Universe, please put a gun or a knife in my hand… something – anything – and I will kill PayPay in a heartbeat. Except, I do not have a husband who will cover up the murder for me.

My phone rings. It is my mother-in-law. I am telling her everything. I am telling her what her son is doing to me, our marriage, and the elders’ investments in my marriage. The Buthelezi elders must help me deal with PayPay because their son is evidently blinded by the abuse that they feed him. He is no different to an abused woman actually. The signs, the actions, the way that he responds to all of this: he is an abused man. And he actually wants to marry by his abuser.

“Sawubona Mah”, I greet her.

“Makoti. Ukuphi?” she replies. She is cold like that.

“I am outside a holding cell mah”, I say.

There is silence over the phone.

“Angizwanga?” Her.

“I am outside a holding cell”, I continue.

“Doing what?” she coldly asks.

“Nkosinathi asked me to release the woman who put him in hospital from jail”, I say.

She is quiet.

Then she says, “Send me your location. Don’t move, I am on my way”.

…

As I am sitting in the car waiting for my mother-in-law, I see Khensani walking out of the holding cells with bloody Pay-Pay. I think about getting out and causing drama, but then I would be displaying to them how frustrated they are making me. But if I sit here and do nothing, I will be suffering alone. I call Nkosinathi’s mother and tell her to not come anymore because Patience has been bailed out by a friend and has left.

An insecurity overcomes me and I decide to follow them. I hope and pray that they do not see me. I need to know why this girl has the hold that she has on my husband and is threatening the functionality of that marriage. We get to some very stylish apartments in Sunninghill. The gate opens as they approach it. I assume she lives here so she has the remote control to open the gate. While I am sitting here trying to figure out how I will get in, a security guard approaches my car.

“Sisi, can we help you?” the guard with a foreign accent says to me after knocking on my tinted window.

“I am looking for the closest shopping centre. I was hoping that you could perhaps direct me?” I say.

“You don’t live around here?” the security guard enquires.

“No I don’t. I was visiting a friend”, I say.

He directs me but I rather focus on just removing myself from this gate.

I reverse my car without saying thank you or goodbye. I am so rude, gosh. Please forgive me.

I park my car just behind the complex and hope for something to happen. Nkosinathi calls me. I do not pick up the phone. He calls again, I do not pick up the call.

I see Patience and Khensani walk out of the complex. They seem to be going across the road. It is a nursery school there. Khensani stays outside while Patience goes in. She walks out with a child who is the spitting image of her. She has a daughter. Wow. My insecurities grow more than intense. Pay-Pay is actually very beautiful. She is wearing simple black jeans and a simple white t-shirt. She has her afro out. She has no make-up. She is a beautiful dark-skinned woman. Now I see what Nathi sees in her. Why does she not respect herself a whole lot better? She is unbelievably gorgeous. And this mother thing – it makes her shimmer even more. I catch myself smiling yet jealous at the same time.

In no time, a Jeep Wrangler parks in front of them. A hectically old white man steps out of the car. Khensani runs away. Patience tries to push her daughter out of the way but the daughter trips and falls. Khensani keeps on running. Patience is beaten to a pulp by this white man. The daughter runs and hides behind a tree. The white man shoves Patience in the car. The car drives off.

The daughter is frightened beyond belief. I am frightened beyond belief. This quiet suburb identifies no witnesses to what just happened. I get out of the car. The daughter looks at me. She is not sure if she should run to me for comfort or run away from me in order to obey the principle of not talking to strangers.

“Hi”, I say as I get to her.

She looks away. She is crying.

“My name is Thandeka. I’d like to help you”, I say.

She looks at me, hesitant. I don’t think she knows what to do right now. And honestly, neither do I.

“Look, I know your mother. I saw what just happened. I will keep you safe until she comes back. Or I can take you to a relative that you may know of until your mom comes back”, I say.

“Take me too uncle Nathi’s house”, she says. She knows my husband. Lovely. Who knew that whores use their kids in this game?

“I am uncle Nathi’s wife so you would be going to my house”, I say.

“You are?” she seems surprised.

I nod my head.

“Uncle Nathi loves my mom. And he loves me. And I am going to be his daughter soon”, she says.

I look at her.

“Actually, you can stay right here. I will tell uncle Nathi to come and get you instead”, I say as I walk away from her.

“Please don’t leave me here by myself. If those men come back, they will do nasty things to me”, she says in desperation.

