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Father and Daughter
#pine art#barret wallace#marlene wallace#ffvii#ff7#final fantasy vii#final fantasy 7#my art#this took like 4 attempts but this iteration got done in like; 3 hours#so yay! improvement#needed to draw something... idk cozy
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Thanks for your super helpful career advice, Mr. ENTJ! My question to you is how should a college student who is interning at a company excel in this position and leave their mark? Thank you again!
Combined with the following asks:
Hey Mr Entj! I’m starting an internship soon at a very well known international institution (in their PR department). Do you have any advice on how to impress?
In your experience, what are the characteristics of a good entry-level associate consultant? How would you stand out from the crowd?
Hi! ENFP here I will be interning at a unicorn 🦄 in SF and I read that you are currently working at a unicorn as well so would you have any tips on how to make a positive impression and make the most of my time there?
Hi Mr. ENTJ can you write about how I I can shine in a marketing internship that I’ll be starting in the upcoming months. How to stand out and really get the most from it?
Internship advice to be great at it? Want to be in your position one day :)
Related answers:
Resume and Cover Letter Guide
Job Interview Tips
Networking tips
Networking for introverts
How did you choose your career?
Congratulations on all your offers.
How to impress in an internship
1. Focus on making the lives of those around you easier. One of the best ways to make an immediate and lasting impact in an internship is to volunteer for the tough and undesirable pain-in-the-ass tasks that no one wants to do. It makes your presence valued and your absence felt. If there’s a spreadsheet that’s tedious that no one wants to maintain, offer to take it on as a side task. If there’s a project that requires extra hands to get to the finish line, step up and donate some of your time. The more urgent the deadline and/or the more disastrous the problem equals greater impact and more gratitude for your contributions.
Keep in mind I’m not saying to volunteer for 1,000 awful and soul-crushing tasks that will make your life a living hell– just a few here or there that are important to your manager and your team. Your manager and your team are your priority. Network with other people in the company but don’t neglect the main person who extended this opportunity because your salary is paid out of their budget.
2. Be consistent when you arrive and leave the office. An internship isn’t a job but the window of opportunity is small because it’s a short amount of time where you’re thrown into a new environment to quickly make an impact and leave a positive impression. Don’t be flaky and wishy washy about your hours, treat the opportunity seriously, because there’s nothing worse than an intern I have to chase like a rare and elusive Pokemon. Come into the office and leave at a predictable time which will make it easier for your colleagues to learn your schedule and anticipate when and where you’ll be so they can engage you with opportunities. FOMO especially applies in internships because if I have something awesome to give you but you’re not here to receive it– I’m giving it to one of the other interns.
3. Take initiative when it comes to managing the relationship with your manager. People are busy and we have full-time jobs in addition to managing our summer interns, you’re a priority but you’re definitely not my only priority. Make it easy for your manager to manage you: communicate your internship goals and interests clearly, schedule standing weekly meetings with them for regular check-ins, and ask for regular feedback on how you’re doing and what you can do better. Remember that internships are mutually beneficial relationships between you and the organization, don’t be afraid to ask for more opportunities in your areas of interest and pursue mentoring with your manager or colleagues.
4. Come with ideas and solutions, not just more questions. When it comes to getting actual work done, great interns ask the right questions to get the information required to get the job done, then make an attempt at it. Bad interns are the ones who ask a million clarifying questions without trying anything. Don’t be that intern. People are busy and asking a million questions is time-consuming and annoying. The best way to get clarity is to produce a first draft, no matter how rough and ugly it is, then get feedback and refine it until it’s perfect. Ask: “Is this what you’re looking for and am I on the right track?” Iterate, iterate, iterate.
Pro tip: Ask for templates or previous examples to work from. This can save a ton of time and grief because it prevents you from having to reinvent the wheel.
5. Own something from start to finish. Some internships are filled with bullshit and busy work, don’t let this happen to you. Focus on projects and work streams, not tasks, to maximize the benefits of your internship and to get impressive experience for your resume. Note the difference below:
This is a task: “Filed papers. Entered data. Took meeting minutes.” This is bad because it doesn’t quantify impact or show any meaningful outcomes. You’ll obviously have to do tasks but your entire time there shouldn’t be without contributing to something bigger to the organization’s goals.
This is a project or work stream: “Led an analysis of user data to identify process gaps and create recommendations to increase user engagement by 10%.” This is good because it shows what you did, how you did it, and the impact it made on the company. You successfully owned a responsibility from start to finish.
6. Meet as many people as possible. The people you meet at an internship are members of your future professional network– but you have to talk to them first. This isn’t the time to be shy and introverted. On this topic, a wise CEO once told me: “Never have lunch alone.” Schedule lunches with other people (or groups of people) because everyone’s got to eat so why not with you? It’s an easy way to engage them and build relationships in a relaxed environment.
Pro tip: The key to networking at work is to not always talk about work. Take a break from the daily grind and talk about other things: hobbies, cinema, travel, and any other interests. No one wants to spend 4 hours buried in spreadsheets only to take a break and have lunch with an intern who wants to chatter away the entire hour about more spreadsheets. Change the subject, switch it up, learn something from your colleagues and peers, and socialize.
7. Stick the landing. When it’s time to leave the internship, end it properly, and don’t overlook this part of the process. Finish as strongly as you started.
2 weeks before the end of the internship, meet with your manager and discuss outstanding projects and open action items. Ask him/her what they’d ideally want done in the limited time you have left. This shows initiative and foresight from a young intern who cares about their work and its status even after they’re gone.
1 week before the end of the internship, meet with your manager and discuss final performance feedback from the internship and potential opportunities for a full-time offer after graduation.
Pro tip: An amazing intern would make a slide deck or report that summarizes the work they did during the internship, the new owners of that work, the transition plan, the transition date, and the transition status.
1 week before the end of the internship, have a big goodbye lunch (or many mini lunches) with your cohort and colleagues. In-person interactions are far more meaningful than emails because they create more memories of your time there.
The last day of your internship, send a thank you and farewell email to the team.
Pro Tip: Instead of the cliche “thanks for a great learning experience, keep in touch!” line, try something new and specify your favorite parts of the internship such as projects, key learnings, and achievements. This does three things: 1) it highlights all the great work you’ve done in a modest and non-obnoxious way 2) it makes the others look good because they contributed something meaningful to your internship 3) it leaves everyone with a positive feeling of your departure
Before you leave the office, meet with your manager and express gratitude for the opportunity to be here. You should not leave an internship without this final parting interaction with the person who hired you.
After you leave the office, add colleagues to your LinkedIn as a way to keep in touch without being creepy.
#college#university#internship#intern#internships#school#work#job#career#education#experience#work experience#faq
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All In - Chapter 5 (Joe Mazzello x Reader)
Chapter 5 y’all!!! This one is a thicc bitch that took forever and it aint my best but here it is for ya! Hope you enjoy it :) Summary: You and Joe were in a blissful relationship for 4 years. It seemed as though everything was perfect. You’d moved in together and all of your friends were taking bets on when he’d finally put a ring on your finger. That is until it all fell apart. Now, 1 year on you’re thrown together at a mutual friend’s wedding and it changes everything between you. Previous chapter can be found HERE
Chapter 5 – 9 weeks and 3 days
Getting ready for your night out with the boys was a new experience to say the least. Normally you’d chose the best dress in your wardrobe, but the ever steady swelling of your stomach was gradually reducing your clothing options. You knew that you didn’t have much longer before you’d have to start buying new clothes, but every time you tried you found a cold sweat breaking across your brow and gave up. After staring at your closet for a solid hour you admitted defeat and grabbed the same dress you’d worn to Sebastian’s wedding all those months ago and your trusty Spanx. The waist of the dress hit you right under the bust and would probably provide the best camouflage for your little nugget. “Seriously, spanx?” came Flick’s slightly judgemental voice from over your shoulder. “Shit, Flick!” you exclaimed, clasping your clothes over your racing chest as you rounded on her. “Don’t startle the pregnant chick!” “What, like startling you is going to suddenly eject the baby?” she teased, stepping into your room. She flopped dramatically across your unmade bed, stretching her long arms above her head. “And I re-iterate. Spanx, really? Isn’t that bad for the baby?” “I’ve done extensive Googling. Everyone says it’s fine” you explained, moving to your dresser to pick out your jewellery for the night. “And I don’t really have another option”
“The guys all know now, right? You can be pregnant and proud” she giggled and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “It’s not just that, Flick” you murmured, sifting through the delicate gold chains in your wooden jewellery box. “Those boys attract so much attention now. Before the film it was different but now they’re just…something else. The last thing I need is some random paparazzi noticing and then having plastered all over the internet” You continued to search through your accessories. You picked out a pair of white stone drop earrings and set them to the side before staring intensely at your necklaces, waiting for one to jump out at you. You were only really half focussed on the task though as you could feel the question Flick was not asking. “What would that matter, though? You are pregnant. It’s a fact” A dejected sigh slipped passed your lips. You knew this conversation was coming. Flick had always been on the peripheral when it came to Joe’s life. She saw him when he was sitting around in his stained track pants with 4 day old stubble shouting at the Yankees game on TV. She was never there when your date night was interrupted by a fan. Or when you were getting screamed at by a wall of photographers at the premier of one of his movies. “Things are different for Joe” your voice was much quieter and tense than Flick had expected and she suddenly felt a twinge of guilt in her stomach. “His life is public property. No matter how hard he’s tried there’s always things that he can’t keep private. We were together for 2 years before I even made it onto his Instagram and even that was just because a fan sent out a photo of us on a date first” you sighed, abandoning your search for a necklace to plop down next to her on your bed. “If anyone sees us together and notices that I’m pregnant they’re going to immediately assume that Joe and I are back together. And I just don’t think I can handle that right now” you murmured, picking absentmindedly at the chipping nail polish on your fingers. You didn’t notice Flick get up off the bed and cross to your dresser until she stood in front of you, a gold necklace glimmering between her fingers. “This one” she offered with a smile, stretching out the chain between her hands. Your breath caught in your throat as you recognised the necklace. A small 4 leaf clover dangled from the delicate gold chain, sending flashes of gold light across your face. “Joe gave me that” you murmured, “when we went to Ireland” Flick chuckled quietly as she leaned forward to secure the clasp behind your neck. “I know”
Your heart was hammering against your chest as you neared the restaurant. Joe was meant to collect you from your apartment, but a late running audition had you making the trip uptown by yourself. You kept your denim jacket wrapped tightly around your middle for the whole journey. You hadn’t had to worry about photographers in such a long time that you were startled by how quickly the paranoia returned. Any time you saw someone with a phone in their hand your heart began to race all over again. Your face flushed with an embarrassed heat when a grandma pulling her phone out on the subway had sent you into a small panic. Like some random grandma was going to know that you were Joe Mazzello’s ex-girlfriend. You shook your head, mentally scolding your ridiculousness and vainly attempting to chalk it up to pregnancy hormones. Fortunately you didn’t have much time to think about is as you recognised three very familiar faces through the restaurant window as you exited the station. A beaming smile broke out across your face as you raced inside, desperate to see three of your best friends again. “Gwilly!” you squealed, rushing over to their table. “Y/N!” Gwil replied, immediately pushing out of his seat to wrap both of his arms around you in a vice-like hug. “Oh it’s so good to see you!” he murmured into your hair and you held him even tighter, tears prickling the back of your eyes. Oh how you’d missed him. “Careful, careful!” Rami warned softly, hoping out of his seat. “You’re going to squash mini-Mazzello!” Gwil set you down with a soft laugh and you immediately spun to hop into Rami’s waiting embrace. “Mini-Mazzello is perfectly well protected, Rami” you smiled, kissing him softly on the cheek as you parted. “And congratulations!” you beamed, grasping his shoulders tightly “you deserved every single one of those awards. Fucking outstanding” “Oh, stop” he chuckled, waving a hand dismissively but the darkening of his cheeks gave him away. “And what am I, spare parts?” came a rather indignant voice from over your shoulder. “Of course not, Benny” you teased, letting go of Rami to fall into Ben’s arms. “Just saving the best until last” “Hmm, I guess I can live with that” he chuckled, kissing your temple softly. “Look at you! I used to think that ‘pregnancy glow’ thing was bullshit but I find myself proven wrong” he grinned. “Please, that’s called highlighter and hormonal acne” you replied playfully. Everyone took up their seats, the one next to you left vacant for Joe. “So, how’ve you been?” asked Gwil, leaning forward eagerly on the table. “Work good?” “Can’t complain” you smiled, fidgeting with the gold charm resting against your collar bones. “Got promoted. I’m one of the senior dentists which is nice” “You’re going to have to explain how that’s different from a normal dentist” Rami chuckled and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes. Dating an actor and socialising with his creative friends had always left a certain amount of disconnect with careers. “Nothing very dramatic, I just get given some more difficult cases and have to take part in their NYU placement program and mentor a dental student. Mine’s called Nadia. She’s cool” you smiled. You were just about to begin telling them one of your more interesting stories that involved Nadia locking herself in the storeroom for 2 hours when a torrent of apologies flooded your ears. “Sorry, sorry, sorry. Director just would not stop talking!” Joe blabbered as he flopped into the seat beside you. “Sure sure, Joe” Gwil teased, flipping open the menu in front of him. Joe, very maturely, poked his tongue out at his friend. “Why do you refuse to see the best in me, Gwil?” Joe pouted, flipping the menu in front of him with over exaggerated vigour. “Past experience” Rami supplied with a cheeky grin. Chuckles erupted all around the table and your ex-boyfriend rolled his eyes playfully. “You’re all just hungry” he muttered grumpily, turning his hazel eyes to the list of dishes in his hands.
