#they performed my beloved wishlist

[rebelwhodoesntknow]

NOO I AM TOO I HAVE TOO MUCH TO SAY LOL it's been super fun chatting abt it!!!

Resellers are also insane like... the SH Figures costed about $40-50 dollars when they released, which is still a ton but htat's typidal for that brand of figures since they have all the artciulation and stuff, but yeah the prices now are insane!!!! any aikatsu stuff is like so impossible to get here 😭 I've had the angely bear plushie on my wishlist for ages

the cards are so funny because most of them are just printed from the arcade machine itself when you would win them by playing, people would sell one single PR set for like $100. for shiny cards that were so so easy to get for the cost of playing like 5 rounds lmao

Hmm I don't think that the games would help with learning dances though, shot for shot they're the same as the stages in the anime. But there are also a toooon of dance covers out there if you want something with a clearer angle!!

I wish they had done some of the photokatsu songs in Parade, but they did do one in one of the recent movies so maybe if they ever do more stuff someday they'll adapt more?? I want to see the dances!!!! Espescially kindan hide & seek!

I agree about Raki, I think it's fine that she wasn't that much of a character but literally what did they gain from just not having the wings later/transforming her jeweling dress from her own PR... I don't even know how it would cut costs much they just Did That

I occasionally still see the sh figures at 50 dollars, but they’re usually missing some pieces. It seems that the market for Aikatsu things is small but extremely expensive. The cards are so funny to me because it seems like they function in price almost exactly like Pokémon cards. Are they shiny in some way? More money! I’m seeing these girls pajama shorts on Mercari being sold for *checks listing* 66 DOLLARS? Dear god… they have the tag on them too for like 1500 yen you’ve got to be kidding

I have used some dance covers to help out with learning and filling in the gaps! The camera angles the stages use are very pretty, but also very confusing. The hardest part for me now is stamina. Singing and dancing at the same time like that is freaking exhausting (I am a singer but not a dancer) but I’ve nearly got Idol Activity perfect! I think I’m going to do Start Line next but that may be a very bad idea considering how impressive it is vocally on top of the dance.

I haven’t listened as much to Photokatsu due to lack of performances, but I’m just getting into it! Dramatic Girl my beloved. I hope they will add performances to those! That reminds me, do the songs without performances in Aikatsu get them in the game? Like Lovely Bomb was used as a background song, but is it featured in the arcade games? If it is I need to learn it immediately I’m obsessed with that song

As for Raki, I guess they saved on transformation animation…

Don’t worry I also have a whole fucking lot to say about this! We are just vibing

[hebescus]

man i need them concert money

[taeyeonsb]

txt and twice 🥺

oohohh u have a crush on me >3<

txt <3

✦ my first bias: taehyun and soobin

✦ my current bias(es): ....ill let u figure that out babe

✦ my album and/or era ranking (or favorite of each): [screams] this is hard. the dream chapter: magic and minisode1 blour are definitely tied for first. tdc magic is just so important .. long hair taehyun..long hair hueningkai.....RUN AWAY ???????? angel or devil ........ magic island..cwjltma.. its literally full of the best songs ever made. blour was my first txt era so it will always be special<3 in addition to that . its a perfect album , like i can sit down and loop my blour cd for ten hours. i have done that. multiple times. like once a week. ghosting ..[falls to the floor] wishlist is pretty good<3

then ...... its basically neck and neck with all the others and i dont have the emotional capacity to pick <3 i would like to instead take this space to list some of my favorite txt songs in no particular order: wishlist , nap of a star , frost , eyes, wishlist , trust fund baby , cat&dog , ghosting , dear sputnik , eternally , anti romantic , no rules , cant you see me , wishlist , puma , loser lover , 0x1 lovesong , 0x1 lovesong jp ver. thamk u for ur time

✦ how i got into them: i found them in the [redacted] tag. and then kept seeing their early tiktoks on my pinterest page, namely soobin running into the metal pole and taehyun in the mirror. i think i watched both of them at least 30 times, hence the first bias situation. also i saw a gen z idol comp and yeonjun dropped the pasta and i think i screm laughed for like 30 mins straight at that

✦ which member would be my best friend: hueningkai and i know this for several reasons: first and foremost bc im obsessed with him and he'd adore that , second that i would sew him any plush he wanted , third that i make a million jokes a minute and he loves laughing

✦ something i associate with them (or with a bias/any member): cowboy hats and crocs. alexa play be the cowboy by mitski , i associate hueningkai with plushies and hoodies and laughter and marshmallows and headphones and pretty green grass and the >3< kissy face , and i associate soobin with da da da da da da da da da da 🐬. taehyun with tdc magic and all magic and sour patch kids and (ofc) cheese tteokbokki and cats and math :(

twiceeeeee

✦ my first bias: jihyo !!!!!! my first cb with them was dance the night away so i think everyone can understand me..that 1 stage where she wore a red dress..gn

✦ my current bias(es): chaeyoung + sana .. theyre just so beloved (read: unhinged) literallly wig group fighting

✦ my album and/or era ranking (or favorite of each): they have SO MANY ERAS BCVNCV so ill list some of my favorites <3 yes or yes, heart shaker, what is love, i can't stop me, like ooh-ahh , bdz . FAVE TITLE IS HEART SHAKER <3

shoutout to more& more for orange sana..gotta be one of my favorite genders🤞 fav albums overall are fancy you , yes or yes, and summer nights the bside game is absolutely insane !!!!!!!!!!! girls like us , after moon , shot thru the heart .................. they are so so so very important. also one in a million is [falls to the floor] every so often i will just watch their live performance in japan and cry

✦ how i got into them: during what is love era !! one of my bestfriends at the time would do twice dances across the room in compsci from me and we'd watch their mvs together hehe

✦ which member would be my best friend: probably nayeon .. i think we'd have a time making hilarious jokes and bothering everyone...also i want to hold her hands

✦ something i associate with them (or with a bias/any member): candy !!!!! their lightstick..candy..candy pop..nayeon candy floss.........i associate tzuyu with yoda ZXNCZ shes so cute and i associate sana with microwaves because shes insane .. or shall i call her .. insana😇

[chanyoungies]

Hello! Can I get Tomorrow x Together and Astro for the ask game. Thank you <333 (also I'm pretty sure your pin post says that Jiseong is your bias, but what do I know so I'll just point to it then go about my business.. ;)))

hi chrissyyyyyyy <3 of course of course !!!!

tubatu wari wari

favorite member / bias line: choi line !! (in age order if u want a more specific answer)

which member I’d fight: they all need to be fought a little bit i think. all of them

favorite song(s): run away & wishlist & our summer & dear sputnik & everlasting shine & thursday's child has far to go & crown & can't we just leave the monster alive & opening sequence & cysm

favorite thing about the group: they're all easy to get attached to and very entertaining to watch!! group dynamics!!!! tho can't think about their persona(litie)s too hard or i get emotional.. also overall strong discography!!!!!

something i’d like to see from them: i think i'm personally fine w what they're doing, i do hope we don't stay stuck in this current musical style for too long though, i'm looking forward to the next era nd i'm confident i'll like whatever it is that it brings honestly

astro <3

favorite member / bias line: minhyuk!!!!! beloved

which member I’d fight: bin but only a little

favorite song(s): should've held on (again) & knock & 1 in a million & fireworks & your love... & our spring & all about you & blue flame & because it's you & your smile & always you & call out

favorite thing about the group: performers performers performers pe- this is the main thing rn because i havent seen any non-perf content in like 50 years

something i’d like to see from them: i think we could and should get again 2.0 or maybe just another again performance . . . pwease... or maybe another fairytale concept (im counting both all night and blue flame in there for different reasons)

[dailytomlinson]

Louis Tomlinson announces special one-off show in support of Bluebell Wood

Singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson has announced a special one-off live show in support of Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and other charities “close to his heart”.

The live-streamed show will feature Louis and his full band performing live, and will be available to watch for 28 hours, giving fans across the world the chance to view at a time convenient to them.

Profits from the one-off show, which will be broadcast on December 12th, will be split between Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, FareShare, Crew Nation, and Stagehand. Louis will also be donating money to his own touring crew, many of whom have been out of work since March.

Tickets for the show will be go on sale via https://louis-­‐ tomlinson.com/live from 4pm on November 25th.

Louis said: “I was absolutely gutted to have to postpone my world tour this year as I was really looking forward to seeing all the fans. Performing for a live crowd is the most important thing to me, this live stream is a step back into that world and is something I can't wait to film.”

“I want to put on a real show for the fans, with scale and production, creating something special to end 2020 on a positive upbeat note and raise money for charities that are especially close to my heart.”

“I also want to give my touring crew work, and raise some vital money for them, as without my crew the show literally couldn't go on.”

Former One Direction star Louis, from Doncaster, is a long-standing supporter of Bluebell Wood and has visited the hospice to meet and chat to children and families.

He’s since raised funds for the hospice through charity football matches with his beloved Doncaster Rovers, donations, and even bought every single item on the charity’s Amazon Christmas Wishlist for the children in its care in 2018.

In 2019, the singer also included a call to action on the video for his ‘Two for us’ single, which raised over £10,000 for the North Anston charity.

Bluebell Wood helps families across South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire make precious memories in the time they have together.

It costs almost £14,000 each to day to keep the hospice door open for local families going through the toughest of times, so every penny raised makes a huge difference.

Sam Wood, Head of Fundraising at Bluebell Wood, said: “We’re all huge fans of Louis here at Bluebell Wood and we’re over the moon that he’s chosen to support us with this very exciting one-off show.”

“Louis is a star in every sense of the word but he never forgets his roots and we’re proud to have him as a charity champion.”

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to Louis for supporting us through his latest show, and all the other incredibly generous and thoughtful gestures he’s made over the years.”

“Best of luck with the show Louis from all at Bluebell Wood – we can’t wait.”

[kyndaris]

Pray Forgive this Discourtesy of an Impression

Many of my friends - and by extension, I also include you dear readers of this blog - know, I have been a fan of the Ace Attorney series for a very long time. It began in the days of my youth, when I discovered Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney for the Nintendo DS. As someone that was interested in legal proceedings but was unsure of actually taking the step of becoming an actual barrister in court, it helped feed my very unique itch of shouting OBJECTION! and pointing at the counsel opposite me.

That and the fact that the lawyers of the franchise were also amateur sleuths, piecing together the truth of whatever crime had actually been perpetrated and denouncing the witnesses brought in to testify as the actual masterminds.

Honestly, I wish court cases in real life were this exciting.

Even back then, the idea of acting the sleuth and figuring out the intricacies behind a complex plot of murder had me salivating. It did not help that I had read Arthur Conan Doyle’s collection of stories about a world-renowned detective and hoped to emulate his ability to make rapid deductions based on simple observation.

