#why you pronounce the HAM so aggressively

[alexi-01]

the pain of americans not pronouncing ‘birmingham’ correctly and having to hear the indycar commentators continuously saying it wrong

[raiswanson]

Character Ask Game

Tagged in by @etjwrites to answer some questions from this tag game, and like the overachiever I am.....I’m just going to answer them all. :D

Let’s interview Rewill shall we?

1) if they could choose a new name, what would they choose?

[Rewill leans forward and looks directly into the camera] How about one that the author can pronounce consistently. That sounds like fun.

2) what’s a surefire way of making them happy?

Lots of things make me happy. Game night, spending time with friends, going to the diner back on Victorious. Look, I know the food looks like absolute ass but it’s good, I promise, once you get past the chalkiness of the powdered eggs they aren’t so bad, and the ham isn’t really so tough once you get used to it--Okay why are you looking at me like that. Fine, no diner special for you then, judgeypants.

3) what’s a surefire way of making them sad?

Well...again, lots of things. The usual things, I suppose. People being rude or aggressive for no reason, looking at the state of things in the outside world, seeing things in the news about the cruise starship “accidents”...I don’t...really want to get into this subject, if that’s alright.

4) what do they do when they feel sad?

What, you mean other than cry my eyes out? I dunno, I guess I talk less? Jiy always says I veer between dead silence and doubling my sass, but I don’t really see it. I just mope around feeling miserable until I get out of my funk.

5) how do they choose their friends?

That’s easy. I look around for someone interesting and go “that one. I’m going to talk to that one” and then I hang around until my endless charm wins them over and can’t bear to be away from me. It’s what I did with Maika! [sound of a fist banging furiously on the interview window] She’s a work in progress. But I’ve almost got her, I can tell.

6) what kinds of food do they like?

I like what everyone refers to as “space trash”, but they’re just snobs. There’s nothing wrong with a good old fashioned hot dog from a food district stand, or a greasy burrito from a shady little joint in the back end of the manufacturing quarter, okay? Way out here in space the stuff you can get there is just as fresh as whatever you got at your fancy restaurant, and you can’t get that flavor anywhere else.

7) who is the person closest to them?

Jiy. We’ve been together since we were small, and we’ve been through a lot. We share...mostly everything, and what we don’t share the other can usually kind of sense?

8) what kinds of music do they listen to?

I like all sorts of music, but anything with energy you can dance a tango to has a special place in my heart. Personal sentiment, you understand. That and whatever’s going on with those old school scifi films. That electro...synth...thing. I love that.

9) if logistics and money weren’t an issue, what kind of animal would they keep as a pet? (includes fantastical animals like dragons as well btw)

Hmm. I might have said dragon before all of this started, but I think that might be disrespectful to Pry? I wouldn’t call him a pe-- [Rewill pauses, staring straight ahead, then turns to scowl at the door] I am not your pet, Pry, don’t be rud--Lok, I’m pretty happy with the android hounds I have back on the ship. They’re polite and don’t get sassy with me and I wouldn’t dream of anything else.

10) what does the landscape of their mind look like?

Uhhh, probably not a lot like most, considering all the hardware I’ve got in there. It varies between a blank dark space with floating thoughts, and a literal console screen full of memory folders and input/output and stuff. It depends.

11) why do they like themselves?

Because I’m awesome? I’m an absolute delight and joy to be around. I bring light to every room I enter, enthusiasm to every task, and my smile could power an entire field of solar panels. What’s not to like?

12) what do they dream of doing if they had anything and everything open to them?

I’ve always wanted to travel. Like, through space, I mean. I’ve always wanted to be out there, but first I had Jiy to look after, and then Mach’s crew had to stick to the area for obvious reasons...but I dunno. I want to go out and see what’s out there. Everything is so big. I want to explore it all.

13) what fashion choices do they make? do they go more for comfort or style?

I enjoy a blend of both. I like to look good, but it I can’t move around easily I won’t go for it. That’s why I usually for a nice spacer suit and a jacket, maybe a utility belt if I need to carry a few extra things. I don’t really understand the fashions on the colonies, and up on the stations it’s really just suits or absolutely wild eyesores. I just want to be able to do my job and not get my ten foot long train covered in every snaggly material under the sun caught on every door I try to walk through, you get me?

14) if they had to go somewhere without a map, what’s the likelihood that they would make it there without getting lost?

