#shoutout to coley

[no-brain-just-akutagawa]

Was anyone going to tell me that fyolai made it to top100 ships of the year on ao3 or was I just supposed to find out through a youtube video

[telomeke]

Get to Know Me Tag :)

I was tagged by @lamonnaie at this post here. Thanks for tagging me! 😍 It was such fun to read your responses; now here are mine. 🥰

do you make your bed?

Never ever. I'm pretty messy, and if I don't watch my hoarding tendencies I will morph into the worst pack rat. But I like a bit of clutter around me; I think it helps my creative side since my output (whether at work, or writing on Tumblr) is always tidy and tidied up to a fault, which can stifle creativity (at least that's what I tell myself! 🤣).

what's your favourite number?

Don't have one. However (even though I like to think I'm not superstitious) if I can I'll try to avoid the number 13 and anything with 4 in it...

what is your job?

Not gonna get too specific, but my work involves design, project management and construction.

if you could go back to school, would you?

I was too stressed out at school to want to repeat the experience. But I wouldn't mind a bit of time travel back to advise my younger self not to take things so seriously! 🤣

can you parallel park?

Yes. Not well, but the car will be fully in the lot eventually. 👍

a job you had that would surprise people?

Some minor modeling jobs when I was younger. Hush! I don't like to talk about it. 🤫 You wouldn't think it to look at me now (me 🤝 Ricky Gervais 😂).

do you think aliens are real?

There are too many planets out there for our little blue marble to be the only habitable one, so yes I do think there are aliens out there. I just don't think we've been visited by them yet though! (Aylin doesn't count. 🤩)

can you drive a manual car?

Yes. Mom taught me how to drive in one... until the day I jammed on the accelerator when she said "Step on it" and I almost up-ended us into a ditch. Then I was sent to driving school instead. 🤣

what's your guilty pleasure?

Ooh. It's this bad boy here:

Sadly I've been over-indulging, so chocolate is now banned from the house for the foreseeable future. I'm still lusting after it though. Other guilty pleasures: I do like a good nightcap, so any (gluten grain-free) alcohol makes me light up – cognac, cabernet, sherry, sake, port... (But I don't always know my limits, so this is now banned too.) And a steamin', stonkin', trashy BL every now and then (bonus if there's a nice muscley actor for me to get all googly-eyed over – shoutout Gap Jakarin!). 😁🥰

tattoos?

I like art and have fanboyed over beautiful tattoos before – but I'm put off by the permanence of them, so I have none myself. Don't like the idea of not being able to change them much once they're inked in, because I will always be wanting to change things up if I were to get one. And no, even for looking at I prefer an uninked bod over an inked one. It takes a lot of work to get a body in shape, and I can't understand someone wanting to cover up the results of their hard work at the gym. 🤷‍♂️

favorite color?

A deep, rich blue most of the time. But when the mood hits, I like a bright, bold red too.

favorite type of music?

My tastes are a bit eclectic, leaning lighter and not challenging. Anything with a strong melodic line will get me hooked. Bonus points if the lyrics can come together with the melody to tell a story, and elevate it even more. So – pop mostly, but I also like R&B, soul, light jazz and the odd heartfelt country ballad or foot-stomper (go Queen Bey! 😍). Also like things with a nostalgic bent (I melt at Karen Carpenter, Seals & Croft, and England Dan & John Ford Coley). And then throw in a couple of show tunes in there for good measure! My YouTube playlist is all over the place – Sheila Majid, New Country, Renaissance, Nunew, Miley Cyrus, Streisand, Li'l Nas X, Ayumu Imazu, The Carpenters, Clean Bandit, so many others, all side-by-side.

do you like puzzles?

I love them, especially word and logic puzzles. I'm always shouting over Pat and Vanna. 🤣

any phobias?

Oddly, not the usual suspects, but I'm a bit phobic about birds. They're just creepy up close, even though I find them fascinating and beautiful with a bit of distance. While the bog-standard creepy-crawlies don't bother me one bit – I'm the one always getting called in to whack the roaches and chase away rodents. I dream of getting a cobalt blue tarantula as a pet (but that's not going to happen for various reasons, alas).

favorite childhood sport?

