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itsmaddienotmaddy · 4 years ago

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Okay. I’m gonna do this thing ONE MORE TIME.

US v. Argentina

Let me start by saying, I think the team was FANTASTIC. Really proud of all the girlies.

Jane - another cap, another uneventful game for her in. Still, good experience, good distribution. That’s all I got!

Becky - maybe should have been allowed a break lol. Her energy after that head clash was “I’m getting too old for this shit.” She is NOT, I want Captain Becky forever, but it was still the vibe. She was getting up a lot more, Becky goal 2021 plz. Her defensive tackle win that started the run to Alex’s goal was beautiful.

Baby T - incredible. Amazing. I MISSED her. I feel like everyone always talks about needing versatility on the back line (myself included) and Tierna falls into the category of one who can slide around. She was confident on the ball, her passes were strong and she had some great runs and crosses when her and Sonnett swapped for a few!

Casey - so so so good. She’s been out of the rotation for a bit so I think I kind of forgot. But she did excellent. Her offensive work was strong, her defensive work was strong, her assist to Kristie was perfect. Glad she got 45 today!!

Midge - came out with some FIRE. She was not getting beat to a ball, she was not getting beat in a run. Her offensive runs were smooth af. Crosses didn’t get off as well, but that’s okay. Making a case for herself, no doubt. Very happy she did not PERISH getting sandwiched near the end.

Kelley - she knew she only had thirty minutes and she used them! Obviously not a huge chunk of time but her crosses. Are. So. Fucking. Good. The way she sets herself up for them, gets open. Big fan of it. Hopefully Miss Glass Bones can keep herself HEALTHY

Sonnett - right back, left back. Center back for a couple minutes. WHEREVER. I thought she did great tonight. She caught so much fucking flack for her performance against Brazil which was.. rude. Watching the game a second time, she actually did decently well with the load she was given. And this game! Took a moment to get in with the flow, but then was awesome. One lil cheeky two hand push in the second half that was ‘not great’ but damn. Slide tackles were on. Defensive headers were strong AF. And when she feels confident, the MOVES. I love it.

JJ - I know she isn’t old at all, but she was also giving, “I am too old for this shit” vibes. Maybe she was a little tired from all the full nineties she’s been playing, who knows. Either way. Miss Consistency always. Her play is just a force to be reckoned with and as my roommate pointed out, she is always so aware at what is going on at all times.

Rose - also knew she was on 45 minutes so just decided to run around crazy (which is a good thing). That energy sparked so much in the first half and she created so many opportunities. And I’m gonna be real, Rose has def been weight lifting, lookin swole, knocking people over. Also want to take a moment to appreciate the full awkwardness that was her accepting the MVP award. Never change bitch.

Kristie - full ninety, full spice, ANOTHER GOAL. God what a woman. For real. She is having a time and I think all of us are here for it. She took a moment to settle into the game, the first chunk of time was a little aimless, and then she snapped into it. She had an assist, she had a goal, she had even MORE opportunities. Her corners were beautiful, such a good weapon to have. And the end, coming to defend Midge from from the linebacker tackle.. I MEAN.

Jaelin - aside from nearly killing Becky, she had an incredible second cap showing. Kid has no fear, tackles were on point. She is going to be so much fun to watch. Love.

Lindsey - after her nice little first half rest, came in ready to GO. She didn’t have to dictate as much in the middle of the field since the game wasn’t as dire. Helped out on the left, the right, set up some beautiful plays and had ONE MORE BEAUTIFUL ASSIST. Her and Christen are on the same wavelength and they’re loving it and I’m loving it, and their hugs are so pure.

Carli - got an assist and a goal. So stat-wise, killing it. Very happy to see her choose to pass that one to Pinoe. Also happy to see her in just one half. Typical dumb shit falling way too much in the box for no reason, but like, she gave the wheels for 45, she’s still out there!

Pinoe - everyone’s favorite purple/pink haired lesbian knows how to score some damn GOALS. She makes it look easy. She’s methodical, she’s precise. We’ll be out there, talking shit on Pinoe not playing defense (which to her credit, she did do a few times today,) not totally on her game. And she senses it and is like, oh. Here .TWO GOALS. Are you not entertained???!! She’s still got it. Just, the best.

Sophia - showed up with the footwork today!! God, her first drive into the box, just gorgeous. Got caught a few times waiting for the ball and didn’t make the step to get her body in front of the defender, but this was her best national team showing thus far. Her assist to Alex was so good. Such smart awareness, the weight on the pass was great. And did it all with 12 pounds of Bubble Yum in her mouth.

Alex - MOM GOAL. She did it for CHARLES. So proud. A little flopsicle for a bit out there. But she did make up for it with some awesome runs, good connections with Christen, and tbh, she almost had at least two more goals. She isn’t quite at the peak of where she was before, but closer and closer.

And then I saved Christen for last because we got a full ninety out of her and she was hilarious to watch. She obviously prefers the left, all of her typical tricks seem to work for her better on that side. We saw it all from her. We saw her get blatantly fouled because no one knows how to stop her and her throwing her hands in the air because that is what she DOES. We got cut moves. We got the zoomies. Set pieces. Corners were meh (but Kristie took over, it’s fine.) We got her yelling in frustration, yelling at the dumbass ref. I mean. The camera person also gifted us with many a close up. AND THEN FINALLY AFTER 100 YEARS, A GAME ENDING GOAL. With her head of all things. Header assists to header goals. Boop to BOOP.

I’m glad Crystal got some well deserved rest, though she was ROBBED from at least contention for MVP. So rude. Lynn and Abby with some well deserved rest as well. I did miss Abby’s diagonal long balls today. They are the best.

Another trophy for the USWNT and a lot of things that make Vlatko’s job VERY FUCKING DIFFICULT. I am sorry to that man.

#uswnt #jane campbell #becky sauerbrunn #tierna davidson #kelley o’hara #casey krueger #emily sonnett #midge purce #rose lavelle #julie ertz #kristie mewis #lindsey horan #jaelin howell #carli lloyd #megan rapinoe #christen press #sophia smith #alex morgan

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dorksndisasters · 4 years ago

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Session 8

[[<PREV]] | [[NEXT>]]

Some fun stuff around here! More plot! Mostly chaos! It’s all good tbh haha

Also the party split some more and maybe it helps cover ground but also. also. It gets confusing for me.

Marask, Carric, and Uriel make their way back across the Citadel to the Knave & Cauldron, where Ophibwynn is in her customary place by the fire, playing through a repertoire of old drinking songs. They set up at a table nearby, and fill her in between songs as best they can on the events of the afternoon.

Marask pulls the larger of the eggs from his bag and lays it on the table in front of him. It’s still warm to the touch, and the white spatters are still glowing softly, slightly brighter than they had appeared in the market. “What d’you reckon this is?”

Uriel doesn’t seem interested in it; she glances at it once, then away with a shrug. “Enough for a meal, I suspect.”

“We’re not eating it,” Marask replies. “Not until I know what it is, at least.”

Carric turns it about. “What was it you said, Ophi? When he first got it?”

“That it looked like something out of a story.” Ophibwynn pulls her stool slightly closer to their table.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Carric reaches out a finger to poke at it. “So you don’t think...”

Ophibwynn frowns. “I’d like to know where they got it, if it is.”

“If it is what?” Marask asks, looking between the two of them. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging here!”

“It uh. It could be a dragon egg?”

Marask’s eyes grow wide and he grins. “Really?”

“But they haven’t been seen anywhere in almost eight hundred years,” Ophi says. “Like anywhere anywhere. Not in all the worlds.”

“Yeah, yeah – hey, do you know how I go about hatching it?”

“Uhhh...” Carric looks cautious at that, like she maybe thinks this is a terrible idea.

“Activity... heat... and a hoard, I think? The stories are wildly varying, and they might not even be right.”

“We should try it,” Marask says, and stands up.

“Woah, wait.” Carric tugs him back down to sit at the table. “Maybe - maybe we focus on the task in hand, alright?”

“Alright, fine.” Marask sighs heavily and crashes back into his seat. “When are we going?” He tucks the egg back into his bag.

“Well-” Ophi glances around the inn. “I... think I’m done here.” She packs her flute away. “So now?”

“Excellent.” Uriel smiles, looking up from the dagger she’s toying with. “Let’s go.”

“Ophibwynn.” Aldehrt cuts them off at the door. “Where-”

“Hey, Aldehrt.” She turns to him. “I’m leaving, by the way.”

He frowns. “Your shift isn’t finished.”

“No, I mean – I'm quitting. Thanks.” She pats his arm. “But I finally have a different path to walk, you know?”

She leaves him there and walks out the door with the others, not waiting for an answer.

“So we can’t go back there?” Marask asks. “I like that inn.”

“We can go back,” Ophi says. “I just won’t be working there, that’s all.”

“At least, not for a couple of generations.” Carric grins.

Marask blinks and shakes his head at the mere concept of the life of a half-elf, and follows on.

They walk the quiet streets to the entrance that they know, and descend below the city and into the market that never seems to sleep.

They make a stop at their fast-becoming-a-favourite pie stall, where Ophibwynn and Uriel and Marask buy pies.

“Here.” Uriel passes one to Marask.

“... Thanks?” He takes it, shrugs, and tucks it into his bag.

Uriel shrugs and turns away, and Marask is unaware as Carric takes three of his newly bought pies from his bag.

Uriel buys herself a new scimitar and turns back to the others. “Alright. Shall we?” She grins, the light reflecting from the blade across her face.

They make their way across the vaulted cavern and into the corridor that leads them to Aelfswild’s office.

There’s a faint smell of smoke as they draw closer, and in the corridor outside Aelfswild’s door his bodyguard lies slumped against the wall, taking up a decent part of the floor as well.

“That... wasn’t us. You didn’t put poison on these daggers instead of a paralytic, did you?” Marask flicks a glance at Carric.

She shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”

Ophibwynn picks up the heavy club from beside the body. It’s almost as big as her, but she hefts it across her shoulders anyway.

“You cannot be thinking of using that to fight,” Carric says. “It’s way too big!”

“He’s been lying here all night,” Ophibwynn says instead.

Carric focuses her senses and looks for magic, and doesn’t find any. “Well, it’s not magical,” she says. “So there might be evidence inside?”

Marask opens the door and winces at the heat.

The room is largely ash, heat still rippling off it. There are some charred chunks of wood that hasn’t been burnt through.

“I... don’t think we’re going to find anything useful in there,” Ophibwynn says.

Marask steps back. “Yeah, that’s gone.”

Carric ignores them and steps inside, searching through the partially burnt, collapsed desk. “How about these?” She pulls up charred rolls of parchment. “They could be useful.” She squints at them. “If we can decipher them.”

“Good luck with that,” Marask says with a laugh, finally entering the room and skirting around the still smouldering embers to the concealed exit.

Carric throws a pie at the back of his head in answer.

Marask darts out of the way, catches it, spins around and throws it straight back at Carric in one continuous movement, and it hits her in the face.

Carric splutters and wipes the pie away with one hand, holding the scrolls out of the way.

Marask laughs delightedly.

“So I think,” Carric says, wiping her hand off on the scorched wood beside her, “That maybe we should split up? Uriel and I will find a... someone to fix these,” she waves the scrolls, “And you two... I don’t know.”

“We’ll see if there’s anything more through here.” Ophi pushes at the secret exit.

Carric nods and collects Uriel on the way out of the room. “Come on.”

The two of them head back into the market, and spend some time asking around to find someone who can fix the maps.

They’re pointed up to a quiet room where a human called Enneth works.

“I��m told you can fix things for us?” Carric asks.

Enneth frowns and holds the door still partially shut as a barrier. “Maybe? What are you... looking for, exactly.”

Carric holds up the burnt scrolls. “These. We need to know what was on them.”

Enneth considers the scrolls, and then opens the door fully to let Carric and Uriel in. “I can add them to the pile, but-”

“We need them fast,” Carric says.

“Or we’ll kill you,” Uriel says, delightedly, grinning as she holds her new scimitar out.

“No.” Carric pushes her hand down. “How fast can you sort them for us?”

Enneth switches her focus between Uriel and Carric, seemingly unsure what to make of either of them. “I... it will cost extra if you want me to put them above my other work.”

“We do.”

“It will cost you your life,” Uriel says, before Carric can stop her.

“Don’t - pay her any attention.” Carric smiles. “How much?”

Enneth holds her hand out for the scrolls, and carefully lays them down on her table. They crackle as she unrolls them, and the edges crumble into ash. “At least a gold,” she says. “Fifty silver now, fifty on return.”

“Which would be when?” Carric holds up a hand to stop Uriel from threatening Enneth again.

Enneth scratches her head, running her fingers through her short, ragged hair. “By the morning? If you’re in that much of a hurry.”

“We are,” Carric says, and pays.

“And remember,” Uriel says, turning as she leaves the room behind Carric to face Enneth. “If they aren’t ready when we come back, I kill you.”

“Uriel,” Carric hisses.

Enneth nods distractedly, already getting to work.

“Let’s... get back to the others,” Carric says, as they reach the market again, but Uriel turns up another corridor.

She tries to open the door at the other end and, finding it locked, tries to batter it down.

“What?” The door is yanked open by a belligerent human, who takes one look at them and punches Uriel.

Uriel staggers back into Carric and whips out her new scimitar, grinning as she goes on the attack.

He falls back under her assault and she doesn’t relent until he’s dead on the ground.

“What? You just-” There’s someone else in the room, under a heap of ragged blankets on a thin pallet.

As Carric follows Uriel into the room, they struggle to their feet, staring in horror at the body of their companion.

“I’ll-” They pull a wicked knife from under the blankets and lunge at Uriel.

Uriel’s spider races down her arm and spatters a thick web over their eyes.

They reel back, clawing at it, and as they drop the knife it winks out of existence.

“May I?” Carric takes Uriel’s scimitar and cuts them down, then stamps on their neck for good measure.

Uriel searches the bodies, and pouts when she doesn’t find anything worth taking. “That knife would have been good.”

“Yeah.” Carric frowns. “Wonder where it went.”

“Can you do your magic and call it back?”

“I don’t... think so,” Carric says, but she attempts to focus anyway.

Marask snickers as he watches Carric leave. “Oh, I got her good.”

Ophibwynn hums in agreement, focusing on the hidden exit. “Why is it locked now?”

“Is it, though?” Marask leans against it.

“Yes.” Ophibwynn rubs her hands together. “But not if I can help it.” She places her hands on the lock, and grins as it clicks. “Alright.” She stands and pushes the door.

It doesn’t budge.

“Uh-” She pushes it again.

“Are you sure you unlocked it?”

“Yes! There must be something blocking it from the other side.”

Marask backs up. “Ok, move.”

Ophibwynn steps out of the way, and watches as Marask charges into the door. He slams it open, and they find a broken piece of stone against the wall outside, which must have been jamming the door.