I’m pretty good with following directions without a visual aid. You kind of have to be in my line of work--if you sneak into a cruise ship to swipe something from the vault and pop out in a room full of guards, you don’t get very far, you know? I can find my way around. I’ve always had a good head for it.

15) what types of people do they attract?

People like me, I guess. People that have an inherent need to help out and stand up for the people around them. Oh, and smart-talkers. Can’t forget that. Everyone around me is always full of wisecracks. Seriously, they never stop. It’s always aimed at me, too. Help.

16) what types of people are they attracted to?

Well, looking at my track record, apparently that would be people that can beat me up and trash talk me while they do it, hahaha. But seriously, I think I just like people. It’s a problem. Jiy used to get really jealous until I convinced him I only had eyes for him~

17) what is their greatest fear?

Ah. Yeah. I suppose part of that’s already happened, so I guess...losing Jiy. I can’t even...imagine...what I’d do if that happened. Even after all the close calls we’ve had, just thinking about it makes it hard to breathe and sets my heart rate off, and--yep, there it goes, I’m seeing malfunction warnings now, what did I tell you?

18) what kinds of body modifications would they do if they could? (e.g. tattoos, dyeing hair, piercings, etc.)

Ahh, ha, yeah, I think I’ve had enough of those for a lifetime. Considering how much of my is either metal internally or something hooked through my skin, I’m about done with making personal tweaks. I used to have a few more tattoos before, but after I got the synthetic stuff I never really bothered to replace them. I’ve thought about it, but...eh?

19) what are they insecure about?

I think I come on a little strong sometimes? Sometimes I wonder if I’m pushing too hard and no one wants to speak up about it. Or that I’m speaking over people and not realizing it. I think I’ve spent half my life hearing Jiy tell me otherwise, but, I still wonder.

20) how do they treat people/beings who have less power than them?

Power is kind of hard to quantify, isn’t it? Someone less physically strong might be able to run me in circles with another method, and vice versa. Someone with political power can still be taken down if you play your cards right and sweep it out from under them. Erm. I guess what I’m trying to say is I wouldn’t really consider anyone as having “less” power than me, so I can’t really answer that question. I’d treat them like I treat anyone else, because that’s who they’d be. Just another person.

And the tag games tag list!! You can answer either a few of all of the questions, go nuts!!

@helenpowers | @typeaadventures | @tundra-tiger | @jesse-is-inarguably-purple | @inkandkeyboard | @lilymaidofgallifrey | @booksaremymeth | @otramble | @dqwrites | @jade-island-lives | @jaidynwrites | @lady-redshield-writes |  @authorloremipsum | @thewitchthetimeladythehuntress | @midgardianthief | @sincerestaffect | @universalfanfic | @siarven | @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword | @authordai | @vulpixofwin | @incandescent-creativity | @dove-actually | @fictionshewrote | @ren-c-leyn | @kirabauthor |  @etjwrites | @homesteadchronicles | @asttralwriting  

[laszlowrobinson]

A playlist that your character would actually listen to

It didn’t say to describe why they would listen to these songs, but I did it anyway because while idk anything about music I like to rave about it lmao

Spice Up Your Life - Spice Girls 

I mean the Spice Girls were and still are iconic spelled to sound like eye-con-eek. They were a good chunk of his childhood to adolescence since they WERE the 90′s. So not only is their music just, you know, great, it holds a very nostalgic place in his heart. I mean he for sure watched Spice World and didn’t give a single shit that it makes no sense. It didn’t need to, it was the Spice Girls hanging with aliens and chilling out on the bus in their iconic fashion. Anyone in that movie he will reference as their character from that instead of like oh Hugh Laurie from House MD? NO, it’s Hugh Laurie, Poritot from Spice World. Oh Stephen Fry? From Gosford Par? NO, it’s Stephen Fry, the Judge from Spice World. 

Anyways, while he would and does put their entire discography on, I’m putting this one in particular because it’s such a bop!! And their anthem. When the bitches were back for the 2012 Olympics, while they may have opened with Wannabe with choreography, (except Victoria who literally stood there Posing, the icon) they really went in with Spice Up Your Life okay, they rode around that stadium ON the cabs while singing it!!! It’s 100% the song that will pick him up off the floor. 