I wasn't that sporty growing up (classic bookworm) but I did enjoy a bit of soccer when I got to play. But I guess my favorite was probably swimming, though I didn't compete.

do you talk to yourself?

All the time. There's a nonstop monologue going on in my head and I've been known to startle people by accidentally voicing that conversation out loud. So I've learnt not to do it around others. 🤣 And no I'm not hearing disembodied voices; it's just me keeping myself company (plus I find it helps me focus my thoughts).

what movies do you adore?

My all-time favorite: Cinema Paradiso; it really pulls unabashedly at the heartstrings, but then again I'm a sentimental fool and love it all the more for that. That's also why I like Love Actually, especially the scene where the repressed Jamie (Colin Firth) travels to Portugal in order to confess his feelings to Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz), having realized he loves her despite the language barrier, and doggedly learnt Portuguese just to make his declaration – and then he finds out that she, lovelorn and bereft, learnt English just in case ("just in cases") he came back. 💖 And my second favorite is from the other end of the spectrum, actually quite a bit before my time as well: Hello Dolly! 😆 Don't judge... A couple of songs in there are really amazing – Love is Only Love and Just Leave Everything to Me especially (which are not in the stage version) are mindblowingly good. The former is almost pithy in its bare-boned purity, all about looking at love without sentimentality while reprising themes heard earlier on in the musical; the latter has the among the cleverest lyrics set to music I've ever heard:

Streisand is in fine fettle portraying a campier, more youthful incarnation of Dolly. Such a shame it was not better received. The costumes are spectacular too.

coffee or tea?

Coffee (or rather the caffeine it contains) is my drug of choice, and I drink buckets of it. But I like a good cuppa when I'm feeling nostalgic and/or sentimental, because tea is what I drank a lot of growing up – at my gran's there would be a perpetually-replenished, giant kettle of dark, bitterish Oolong on the sideboard for whenever you felt like some (which was often), while at home there was always a big pot of tea on the table in the morning, that would then be set to chill in the refrigerator after breakfast. I would always have an ice-cold milk tea with the papers when I got home from school, and it was my favorite daily ritual.

first thing you wanted to be growing up?

A paleontologist – like a lot of kids I loved dinosaurs, and I can still rattle off the names of the more well-known ones (including every one in Jurassic Park 👀). But that got pushed aside for more practical considerations later. Still wish I'd explored my second childhood ambition more though, which was to be a writer/journalist. Maybe that's why I like posting so much on Tumblr! 😍

Onward tagging (too many people as usual, but no pressure to play if you don't want to or can't 🥰): @hughungrybear, @relativelydimensional, @neuroticbookworm, @wen-kexing-apologist, @waitmyturtles, @airenyah, @twig-tea, @solitaryandwandering, @recentadultburnout, @lurkingshan, @grapejuicegay,@bengiyo, @urikawa-miyuki, @pickletrip, @suni-san, @kattahj, @dimplesandfierceeyes, @7nessasaryevils, @imminentinertia, @befuddledcinnamonroll, @pandasmagorica, @nihilisticcondensedmilk,@shortpplfedup, @rokklagio, @thegalwhorants, @brazilian-whalien52, @callipigio, @respectthepetty, @corettaroosa, @colourme-feral, @virtualtadpole, @aroceu, @belladonna-and-the-sweetpeas, @delesaria-blog, @dribs-and-drabbles, @inventedfangirling, @jiirotu, @visualtaehyun @happypotato48,@akawrites000, @kleopatras-cat, @dc-alves, @toschistation, @lovelyghostv

I've been tagged by others in various tag games over the past few weeks but have been too busy with work to be able to play. 😭 Not gonna post half-assed replies if I can help it, but then I'm always beset by dread thinking people might assume I'm ignoring them for whatever silly reason. But I just haven't had the time until now.

If you've tagged me and I've not responded, please know that I really wanted to but I just kept getting sidetracked by urgent deadlines. (In fact, my drafts folder is full of half-written tag game responses that are too far beyond their use-by date to ever see the light of day. 😮) So to any and all who see this, please accept my apology for not replying to your tags and invites, and if you'd like to play along with this one even if I haven't tagged you directly (and you have the time for it) – please do so! I'd love to read your responses! 😍

[lewmagoo]

Hi there, I'm here for the positivity hour :3

I'd like to give a shoutout to @roleycoleyreccenter, you're an amazing writer bestie and House We Share series cured my soul, love you so much <3

yes! go coley! 🗣️

positivity evening! send me kind asks shouting out your favorite creators and friends in the fandom!