“Nice work.”

Marask grins, and they explore down the tunnels.

“I wonder where this one goes?” Ophibwynn stands at the junction and looks left.

“We shouldn’t check it out without the others,” Marask says, and turns the other way, towards the camp exit.

“Was this... here before?” Ophibwynn asks, stopping at a small cut. “I don’t remember.”

It’s narrow, easy to miss from the tunnel. There isn’t anything in it but hooks and marks in the dust like something had been in here before.

“It’s been cleared out, whatever it is.” Marask squints around it. “Come on.”

They walk back through the burnt-out office.

Ophi glances at the door further along the corridor. “Think anyone in there might have heard something?”

“Worth a shot.” Marask shrugs, and knocks on the door.

It swings open easily, and a pleasant scent rolls out into the corridor. Inside is a dimly lit room, with drapes across the walls and cushions scattered across the floor in piles. It’s warm, almost uncomfortably so.

There are some lizardfolk sprawled on some of the cushion piles, sharing a pipe that seems to be the source of the scent.

“Wow, hey, uhh... can you tell us anything about the other room across there?” Marask asks, closing the door behind him and Ophibwynn.

“Hey, maaaan,” drawls one of the lizardfolk, rolling his head across his shoulders to look up at them. “Pull up a cushion! Make yourself comfortable.”

“Uh - no, thanks, we were just... looking for information?” Marask holds up his hands.

“I don’t... I don’t think we’re getting anything out of them,” Ophibwynn murmurs.

She picks her way around the sprawl of lizardfolk, stepping over their tails, and heads for the far door.

Marask takes longer to cross the room, and he keeps looking back like he wants to join the lizardfolk.

The other door leads into an oddly shaped cul-de-sac of a corridor. Part of the wall doesn’t match the other walls – it's a solid pitch black and seems, when they walk closer to it, to be patterned with the imprint of feathers in a dizzying spiral.

Behind them, in the corner, are two kobold and a kenku, playing cards.

Marask, upon spotting them, shifts to his half-form and looms over the kenku. “Your patience has been rewarded,” he says, deepening his voice and trying to make it boom. “I am come at last.”

The kenku tilts her head and looks up at him. “You?” She sounds scornful. “Not my God. I have met him, and you... are lacking.”

One of the kobolds snickers to himself as Marask seems to deflate and step back.

“Ok,” Ophibwynn says, and makes herself comfortable on the ground beside them. “Tell me everything that’s going on.” She spots a small pile of copper coins between them. “And give me all your money.”

The other kobold blinks at her. “Do you mean... in our game, or about the fire, or... everything?” He pushes the pile of coins across to her.

“Oh, the fire,” Ophibwynn says, pocketing the money and missing the glance between the two kobold.

“We saw that blonde woman, the girlie that was always hanging around, head in there early-like. Never came back out, though. Guess the fire wasn’t long after that, but no one else went in.”

As the kobold speaks to Ophibwynn, Marask circles and attempts to sneak up on the other kobold. He crouches behind him and hisses in his ear, “Hello there.”

The kobold laughs and rubs at his ear, pushing Marask backwards.

Marask falls onto his back. “Hey!” He flails, trying to kick the kobold, and misses.

“Bituin?” Ophibwynn asks, looking over. “Right?”

“That’s me!” Bituin grins.

“You know him?” Marask asks.

“Only sort of,” Ophibwynn replies.

“Well why didn’t you say so,” Marask says, getting to his feet and stalking across to examine the strange wall.

#dnd #campaign #homebrew #FATE CORE RPG #fate rpg #fate roleplay #dungeons and dragons

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xxgoblin-dumplingxx · 5 years ago

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Cherry Coke Special: One

Bucky Barnes had grown up in the lap of luxury. His father had been a savvy businessman. Both legally and illegally. He’d walked the line. And now Bucky tried to do the same.

But this wasn’t his father’s world. It was a new world. One he could have never dreamed of working at an old oak desk with a calculator and a rotary phone. Well into the ’80s. Computers were the order of the day. Computers and hedonism. Excess. And the woman across the table from him was no exception.

She was blonde. Tan. Fit. Had had some really well-done surgery. And all she wanted was his money. Not like Bucky cared really. This type of girl didn’t question where it came from. But this kind of girl looked around the diner like it was Alien terrain. It was late and snow was falling outside. Settling over cars and streets like a thick down blanket.

There was no one else. No one else had wanted to brave the weather. Leaving Bucky and his girl as the only people in the dining room. “Bucky,” she whined, wiping fussily at the table, “why are we here?”

“Doll,” he said with a sigh, “I told you you could stay home.”

“I wanted to know where you were going,” she said practically, “Make sure it wasn’t a titty bar.”

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose and turned his attention back to his menu. He had a soft spot for greasy little diners. They had decent coffee. Cute waitresses. And homemade pie. They reminded him of his dad. His dad had loved little diners too. Out of the way places where nothing was sketchy and it was easy to convince feds that he was just out with his son.

Quiet footsteps attract his attention and a girl. A pretty girl. Too pretty to be working in a joint like this, wearing a butter yellow dress and white apron. Her face is done up like a pinup but… delicate. Appropriate to work in. And plump cherry red lips. “Can I get you started with something to drink?”

“Do you have sparkling water?” Rena asked, gearing up to throw a fit.

“No, I’m sorry, we don’t. We do have really good iced tea though,” you suggest.

“Is it sparkling?” she asked you in a voice usually reserved for children.

“No,” you answer calmly. Bucky can see the start of a tantrum. He can see it so clearly his head already hurts.

“She’ll have the tea,” Bucky cuts in, calmly, giving his companion a meaningful look.

“And for you sir?” you ask, turning big luminous eyes his direction.

“Coffee, Sugar,” he says with a smile, “Thank you.”

“Cream?” you ask jotting it down.

“Yes, please.”

You nod and go to fill the order, thankful that they’re your only table. You’re exhausted. It’s been a long week and all you want to do is make your day off tomorrow. You’ve been working days and nights for so long. Sleeping in snatches to try and keep going. Working to keep your boyfriend in med school, trying to give him the time he needed to study.

“Sugar?” Rena asked, arching a perfectly sculpted brow.

Bucky half shrugged, “I didn’t get a peek at her name tag.”

Rena doesn’t have time to growl at him, you arrive back at the table with drinks for them. “Thank you,” Bucky said, arranging the coffee cup and cream to his liking. You smile brightly but it doesn’t reach your eyes. Now that you’re still for a moment, you look tired.

“What can I get you to eat?” you ask, taking your order pad out again.

“I’ll take some pancakes,” he said, “Bacon extra crispy.”

“Do you have anything fat free and low carb?” Rena asked.

“The fruit plate is nice,” you suggest helpfully.

“Anything hot?” she says staring at you like you might be slow.

“She’ll have the Fruit plate, Thank you,” Bucky said, giving her a look. He can’t stand when people are rude to servers. When they look for shit to be mad about. Bratty behavior is fine. He enjoys it sometimes. But not with people that make minimum wage. Rena sighs dramatically and Bucky smiles at you apologetically, “I’ll just have a slice of pie.”

“Flavor?” you ask, “We have Apple, Cherry, Pecan, and Coconut cream.”

“Cherry,” he said smiling a little, thinking of your lips. They look delicious and… if he weren’t attached he’d probably be trying to talk you into a taste.

“Ooo, good choice,” you say, jotting it down, “Want it warmed up?”

“With Ice cream,” he added, nodding, “Thanks, Sugar.”

You drift away and he takes a sip of his coffee. You hadn’t said anything other than polite work talk. Things you’d say to any customer. But he liked you. Nothing about Rena had rattled you, not her fur coat, not her nails, not her alarming amount of cleavage. Nothing. And that. That had been nice. Rena was used to people snapping to and doing whatever she wanted. Bending over backward to give her what she asked for to avoid conflict. You hadn’t and, Bucky was willing to bet that you wouldn’t have.

When you come back to the table not long after, Rena is hissing at him like an angry snake. Viper whispers about how much trouble he was in for flirting with you. The smile she gives you is bright and brittle. If Bucky weren’t there she’d be threatening to scratch your eyes out. And Bucky is frankly embarrassed. It wasn’t as if she loved him. She loved his money. She loved the red bottom shoes and fun little vacations. Apology handbags and flowers she could show off to her girlfriends. And Bucky found that just now, he didn’t care. All he’d wanted was a moment away. A slice of pie. Some coffee. And a second to breathe. He’d wanted to feel like a normal guy. Just for an hour. To not have to worry about “imports” or “exports” or his books or his crew. Or a turf war that was just waiting to happen.

But then, Rena had happened. She had insisted that he was going out to fuck around on her. She was still insistent that he was going to fuck around. But he wasn’t. Hell, you had work to do. Work to do that didn’t involve riding his dick. Even if he’d kinda like you to. He had a thing for girls that could say a lot with very little. Currently, you were leaning on the counter with a laptop, typing hurriedly. Your fingers are flying over keys easily and it’s soothing. You keep your distance, keeping cups refilled and keeping up on things that they needed. You were intuitive, despite evidently doing some other work at the same time.

But, Bucky can’t really ask what you’re doing. Rena is a force to be reckoned with if she feels like someone is trying to step up to her man. Thankfully, Bucky reflects, you probably have someone waiting for you at home. Or at least some self-respect. That was good. A novel concept, he snorted to himself thinking of Rena. Still, he pays his tab and drops money on the table for you. A pretty chunk of change. Enough, he thought that maybe you could get something you really wanted.

You disappear around the corner, headed back into the kitchen for who knows what and Bucky ushers Rena out. He left enough on the table to cover his tab and probably make up for the tips you weren’t making due to the weather. He nodded to himself and smiled a little. That would do it. At the very least you’d remember who he was if he ever stopped by again. And, as he watched Rena scroll through her phone irritably, he figured it was a likely possibility.

_______________

In the aftermath of his break up with Rena, he found himself back in the Diner. He didn’t really expect you to be working. Let alone that you’d have the time to chat with him. But still, he’s thankful that it was another slow night.

The music playing is a soft sweet little love song and you’re in the middle of bussing a table for some people that had just left. “I’ll be right with you,” you call, hearing the bell, “Take a seat anywhere.” You hustle to clean the table and hustle back out with a smile and a glass of water for him.

“Coffee?” you ask brightly.

Bucky sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, Sugar, thanks.”

“Rough day?” you ask, sympathetic.

“Yeah,” he said, “But it’s nothing a night off can’t fix.”

You make a soft noise and go to get him his coffee and cream. Bucky watches you grab a mug and a coffee carafe in one hand and a small container of cream in the other. Your little white sneakers and yellow uniform remind him of being a kid. Back when t-shirts and jeans weren’t uniforms. You pour his coffee deftly and set his cream down, “What can I get you to eat?”

“Do you guys do patty melts?” he asks.

“Do we do patty melts?” you tease, “What kind of establishment do you think this is. Of course, we do.” You tut at him and start jotting it down. “Fries okay?”

“Fries are fine, Sugar,” he says smiling. Somehow you had managed to set him at ease with a smile and a joke and now, the knots in his stomach from the stress had faded a little. You give him a smile and flounce off to put his order in. That done, you drift over to your laptop again to get some work done for your day job and Bucky listens to the rapid typing. He smiles a little, “What’re you working on?” he calls, “School stuff?”

“Stuff for my day job,” you answer, looking up and adjusting a pair of reading glasses.

“What’s that?” he asked, “You a teacher?”

“Close,” you tell him, “I’m a house manager for a transitional program for addicts.”

He whistled, “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Only if you can’t read a room,” you say shrugging, “By the time people get to my program they’re recovering. We exist to help give them a solid start to getting their life back.”

“So why you here at night?” Bucky asked sipping his coffee.

“Gotta pay my bills somehow,” you say shrugging, “My boyfriend is in med school and he can’t work and do that… so working here picks up some of the slack.”

Bucky nods, feeling a little disappointed. He figured you had someone at home. A girl like you, a real class act was something any guy was lucky to find. “That sounds like a nightmare.”

“It could be worse. At least my documentation is always done,” you say shrugging, coming to refill his coffee.

“You ain’t tired?” he asked.

“They give me free coffee,” you say with a wink.

“Oh well,” he snorts, “Sign me up.”

“Hey. Job perks, man. Gotta take ‘em where you can get ‘em.”

Bucky smiles a little, “How much longer you gotta keep all that up?”

“As long as it takes,” you answer, “He does better when he doesn’t have to multi-task like that, you know?”

Bucky makes a soft sound and adds cream, “How many hours do you wind up working a day?”

You shrug, “It depends. Today? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 16. Tomorrow I’ve got the night off here but I’m running a double at the house since we have state coming in for inspection.”

Bucky shakes his head, “That’s… that also sounds like hell.”

“It could be worse, they’re coming to do the inspection on first shift. So I just gotta do the grunt work to get everything ready on second and third shift the night before.”

Your bell dings with your signal and you turn to get his order, hustling across the floor.

“Sugar can I get a Coke, too?” he calls.

You nod and get ice before filling the glass and shove a bottle of ketchup in your apron pocket before you head back over with his plate, handing him ketchup. “Anything else?” you ask.

“This looks great,” he says appreciatively, “Maybe a piece of pie… We’ll see how much damage I can do to this first.”

You nod and head back over to your laptop, starting to work again, taking advantage of a few minutes of downtime. Bucky spent more time watching you than he did eating. He had a thing for competence. He liked smart women. He respected them. And he hoped that your boyfriend did too.

Though, when a tall, frankly storybook handsome blonde with a cocky smile and a backpack walked in, stealing a kiss over the counter, something told him that that wasn’t true. Your shoes are white. Clean. But not remotely supportive enough for running on this concrete. His are Nike. And new. He supposes they could be a gift but. He’s just. He’s really well put together for someone that should have been in class. And it genuinely rubs Bucky the wrong way when he asks you for money to eat.

“Babe,” you remind him, “There’s still leftover ribs in the fridge.”

“But I really want pizza,” he said.

You sigh and hand him a small wad of ones from your bag. The money you were saving to get some new headphones and a manicure. You just want to not have to do your nails yourself. He takes the money and kisses your cheek before heading out the door, leaving you to work.

Bucky also doesn’t miss that he doesn’t thank you.

After he leaves you come to refill his coffee, “Everything okay?” you ask brightly.

“Fine, Sugar,” he says making a mental note to leave you another nice tip. Not only are you good at keeping his drinks filled but you’re a sweetheart. A nice girl. The kind of girl his ma would just adore.

Too bad you’re with somebody that doesn’t seem to care all that much

#mob!bucky #Bucky barnes #meet cute #fluff #mild angst #bucky x reader

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crossroadsdimension · 4 years ago

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A Quick Perusal of My Library

Because talking with @thelastspeecher makes me want to see if there are any like-minded readers out there on the Internets before I hasten myself off to bed!