LA DI DA - EVERGLOW

What a song??? Holy SHIT. It may be only like a month old in its life span but it Hits, so it gets a spot on this playlist because as soon as I heard it I was like, “Laszlo would be obsessed.” It’s a bop, it’s a jam, it’s everything he could ever ask for in a song. First off, the production on it is just so good!!! The beats HIT and the clapping behind their vocals picks it up to another level. And that part where they like lmfao aggressively grunt?? after “Everglow forever let’s go.” amazing, brilliant, stunning, absolutely the best thing he has ever heard before. And then the VOCALS!!! The talent!!!! Like the range between all the girls is astounding, and I don’t just mean their vocal range. I mean ALL of it, the singing, the rapping, the power and then pulling it back for the softness until they come back to make heads bop for the chorus. Whew!!! Just such a good, pump up song that he can bop around too and that’s his favorite kind of music!! 

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) - ABBA but the Cher Cover 

No disrespect to ABBA because Laszlo loves them, but he looooves Cher and while he would ALSO play her entire discography, this song just hits different sung by Cher in 2018 in her beautiful, earthy voice. And she did it so tastefully. She respected the original song by not turning it over into something completely lost to the track but it still felt like she was putting her own magical Cher-y blessing upon it as if it were her very own song. It’s like the perfect crossover??? He probably had an out of body experience listening to her cover album of ABBA and then going to see her in Mama Mia! 2. Plus, like, this song is also his life lmfaooooo where is his man,,, @ god (who is Cher, as confirmed on Will and Grace.) 

I Know A Place - MUNA

Not only is this song just...so good...but the lyrics of it really hit home for him. Like??? “Don’t you be afraid of love and affection/ just lay down your weapon”??? ow bitch. But it is a celebratory song!!! It’s about being able to be whoever you are and not having to worry about getting hurt or dealing with the bleeeh people of the world because they’re going to a place that’s safe and accepting, and that’s in LGBT+ spaces. And there are a lot of people who don’t feel safe and who are having to hide themselves, but this song is providing them a little slice of heaven to be themselves. It also serves as a reminder that there are places were you can be safe and happy and yourself and you will be accepted!!! And that’s just such a lovely message, and for music like this to be out there in the world for the youth makes him so happy! And the music itself is so funky and absolutely something that one can dance to. It has those places that slow down...and then HIT for the bopping around for the hype of the chorus!! UGH! and Katie’s voice still being sort of haunting really just brings it on home. This song is so good!! Stream MUNA!!!!! 

Paparazzi - Lady Gaga (TW: fake blood from 3:20-end of the video) 

I’m linking the 2009 MTV performance because I’m going to say that this was his first exposure to Lady Gaga and holy shit was it life changing!!! This was everything. Like the performance art of it really came for his throat. Spoiler alert: when the blood started pouring from her chest and the crowd like gasped and groaned??? It was a Cultural Reset!! She was singing her heart out and going all out on that choreography. Her foot up on the piano as she slammed the keys??? The set design?? SO GOOD! And her dancers? Shout out to them, because damn they really did that. So, not only is the song amazing, he will always associate it with hearing it to this performance and it is still such a good song!!! The lyrics are insane. She did this when she was 23, only a year older than him, and boy did it light a fire under his ass. 

And it also serves to keep him humble lmfao. Even though he isn’t Famous famous like his other family members he does have his own little corner of fame and can’t be out here falling in love with the attention. 

Coisa Boa - Gloria Groove

Honestly, anything Gloria Groove puts out is pure gold to his ears. They don’t have to go as hard as they do, but they do it anyways! The really pronounced instrument that’s going on? Their singing??? Going from rapping to hitting that note at the end of “Quer papo de ousadia?” absolutely sends Laszlo off the rails. Like, there’s no other way to describe their style than Iconic. It’s fun and fighty and gah! So good!! Also it just being about getting the Squad and going ham is just, chef kisses. Again, his favorite songs are things that get him moving and grooving, and this ones ticks all the marks and so much more. One day they will release an album and on that day someone should check to make sure Laszlo is still alive. 

Toxic - Brittany Spears

I mean what is there to say. The song is iconic, it came out when he was like 17. It was everything and still holds up today. The production on it still just boggles the mind. That like eeeeee sound??? The spy music break in the middle of it?? And the video!!! Art. The fact that she did the back handspring during the laser bit really just made him go insane. Cultural reset from the pop queen of the time. Turned him into a bigger Britney fan. Everything about it is so good. Another nostalgic one, but !! it still holds up baby!! If this is played he is legally required to perform. 