So, when The Great Ace Attorney was first announced, I was justifiable excited. To play as the ancestor of the great Phoenx Wright? Interact with Sherlock Holmes in 19th century London? WHERE DO I SELL MY SOUL TO?

To my great dismay, however, there were no immediate plans to release the games in the West. In fact, I even pondered on whether or not I should indulge in obtaining a fan translated copy (or watch a playthrough).

As the years passed, I lost hope that there would ever be a release of The Great Ace Attorney games in the West. And so, life went on.

UNTIL OF COURSE, THEY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD BE RELEASED! IN JULY 2021! AND THOUGH MY SPIRIT WAS A LITTLE CRUSHED TO HEAR THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PHYSICAL RELEASE IN AUSTRALIA, I QUICKLY PUT THE GAME ON MY NINTENDO ESTORE WISHLIST, READY FOR PURCHASE!

When release day came, I was pumped to dive into the world of finger-pointing and strange reversals where the defence attorney had to prove their client innocent beyond all reasonable doubt. The game itself begins with Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a student of Yumei University being accused of murdering a visiting professor: John H. Wilson. At his side is his best friend: Kazuma Asogi, a practicing law student.

Wishing not to dash his friend’s dreams of travelling to Britain (should the trial not be won), Ryunosuke steps up to represent himself. Valiantly, he battles against Prosecutor Auchi. And just like his descendant, fumbles his way through to the inevitable truth. That he was setup and that the actual culprit was a person hidden under plain view: an English gentlewoman by the name of Jezaille Brett. She had murdered the esteemed professor through the use of a special poison that could not be identified by the technology at the time before shooting the victim to pin the blame on our hapless student.

It was a tale as old as time for those that have played the Ace Attorney series. What I liked, however, was the fact that this time round, there were multiple witnesses in the stand and how they would play off each other. Their reactions to what someone else said were great ways to enliven up the gameplay and helped move the story along when I seemed stuck on where to present my piece of crucial evidence to highlight an inconsistency.

By the end of the first trial, however, the game sees our protagonists on the way to the United Kingdom. Having stowed away in his friend’s trunk, Ryunosuke is accused once again of murder. This time, of his friend. And by the great Herlock Sholmes, no less! Unfortunately, due to copyright infringements, the translation team was forced to change the name of the character. Still, this adaption of one of the best literary detectives served to be a breath of fresh air. He was an enjoyable and lively companion. 

I also very much liked how they inserted so many references to the actual stories that were penned by Arthur Conan Doyle: the Red-Headed League, Speckled Band, Hound of the Baskervilles, the Man with the Twisted Lip...

The reinterpretations of so many beloved characters also helped to put a spin on what I would have expected. Truth be told, I never thought I would become so protective of diver-turned-inspector-apprentice Gina Lestrade. She is a precious cinnamon roll! How dare anyone think she would actually murder anyone when it’s clear that she’s a misunderstood tsundere with a heart of gold!

After finishing the first game: The Great Ace Attorney Adventures I could not help but feel that the story was incomplete. In many ways, just like with Trails of Sky, it served as a prelude to things that would come. There were plenty of hints of what Ryunosuke, with plenty of dangling and tantalising mysteries. A few characters that were introduced, such as William Shamspeare, never got to see the limelight until the second entry: The Great Ace Attorney Resolve. 

Why have such a uniquely dressed character walk by in passing without putting them into a case? It made no sense. It was as if Chekhov’s gun, placed in clear view, remained unused.

As such, when the credits rolled, I immediately dived into the sequel. The cases that I played through in the second entry seemed much more connected and provided a more cohesive overarching plot. In fact, while I thought the first game was a good addition in its own right - what with its stereoscopic images (which was very difficult to try and make 3D on a huge television), I thought Resolve was much better at tying up all the loose ends that players were left with. 

That and we also got to enjoy the return of multi-day trials, with a mixture of investigation and court appearance, rather than ones that seemed concentrated on a single day (and were quite tiring to endure). I will say that the final episode being a continuation of the fourth was a little suspect, but didn’t mind it because of how much was revealed and discussed in those last few moments.

In saying that, the games are not without their flaws. As always, sometimes it takes a while to make the connection on what evidence needs to be presented to which statement. There were times in the first case of the second game where the hints provided to the the player once they had gone through the testimony, made me focus on a completely different area than I should have. 

I also floundered a little because the clues relied more on memory of what Ryunosuke and Susato had been discussing when they were examining the evidence, but which was not updated in the actual information. As such, it took quite a while to figure out the SS Grouse inconsistency during the fourth case in the second game.

Then, of course, there were the the inconsistencies or unexplained plot points in the games themselves. In the first case of the first game, one of the key evidences that was used to highlight who the real murderer in the John H. Wilson case was blood on a serving of beef steak. The blood was on the left of the platter. The victim however, had a bullet hole on the right hand side of the chest. Given that he had been facing the table at the time he was shot, why would the the blood be on the left side of the serving platter?

Also, how did the reporter Menimemo even get a knife to stab Jezaille Brett in the first case of the second game? Did he already have it on his person? Also, since it had been first established that the victim had been stabbed, why go through all the rigmarole of having to also prove that the reporter had both poisoned and stabbed the victim? Talk about overkill.

And someone please explain how anyone could serve as a prosecutor in a case when they have a CLEAR CONFLICT OF INTEREST! A court of law is not a place where someone can slake their thirst for vengeance. And it was clear from the start that Kazuma Asogi should have been removed because of his misguided vendetta against Barok van Zieks.

The same could also be extended to the jurors. I don’t think anyone who knows the accused or the victim personally is allowed to serve as a jury member because of implicit bias. Then again, this is a game and I should probably just enjoy the game for what it is.

Despite these little quibbles with the narrative and the fact that there seem to be a very limited number of prosecutors and defence attorneys in Britain and Japan (along with jurors), I had a fun time playing through both games. After all, never in my wildest dreams did I think that they would be released out in the West. Even the summation examinations and pitting the jury members against each other was something fresh and different. While the Mood Matrix and Apollo’s ability to perceive have given new ways to solve cases, there’s still little that’s been done to shake up the formula of cross-examining a witness.

The Dance of Deduction between Herlock and Ryunosuke was also a brilliant piece of change that made some of the investigations more fun. While I’ll miss the psyche-locks, perhaps it’s a good thing that The Great Ace Attorney has moved away from mysticism and spirit channelling to focus more on Herlock’s wacky hijinks.

And before I forget, I need to throw out a special mention to Iris Wilson, the ten-year-old child genius that puts us all to shame. Growing up in an Asian household, I’m sure my mother wishes I could have got a doctorate in medicine by that time. 

On a side note, it was fun voicing a few of the characters as I played. I’m sure my family were quite confused as to why these terrible accents were petering down to the kitchen. 

Do I have any regrets?

Some.

But it’s always fun giving voice to these wacky characters and bringing them all to life with a few flamboyant performances.

[muthaz-rapapa]

Possible Precure Concept # 4

Phantom Thieves

As promised, here it is.

The idea popped into my head a few months ago. Can’t remember whether or not Yuni made her first appearance at that point yet but whatever.

So! Picture it. A Precure team completely composed of kaitou who go about purifying corrupted artwork/valuable treasure and fighting villains aiming to “taint” the world in desolate colors or something like that (is that too Smile-like? that’s too much like Smile, isn’t it?).

No, you are not wrong. It takes inspiration straight from Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Saint Tail and maybe even a little bit of Persona 5 even though I’ve only watched like the first 6 episodes of the adaptation and never played the game (I can see why it’s so popular, though).

Anyways, I just thought it’d be cool to see Precure’s take on this concept. I wasn’t even deterred when StarPre brought out Blue Cat because it’s not like Toei doesn’t recycle stuff from past seasons.

However, there are several things I believe that can keep it off the consideration table. Like...

1) The one or two people who think it might suggest to kids to become criminals.

......Honestly? Honestly, if you steal only from the dirty rich, then I am absolutely FINE with that. Seriously, have your fun and EAT THE RICH!!

Ok, j/k, j/k except not really but the thing with phantom thieves (besides the fact that they are largely fictional) is that...there’s a sense of romanticism that sets them apart from other types of outlaws. At least the ones I came across, they mostly use trickery and cunning (and their charm) but rarely do they ever resort to violence or worse to get the job done.

And in some cases, the thief may have a noble motive for committing the crimes (like how Yuni did it to reclaim the resources for her home planet but donated everything else to the poor). I think that’s why phantom thieves are so compatible with the magical girl genre.

Because you know the MC is actually a good person performing a heroic deed but at the same time they’re operating well outside of what’s legal. And that’s what makes the story all the more thrilling to follow.

You want them to escape the police. You want them to steal the target. You want them to succeed because at the end of the day, they are not the villain.

That’s exciting, isn’t it? :D

...but hey, y’know...if the writers are afraid of the wrath of a few individuals who take a children’s anime way too seriously then that’s their call. :P

Pretty sure there’s no one that paranoid though...maybe... I dunno.

In any case, we can all agree it’s an interesting pitch, yea?

Yea. Next concern then.

2) It’s already been done.

On top of that, old favorites like KKJ and Saint Tail have the edge of nostalgia supporting them which will inevitably lead to the silly argument of “who did it better”.

Not that that’s ever stopped us before. I mean, look at KiraPre. At the start of its run, it drew tons of comparison with Tokyo Mew Mew but still became a very successful and beloved season among Precure fans.

So really, there is no issue there (in fact, the more magical phantom thieves, the merrier) because the story is likely always going to be different.

Which brings me to my next point...

3) Narrative

Among the majority (or perhaps, the more traditional?) of magical girl series, the plot is usually “normal girl obtains magical powers to fight evil and save the world”.

The plot is simple. The story isn’t.

The story is how you tell the plot.

Which makes comparisons between different series almost kinda pointless because no story progresses the same way as another does nor would they have details that are exactly alike.

Especially if Toei one day decides that it wants to take a shot at this idea for their cash cow franchise, then they already have a striking appeal the two aforementioned titles don’t: a team of phantom thieves.

Granted, that’s easier said than done.

Even though I’m proposing it, I can’t deny it might be hard to pull off well.

I dunno. I’m always under the impression that phantom thieves work better alone (their non-action accomplices aside). Less things to worry about on their end, less things to trip them up.

But why not take on the challenge? If you can manage to get a bunch of colorful personalities and/or headstrong egos to cooperate on big “heists” together, that would be pretty impressive.

Plus, let’s not forget that Toei has 16+ years of trumpeting the magic of “friendship and teamwork” under their belt with 50-so episodes spanning each year-long season to boot. Planning and writing fleshed-out character arcs and group development should be their forte by now.

Admittedly, they’re not always perfect at it but the point is, this is not unfamiliar territory for them.