[ID: The books Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, The World of Shannara by Terry Brooks, and the first two novels of Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series.

To begin with -- yes, I was an Eragon kid growing up. Yes, I went ahead and bought all of them. And yes, I have a nostalgic love of it, even if looking back on it, I can agree it was written terribly by comparison to most literature I come across, but I can look at it like a beginning writer writing their first fanfiction and throwing it to the four winds to see who wants to pluck it out of the air and read it. (Yes, I have To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. There is a very noticeable difference between his writing style as a kid and his writing style now, believe me.)

Also, The World of Shannara is one of those world-building encyclopedia-ish books. If anyone here has heard of the Shannara Chronicles...yes, I read the books they are based on, and yes, the author is still writing books for his world. Go read them, they’re fantastic. My mom read them when she was a kid and I’m thinking about raiding her library for whatever remains of them at the moment. Perhaps later.

[ID: a collection of Pokemon Adventures Manga. The books visible detail the Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Firered, Leafgreen, Heartgold, and Soulsilver story arcs]

...If some of my previous posts haven’t made it obvious already, I am a Pokemon nut. I don’t have all of the manga volumes for the Pokemon Adventures manga, but I’m getting there. Black and White is the next on my list.

Also, there’s another layer of manga behind the ones in this picture. Believe me when I say I have everything for Gen 1-4 in terms of the manga’s story.

[ID: The image showcases more manga, mostly Fullmetal Alchemist volumes. There are two volumes of manga in the back that are hard to see and are part of Trigun’s published volumes]

Yes, there is yet more manga! And there’s another cube of storage space besides this one that has the rest of the Trigun manga stuffed in it...along with the rest of the Pokemon manga that couldn’t fit in the previous picture. XD I am considering getting more, but if the pictures here aren't going to be indication enough, let it be known that my space is very limited.

[ID: A bookshelf with a small metal liberty bell souvenir sitting in front of a number of books: The Magician, The Sorceress, and the Necromancer from The Immortal Flames of Nicholas Flamel, the Harry Potter Series, and Mossflower, Mattimeo, Mariel of Redwall, and Marlfox by Brian Jaques, the two White Sand graphic novel volumes from Brandon Sanderson, and The Gideon Trilogy by Buckley-Archer]

Ah, childhood. Some of it, anyway. I am thinking about getting the rest of the Immortal Flames series, and more of Redwall, at least. The Gideon Trilogy is an interesting historical novel-fiction-time travel sort of read that starts out very slowly. I had a difficult time getting into it, but I was hooked. Eventually.

Also, there’s more behind those books.

[ID: The book titles I’d like to point out here are The Time Quake from the Gideon Trilogy, The Legend of Luke, Taggerung, and Triss by Brian Jaques , Dragon Drums, Time Stops for No Mouse, and The Sands of Time. The rest are either books that were required reading by my college (Years of Red Dust, Grape Leaves), or cat books.]

Time Stops for No Mouse and the Sands of Time were both rather random books, to be honest. They’re a pair that are meant to be together, and they’re mysteries set in a mouse-based society that considers cats an extinct species.

I also have a...very big collection of D&D books on the shelf directly below -- mostly rule and world-building books, as well as the first 2 of the Adventure Zone graphic novels. But I don’t think I need to post a picture of that here.

Nor do I feel a need to post a picture of a cluttered shelf with all my Archie’s Sonic the Hedgehog comics that I’ve collected over the years. But yes, I have a decent chunk of their published works.

[ID: Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, Elantirs, The Emperor’s Soul, Warbreaker, and Arcanum Unbounded]

...yes, I am a very big Brandon Sanderson fan. And I do have his Stormlight Archives books, but this post is already getting incredibly long.

[ID: In dim light, there are 6 DVD cases -- the Gravity Falls Special Edition set, and three Mythbusters DVDs. Behind the Vax’ildan and Keylith Funko Pops, there are five books with a golden hamster on the spine. The series begins with the book I, Freddy, and ends with Freddy’s Final Quest.]

Another selection of books from my childhood! Hidden among some other things, yes. Freddy’s series was an intriguing read for me, and I think one that I got through a Scholastic order form. Dunno why I held onto this one, other than the fact that it’s charming and it’s about a hamster who learns how to type and writes a novel in the first book. Well, autobiography, technically.

This shelf/storage cube shares a level with the Stormlight Archives...as well as my two Journal 3′s because I got the original and the special edition black light.

[ID: a cube with Brandon Sanderson’s Reckoner’s trilogy, Transformers’ Covenant of Primus, Exodus, Exiles, and Retribution, and hiding in the shadows, an old copy of Macbeth]

Yes, I’m a Transformers fan. I like giant robots. Or robots in general. Shush.

Also, I got that copy of Macbeth from my high school teacher because they were old, beat-up copies, and he was getting new ones for next year.

[ID: Three Dragonlance novels, Frankenstein, a copy of the 1984 NIV translation of the bible, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Because of Win-Dixie]

Some childhood memories here, some not. The copy of the bible and Because of Win-Dixie have been around for a while. My parents sent me to a private school and I ended up getting that translation as a result of my attending there. Never really felt a need to get rid of it, to be honest. Everything else I bought either in college or after. The Dragonlance novels are a good read, and I’ve been thinking about getting more of them.

[ID: Some Terry Pratchet novels, the Tale of Despareaux, Return to Neverland, and The Prophecy of the Stones. The other books are various pieces of nonfiction, or very skinny textbooks]

The Prophecy of the Stones is the one I want to point out here. It was a birthday gift that turned into a really, really compelling read. I’d highly recommend it.

Also, the Princess Academy is in the next storage cube over. That one’s a good one, too. I’ve heard there’s a series attached to it, so I’m going to have to go looking for it. (Also, if the picture loads, there is another copy of a Harry Potter novel there. That one’s in German!)

As for the Terry Pratchet novels...I only started buying them recently. My collection isn’t very big yet, and I haven’t bought all of them, either. I may look into doing that...eventually.

...I’m gonna stop this post here, while I still have half a mind to actually go to bed. I need to sleep, I really do. If anyone wants to know my opinions on some of the other books of fiction I have hiding in these pictures -- or perhaps elsewhere -- please, don’t be afraid to drop an ask and let me know!

#this is a VERY LONG POST #cross' rambling #there are a Great Many Pictures in this one #forgive the later picture descriptions on this post #it is very late for me #and therefore Not A Very Good Time To Be Writing Descriptions #but yes I have a Great Many Books!#and am constantly looking for more

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theunit-mbti · 7 years ago

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Analysis of the results of The Unit

So… many people have various comments and disappointments with how The Unit ended earlier this week. I do as well. However, it’s not all doom and gloom and there are little pieces of hope which can be picked up from this. Whether you read the rest of the analysis or not, please please please make sure to support the original bands that these artists belong to.

The narrative is under the cut because it’s rather long – apologies!

Edit: Disclaimer - what I have written below is my opinion on the thoughts of the voting public, NOT my personal opinions on the candidates. I will make this clearer with subsequent edits below. None of this is “hate”.

Let’s start with Unit G

1. Euijin

Euijin had always had a bit of a head start on her fellow competitors for two reasons. Firstly, she had little chunks of extra screentime ever since she mentored Lee Bolim for the first mission. These small but regular doses of “Euijin is a gentle saint” kind of medicine makes a HUGE difference on a survival show with so many competitors. Secondly, she was the only person from her band to be on the competition. This meant that if any Sonamoo fans were watching, their focus was undivided and their voting would stay consistently aimed at her. Sonamoo doesn’t have a large fanbase, due to TSEnt’s abysmal marketing strategems and poor concept choices and changes, but they are at least more heard-of than some of the other groups on the show, which meant she could have had a decent voter-base without the extra screentime anyway.

2. Yebin

Interestingly, Yebin was actually my bias in DIA, from not long after their debut. I thought she was talented and pretty. It seemed that that’s what many other people discovered over the course of The Unit. However, for me, Yebin grew less interesting to me during the programme because in spite of being the best singer in DIA, she was not the best singer in The Unit, by far. Yet sometimes, she was treated as if she was! How frustrating. Nevertheless, she was undoubtedly very, very pretty, and I think that’s what really swung it for her. I reckon several people would have voted for her to prove a point about them “voting for Yebin because she’s the member in DIA with talents AND looks, unlike *ahem* Chaeyeon *ahem*...” Essentially, voting to “prove themselves”. Simple, yet effective, in terms of vote count.

3. NCA

Obviously she’s one of the best singers of the competition, has worked very hard, etc., so is probably one of the most deserving of this top spot. It helped that in terms of the super-awesome vocalists, she stood out for being the shortest and cutest of them all (although not fake-cute).

4. Yang Jiwon

People have heard of Spica – this is what propelled Jiwon to take the no1 position in the rankings for the first few rakings of the competition. She’s safe hands, and talented vocally too.

5. Yoonjo

At this point in the proceedings, having heard the results for places 8, 7, and 6, as well, I started to have a dawning realisation. The majority of the girls who ended up in Unit G were girls that the public would have heard of already – even without The Unit. There was clearly a lot of “only watching the final of the Unit and voting for who I know” going on. I’m glad that Yoonjo made it in, because she can sing, and this probably is her “last chance”, but I never expected her to be in as high a position as 5th.

6. Hyunjoo

As we know from the re-evaluation for My Turn centre, older men love Hyunjoo. The voter demographic for the Unit changed during the final vote due to the text voting (see my explanation below) so more older men would have voted. Hence Hyunjoo making it this high. Similarly to Yoonjo, I’m glad she made it because of “last chances” etc., but at the expense of…?

7. Woohee

Dalshabet was probably the most popular group to be involved in the whole competition, so it’s unsurprising that one of them made it into the final lineup. Notably since Serri was eliminated, all Darling votes would have been focused on Woohee. She probably wouldn’t have needed to do much and still would have made it, but she also managed to be centre for the final performance, so that would have helped too. A “safe vote”, and an unsurprising one. I was a little annoyed originally that Woohee had made it into the final lineup, for the simple reason that her group probably needed the exposure the least, but I’ve since read that she’s now the only DS member still signed with Happy Face so the possibility of DS continuing anyway would be slim… so I’m somewhat glad, in that case, that she can still promote.

8. ZN

Like with Woohee, Laboum had a decent sized fanbase to be getting voters from, as well as the KISSME fanbase from labelmates UKISS. This provided a reasonable pedestal from which ZN was able to work upwards. With Haein and Yujeong eliminated in the previous round as well, there was now no division for Lattes to split themselves, hence the jump in ZN’s rank. Many Lattes have actually been crowdfunding Laboum projects, mvs, etc., so it would have been in their financial interest to propel Laboum further into the spotlight.

9. Suji

I’d like to hope that Suji had some people voting for her because of The Ark, and not just because she’s one of the prettiest girls on the show… but I do think that the latter could have a great deal to do with how she slid into the top 9 in preference of Euna. As I mention below, the voter demographic changed with the introduction of text voting for the final, and more older men would have been voting, potentially. The people who just tuned in for the final would have simply voted either for someone they already knew, or someone who stood out to them, and Suji’s visuals would have done just that. I’m glad she made it, but as she said herself, I would’ve expected her to be standing there with Euna Kim.

Why did Euna not make it?

People tuning in for the final would have been

a) Annoyed that the survival-show maniac Euna Kim was on there – who does she think she is?

b) Disappointed with her performance, since Ting gave her no valuable screen time or moments of glory

c) Uninspired by rap because older men don’t really care for girls who can rap (have you noticed this? I have. Misogynistic fear of powerful women? Idk, I may be taking it too far, but if you consider that Euna is somewhat the opposite of Hyunjoo, then you might understand what I’m getting at)

d) Disinterested because she wasn’t as immediately pretty and as well-proportioned as some other contestants (if I, a Westerner, have noticed that Euna’s proportions aren’t as flattering as some of the others, then a Korean person surely would have)

e) Stronger fans of the show would have assumed, like I did, that Euna was safe, and voted for someone else they were more worried about. Note many netizens saying “how on earth did Euna Kim not make it” but no one actually saying “I voted for her”.

Unit B

1. UKISS Jun

He’s a strong triple threat and handsome to boot, with a consistent KISSME fanbase – no surprises here.

2. Bigflo Euijin

Here was the surprise! When Semmi didn’t make it into Unit G, I feared for Euijin’s safety, because like Semmi, he had only really made himself known through the show, and had negligible prior popularity. However, it suddenly became clear to me that voters for Unit B and G had voted in completely different ways – as explained below – which meant that Euijin was safe. Not just safe, but bloody brilliant. As a Wave, I was in shock at how high Euijin climbed but I really, really do think he had a great leg up, especially amongst the teen girl voters, because he bears a resemblance to BTS’ Jimin.

3. Go Hojung

So a Hotshot member was going to make it, and Hojung’s performances lately have been better and more consistent than Timoteo’s. What cinched it was probably when dance coach Hwayoung asked the Lead Me team if Hojung was a sensitive type and they all agreed. Make the girls swoon over his hot bod and sensitive soul, and there are surely some votes to be found! If Hojung hadn’t been in the competition, Timoteo would probably have done a lot better.

4. Feeldog

Thank goodness!!!!! He’s cute enough to have grabbed the hearts of the younger teen voters but also talented and already had a bit of a fanbase through things like Hit The Stage. He’s been pretty much the most consistently placed person in the entire show. I think his fans knew not to take that for granted because he’d had such hard times previously, and really kept up all voting. Being the only member of Bigstar left in the final maintained that position.

5. Marco

The biggest shocker of the night? Not if you consider what events led to this position. Several fantastic rappers were eliminated in the previous elimination – notably Kanto and Heedo, as well as JunQ, Ungjae, and Hwang Jungha. This meant that anyone looking to vote for a decent rapper was suddenly scrutinising who rapped in the final. It’s no coincidence that the only members of DWTD team who rapped were the ones who made it into the final lineup (Jun and Hansol). Let me repeat that again for those in the back. It’s no coincidence that the ONLY members of DWTD team who rapped were the ones who made it into the final lineup. !!! This was also true for Marco, Feeldog, and kind of Kijung in the Lead Me team. And out of Marco, Jun, Hansol, Feeldog, etc., who did the most rap in the final? Marco. So it wasn’t just his new haircut, it was his looks and his rap. The shame of this, I think, is that there were better rappers than Marco in the DWTD team, but they just didn’t get any rap lines to show them off with (I’m thinking mainly of Seyong here) and Seyong should have been able to outrap Marco, because although I don’t want to diss, Marco’s rap isn’t fantastic. He just has style and humour.