Dinner buzzed passed in a whirlwind of conversation and you were only just realising exactly how much you’d missed in the last year. Gwil told you all the details about his proposal to Sarah (it was so sweet you found yourself tearing up, but luckily for you it went unnoticed by the rest of your party). Rami told you all about his next project. He was so excited to be co-starring with Lucy again that he was practically vibrating out of his seat. It warmed your heart to see him speak of her with such care and affection. You’d been on set the day Rami had asked Lucy out to dinner and you’d never seen him so excited. Ben didn’t have anything in the way of exciting news ‘Just work, you know’ but his bright green eyes began to sparkle when you asked how Frankie was doing. She was perfect, as always. But he’d recently been fighting the urge to get her a brother or sister. Spending so much time away from home he wasn’t sure he could handle the guilt of leaving two babies behind instead of one. Despite his reservations you were quick to tell him to get another dog. Not being allowed a pet in your apartment you’d made it your mission in life to live vicariously through your friends.
“So, bar?” Ben suggested as your party stepped out of the stifling restaurant into the cool breeze. “Isn’t that a bit pregnancy-unfriendly?” Rami pointed out with a quick glance in your direction. “Maybe we should head off?” Joe suggested to you, the orange streetlights above your heads dying his hair even more ginger. You knew he was just trying to be considerate. You did. But something in his tone had your skin crawling. And you found a frown furrowing your brow. “I’m pregnant, not dying” you scoffed, stepping away from him to link your arm with Ben’s. “To the bar!” “God, I’ve fucking missed you” the blonde chuckled, immediately setting off down the street, leaving the other boys to follow behind you. Ben dragged you into the first bar you came across, desperate to continue the night before anyone mentioned going home again. “What can I get you?” he asked, pausing as he stepped towards the crowded bar. “Uh…” you murmured, options quickly running through your head, “Lemonade with a slice of lime in a short glass. It’ll look like a G&T to the unaware” you explained. “Roger that, captain” he confirmed, giving you a mock salute before braving the throng of people swaying to the thumping music. Joe, Gwil and Rami traipsed in behind you. Gwil and Rami immediately copied Ben’s trajectory to the bar while Joe hung back to stand next to you. “I didn’t mean to imply anything earlier” he murmured. The despondent tone of his voice had guilt settling in your chest. You opened your mouth to tell him that you were sorry for snapping at him but Ben returned with your drink and beers for everyone else and the words died on your tongue.
“Oh that’s so much better!” you sighed in relief, stepping out into the cool night air after hours of dancing. You hadn’t realised how hot you were until the breeze blew against your sweaty skin. “Come, darling, there’s some seats in yonder corner!” Gwil proclaimed dramatically before grabbing your hand and dragging you to an empty table in the corner of the patio. You let him pull you as peals of giggles fell from your lips. Tipsy Gwil was one of the best Gwils. “Ah, perfect!” he announced as he folded his limbs into the green metal chair. “You know Ben wasn’t joking, pregnancy suits you” he smiled warmly, “But let me guess, it’s been hell right? I don’t know why they bothered calling it morning sickness when it literally happens all day” he chuckled. “Exactly!” you laughed, running your fingers along the cool glass of your drink. “Morning, noon and night. It’s torture” “Oooh, how did your nine week ultrasound go? Do you have the photos?” he asked eagerly, excitement glittering in his blue eyes. You moved to reach into your bag and produce your phone to show him, but something stopped you. “Gwil” you murmured measuredly, eyes narrowing playfully, “by any chance is Sarah pregnant?” you asked, a knowing smile growing on your lips. His eyes widened in disbelief. “What? Nooooo” he denied, crossing his arms firmly over his chest. “Don’t know what you’re talking about” however a furious red blush swept across his cheeks. “Mhhmm sure” you chuckled, withdrawing your phone out of your bag to pull up the ultrasound photos. “You should tell her that Vitamin B6 supplements help with the all-day nausea” you murmured as you scrolled through your camera roll, “She’ll still throw up but she won’t feel so crap in between” “Will do” he beamed, but his smile immediately fell when he realised what he’d done. “Fuck, please don’t tell anyone!” he begged, leaning forward to grasp both your hands in his. “It’s so early and we’re not telling anyone til after the wedding” he pleaded, desperation in his shining eyes. “Secret’s safe with me, Gwilly” you assured, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. “Just let her know she can talk to me about it all if she wants. It’s….overwhelming to say the least” “You’re a gem” Gwilym sighed gratefully, releasing your hands to pick up his beer bottle and take a swig. “Oh! Photos! Photos!” he demanded, bouncing in his chair so intensely that some other patrons eyed him wearily. “Alright! Settle petal” you chided, passing him your phone. “Aww” he cooed as he took in the black and white photo on the screen. “It’s like a grey gummy bear!” he exclaimed and a burst of laughter escaped your lips. “I’m totally telling Joe you said that” you giggled as he handed the phone back to you. “Gwilym Lee – uncle to a gummy bear” “Oh hush” he scolded with a smile before draining the last of his beer. “Now, who has two thumbs and needs a drink? This guy” he grinned, pointing his thumbs at his chest. “Come back inside with me. We probably need to rescue Ben and Joe from themselves at this point” “I don’t think you’re in much of a state to be saving anyone, Sir Gwilly” you chuckled as he attempted to extract himself from the small chair and nearly tumbled to the floor in the process. Over Gwil’s shoulder you could see a burly bouncer in a far too tight black t-shirt eyeing your friend critically. “I’m fine! I’m fine!” the brunette insisted far too loudly as you pushed him back inside the bar. “I’m perfectly responsible, thank you” he clipped…before tripping over the uneven floor and staggering into the bar. It didn’t take you long to find the rest of your party. It’s kind of hard to miss 3 grown men doing what appeared to be their best impression of Magic Mike dancing at the bar. Rami was quite happy bopping along, his eyes glazed over as he danced in his own little world while both Ben and Joe were gyrating along to Rihanna’s Jump like their lives depended on it – lips pursed and eyes closed in concentration. “I need another drink if I’m going to have to watch that” Gwil shouted into your ear over the music before disappearing into the darkness. “Y/N!” Ben cried out as he opened his eyes, immediately finding you. “Come dance!” he shouted, not even waiting for your response before grabbing your hand and pulling you into the mass of people. A grin stretched your lips as you let him draw you in, immediately falling in step with their moves. Despite the alcohol that was clouding his brain, Joe watched you with perfect clarity. He felt like he’d fallen into one of his dreams – the kind that had plagued him ever since he let you go. Bringing you on nights out with his friends had always been one of his favourite things. You were so carefree, eyes sparkling brightly under the rainbow lights, nothing but laughter leaving your lips as you watched him pull out his most absurd dance moves. You always liked to say that he was by far the worst dancer you’d ever seen but he knew there was no malice in your words. He only did it to make you smile anyway. Watching you dance with Ben, the blonde spinning you around and pulling you against him set his teeth on edge. Not out of jealousy – never that. But to Joe you almost felt like a mirage – so close and yet still so far away. Just when he thought things were going okay he’d say the wrong thing and feel like he was right back at square one again, needing to have Ben step in and call a truce. It felt unfair. Nothing had changed between you and his friends. Gwil loved you just as much as ever. There was no shred of awkwardness between you and Rami when you chatted about work and Ben had no qualms about placing his hand in yours. But he, the one who loved you the most, was stuck behind a glass wall he didn’t know how to break.
It was around 2am that you felt yourself begin to lag. The droning music was crushing against your skull and the relatively sensible heels you’d chosen were beginning to cut into the backs of your ankles. But determined not to be the first to crack you continued dancing, letting Gwil spin you around the makeshift dancefloor. Joe, however, was not as far gone as the other boys and saw your growing fatigue. He saw the way your shoulders were sagging and that the smile gracing your face whenever Ben pulled out some ridiculous dance move was slowly diminishing. Checking his watch he decided with a soft sigh that he was going to have to be the one to pull the plug. There was no way you were going to tap out first. Pregnant or not. “It’s nearly half passed 2” Joe yelled to Gwil, taking advantage of a slight lull in the music. “Maybe we should think about heading off?” A grumpy pout pursed Gwil’s lips but he nodded. He’d stopped drinking a few hours ago but Ben and Rami had ploughed right ahead and he wasn’t sure quite how much longer the two of them could stay vertical. Or evade security’s watchful eye. Joe and Gwil spent the next 10 minutes trying to corral their rather inebriated friends. You hadn’t been an issue. The relief that washed across your face at the suggestion of leaving didn’t go unnoticed by Joe and he felt a surge of pride warm his chest. Rami wasn’t a difficult target, Gwil just had to gently push him towards you, who grabbed his arm tightly. He didn’t seem bothered by it at all really, continuing to bop gently along to the music by your side. Ben, however, was not so simple. He recognised that parental look on Gwil’s face and immediately made a dash to the bar. “Ben, no! Enough!” Gwil commanded, grabbing him by the back of the shirt. “You’re so boring!” the blonde shouted back, but the older man was quicker. He took full advantage of Ben’s impaired stability and tugged on the navy fabric, bringing Ben into a weird pseudo-bearhug so that he used to steer him towards the door. “Spoil sport” he grumbled as Gwil lead the group out of the bar, a rather smug smile on his face. The cool summer air enveloped you as you stepped out onto the street. Summer in New York was unbearable to some but you’d always loved those playful summer nights. For a long time they had been spent with Joe. Either strolling aimlessly through Central Park or trying to find the best ice cream place in within a 6 block radius of your apartment. You’d been together for 2 years before you found it – a little family run shop tucked in between a dry cleaner and a 24 hour pizza joint. Your whole body practically melted the first time you’d tasted their sinfully delicious salted caramel ice-cream and it had quickly become your favourite Friday night hangout. But you didn’t go there anymore. “Alright, where are my boys staying?” you asked, slinging your denim jacket over your folded arms. “My place. It’s only a 15 minute walk from here” Joe supplied, swaying on the spot so violently that Gwil had to steady him with a strong hand. “Please look after them for me” you chuckled to Gwil, watching Ben and Rami continue to dance along to the music that was pouring out of the bar’s open windows. “Subway’s not too far from here. I’m going catch the train” you explained, gesturing up the dark street. “You can’t catch the train alone” Gwil interjected, concern furrowing his brow. “And before you interrupt - I’d say that even if you weren’t carrying such precious cargo” he added quickly. You huffed gently, crossing your arms over your chest but stayed silent. Joe was nodded rapidly beside him and you knew better than to argue with them. “You can crash at mine. There’s plenty of space” Joe offered immediately, his cheeks flushing slightly pink. “Sleepover!” Rami shouted gleefully, sending Ben into a peal of giggles. “I dunno, guys” you murmured, your eyes flickering to the chipped pavement. The night had gone so well so far. Spending the night with Joe just felt like asking for trouble. “Please? Oh please please please please” Ben begged, abandoning Rami to wrap his arms around you. “Pleeease? We’ve missed you” he moaned and you felt that tinge of guilt twist your insides again. “Alright, but only if you get off me. You’re all sweaty” you chuckled, trying to prize his thick arms off you. “Picky picky picky” he tutted playfully but retracted his arms. “Onwards!” he shouted, raising his arm like a charging warrior and thundering down the street. “Ben!” Joe shouted after him. “Other way!”