I want to say that’s not my problem. Inhlonipho phela ayikho la. How can she say those things to me after I have told her who I am? The next thing I will have this little insolent brat in my house calling shots because she is Nathi’s daughter now?

But she looks scared.

“Please Thandeka”, she begs. You see what I mean? Not even a Sis’Thandeka nyana?

“Get in the car”, I say. She sprints to my car and jumps into the backseat. She buckles herself in. She looks at me. I look at her.

I drive off.

…

I get to my house and find that Nathi has been discharged. Everyone is amazed at the child that I am walking in with and Nathi is the only one who knows who this is.

“Uncle Nathi!” the girl yells as she runs to him. My in-laws are beyond confused.

Nathi looks at me while hugging the girl, seeking an explanation.

“Uncle Nathi, those nasty men came for mom again and took her. Thandeka helped me run away. I told her that you love me, you love my mom, and that I am going to be your princess soon”, she blurts out.

Nathi’s mother looks at me.

“Yini le Nkosinathi?” Nathi’s father barks.

Nathi is silent.

“Manyala mani lawa enzekayo?” his father continues.

“Uncle Nathi say something”, the girl says.

“Hey! Shut up wena man. This is not your mother’s house. You are making a noise”, Nathi’s mother yells at the little girl and she hides behind Nathi.

I am actually hurting. I feel like screaming. I have a hatred towards this child. I am growing a hatred for Nathi too. I cannot live like this. I actually want to go back home. I want to be with my mom. I need her to comfort me and I need my dad to shelter me. I don’t have any friends or siblings. I have never felt so alone in my life. My marriage to Nathi was more bearable when I knew nothing about his life outside of me.

“Can I please speak to my wife?” Nathi says.

I just look at him.

“I need to go for a run”, I say.

I walk past everyone in the room, get into my bedroom, change into fitness tights, a long t-shirt, and my Puma running sneakers. I get a cap and throw it over my braids. I get out of the bedroom, the TV room is still silent. I leave. I get to the gate of our complex. I take a deep breath. I cry a little bit. I wipe my tears and I start running. Silly me did not stretch before my run so 3km into my run, I pull a muscle. The pain is unbearable but it does not come close to the pain in my heart. I start limping, heading into the direction of a mall. I need some air. I cannot go back home right now.

“Hey”, a man stops his car next to me. This just simply reminds me of the boys in KZN who work in Joburg for three months, buy a Polo-nyana and then come back home to promise us village girls a good life… stopping us as walk to the shop as if his Polo-swag speaks for itself. I find the entire image funny, so I giggle.

“Hawu ausi ka nnete o tlo tsamaya fela and just laugh at me?” he says, trying to be smooth.

I didn’t even hear what he said at the beginning of his sentence so he can actually just drive on. I will keep limping on.

He stops the car. Typical KZN-Polo-boy behaviour.

He runs to me.

“I think you have hurt yourself a bit. Let me help you”, he says.

“Thanks but my husband is a doctor. I will be fine”, I say. He is disappointed.

“Let me at least take you home”, he says.

“No thanks”, I say. Still giggling. I guess he is reading this as me playing hard to get.

Another car stops there next to us. Tshepo aka Dr Moagi sprints out of the car.

“Ek se”, he intimidates the Polo guy.

“Sho”, the Polo guy says.

“Everything okay?” Tshepo enquires.

“The lady seems hurt. I was just helping out”, the Polo guy says.

“Thanks but I got it. This is my boy’s wife. I am sure you understand”, Tshepo.

The guys shake hands and Polo dude gets back into his Polo and drives off.

“You okay?” Tshepo asks.

I just roll my eyes at him and limp on.

“I am on my way to your house, I can give you a lift”, he offers.

“No thanks”, I say. And keep on limping.

“Thandeka, I am really sorry about everything”, he says.

I ignore him and painfully limp towards a coffee shop in sight.

I settle there, order myself some coffee and croissants. I pull out my phone and read the pdf of my addiction – My Worth Crowned You.

In the middle of Kea confronting Mohato about Ntombi the maid-mistress, Nathi sits in front of me. I look at him. I am actually annoyed.

“I heard that you injured yourself. Let me have a look”, he says.

“I will be okay”, I say.

“Where’s Patience?” he asks me.

“Nathi, ufunani la?” I ask him. Nathi doesn’t respect me yaz.

“I need to know where Patience is”, he says.