6. Hansol

I have mixed feelings about Hansol. On the one hand he is a trainee and shouldn’t really have been promoting himself on this competition. On the other, he was sitting in the SMEnt mixing pot for ages, on the cusp of debut, and really needs to debut. His performance on the final wasn’t very polished, but his dance was always good and he rapped (see above). He’d also been out of the top 9 a lot so voters were worried he wouldn’t make it – and therefore voted for him more. The teen girl demographic probably loved his visuals too.

7. Daewon

Thank goodness again! Daewon making the final cut restores some of my faith in humanity.

8. Kijung

Should Kijung have been in the competition? Probably not. I also really hadn’t wanted him to make the final. However, his performance on the night was one of the best out of everyone – he was so charismatic on stage and you could tell how much he was enjoying it. This was probably because he was full of love for the group he was in, unlike the My Story group. This is his only redemption to being in the final 9 – he earnt it with that last performance. Plus, teen girls could relate to him and hence voted for him.

Another thing that gave Kijung a constant leg up was Rain’s praise. I wanted to kick Rain with the amount of praise he showered on Kijung, a relative newbie. The focus should not have been on the newest, freshest person with his whole life ahead of him, but on the older, struggling, last-chance ones who this competition was about! I’m bitter but I think Kijung did work hard and I blame Rain more than Kijung.

9. Chan

This was my personal biggest surprise. As an ACE fan, I’m hugely glad, and it’s an incredible feat for members of the same band to have made it into the top for MixNine AND The Unit. Chan did really well to climb like that. However, ACE has had the fastest-growing fanbase in the time the The Unit has been running, so it ought not to be a surprise, especially given the new demographic of teen voters who watched the final, mixed with Chan’s fantastic performance as a main vocalist of Lead Me team (RIP Lee Geon’s performance, it just wasn’t as strong, or as well-filmed as Chan’s). Thank goodness at least one main vocalist made it into the top 9, even if it wasn’t the slightly more “deserving”, older Rockhyun or Jeup.

DISCLAIMER: What you are about to read about those who did not make it IS NOT my personal opinions of those candidates. This is just me reading into what the voting public might have thought, and why they then didn’t receive as many votes as the top 9.

Why did Timoteo not make it?

a) Voters suddenly rebelling and saying “I’m not going to vote for him just because he’s Taemin’s best friend” without looking at his further qualities

b) Some people might not find him as attractive as others in the competition – so no hormonal teen girl vote

c) He may have been one of the people giving the Devil team that weird vibe

d) His performances hadn’t been the best out of everyone lately and he’s not the best singer

e) He also had barely any lines in DWTD

[Disclaimer - as written in my post about ideal line ups, Timoteo should have made it and was an extremely worthy candidate. He worked so hard and is such a skilled dancer and team player]

Why did Donghyun not make it?

a) His expressions make me cringe – everyone says he’s fantastic at expressions but they’re so clearly learnt and not natural, and he does them with a sort of gentle arrogance that isn’t like an awful cocky arrogance, but more like a “oh yes, time to whip out the old smoulder again!” type of arrogance, and maybe people were starting to see that. [Edit: I cringe because I love him, not because I hate him. He makes me squirm because I love him and he doesn’t need to do that expression stuff to be loved.]

b) He’s “too old” for the hip young teens who would have been text voting during the final

c) Everyone assumed he was safe because of the VAST number of hearts on his teaser vid on vlive – which we’d been told would count in some way to the final result

d) He did better when you voted for a larger number of people in the app, because he was probably literally everyone’s 3rd – 9th choice, but when this was narrowed down to only voting for 1 person, he did far less well for the same reason.

[Disclaimer: I believe Donghyun should have made it - he is one of my biases and I was rooting for him from the very beginning of the competition. In fact he was one of the reasons why I started watching The Unit and I am shocked that he missed out, although an anon explained another reason why in a separate post.]

Why did Seyong not make it?

a) Bad portrayal which he was always struggling to bounce back from.

b) He should have fucking rapped. He should have rapped. Everyone forgot he was a rapper, so everyone who liked rap voted for fucking Marco. FFFFFS

c) He should have rapped.

d) RAP could have saved him!!!!

e) DWTD should have had more rap breaks

f) He had barely any lines in DWTD and SHOULD HAVE RAPPED

[Disclaimer: I have been a strong advocate for the clearing of Seyong’s name from early on in the competition. He was a talented man under stress and I believe he has suffered the most from this competition. He was just trying his best and I feel for him, I really do. He should have rapped because he is a fantastic rapper and I feel that by the end of the competition, no one knew that.]

Why did Jeup/ Rockhyun not make it?

a) Younger voter demographic lost interest in them for some bizarre reason

b) Rockhyun wasn’t “attractive enough” for the teen voters

c) Jeup was too attractive and in some respects this diminished his fantastic ability (consider Jaehwan’s success in Produce 101 – his looks were much more understated)

d) They were assumed to be relatively safe?

e) Voters who wanted a main vocal in particular were split between the two

f) They suffered dearly for the poor portrayal of the group dynamic in DWTD team.

[Disclaimer: I fucking love Jeup and Rockhyun, for different reasons and in different ways. They are both super talented vocalists with way more talents stacked on top of that to boot. Rockhyun I have been in awe of ever since his debut in 2012. Go and listen to the dance practice of 100% “Bad Boy” and hear him singing live in the dance studio to see what I mean, it’s literally incredible. Jeup is my special son who is just TOO incredible in every possible direction and has too many talents to count. The fact that neither of these fantastic young men made it into the final nine is a true disaster and as much reason as Donald Trump’s presidential win to not trust a voting public.]

New voter demographics for the text voting system

The voter demographic for the girl votes will have been a different one compared to those who voted for the boys. This led to totally different types of results for Units G and B. The voter demographic for girl groups, via the text vote, will have been older men who may not have voted earlier on in the competition because they didn’t want to install the app on their phone, and who also possibly didn’t even watch the competition. This led to golden oldies being picked, such as Yoonjo, Woohee, ZN, and Jiwon, over the girls who had proved themselves particularly well over the course of the competition, including Yeoeun, Chahee, Euna, and in particular, as any fan of The Unit knows, Semmi. There was nothing to make Semmi stand out in the final – particularly since the camerawork was shoddy and never showed her doing her power vocals as a close up – and so she lost all her gain because of these new text voters.

However, for the boys, the demographic would have been more inclined towards teen girls. This demographic means that voters for the boys would have been more likely to watch the programme without knowing some of the “golden oldies”. This left them more likely to vote for younger, fresher idols such as Kijoong, Hansol, Chan, and Marco, and totally abandon the “golden oldies” such as Seyong, Donghyun and Rockhyun. It’s a shock reversal of what happened with the girls. Frankly, the “golden oldie” style boys who got in were extremely lucky (Daewon, Feeldog).

The boys also had the added pre-final setback of The Unit revealing the general atmospheric personality of the final teams meeting and greeting each other. The cold welcome of Dancing With The Devil team contrasted dramatically with the beagle-ness of the Lead Me team, and that would have influenced several voters. It did so significantly – Dancing with the Devil team were all but decimated and the only two from Lead Me team who didn’t make it were Lee Geon, who’d already had to battle a bad rep, and Dongmyeong, who presumably people didn’t vote for because he was from an instrumental band.

So what silver linings can we glean from the new final teams?

Unit G, although weak on rap, is actually overall quite strong on vocals, and could produce some really nice sounding songs, that look good too providing they work on synchronisation. All 9 of them work hard so there is some great potential here. My main worry for them is that Hyunjoo is a bit of a sore thumb and could spoil the overall vibe but this could be masked and corrected somewhat by some of the others.

Unit B is weak on vocals, as many have pointed out, BUT, they are no worse off than All Day team, if you think about it. And look at what an outstanding performance All Day team gave. So in some respects, they may actually become a stronger performing group than Unit G. Who knows. I await with anticipation.

Whoa, this has been a long and wild ride! If you’ve managed to get all the way through this, I salute you. Just please remember, everyone, to support not only the final members of Units B and G, but also all the groups that featured in the competition, whether they made it to the final or not.

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jillmckenzie1 · 5 years ago

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Be Excellent To Each Other

Bill & Ted Face the Music is streaming on Prime

Let’s talk about trilogies. Specifically, how unbelievably hard they are to pull off. It’s difficult enough to pull off a good movie, considering you need a strong script, solid direction, and competent actors. To pull off a decent sequel, you need to build on the world you first established and go in a new direction yet one that’s not so new it undoes the first film. To do all of that, and add a third film wrapping up everything? It’s easier to climb up Mount Everest blindfolded and naked.

Even the most prestigious and profitable franchises have trouble with this. Consider that:

All three Star Wars trilogies have problematic entries. Return of the Jedi is only two-thirds of a good movie, Attack of the Clones is a nightmare, and The Rise of Skywalker stinks up the joint like bad sushi.

The MCU has the hastily tacked together Iron Man 2, along with the barely there Thor: The Dark World.

The Matrix is a flat-out science fiction classic. The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions lurch between ponderous speeches and not quite as cool as they should be action sequences.*

The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II are literally two of the greatest films ever made. The Godfather: Part III isn’t.

Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins finally makes Bruce Wayne a compelling character, while The Dark Knight gave audiences a terrifying Joker and a hero breaking his own moral code. The Dark Knight Rises, on the other hand, takes big swings and has big misses. Also, a bad guy that sounds like Sean Connery locked in a bathysphere.

Years of merciless bludgeoning at the hands of greedy, incompetent, or misguided filmmakers has taught us that the third entries of a series usually blows chunks. When a film comes out that defies the odds…well, it can be a little breathtaking. The insane part isn’t just that Bill & Ted Face the Music is a trilogy-capper made with intelligence and deep silliness. No, the insane part is that it’s the end of a trilogy that gets better with every entry. This trilogy never drops in quality.

To bring you up to speed, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure concerns Bill S. Preston, Esquire (Alex Winter), and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) a pair of high-school himbos living in San Dimas, California. To pass a critical history test, they get their hands on a time-traveling phone booth, gain a futuristic mentor in Rufus (George Carlin) and meet a wide variety of historical personages. A few years pass, and in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, the guys are killed by their evil robot duplicates, sent to Hell, befriend Death (William Sadler), and learn their true destiny; to write a song capable of uniting humanity.

So much for that. Years have passed, and the guys have failed to write The Greatest Song In The History of The World. Their fame has flagged, and they’re reduced to playing weddings. Their marriages to the princesses Joanna (Jayma Mays) and Elizabeth (Erinn Hayes) are also in bad shape. An amusing scene in marriage counseling shows us that Ted & Bill** need to be together constantly, even during therapy.

There’s good news and bad news, though. The good news is that, somehow, the guys managed to procreate. They’re the proud papas to Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Thea (Samara Weaving). The bad news is that since Bill & Ted’s band Wyld Stallyns failed repeatedly in writing The Song, reality itself is beginning to collapse. Kelly (Kristin Schaal) is the daughter of Rufus, and she arrives from the future to tell them that now would be a good time to get in gear and write The Song.

Only…it’s hard. Really, really hard. So hard that Bill & Ted come up with another idea. They’ll “borrow” the time machine, travel to the future, and “borrow” The Song from their future selves. It should be simple. Only it’s not. There’s the part where they learn that their future selves live increasingly miserable lives. And the part where Billie and Thea “borrow” another time machine to put together a supergroup of the greatest musicians in history to help their dads, but run into a little snag. And the part where the princesses “borrow” a time machine and learn their futures with Bill & Ted might not be most triumphant. And the part where Bill & Ted are being hunted by Dennis Caleb McCoy (Anthony Carrigan), a murderous robot that really just needs friends.

Bill & Ted Face the Music never leans hard into nostalgia. It never feels like a cheap cash grab. Instead, it’s like getting snuggles from a dopey Golden Retriever. The dog might not know his name or what the word “sit” even means, but he’s a sweetheart who’s all about wanting to show you how much he loves you.

Each of the three films in the Bill & Ted trilogy was helmed by a different director.*** Of the three of them, Face the Music’s Dean Parisot has made the most polished installment. As the director of the second-best Star Trek movie of all time, Galaxy Quest, Parisot has the skill to make this kind of tomfoolery look good. While the pacing drags just a little in the first half-hour, once the film gets going, it moves at a breakneck pace.

You have to be very smart to write characters that are this kind of dumb. Screenwriters Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson are, and as the writers of all three films, they know exactly when to go up to the line. Their script is gloriously silly. Multiple characters travel through numerous timelines at the same time, but Matheson and Solomon always make sure we know what’s happening and when. Better yet, the script is infused with infectious optimism. The idea that friendship and a kickass song can save the world never feels cheesy. Instead, it feels right. Along with that blast of hope, there’s a blast of self-awareness in this script. Bill & Ted are two guys told over and over in the first two films that they were special, beautiful and unique snowflakes. In Face the Music, they have to reckon with the fact that their life plan didn’t work out. Instead of doubling down and trying harder, we see their perspective shift. They grow and change. That’s what good writing is all about.

With 29 years between installments, you can be forgiven for wondering if Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves can smoothly step back into these iconic roles. A great deal has changed for them. Reeves has become the greatest action star in American movies, while Winter has made a number of outstanding documentaries. Winter’s return is a little smoother as Bill, and he’s just as goofily charming as ever. Reeves is a bit stiff as Ted, but he’s just as game as ever to get ridiculous. Perhaps my favorite performances were Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine as Thea and Billie. They go beyond imitating Reeves and Winter and are an effective comic duo in their own right. Speaking of which, William Sadler returns (and very nearly steals the show again) as Death. Sadler has such a willingness to do absolutely anything to make us laugh. He’s so good at comedy that I wish he’d do more of it. Kid Cudi plays himself, and his comic timing is precise and perfect. There’s not a false note in this cast and everyone shows up to play.

As much as I love the film, it’s not perfect. It takes some time to really get into the groove, and it’s hampered by some problematic pacing. Speaking of problematic, let’s talk about the character of Grom. She’s a cavewoman, and she’s played by Patty Anne Miller, a wildly talented drummer who’s worked with Beyoncé and CeeLo Green. Someone with the chops that Miller has should absolutely be celebrated. The film choosing a superband with a majority of POC (Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, Ling Lun, and Mozart, along with Grom.) is cool. But having a Black woman play that particular role, a cavewoman? Eh…not a good look. Swap her out for someone like either Sylvia Robinson or Sister Rosetta Tharp, and you have something excellent.

Bill & Ted Face the Music is more than a skillful way to close out a beloved franchise that doesn’t quite get the respect it deserves. It’s a guitar riff of delightful, positive energy that had me smiling for nearly the entire run time. While there’s a lot to be cranky about these days, Bill & Ted reminds us that we can face the future with a cheerful grin.

*Though the freeway chase in Reloaded is genuinely cool.

**Isn’t it jarring to read it like that?

***Stephen Herek directed the first film and went on to a long and steady career as a journeyman director. Peter Hewitt directed the second film and immersed himself in family films, for the most part.

The post Be Excellent To Each Other first appeared on The Denver Guide.