Your intrepid quintet managed to make it 10 minutes into your journey to Joe’s place before the night claimed its first victim. “Guys, I don’t feel so good” came Ben’s slurred moan from somewhere behind you. “Come on, Ben. We’re only 5 minutes from home” Joe groaned, still wobbling slightly from side to side as he walked next to Rami. “I’m serious” he moaned, his deep voice echoing down the deserted street. Rami just rolled his eyes at the blonde but you turned to check on him. The colour was slowly draining from his flushed cheeks and a pained look was wrinkling his forehead. Your eyes quickly flickered around the street before they settled on a dumpster just tucked into the alley to your right. Recognising the slackening of his jaw you jumped into action, grabbing the boy around the chest and steering him quickly towards the grey bin. You got him there in the nick of time, immediately retching loudly followed by a loud, hollow splash. “Oh, Benny” Joe sighed sympathetically, slowly stumbling over to his friend. Ben continued to vomit into the dumpster but you had to step away, feeling your stomach lurch uncomfortably. “You alright, love?” Gwil asked, his eyebrows knitting together as he noticed the stricken look on your face. You didn’t dare open your mouth to respond, instead searching desperately for another dumpster. There was no such luck but there was a rubbish bin a few metres away. Running as fast your heels could carry you, you folded over the metal frame and threw up what was left of your delicious dinner. You were vaguely aware of a presence behind you, their strong hand resting on your upper back. As your thundering heartbeat faded from your ears you could finally make out the words being whispered behind you. “Bad chicken nugget” Joe murmured, his hand still rubbing soft circles on your back. “Making mummy sick” “Don’t blame nugget” you muttered, spitting very elegantly into the bin. “s’not their fault” “Still” he shrugged, his hand not leaving your slightly damp back as you straightened up, the rolling nausea slowly fading away. “Bad chicken nugget” he slurred softly. You laughed dryly before turning to the rest of your group. Ben was leaning heavily against the window of a closed shop, his blonde head pressed firmly against the dark glass. His forehead was slightly shining with sweat and a distinct green tinge coloured his cheeks. “Alright, boys. Let’s get this baby to bed” you commanded, stepping away from the bin. Joe’s heart clenched slightly as you also stepped out of his reach. “And by baby I mean this one” you explained, gently grasping Ben’s hand. The rest of the boys sniggered as he opened his slightly bloodshot eyes. “Come on, lovey” you smiled softly. “If I move I might chuck again” he warned, the corners of his pillowy pink lips twitching down. “Well if you do I’ll hold your hair back” you assured him, grabbing onto his arm tightly so you could pull him away from the window. “I’ll hold yours back if you do too” he slurred, letting you peel him away from the glass and back down the street towards Joe’s house. “That’s a good boy” you cooed gently, rubbing his arm comfortingly. “Practicing for motherhood?” Rami chuckled, twisting around to look at the two of you. It turned out to not be his smartest idea as he stumbled over his own feet and crashed into an unsuspecting Gwilym. “Bunch of children” he muttered playfully, wrapping his arm around Rami’s shoulders. “Are we nearly there dad?” Ben shouted at Joe, who rolled his eyes at Gwil’s snigger. “Almost. Now settle down or I won’t let you have the Oreos hidden in the cupboard” he warned. Ben moaned loudly next to you but you couldn’t help but giggle. It was cute of him to try, but you couldn’t help but snort at his attempt to be authoritative. Joe had always had ‘fun dad’ written all over him.
“Here we are. Home sweet home” Joe grinned, digging into the pocket of jeans and withdrawing his set of keys. The orange light of the streetlights bounced off the silver metal as he opened the front door, but you were transfixed in place, jaw slightly ajar. It was the exact brownstone that Joe had shown you the listing for all those years ago. It still had the same green front door with matching window shutters and a rainbow of flowers blooming in planter boxes under the sills. It was the definition of the perfect home - the exact kind of home you’d been hoping to share with him. The realisation that he’d found it for himself left an unsettling feeling in your stomach. “How the hell did you afford this?” you blurted out rather inelegantly. The rest of the group chuckled as Joe’s cheeks flushed scarlet. “There was a nice bonus for each of us after BoRhap did so well” Gwil explained softly. “Damn” you murmured appreciatively. The lock clicked softly and Joe shepherded the group inside, flicking on the lights. A soft golden glow flooded the entry, bouncing back off the dark polished floorboards. The boys all charged deeper into the house towards the kitchen, Ben’s cries of “Oreos!” barely registering in your mind. An uncomfortable lump settled in your throat as you peered around the corner into the living room. Everything in the room screamed of Joe. He’d hung up all of his posters again and you smiled at the addition of a yellow and purple Bohemian Rhapsody print to the line up. The Jurassic Park one would always be your favourite though. “Cookie, milady?” a soft voice interrupted your thoughts. Joe offered you a small stack of biscuits. You were glad to see that he’d stopped swaying so much and happily took the cookies off him. “The house is beautiful, Joe” “Thanks” he murmured, a shy blush colouring his cheeks, “I was hoping you’d like it” “What’s not to like?” you chuckled, gesturing to the airy entry way and living room. “You bought a house. In New York. That’s the dream” “Well, Brooklyn” he corrected teasingly, nibbling the edge of one of his cookies, “But yeah, it’s pretty sweet” he opened his mouth to say something else, but the dull thundering of footsteps swept into the living room. “Bedtime!” Gwil was ordering, shoving Ben and Rami towards the polished staircase. Sharing a knowing smile you and Joe followed them to the second floor. “Who’s sleeping where?” Rami asked as the five of your staggered up the stairs towards the bedrooms, cookies still clasped in your hands. “Well I was going to share with Joe but I think that shan’t be the case now” Ben muttered, nodding to you. “I can sleep on the couch, I don’t mind!” you volunteered quickly, a guilty heat prickling up your neck. “No!” all 4 men replied immediately. You could tell from the tone that there would be no negotiating so you leant against the wall and watched them fight it out. “The couch is too small for me!” Gwil argued when Ben suggested he sleep downstairs. “Please you’re too big for any bed, you big tree” the blonde shot back playfully, swaying slightly on the spot. Gwil rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well if we’re using the height logic then Joe should sleep on the couch – he’s the smallest!” he argued. Joe’s mouth dropped open. “I’m not sleeping on the couch in my own fucking house!” he exclaimed, shoving another Oreo aggressively into his mouth, “it should be Rami!” “Uh, don’t think you’re going to be able to move him at this point” you interjected, pointing to the spare bedroom. The remaining 3 boys turned to follow your finger and groaned in chorus. Rami had evidently taken advantage of their bickering to step into the spare room, strip off his shoes and pants and hop under the covers. He was snoring soundly, covers tucked up to his neck. “Well, Benny, looks like you’re on couch duty” Gwil grinned, slapping him firmly on his shoulder. The blonde groaned but seemed to accept defeat, moving to head back down the staircase. “Wait, I’ll do it on one condition” he stated, keeping his green eyes firmly on you. “You make us pancakes in the morning” “Deal” you grinned. Ben beamed triumphantly before descending down the wooden stairs. “I’ll grab you some blankets” Joe volunteered, following his friend to the lower level. “Just grab anything you want from my dresser, Sweets” he called up, voice reverberating off the wooden floor, “Spare toothbrush under the sink as well” The second you walked into Joe’s bedroom it felt like being kicked in the chest. You were surrounded by every little thing that you’d missed so much for the last year. The abandoned stack of books on his nightstand that he always promised he’d get around to reading. His framed Yankees jersey hanging over the bed. His old baseball bat placed haphazardly against the wall. And the huge collection of framed photos that lived on top of his dresser. When you were pulling an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts out of the wooden drawer, your eye caught on a very familiar photo that made your heart stutter in your chest. It was a photo of you and Joe, taken on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody. You’d come to visit him for the first week – he’d insisted that he’d feel more confident if you were there. You’d thought that he looked so unbelievably adorable in his Live Aid outfit that you’d insisted on taking a photo. Joe, still a bit self-conscious about the perm, had agreed on the condition that you were in the photo too. You were both beaming at the camera, Joe’s arms wrapped firmly around your waist. If you looked close enough you could see Rami and Ben imitating the two of you behind the drum riser. “It’s not weird that I still have that, is it?” Joe asked softly from the doorway. You shook your head, not daring to take your eyes off the photo. “It was a good day” you murmured, clenching the clothes in your hand tightly as you willed yourself not to cry, tears prickling behind your eyes. “Are you feeling a bit better?” he asked softly, padding across the dark carpet. He reached into the open drawer and withdrew a pair of his own pyjamas. “I’m okay” you assured him with a gentle smile. “Can’t wait for this part to be over though” Joe smirked at your chuckle, leaving you in front of the dresser to head into the en suit. While he was getting ready you swapped your slightly damp dress for Joe’s clothes, taking the moment to fold your dress carefully next to your heels, trying desperately to ignore the comforting feeling of the soft fabric against your skin. “All yours” Joe announced as he stepped back into the room, now clad in his matching blue pyjamas. You murmured your thanks as you scurried passed but it didn’t go unnoticed by Joe that your eyes racked down his figure before the door clicked shut. Sleep took you as soon as your head hit the pillow, but Joe refused. He lay awake, battling the drowsiness that was pulling against his eyelids. He knew he should sleep. It was late and he had a whole day of full of plans with the boys, but he just couldn’t tear his hazel eyes off you. Nothing about you had changed in the last year. You were still just as stunning, your hair splayed out on the pillow, lips slightly parted as you took deep steady breaths. And for a moment, just a moment, if he forced himself to forget about the baby - forget about the break up and just imagine that he’d never walked away from you - everything was right in the world. But reality came rushing back a few moments later, disappointment crushing against his chest.