“Why would I know where Patience is? Ngi-gosha naye mina?” I clap back.

He is silent.

“Where did you find Unathi?” He asks me after a brief silence.

“Ubani u-Unathi?” I ask him.

“Patience’s daughter”, he says.

Wow, now I truly have heard it all.

“Nathi, I know ekhaya kuthiwa kumele ngibekezele. Kodwa this is just pure and uncalled-for disrespect. Awusangiboni at all. And awusangihloniphi. Akusena mshado la phakathi kwami nawe. I think it’s time I went back home. Ngizokhuluma nabantu abadala and then you and I can get a divorce. I may be a village girl, but I know my worth. I don’t care how much of a prince you are… I am also a princess. You have me rolling in mud with whores and then you have the audacity to sit here and ask me about your whore and its child? I should have left that child there. But ke, it doesn’t matter. I am driving back home tonight. I am done with you. I am done with this Patience bull-shit. And I am done with trying this marriage thing with you”, I say.

He did not expect that at all. He is beyond shocked.

“Ngicela ungahambi Thandeka. I am sorry. I will treat you better. I will respect you better. Kodwa ngiyakucela nkosikazi, please don’t leave me”, he says.

“Nathi you don’t even want me. You want Patience. You have made that very clear. And I don’t deserve to be where I am not wanted. All of this is difficult for me too. I did not choose to marry you Nathi. But you truly believe that it is an honour for me to be married to you. It is not”, I say.

“Please do not leave me. We will work this out. Please nkosikazi”, he begs. He is on his knees. The entire coffee shop is starring.

I’d be a bitch if I were to tell him to go to hell right now wouldn’t I?

“Nathi”, a voice says.

We both look up at the human hovering over us. It is Khensani…

And Pay-Pay beaten up to a pulp.

Nathi looks at me as if seeking permission to attend to Pay-Pay.

I get up and leave the coffee shop before I could even get my order.

I stand outside and wait for an uber. Nathi comes and stands with me. I order my uber ride via my app.

“I don’t know what to do”, he says.

I am quiet.

“Please tell me what to do and I will do it”, he says.

I am silent.

“I am begging you. Anything you say, I will do. Just tell me what to do and I promise you, I will do it”, he keeps begging.

“Be with Patience” I say.

My uber arrives.

“Please don’t leave me Thandeka”, he begs me one more time.

I limp to my uber and leave him on his knees outside the coffee shop.

0 notes

curtisthompsonie · 7 years ago

Text

one styles his Big Island

To me, all of last year gave me a boost. Those are some pretty fine pieces MLB Jerseys Usa to have moving forward. You know, is an elite player this league. Cheap NFL Jerseys Usa Smith replay when you see it. As his team only won 51 that year, his ratio Mitch Morse Authentic Jersey of winning 31% of his team’s was the highest for any starting pitcher since . This is terrific value, considering that Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap is being selected behind Gio and Le’Veon , both of whom are only as efficient as was last , Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap and ‘t hold a candle to his 2012 production. He looked like a man among boys and Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap his momentum has continued into training camp. As part of the special Series, Robitaille also have a statue unveiled Plaza at STAPLES Center. Tell me, if Savard wasn’t THE most central figure for those deep runs then who was it because your goaltending theory just exploded.

Ron Hextall can look at drafting the No. Both Sharpe and Matthews are expected to carve out roster spots a depth chart that includes Desmond Jennings Jersey , Wright, Dorial Green-Beckham and . By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the Cheap NFL Jerseys Usa right to reproduce and publish that comment whole or part, any manner CBC chooses. If I eat and leave plate on Authentic Derek Carr Jersey the counter, she’ll be like, put your plate the sink, Lillard said. I really am. I didn’t grow late, I was always one of the biggest guys at age. Greene also plays shortstop at Notre Dame and he is a legitimate prospect as a position player as well, though the consensus among the scouting community is that he has far more potential on the mound.