Of course, there’s a lot more to a story than just its main cast and what razzle dazzle effects they can do. You also need good supporting characters, antagonists worth our attention, interesting (and in this case, clever) one-shot fillers, the usual one or two unexpected twists and perhaps most importantly, a solid narrative theme to work with.

“Phantom thieves” are a motif, not a narrative theme.

A motif is something that helps explains the theme (or message) the show wants to convey.

Like “hope versus despair”, loneliness, love (this one’s been broadly overused but yea, it is one), etc. Those are all themes.

Unfortunately, I can’t think of a theme that would correspond well to “phantom thieves” as motif at the moment.

Hmmm…maybe “justice”?

But what the heck, I’m not part of the writing staff. This is their job to think up, not mine! xP

…still, I think it’ll require a good amount of brainstorming if you really want it to turn out good.

Um…what else?

I guess, just smaller things like whether to use “Cure ______” or “Kaitou _____” because a stock trait of phantom thieves series is that they like to announce themselves as “Phantom Thief so-and-so”…so I’m wondering if the Cure title will even matter?

It feels less like a Precure show if the girls don’t actually call themselves “Cures”, doesn’t it?

Uuuuuuhhhhh…oh yea!

For every phantom thief, there is usually always a detective chasing after them and maybe even a rival thief that comes in later during the story.

I think it’d be a fascinating twist if the detective was a girl in the same class as the starter Cure(s) who ends up befriending said Cure(s) not knowing she’s (they’re) the same as the thief(s) she’s trying to catch. Then the reveal happens at the worse timing (ep 30ish) but she makes the decision to protect the Cure(s)…by becoming a Cure herself…and you can guess at what happens next but it’s pretty predictable. She comes to terms with it and drops her day job to become a magical girl and steal for the sake of good.

..Yea.

As for the rival part, I’m still really pushing for opposing Precure teams. Ideally, a two-against-two scenario where they (maybe one-sidedly) compete to see who can purify the most monsters until circumstances push them to see they’re better working together.

…lol, I dunno. It may not work with the principles of Precure in general but I’m just having a lot of fun right now thinking all this up. xD;

So yea, that’s another big one to add to my Precure wishlist.

If it becomes reality someday, I’ll…well, I’ll definitely not stop screaming for the next five years, that’s for sure. xDD;;;

[gallus-rising]

my progen is sooo ugly so i exalted her, but i keep having to bring her back during festivals bc shes the only dragon my dumbass could afford to put an eliminate on 😔

i feel you 😔 i kept my progens around for sooo long bc of that (and also for sentimental reasons lol) now they hang out in the hibden holding on to my badges and wishlists <3

i have some foolproof advice for you tho

step 1: get your hands on another eliminate asap. pre-Dustcarve Dig (when everyone who participated that one day got a free eliminate) these things were fuckin 600-700g a pop. they're significantly cheaper atm so get one when you can and hang on to it (ooooor if you wanna hit up Gallus #142193 i can get you settled no problem ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿)

step 2: make "fandragons" for beloved OCs even if they don't rly fit your lore/aesthetic. stick 'em in a different tab for beloved OCs only <3 just hang on to those Blorbos from your brain for a bit. you'll Know when you wanna level one as farmer/trainer

step 3: if you're planning on training a full dedicated farming team, wait until you've got three dragons you've decided on and train them all at once (obligatory Duke's how to train your dragon) if you're just looking to replace the one dragon tho you can train it alongside your progen! just stick 'em on your team w your progen if you're farming in a high enough level area, or if you train/exalt using a two-fodder build (i can link the builds i use if you don't) you can just stick your dragon alongside! make a lil bit of dragon crash while you perform the long tedious task of leveling a dragon to 25 >:D

[emperorren]

What Reylo scenes would you want to happen in Episode IX? In the context of there being no limitations (PG-13 rating, things Disney wouldn't do, the plot (within reason))? Thanks!

(please excuse my lack of coherence but tlj, unlike tfa, left me with lots of question marks on the future evolution of reylo. It unexpectedly covered most of my preexisting predictions for this ship while also leaving their relationships unresolved, so I’m currently in the process of adjusting my predictions to the new circumstances and the changed dynamic and I’m just going to spitball in no particular order and no attempt at sticking to any coherent idea of plot)

number one on my wishlist is a deepening of the force bond in terms of what they can feel and how they can use it

I want the force bond to explored from different angles: what it means in terms of force lore, why it happened to them, what makes them special to the Force, how do they physically feel, how they deal with this intimacy they don’t understand now that they’ve hurt and disappointed each other so much. But I also want them to study it, as opposed to passively experience it. Perhaps try to manipulate the bond to either shut the other out or keep an eye or each other or (also) use it in an attempt to weaken the other in a duel

I want to see new visual ways to convey how the bond progressively grows and expands between them. So bring on all kinds of obscure lynchian visions, shared dreams, nightmares about each other dying, sensing each other’s approaching, tapping into each other’s conscience and deeply buried memories of their childhood and past abuse (that would be an awesome way to include a snoke flashback, as well as more details of rey’s parents), even better if the other’s present self is there to witness it too

at least an antagonistic duel filled with angst and rage and betrayal on either part, physical and raw and bloody. Yes I want to see some blood. (you said no rating limitations) I can imagine their duel to quickly turn into a battle of wills in which they try to overpower the other via the force bond

rey could use some of kylo’s signature tactics like the force stun and the force choke on kylo himself (which would obviously both terrify and turn him on)

even better if, at some time prior to this climatic duel, rey asked kylo to teach her to use those powers and he agreed—knowing fully well that she means to use them against him, but he’s self destructive like that and he is perversely fascinated by the idea of her being the fated angel of death who will finally put him out of his misery. Rey feels that and it upsets her in a similar way seeing him beat his own wounds on starkiller did

they’re both miserable without each other, but they don’t want to show it, so this leads to at least one scene in which Kylo tries desperately to pretend he hates Rey but as soon as she shows up all he can do is stutter and spit some badly rehashed insults while also looking like he’s about to cry. Rey can’t speak at all

perhaps this happens in the throne room while Renperor is sitting on the throne. Maybe they should continue the tradition of rey ending up in enemy territory (better if willingly), or maybe this time it’s Kylo who is captured by the resistance, and rey is conflicted about it and feels his pain as he’s wounded and kept prisoner, and after a while she secretly sets him free 

arguing on the jedi texts via force skype

arguing on how to rebuild the legacy saber via force skype

kylo being an insufferable know-it-all nerd

more force bond shenanigans: feeling the other’s physical pain (maybe because they’re being tortured or beaten in combat) but not being able to see the other (since the force is mad at them and they’re mad at each other, the bond won’t work properly for at least 1/3 of the movie), and going crazy with panic while also being in unspeakable physical pain through the bond

the eroticism of the force bond should be amped up, pg-13 be damned. Give me all the awkward and increasingly bolder force-touching, feeling each other’s arousal at the worst times, teasing and taunting each other, the unresolved sexual tension getting more and more literal, seeing each other naked, rey and kylo trying to keep their forbidden psychic affair secret to their respective organizations, while also being more and more desperate for each other

Rey struggling with the dark side. Perhaps accidentally unleashing her powers in a moment of wrath and killing someone in the process, then plagued by guilt and blind panic going to Kylo for advice

Alternatively Rey having a conflict with Poe and/or Finn once they learn of the bond. Poe wants to keep her in custody or use the bond to lure Kylo in a trap. Rey is furious and she runs away (to Kylo). I can honestly see Finn being deeply hurt by Rey’s bond with Kylo, but ultimately choosing to support her. (this could also mean interesting things for the poe/finn dynamic

let’s be real: a version of the Most Tropey Reylo Trope, aka Stranded Together On A Mysterious And Remote Corner Of The Galaxy, HAS to happen in some form eventually

especially if one of them is injured when this happens. Let’s say both.

they end up on the Falcon together. they tend on each other’s wounds (more shirtless moments, probably). Rey cups Kylo’s face in a callback to Han’s gesture, traces his scar from his cheek down his chest. Major ship tease moment 

perhaps this is followed by a galactic trip to either find some ancient artifact or to collect some crucial information to their understanding of the Force, the Galaxy, the Balance and their role in all of this, that would lead to some earth-shattering reveal 

maybe they go find the Bendu to inquire about the balance, possibly after reading some cryptic line in the jedi books

at some point, they should go back to Jakku. Would really love to see Kylo’s walking with his billowy dark robes through a sand storm and them finding shelter in Rey’s old AT-AT and Kylo seeing the scratches on the wall

there should also be some sort of cliff scene or an equivalent, because I’ve become attached to that pre-tlj headcanon; though, clearly, now that their dynamic has evolved it wouldn’t make sense for it to play exactly like it would have for eight

in general I want them to be alone with each other on an inhospitable planet, better if connected to the dark side. Like Mustafar, or somewhere in the unknown regions (Malachor?)

Leia’s funeral. Rey helps Kylo connect with his mother one last time via the force bond, letting him touch her face with her hand. 

Kylo cries in Rey’s arms.

Rey meeting the Knights of Ren?

probably some version of the forceback scene, though part of me believes tlj covered it with kylo killing snoke (note how the forceback has rain in it—foreshadowing the intense bond manifesting on ahch-to, and the “clan leader” could be a metaphor for snoke)

one of them (or both) will try to find a way to sever the bond permanently. maybe during the galactic trip hey learn of an ancient ritual and they agree to perform it and Kylo goes first but halfway through it Rey realizes it’s too painful (both physically for Kylo and emotionally for both of them) and she implores him to stop

“I can’t lose you”

Hux’s hostility only grows bigger and bigger and Kylo starts feeling threatened. Rey feels it through the bond, she panics. 

Hux finds out what’s going on with them and uses it to set up a trap to kill two birds with one stone and get rid of both Kylo and Rey. Maybe he imprisons Kylo after neutralizing his force powers.

how would he? well since Hux really hates the Force for being an advantage he has no access to, it makes sense to me that he’d try to ~kill it~. Now I obviously don’t think anyone can kill the Force, but maybe accidentally stumbling upon some old sacred text or artifact or creating a device that allows him to permanently sever the tie that binds the Force to all living beings? i.e. destroying force-sensitivity?

this could easily be the ultimate evil to defeat, and the final turning point for kylo—learning that his “side” of the war is actively trying to destroy his most beloved driving principle, the very thing he’s in service to? That should make him reevaluate his allegiances and spontaneously ask Rey’s help to stop this. (I originally wanted Snoke to be behind this, but I gotta admit Hux works better, with  his deep-seated resentment of force-sensitive beings)

sometime in act III there’s a huge battle and the resistance is being decimated and Rey is losing her fight and is almost unconscious and all hope seems lost and then suddenly Kylo’s ship appears and starts firing on the First Order and then he lands (a callback to the first time we saw him in the trilogy) and goes to join Rey while she’s watching all of this in a sort of semi-conscious slow motion haze and all she can think is, he came back for me

third time’s the charm, so there has to be a third offer, and this time the other will accept it. I’m not sure if I want Rey to be the one who offers Kylo, or Kylo to Rey

REYLO KISS. now I think we have VERY decent chances of actually seeing one in canon. But without the pg-13 limit? It starts as extremely sweet and tentative (Rey initiates it) and then deepens and SETS THE SCREEN ON FIRE. I’m torn between this happening in an intimate, quiet moment or during/after a fight (think the end of the praetorian guard scene for reference).