The soft morning light streamed in through the gap in Joe’s curtains, falling across your face to rouse you from sleep. Groaning slightly you reached for your phone, squinting at the bright light, only to sigh in disappointment. Who wakes up at 7.30 on a Sunday? You were only awake and scrolling through Instagram for a few blissful minutes before you felt that all too familiar roll of your stomach, sweat prickling on your brow. As carefully as you could, you threw off the blankets and dashed out of the room. Stumbling down the corridor, you finally made it to the bathroom where you proceeded to fall to your knees in front of the toilet to throw up what was left of your late night Oreos. “You alright there, bub?” came a gentle voice from over your shoulder. You sat back with a grown, flushing away the evidence. “Just peachy” you muttered, standing to rinse your mouth out at the sink while Gwil watched you, nothing but sympathy in his deep blue eyes. “I didn’t wake you, did I?” you moaned, leaning against the marble counter. You watched him shake his head in the mirror, his messy hair falling across his forehead. “Rami kicked me in his sleep. Figured it might not be a bad idea to duck out and get them all some decent coffee. God knows they’re going to need it” he chuckled. “Did you want to come with? Fresh air always makes Sarah feel better” “Definitely” you grinned gratefully, exiting the bathroom. “Just let me get changed. Don’t think the public of New York are quite ready to see this” you chuckled, gesturing to Joe’s old basketball shorts and ripped Yankees shirt. “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Joe wear that exact outfit in public before so I wouldn’t worry” he laughed before heading down the stairs, leaving you to get yourself ready.
“So, how are you really doing?” Gwil asked the second the two of you stepped out onto the sunny street. A few pedestrians passed you but no one gave you a second glance much to both of your relief. “Told you last night, Gwil. I’m good” you replied lightly, keeping your eyes firmly on the concrete path ahead. You could feel his piercing gaze on the side of your face and resolutely ignored it. “Y/N, it’s just me” he said softly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “There isn’t anything you can’t tell me” “What do you want me to say, Gwil?” you asked measuredly as the back of your neck prickled uncomfortably. “I – I just – you’re doing a really good job of acting like everything’s okay. And I almost believe you. But this has to be hard” “Of course it’s hard” you murmured, scuffing your toe against the dark pavement, “You try throwing up 6 times a day. Oh, and pregnancy brain is 100% real by the way. I accidentally put my keys in the fridge and almost threw my phone away the other day” you chuckled. But Gwil could feel the hollowness of your voice. “I didn’t mean that” he replied softly, flapping the sides of his jacket nervously. “I meant spending so much time with Joe” Ice cold panic shot up your veins. For all the support you’d gotten from Flick and your family over the last 9 weeks, no one had articulated that particular issue. “I don’t mean to pry” Gwil murmured, interpreting your silence as offense, “I just can’t imagine it’s easy having him back in your life after so long” “There’s good and bad in it” you whispered after a long silence, letting your gaze drift to the emerald trees hanging over the road. “It’s just a weird reminder, you know?” you murmured, sniffling slightly and the Brit felt an overwhelming wave of sympathy for you. “Having him around just reminds me of how much I loved him and how much he hurt me at the same time. It’s exhausting honestly” “You’re handling it like an absolute champ, love” Gwil murmured as the two of you came to a stop outside the coffeeshop. He noticed the tears glistening in your eyes and pulled you into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around you. “That baby has got the toughest woman I’ve ever met as it’s mum” he whispered into your hair. A few tears dripped down your cheeks as you hugged him back just as tight. “Oh, and I have something to ask you” he added, voice much brighter than a few moments ago and you found yourself desperate for a change of subject. “Would you please come to the wedding? Sarah and I would both love to have you there” “Of course, Gwilly” you beamed into his shirt, giving him a tight squeeze around the middle. “Now, come on. Those hungover boys are relying on us” you chirped, reluctantly pulling out of his embrace. Gwil grasped the metal doorhandle, pulling the door open to let you in first. You smiled happily up at him as he let you pass, scurrying into the cold relief of air conditioning.
Joe slowly blinked awake as the delicious scent of vanilla flooded his bedroom. He sat up to see Gwilym standing in the doorway, a plate piled high with steaming pancakes in one hand while the other wafted the smell into the room. “Breakfast is ready when you are, your highness” the older man teased gently, stepping back out into the corridor. Joe grinned and threw the covers back, tearing out of the bedroom and down the stairs. When he walked into the kitchen he was greeted with a sight that made his heart skip a beat. Two of his best friends in the world were propped up at the kitchen table, both looking a little worse for wear but at least conscious, while his third best friend stood in the kitchen, evidently playing sous chef to you. You had that radiant smile on your face that he’d missed so much while you ladled batter into a sizzling frypan. You were dressed in your own clothes again and he felt his heart pang slightly. Last night he realised how much he’d missed seeing you in his clothes. His heart practically stopped when you pulled on his jersey. “Good morning, sunshines” he beamed at Rami and Ben who only managed grunts of acknowledgement. “Now we’re all assembled – we can eat!” Gwil cried happily, hurrying over to the dining table with three plates of pancakes in his hands. “Not so loud, mate” Ben groaned, slowly sitting up as his breakfast was dropped in front of him. “You young ‘uns. Don’t know when to stop” Gwil tutted mockingly, heading back into the kitchen to grab his plate of pancakes. “I distinctly remember a few nights in Japan that would negate your argument, Lee” Rami chuckled, taking a slow sip of water and wincing slightly. You smiled to yourself as you watched the round disks of batter slowly bubble in the pan. Of all the casts Joe had ever been a part of, there was something undeniably magical about the Bohemian Rhapsody boys. “Sweet mother of mercy, I forgot how good these were” Ben groaned, his lips firmly around his fork. Rami nodded enthusiastically, a droplet of syrup slipping down his chin. You giggled softly, flipping the last of the pancakes out of the steaming pan and onto your plate. “If we come to New York more can we have more pancakes?” Gwil grinned as you sat down opposite him. “I’m deeply offended that you only want me for my food” you pouted, cutting off a small section of your breakfast. “We like you for others reasons too” The laughter bubbling from your lips died as you felt your stomach roll. Oh no, not again. You dropped your cutlery with a clatter on the dining room table before dashing towards the bathroom for the second time that morning, your hand clasped over your mouth. “Shit” Joe whispered, immediately pushing away from the table and hurrying after you. “I’ve missed her” Rami murmured after a few moments, his eyes not leaving the half eaten plate of pancakes in front of him. “He’s missed her too” Ben added quietly, stabbing a square of pancake rather aggressively. A heavy pause passed between the three boys. “You reckon….?” Rami asked, his hand twitching slightly against the metal of his fork. “Guess we’ll have to wait and see” Gwil murmured, his blue eyes still fixed on the hallway his two friends had disappeared down.
THAT’S ALL FOR NOW! Stay tuned for the next chapter! TAG LIST!!
@sunflower-borhap-boys @blushingwueen @briarrose26 @mrsmazzello @escabell @yourealegendroger @sincereleygmg @zvzxs @dramatique-moi @borhapqueen92 @manuosorioh @deakyjohns @rogwhoretaylor
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ok ive been tagged a lot over the past like month and i havent done like any of the tags because im a horrible procrastinator but ive gotten tagged in this specific thing 3 times today so im properly motivated to actually do it in a timely manner LOL here we go
Rules: answer these 85 statements and tag 20 people.
THE LAST:
1. drink: water that im slightly skeptical of 2. phone call: my friend Robi 3. text message: @shelteringskyy ??? i think?? yes probably 4. song you listened to: the fool by dead soul 5. time you cried: i think last month 6. dated someone twice: ive never dated anyone ever LOL 7. kissed someone and regretted it: yeah probably 8. been cheated on: nope 9. lost someone special: i think so 10. been depressed: in certain contexts yes 11. gotten drunk: once and never again LMAO
THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12. purple 13. bronze 14. brown
IN THE LAST YEAR, HAVE YOU:
15. made new friends: yes and i love them ALL DEARLY and i re-iterate the sentiment THANKS GHOST LMAO 16. fallen out of love: maybe??? idk 17. laughed until you cried: YEP LMFAO 18. found out someone was talking about you: sort of but this person also told me straight up she was gonna talk about me and it was all in good fun so LOL who cares 19. met someone who changed you: YEP. 20. found out who your friends are: yeah 21. kissed someone on your facebook list: no
GENERAL:
22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: like basically almost all of them except like 6 or so ppl? 23. do you have any pets: YES!!! i have three cats and two dogs and i love them all so much!!! 24. do you want to change your name: no 25. what did you do on your last birthday: my last bday fell on the night of prom so like i got up, got my hair done and then went to prom that night LOL prom itself was sorta shitty but i got to hang out with my friends who were all gorgeous and i got to look hot too so like win/win 26. what time did you wake up: 10am then fell asleep and woke back up at 12:30-something 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: skyping @shelteringskyy ,'^) 28. name something you can’t wait for: halloweeeeeeeen 29. when was the last time you saw your mom: a couple hours ago maybe less 31. what are you listening to right now: vinny vinesauce playing some weird ass game and myself typing 32. have you ever talked to a person named Tom: i actually don't think so 33. something that is getting on your nerves: it being so sunny recently (i like clouds fight me), my sleep schedule getting FUCKED up and me struggling to fix it, mysterious bug bites, the lack of motivation to study that has been haunting me since 2 months ago 34. most visited website: probably tumblr, youtube and facebook tbh 35. hair colour: naturally im a fucking ashy dirty wishwater blonde and im fucking tired of it so now i dye my hair dark brown LOL ;_; @my body please hurry up and make my hair darker 36. long or short hair: mine is long 37. do you have a crush on someone: only fictional characters as of right now 38. what do you like about yourself: my ass, my unibrow and my stomach hair 39. piercings: i started out with four when i was younger, one in each cartilage (partially) then one in each ear lobe. the cartilage ones closed up to due lack of usage and my lobe piercings closed up a bit but just cleaning them out returned them to normal lol. early last year i got my partial-cartilage piercing redone as well as two additional holes making eight total but i was a fool and took out all my earrings over the course of prom and left them out too long and they ALL grew back over except my redone cartilage holes and my lobes -_- i plan to get one more additional hole in my ears to make up for this fucking travesty and i also want a nose piercing. 40. blood type: no idea mate LMAO 41. nickname: shebby, shebs, shelbs, shelbles, shelbilly, bee and im probably forgetting more tbh 42. relationship status: single and content 43. zodiac: aries, aquarius rising and sagittarius moon 44. pronouns: she/her/hers 45. favourite tv show: uhhh like........bobs burgers maybe???? twin peaks??? always sunny?????????? 46. tattoos: none but FUCK do i want a grucifix or a mother/daughter tattoo 47. right or left handed: right 48. surgery: none so far 50. sport: no 51. vacation: honestly ill go like nearly anywhere in the world, im not picky tbh take me over the ocean or just three hours away and i think ill be happy 52. pair of trainers: do converse count....also my moms fucked up ancient grungey tennis shoes she has that i love to wear
MORE GENERAL:
53. eating: nothing but dinner was steak, steak fries and some yeast rolls. might eat this smores poptart here in a second 54. drinking: nothing bc that water was Skeptical 55. i’m about to: either attempt to study or watch more youtube vids idk 56. waiting for: the rain that appears to be gathering in the sky and winter 57. want: papa 3 to never ever leave but also papa 4 to come and decimate us (and also possibly decimate papa 3), to not potentially have mono, to draw, to get our bulldog fixed so he can come inside, to stop being fucking squeamish when i study about internal organs 58. get married: no...nono 59. career: veterinary assistant if i can handle assisting in injection administration LMFAO or an artist 60. hugs or kisses: kisses 61. lips or eyes: eyes 62. shorter or taller: ehhhh im not picky so idc 63. older or younger: O L D E R LMAO DAMMIT PAPA 64. nice arms or nice stomach: arms 65. hook up or relationship: neither in real life 66. troublemaker or hesitant: depends on whats happening lmao
HAVE YOU EVER:
67. kissed a stranger: yes 68. drank hard liquor: NO LMAO ABSOLUTELY NOT 69. lost glasses/contact lenses: no 70. turned someone down: YEP. 71. sex on the first date: i have never been with anyone in real life ever so neither 72. broken someone’s heart: probably 73. had your heart broken: sort of?? 74. been arrested: no god LMAO 75. cried when someone died: well yeah 76. fallen for a friend: not really
DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
77. yourself: depends 78. miracles: in some cases 79. love at first sight: only sort of. 80. Santa Claus: who the FUCK is santa claus 81. kiss on the first date: ...ehhh??? 82. angels: probably
OTHER:
84. eye colour: hazel 85. favourite movie: I HAVE TOO MANY OF THESE LMAO MY FAVORITE-FAVORITE FLUCTUATES A LOT AND IDK WHAT I WOULD SAY MY CURRENT FAV MOVIE IS....
anyway i tag @cloyterus and....i think everyone else i'd wanna tag has already been tagged or done this so here u go
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BATIM fusions AU
I was gonna wait until I finished the game but buggar it all NOTE: I don’t own any of the characters, they all belong to @fangirltothefullest and their expies of themeatly’s characters. I just couldn’t stop thinking about an AU for them and had the idea for this monstrosity
Joey Drew: Progic Progic grew bitter after a project of his went wrong. One could almost say he went off the deep end. He could often be heard mumbling in his room alone. The appearance of the ink machine only seemed to make him worse. Appearance: He looks generally the same: same long coat, same pants, same boots, same gloves. He dyed his hair red at one point before meeting Moric and it seems to have stained his hair permanently, giving him a ginger-like appearance (when he’s naturally blond). 6’4” with 4 eyes (3 on the right side of his face) and 3 arms. Personality: Progic’s personality changed drastically. The playful, flirty man Moric fell in love with slowly deteriorated into a selfish, dream-chasing egomaniac. It’s unknown what caused him to suddenly reach out to Moric years later. Death: Still lives. (Side note: Progic can’t write.)