At 25 years http://www.officialusahockeysshop.com/Cheap_Olympic_Dustin_Brown_Jersey old, Bouye is the best player you have never heard of. For example, to http://www.officialauthenticfalconshop.com/Nike-Desmond-Trufant-Jersey.html add additional questions or steps you would have to add and edit multiple files: Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap SurveyController, Blade templates, etc. Could he point to why, after so years as the NHL’s dominant force, the Conference seems to have taken a step back the last two Cheap Jerseys China seasons? FYI: is wearing earrings. Grimm started 11 seasons at guard for the Redskins and helped lead the team to four Super Bowl appearances and three victories. Collected three RBIs each a 11 contest against UT-Pan American and the series opener at New Mexico on 16. I felt like stuff is good, Cain said of the start. Every is its new entity and we have to lay the foundation and and June the Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale time to do it, he added. He showed no signs of letting up last night either the few snaps he played against the 49ers. and Tyrin shared rebound duties with five apiece. Getting to Cheap Jerseys China the free-throw line was the way to win.

We’re getting our swag back, our chemistry. They’re asking the question how did we wind up here and then someone is asking how the heck do we get out of here? Gase remains high on second-year back Ajayi, but a healthy would have the chance to steal the job from him. He returned the third and skated seven shifts, down from 11 shifts the opening frame. that contest, following a second-quarter punt, Hekker picked up a 15-yard roughness penalty for shoving Seahawks defensive end Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale . I can’t imagine the team carrying more than three quarterbacks, and two of those spots go to Romo and Dak Prescott – no doubt about it. We could have went a completely different direction, and that might have been a little disappointing for me, reliever Adam Ottavino said.

The turn-off knob is broke. County Road North, Niota, Ill.: Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap no drivers license, no insurance and two counts of hit and run. Instead, the sweetness is Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap tinged with a surprising amount of heat and vinegar that left us http://www.officialwizardshop.com/authentic-5-juwan-howard-jersey.html battling over pieces with our chopsticks. His sudden passing Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital after taking ill at Christmas was a shock and a cause of much grief and sadness for them. Boston Bruins legend & NHL Hall of Famer, Bourque gives a tour of his beautiful North End restaurant – Tresca. The more you linger on it, worry about the last game, you might let two or MLB Jerseys Usa three slip-ups happen. For most franchises, the exhibition is simply Cheap Jerseys China a way for NFL owners to force ticket holders to buy two more , but the Goff-watch makes the Rams’ exhibition compelling. Accompanied by Big jazzman Newman and Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale his quintet, Gaga showcase jazz standards. Whatever and the trainer agree on, that’s what it’s going to be at the end of the day.

His first goal came on December 13 a 2 win against the Rangers. cycles approximately 2000 each year and I cycle more than Cheap NFL Jerseys Usa 3500 each year. Get out there and stay fit and MLB Jerseys Usa healthy riding . Even more, he is the best at getting crybabies to comment on any article that mentions him. But saw something Pitino that he could relate to, something that has helped the two build a relationship that is part of the reason the Gophers (18, 6 Big… Apparently, the GD bomb was magic enough for West, who quickly tossed Holt. We’d love to see more startups, more experimentation, more investment, more long-shots into funding models, more doubling-down into technologies that benefit journalists, users and the world.

Main, Grapevine, TX 76051-the same address listed on the registration filings for Merelle Worldwide and LineLogix-and lists , , and , as well as Penick, as Directors. We got the Warriors on Friday and a five-game road trip, the next two or three are going to be tough. They currently sit seventh place the Eastern Conference, though their 14 record isn’t inspiring a lot of confidence.

The post one styles his Big Island appeared first on LocalVideoPros.com.

one styles his Big Island posted first on http://www.localvideopros.com/ one styles his Big Island published first on http://localvideopros.blogspot.com

0 notes

fashiontrendin-blog · 7 years ago

Text

The Rules For Matching Your Trainers To Your Outfit

http://fashion-trendin.com/the-rules-for-matching-your-trainers-to-your-outfit/

The Rules For Matching Your Trainers To Your Outfit

It seems unbelievable that trainers were once only appropriate for gym-goers, shoplifters and rappers with enough swag to pull off full streetwear looks all day, every day. Right now, though, the sneaker market is booming. The relaxing of dress codes means you can wear your kicks to almost any occasion – and who doesn’t love shoes that are less likely to leave your feet in ribbons of skin after a day’s wear? That’s right, nobody.

There’s a lot of choice, but unfortunately it’s not that easy to slip into something more comfortable. There are rules for wearing trainers well – which we take very, very seriously. Sure, minimalist designs go with most things in your wardrobe, but what about the trend for chunky, ugly sneakers? Or retro runners? Or skater-style slip-ons?

Helpfully, we’ve written them all down here so you never put a foot wrong.