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mikemortgage · 6 years ago

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Turns out, there’s more to Alberta’s economic story than pipelines

This is the first in a series of columns about the new Alberta economy.

A shoeshine in Calgary cost $10 when Tom O’Gorman, a portfolio manager at Franklin Templeton Investments, arrived from Wall Street in 2010; New York prices!

Not anymore. You can get your Oxfords polished and buffed for a mere $5, a deflationary spiral triggered by the similarly large collapse in the price of oil since the autumn of 2014.

Calgary’s office towers are either 30, 40, or 50 per cent empty, depending on who you talk to. The exact vacancy rate — 25 per cent downtown in the fourth quarter, according to Avison Young Real Estate Alberta Inc. — doesn’t really matter.

'A stampede of stupid': Alberta's energy sector fighting Ottawa on three fronts

No easy solutions for Albertans facing long-term unemployment as recovery stalls

Canada's oil and gas sector to lose over 12,000 jobs this year, PetroLMI report predicts

The point is the same: Canada’s fourth largest city, which represents a fair chunk of the country’s third-biggest provincial economy, is struggling in a way that the 12 million people who have joined the Canadian population since the previous oil price shock in the early 1980s have never seen.

Way up north in Bonnyville, a town of about 6,000 that serves the oilpatch, there were 31 foreclosures in 2018 compared with four in 2015, according to Serina Parsons, executive director of the local chamber of commerce. The number of business licenses dropped 15 per cent to 633 over the same period. The community is shrinking. There are many others like it.

Vancouver-based OK Tires Store Inc., one of North America’s biggest tire retailers, recently announced plans to invest $100 million in new and improved distribution centres across Canada over the next five years. Alberta doesn’t factor in to the company’s plans, at least for now. The first facility will be built in Quebec, which has a record low unemployment rate, a balanced budget, and a noticeable degree of confidence. Ontario, Newfoundland, and Manitoba will follow.

“It’s soft in Alberta, for sure,” Jim Caldwell, the company’s chief executive, said in a telephone interview. “It’s flat. The oilpatch is struggling. Companies are trying to extend the life of their tires, or are going down-brand.”

The province has only added about 30,000 jobs since the end of 2014, according to Statistics Canada The jobless rate was 6.9 per cent in March, compared with a national average of 5.8 per cent. The economic recovery from the recession caused by the 2015 oil shock slowed to an annual growth rate of 2.5 per cent in 2018 from 4.4 per cent in 2017, according to the Alberta government.

“I don’t think the East realizes how bad it is here,” said Glenn Street, who runs one of North America’s biggest makers of mascots in Calgary.

“I don’t see a lot of positive things happening if there isn’t an oil-and-gas industry,” he said. “What’s going to take its place?”

Maybe nothing. But there are ideas.

I spent a few days in Calgary and Edmonton last week, interviewing a dozen people, none of whom were directly involved in the oil-and-gas industry. That was by design. Nuance doesn’t travel well. The idea was to assess whether there’s more to Alberta’s economic story than pipelines, which is all most of us non-Albertans have heard about for the past couple of years. And of course, there is.

“There are a tonne of things going on and none of them have anything to do with oil and natural gas,” said Tara Kelly, chief executive of Calgary-based Splice Software, a provider of customized automated messages and one of Canada’s fast-growing companies.

We’re a capitalist society, which implies that we embrace the power of creative destruction. But the past couple of years has exposed us as weak capitalists. The trade wars, the global shift away from carbon, and digitization are fundamentally changing the economy. As Stephen Poloz, governor of the Bank of Canada, has noted, we have spent a lot of time obsessing over the destruction that those structural shifts are causing.

That suits various industry lobbies and unions, who are paid by their members to fight for the status quo. But it obscures all the creative things that are happening, as entrepreneurs — who tend to ignore headlines — create the new wave of companies that will employ thousands, improve productivity, and generate wealth. Canada can survive Donald Trump, and Alberta can escape its resource curse.

“In an economy, you often go after the low-hanging fruit,” said Brad Johns, a partner in the Calgary office of Yaletown Partners, a venture capital firm that also has outposts in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. “When the economy changes, you have to do something different. We are doing that now.”

There are some Albertans who seem to think they would be better off as their own country. Maybe, but only because the province has enjoyed the benefits of being a member of a stable, diversified economy for more than a century.

Places that are overly reliant on resources tend to be poorer; the booms never quite outweigh the busts, but the good times are so good that no one ever gets around to doing anything unrelated to harvesting that resource. Alberta has a decent social safety net, good universities, and options outside of oil and gas because its place in Canada kept the resource curse from fully taking hold.

New fields: An employee tends to marijuana plants at the Aurora Cannabis Inc. facility in Edmonton.

Still, Alberta shows signs of affliction. “From the beginning of my career, all I heard was that all we are only about oil and gas,” said Chris Micetich, founder and chief executive of Edmonton-based Brass Dome Ventures Ltd., who made his name in pharmaceuticals. “I learned to keep the lights on with no support.”

The next generation of Alberta entrepreneurs will benefit from more attention. The duration of the current oil bust appears to be changing the province’s psychology. There still is hope for natural gas, but there is an acceptance that the glory days of oil are over. Politicians finally are taking economic diversification seriously, if only because they realize they no longer can rely on royalty payments and the largesse of oil-and-gas companies. The families that got rich off booms past are asking questions about investing in startups that specialize in artificial intelligence, health services, and other areas that have no connection to bitumen. Petrochemical engineers are retraining to become software engineers.

“I think there is a massive wave coming,” Micetich said. “That old mentality doesn’t change overnight.”

Caldwell of OK Tires reckons Alberta’s soft patch is cyclical. At Street Characters, the boss’s pessimism about the province’s prospects doesn’t apply to his own business. About people are shipping handmade mascots at a pace of about four per week at a unit price of $3,000 to $8,000, mostly to the United States. That’s as well as the company has ever done in its 32-year history. Success has management thinking about spending a little more on marketing to grow even faster.

“There is nothing further from oil and gas than what we do,” Street said. “We’re really busy.”

• Email: [email protected] | Twitter: CarmichaelKevin

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victorparker1-blog · 7 years ago

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HyreCar Inc. (HYRE) Stock: Selling Shovels in a Gold Rush

When I say names like Uber and Lyft, chances are that not only do you know these names, but they elicit a sort of emotional response. After all, when we see or hear things that we’re familiar with, we tend to get excited, and Uber and Lyft are the pioneers that changed the way we view the taxi business. In fact, if you live in a big city, chances are that you’ve used one of these services at least once. Nonetheless, another transformative change is taking place in the industry and soon, the name HyreCar Inc. (NASDAQ: HYRE) may elicit the same type of response as names like Uber and Lyft.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Joe Furnari, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer at HyreCar, and I have to say, these guys are onto something. Before we get too deep into the details, I wanted to share an analogy that Joe shared with me that outlines the potential opportunity. Here’s the analogy:

It started with Joe asking: “During the gold rush, who made all the money?”

Remembering what I know about the gold rush, I said no one. After all, the gold rush was fueled by fool’s gold, essentially bankrupting just about everyone that took part. However, as Mr. Furnari pointed out, I was wrong. There was someone making money? So, who was it? As Mr. Furnari said to me:

“It was the guys selling the picks and shovels. The people selling the tools were the ones making the big bucks while the miners were losing their shirts.”

Then, Joe tied it all together, explaining where HYRE fits in all of this, saying:

“That’s what we are! With the ride-share business booming and Uber and Lyft exploding with popularity, we’re the guys selling the tools that make this all possible.”

What Exactly Is HyreCar?

HyreCar is in the business of connecting Uber, Lyft and drivers for other services with the vehicles that they use in order to make their money every day. The company has built an overwhelmingly intuitive platform designed to connect drivers with cars, giving them the opportunity to earn an income, while everyone in the circle, from the driver to the car owner and HYRE themselves makes money.

The platform is essentially a match-maker that matches those with the tools to those that need them. However, it goes a bit deeper than that. While HYRE takes what they call a “haircut” from the fees paid by the driver and charges the car owner a small fee, the real money for the company comes from the insurance.

HYRE Has Monopolized A New Niche Within The Insurance Industry

In our opinion, one of the biggest points of value for HYRE has to do with their insurance product; a product that we believe offers a key competitive advantage to the company. The company’s proprietary insurance product is a commercial automobile insurance policy that covers both the car owners and the drivers of the vehicles.

The insurance policy is designed to cover a pre-determined period of time in which the driver is using an owner’s automobile while not actively driving for a ride-share platform like Uber or Lyft. This covers gaps in the state-mandated insurance provided by the ride sharing services. After all, when the vehicle isn’t being used for work at the time of an accident, drivers and car owners may find themselves in a bit of a financial bind.

With HyreCar, this is no longer an issue. The company’s proprietary commercial insurance keeps drivers covered with one of the 5 largest insurance providers in the United States by market capitalization, AIG.

Every time a driver rents a car using the HyreCar platform, the fee includes insurance at a cost of about $13 per day. This fee is collected by HyreCar and makes up a substantial portion of their revenue.

Reinventing Ride-Sharing With Residual Income In Mind

Ride-sharing platforms have become overwhelmingly popular, and for good reason. They give the average Joe a way to break free from the nine to five lifestyle, making a decent income in the process. However, there has been one big problem that hinders the growth of these types of services since the inception of the industry.

At the end of the day, there are plenty of people out there that want to be drivers, but don’t have the tools to do so. Either they simply don’t have a vehicle, or they have a vehicle that doesn’t qualify to be used as part of these services. In fact, it is estimated that 30% of Uber and Lyft drivers need car rentals. This massive chunk of the market pays a pretty high price to rent vehicles every day.

Seeing that the ride-sharing industry had such a massive opportunity, HyreCar decided to step in and provide a solution that falls right in line with the very nature of the ride-sharing industry itself. Instead of going to a business in a box, the company has pioneered an option that provides consumers with the ability to provide income to their own community members and reduce the cost of doing so in the process.

Ultimately, this has created a residual opportunity for HYRE and all involved. Consumers who work for ride-sharing platforms that do not have their own qualifying vehicle, or do not want to put the wear and tear on their own vehicle, will need to continue to rent vehicles on a regular basis. By providing such an attractive solution, more and more drivers are likely to continue looking toward HyreCar as their broker in the rental car space. Because these drivers need vehicles nearly on a daily basis, each one will generate residual revenue for the company on a regular basis and likely over a long period of time.

Breaking Down The Revenue Model

The revenue model at HyreCar is a simple one to follow. While rental rates will vary based on geolocations, driving holidays and supply and demand dynamics, we can go with the example provided in the company’s investor deck. This example is at a rate of $200 per week. The revenue that comes in at this rate is as follows:

Weekly Rental Rate – $200

Direct Insurance – $91

10% HyreCar Fee (paid by driver) – $20

Total Weekly Revenue – $311

From the weekly revenue HYRE not only holds onto $111 from direct insurance and the fee paid by the driver, it also keeps an additional 15% of the rental cost, which is paid by the vehicle owner. This brings the total net revenue on a $200 per week rental to $141. At the moment, the company is operating with a net revenue margin of between 35% and 45% and a gross profit margin of between 10% and 24%.

HYRE Is Seeing Incredible Growth

HyreCar is off to an incredible start so far this year, with first quarter metrics that are something to be reckoned with. In the first quarter of 2018, the company closed with more than 175,000 driver profiles across 35 active states and Washington D.C. As a result, HYRE generated revenue in the amount of $1.7 million for the quarter. That figure represented growth in the amount of 525% on a year over year basis.

Looking Into The Future

Moving forward, HYRE has incredible potential for growth in a relatively untapped market. At the moment, the company’s target market is drivers within transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber, Lyft, Hop Skip Drive, and Juno. With Uber and Lyft alone adding approximately 50,000 new drivers, this large, untapped market is ripe for monopolization. However, the TNC market isn’t the only one in which HyreCar has opportunity.

In fact, the ride share market is expanding into several new niches. Here are some examples of niches in which drivers may need HyreCar’s services:

Package Delivery – More and more companies like Postmates, eaze, and even Amazon are looking to the rideshare model in the world of package delivery.

Food Delivery – Food delivery is another place where rideshare services seem to be creating a transformative change. Companies like instacart, DoorDash and GrubHub are becoming more popular with each passing day. Even Uber is getting involved in rideshare related food delivery with Ubereats!

Tasks – While the tasks market is still a relatively small one. TaskRabbit seems to be making waves, offering a rideshare style errand running service.

Leisure Rentals – Finally, the leisure rental services like Turo and Getaround are becoming popular rideshare platforms as well.

At the end of the day, each one of these niches within a niche creates a potential opportunity for HYRE as many drivers in each one of these niches will likely have the need to rent vehicles to do their jobs.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line here is that HyreCar is a pioneer in a relatively untapped market. Through its proprietary insurance product, the company’s services will likely continue to grab the attention of vehicle owners and rideshare drivers, generating revenue each step of the way. This combined with the monumental growth that we’re seeing in the rideshare market as a whole suggests HYRE and its shareholders will see momentous growth ahead!

This article was original featured on CNA Finance. The author has no positions in any stock mentioned herein nor plans to open any positions within the next 72 hours. To view the full disclosure, click here.

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mylefteyetooth-blog · 7 years ago

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Five Weeks to Go

I am a 27-year-old woman who should have had her teeth fixed years ago. The issues I have existed when I was a teenager, when treatment on the NHS would have been free, but I didn’t get them addressed then (in part because my Mum had a terrible experience with braces and she passed on her fear to me), and since growing out of the free NHS option I’ve never been stable or rich enough to get the problem resolved.

Here is the dental issue: with all of my canines, and a couple of my premolars on the top, the baby tooth did not come out naturally, and the adult tooth grew in the wrong place (known as having ‘ectopic eruption’). Over the years, I lost all but one of the baby teeth, with or without intervention, and generally the remaining adult teeth have shifted to be in more or less the right position; most recently, I had the baby premolar pulled out in December 2017, after the tooth started cracking and causing pain when brushing and chewing.

After fixing the immediate issue, my dentist began going over treatment options with me to fix the remaining canine; the adult canine on the left sits so far up in my mouth that it isn’t obvious to most people that it even exists, and it is basically impossible that it would move into the right place on its own. When (and dentists assure me it is when, not if) the baby tooth comes out on its own, I’d be left with a gap near the front of my smile.

This was the first dentist to discuss my options for braces kindly, to take my concerns about cost seriously, and to encourage me in such a way that it finally felt feasible. I had a few more appointments with the Invisalign expert at my normal dental surgery, who was similarly supportive. This took some time, as I had to wait until after Christmas and New Year for the first consultation. It was eventually decided that there would not be enough change possible with the Invisalign Lite available at my regular dentist’s to make that treatment worth the expense, time, and effort, so I was referred to a separate clinic that offers the full Invisalign treatment.