THEY FUCK. no rating limits. Unleash your imagination.

(better if they fuck while thinking this is going to be their first and last time, like the night before the battle that will decide both their fates, or kylo’s fate if he’s going to be executed by the resistance)

finally, i want to see them using the Force together. in some huge thing. Like stopping a death ray firing on a planet. (Coruscant or Naboo) Impossible? Maybe. But Kylo, alone, could stop a blaster mid air. Imagine what he could do with Rey

[ylw-ism]

My FEH Wishlist

Fire Emblem is a loveable series, and Heroes is a nice addition to this beloved family. There are so much more I wish to have in the game.

FE6 - THE BINDING BLADE - Since we have Raigh, hope that his twin brother (and arguably the best Sage utilizing Thunder spells in the game, thanks to solid Skill growth) Lugh might make an appearance too. Maybe as a Green Mage in FEH. - Since FEH needs another Bow Cavalier, Sin can make an appearance with a similar build to Brave!Lyn but is leaning more towards physical rather than magical. And if there is Sin, there should be Zeiss too, as a Lance Wyvern Rider (Flier). - Elffin can appear as a Blue Mage utilizing Light spells (because his affinity in the main game is Light) with Sing (the second Sing magic-user besides Performing!Inigo). And if possible, Percival too (because along with Seth and Titania, he is the very rare veteran who still performs well). And because Percival's protectiveness over Prince Mildain is adorable.

FE7 - THE BLAZING BLADE - Lucie (Lucius) can have another version as a Blue Mage because he is primarily a battling monk utilizing Light magic rather than a healer. Still a glass cannon though, because it's Lucie we're talking about. - Rath and Heath if Sin and Zeiss cannot happen (but both are better, of course).

FE8 - THE SACRED STONES - As the current meta doesn't have enough Axe Cavalier, Franz can make an appearance since his default promotion is a Great Knight (and he's pretty good too). Not to mention, green Franz can cover Seth's Ruby Sword weakness pretty well by dealing with blue foes (and Franz has pretty good Resistance growth in the main game too). - Maybe Ross and Ewan to complete the trainee trio. And maybe Cormag because he's my favorite Wyvern Lord in the game.

FE9 - PATH OF RADIANCE Tibarn and Reyson. Tibarn can be similar to Myrrh in the game: a Flier that can transform, but he can lean more toward physical damage rather than magical. And Reyson can be a red Myrrh or a red mage Lucie, with Sing, and Fire spells.

FE10 - RADIANT DAWN - Edward and Leonardo, just because. - Volug and Rafiel. Volug can be a physical infantry dragon(?) unit tat transforms into a wolf, and Rafiel can be a blue Reyson (the trio magic sing/dance is complete).

FE13 - AWAKENING Maybe more second gen, like Owain (because Odin is s bad so hopefully Owain can redeem the reputation), Inigo, Severa, Yarne, and Nah (because there can never be too many dragon units)

FE13 - FATE - Kaze, the arguably best Shuriken user should make an appearance, especially since all other Dagger/Shuriken users in the game are in FEH (except for Flora). - Rinkah as a slow but bulky magic/axe user that hits super hard. And Orochi who is Rinkah, but magical. - Kiragi can be the first Bow Flier because he performs so well as a Kinshi Knight. A Flier that hunts down other fliers and mages sounds like a nice addition to the current meta.

[hg-world-india]

Upcoming PS4 games for October 2021

Brace yourselves for all the hottest upcoming PS4 games in October.

From a sports thriller to a zombie shooter, October is packed with exciting games one after the other. There is absolutely no doubt that game developers and publishers love the fall months to launch the most amazing and entertaining game titles that have everyone waiting. And they haven’t disappointed this time either.

With PS5 still being a high demand product all across the world and with less availability of the same PlayStation, gamers are still vouching for their beloved PS4. Taking advantage of the same, developers are leaving no stone unturned in introducing worthy and exciting game titles one after the other. By the way, if you still haven’t got your hands on the latest PS5, worry not! We are at the right place. Click here to know more.

Below we have a curated list of upcoming PS4 games that are sure to win a place on your Wishlist soon.

·       FIFA 22

Release date: 1st October 2021

FIFA is back and it’s grander than ever. With more than 700 teams to choose from, 30 plus leagues including the UEFA championship League and the UEFA Europa Conference League exclusive for the PS5 and more than 16 thousand players, FIFA wants you to live your football dream with pride.

What’s new? EA Sports made sure that you have the utmost control over the performance and result of your team by rewriting the goalkeeper dynamics, including new and advanced ball dynamics, adding new and clever attacking tactics to choose from and the sprint mechanism that makes it even more real to match with some of the fastest sprinters on the team. Apart from this, the developers have made sure to include small and new innovations across several modes for you to have that refreshing feeling every time you play this game.

·       Super Ball Monkey: Banana Mania

Release date: 5th October 2021

Enjoy the adventures of this monkey gang with your gang, as you discover and try to stop Dr Bad Bon from destroying the whole Jungle Island. Roll, Tilt, bounce as you travel through hundreds of amazing levels all in the hope to stop the mad scientist from blowing up the Jungle.

The all-star monkey team consists of YanYan, MeeMee. Baby, Doctor, AiAi and GonGon. Either you go solo or assemble your own gang of four and dive into the madness of bananas as you go on to become the coolest monkey in the jungle. With more than 300 levels to explore, the game also offers 30 plus mini-games like Monkey Soccer, Monkey Racing and so much more.

·       Alan Walk Remastered

Release Date: 5th October 2021

Now this one is for all the horror fanatics. This horror action thriller is all set to pull you into the mysterious world of secrets, heart racing cliffhangers, creepy nightmares, unexpected twists, intense combat situations and above all a sinister presence that will do anything and everything to stop our protagonist in his mission.

To give you a brief on the storyline, Alan Walk, an author sets out to find his wife who mysteriously goes missing from Pacific Northwest. Soon after he discovers pages of a horror story that is supposedly written by him. To make matters worse one by one everything written on the pages starts coming true.

This cinematic thriller will push our player to question his sanity as he dives deep into the horrible secrets to find answers. With only a handgun, a flashlight and some of his remaining sanity, Alan is forced to fight the sinister presence.

The game is assured to give you a never like before experience with the main game and two side story expansion in breath-taking visuals, an amazing put together casts of characters and cut scenes that are to die for.

·       Far Cry 6

Release Date: 7th October 2021.

The latest instalment in the popular series Far Cry is back with a more intense and explosive action-packed journey.

The story follows around the Yara Island where Dani Rojas who strikes the flame against President Anton Castillo voiced by Actor Giancarlo Esposito (popular for hit shows like ‘The Boys’, ‘Better call Saul’ and many. Castillo has iron control over the island with his ruthless dictatorship, which is strongly opposed by Dani and their guerrilla group who fights Castillo and his son Deigo.

Throughout the game, you will get several opportunities to interact with other characters and make them your ally for the fight against Castillo. Apart from this, get your hands on dangerous weapons, vehicles and so much more as you fight the war with everything you got.

·       Back 4 Blood

Release Date: 12th October 2021

The spiritual successor of the critically acclaimed title, left 4 Dead is here to test your survival skills as you and your group of friends fight your way through undead zombies to live. The game comes from the same developer and creator team under the Turtle Roci studios who created the before mentioned hit game.

The director of this cooperative zombie’s shooter will leave no stone unturned as they try to mix up and change the enemies and their quantity depending upon the circumstances. However, there is a kick. You can somewhat control and manipulate combat and defences using the game card. Well, everything is fair when it comes to war.

·       Marvel’s Guardian of the Galaxy

Release Date: 26th October 2021

Now, this one has been on my wish list since its announcement. The concept and gameplay from the much-famed studios is all the reason why one should vouch for this one.

The game lets you control the much hilariously chaotic character Star Lord who is also the leader of the group of misfits where they are off to yet another adventure filled with action, comedy and a lot of fun. Your decisions are crucial as they decide the dynamics between the members of this dysfunctional group and the situation, they are in.

We think this refreshing and funky take on the original characters is an amazing way to experience the chaos and fun of the unpredictable group as they try to make it through the dangers.

What’s more, is the amazing 80s soundtrack that will make playing the game all the more awesome.

·       NASCAR 21: Ignition

Release Date: 26th October 2021

The popular NASCAR Cup Series is back to pull you into its immersive gameplay filled to the brim with amazing graphics, a soundtrack to die for, new shiny cars and customised race tracks to match the action and speed of the real NASCAR 2021 Cup Series Season.

The video game is so close to the real thing with its actual presentation of the official teams, clubs, drivers, tracks, pre-race build-up and post-race rallies with its top-tier broadcast quality.

Dive straight into the races with the ‘Race Now’ mode and choosing your favourite NASCAR series driver and car or enter the career mode, where you get a gist of the real journey of becoming a world NASCAR champion.

·       Riders Republic

Release Date: 28th October 2021

Imagine, an open world where players are free to choose any racing sport and compete against players from all across the world. Sounds fun right?

To satiate the rider spirit inside you, Riders Republic is here with activities ranging from snowboarding, skiing, biking and so much more. Sound chaotic, doesn’t it? It is but in a very fun way. You can also try on the campaign mode which is equally enthralling and entertaining.

Some more upcoming PS4 games and their release dates:1.     Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition

Release Date: 1st October 2021

2.     Wasteland 3: Cult of Holy Detonation

Release Date: 5th October 2021

3.     Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles

Release Date: 15th October 2021

4.     The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

Release Date: 22nd October 2021

5.     Fatal Fame: Maiden of Black Water

Release Date: 28th October 2021

watch the video of ps5 here.

[treetalent209]

Best Mac Apps For Travel

The Best Travel Apps for 2019

Best Free Apps For Mac

Best Mac App For Travel

Top 10 Mac Apps

Best Apps For New Macbook

Best Apps For Mac 2020

Best Free Apps For Mac

Airbnb

Jan 04, 2020  So, here’s our pick of the best offline GPS apps for your Android or iOS phone. OsmAnd Offline Travel Maps & Navigation. A product of collaboration between two open-source platforms – OpenStreetMap and Wikipedia – OsmAnd allows you to download seven map files for free for offline navigation. Depending on your usage and device memory.