Bold Trainers

The Rule: Pair With Simple, Statement-Free Clothing

Luxury, minimalist sneakers may be the shoes that convinced men to do the unthinkable (wear sports shoes with a suit) but right now, rumblings of a mutiny are afoot and big, bold trainers are on the march. Oversized soles, clashing colours, larger-than-life logos and – dare we say it – downright garish designs are having their day. There’s a new breed of trainer in town that DGAF about clean lines.

With all that attention seeking going on, you’ll need to tell the rest of your look to chill out a bit. The Guardian’s menswear editor, Helen Seamons, says: “The trick to styling statement trainers is to play down the rest of your outfit. Think Balenciaga’s dad-core look – straight-fit jeans and a very regular-looking shirt or sweatshirt will do.

“You’ll [also] need to stick to plain colours and avoid big logos and prints, or you risk an outfit that becomes too shouty.” Easy does it guys, easy does it.

Retro Trainers

The Rule: Wear With Modern Pieces

In an age of global uncertainty and bizarre daily political developments, is it any surprise that we’re getting all misty eyed and nostalgic for times gone by? Retro trainers are the footwear equivalent of battening down the hatches, sticking on some Britpop and mentally blocking out utter chaos of the 21st century.

Throwback trainers aren’t an excuse to crack out a highly flammable pastel tracksuit though. They should nod to the past but be firmly planted in the present. “Reinventing retro trainers can be difficult,” says George Nicholson, deputy editor at The Idle Man. “Cropped trousers, however, are perfect for giving your shoes a new look. Team with an overcoat and a simple T-shirt [or sweatshirt] and you’ve got a contemporary spin.”

Another style switch up you can make is to pair them with luxurious wool trousers for an eye-catching high-low combination.

Slip-Ons

The Rule: Wear With Classic, Well-Cut Clothing

Trainers on their own are already conducive to happy feet, but take away the faff of lacing up and you’ve got a genuine feat of human ingenuity. Until fairly recently, only skaters ‘got it’, but now slip-ons are for anyone in favour of kicking their shoes off: i.e. everyone.

It’s not the noughties though, and (presumably) you’re not desperately hoping that Avril Lavigne will notice you, so steer clear of anything that’s textbook ‘Sk8er Boi’. “The classic Vans silhouette was everywhere this season, but the style went high-end: Tom Ford, Common Projects and Givenchy are just a few of the brands [which produced their own take],” says Paul Higgins, brand stylist for Reiss.

“[Try teaming] this classic shoe shape with navy linen separates or a seersucker suit.” The takeaway? You’re looking to achieve suave slip-on style here, not scuffed-up stoner chic, so think tailored lines and muted colours.

Terrace Trainers

The Rule: Wear With Smart-Casual Pieces

America, you can keep your basketball high-tops because quite frankly, when it comes to true sports footwear icons, the terrace trainer (popularised on England’s football terraces) is untouchable. Okay, we may be – slightly – biased but there’s a reason that the terrace trainer’s gum soles have been pounding the pavement for decades; they’re truly classic kicks.

As such a ubiquitous shoe, however, there’s every danger of being mistaken for a rain-sodden teenager chilling at the shopping centre on Saturday. “Terrace trainers provide an instant way add a dash of vintage to a outfit,” says Phill Tarling, a menswear stylist who has worked with the likes of Tom Hardy and John Hurt. “When it comes to styling, try getting smart.”

That means swerving the joggers and keeping it classy by teaming with heritage pieces like wool trousers, macs and houndstooth coats, or contemporary staples like cropped trousers and chambray shirts. Leave the football scarf at home, too.

Minimal Trainers

The Rule: Wear With Simple, Pared-Back Pieces

Cast your mind back 10 or so years, if you will. Minimal trainers weren’t a ‘thing’ and the closest you’d get to inconspicuous was a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors, which (though admittedly great) are pretty standard issue. Then came the minimal movement, when everything got a Scandinavian dose of good taste and designers began to rein in the crazy.

Minimal trainers are really, really, ridiculously good looking, so you’ll need to keep the surrounding pieces simple and the lines of your outfit sleek to do them justice. Think tailored separates, pared-back normcore or something more a little more formal. “Styling a sharp suit with trainers is one of my favourite looks for the office,” says Seamons.

“A pair of plain leather lace-ups from Common Projects or Eytys will look smart and modern, though the high street has lots of versions from as little as £25. The most important point is to keep them pristine by investing in some shoe wipes to restore the box-fresh look for every outing.” It’s not just the cut of your clothes that should be clean.