[yescs2020]

JOHN FORD COLEY Just Tell Me You Love Me including Shoutout to Filipino...

England Dan and John Ford Coley were a singing duo

[iron-mum]

Irondad Masterlists from my beloveds that deserve all the love

@imyoursavinggrace for cliff-hanger and angsty galore that fuels me daily (list / AO3)

@call-me-coley for the most wholesome fluff you’ll find + a oneshot connoisseur (list / AO3)

@superherotiger for an absolute library of AUs full of the glorious parallels (list / AO3)

@ironfamjam my absolute favourite fics that were also some of my fandom firsts as a reader! (list / AO3)

@frostysunflowers home to some of my fave sickfics + Tony cuddling newborns which is just  (list / AO3)

@littlemissagrafina for bunches of hurt/comfort to that delivers everytime (list / AO3)

@milstrim for owning my heart with some amazing AUs + Penny Parker whumpfests (list / AO3)

@lbigreyhound13 for multichapters that you’ll never be able to put down and an absolute (list / AO3)

@hailing-stars for vivid descriptions and fics that hit right in the feels (list / AO3)

@tonystarkissist for perfect descriptions and characterisations that mean you can absolutely picture the fics in your head (list / AO3)

@retro-memo always an absolute pleasure to read who has the ability to smash out prompts at a rate I aspire to be like (list / AO3)

Some further shoutouts to those whose masterlist I couldn’t find/may not have one but who I adore equally

@kevyfanfics / AO3 the Spiderling to my IronMum, the bane and love of my life and the biggest supporter you could ask for

@winter-turtle / AO3 who has the absolute range and an absolute mastery for all things villainous

Thank you for all the smiles you’ve provided on a gloomy day, the hours of entertainment and for being all round inspirations. ILY3000 ❤️💛

[aisicle]

I went to EGLX and Toronto’s gaming community blew me away

Last month I went to EGLX, or the Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo, which happened from March 9 to 11 at the International Centre in Mississauga. On their website, they claim to be Canada’s largest video game expo and their mission is to bring people together to be “united by gaming.”

Unfortunately, due to schedule restrictions (I’m looking at you, school), I was only able to attend EGLX on Saturday and Sunday – both of which were completely different and awesome experiences.

The four grand stages at EGLX for competitive games Hearthstone, Super Smash Bros. and a rotation of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, fighting games and Halo 5.

Saturday

On Saturday, I went alone to check out what EGLX had to offer, having never been there previously. Their website boosted highlights such as an indie games and virtual reality (VR) showcase, big name exhibitors and local artist corner, industry panels, competitive gaming, a cosplay lounge and even a nerf battle.

My first order of business was, of course, to take a picture with the mascot, Mr. Destructoid of game-focused media site Destructoid fame.

Would it be appropriate to make a Mr. Roboto pun here?

Once I entered the main hall, I was met with a larger than life version of Settlers of Catan, where guests were free to jump in and play as long as there was a free spot available. I was super tempted to make that my first stop, but Catan can potentially take hours and there was still so much more to see!

When I first arrived, the giant Catan board was currently open for play as the previous game had just ended, but I had to resist temptation!

Beyond the Catan booth, there were rows of VR games displayed. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to indulge in any of the games due to being a spectacled being, but that just means I need to remember to bring my contacts the next time there are VR booths involved at an event.

My favourite set up was one by VR Star Games for Furious Seas, a to be released pirate VR adventure that was displayed next to a palm tree, a realistic looking cannon and of course, a pile of treasure.

I wonder if you can find One Piece in this game. Any anime fans amongst my readers?

What blew me away the most and what I ended up spending the most time on with my trip to EGLX was the indie games corner, which featured primarily student-made games from Sheridan College’s gaming program. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take any photos of the games themselves due to my excitement, but here’s a quick list of the ones I got to play and loved:

The Blobs Fight: The first game I tried was probably the most simple of all the games I was able to play, but also one of my favourite ones at EGLX! Developed by Skypyre Studios, the premise is exactly what you’d expect it to be: animated blobs fighting each other to the death. You can play up to eight (eight!!) customizable blobs at a time in different arenas, where you try to knock off pieces from other blobs until they become small enough to disappear so you can collect the pieces and become a mega blob or be the last one standing.