Invisalign, for the uninitiated, are sets of clear(ish) plastic aligners worn over the teeth. They are swapped regularly—usually weekly or fortnightly—and each new set brings the teeth closer to the position that they would occupy if only they’d grown in nice and straight. They may be supported with the use of elastics, in particularly difficult cases, to move the teeth a little further, and may also require the use ‘attachments’ on your teeth made of dental resin to make their grip more secure. The attachments will remain on your teeth while the aligners are out, but will be removed at the end of the treatment course. Treatment length varies (for me, it is predicted to be 12 months).

I finally got an appointment at the new clinic in early May, so around six months after the premolar extraction. The dentist showed me my Clin Checks (the predictions for how my teeth would change with the treatment) and discussed my options. He told me that traditional braces would cost as much as Invisalign, that the results would be little different, and that they would be more restrictive in terms of diet. With that information, it seemed a no-brainer that I would do the Invisalign. The Invisalign will also require fewer appointments, as unlike braces they don’t get adjusted: you just swap out for the next aligner. Given I have to fit in appointments around a full-time job, this was a nice bonus.

I made a down-payment of £390 after the free consultation—£350 for the initial moulding of my teeth etc., and another £40 for a scale and polish prior to starting with the aligners. I have a further £4,125 to pay for the full treatment plan, including the cost of the aligners and the necessary appointments along the way.

At the stage when I made the payment, I didn’t know nearly as much about Invisalign as I feel I should have. I started Googling when I got home, and I found out all sorts of things my dentist didn’t discuss with me before I agreed to the treatment. He didn’t tell me I’d need to wear the aligners for 22 hours a day, and take them out only to eat, with vigorous brushing in between. He didn’t tell me I’d only be able to drink water during this time, and that hot drinks will warp the aligners, so I’ll have to cut out tea. He didn’t tell me that people wearing Invisalign are at increased risk of cavities, as their saliva can’t wash their teeth clean while they are wearing the aligners, so harmful sugars need to be removed thoroughly before the aligners are replaced. He didn’t tell me that I will likely have ‘attachments’ of dental resin placed on several of my teeth to anchor the aligners, and that these can stain if I drink certain things like tea or red wine with the aligners out. He didn’t tell me I’d need retainers after the treatment is complete, which I’ll wear at night for the rest of my life.

He also didn’t tell me when I’ll have my last baby tooth—the left canine, also known as an eye tooth—pulled out, so I hope he has a plan for that.

My next appointment is this Friday, and that will include creating scans of my teeth and taking lots of photos of my current smile, so they can get the aligners made for me. I have done a decent bit of research about Invisalign between my last appointment and this one. I do wish I’d been better informed, but now I am armed with some questions (particularly I’d like to know what my dentist recommends to keep the aligners clean, because I’ve come across contradictory information online). Even knowing everything I know now, I am convinced this is the right choice for me.

I have had a lot of emotional reactions about getting the braces. I feel embarrassed that it took me so long to get the problem fixed. I also feel a sort of vague embarrassment attached to having bad teeth in general, despite the issue having nothing to do with hygiene or anything under my control. I feel frustrated that I didn’t address the issue when I was young enough to get the treatment for free, and that I’ve missed out on years of enjoying my smile. I am appalled with how much it will cost me now; I come from a working class background, and live in an expensive UK city. It has taken me years to build up my savings and I was planning on it all going towards a house deposit. To lose such a big chunk on something that feels cosmetic is galling. My husband is from the US and is more used to paying for medical care, and he has helped me adjust to spending so much. It is a health issue, as well as a cosmetic issue, and I’ve come to accept that. I have felt frightened of the social and professional repercussions of being an adult with braces. Reading how other people my age have dealt with Invisalign has really eased that worry for me, so finally I am at a stage where my main feeling is determination. I will get this taken care of now. I hope I have the willpower to be strict with myself, and that I take careful enough care of my teeth to avoid cavities (I’ve never had one before).

Right now, I am a little anxious about whether my final baby tooth will be extracted during this appointment or not. On Saturday, I am going on vacation to the US, which will include attending a friend’s wedding, and celebrating my own wedding belatedly with friends who live far away. I’d prefer to have my current smile for those events: the baby tooth sits in the normal smile line, so having it extracted will create a gap until the adult tooth is pulled into place. If the baby tooth is extracted this Friday, I’ll just have to put up with it. The dentist told me it will take two weeks to get everything ready for the first aligner to be made, which means that by the time my vacation is over, I should be able to get started on the Invisalign treatment, and my eagerness to get started overrides my worry about my appearance.

Many of the experiences I’ve read about online discuss how the aligners changed food habits, because snacking just isn’t worth it when you need to 1) take out and rinse your aligners; 2) enjoy your snack; 3) brush your teeth, floss your teeth, use mouthwash; 4) refit the aligners. Especially because this eats (ha!) into the two hours a day you are supposedly allowed to have the aligners out, many people cut out snacks entirely. I have already reduced my snacking a lot this year (due to a sudden health kick in January), but I’ve usually allowed myself to be a bit more freedom at the weekends, so I’m expecting some change there. I also normally have a cup of tea twice a day at work, which will obviously need to be eliminated and replaced with water. My normal drink is water, apart from that, so I’m glad I already made that change. Giving up tea, pop, and snacks, all at the same time would have been especially rough.

One other thing about my vacation, with the upcoming food restrictions in mind, is that it will be sort of my last hurrah. While I’m away, I’m going to eat all of my favourite American foods, as often as I like, and I’m going to drink root beer, and I’m going to snack snack snack. I won’t be keeping track on a calorie counter like I do most days; that can wait until I’m back. I’m seeing this trip as my last little burst of freedom, before a year of my teeth being locked up in plastic jail.

I know I’ll put on some weight during this trip, but I reckon that the ‘Invisalign diet’ I’ve read so much about will help me get things back under control. I’m planning to continue my use of a calorie counter during the Invisalign treatment to not only make sure I’m not eating too many calories (as I currently do), but also to help me figure out how many calories I need per meal to feel full until I next plan to eat.

One risk that is not discussed very much in my online reading, but which I am aware of, is the possibility that being strict with my Invisalign may cause me to relapse to my other unhealthy eating habits of skipping meals. I did this a lot as a teenager, and on and off in my early 20s. I have overcome my past issue with calorie counters, no longer obsessing over eating under 500 calories per day for short bursts then reverting to binging, in huge part because of the support of my husband. Hopefully I won’t now replace that with an obsession to keep the retainers in for as long as possible, leading me to skip meals more often. I was never a dangerously low weight as a result of skipping meals, and never kept the habit for longer than a few months at a time, but for those who have recovered from a serious eating disorder, I think Invisalign would be a potentially dangerous option (traditional braces also carry restrictions around food, so could possibly come with many of the same issues).

This is definitely something people need to consider before going ahead with treatment. I’m in a healthy place, both in my eating habits and mentally, so the treatment carries a small and acceptable risk for me. For others, the risk may be much greater and not worth it.

Because reading about other peoples’ experiences has been so valuable to me now, before I’ve had the Invisalign fitted, I have decided to keep a record of my experiences. I’ll also be taking photos of my progress (including some pics with the Invisalign in, because I found this hard to find online and was so curious to see how it would look!). I’ll take the photos regularly, and hopefully side-by-side comparisons will show the differences.

It is so hard to envisage the version of me who will exist at the end of the treatment. I’ve lived with my messed up teeth for so long. I hate some of my wedding photos because you can see that random extra tooth (which is so sad, because it only shows in the pictures where I’m really happy and smiling widely or laughing), and have hated photos of myself for this reason most of my adult life. I don’t want to get my hopes up too high in case the result is not as good as I imagine. I am picturing myself smiling unselfconsciously for the first time at my 29th birthday next July, but I don’t know if that will ever be my reality. One tooth—that’s all I desperately want to fix—and it’s costing me a third of my savings, my daily tea, and a year to do so. The money, the discomfort, the changes to my lifestyle—I hope it is worth it all to get that smile.

#invisalign #perfectsmile #dentist

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bigbossgamingcomuk · 7 years ago

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Dark Souls 100% achievement completion guide

Dark Souls 100%

The beginning

So, you want to not only finish Dark Souls but you also want 100% it too? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Creating your character

We’ll begin this journey with our character creation. To stand the best chance of getting all the achievements you’ll want a character class and starting gift that works for you.

Let’s go over each of the gifts you can choose:

Gifts

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Twin Humanities:

These can be used to return you to human form or kindle bonfires.

While this gift can be useful, it’s less good than it could be due to being able to get some of it very early on, there are much better gifts you could choose but it’s not the worst.

Tiny Being’s Ring:

Grants 5% maximum HP boost.

This one just plain sucks, a plus 5% to your HP does barely anything at low Max Health and once you can make use of it, there’s no point because the Ring of Favor and Protection outclasses it in just about every way.

Pendant:

This does nothing, no I’m not kidding this item is completely useless, don’t pick it.

Old Witch’s Ring:

Enables talking to Quelaag’s Sister.

If we base this item’s usefulness on it’s gameplay value, then it’s about as valuable as the Pendant. However if you like lore then it might just be worth getting, since you can’t get it again until late into the game.

Master Key:

Opens any basic lock.

This item for new players sadly isn’t actually that useful unless the player has prior knowledge of the game’s locations, you can buy it from Domhnall later on and the Thief class starts with this item by default. If they do know the locations well then the key is one of the better items you could choose.

Divine Blessing:

Fully restores HP and removes negative status effects.

While this is definitely a good item at first glace, you sadly only get 1 if you choose it as a starting gift or choose, because of it being such a good item it tends to be far too valuable to use. Even with it being rare you can still get it later on so I reckon you should stay away from this one.

Black Firebombs:

Explodes upon impact when thrown. More deadly than a standard firebomb. Player starts with 10 black firebombs if chosen.

These explosives are for sure worth it just because of the shear amount of damage they do when thrown, due to this they best used for boss fights. By choosing and using these you can kill the Asylum Demon the first time you meet it, rewarding you with the Demon’s Great Hammer.

Now that we’ve decided on our gift lets move on to the classes:

Classes

Warrior:

Starting Stats:

Vitality: 11 Attunement: 8 Endurance: 12 Strength: 13 Dexterity: 13

Resistance: 11 Intelligence: 9 Faith: 9 Soul Level: 4

Starting Equipment: Longsword, Heater Shield, Standard Helm, Hard Leather Armor, Hard Leather Gauntlets, Hard Leather Boots

The Warrior is a good choice if you want a balanced class to play as, thanks to it’s reliable equipment loadout and comfortable starting stats there no reason not to recommend this class to a new player.

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Knight:

Starting Stats:

Vitality: 14 Attunement: 10 Endurance: 10 Strength: 11 Dexterity: 11

Resistance: 10 Intelligence: 9 Faith: 11 Soul Level: 5

Starting Equipment: Broadsword, Tower Kite Shield, Knight Helm, Knight Armor, Knight Gauntlets, Knight Leggings

If you’re a fan of bulky, tank-like, characters then the Knight is probably for you. The equipment works well towards the class’ strengths of high HP and protective armor. Although there is the issue of slow rolling due to the armor’s weight but if you can get past that, then you have a class you’ll most likely enjoy.

Wanderer:

Starting Stats:

Vitality: 10 Attunement: 11 Endurance: 10 Strength: 10 Dexterity: 14

Resistance: 12 Intelligence: 11 Faith: 8 Soul Level: 3

Starting Equipment: Scimitar, Leather Shield, Wanderer Hood, Wanderer Coat, Wanderer Manchette, Wanderer Boots

While this class’ stat line may look similar to the Thief’s, it has a somewhat different playstyle compared to how Thief tends to play. Due to it having a low Soul Level, therefore a bit more potential when it comes down to leveling up your attributes, having an interesting weapon and a useful armor set I’d say Wanderer isn’t a bad choice.

Thief:

Starting Stats:

Vitality: 9 Attunement: 11 Endurance: 9 Strength: 9 Dexterity: 15

Resistance: 10 Intelligence: 12 Faith: 11 Soul Level: 5

Starting Equipment: Bandit’s Knife, Target Shield, Thief Mask, Black Leather Armor, Black Leather Gloves, Black Leather Boots

Starting Items: Master Key

This is a class I personally like thanks to Master Key being a great starting item, the good stat line and the Target Shield being to parry with. While I don’t really care much for Bandit’s Knife as a starting weapon, I would not blame you for choosing this class.

Bandit:

Starting Stats:

Vitality: 12 Attunement: 8 Endurance: 14 Strength: 14 Dexterity: 9

Resistance: 11 Intelligence: 8 Faith: 10 Soul Level: 4

Starting Equipment: Battle Axe, Spider Shield, Brigand Hood, Brigand Armor, Brigand Gauntlet, Brigand Trousers

Bandit starts out with an awesome early-game strength based weapon, decent armor and nice attributes so I don’t see much reason to overlook it as a potential choice.

Hunter:

Stats:

Vit: 11 Att: 9 End: 11 Str: 12 Dex: 14 Res: 11 Int: 9 Fai: 9 Level: 4

Equipment: Shortsword, Short Bow, 30 Standard Arrows, Large Leather SHLD, Leather Armor, Leather Gloves, Leather Boots

I don’t really like Hunter that much, it just seems a little generic when overlooking all of your class options. 30 Arrows isn’t gonna last you long when you begin your adventure, this class in terms of stat line I feel is just a smidge too much like Thief and Wanderer.

Sorcerer:

Stats:

Vit: 8 Att: 15 End: 8 Str: 9 Dex: 11 Res: 8 Int: 15 Fai: 8 Level: 3

Equipment: Dagger, Small Leather SHLD, Sorcerer’s Catalyst, Sorcerer Hat, Sorcerer Cloak, Sorcerer Gauntlets, Sorcerer Boots

Starting Spells: Soul Arrow

I don’t really have any problems with this class, more or less because it starts out will useful equipment for early on and the starting attributes are a large boon the playstyle that the Sorcerer offers.

Pyromancer:

Stats:

Vit: 10 Att: 12 End: 11 Str: 12 Dex: 9 Res: 12 Int: 10 Fai: 8 Level: 1

Equipment: Hand Axe, Cracked Round SHLD, Pyromancy Flame, Tattered Cloth Hood, Tattered Cloth Robe, Tattered Cloth Manchette, Heavy Boots

Starting Spells: Fireball

Pyromancer is a very powerful class to begin your journey with, thanks to Pyromancey itself being quite a strong form of magic. It also has a lot of potential since it’s attributes are fairly well rounded and the low Soul Level allows for a lot of customization early on.