Henry: Moric Moric was Progic’s lover, comforting him when the experiment went south and bringing food for him when he started spending hours alone in his office. He was plenty hurt when he was suddenly fired and seemingly cut out of Progic’s life. (And very confused when he got a letter asking him to return.) Appearance: He still wears his blue shirt and dapper dinosaur tie, but switched his red shorts for a pair of pants due to the cold. He still has mismatched socks, but after chapter 2 along his legs are so dark from ink, you’d be hard-pressed to tell. By chapter 4 he winds up with ink up to his waist, elbows and splattered across his shirt. 6’4” with 3 eyes (one on his forehead). His pupils shrink for several seconds when he’s scared, excited or experiencing any other extreme emotion. His hair is brown, the bangs dyed a medium shade of blue. Personality: Ultimate dad, even past his breaking point. He only fights the ink creatures if he’s in terrible danger and prefers to run. Overall a nice guy. Noticeably quieter in chapter 4 due to several factors: a head injury, focus on finding Creatiy and reaching the end of his rope. Death: Still lives. (Side notes: Became a master axe-wielder after having to fight the Butcher gang, Decan and brute Creatiy He found a recording that sounded like the Progic he knew and loved in chapter 4 and now always has it with him. Even sleeps with it. Deceit pokes fun at him for this)
Butcher gang: Lodec, Patteit, Moxie
Sammy Laurence: Lauron Lauron spent most of his hired life writing for ‘Living Marionette’, usually trying to lowkey undermine Progic and ruin his reputation in the process. He managed to avoid the mass firing by simply staying in his office, though it didn’t save him from the gory aftermath that followed. Appearance: Unknown before the ink machine era. Seems to be made totally from ink, with nothing but an ink-stained coat, pants and Vercei mask covering him. 5’7” with no eyes, ears or mouth. Personality: A real piece of work pre- and post-ink machine. Pre-ink machine he was manipulative, back-stabbing and cruel, post-ink machine he was driven mad by the ink and elected himself as the ‘prophet’ for Vercei-sacrificing Moric just to please him (and maybe find a way out of his inky Hell). Death: He was put down by Vercei when he called him up to sacrifice Moric.
Norman Polk/the Projectionist: Viran Viran was probably the happiest employee there. He was allowed to make and research his conspiracy theories as long as they didn’t interfere with his work and was given way too much free access to paper. How he found himself wading through knee-deep ink he had no idea, how the projector got fused to his head even less so. The loneliness and pain of being alone downstairs for god knows how many years left him morally scrambled. Appearance: Pre-ink machine he wore a black shirt with a purple vest, as well as black jeans and shoes. They’re all made of oddly heavy fabrics due to Viran’s Autism-induced touch sensitivity made it hard to tolerate anything else for prolonged periods. 6’2”, 4 eyes and arms. Black hair, bangs dyed purple. Post ink-machine he wound up completely made of ink with a projector for a head. 6’7”. One eye, 4 arms. Personality: Pre-ink machine he was twitchy, jittery and full of ideas for conspiracies. He could be blunt and had a short temper, but overall he was a good guy. Post-ink machine, he doesn’t seem to have any sentience or thoughts other than chase and kill. Maybe he recognizes Moric and blames him for his lover’s actions, there’s no way of finding out. Death: Vercei put him out of his misery by ripping his head off after he caught him loitering in front of a miracle station Moric was hiding in.
Boris: Creaity Creatiy Catt was animated as a friend/almost brother figure to Vercei. With the events of the past he seems to have multiplied, although only one copy remains, the others all brutally dissected like rats. Creatiy will do his best to protect, guide and comfort Moric when he can. Appearance: He seems to have been based off of a superhero, with an elaborate and brightly coloured costume. He could summon a red, heart-shaped shield in the cartoon, but can’t do so in reality-most likely because he’s made entirely of ink. Has cat ears and a tail. 5’10” (11” with the boots). Brown hair. 3 eyes (one on his forehead). Personality: Absolute sweetheart. He’s quite handy and decent with weapons, holding his own for long before Moric’s appearance (the only way Anvity even got his hands on him was because he was distracted!). However, he’s also afraid of the dark and loud noises. Death: Tragically killed by Moric in self-defence, after Anvity got his hands on Creatiy and forced him to attack his friend.
Alice Angel (Susie): Prince Anvity (Roman) Prince Anvity was originally going to be voiced be upcoming voice actor Roman, who may have possibly had a short fling with Lauron (possibly the reason he got the job) before it was suddenly yanked out from under him. He took this as well as expected and threatened to quit until Moric took pity on him and offered him a job. If only he’d let him storm off in a snit, he’d have saved himself and Creaity a lot of grief… (Side note: Mostly Creatiy *COUGH*) Appearance: To say Prince Anvity looks monstrous would be being nice. His eyes are black, with the pupils seemingly just floating in constantly dribbling pools of ink. His right eye is too large, the left side of his mouth is frozen in a constant snarl, his wings end with edges like razors, his fingers end in deadly claws…And to top it all off? He’s taller than Moric, reaching a height of almost 7 feet. 6’9”. Brown hair bleeding to black at the bangs. 2 eyes (right eye taking up almost all of that side of his face) and small wings. Personality: Look in the dictionary for the word “sadistic” and this iteration of Anvity will most likely show up as the definition. He manipulates Moric into doing things for him under the false pretense of giving him freedom, only to nearly kill him and Creatiy by sending the elevator they’re on crashing down to the last floor. He taunts Moric, insults him, teases him and withholds information from him in the hopes of having him killed. There are absolutely no redeeming qualities about him-whatever good things there were about Roman were completely omitted in favour of jealousy and vanity. Death: Prince Anvity was killed by the “pure” Anvity, who impaled him with a sword when he was gunning for Moric.
Bendy: Vercei Vercei’s the main character of the cartoon ‘Living Marionette’. Only one attempt was made to animate him in the real world, and it derailed so badly it was never attempted again. Vercei now stalks Moric around the halls of the studio after Lauron frees him from the ink machine’s room, his motives questionable. Appearance: The animating process did not treat Vercei well at all. His hood melted over his eyes, leaving only the eye in the back to see. Said eye is a washed-out yellow and generally looks unsettling, bulging out to the point it appears it’s going to pop out in any passing chapter. His hoodie-already a mess of patches and stitches in the animation-is fused to his body and seems to make his arms longer. 5’7”. One eye and 4 arms (two wrapped around his midsection). Personality: Vercei’s personality is currently unknown. No one knows what makes him tick, how he thinks or why he does what he does. He hunts Moric for an unknown reason and fought (and won) a fight with the Projectionist when he did the same thing. He gets angry when you destroy any of the varied Vercei cutouts around the studio…And that’s about the only hint we get about his sentience. Death: Still lives.
Bertum Piedmont: Decan Decan was the brains behind VerceiVille, drawing up plans and building the majority of it. He grew very salty over being introduced to people as “DeeDee”, claiming it demeaned him to being like a child. Progic pulling the plug on VerceiVille suddenly drove Decan to possess a ride (possibly by suicide, possibly by a ritual. We may never know). He now lashes out at everything that moves. Appearance: pre-ink machine, he was quite a dashing fellow. He dressed in a trenchcoat, black jeans and shoes, and wore a red scarf and fedora even indoors. He was also often seen chewing on a wooden toothpick. 5’6”. 3 eyes (2 on the right side of his face), curly red hair. Post-ink machine he was little more than a massive head in an octopus ride. Personality: This man adored to speak like he came out of the 1920’s. He only dropped the habit if he was furious or upset, which was rare (but frightening). As an octopus ride he never speaks at all, preferring to wait in silence until Progic comes back so he can smash him to a pulp and be done with it. Death: Less of a death, more of a defeat-Moric took an axe to all the attachments holding his “arms” together, meaning he could no longer fight.
Alice Angel (Alison): Prince Anvity (Virgil) The newer voice actor for Prince Anvity, a man of few words. He had no bad memories when whatever went down regarding the ink machine happened, so he’s regarded as the “pure” Anvity (minus the fact he’s partially crippled and needs to walk via cane). He may or may not be in love with Creatiy. Appearance: A good foot shorter than Roman’s Prince Anvity, Virgil’s Prince Anvity is a sight for sore eyes. He has more horns, holes in his wings and is lame in both legs, having to walk with the assistance of an intricately decorated cane. 5’9”. Brown hair bleeding to black at the bangs. 3 eyes (two on the right side of his face). Personality: Shy and quiet, not as boisterous as Roman’s Anvity. He worries for Moric after watching him break down crying in the hallway-something Deceit has no sympathy for, to his frusteration. Death: Unknown.
Boris (but Tommy): Creatiy (but Deceit) Still silent, still tall, hates Moric for unknown reasons. Anvity has to keep him off the traumatized man’s back 90% of the time. The other times, well…Let’s just say Moric’s not so traumatized he’s lost any and all snark. Appearance: Is just another copy of Creatiy. Often glaring. Personality: Disliked Moric for some reason or other, debatable because he felt he abandoned them. Otherwise he’s a decent man, coming to his and Anvity’s defence when they’re threatened. Death: Unknown.
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Project Iteration 1 - cpsc 543
Today I’m going to talk about the group project for my physical user interfaces class. It’s definitely an interesting problem space we’re exploring, so grab a cup of coffee and get ready!
I was a bit of a latecomer to the project and basically came in when 3 different ideas were being evaluated for potential. I felt I was able to contribute when one of the projects involving the Magic Pen, which I’ll describe shortly, was being discussed; it kept getting a bit hung up on what exactly the device could be used for.
The Magic Pen is a a force feedback, back drivable, “ballpoint haptic”. The following images from one of it’s recent papers can give you an example of its concept, basically if you’ve ever used a ball mouse (dating myself here) it’s that but in pen form with force feedback and back drivability.
Kianzad, S., & MacLean, K. E. (2018, March). Harold's purple crayon rendered in haptics: Large-stroke, handheld ballpoint force feedback. In Haptics Symposium (HAPTICS), 2018 IEEE(pp. 106-111). IEEE.
The Magic Pen, truly a fascinating piece of haptic technology did come somewhat from a technology centred design perspective, and as a result suffers from it not having a natural application.