Jan 03, 2020  The Best Calorie Counter Apps of 2020 Counting calories with a smartphone or tablet app is the smartest way to do it. Brad Stephenson. Freelance Contributor. Brad Stephenson is a freelance tech and geek culture writer with 12+ years' experience. He writes about Windows 10, Xbox One, and cryptocurrency. Our editorial process.

Jan 06, 2020  The 100 Best Android Apps for 2020. Not all of the Google Play store's 2.9 million apps are worth downloading. Our picks of the best Android apps in 14 categories deserve a place on your phone.

Jan 19, 2017  The 50 Best New Travel Apps for 2017 The 50 Best New Travel Apps for 2017. So we’ve combed through dozens of the latest travel apps (and a.

Feb 09, 2019  One of the questions I regularly get asked by coworkers is about my favorite Mac apps. I’ve been using a Mac since 2004, and I’ve downloaded, purchased, and demoed hundreds of apps.

Explore your world by finding deals, booking flights, knowing when to pull off the road, and getting out of town with the best travel apps.

Oct 17, 2019  The best way to navigate is to use the app to search for ideas. As of October, TripIt users can now even download the app to their Mac desktop. You don’t want to land in a foreign city for the first time without these travel apps. XE Currency Converter.

We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use.

How do you decide where to travel? Where do you research destinations? How do you find good deals on flights and accommodations? How do you find your way around a place once you arrive? The best travel apps answer all these questions.

From the time you start thinking about your next destination to the moment your feet hit the welcome mat back home, having the right Android and iPhone apps on hand can make the whole experience smoother and less stressful.

How Can Apps Make Your Trips Better?

Pack light, set a budget, make an itinerary, and make backup plans. What else is there to say about travel? Plenty. Some of the best travel apps inform you about your destination, with advice, insights, tips, and warnings for how to spend your time. Apps for driving and road trips let you know what to expect along your route, where to buy gas, and which exit to take to find a reliable ATM. Other apps keep your itinerary organized, alert you when you can get a deal on flights, or give you a way to explore your options for where to go next.

What's Not Here?

https://treetalent209.tumblr.com/post/657547245000982529/pool-maintenance-software-for-mac. We didn't see the need to include all the big-name search aggregator sites such as Expedia, Hotwire, Orbitz, and Priceline, seeing as most people are already familiar with them. They help you search for and book (usually by prepaying) flights, hotels, car rentals, and sometimes packaged vacations and cruises. The same goes for hotel search aggregators, like Booking.com, Hotels.com, and Trivago. I've only included here the ones that serve a specific niche or those that are excellent but not well known.

Listed in alphabetical order, here are the best travel apps to keep on hand.

Airbnb

Airbnb started by connecting travelers with people who have rooms, apartments, homes, and other accommodations to rent. The site now offers much more for travelers, including tours, classes, workshops, and restaurant reservations. Whether you use Airbnb to find a place to sleep or for inspiration about what to do on your next trip, you're guaranteed to see big, beautiful photographs of it all.

AllTrails

AllTrails is a mobile app and website that helps you get outdoors. It has lists of trails for hiking and walking around the world with pictures, maps, and directions to trailheads. You can download trail maps offline if you sign up for the Pro version of the service for $29.99 per year. It's a great resource for quickly finding the best places to be outside when you're in an unfamiliar area.

Culture Trip

A friend of who's an avid traveler recently tipped me off to Culture Trip. It's a cross between a travel magazine and an SEO-driven website that runs articles with headlines that start The Top 10… or The Best Places to… The content is supposedly written by locals, and the real hook is that the Culture Trip app lets you save articles to Wishlists that you create. Make a Wishlist for each destination you want to visit or some theme that drives your travel (Snorkeling Spots, perhaps), and you can save Culture Trip articles there for your reference.

GasBuddy

On driving road trips, you'll be happy to have GasBuddy at hand. It helps you find gas by location and price either in real time on your phone or via its website, if you like to plan ahead. If you can save a couple of bucks by cruising a little farther down the road, GasBuddy will let you know. It's available in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Google Flights

Never turn down a second opinion. Despite all the excellent travel search sites available these days, Google Flights is one to add to your list. Use it when you need a quick check on airfare for round-trip, one-way, or multicity flights. It also lets you explore destinations based on price and dates.

Google Maps

My number one go-to travel app is Google Maps. I use it to explore destinations before I arrive and make a note of places that look interesting by adding a star or flagging them on the map. As my travel plans shape up, I use the map to put together a plan for the day by visiting places that are grouped together. You can also save your maps offline so that you won't get lost even if you don't have data on your phone.

Hopper

The mobile-only app Hopper tracks flight prices and gives you periodic updates on whether you should buy now or wait. What makes this travel app valuable is its level of detail. It doesn't just tell you to wait to buy your ticket, but gives you a date when the price will likely rise. You can book through Hopper, too, with a commission fee of a few dollars.

In areas like corporate finance, investment banking, and accounting, people are always looking for new ways to make different financial models that are easy to understand and very informative. A software used for financial modeling can be used for this purpose as it helps the users to make multi-dimensional models very easily and quickly. The most financial modeling software are very easy to. About Financial Modeling on a Mac. Financial modeling What is Financial Modeling Financial modeling is performed in Excel to forecast a company's financial performance. Overview of what is financial modeling, how & why to build a model. On a Mac is becoming more and more common, and while the PC is still recommended, it is possible to get by on an Apple device. What is financial modeling? When asked to define financial model, many people come up with long-winded descriptions using terms like forecast and cash flow and hypothetical outcomes. But the definition needs to be that complicated. A financial model is a tool (typically built in Excel) that displays possible solutions to a real-world financial problem. And financial modeling is the task of. Financial modeling software for mac.

Here's what you need to know. Voice memom app for mac. It was announced at that the beloved Voice Memos app would be making its way to Mac with the macOS Mojave update, and a few neat features are coming along with it.

Hotel Tonight

Best Mac App For Travel

Some people, myself included, panic at the notion of having to book a hotel room at the last minute. For travelers ready to fly by the seat of their pants, there's Hotel Tonight. This travel app specializing in selling off same-day hotel reservations, often at steep discounts. It has options to book in advance, too, but the best deals are same-day bookings.

iExit

Here's another travel app for driving trips. iExit tells you exactly what's near every highway exit, from gas stations to ATMs. If there's a particular restaurant chain or other service you love, you can mark it as a favorite and the app tells you if it's coming up on your route. You'll never kick yourself again for settling for a greasy spoon when better food was just around the bend.

LoungeBuddy

There's no need to be jealous of frequent travelers who have airport lounge access through their membership status or a high-flying credit card. With the LoungeBuddy app, you can find lounges in airports that let anyone in for a fee. LoungeBuddy tells you not only the fee, but also what you can expect inside, from the food and drink to whether there are showers. And if you happen to have lounge membership through other means, the app can often tell you that, too.

Rick Steves Audio Europe

Travel writer Rick Steves has an app for European travels with dozens of audio files. Some give you background information on a particular city or region while others are audio guides for navigating popular sites. I listened to some of his Rome content while viewing the Sistine Chapel and again when walking around the Roman Colosseum. If you're traveling to any of the top destinations in Europe, download this free app and consider listening to some of the segments while planning what to see and do.

Roadtrippers

Find interesting places to stop during a road trip using Roadtrippers. With this app and website, you can explore a map of the US and Canada (with some coverage for Mexico, too) that has unusual roadside attractions, museums, amusement parks, campsites, restaurants, and more. When you find a site you like, just add it to your trip, and Roadtrippers draws your route accordingly. A Roadtrippers Plus account for $29.99 per year or $6.99 per month lets you download maps offline and add unlimited stops along your route, whereas you only get five with a free account.

Roomer Travel

What should you do when you've prepaid for a hotel and your trip suddenly gets canceled? Download Roomer or go to roomertravel.com/sell. This app and website helps people sell prepaid reservations to others who can use them, usually at a lower cost. It can help you recoup money that might otherwise be lost to the travel gods. It can also save you money if you buy a reservation from someone who can't use it at a discounted rate.

TripAdvisor

Sometimes people have to go to unexpected places that they didn't choose, like for a wedding or a business trip. When I don't know anything about my destination, I turn to TripAdvisor. It's one of the most comprehensive online sources for travelers, with background information about different cities and regions, plus highlights of what to see and do. It has reviews of hotels, restaurants, and activities, written by members of the TripAdvisor community, as well as photos from their travels so you know what to expect before you arrive. TripAdvisor has relationships with various booking sites, too, which means once you finish researching hotels or restaurants, you can easily reserve them.

TripCase

TripCase is a free app that helps you organize your trip by making an itinerary for you. The itinerary can include flights, accommodations, rental cars, restaurant reservations, and more. To make an itinerary, you forward travel confirmation emails to TripCase, and the app does the rest. The next time you launch the app or log into the website, a complete chronological lineup of your trip is waiting for you. You can manually add details, too. The result is similar to what you get from TripIt (see below), but the method of collecting the information is different.

TripIt

Top 10 Mac Apps

TripIt is similar to TripCase in creating an organized itinerary for you, but TripIt builds your travel plans by sniffing out confirmation emails in your inbox and pulling out the most important information. If you don't want to give TripIt access to your email, you can use the app by forwarding emails to it instead or manually entering details, but that's not the point of the app. If you are disorganized and haphazard with your travel details, TripIt might do you a lot of good.

Uber

Uber operates around the world, and while the in-app options vary from place to place, the general concept is the same everywhere. There are a few reasons that ride-on-demand apps work so well for travelers. First, it eliminates the need to carry local currency. Second, you don't have to speak the same language as your driver to get to where you need to go. Third, there's no haggling. If you don't want to give Uber your business for one reason or another, do a little research on what other riding hailing apps operate in your destination.

Viator

When you travel to a destination that might require a little hand-holding, Viator is a great website and app to keep in mind. It specializes in tours and packages, from daily excursions to week-long adventures with transfers included. Note that the quantity and quality of the deals varies dramatically by destination.

VRBO

VRBO, which is HomeAway.com with new branding, helps you find vacation homes, apartment rentals, and other accommodations for your travels. Unlike Airbnb, where you can still find a room to let in someone's private home, VRBO focuses on private homes, including beach houses, ski cabins, private apartments, and villas. The next time you're traveling with a large group or planning a destination reunion, keep VRBO in mind.

Wanderu

Best Apps For New Macbook

Do you want to search for buses and trains with the same ease you search and compared flights? Wanderu is the app you need. This aggregator and comparison app includes methods of transportation that other sites skip, namely trains and buses. You can also use it for flights, car rentals, and hotels, but it got its start with buses and trains, and that's still what sets it apart from competitors. For journeys serviced by Amtrak, Megabus, BoltBus, and other ground services, use Wanderu for quick and reliable results.