Head Rush: It took me a while to get that the game was literally about trying to affect the emotions of someone’s brain in an arcade style, time-trial game where you go really fast (head… rush… get it? Just me? Okay). Once I understood the concept, the rest of the gameplay flowed easily to me, though I still found the first level quite hard! The music is quirky and fits super well with the game design and I really loved the choice of colours! Sort of reminds me of the final level of Starfox, but just the first part of it and includes less impending doom. It’s developed by Jellyware Games, which you should definitely give a follow to!

Wanderfall: Developed by Grabby Thing Games, Wanderfall is a speed run sort of game – one where you glide smoothly along landscapes and jump across beautifully rendered ledges and hidden paths in order to collect as many crystals as you can. It was, unfortunately, also the game I struggled with the most because I’m definitely more of an “explore every nook and cranny” sort of gamer instead of a speed runner! Still, I enjoyed playing Wanderfall and did eventually play it again later on after they polished it up even more (though my friends laughed at me struggling to play it both times).

Godsend: Godsend, created by Patchwork Games, is a game that I find myself being able to play for hours. You play as a shapeshifter who is able to “shift your soul into other creatures,” therefore using their powers to accomplish the objectives and beat the level. But only being able to play a couple of minutes and try out a few of the many abilities and creatures that you could become simply wasn’t enough time! The backgrounds were gorgeous and I was really intrigued with the puzzles presented in this platformer, so I will be coming back to play this game (which you can download on Itch.io) in the future! Shoutouts to Coley who dealt with me dying a million times the first time I played.

Super Random Heroes and Bag Box: Both developed by OddBird Studios who has, since the writing of this blog, won both the pitch competition at EGLX as well as Best Game at Level Up Showcase, Super Random Heroes and Bag Box are two of their latest games after their flagship game, Arrow Heads (which I still need to play!), was released. Bag Box is a very simple two player game using just one controller – which is simply genius – where you try to knock out your rival in a boxing match and see who depletes the others’ health first. It’s very easy to pick up, has very clean and simple graphics and I definitely recommend giving it a download to play against a friend. I played against one of the developers and lost (I suspect some foul play) and I’m hoping for a rematch one day!

Following OddBird’s distinct style of clean, colourful and vibrant characters and stories, Super Random Heroes is the newest game that they’re working on featuring an angry pedestrian who ended up with super hero powers that he didn’t want and is now on a mission to get rid of them. In addition to having super hero powers, one of the game mechanics also lets you stack and modify the powers that you have in order to keep your play through unique and exciting. It’s a great, crazy twist on the usual brand of super hero video games and I can’t wait to play the full version when it’s complete!

Fossil Hunters: Lastly, let’s talk about Fossil Hunters by Reptoid Games. A fun solo or multiplayer game that has you playing quirky characters digging up bones and putting them back together while salamanders try to throw you off the platform, rocks fall down onto your party and you and your friends get separated by immovable boulders along the way. I actually kept running around the convention and coming back to this game multiple times, but every time I was there, it was preoccupied by other gamers who wanted in on the digging action. Once I got my hands on it, I loved it – I’m a huge sucker for a good puzzle game – and the art is so endearing! It’s currently out on Steam, but I’m waiting for that sweet Nintendo Switch release.

Sunday

Surprise! Can you guess which one I am? (Hint: I'm the green one.)

Here’s a surprise if you’ve made it this far: I cosplay! This convention isn’t my first rodeo, but it is my first video game exclusive convention. I had such a fun day meeting friends new and old yesterday, but wanted to use Sunday as a way to de-stress and talk to other cosplayers that I knew who were going to EGLX, as well as drag a few of my own friends into cosplaying Nintendo characters with me. The Nintendo booth had fun with us.

Conclusion

A vast majority of the exhibition hall occupied by the hum and lights of desktop computers running games such as Fortnite, PUBG, Rocket League, etc.