Without being really sure what an application of the pen would be I suggested we try and use it to make a fun little interactive game. It was basically a way to expand the space that we could explore for useful, interesting, and fun functionality of the pen.
With that our group decided to take more of an organic bottom up approach by beginning to exploring small “primitive” actions that we could do with the pen and seeing which ones we could utilize in building a fun interactive game. Ideally in the end this would give new insight into what can be done with the pen in an interactive way, hopefully leading to news ways of thinking about what the pen could be applied to or used for.
Across our group we came up with the following primitive game mechanics to explore:
Navigating a maze - to explore how well we could feel edges, corners, and overall navigation through a maze.
Haptic Pictionary - random shapes and if one can guess what they through the pen.
Different Textures - is it possible to guess bumpiness, smoothness, squishiness, wetness, etc...
Haptic Stencil - testing guidance on a path.
Our group split up the work, as our schedules wouldn’t allow us all to work on them together, with myself taking the navigating a maze primitive.
So with that set, it was now time to get one of the Magic Pens, install the software, get it working, and begin exploring!
When you need it to work the most, that’s when it’s most likely to break
This literally sums up the experience of getting the Magic Pen working haha. After getting a demo, code and pen from one of it’s creators, Soheil, we felt good that we would be able to work as a group the following day to get it all working on our computers. Well that following day, after all 4 of us together had installed the code, tried to get a small sandbox program working in Processing, then debugged for a couple hours; We got Soheil to come and look at it for us, only to tell us that the one he gave us sometimes had a faulty power connector and that’s what was causing it to constantly drive itself into the upper left corner of the sandbox non-stop.
With a new pen we quickly got the small sandbox working in Processing and could then easily add some basic shapes to it and begin getting a feel for the pen. One thing to note as we were beginning to play with the pen, is that the surface of the desk really took away from the feel and resolution of our movements with the pen. It essentially felt somewhat slippery and we sometimes weren't sure if the ball was just sliding or if it was actually rolling along the desk’s surface. To solve that, Matthew, one of our group members found an old carpet floor tile with a roughened rubber backing. After cleaning it we found that using the pen on a slightly roughish rubber surface made the feeling of the pen much much better. It no longer felt like it was “slipping” and you could definitely feel the force feedback better.
I want to take a moment to expand a bit on the demo we initially received from Soheil, as it involved some interesting primitives on top of what we were exploring.
First was two pens in tandem both in the same virtual sandbox, but each virtual representation of the pen (shown as a coloured circle) had a virtual magnetic property to it (either positive or negative). Then based on that it would either repel or be attracted to other similarly or oppositely charged circles in the sandbox. This showcased the pens force feedback abilities nicely and how two pens could potentially interact with each other.
Second was a puzzle game of sorts where one would use the pen to pick up pieces of a puzzle and move them into place to slowly assemble it.
Third was a simple sandbox in Processing that we were going to use as a basis for creating and exploring our own primitives.
Ok, back on track now, with the pen and Processing sandbox environment working, and the ability to add new and different shapes available. Our group parted ways and I decided to spend a couple hours exploring the pen and navigating a virtual maze in the sandbox environment.
I initially create two parallel lines running down the middle to see if I could feel the walls and navigate between them from one end to another. After doing this for some time, I wanted to create a bit of complexity in the maze and added a dead end and a couple corners to navigate.
Here’s my second attempt at trying to navigate the maze only through the feedback from the magic pen. So I was not looking at the screen and had to just “feel” my way through.
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As you can see I got stuck pretty easily, and this continued for a while until I learned the maze somewhat better in memory (developed a mental model) but also got a much better feel for what each of the parts of the maze, in my mental model, felt like physically through the pen. I can describe what I was thinking as “oh I think I’m bumping into this wall so that must mean I’m here. ”
Here’s a video of a much latter successful attempt at navigating the maze only through the pen, not looking at the screen.
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With a bit of time to reflect on the experience there are some insights from this first iteration and exploration on the maze primitive that I’d like to share.
First is that I definitely think we can teach players to play and use the magic pen. One thing from good game design is that the game should teach the player how to play. With this in mind I think teaching a player to navigate a simple maze and progressively increasing it’s complexity so that they learn the controller so to speak, is entirely possible. Just like when you pick up any other game with a new controller it takes time to learn it and the game should help you learn. So with this in mind I plan to explore setting up a scenario where the game will teach me through haptics only, to navigate mazes. I will setup a simple level, not have any visual of the level, have the pen lead me through the maze once, and then try to navigate it myself. The next level would then create a slightly more complex maze and then repeat the same process of having it lead me through, then I try and figure it out myself. Basically I want to see how well this progressive teaching can work and if this maze navigation can be done without any visual input.
Second is the surface the pen is on and setup of the pen needs to be ideal in order to get much more of a “feel” for the pen and actually experience its force feedback, resistance, and back drivability. Because as we found out, if you’re not on the right surface it just doesn’t feel right and you miss a lot of haptic communication from the pen.
Third is that I think the use of other non-visual modalities in conjunction with the pen will really give us some interesting game mechanics.
In closing I think this is going in an exciting direction, as the videos I observed from my other group members evaluating their primitive’s, seem promising, and that combining these together will be a fruitful path.
Until next time!
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Seltzer: Counting down the top 10 Liga MX-MLS encounters in history
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
September 18, 201811:54AM EDT
Before Toronto FC and Tigres UANL reunite to scrap over the inaugural Campeones Cup on Wednesday night (8:15 pm ET | ESPN2, Univision in US; TSN, TVAS in Canada), we felt like taking a stroll down memory lane to revisit the most thrilling episodes involving MLS and Liga MX adversaries.
Those two clubs met earlier in the year, and that duel made the list. In fact, both clubs make multiple appearances in our top diez.
No. 10: MLS All-Stars top Chivas (2003)
Naturally, preference on this list was given to matches carrying the weight of competitive meaning, but we had to include one exhibition highlight. It was 15 years ago that the first ever All-Star Game to pit the league against a foreign opponent took place at the brand-spanking-new StubHub Center (then known as the Home Depot Center), and it’s the only time to date that foe came from south of the border.
With esteemed guests Chivas de Guadalajara dominating the first half, LA Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made some big saves to keep the game scoreless until Chicago Fire man Ante Razov could break the ice near the hour mark. The lead was short-lived due to Jair Garcia’s 66th-minute jailbreak strike, but Galaxy striker Carlos Ruiz bagged the winner two minutes later and DaMarcus Beasley added a late insurance tally.
No. 9: TFC tame Tigres (2018)
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It didn’t play out that way in the end, but most observers considered this Concacaf Champions League elite eight matchup to be worthy of the final. The kings of MLS against their Liga MX counterparts, each entering the fray at the height of their reigns.
Major League Soccer’s treble winners took advantage of hosting the tie opener, overturning a second-half deficit to win thanks to Jonathan Osorio’s cheeky last-minute backheel winner.
In the away leg, the Reds traded second-half goals with Tigres before Sebastian Giovinco applied the dagger with 17 minutes to play. The Atomic Ant stuffed a pinpoint free kick into the top corner for what would prove to be the deciding away goal, rendering a late Andre-Pierre Gignac double as mere consolation.
No. 8: Galaxy drop SuperLiga final on PKs (2007)
After having to win a 6-5 road thriller against FC Dallas just to escape the group phase of the inaugural SuperLiga, the Galaxy eased through D.C. United to face Liga MX champs Pachuca in a title match at home. David Beckham led LA’s early charge in the final, but would depart with an injury late in the first half.
He was around just long enough to see a Peter Vagenas own goal put Pachuca in the lead. When all hope looked lost, Chris Klein bagged a stoppage-time bicycle kick to knot things up. The teams remained tied through extra time, taking the silver scrap to penalties.
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Vagenas’ night got even rougher when his shootout-opening try was saved, but two Joe Cannon stops later and Landon Donovan stepped up intending to win it. His attempt was also smothered, and Los Tuzos celebrated victory when Abel Xavier missed the target in the next round.
No. 7: Seattle’s CCL quarterfinal rally (2013)
Through the first four iterations of the CCL era, no MLS team had been able to knock out a Liga MX competitor. That all changed in 2013, when the Seattle Sounders fought back from two goals down on aggregate to bounce mighty quarterfinal foes Tigres at CenturyLink Field.
An easy Elias Hernandez finish doubled the visitors’ first-leg advantage midway through the opening frame, but Sounders hopes of a rally were boosted when Manuel Viniegra drew his second yellow card in eight minutes just before the break.
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DeAndre Yedlin sliced into the lead with a slightly-deflected 30-yard net-seeker in the 53rd minute, which was followed on the hour by a stunning Djimi Traore cracker from long range. That bomb put Seattle ahead on away goals before Eddie Johnson sealed the deal late.
No. 6: RSL’s home final heartbreaker
In the 2011 Champions League, Real Salt Lake cruised past Columbus and held off semifinal foes Saprissa to reach the championship round, where they faced a loaded Monterrey side. Thanks to some big Nick Rimando saves and Javier Morales’ 89th-minute equalizer, the MLS challengers rallied from behind twice for a hard-fought 2-2 share in Mexico.
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In the deciding game at Rio Tinto Stadium, Fabian Espindola narrowly missed on a couple of chances to give RSL their first lead of the final. That wastefulness was punished when Humberto Suazo tucked one inside the post from close range on the edge of intermission.
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The home side came close on several second-half occasions to leveling the aggregate with a potentially decisive away goal, but could not find a way past Rayados ‘keeper Jonathan Orozco.
No. 5: FC Dallas’ wild CCL semifinal (2017)
FC Dallas traveled south of the border for their Champions League semifinal decider away to local boy made good Omar Gonzalez and Pachuca, having rallied from an early deficit to take the first leg 2-1 on Kellyn Acosta’s free-kick gem.
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As he had done in the opener, Franco Jara started the second leg scoring in the first half, putting Pachuca ahead on away goals in the process. It appeared to be all she wrote when Lozano rolled one in short side to pad the lead with 10 minutes left, but unlikely source Cristian Colman squared the tie with a terrific header in the waning moments of regulation.
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It went for naught, however, as a chipped Chucky Lozano cross somehow found an untouched way into the net in stoppage time, sending Pachuca on to win the crown.
No. 4: Houston’s CCC classic at Pachuca (2007)
Before there was CCL heartbreak for MLS, the league’s entrants also experienced woes in its predecessor, Concacaf Champions Cup. The Houston Dynamo came in to this CCC semifinal capper at Estadio Hidalgo riding high after second-half goals from Brian Ching and Chris Wondolowski earned the defending MLS champs a 2-0 home leg win. However, the reigning Liga MX kings had the aggregate level within the first 15 minutes of the return.
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Instead of folding out of shock, Houston gathered themselves to eventually reclaim the tie lead through a well-worked Brian Mullan counter strike early in the second half. Only five minutes later, though, a second spot kick from Christian Gimenez evened things for a second time.
Unbowed, Ching responded with a 79th-minute restart tally to give the visitors another aggregate edge. Four minutes from defeat, Gabriel Caballero nodded Pachuca level for the third time, setting the stage for Gimenez to win the tie in extra time with an audacious long-distance blast.
No. 3: TFC lose 2018 CCL final on PKs
Having disposed of Tigres and Club America, Toronto looked poised to make it an unprecedented quadruple heading into this year’s Champions League final. After artfully creating the lion’s share of the chances, the Reds were surprised to be down 2-1 after the BMO Field leg.
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Their title outlook grew dimmer when Orbelin Pineda doubled Tigres’ aggregate lead 19 minutes into the decisive return, but the MLS champs weren’t done yet. Mere moments later, Jozy Altidore pulled the visitors back to within one from the doorstep to re-ignite the final. Just before the interval, Giovinco slotted one low to the short side from the left channel to even the tie.