Cleric:

Stats:

Vit: 11 Att: 11 End: 9 Str: 12 Dex: 8 Res: 11 Int: 8 Fai: 14 Level: 2

Equipment: Mace, East-West SHLD, Canvas Talisman, Holy Robe, Traveling Gloves, Holy Trousers

Starting Spells: Heal

Estus Flasks, tending to be in short supply makes miracles rather useful within your adventure, as they give you move ways to heal you’re self. Granted, the cast time of Miracles is sometimes longer than you’d like, especially when in combat situations. The power of this class comes from the Mace you start with being a good bludgeoning weapon, beginning with a Talisman so you can try your hand at miracles and the armor is alright for what it is.

Deprived:

Stats:

Vit: 11 Att: 11 End: 11 Str: 11 Dex: 11 Res: 11 Int: 11 Fai: 11 Level: 6

Equipment: Club, Plank SHLD

Deprived as a class honestly isn’t that good, especially for a first time player because of the overly balanced stats and somewhat mediocre equipment you start with. However if you like challenge runs of games or just want a bigger challenge in general, this class is fine for that.

Achievement Hunting

Alright now for what you really came here for, the actual achievements! Lets begin with our first kind of achievement:

Unmissable

Enkindle:

Light bonfire flame.

Estus Flask:

Acquire Estus Flask.

The Estus Flask is given by Oscar of Astora in the Undead Asylum.

Reach Lordran:

Arrive in Lordran.

Ring the Bell (Undead Church):

Ring Bell of Awakening at Undead Church.

Ring the Bell (Quelaag’s Domain):

Ring Bell of Awakening in Quelaag’s domain.

Reach Anor Londo:

Arrive in Anor Londo.

Reaching Anor Londo requires that you get to the top of Sen’s Fortress, for the gargoyles to carry you there.

Lordvessel:

Acquire the Lordvessel.

You are given a Lordvessel after the Ornstein and Smough boss fight, by Gwynevere or if you kill Gwynevere.

Rite of Kindling:

Acquire the Rite of Kindling.

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Art of Abysswalking:

Acquire the Art of Abysswalking.

More specifically you need to get the Covenant of Artorias from Great Grey Wolf Sif, who can be found in Darkroot Garden.

Defeat Seath the Scaleless:

Defeat Seath the Scaleless, inheritors of souls.

Defeat the Four Kings:

Defeat the Four Kings, inheritors of souls.

To actually fight the Four Kings you need to keep the Covenant of Artorias equipped for the whole fight, otherwise you will instantly die when you enter into the pitch black Abyss.

Defeat Gravelord Nito:

Defeat the Soul Lord Gravelord Nito.

Defeat Bed of Chaos:

Defeat the Soul Lord Bed of Chaos.

To Link the Fire and Dark Lord:

Reach “To Link the Fire” ending and Reach “The Dark Lord” ending.

I’ve grouped these two together because if you choose one of them you can’t get the other one until you finish the game again. So you technically can and can’t miss them both.

Upgrade Related

This set of achievements requires you level a weapon until you can’t increase it’s strength anymore. To do so means you’ll need several types of titanite shards, chunks and slabs, which you’ll then use to modify many different weapons to get each achievement. Certain blacksmiths will give certain kinds of reinforcement specific to them only. Below each achievement description I’ll list each blacksmith that does that kind of reinforcement.

Strongest Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through standard reinforcement.

Andre of Astora

Crystal Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through crystal reinforcement.

Giant Blacksmith

Lightning Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through lightning reinforcement.

Giant Blacksmith

Raw Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through raw reinforcement.

Andre of Astora

Magic Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through magic reinforcement.

Rickert of Vinheim

Enchanted Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through enchanted reinforcement.

Rickert of Vinheim

Divine Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through divine reinforcement.

Andre of Astora

Occult Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through occult reinforcement.

Andre of Astora

Fire Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through fire reinforcement.

Vamos

Chaos Weapon

Acquire the best weapon through chaos reinforcement.

Vamos

Covenant Related

The covenant achievements must be completed by finding each the leader of each one and asking them if you can join their’s. You don’t need to actually join the covenant, all you need to do is receive the option to join. I shall list the person you need to talk with underneath each achievement.

Covenant: Way of White

Discover Way of White covenant.

Petrus of Thorolund or Rhea of Thorolund

Covenant: Princess’s Guard

Discover Princess’s Guard covenant.

Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight

Covenant: Blade of the Darkmoon

Discover Blade of the Darkmoon covenant.

Dark Sun Gwyndolin

Covenant: Warrior of Sunlight

Discover Warrior of Sunlight covenant.

Praying at the Altar of Sunlight

Covenant: Forest Hunter

Discover Forest Hunter covenant.

Alvina

Covenant: Darkwraith

Discover Darkwraith covenant.

Darkstalker Kaathe

Covenant: Path of the Dragon

Discover Path of the Dragon covenant.

Praying to the Stone Dragon

Covenant: Gravelord Servant

Discover Gravelord Servant covenant.

Interacting with Gravelord Nito’s sarcophagus

Covenant: Chaos Servant

Discover Chaos Servant covenant.

Quelaag’s Sister

Collection Related

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(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); When it comes down to these ones, for you to be able to finish them you need to collect all of the kind of item that you need. There are quite a few of them so once more I’ll provide a list of each one you need.

Knight’s Honor:

Acquire all rare weapons.

Boss Soul

Moonlight Butterfly Horn

Crystal Ring Shield

Quelaag’s Furysword

Chaos Blade

Greatsword of Artorias (Cursed)

Greatsword of Artorias

Greatshield of Artorias

Golem Axe

Dragon Bone Fist

Lifehunt Scythe

Dragonslayer Spear

Smough’s Hammer

Darkmoon Bow

Tin Darkmoon Catalyst

Great Lord Greatsword

Tail cutoff

Drake Sword

Dragon King Greataxe

Priscilla’s Dagger

Moonlight Greatsword

Dragon Greatsword

Gargoyle Tail Axe

Covenant

Gravelord Sword

Dark Hand

Enemy Drops

Black Knight Sword

Black Knight Greatsword

Black Knight Greataxe

Black Knight Halberd

Black Knight Shield

Channeler’s Trident

Crescent Axe

Crest Shield

Demon’s Catalyst

Giant’s Halberd

Izalith Catalyst

Silver Knight Straight Sword

Sliver Knight Spear

Silver Knight Shield

Stone Greatsword

Stone Greatshield

Grant

Sanctus

Corpse/Chest Loot

Dragon Crest Shield

Havel’s Greatshield

Dragon Tooth

Dragonslayer Greatbow

Velka’s Rapier

Astora’s Straight Sword

Bloodshield

Black Iron Greatshield

Effigy Shield

Wisdom of a Sage:

Acquire all sorceries.

Aural Decoy

Cast Light

Chameleon

Crystal Magic Weapon

Crystal Soul Spear

Dark Bead

Dark Fog

Dark Orb

Fall Control

Great Heavy Soul Arrow

Great Magic Weapon

Great Soul Arrow

Heavy Soul Arrow

Hidden Body

Hidden Weapon

Homing Crystal Soulmass

Homing Soulmass

Hush

Magic Shield

Magic Weapon

Pursuers

Remedy

Repair

Resist Curse

Soul Arrow

Soul Spear

Strong Magic Shield

White Dragon Breath

Bond of a Pyromancer:

Acquire all pyromancies.

Acid Surge

Black Flame

Chaos Fire Whip

Chaos Storm

Combustion

Fire Orb

Fire Surge

Fire Tempest

Fire Whip

Fireball

Firestorm

Flash Sweat

Great Chaos Fireball

Great Combustion

Great Fireball

Iron Flesh

Poison Mist

Power Within

Toxic Mist

Undead Rapport

Prayer of Maiden:

Acquire all miracles.

Bountiful Sunlight

Darkmoon Blade

Emit Force

Force

Gravelord Greatsword Dance

Gravelord Sword Dance

Great Heal Excerpt

Great Heal

Great Lightning Spear

Great Magic Barrier

Heal

Homeward

Karmic Justice

Lightning Spear

Magic Barrier

Replenishment

Seek Guidence

Soothing Sunlight

Sunlight Blade

Sunlight Spear

Tranquil Walk of Peace

Vow of Silence

Wrath of the Gods

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Optional Boss Achievements

Defeat Dark Sun Gwyndolin:

Defeat Dark Sun Gwyndolin, the Darkmoon God.

Gwyndolin can be found in Anor Londo, past a statue that requires you to wear the Darkmoon Seance Ring in order to make the statue vanish.

Defeat Crossbreed Priscilla:

Defeat Crossbreed Priscilla, the Lifehunter.

Priscilla lives in the Painted World of Ariamis, which can only be accessed by obtaining the Peculiar Doll, found in a return visit to the Undead Asylum. You must then touch the giant painting in Anor Londo while holding the doll, afterwards you shall be transported the painted world.

The Dark Soul:

All trophies acquired.

This description above is inaccurate, you actually need every other achievement besides this one before you get it. If you have got this then congratulations, your journey is complete and I thank you for reading this guide.

If you liked this Dark Souls 100% guide, please share.

Visit Rogue Legacy stats/runes

The post Dark Souls 100% achievement completion guide appeared first on Big Boss Gaming.

Source: https://bigbossgaming.com/dark-souls-100-achievement-completion-guide/

from Big Boss Gaming https://bigbossgamingcom.wordpress.com/2018/07/01/dark-souls-100-achievement-completion-guide/

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news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 7 years ago

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Ice cubes, ranked

Who among us doesn't have a deep and undying love of cold beverages?

As an iced coffee stan, a huge fan of drinks "on the rocks," and a girl who may or may not have romantic feelings for ice water, I felt it was my duty as a writer to show some love to the little cubes that make it all possible. Behold: A comprehensive ranking of ice cubes.

SEE ALSO: That viral pickle ice cream isn't as weird as you think

Though you may not currently harbor strong preferences toward one ice type over another, you will by the end of this article.

Join us as we examine 14 types of ice cubes, ranging in shape, size, and crunchability.

14. Those deadly ice cubes from Agent Cody Banks

Though it might be hard to believe, not everyone is a fan of ice. While some ice haters would rather drink a room-temperature beverage than reckon with the potential bacteria present in frozen water, I'm sure others are still scarred by the deadly cubes featured in the 2003 film Agent Cody Banks, starring Frankie Muniz and Hilary Duff.

A quick recap: The villains of the film planned to take over the world using destructive nanobots stored in ice cubes for temperature regulation purposes. Once the ice melted, the nanobots would be released and free to destroy anything in their paths. Essentially, if you eat the ice cubes, you ded.

Forever the worst ice cubes.

13. Reusable ice cubes

Image: flower bird/amazon

Reusable ice cubes rank only slightly higher than than fictional, deadly nanobot ice cubes. There are a number of reusable cubes made from silicone or stainless steel out there, and though they're innovative, save a water, and can chill drinks without diluting them, they make me VERY uneasy. Who wants a chunk of plastic floating in her drink?

12. Bagged ice

Often found in a gas station freezer or in the frozen aisle of a grocery store, this stuff is essentially one giant hunk of stuck-together ice cubes.

To loosen it, you'll often see an uncle at a cookout slamming the bag against a concrete driveway, resulting in a bunch of loose, misshapen ice mounds. Though it's perfect for keeping beverages cold in coolers, every once in a while some pour soul will grab a handful and add it to his solo cup.

Do. Not. Use. Bagged. Ice. As. Ice. Cubes. It. Is. Bad.

Beware of bagged ice.

Image: Jess Milton/getty Images

11. Crushed ice

Crushed ice is fun when you're a child, and you get to dispense it yourself from a fancy refrigerator. Once the novelty wears off, it's simply a disappointment.

You need a fairly decent amount of crushed ice to chill a drink, and everyone knows that the tiny ice slivers wind up joining forces into one massive clump that launches into your face when you're taking a sip. No need to crush a perfectly good thing.

Image: Getty Images/Image Source

10. Long ice cubes meant for water bottles

While these elongated cubes (ice rods?) are convenient in certain scenarios, most of the time they're just irrelevant. On behalf of water bottle users everywhere, I'm grateful that they exist, but you'd never see an ice connoisseur popping one of these babies into a regular drink. It's just not right.

Image: iEnjoyware/amazon

9. Square cubes

Honestly, sugar cube-looking ice is just too perfect. It's intimidating, really.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

8. Giant ice cubes

One giant square cube, however, is slightly more acceptable. Artisanal cubes, or "hipster" ice, are great for a glass of whiskey or a cocktail.

While fancy drink people might claim there are benefits to a huge cube — like slower drink dilution (though this is doubtful) and possible taste enhancement — they're still extra AF, challenging to make, and might raise the price of your drink, which is absurd.

Image: istockphoto/Charles Wollertz via getty images

7. Crescent ice

Ice cubes shaped like crescents are fine, but that's it: They're just fine. The rounded side supposedly stops splashing, but I really don't care that much about that.

Image: Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

6. Cylindrical ice

Circle ice, gourmet ice, bullet ice, or whatever you call it — these frozen cylinders with holes through the center have mixed reviews. Pros: Good for crunching; You can stab a straw through the hole if you're bored. Cons: Not everyone likes tunnels in their ice cubes.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

5. Fun ice shapes

Novelty ice cube molds are quirky, and allow us to make ice that reflects our interests. From pop culture-inspired molds (like this one for Doctor Who) to shape molds, (like hearts, diamond rings, and even dachshunds) the possibilities are endless. Super cute, but also ~sometimes~ a bit much.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

4. Shaved ice

Snow cones are nice, Italian ices are delish, and Icees are FANTASTIC. Tiny ice is good.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

3. Half cubes

Half cubes are great treats often used in restaurant beverages. In case you're unfamiliar, they're half the size of classic ice cubes, are remarkably smooth, and look a bit like clear pats of butter. Great for crunching and for jiggling around in a glass. A real joy!

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

2. Classic cubes

Show some respect for the classic ice cube, please. They're perfectly sized, always get the job done, and look great in a glass. Thanks for everything, classic cubes.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

1. Ice nuggets

Nuggets, or "Sonic Ice" as they're sometimes called, have been declared a favorite by The Wall Street Journal, and so many others. The nuggets are somewhat dry, are great for blending, and are perhaps the BEST ice for munching. Not to mention, they're a hit with fast food restaurants.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

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WATCH: Turn frozen fruit into delicious soft serve with this DIY dessert maker

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wecankillpeoplenav · 7 years ago

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representation matters

On last week’s 99th episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the precinct’s resident terrifying(ly awesome) Detective Rosa Diaz came out as bisexual.

A handful of words in a scene less than a minute long, a scene thrown in among all the other wonderful scenes that made this landmark 22-minute masterpiece of an episode. It was not a *GASP* cliffhanger moment, and there was no indication that the scene was all that significant - it did not precede a commercial break, which is often indicative of “oh wait- there’s more!” it was simply a moment between two friends, not an epiphany nor a revelation. it was simply a moment of honesty, a few sentences to the backdrop of the Texas Boyles’s cow-orgy soundtrack.