Waze

Best Apps For Mac 2020

While Google Maps tells you about officially reported problems on the road and whether there's traffic, Waze knows the nitty-gritty details, like the location of police traps and potholes. This free community-driven app for traffic and road conditions is popular among taxi and car service drivers, although it's equally useful for everyday drivers. Beware that Waze demands your GPS information at all times, which takes a toll on your battery.

Zomato

If you live in the US, there's a good chance you've never heard of Zomato. In some countries, however, it's more popular than Yelp, and it covers the same ground as Yelp. Zomato is a crowd-sourced review site for restaurants. One reason it's better than Yelp is that its contributors regularly snap photos of menus and upload them to the restaurant review, so you get more than just flippant remarks and blurry pictures of french fries. In some regions, Zomato partners with local restaurant delivery services, so you can get take-out at your hotel or Airbnb.

More Travel Tips

The travel apps in this list will get you far, but there are additional ways to ensure a successful trip. For instance, a VPN app can help protect your network traffic on public Wi-Fi networks away from home. You may want to pack some specialty devices too; you never know what you'll want to capture or what gear you will need in the field. Be sure to read our guides below for more travel advice.

Financial software for mac small business. It's a plus when accounting software can also serve as an invoice generator.Recurring InvoicesWith this feature, you can schedule the system to automatically generate and send invoices for recurring charges, such as subscriptions. Some accounting software programs integrate with third-party payment processors; others require you to use their in-house processing services. Very few of the accounting applications we evaluated include recurring invoice functionality.Automatic Payment RemindersThis feature helps you remind customers about upcoming and past-due payments. You can choose how frequently invoices are sent – daily, weekly, monthly or annually – and indicate whether there's an end date to the billing.

7 Tips for Finding the Best Hotel Discounts

[kwany-mylove]

svt and txt

seventeen

do i already stan them? yes | only for the music | attempting to | no

my bias

seungkwan, minghao and scoups are my ults but im also super ot13

my bias wrecker

all of them but maybe jeonghan, dino, wonwoo and hoshi the most lol

first time i heard about them

i feel like i've always known about them, i remember hearing their name and seeing their memes all the time

when i became a fan

around september 2020

favorite (and least favorite) title track

favorite: thanks and don't wanna cry

least favorite: mmmm maybe boom boom? no hate its just not one of their most memorable title tracks in my opinion

favorite (and least favorite) b-side

favorite: ahh this one is hard!! kidult and my my (my beloveds) but there's also our dawn is hotter than day and habit nghngnyng

least favorite: .... chilli?? im sorry it is a nice song just definitely not my fav

favorite (and least favorite) mv

favorite: falling flower and hitorijanai <3

least favorite: mansae. that girl is clearly not interested please leave her alone 😭😭 (love the song tho, the mv just gives me second hand embarrassment)

favorite (and least favorite) album

favorite: henggarae (absolutely no skips)

least favorite: going seventeen

a concept i wish they'd try

mmmm im not really sure they're kind of already done everything no? but if i had to choose.. maybe a tropical and summery concept would be refreshing

what i like most about them

they're all very very talented but what really catches my attention about them is their chemistry. they genuinely seem like they love and care about each other so much. they're just a group of very good friends, i want what they have

txt

do i already stan them? yes | only for the music | attempting to | no

my bias

yeonjunnnn!!!!

my bias wrecker

beomgyu :)

first time i heard about them

i remember when bighit first announced they were gonna debut a new boy group it was such a big deal lol

when i became a fan

i always liked their music but i started stanning them in 2020 i think

favorite (and least favorite) title track

favorite: blue hour!!! but crown has a very special place in my heart to this day and also 0x1= LOVESONG slaps

least favorite: can't you see me

favorite (and least favorite) b-side

favorite: wishlist and nap of a star

least favorite: way home

favorite (and least favorite) mv

favorite: 0x1= LOVESONG and we lost the summer gets a special shoutout

least favorite: probably blue hour.... im not the biggest fan of when mvs have a lot of cgi effects...

favorite (and least favorite) album

favorite: blue hour and i haven’t listened to chaos chapter: freeze yet but i have a feeling it may be one of my favs too

least favorite: dream chapter: eternity

a concept i wish they'd try

retro concept!!! like their mama performance when they danced disco i loved that

what i like most about them

their songs are so melancholic and nostalgic, they have a lot of emotion i love the pain 😌😌 also i love their sense of humor lol

[effect-of-games]

Animal Crossing’s Black Market: Ethics of a “Friendly” Social Simulation Game by Brianna-Marie Joerger

Though the context is of rather sensitive and dark nature, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo’s newest addition to the Animal Crossing franchise, was released at an extremely ideal time. Released on March 20, 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) was, and still is, a source of comfort and escapism for millions through the Coronavirus pandemic. ACNH quickly became the best-selling game in the Animal Crossing franchise, surpassing Animal Crossing: New Leaf as well as becoming the fastest-selling game on the Nintendo Switch to date. 

Animal Crossing has always been beloved for many reasons. From the concept of designing a town (or in ACNH’s case, island) to one’s liking, befriending residents (villagers) who take the form of cute animals, to performing rewarding tasks such as paying off home loans so players can expand their residences, Animal Crossing has something just about anyone would love. ACNH, a game that takes place on an island rather than somewhere on the mainland, introduced new concepts - such as terraforming - and even introduced new villagers for the players to meet and invite to their island (a topic to be revisited later). 

Another thing that makes Animal Crossing so beloved is the interactivity it allows with other players. ACNH utilizes Nintendo Switch Online so players can interact with one another, whether it be visiting each others’ islands or sending gifts and letters to each other using the mail function. Players can spend time with one another virtually, as well as help each other build up their islands; people commonly trade or gift items or materials (to build special ‘DIY’ items) to other players who may want or need certain things. 

In an article by LaFleur et. al, the therapeutic aspects of video games, including Animal Crossing, have even been discussed. “...Within the co-op genre, there is a unique type of game where the players play independently but can interact from a distance. The best example of this is the Animal Crossing (Nintendo, 2001) series, where players create their own homes within a community of interesting characters but are able to check in on one another, visit one another’s houses, and send mail, or aid, as necessary, even when the other players are offline” (LaFleur et. al, 2017). Animal Crossing can be viewed as an unofficial form of play therapy, or a form of therapy in which play is utilized so people can express their emotions in a harmless and maybe even productive way. Animal Crossing has been a source of tranquility for people since the series’ official launch in 2001. Its creator, Katsuya Eguchi, actually created the game when he first moved away from his home. He was feeling lost and lonely, and needed a form of escapism. From that point on, Animal Crossing has become a way for people to escape, but still be able to interact with their friends - as well as new friends they make through internet forums. 

With all of this being said, one may wonder: “what could possibly be so ethically wrong about such a cute and harmless game?” On the surface, that answer would be: technically nothing. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, or any Animal Crossing title is not the subject of ethical question. It is, in fact, some parts of the community of players itself that has become ethically questionable. Of course, then, one could argue that there are many games with toxic fanbases, so this is not a true issue, but since Animal Crossing so heavily circulates around community play, the wrong fanbase could make or break the game. This paper’s purpose is to explore what exactly went wrong with important aspects of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, in just a few months of it being released to the public. 

Animal Crossing games have always had a multiplayer option, but as the years go on, the multiplayer aspect of it has grown to greater complexities. The development of a fan-made website, Nookazon, by Daniel Luu, took the ACNH community by storm. Functioning more like eBay, ACNH players are able to make listings of items they were willing to trade, sell, or even simply give away items, villagers, DIY recipes, and more. At first, this website seemed ideal, but soon, it would take a dark turn. 

Nookazon’s currency consisted of three main options: bells (Animal Crossing’s classic currency), Nook-Mile Tickets (NMTs) - tickets that allow players to travel to Mystery Islands and meet more animals, and to trade for something by giving someone an item / villager on their wishlist. Of these three options, NMTs became the most popular and desirable form of currency, as it was a bit harder to get them in the game without hacks. In order to achieve NMTs, players have to complete various tasks on their island and get points on a point system. These points could then be exchanged for NMTs. Each NMT is worth 2,000 points. 

Many people soon realized that people could offer ‘hot commodities,’ or items that are rare to get in-game, on Nookazon, which meant that they could theoretically charge more for such items. Thus began the craze of overcharging on Nookazon, and no hot commodity knows how to be overcharged like one in particular - not an item, but a villager: Raymond. 

 Raymond is a fairly newer villager who was introduced in the less popular Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, an Animal Crossing game for mobile devices. Since it did not do nearly as well as other Animal Crossing games, Raymond’s first big debut happened with the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Many are unsure of why Raymond became so popular, but this dapper-looking, smug-behaviored cat with heterochromia took the internet by storm, and he became possibly the most desired villager within ACNH, and arguably, the whole franchise. ACNH players went into a frenzy as Nookazon listings for Raymond began to pop up left and right. People began to charge outlandish prices for Raymond, including thousands of the hard to achieve Nook-Mile Tickets.

Things began to truly spin out of control when someone attempted to sell a move-in package (allowing a villager to go from one island to another) for Raymond on eBay for $1,000 USD. People were floored by the outlandish pricing for the adorable bundle of pixels, but - believe it or not - the situation would only snowball from that point onwards. 

To continue this snowball of events, Nookazon is attached to a Discord server. Discord is a social platform that functions like an instant messenger for people all over the internet to communicate over text, voice, or video chat. People can be added to certain servers and talk to the community of people within that server. For the purpose of this paper, I decided to join the Nookazon server and investigate for myself. Sure enough, the craze around Raymond was real. Things like, “Raymond for sale. 400 NMT,” and “Looking for Raymond. I was scammed out of 10 million bells for him…” were incredibly common in the server’s “villager trade” channel. I was amazed to find out the lengths that people would go in order to buy or sell this pixelated cat. 

Polygon, a gaming website that writes stories on various games, wrote up a whole article on this Raymond phenomenon: 

“Folks will now do whatever it takes to get Raymond. For some, that might mean spending actual money on eBay, where millions of bells can go for a few dollars. For others, like New Horizons fan Alex, it might mean spending 65 hours grinding hundreds of Nook Miles Tickets through in-game challenges — nevermind the 15-plus hours she estimates it took to visit Mystery Islands over and over again, all in the name of finding Raymond. Stories like these are common” (Polygon, 2020). 

If the Raymond phenomenon just consisted of insane overpricing, it would not be that much of an issue. However, players are now using Raymond, or the name of Raymond, to scam people out of hard-earned in-game (and sometimes out-of-game) currency. One example of this was brought to my attention via Twitter, of a Discord conversation where one user convinced another that Raymond was for sale and ready to move out of their island. They used the term “Raymond is in boxes,” which is usually ACNH code for, “Raymond is for sale,” to lure someone to their island. They took the generous charge of 500 NMT up-front, and the buyer was filled with abject horror as they realized they spent 500 NMT to simply look at Raymond, not claim him. 