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Despite losing Altidore to an injury, TFC created the best regulation chance to win it all, only to have Marky Delgado fire high from 16 yards in added time. The title bout went to spot kicks, with Chivas converting all four of their tries. However, Osorio hit the bar in round two and Michael Bradley skied over the fourth kick to set off home-side celebrations.
No. 2: Porter’s last-gasp quarterfinal flipper (2015)
Oftentimes, the most memorable episodes in soccer come down to a game phase or a full sequence of events. And sometimes, those intense dramatics can be crystallized into a single moment. Such is the case with the strike from Montreal Impact substitute forward Cameron Porter that turned a CCL battle on its head.
There were plenty of exciting incidents during Montreal’s run to the final (which they’d lose due to a late home collapse against Club America), but most of them would have never happened if weren’t for a 21-year-old with nine minutes of first team experience when Pachuca arrived for the quarterfinal’s second leg.
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The teams began that Montreal showdown with two goals apiece and the Impact up on what would prove to be killer away goals. The clubs traded chances until Laurent Ciman committed an 80th-minute area foul and German Cano bashed home the resulting penalty to give the Mexican giants their first lead of the tie.
Less than two months into his pro career, Porter entered with five minutes left to provide a moment Impact fans will never forget. Three minutes into stoppage time, the kid used the touch an of angel to chest a Calum Mallace long boot past his defender and poke home past the onrushing netminder. He snatched advancement from the jaws of defeat in a flash, sending Stade Saputo into hysterics.
No. 1: D.C. United make border-wars history (1998)
Thus far, only two Major League Soccer teams have managed to win Concacaf’s biggest club tournament, and only one of those bested a Liga MX side in the final to do it. In just the second year of MLS involvement, D.C. United took the Champions Cup home, shoving two Mexican clubs aside in the process.
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After blanking Leon behind Roy Lassiter’s brace in the semis, the Black-and-Red hosted a one-off championship final against a Toluca outfit in the midst of arguably the best multi-season run in club history.
After John Harkes had rattled the bar, the opportunistic Eddie Pope scored the only goal of the final when Toluca goalkeeper Mario Albarran spilled a 41st-minute restart save. The D.C. defender was in the right place at the right time to clean up the mess, and they held on the rest of the way to become the first MLS club to claim a major international prize.
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Seltzer: Counting down the top 10 Liga MX-MLS encounters in history was originally published on 365 Football
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“I Feel Like I’m Going Crazy”—Sunday Chats (3-26-17)
So, I was going to, for the third week in a row, write again about how I’m just horribly depressed and unhappy.
But I’m not going to. Not because I’m not, but because I am not a broken record. Good things happen in my life too, and even if I feel a little overwhelmingly depressed, it’s not all there is to me.
That, and as much as I appreciate all the texts and DMs reaching out after I post one of these things, I just can’t right now. Long day, long days ahead, and too much I need to focus on.
Thank you all, let’s talk about good things.
I Finished Zelda
I mean, there really isn’t much to this. I beat that Zelda game. I think my final time was around or close to 105-115 hours. It’s hard to tell on Switch, since it only gives you an idea of your time played, so I kind of had to track it in my head. It’s honestly incredible that all that time passed with such ease. Tales of Berseria, a game that I LOVED that came out this year took me 64-ish hours, and it felt like much longer. Zelda took me more time, and felt like much shorter.
I know the phrase of “it’s an easy 10″ has been thrown around a lot, and sure, yeah, but there is no easy 10. It’s a masterpiece, and when I review it, I’ll probably give it a 10 on our scale, but it’s not flawless. No game is without its flaws, but what Zelda sets out to do, and what it accomplishes along the way is something wholly unique that I have never actually see a video game do before. Ever.
And also that’s subjective. What that game did for me and for the way I look at and experience games is very much unique to my perspective. Other people I’m sure don’t like it as much as me, but for me, Breath of the Wild is probably the second best video game I have ever played. Second literally only to Person 4 Golden. And it’s close, which I never ever imagined I’d say ever in my life. But that’s also part of what’s so exciting. Games are changing and evolving and Zelda is a clear resultant of that. It’s a new benchmark and I can’t wait to see what people do from here out.
Whatever it is, it’s gonna be exciting as all hell.
Case Study Update
For folks who don’t know, I’ve been working on a new format of my video show called Alex Talks. It’s called Case Study.
It’s been a weird up and down with this show, and since my drive and passion had all but fallen away for doing video content, I had to find a way to bring that passion back. I decided to write a new first episode of this show that I am more passionate about. I wrote it on Persona 4.
It’s not good enough to encapsulate the feelings I have for that game. Nowhere near good enough, but the conclusion specifically really meant something to me. It was genuinely impossible for me to finish my cold read without it getting to me, and when I’ve written something that brings emotions out of me like that, I know I’ve done the thing write. And I say in the script that it’s impossible to really capture what the game did for me in one go at it.
I finished the script in three days, and it was over 3400 words. It’s in the editorial process right now, and I’ll probably chip away at it after I finish this, but when it’s ready I am gonna try and shoot it. Aiming to do so this Wednesday. I’m trying not to put a time constraint on it, since I want to take as much time as I need with it, but hopefully I’ll have it out before Persona 5. We’ll see. No promises.
It’s gonna look different so I have to do some test shoots. And I am probably going to go back to my old webcam to shoot it, and it probably won’t be on a green screen. We’ll see how it turns out.
What’s on Tap
Spectre of Torment
The only other thing besides Zelda I’ve been playing
STILL GOOD.
Zelda is really good you guys.
Questions
I used to be way into System of a Down. I know somewhere Tyler is laughing saying, out loud, “oh yeah, of course you were.” But I had this weird point in my life when I was into “metal”. I dug way into SOAD and Disturbed. And also Slip Knot?
I mean, I was like 16 so of course. Like, what do you expect. But I stopped listening to them.
Honestly I still really like some Disturbed songs, but I’ve stopped listening to almost any and all guitar heavy music. Anything of that sound.
But the answer? I don’t know. That line never made any sense. I don’t think it had to.
Smash or Pass huh?
I waited until Nabeshin got to talk about it on the podcast, and it sounds like a hard pass. I was really fucking disappointed by Dragon Age 3, so I don’t know if I have it in me to have another Bioware series bummed down for me.
I have not, as mentioned above. I wanted to hear Nabeshin talk about it, which he did excellently on the podcast last night. It just sounds like a lot of the things I go to a Mass Effect for are absolutely not present.
And I’ve been playing nothing but SUPERB games all year, and I don’t know if I have time for a subpar one especially in a franchise that I have a very high regard to.
Seems like its a pass for now, but I may grab it on the cheap before the end of the year to at least know for myself.
Colin talks in pretty definitive sweeps, and while I don’t think he is wrong per sé, I think he himself knows that the pendulum swings all around. GiantBomb specifically living as long as it has tells me that there is still hope for all of us yet. Look at Glixel AND Waypoint, two absolutely fantastic video game websites that both sprouted up on 2016, thriving and growing. Not to mention stuff like UploadVR going big.
I think the big sites have a tough battle, trying to balance appealing to their niche, maintaining their appearance of girth, and also appealing to the largest common audience. That’s tough. All these little guys like Kinda Funny and Easy Allies and GiantBomb (none of which are strictly “little, either) have their audience that they have a relationship with and talk to. All of them are in some way subscription based. All of them do just fine.
I still think the Patreon bubble will burst at some point, but it’s going strong now, and I don’t think there is anything wrong, inherently, with that model. But the IGNs and the GameSpots might not be the same in the next few years. But I still think there are plenty of spaces to get hired into the industry and make really, really cool stuff.
But hey, everything will probably change in the next five years anyway. Think about it: when IP started, it was BEFORE streaming. We were on the ground floor with some of that stuff, and though we didn’t stick with it (when we totally should have) that just wasn’t around in 2010 when we began.
And the prize for most-creepiest Sunday Chats question goes tooooooooo
DAN JUAREZ
It’s not that easy. And I know that there was that reply to your tweet saying it is all about the money, but I just don’t think of it as strictly like that. Sure, it’s probably a big part of it. Microsoft wanted to make another Halo game, Bungie didn’t. They found someone to make a new Halo game. It probably wasn’t hard.
I think the better question we should be asking is who do we want to continue making these games? I think it really depends on who and what they’re doing it for.
I think of it in a lot of ways, but a big thing is if I were a creator in the games space, someone who had finally risen to a director, I’d want to get a crack at making a new entry in one of my favorite franchises. If the leads at 343 felt like they could tell a really cool story in the Halo universe with Master Chief, they were given the opportunity to do so, would you really ever turn that down? A big thing that gets left out of this conversation, criminally I think, is the fact that creators want to challenge themselves to surpass the work that comes before them.
I’m a writer. I write every day. Every day I want what I write to be better than yesterday. Is it? No. So I keep writing and working every day. That’s a huge part as to why I still do this.
With that empathy in hand, I understand the need and want to make new stories, to build on what has come before, and to keep trying to iterate, even though sometimes we fail. So many amazing and talented teams went through the effort of creating not only worlds and cavalcades of lore, but mechanics, concepts, and design philosophies. Making new games not only challenges us on the story front, but also on the mechanical and design front. I don’t know personally, but I imagine that’s such an enticing and exciting idea to a developer.
I could go on and on about this, obviously, but also look at companies like Nintendo: they’ve iterated and reimagined the same concepts over and over again, and we still adore them. No two games in any of their franchises are quite the same. Except for the “New” Super Mario Bros games. And they’re a bummer. But think of all Nintendo has done with Mario alone.
There is room to keep growing a franchise, but you need to have the right philosophy, and the right spirit behind it. But, it’s a complicated topic. Curious as to what you’re working on.
It’s probably the Lingering Will fight from Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix. Not only is that one of my favorite games ever, but that fight is intense and engaging in a way that only the best fights in that franchise are. And it’s hard as balls.
You can watch me attempt, and eventually beat the fight, here:
youtube
Part of what made that fight was the way it incorporated the combat mechanics of the game as a whole, and continued to challenge you to use them. It’s really fun and intense, and it totes the line of frustrating well. It never feels cheap.
On top of that, the Linger Will is this representation of the pain a character suffers through throughout an entire game in that franchise. It is the embodiment of Terra’s strength and determination. It’s a representation of the power that character stood for in his group of friends, and it’s really meaningful to that series as a whole, I think.
When you get that bit of lore and that bit of gameplay together just right, you can make something that is emotional and mechanical; that perfect serendipity.
Some of my other favorite boss fights do this too. Pretty much any and all of the bosses in Undertale, which also have the hook of being brilliant representatives of those characters. Roxas’s fight from Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix. Duke’s fight in Tales of Vesperia. The Sephiroth fight at the end of FF7. The list goes on.
I am drinking nothing right now. I had a lot of wine during the podcast last night so I am trying to not drink tonight.
Maybe some water?
Persona 4 is really good for this honestly. Honestly I don’t know. Maybe Breath of the Wild? Just because restarting that game and going in a different direction on a new play through would be super exciting.
Also: Tretris is great. But I get more from my games than gameplay. Sometimes emotion and gameplay can outweigh the other if they’re VERY good. For example, Breath of the Wild is so great on a gameplay level that few games can compete with it. But it’s really the balance of both that’s the best. See: Persona 4 Golden.
Tetris gets old after a while. It’s a game that’s great in short bursts though. Unpopular opinion I guess?
I have not! Should I? Jeff Gerstmann was talking it up on the Bombcast and it sounds pretty fun. I don’t know if I’m in the right mood for a weird and silly physics-y indie game right now, but is there more to that game than that? Going off everything I have heard, that’s all I’ve gleamed. But i’d give it a shot, for sure.