Lifestyle Runners

The Rule: Wear With Luxe Sportswear & Tailored Pieces

Technology without pulse-quickening design is never satisfactory. Case in point? Tablets that aren’t iPads. We don’t care what they can do if they’re not wrapped in cool-to-the-touch curved aluminium. Thankfully, high-tech trainers have finally figured this out. So, alongside jargony materials and cushion technology, lifestyle runners now have beauty to match the brains.

When styling, you shouldn’t completely shy away from their sporting credentials, but you don’t want to look like you’re en route to the gym either. Sporty but sharp is the aim, says Nicholson. “Nike Flyknits and Adidas Ultra Boosts are perfect for adding an element of streetwear to your look.” He recommends tailored overcoats or distressed denim to counterbalance the gym vibe, but you need an athletic element somewhere in your look, so consider a hoodie or luxe slimline joggers. Rather than, say, a sweatband.

High-Tops

The Rule: Wear With Casual Pieces

Chances are, your first encounter with high-tops was as an awkward teen, rebelling against ‘the man’ by conforming to the perennial shoe choice of angry adolescents everywhere. We’re optimistic sorts, so we’re assuming that you’ve ditched the me-against-the-world mentality, which means it’s now time to reconsider this trainer style – and how to wear it post-high school.

“When wearing high-tops, think more smart-casual, less student union,” says Higgins. He recommends slim selvedge jeans, a flannel shirt and worker jacket for a classic dose of Americana, but they also work with everything from tailored chinos to combat pants, patterned knitwear to minimalist bombers. If it’s casual but not sloppy, you’ve got an all-star look every time.

0 notes

junker-town · 7 years ago

Text

‘Catholics vs. Convicts’ was an imperfect nickname back then, and definitely doesn't fit now

The 1980s slogan doesn’t accurately portray anything about the current Hurricanes.

Notre Dame vs. Miami has everything a prime-time game needs.

Two top-10 rivals, hype leading up to it, and College GameDay in town. Neither team was really expected to be this good this season, but they’re welcome surprises. The Canes built their undefeated record largely on one-score wins before dominating Virginia Tech while ND has looked dominant against everyone other than No. 1 Georgia.

But for all the fun inherent to this game, there’s something else: That nickname.

Let’s just get it out of the way.

If you’re still referring to the Notre Dame vs. Miami game as “Catholics vs. Convicts,” you’re using coded language. It’s become the unofficial name of the rivalry, and college football fans like to hang on to evocatively named games like the Red River Shootout and the World’s Largest Cocktail Party. But those rivalry names don’t deride a group of athletes as “convicts” for the image obtained by their predecessors 30 years prior.

As far as Miami’s concerned, these Canes are markedly different than their predecessors.

I’m not sure that even Miami fans really know what to do with them. This team has swagger, but it isn’t the same as it was in the 1980s or early 2000s.

They win, but they’re not doing it with rosters loaded on both sides with NFL talent. There is no Seventh Floor Crew, no boat parties with rogue boosters, and no Cocaine Cowboys-era excess.

No team is devoid of disciplinary issues. A walk-on QB was arrested for DUI and cocaine possession last September, and two were arrested for resisting arrest right before Mark Richt’s first spring practice. The QB is no longer on the roster, but the other two had their charges dropped and remain with the program.

At Georgia, Richt embraced one of the more strict drug policies in the country. The origin of the “Mark Richt has lost control” meme sprang from him constantly suspending and booting players for infractions that many other schools would’ve handled more quietly. So in fact, Richt tends to exercise more control that most coaches.

His Hurricanes lead the nation in community service, not player arrests.

Miami, in fact, was the No. 1 FBS football program last year in the NCAA’s community service competition. Players are required to put in hours in the offseason visiting parks, schools and places of charity, and in my experience covering those events, they do so eagerly. UM has players like Demetrius Jackson (a budding politician with big goals of helping his community), Chad Thomas (organizing a Christmas toy drive) and Braxton Berrios (finalist for a national “man of the year” award as well as the “Academic Heisman”).

And a coaching staff that once employed a much wilder version of Ed Orgeron now has guys who do this:

I don’t often retweet, but @Coach_MannyDiaz has been on mission trips with me to Nigeria, & on the battlefield with me on gameday! No one more deserving. https://t.co/vJsWDTkMol

— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) November 9, 2017

So what did these Hurricanes do to get people to invoke the “convicts” moniker? The answer lies in the turnover chain.