“Don’t touch Raymond, just look at him,” said Discord user SethJones, to a confused Gizmo7204 in screenshots uploaded to Twitter. When the buyer attempted to get his tickets back, since he was under the impression that he was buying Raymond, SethJones said, “This is for Raymond viewings, not buying him… You saw Raymond. You don’t get your tickets back.” Another person put up a listing on eBay for $5 USD, selling a flea they caught off the beloved Raymond’s fur. Someone seemingly purchased the flea, as the listing was closed soon after its upload. However, there is a glaring issue within this transaction: people cannot exchange bugs in any Animal Crossing game, so giving someone a flea is actually impossible within the game’s code. Therefore, this person scammed someone out of $5. It may not be a lot, but the principle of scamming remains the same.  

People have also been up in arms in general about Raymond on Twitter. One Twitter user received a message from someone claiming that they did not deserve to have Raymond on their island. The messenger demanded that Raymond be handed over to them. This one cat has seemingly torn through the entire Animal Crossing fanbase, leaving chaos in his tiny and adorable wake. Developers have not said a word about any of this, as greedy players continue to bewilder, harass, and scam those who simply wish to have a friendly and fair trade. 

An article by Jin Kim titled, “Interactivity, user-generated content and video game: an ethnographic study of Animal Crossing: Wild World,” discusses the player-base of an older installation of Animal Crossing for the Nintendo DS, that can still be applied to the newer ACNH. “Purposes of Wi-fi gaming are three-fold: earning bells, socializing with other users and collecting items. User collaboration does not merely aim to earn more bells. Socialization of users and psychological satisfaction from item collection are no less important than economic rewards in the game” (Kim, 2014). Animal Crossing can be played alone, but it is arguably not meant to be, all the time. The bonds and interactions users have with other Animal Crossing fans can make or break the game for them. Therefore, when a large-scale threat to this community rises, some players feel uncomfortable opening up for online interaction. 

One may look at this issue, like many ethical issues, through the lens of the Potter Box. The Potter Box, developed by Ralph B. Potter, Jr., consists of 4 “steps” that one should address when facing an ethical issue. The first step is to define the details of the dilemma. Then, one must identify their loyalties in the situation. Thirdly, one must analyze the ethical principles at work in the situation. Lastly, one must understand their own loyalties in the situation, and come to terms on why they have them. 

The details of this dilemma of course lie within the principle of scamming other players within the game and possibly ruining the savings of some players, putting them in a much more difficult spot in the game than before. The prospect of creating an outrageous economy outside of the game via Nookazon is also in question, and since scammers stemmed from Discord servers such as the Nookazon server, it can be seen as an issue within itself as well. Loyalties, however, come into question, because of one simple statement: everyone plays the game differently. Some people alter the time and date on their Nintendo Switches to gain more items, money, and unlock rare DIY recipes that others have not accessed yet, while others play the game in real time. Some people may wish to utilize outside sources such as eBay and Nookazon more than someone else. However, the ethical principles in the situation come down to a very basic one: scamming is not good. It is a simple statement to make, but scamming within the Animal Crossing community has become so common that people are afraid to open the line of communication to make trades with others. These scammers have fully, or mostly, ruined the experience for many other players. At the end of it all, viewing this dilemma from the player’s viewpoint renders almost moot. There is really nothing people can do about these scammers, but is there someone who can? 

I do not wish to make it seem as if I am speaking down on Nookazon itself. I believe its creator is brilliant and working hard to do everything he can to ensure the most productive and authentic transactions over the website. An article by Elise Favis of The Washington Post discusses Nookazon and the subject of scammers on the site. “No one gets “banned” on Nookazon, but users get flagged and labelled as scammers to warn others of the person’s history. Luu is working on the moderation system every day, seeking better avenues to keep the website safe. He’s wary of removing users entirely, in case a ban is handed down unjustly” (Favis, 2020). Despite this, just like in real life, scammers find their way through. Luu’s Potter Box may be slightly different from the average player, and it shows in the sense of removing users entirely from his website. If he removes people unjustly, the backlash he faces could cause the collapse of the entire website. 

Nintendo has not said anything at all about Nookazon, the Raymond phenomenon, or scammers. The question is, though, despite all of the ethical ambiguity, is it their job? In short, I believe that though these players are doing something very ethically wrong, Nintendo cannot (and should not) do anything about it. If Nintendo were to step in, they may have to take action by making changes to the game that players do not like, thus upsetting their consumers as well as hurting themselves in the process. By restricting players from making certain transactions in some way, Nintendo would take some of the precious autonomy that ANCH grants players. Just like in real life, certain things come with pitfalls. Mistakes can be made, and just about anyone can fall prey to a scammer. 

I, for one, know that I am very cautious when making purchases over Nookazon. With that being said, I still do not expect Nintendo to ever say anything on the matter (unless something objectively terrible happens relating to Animal Crossing). I know that I much prefer the Animal Crossing Twitter community, where I have an account with over 900 friendly and trustworthy followers. People are way more tame there, not overcharging for items or villagers. There are frequent free giveaways just because people feel like giving items away and helping others. Though I firmly stand by that the scammers are taking advantage of other players and the Nookazon overchargers are making it difficult for people to partake in the trades that make Animal Crossing multiplayer so special, I know that it boils down to being cautious and knowing who to trust. There are plenty of people out there, for certain, that would not charge an arm and a leg for me to take a glance at a virtual cat with heterochromia.

References: Favis, E. (2020). He created an Amazon-like website for Animal Crossing. It’s getting millions of clicks per day. The Washington Post. Retrieved from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2020/05/11/nookazon-animal-crossing-ne w-horizons-trading/ Hernandez, P. (2020). Raymond is blowing up the Animal Crossing villager black market. Polygon. Retrieved from: https://www.polygon.com/2020/4/22/21229959/animal-crossing-new-horizons-black-mar ket-villager-trading-raymond-nmt-bells-nintendo-switch-discord Kim, J. (2014) Interactivity, user-generated content and video game: an ethnographic study of AnimalCrossing:WildWorld, Continuum, 28:3, 357-370, DOI: 10.1080/10304312.2014.893984 LaFleur, L. B.,  Hebert, Z. J., Dupuy, A. S. (2018) Leveling Up Your Game: The Use of Video Games as a Therapeutic Modality, Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 13:1, 58-67, DOI: 10.1080/15401383.2017.1328293 Mentioned: eBay link for $1,000 Raymond move-in package: https://www.ebay.com/i/233574675397?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-1171 82-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=233574675397&targetid=886124492878&device=c&mk type=pla&googleloc=9004145&poi=&campaignid=9243453728&mkgroupid=93059547 999&rlsatarget=pla-886124492878&abcId=1145977&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cjw KCAjw7-P1BRA2EiwAXoPWA31yE7ESREpqgMIjsnEWfPJ8G9D37K6azlxyvAR9tC7 SJpml9rwpWhoC7REQAvD_BwEeBay link for Raymond’s flea: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Raymond-Acnh-HIS-FLEA-/353072736206?_trksid=p234952 6.m4383.l10137.c10&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=trueScreenshots from Twitter: https://twitter.com/daisyymaes/status/1259488870208606210?s=21

[tinkdw]

12x18 - An episode all about foreshadowing and Dean’s emotional state

So, I have my own POV on season end that I know I talk about a lot, that differs from the, well, proper meta writers, I believe.... so my POV is perhaps slightly different, but for me this episode cements this even further.... and I’ll explain why. 

This whole episode to me is all about misdirection and distraction and has massive foreshadowing for the season finale. It twists and turns through so much misdirection to ultimately lead to Dean being in real danger and Sam killing the monster, twice over, both the human monster and the supernatural being, to hammer the point home. Meanwhile there are a whole lot of references to Cas as well that massively fit with my season conclusion speculation (even though I seem to be relatively in a party of 1 or, well 3 from what I can tell with my chatty buds, but its not universal...).

Oh and Dean, wow, well, I’ve seen loads of waitress meta which is all awesome but for me its the comparison of her with the 12x11 waitress that really cements what is going on here in terms of the distraction they bring and Dean’s angst.

Meanwhile this whole episode IS a distraction as Ketch sent them the case to distract them and get them out of the bunker.

There is so much misdirection in this episode.

Under the cut: both waitresses as the exposition for Dean’s sliding scale of emotional angst and how this episode overall foreshadows season end for me.

The Waitress.

I love all the amazing meta around this and I totally agree with it all, but I haven't seen yet anyone compare her to 12x11 and I think this is so important in the overall narrative of Dean’s emotional state this season.

ALL the meta about the waitress being a distraction and a substitute for Cas, just as the omelette is for Dean’s beloved pancakes literally moments after, not even subtly wedged in there. Yeah, totally agreed. So I won't expand, its been so well meta-d already.

I’m just going to add that for me, the words “work smarter Sammy, not harder”, feel like he is actively telling us that he is aware of what he is doing? Plus the main point:

The waitress is a nameless, voiceless, relatively faceless character and this is what she is to Dean. He’s not a monster, he doesn't force her into anything but Dean is our protagonist, we should see him taking an interest in her at least briefly, but we don't and that is for a reason, we, the audience are seeing her through his POV, that’s how this works. He literally decides he’s going for it and bam, its done, even more so than 12x11, because he is feeling even worse at this point, he needs the distraction even more. 

It’s like these two waitresses are our insight into Dean’s worsening emotional state through how much he cares / doesn't care while he is distracting himself and how much we see of them and their character. Also the fact that 12x11 was only implied sex whereas now it is canon, because they’re the exposition of the sliding scale of Dean’s angst.

This waitress is generic in exactly the same way as Dean’s pick up line is generic, so generic that Sam knows exactly what he is going to say before he says it. Because Sam knows this is what he does (but does he realise its a coping mechanism or still see it as performing!Dean?), and when push comes to shove and Dean is feeling again after having distracted himself for one ‘awesome’ night (cos yeah, it must be so awesome to be distracted from ALL the crap he's got pushed his way over the last few weeks!) he cuts the crap and tells Sam to “grow up”. 

And he then totally ignores the waitress pretty much afterwards? Sitting at the diner eating his burger he doesn't even look over and wink at her for Sam’s benefit? Yeah, she's a distraction, literally, that is all. 

Even if I wasn't completely in love with the Dean/Cas love story I would see that he was emotionally worse off than 12x11 and distracting himself from something and look for what was shown as emotionally upsetting him earlier in the episode and throughout the last run of episodes....

Oh, also I totally see her resemblance to Mary as an intentional call back to Dean’s emotional state being due to both Cas and Mary at this point, not a weird incest-y vibe but intentionally to subtextually squeeze her in here too as Mary is so very relevant to Dean’s angst this season.

The foreshadowing.

The Misdirection:

- Darren being labelled but not guilty. 

- The misdirection around Black bill / Moloch  

- which is the monster. 