Too many for me to give a lick.
Wow, pressures on, huh?
I honestly don’t know. I don’t have a good answer for this. It’s gonna sound super dumb, maybe, but I go most of my days not feeling awesome, and not thinking I’m awesome, regardless of what other people think. I try and do things that I think are awesome though, and I try and challenge myself to be better and get better, and I think people are receptive to that.
I’ve also just been incredibly lucky. So, so, sooooo lucky. Being at the right place, at the right time. Talking to the right people, which has helped me leave more memorable impressions of folks, and so when I ask them to do stuff with me, them remembering who I am helps.
But bringing people together is basically impossible. I just ask, I try and be cognizant of being annoying, I try and engage with as many different people as possible, I try and be cool, I try and never get too worked up or excited to disappointed on the other end of things, and I be the best person I can be. Ask questions, dig deeper, hear the whole story.
I don’t think that’s advice, more of how I came to have so many amazing internet friends, like yourself Harold, and it’s worked for me so far.
Shoutouts
A massive shoutout to all the folks who have been super receptive to me bringing them on as guests for these next few podcasts. We are going to be short one Nabeshin for a few weeks to come, so all these great hosts who have been cool about me reaching out and inviting them on has been super great. Dustin, Cameron, Andrew, and more to be announced and revealed, all great people.
All the love to the amazing network of friends who I have gotten the opportunity to work with.
That’s it. It’s the end. I feel a little bit better, but not a lot. Staying strong. We out here.
Gonna go drink some water and get ready to podcast with Quinten Hoffman. Let’s goooooooo.
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Top 10 Transformers of 2016
x2016 gets quite the bad wrap, from numerous celebrity deaths, to Brexit and Donald Trump, but as most of us have acknowledged, it was great year for Transformers!
Before I get into my list, I just thought I’d drop a few honourable mentions. We got a great Legends Fortress Maximus. Masterpiece Shockwave and Hot Rod are excellent Masterpiece v3 releases (more on what that means later). Fansproject Severo is the best Fansproject Dinobot so far, exceeding expectations. Legends Sprung gave us a cartoon accurate release of the greatest mould of all time, and Takara’s release of official flight stands, along with adding flight stand sockets to nearly every release is a watershed moment for those who like to dynamically pose their figures.
Now onto this year’s winners!
10. Maketoys Rearend with Hurricane Add-On Kit
Maketoys has released an excellent rendition of another Minibot from IDW’s More Than Meets the Eye, aka The Lost Light. Tailgate Rearend is an extremely well done little figure, with a relatively involved (for its size) transformation. The toy perfectly captures Tailgate, and is capable of extremely expressive poses. While 2014’s Maketoys “Manga Mech Series” Trash-Talk, aka Swerve, came packaged with another Minibot, Rearend comes with the “Hurricane Add-On Kit”, a set of accessories for Hasbro’s Reveal the Shield (or Challenge at Cybertron) Cyclonus. The kit includes a Great Sword, a new head, new hands, and some armour which convincingly transforms Cyclonus from G1 stylings to IDW stylings.
9. Diaclone Dia Battles V2 Prototype (Moon Base Version)
OK, this isn’t really a Transformer, but you know what? Technically, neither was the previous pick.
I’ve been doing my best to try and keep my collection more focused in recent years, so, this was an easy pass when it was announced. But then it was released, and Maz from TFSquareOne seemed to start of a chain reaction of glowing reviews (guess who tops his Top 10 list?), and I could no longer resist – I ordered one of each variant. And indeed, they did not disappoint. With little Diaclone pilots, a tiny motorcycle that could be stowed, great futuristic vehicles, a gorgeous, amazingly articulated robot, and lots of fun combinations, these toys were an absolute blast.
“You have 20 seconds to comply.”
Personally, I prefer the more unified colours of the Moon Base version, but they’re both excellent.
8. Maketoys Guardia
While complexity in HasTak’s figures has been on the decline after the first movie’s toys, and even more so since Beast Hunters, third parties have seemingly been going in the opposite direction. Fansproject Intimidator was extremely complex, and had intense tolerances. Maketoys Quantron was similar, and the third combiner, allegedly by the same designer that made the other two, is no different. I got Vulcan in July, but he stayed unopened until December because of the dread I had of how complex, and irritating, this figure would be. Unfortunately, it met expectations. Vulcan himself wasn’t that bad, but I am not a big fan of his aesthetic. But when it came time to getting everything into position for Guardia, the figure's design, combined with atrocious instructions, caused hours of frustration.
But then I finished, and before my eyes was the most beautiful, balanced, and well-articulated combiner I had ever seen.
7. Mastermind Creations (MMC) Carnifex
I read Last Stand of the Wreckers years ago, but retained absolutely none of it. Then I got into More Than Meets the Eye, which I really enjoyed, and right before the Dying of the Light, I almost begrudgingly decided to preorder MMC’s Carnifex. Then I finished MTMTE, and went back and read it all again (due to its density), and then went back and re-read Last Stand of the Wreckers. So, when Carnifex arrived a few weeks ago, I was really excited, and sliding that styrofoam insert out of the box revealed an accurate, menacing thing of beauty! What a tremendous job MMC has done! Although, the transformation was not without issues. I had heard recommendations to watch a few videos before attempting the shoulders, but my problems began way earlier, firstly with the sliding backpack, and secondly with the clashing of the antennas and the jet shield. Surprisingly, when I got to the shoulders, the simple warnings were enough, and I was able to navigate them with care, and without issue. I’ve learned to compensate for the two previous issues, and have transformed the figure numerous times since, and even enjoy the process now. But with some minor improvements to the instructions and the jet shield, this figure could’ve been nearly perfect.
6. Takara Legends Blurr
I wasn’t into the comics when United Blurr was released, so the reference was of no value to me, I never really liked it, and I was quite excited for a new, cartoon-accurate Blurr. But when Hasbro showed Titans Return Blurr, that excitement quickly dissipated. I couldn’t believe how awful it looked, toy-accurate or not. But then we saw pictures of Takara Tomy’s Legends Blurr, and I sold off my two United Blurrs immediately. Good riddance! Once I had LG Blurr in hand, my son and I brought up some stills from the 1986 Movie, and the accuracy was stunning, even down to the wizard sleeves. Plus, the figure was FUN! Even though G1 Blurr wasn’t a Headmaster, he WAS a Targetmaster, and having a working cockpit on a figure is always a treat. Unlike many of his siblings in the line, he had wrist articulation too – bonus! While I haven’t been too impressed by what I’ve seen of Titans Return Hot Rod and Kup, if Takara can do to them what they did with Blurr, I think we’ll be just fine.
5. Takara Legends Wheelie
A few years ago, I remember saying that Universe Wheelie (Legends Class), Transformers 2010 Unicorn, and Classics/Henkei Skyfire were three of my favourite figures, because when I was a child, their cartoon characters either never existed as toys, or their toys were hugely different to their animation models. Then along came Takara’s Legends (LG) Wheelie. Again, Takara have given us another wonderfully painted figure, and from an engineering perspective, this little figure has more packed into it than many of the Deluxe class figures from the same line (looking at you, Hardhead!). But the best part? You can even fit a little Titan Master inside the cockpit of this Scout-Class-sized figure!
4. Unite Warriors Grand Galvatron
This release still confuses me to this day. The strange, diverse grouping of characters from different continuities seems more like something Fun Publications would release as an exclusive, rather than Takara, but for some reason that I can’t recall, I still preordered it. And then it arrived, and it blew me away! It had such great colour diversity – Starscream’s clear plastics, Thrust’s green tones, and Cyclonus’s metallic purples, It was lavishly covered in paint and details, and had awesome head moulds. It also provided me with versions of the Rook and Offroad moulds, which I had no intention of acquiring. I played with this toy for hours, and took heaps of photos of it.
I don’t know why this set affected me the way it did, but it became an instant favourite.
3. Unite Warriors Computron
I think expectations can greatly affect how much we enjoy things, whether they be movies, figures, or virtually anything else. I think having low expectations, and then having them exceeded, greatly contributed to my enjoyment of Grand Galvatron this year, and also Unite Warriors Menasor last year. So, I really, really, really tried to temper my high expectations for Computron, but as a huge Technobots fan, I failed. I was so excited. But then Bruticus was released, another figure I was excited for, and QC and design issues decimated my enjoyment of that figure. Sure, it was beautiful, when it could stand without falling over, or not fall apart, but it was generally a bug-ridden piece of shit. Thankfully, Computron had no such issues. Part of me wonders if Bruticus’s failures contributed to Computron’s lack thereof.
Takara really did save their best for last – each member of the team (except for perhaps Scattershot) is the best iteration of their respective mould, and Strafe… Strafe is nothing shy of amazing. Even the individual weapons for each team member are well-conceived and thoughtfully G1-inspired. Yes, I wish Afterburner was a bit more orange, but that’s a small price to pay for an outstanding rendition of my favourite combiner team.
2. Masterpiece Inferno
If MP10 marks the unofficial beginning of Masterpiece Version 2, then I think MP27 Ironhide marks the beginning of Masterpiece Version 3. Takara seems to have made a very clear distinction of what a Masterpiece figure should be, in that the first and foremost priority, is cartoon accuracy of the robot mode. With some exception, they also seem to be stating that the alt mode should still be real-world accurate. I clearly support this decision and direction, and my genuine condolences to collectors that don’t. Masterpiece Inferno completely epitomises this ideology. As with all recent releases, he comes with a bundle of cute and fun accessories, including faces, to enact many fun scenes from the cartoon, and arguably the greatest MP accessory of all time: squirting water. His robot mode is so expressive, but the real magic, is the transformation. If you’ve transformed him, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I believe that the ladder transformation is THE coolest, most elegant, and gratifying transformation step in any Transformer, first or third party, to date! I believe that we will be talking about it, and comparing things against it, for years to come. And that’s not even his only “Masterpiece Moment”. Takara has demonstrated that they are still the undisputed king of the hill in product design. IF flipping out Inferno’s head into robot mode didn’t have such a tight clearance, making me worry for chrome wear on his head cannon, this figure might be perfect, and be at the top of the list, but I still find that part of his transformation a bit harrowing. Let me know if you know a good trick for this.
And finally, the winner is…
1. Masterpiece Ironhide & Ratchet
Masterpiece Ironhide was our first glimpse of Masterpiece Version 3, most evident by the simple blockiness of his legs. And somewhat like Wheelie, I don’t think anyone would have ever been satisfied with G1 Ironhide and Ratchet after seeing the cartoon. Universe/Henkei Ironhide’s robot mode was better, but his immovable robot head was unforgivable. These new Masterpieces are slavishly accurate to the cartoon. And just like Inferno, their transformation is elegant, gratifying and FUN! Unlike Inferno’s transformation, there’s are no points of worry or frustration with these two, which is what closely edges them out to the top spot.
But what about the hip flaps? Yes, the immovable hip flaps are not perfect, and some poses look a bit strange, but I find that pictures make them appear worse than they are in person, and in the grand scheme of things, they’re a minor issue. I think Ratchet’s different torso makes him a bit better in this area, but Ironhide’s faces truly steal the cake, especially his “O face”. If you can put that on, and not find yourself saying, “But PRIME!” in that voice, you might not be wired right.
And that’s a wrap!
Yes, 2016 was amazing, but the pipeline for 2017 is looking just as awesome, with the DJD and Megatron coming from MMC, more Legends figures, including a new Voyager Class Astrotrain, and more v3 Masterpieces, included Inferno’s mould-mate, Grapple, and the highly anticipated release of Masterpiece Megatron! I hope we’ll finally get Unite Warriors Predaking and Abominus, and that Takara brings their magic to a Unite Warriors release of Liokaiser. Until then, see you next year!
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