After doing some research, I was informed that this was EGLX’s second year running, but last year wasn’t their first. Apparently, EGLX premiered during 2016 with very little fanfare, so the organizers took the show backstage and polished it up so that it would receive the attention it deserved when it came back in 2018. That being said, the whole event was planned out and put together within about a month or so and while I had a great time there, there were a few things that I wondered about.

The schedule had a Nintendo event listed for Saturday that I spent a good 15 minutes looking for, but that no staff could tell me about.

While there were many excellent exhibitors displayed at the con, I wondered why some groups that I assumed would also be there, weren’t. Was it a matter of time or availability on both or part of the parties? Toronto Gaymers, one of the largest gaming groups in the city, as well as George Brown and other colleges with prominent game development programs seemed to be absent.

There was a thing? I’m not too sure. And I wonder if it was worth bringing up on the Twitter page.

The advertising for the event seemed very much for the general public, but the only ones who seemed to really use their time to the fullest or had a voice at the convention seemed to be those involved in the game industry.

The division of the space inside the exhibition hall was extremely varied. Competitive gaming had the largest space, with everything else having just enough in order to function by, but it usually ended up crowded.

Though there were a decent amount of cosplay guests, I noticed most cosplayers stuck to the cosplay lounge, which was a small square in the middle of the exhibition hall and was generally overcrowded. I wonder if it would have been better to combine the cosplay lounge with the board game/rest area that was set up next to the registration hall instead.

The website sometimes had different pages with different information on it, making it difficult to find the information you needed depending on what page you were on at the time.

Don’t get me wrong – I had a blast! And I’m so excited to go again next year. It was amazing to see some very big triple A game companies next to smaller studios and all the different ways that so many different people play games.

So, whether it is for competitive reasons, friends and family, solo, or even VR and board games – EGLX had a little bit of everything for everyone and I can’t wait to see what they have planned next year!

[livelakemartin]

Giving a big shoutout to Mr. John Coley @lakemartinvoice for being so awesome to work with!!! 🎉😊🌅 #livelakemartin #century21 #windermere #sold #realtor #realtorlife #workhardplayhard #lakemartin #lakemartinh2O

[cjoatprehn]

The Truth

It’s  Time to Stop the Negativity in My Life

   Introduction

“Here is the truth about that…weird girl you know just around the block. That girl you bullied in elementary and middle school…that college student who always seemed to take care of others and not herself. That girl who seemed to want to say one thing…but just doesn’t say it at all. The bookworm who seemed to love homework. That teenager who is awfully mean on her periods. The daughter that seems to want others to understand and have excuses for every mistake she does. The granddaughter that says random things and draws on anything…even your light-colored couch with a marker. That cousin who always seems to want to leave parties and has a crush but will never confess. That one student that hates fighting others, and self-destructs herself. The girl that is writing this post….to release the truth that she has been hiding…and is willing to accept the consequences as they come.”

               I want to say, thank you…to all of you who have been with me for this long in my life. I appreciate all your efforts to make sure that I am happy, safe, and above all, healthy. That I know whether to cross the street or not, to speak out and say what I think. To speak the truth in the inward parts. God hates a liar. And the Holy Spirit is watching me now, as I write this. This is my confession to all of you and my confirmation of my signature that I will accept all consequences as they come through. Most of you may want to unfollow me and not support me and that is perfectly okay with me. I just…want you guys to know the truth. The real me. I warn you, this may…sound messed up to a very certain extent. Depending on who reads it. But…

I am no longer going to hide behind fantastical stories anymore. I will…take what comes and may God protect the rest of me and my mind. I want to go ahead and apologize to Him now, for all the exaggerated stories. All of it.

In Real Life Shoutouts:

Now…Shout outs are in order. First off, the Father My God, for creating and revealing things to me. The one listener who doesn’t get annoyed at my constant babbling. Um, My Grandma Neal and my Grandma Clara. For helping me through everything, life in general. And Grandma Virgie Monroe, for having the Artist mind to understand someone as complex as me. The Prayer Ministry, for their prayers for my family and life. Alberta and Daqwon McKnight, for their hospitality, generosity, guidance and preaching. Corinthian Baptist Church, for becoming the one place where I can be safest and happiest. No matter if it is Sunday or not. Miss Erline and her family for showing just…so much hardworking talent in the Mission Ministry. Kelli Michelle Wise for raising me and my sister. Mckenzie Joyner for being the best girlfriend I could ever have in Maryland, being able to relate to a girl that balances me out is wonderful. Edwin Johnson IV for the longest friendship I have ever been able to maintain without unintentionally breaking it. Raymond Fisher III and his family, for the constant support especially when I became homeless. Renoir Dawson-Finan (I have some thanks for you too), for coming so quickly whenever I needed you. Your comfort during the hard times made it bearable (when you weren’t….you know…NSFW). Yoni for being the gentleman of advice, silliness, and absolute absurdity. My siblings as well. I love you all. No matter your actions. Also. Mary Baldwin University: Gloria Cooper, Shay’De Tyler, Destinee and Heather Zollars, Hannah Fishbourne, Andrea Cornett-Scott and her husband, Gamer’s Guild, Kate, and so many more. I appreciate all your positive messages and love on my whiteboard. I still have the pictures in my over 12,000 photo library, hehe. There are many more people in my life I may have forgotten but I want to move on to the Online friends now.

 Online Shoutouts:

         First Shoutout goes to the first ever server I have joined on Discord. Yes, while flawed, the entire group of friends that I met for Dungeons and Dragons, while it…was an experience with many highs and lows, I am glad to have experienced the joy of slaying monsters with a silly band of diverse people. I still have the recordings, and the photos from when Coley visited and drew the Aquarius constellation on my hand. I hope you guys are well. Even if you guys no longer like my existence anymore. The others are those I have made in Art Servers, Roleplay Servers, and Youtubers like Tehrogue, Melle-D, Mona-Chan, Jacksepticeye, Markiplier, Your Daily Dose of Internet, AyChristineGames, All of the Viners out there, you are all amazing and I love your content. On Tumblr, you guys have all been kind, and there are so many I could list. But while I am late, I want to shoutout to you guys too. You know who you are.

 Lord Give Me Strength…

        I…have a lot to confess to you all. A lot of the things you have heard about/from me and my character…are probably exaggerated to make myself seem…a lot more interesting and awesome than I actually am. The reason I overexaggerated the stories I tell about what happen to me, no matter how short or long, is because…I am afraid of being judged for my true self. And making my life seem…insane, seemed like the best way to make friends. But! Not every story was…untrue. The Homeless Shelter story, did actually happen. But…nobody hit on me, or did anything wrong. They were all very grateful for the goods we brought for their survival. The Angela is insane on Sugar,…is both true and untrue in a sense. Because I do get a certain boost from it and the caffeine in my medication, and crashing ends up screwing the day for me. But…me doing flips and jumping down flights of stairs and landing on my feet is not true. Also it’s very dangerous don’t do that unless you are trained (or something like that). There are actually a lot of stories that were exaggerated….Me walking straight out the front door and going 84-86 miles was true. Geepus sometimes my legs sheer pain from when I walked those long distances. It really was terrifying to walk in the pitch black of night with nothing but trees and no lights around you in a manic state. The sister story…well…(That was true.) The Attempting Suicide twice (true) the first boyfriend (True) Many of the stories I tell are actually true I am discovering but the added details and overexaggeration for effect makes it…laughable and crazy to say the least.

             But…long story short…there are so many stories I have told, to make you laugh, to make me seem like a kickbutt person, or to inspire you. But I’m here to say, most of them were overexaggerated for the sake of…my inner security about myself, and you guys laughing makes me laugh so I add stuff to make it even funnier. Because everyone needs a good belly-aching laugh. Or someone needs an awe-inspiring story.

 I will admit, those of you who sense I am hiding something…I usually am. On an everyday basis. Even people like Edwin still are finding out more about me and my experiences with life. I know a lot more than I let on….I’m not violent, or an absolute hothead all the time, I tend to blurt out what’s on my mind. I…I’m imperfect. But I’m okay with that. God Made me to be imperfect and enjoy the pleasures he gave for me to enjoy. I know you have a lot of questions. For those of you who have my number and social media, message me. I’ll answer any questions you may have. If you have lost faith in me, or hate me for the lies, or just…other bad things…I am okay with that.  Thank you all for listening to my confession. I look forward to the future and what lies ahead. But no matter what, I still believe in, and love all of you, and will do anything no matter what for you. That has never changed.