These badass Cuban links that adorn the neck of any Canes player who gets a takeaway:

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

They’re created by Miami’s own AJ the Jeweler, an idea spawned by former Cane Vince Wilfork. It is awesome, and probably the best of college football’s sideline props. And the links look familiar to anyone who’s seen a rapper from South Florida.

Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET

You know what comes next.

When the racists come out, you know THE U is back. http://pic.twitter.com/maYG8Agm8S

— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) November 6, 2017

Convict, like thug, can be a racial epithet. A Miami player wearing a prop to signify an achievement shouldn’t have any more of a “thug” connotation than Tom Herman wearing his custom-made grill to celebrate at Houston.

Thanks to @paulwallbaby, @TvJohnny and especially the Grill Committee for helping me keep my promise. #GoCoogs http://pic.twitter.com/V7wEon4IXN

— Coach Tom Herman (@CoachTomHerman) December 29, 2015

In the hook to the song that made the jewelry a national phenomenon in the early-2000s, Nelly sings, “Rob the jewelry store and tell 'em make me a grill,” but no one accused Herman of planning a robbery.

Richt says the chain is nothing but fun.

He went on The Herd and gave these comments about the jewelry:

“What’s wrong with that, you know?” Richt said. “People want to build it into something else. I can tell you — I tell my guys — I care more what is in your heart than how you wear your hair, if you’ve got a beard, or whatever the heck it may be.

“I care about how you act as a person and how you act as a teammate and a fellow student and all that. That’s what’s most important to me. We’ve got great — not good guys — we’ve got great guys on this team.”

For Richt, the concept of swag is just different.

youtube

“Swag is whooping the man on the other side of you! That’s what swag is,” he says. “Swag is, when the game’s over, we win the game! That’s what swag is.”

The rivalry’s unofficial name first adorned a T-shirt in 1988 made by two ND students.

At the time, the teams met every season, and that meeting determined the national champion in ‘88. Notre Dame won by one point on a questionable call in South Bend, then finished undefeated and No. 1. The Hurricanes finished 11-1 and No. 2.

Notre Dame has always purported itself to stand for everything that is good and pure in college football. The Catholic school in America’s heartland wants you to believe it is holier than thou. The words “God, country, Notre Dame,” appeared on the sleeves and helmet of an alternate jersey, and Touchdown Jesus oversees all.

In stark contrast, there was Miami. The 1980s Canes embraced the bad boy persona. They were loud, proud, and largely black. They showed up to a Fiesta Bowl in fatigues. They asked at a pre-bowl luncheon, “Did the Japanese sit down and eat dinner with Pearl Harbor before they bombed it?” before walking out. They owned their brashness. There were guns, alcohol, and drugs aplenty. There were also multiple run-ins with law enforcement.

But it’s not like those Irish were squeaky clean.

It took two teams to have a pregame brawl in 1988, after all. Afterward, then-coach Lou Holtz told his team to keep the game clean, but said that if the Canes wanted to throw down after the game in the parking lot, “hell yeah, if they do, fine,” per the 30 for 30 made about the ‘88 game. Per Pat Eilers (a player on that team) Holtz said, “You do me one favor: you save Jimmy Johnson’s ass for me.”

That doesn’t exactly vibe with the image. Neither does five players testing positive for steroids from 1987-1990, or an allegation by a former player of much more rampant PED use. Holtz reportedly spit in a player’s face during a public scrimmage, and a longtime Holtz assistant said he saw the coach passing money to a recruit while at Minnesota. Holtz had a penchant for leaving NCAA violations in his wake. He did it at three different programs, including Notre Dame.

Toward the end of Holtz’s tenure, a booster was found to have embezzled over $1 million from her employer and lavished gifts on Irish players, mothering a child with one of them in a stretch from June 1995-January 1998. Holtz abruptly left after the 1996 season.

The recent Irish haven’t been without disciplinary issues and other off-field controversies. Six Notre Dame players were arrested in the summer of 2016, with one booted from the team. That was nothing out of the ordinary, but it shows Notre Dame has never above the fray.

Miami and Notre Dame have a classic rivalry. It doesn’t have to try to match an image, just because there was a 30 for 30 about it.

The Catholics are headed to Miami in one of this season’s biggest games. They will meet Canes, not convicts.

0 notes