It was two sentences.

“I’m dating a woman. I’m bi.”

It was classic Rosa Diaz - brief, direct, to the point. And it was so much more.

Rosa Diaz knows she’s a cop. She is the kind of woman who does own an axe. She knows everything about bikes and is highly (frighteningly) proprietary of her own. She oozes swagger and knows she’s a badass. She’s very aware that she scares people, and she likes it that way.

Of course, if people are scared of you, they won’t push against your boundaries. That, too, is classic Diaz. She’s erected a barbed wire fence around the human part of her and is all cop.

In the first two seasons, Rosa’s running gag was the fact that no one knew where she lived, or ‘any details about my life.’

She wasn’t a standoffish character nor was she a passive observer; she definitely involved herself and joined in the fun and games the precinct is famous for (”Jimmy Jabs! Jimmy Jabs!”). She was always daring, rebellious, and famously has blood on all but one of her vast collection of leather jackets. She’s always been funny in a deadpan sort of way - ‘RoboCop. I love that movie. It has everything I like. Gratuitous violence.’ She is very matter-of-fact and practical, two attributes that work well to cover any possible show of softness.

From the start, Diaz believed in and loved the squad as a whole, although it could be argued that if she did venture so far as to name any of them a friend, it would be her Police Academy buddy Jake Peralta of the thousand push-ups. We did watch as she developed a reluctant but obvious affection for fellow detective Amy Santiago’s Amy-ness. Her Sergeant, the amazing Terry Jeffords, was always determined to get closer to the real Rosa Diaz. Colleague Charles Boyle, whose initial over-the-top, never-to-be-requited love for Rosa somehow went from creepy fanatic wannabe lover to someone who is now one of Rosa’s closest friends on the show, with Charles all sweetness, Diaz all snark. Gina makes her laugh, Hitchcock and Scully make her threaten them with myriad sharp implements, and Captain Raymond Holt inspired great respect, from a distance. She was never the eager-to-build-closeness kind of character. She appreciated the rest of her squad, but never seemed to actively encourage a depth of friendship beyond serving and protecting together.

We knew she lived close enough to the station to squeeze in a shower when, in 48 Hours, Jake screwed up everyone’s weekend by jumping the proverbial gun on an arrest with no evidence. We knew, based on a brief flashback and offhand comment, that she chose Amy’s Thanksgiving celebration over her own sister’s because she had zero desire to attend the latter, which appeared fairly torturous and uncomfortable. We learned about her deep dark past as a ballet dancer - but only because Terry refused to let the topic go, and eventually found out that it was, unsurprisingly, that charming Diaz brand of threat and intimidation that derailed her dance career.

We knew Dias was and is viciously loyal, the cop you’d want at your back. She was always the scary-as-hell Detective Diaz, but it has only been over the course of the show that we’ve come to get an understanding of who Rosa is.

In the second season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine we are given two disparate views of Detective Diaz, as a cop and as a girlfriend. First is in ‘The Return of the Pontiac Bandit,’ in which Jake ultimately gives up his dream of catching the devious Doug Judy to help revitalize Rosa’s stagnant task force investigation. What results is a ‘major win’ for her task force, and the squad duly celebrates that win with a drink at their bar of choice, Shaw’s. Here, post-win, she is straight up giddy. Her last scene with Jake features a giggly, smiley Rosa we’d never seen. Jake had never seen this Rosa either - when she says she can’t stop smiling, his face telegraphs his thoughts, which are pretty much ‘What. Is. Happening.’

The squad is aware that Rosa, circa season two, is dating none other than her CO’s nephew Marcus, much to her chagrin (or, more accurately, uncomfortable loathing). Here we get the joy of watching her relationship with that CO as it develops. Rosa is deeply discomfited at the thought of her work life and personal life colliding, but she finds the perfect match in her equally taciturn captain. With Holt, Rosa finds a confidant who will listen to the occasional thoughts and worries she barely manages to discuss. You can see that it physically pains her to address her emotions, and none but Captain Holt can offer her what she needs: someone to talk to who would understand the underlying feelings she so hates acknowledging, but would never presume (or want!) to poke and prod and try making her actually talk about those feelings.

Later in the season, with Boyle’s encouragement, Rosa’s romance with Marcus gradually becomes more serious. By the late season two Boyle-Linetti wedding, Rosa admits to Charles that inviting her boyfriend as a plus-one seemed too... big. But she does it anyway, mid-reception, and upon Marcus’s arrival, she verbalizes her growing feelings by telling him those three magic words.

But she isn’t glowing. She is awkward, unsure, uneasy - the opposite of everything Detective Diaz is known for. She is not celebrating finding love, not like she did the night she celebrated her Giggle Pig Task Force. She is, if anything, scared. Because Rosa Diaz doesn’t say ‘I love you.’ Rosa Diaz doesn’t do emotional bonding. Rosa Diaz doesn’t smile giddily.

And yet, task force win? Infectiously grinning Diaz. But “I love you”? Terrified, anxious, why-did-I-say-this-emotions-are-stupid Rosa.

When the Rosa-Marcus relationship ends, part of the reason is precisely because of “I love yous” and all that emotional connecting. Hilariously, and sweetly, she and Holt practice acting out the big breakup, and as always, Holt is by her side in his uniquely Holt way. His squad is as much his family as his nephew.

In season three, Jake reveals feeling put-out and hurt that his partnership with Rosa is nothing like that of their Scotland Yard equivalent, the detestable Swedes, who know every horrifying detail about each other. By the episode’s end, Rosa, recognizing Jake’s hurt and wanting, but not exactly knowing how, to ease it, chooses to tell Jake she’s dating someone.

She has to down approximately five thousand shots of liquor before she’s able to actually tell Jake her new boyfriend’s name, though.

Later in season three, Rosa experiences a hormone-fueled bout of madness with the brilliantly weird appearance of Adrien Pimento, former undercover agent, current borderline psycho. It’s made clear that Rosa has no problem talking about sex, or about sharing public displays of aggressive affection. The Pimento-Diaz relationship is a sex-charged whirlwind, shocking to the squad (and not a little traumatizing for Terry) as it goes from heated public indecency to full-on relationship, whatever that means in the world of Adrian Pimento.

At this point, we’ve started seeing more of the layers that make Rosa a person, not just Detective Diaz, but those layers are still coated in teflon. Yes, she will admit that the claim to Robocop being her favorite movie was a lie. In fact, Rosa’s real love is director Nancy Myers’s work. She will also threaten bodily harm if you tease her about her real cinematic love.

Then Pimento is forced to fake his own death, and we see Rosa emoting (albeit in a stilted manner) in front of a crowd of strangers at his ‘funeral.’ She confides in Amy about how worried she is for Adrian, wonders why he hasn’t come back to her, and nearly causes a panic attack for Amy when Rosa looks at her friend and colleague with tears in her eyes.

Season four brings the joyous and creepily-sex-charged return of Pimento. Rosa does love him, in an entirely dysfunctional way. I personally think his absolute insane (probably PTSD-driven) antics are the appealing factor. After all, he doesn’t know the difference between being hungry and being horny. Pimento is a pedal-to-the-metal type who brings out Rosa’s fun, spontaneous, crazy side. She’s intoxicated by it all, but when Jake and Amy separately confront the couple about not being ready for marriage, Rosa recognizes the truth in Amy’s words. She doesn’t say get aggressive and curse them out or tell Amy to stay out of her life. Instead, she considers what she’s hearing and realizes that (per usual) Amy is dead-on.

So now we have a Rosa who isn’t quite so violent when it comes to other people trying to connect with her, a Rosa who has proven that she is capable of romantic love and is working on navigating its treacherous depths with Adrian. We have a Rosa whose relationship with Holt has strengthened to the point that he asks her for advice, a Rosa who advocates for Amy as union rep, a Rosa who’s memorized an entire monologue from her favorite tv show - and is willing to recite it word for word with Jake at her side.

We also have a Rosa who reaches out a little more. When she becomes convinced that Pimento is cheating on her, she goes to Terry and Amy and willingly shares her fears. She reaches out for help in figuring out the mystery that is pimento. Ultimately, she tells them enough to make her realize she’s concocted a fictional love affair in what’s really an act of self-sabotage. At some point she’s realized that Pimento is passion and paranoia and psychotic hilarity. But none of that is in any way healthy. She doesn’t want this man, but she is unsure of her moves and wants to force his hand rather than reveal her own, thereby creating his imaginary affair.

This is a Rosa who’s discovering what is right for her and what she wants in herself and from others. This is a Rosa discovering that having friends might just be on the “pro” side of life, and that to show emotion isn’t showing weakness. This is a Rosa who recognizes that she gets to make her own life decisions, which includes making the decision to share herself with those closest to her.

And then of course, we have Big House, season five Rosa in prison. It is acknowledged that she spent time in solitary, given ample silence and isolation in which to reflect on who she is. And this self-reflective Rosa, who is, more than anything, lonely, slowly started letting the people who love her get a tiny glimpse of the emotions she’s always been too scared to express.

She showed vulnerability to Terry and Holt while in jail; she showed insecurity over her conflicting feelings for Pimento and actively sought advice from her friends. She rebonded with her family. She actually chose to unzip that leather jacket, revealing the custom family t-shirt and the fact that the shirts were her idea.

As a character, Rosa is at a major turning point. Once no one knew where she lived; now she’s bringing Jake to dinner. Once she answered Kevin’s question about her family with something along the lines of, ‘I have one.’ Now she’s celebrating holidays with that family, and we’re meeting her parents. Once she enjoyed talking about casual sex - never emotional attachment, pure physicality - like when in the very beginning of the show her advice to help Jake get over his slump was flying to Montreal and getting laid.

And now... now she is WILLINGLY, happily chatting on the phone with her significant other - where once she hated that Marcus always wanted to talk about things. She is easily, naturally saying things like, “I’d much rather be hanging out with you.” TO SOMEONE OTHER THAN HER OWN REFLECTION. She is discovering herself in bits and pieces, and part of the discovery is that (and here I’m leaning on Stephanie Beatriz and her comments about Rosa’s sexuality) she doesn’t have to deny the part of herself that is attracted to both genders. Steph said Rosa’s bisexuality was always kind of there; she plays the character and knows Rosa better than any of us, and she recognized the deep emotional imbalance in her character as Rosa consistently rejected an intrinsic part of herself. Because sexuality is intrinsic. Even for someone who is asexual, sexuality is part of their very identity, albeit in a way different from heteronormative standards.

Some people are born with crappy vision, some people are born without a sex drive. Some people are born with prodigy-level talent, some people are born ready to love anyone, regardless of something so menial as gender. We’re all born people, though.

Rosa Diaz is gay, and she’s finally ready to let people know. She is finding the courage to acknowledge who she is to a family that (based on the little we know) is very traditional. The character is finding that courage so that she can be her true self without feeling the need to keep any pieces hidden in a security deposit box. Rosa may never be the type to talk about her feelings or to delve, vocally, into her sexual identity, but she is the type to claim it and make it her own. She is pinpointing personal attributes that she perhaps considered shameful and embarrassing and she’s saying - maybe in a whisper, right now, because nothing is overnight - fuck you, world, this is me. I am strong and brave and beautiful for it, and I’m not hiding in the shadows your bigotry casts for another second. I’m embracing every aspect of myself, because there is only one me, and that me has a voice, and even if it’s shaky now, it will grow louder, it will grow harder, I will be a force to be reckoned with.

Rosa Diaz is finding her voice, finding her identity, exploring the depths of what makes her uniquely her.

And that’s exactly what we, as viewers, should be doing.

For those of you out there who are already “over” the Rosa Revelation, who want the LGBTQ+ community to stop shouting pride from the rooftops already... maybe you need a little time in solitary. Start reflecting. Stop getting irritated with the deserved celebration of a bisexual woman of color claiming herself for herself. And maybe think about why you’re bothered in the slightest by the celebrators and the celebration. About why you’re annoyed or feel defensive. Find your mental security deposit lockbox, where your hidden pieces lie. Find the courage of those like Rosa Diaz, like Stephanie Beatriz, and look at all the parts of you. Bring them into the light. You just might see something wonderful.

#writing #relevant #representation #b99 #rosa diaz #stephanie beatriz

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jamieclawhorn · 8 years ago

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Why Sirius Minerals plc is the investment of my lifetime

I always thought of myself as a relatively high-risk investor, but the truth is, I’m a scaredy-cat.

Small isn’t beautiful

I have often been tempted to take a big punt on a small growth stock, in the hope that it would grow into something beautiful. I was tempted on three occasions, but each time lost my nerve. Thankfully, because all three would have been a disaster.

The first was Imagination Technologies Group, recently shafted by Apple Inc. My next choice, digital technology group Monitise, made the interesting journey from 78p a share to 2p. Junior miner Rare Earth Minerals was my last temptation but has done precious little aside from change its name to Cadence Minerals. All three highlight the danger of investing in hotly tipped growth plays.

In a hole

Despite all that, I have finally taken an outsized plunge with Yorkshire-based polyhalite potash mining company Sirius Minerals (LSE: SXX). True to form, it took time to shed my inhibitions. I had written on the stock several times, and tracked its progress for a couple of years. I watched its shares surge to 45p last August, then watched them collapse. I finally took the plunge last November at around 21p, throwing a fat chunk of money into the 200-square mile pit Sirius plans to dig under the North Yorks Moors. And then I watched the share price continue to fall.

Sirius Minerals is at the mercy of news flow. Most of the time, there is no news at all, and its share price drifts lower, as the short-termists lose interest, and new investors lack a reason to buy. However, there is a lot of pent-up interest out there, as we saw at the start of this month, when The Mail on Sunday’s Midas column hailed Sirius as “an adventurous long-term buy” for those willing to take the risk, and the price jumped.

Midas touch

Midas said the mine is one of most ambitious UK industrial projects in decades and success should generate hundreds of millions of pounds for shareholders. With planning permission in the bag its prospects are promising, although the column warned it’s not for the faint-hearted. Yet this faint-hearted fellow is digging in.

The one thing my portfolio lacks is edge, something to inject a bit of excitement and to drive outsize returns. Sirius gives me that. It is also increasingly respectable, joining the main market at the end of April 2017, where it must now be held by FTSE 250 and All-Share trackers, lifting the share price.

Fertile ground

So far, I am 12% up on my investment. That means little to me. I don’t expect the real rewards to start flowing for five or 10 years. Let’s face it, Sirius hasn’t earned a penny in revenues, although it has drawn up some potentially juicy contracts with global customers, many in China. Until then, it is all cost, cost, cost.

My big worry is dilution, as large mining projects have a habit of overrunning. However, if Sirius performs as I hope, this could eventually turn into a five or 10-bagger, so the potential rewards outweigh my possible losses by five or 10 to one. I call that a decent bet. My retirement may depend on it.

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