- They think Moloch is in the basement but he's at the plant. 

- They think the Sheriff is the bad guy but it’s his brother.

- Ketch “just as I though they can't see a damn thing”  Ohhohohoho I think you'll find Dean Winchester sees it all, pal. MORE misdirection. 

So, aside from this, Darren is, well, a mirror for so much, the poor kid.

He firstly is labelled for something that he is not guilty of (and I use the word labelled as I think this is particularly important what with Dean’s Agent Martell pseudonym amidst all the bi!Dean / Dean’s facade narrative this season and Dean’s loss of patience with it all).

Then Darren gets locked up by his boss and he tries to communicate / shout out to Sam and Dean but can’t and is eventually killed by the real, big bad monster? While in our story Cas is off with the Angels and I’m expecting a separation at the end of the season? That’s not worrisome foreshadowing at all?!

So.... why do I think this is all one big foreshadowing episode?

Well, my personal wishlist / headcanon for the season finale is that:

1. Lucifer attempts to kill Dean because Lucifer HATES Humanity and Dean represents Humanity.

2. Cas sacrifices himself to save Dean because Cas LOVES Humanity and Dean (also probably some relatively unambiguous love declaration here). Enter hellatus. 

This also fits my Cas = Jesus theory and all the season 6 parallels where he ‘died’ (I’m also headcanoning a ‘break up’ in 12x19 as a 6x20 call back, the eye-conversation and shouting, in a “I’m you, but stronger” way of course ;). There’s so much narrative foreshadowing this season for Cas dying (which I know some have taken as the rule of 3 in that he won't die in the end, which also works and is also relevant too as I do not think for one second it is permanent, but will at least lend itself to a season 7 style separation for a while), there’s cast leaks/trolling.... According to Mark P we will really hate Lucifer and Jason Fischer’s tweet yesterday (thank you @godshipsit):

“Holy #%*€¥!! I'm in Mexico when eps 23 airs but I'm watching social media for the freak out. You thought other hellatus where bad....” 

makes a lot of sense. 

Oh and Sam’s “It’s Cas, he’ll be fine” is what cements it for me. I mean, you CANT have a character say stuff like that after the other times one of them has said that and he’s NOT been OK, with Dean now worriedly looking like he remembers all these times and thats exactly why he is worried, and NOT make me immediately think “oh, yeah, ok, he’s so going to die”.

I mean, we know if Sam/Dean die it won't stick but people will worry/freak out if it’s Cas (I WONT THOUGH, HE IS NOT GONNA GET KILLED OFF, it’s just the ‘break up’/separation part of the story). I mean, this season needs drama. It’s been building and building. 

Also I say die, but it might be a ‘death’ or it might just be very painful, but the point being the same and the separation being key.

The season also needs some kind of resolution of the Dean/Cas story which has also been building and building throughout the season to the point that they can't be in the same room or it feels awkward and like there’s the biggest, most rainbows coloured elephant in the room. 

As @floralmotif says the payoff has to be big so I’m thinking DRAMA. (I’m not saying floralmotif agrees with this theory of course, but they've taught me a lot about the general gist of the way stories work structurally). 

3. Sam kills Lucifer because well Lucifer is Sam’s arc and he needs closure. Also Lucifer has to go. PLEASE.

I also see how misdirection and distraction is going to be central to the season finale, and with all our meta about Dean knowing when Sam and Mary were lying? Most probably knowing that the bunker is compromised? The way Sam laid the phone on the table right over the bug rather than holding it? 

The way so many people have been screaming OOC while some of us sit back and kind of just expect a subversion/flip the script of sorts....

So, in this episode full of misdirection and distraction, while the BMOL seem to think they're on top but we see in the subtext that they are NOT. Where nothing is quite as it seems but is also quite simple, where Dean’s emotional state is clearly compromised, where Darren is locked away by his boss and unable to communicate with Sam and Dean, Dean ends up in mortal danger from the big bad and Sam ends up killing it, twice. 

Meanwhile Cas is absent, Dean is worrying his socks off and his distraction high lasts all of what, 15 seconds? Sam saves the day... 

Also interesting (though I’m not sure its entirely relevant but I’m thinking potentially it might be seeing as how I think all the rest is) how the dead mother in this episode is central to the whole story STARTING and to the brother’s emotional states and where they are at, leading to the choices they make, but is not central per se to how the story actually ENDS...

So can you see how I just see 12x18 as real foreshadowing? Given that it’s written by Dabb’s understudy as well?

[fashioncurrentnews]

10 Things To Do in New York City‎ (for Free!)

New York City in the summertime is honestly one of the best times!  Regardless of heat, humidity, and hot temperatures, NYC rewards us with community activities and incredible events.  Here are 10 top things to do in NYC this summer, and the best part, most of it is free!

1. Bryant Park Movie Nights

When I was in LA dreaming about moving to NYC, this was one of the things I kept dreaming about!  Watching a movie at sunset against tall buildings in the middle of a bustling city.  Now here, it’s as magical as what I dreamt!

Bryant Park Movie Nights offer free movie showings every Monday.  Food and beverages are allowed (no alcohol though!).  With a Whole Foods directly across from the park and lots of food vendors around, there are plenty of food options for the night.  As soon as the lawn opens at 5 pm, within seconds most of it is covered in colorful blankets and throws (the actual film doesn’t start till around 9 pm).  It’s really the perfect me night (there are chairs all around), date night, group get together, and girls night out activity.

Bryant Park Movie Nights movie schedule – here

Cost: Free

2. Museum Days

New York City is home to some of the best museums in the world with an impressive roster of museums ranging in fine arts, history, and culture.  What’s more impressive is that NYC offers free admissions to over 20 different museums.  Most of these museums offer only select days and hours for free admission, but a majority of them also run on a pay what you wish policy.

With incredible architecture all around, views of Central Park directly across, and a towering skeleton of a Barosaurus dinosaur, the Natural History Museum is one of my favorite museums in the city.  My other wishlist museums to visit: The Frick Collection, The Sculpture Center, The Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and so many more!

Complete list of NYC free museum days – here

Cost: Free (or pay what you wish)

3. Gallery Hopping

One of the unique features of New York City is the long list of art galleries open to the public.  Two of my favorites are the Perrotin Gallery and the Tina Kim Gallery.

The Perrotin Gallery is truly moving.  With their current exhibit dedicated to the works of street artist JR. Hailing from Paris, The Perrotin Gallery transports you to a place immersed in conversations about social justice.  JR’s work is on display till August 17 (I honestly wish they could extend it).  Drop by to see it before it’s gone!

The Tina Kim Gallery is so peaceful and beautiful.  Situated at the center of the arts district right below the High Line, the gallery is known for its emphasis on international contemporary artists and highly curated shows.  With pristine interiors, polished concrete flooring, and walls painted in all white, this gallery radiates tranquility and calmness.

A list of art galleries in Chelsea, NYC – here

Cost: Free

4. Shakespeare in the Park

Shakespeare in the Park has been a quintessential part of NYC summer nights for over 60 years.  Lines form at noon on the dot for free tickets to the night’s performance.  In the past, impressive performances were done by Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Denzel Washington and more!

Food and drinks are welcomed at the amphitheater.  The nightly (except for Mondays) performances are held at the Delacorte Theater, an open-air amphitheater located at the southwest corner of the Great Lawn in Central Park.  Watching a Shakespeare play underneath a starry night with the impressive Belvedere Castle in the background… it’s the set-up for a perfect midsummer evening!

Shakespeare in the Park play schedule – here

Cost: Free

5. Brooklyn Cat Cafe

I can write a novel about this, but I won’t torture you.  Cat lovers unite!  Animal-themed places and activities are spreading like wildfire throughout the world, the owl cafe in Tokyo, goat yoga in Portland, and of course the beloved cat cafe!

The Brooklyn Cat Cafe, it’s actually where we adopted our beloved little Sherlock.  I can’t imagine our lives without him, he is such a curious and mischievous kitty, always full of energy and willing to cuddle.  And he loves his morning cuddles!  The Brooklyn Cat Cafe is 100% volunteer-run and one of the earliest cat cafes in the US.  They also operate as a resource center and provide a mixture of educational and fun workshops (Cat Yoga, Pet CPR training, Movie Showings, etc.).  If you’re a cat lover, friends with a cat lover, dating a cat lover, married to a cat lover, this is the place for you!  But seriously though, be prepared to be overloaded by cuteness.

Brooklyn Cat Cafe information – here

Cost: $7/every half an hour

6. Smorgasburg 

Enter through the pearly gates of this outdoor food market and there will be traditional Honduran Baleadas, deep-fried cookie dough, mangoes on a stick, ramen burgers, and so much more deliciousness!  Bring cash, a pair of comfortable shoes, and an appetite… Smorgasburg is home to some of best food the city has to offer (I especially love the Williamsburg location for the great views of Manhattan)!  Have fun and eat lots!

Smorgasburg information – here

Cost: Free Admission

7. Artist & Fleas

The fun continues after Smorgasburg… walk around the corner down North 7th Street and step inside Artist & Fleas.  Artist & Fleas is a weekend market curated by and for the creative and curious.  It has over 100 individual vendors selling anything and everything within the realms of fashion, vintage, art, and design.  A fun destination for unique jewelry pieces, vintage coats, home decor items, and more.

Artist & Fleas information – here

Cost: Free Admission

8. Stargazing

Thanks to the kind folks over at the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, visitors of the High Line can stargaze and see rare celestial sights through high-powered telescopes!  Some evenings, there’s also accompanying live music, which makes it the perfect backdrop for a fun night.  Stargazing at the High Line takes place every Tuesday, beginning at dusk till Tuesday, October 30.

High Line Stargazing information – here

Cost: Free

  9. Hudson RiverFlicks on Pier 46

Movie in the park, and now, movie by the water!  Beautiful sunsets along with blockbuster films, the Hudson RiverFlicks offers free movie showings at 8:30 pm on Pier 46 every Friday till August 24.  Blankets are welcomed, and food and drinks can be purchased on site.

Hudson RiverFlicks movie schedule – here

Cost: Free

  10. Picnic in Central Park

Saving the best for last!  Colin and I do this quite often and we love it.  A picnic in Central Park!

This is one of my favorite areas in Central Park.  But to be honest with you, any area with grass or on a huge rock is perfect.  This particular location is near the Gapstow Bridge and it’s just so beautiful.  We sit, have a picnic, people watch, talk, and spend time here every summer and fall.  And every time we’re here, I fall in love with NYC over and over again.

Location: Near Gapstow Bridge

Cost: Free

More Fun Things To Do in NYC

Best Ice Cream Shops in NYC

I truly hope you enjoy this post!  Feel free to bookmark it for places to visit and things to do in NYC this summer!  For more fun things to do, we also have a list of best ice cream shops in NYC.  Happy summer and wishing you endless warmth and happiness!

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