El Mambo - Mon Laferte

Her voice is just?? out of this world. Laszlo is a huuuge fan of everything she puts out but this one really just took him out. Like she can hit some powerful vocals and that’s what the beginning seems like they’re counting up to, but when she came out of the gate just rapping about this guy who needs to get over himself, woooowie. And then she comes back for that mambo sound in the chorus and her beautiful voice going In, ugh. UGH. It’s so good!!! She is amazing and the instruments on this one really highlight that as well as making it groovy enough to dance around to as we say goodbye to toxic men and their overwhelming jealousy!!

Too Little Too Late - JoJo

I’m linking to the 2018 version because JoJo re-releasing all her music so that she can get the cash money from HER music is...stunning, amazing, love her and love that for her. This song was yet another cultural reset. And you know what, she just got better. Her vocals kick ass and the lyrics are still just as good as they were when they first came out. That high register run she does toward the end??? Okay?? go off!!! Another song about a wonderful lady kicking a man out of her life and becoming better for it. also she JUST came out with a Christmas album so go stream it. 

Endless - Frank Ocean

Now this is the whole album because, honestly, that’s how it’s supposed to be listened to. There’s also the visual element that you’re supposed to watch while listening, but since that’s like no where to be found since Mr. Ocean’s people snatched it all up from the internet unless you want to buy it off Apple, this is all we get to work with. Which is fine, honestly. ANYWAYS, this whole album is just so beautiful. And no one really knows the full story behind where it came from or why Mr. Ocean made it, and that’s a whole over layer as to why Laszlo adores it!! Not only is the music stunning but the mystery surrounding it gives him life. Frank Ocean is another artist that he could press random on the entire discography and be happy with whatever decided to play, but THIS album is his favorite from the man. It may seem like the outtakes from Blonde but to Laszlo, they all feel intentional. It’s like peaking into a sketchbook versus the novel of Blonde, and that appeals to him!! There is a certain effort that needs to be put in to listen to it by finding it. So it’s that little bit of extra artistry that makes this album hit different than the others, plus the songs, though some very VERY short, are all GREAT. Every song has this sort of improv feeling almost? but feel effortless like all his other music. Some of them are really short, just snip bits of a song, but they don’t feel that way with how they flow together and cut one another off and it’s just a weird entity of music that feels fleeting and yet...endless. 

[saiilorstars]

It Had To Be You

Ch.23: A Broken Family // Story Masterlist

Fandom: The Flash

Pairings: Barry Allen x Female OC

Pronunciation of OC’s name: Bell-en. The last syllable has an emphasis so it’s not pronounced like ‘Helen’ would be.

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

Chapter Summary: Belén's sister comes to an important realization that could put both Belén and Barry in danger. 

{Previous chapters}

"What...are you even doing?" Maritza crinkled her nose every time she witnessed her brother telekinetically raise a dead rat from floor. Rayan had taken refuge in the old warehouse where he was once kept. For time now, he seemed to be off in his own world doing tricks of his own with his powers. Maritza could see fine progress in his powers but she also saw a deterioration in his health. She was scared they were both interrelated.

Currently, Rayan watched with a straight face as he levitated the dead rat off the floor again. He tilted his head a bit and missed the big flinch Maritza gave behind him after one of the rat's bones cracked.

"You shouldn't be so soft, Maritza," his voice was cold and flat. "After all, being soft is what drove Belén away from us."

Maritza looked down at the ground. She suspected a big part of Rayan's detachment from their group was due to Belén capturing Noah. It solidified where their sister stood and it was no easy thing accepting she declared herself their enemy. Rayan had always been close to his sister - they were twins after all - and now that he was truly going to have be without her was something difficult.

"Angie wants to find Noah...she's been making more appearances in the city now," Maritza thought Angie's wrecklessness would at least incite some type of irritation from Rayan but she was wrong.

Rayan gave a mere shrug of his shoulders and let the rat drop back on the ground. "Let her. She's obsessed with Noah anyways. I'm better here, working on the control..."

"Yeah, on a rat!" Maritza stalked over to her brother and pulled him away from the rat. "That's just gross!"

Rayan met her with dead eyes, emotionless. "I need something to practice controlling the nerves of the body. Telekinetically moving parts of another person's body is no easy task."

"Rayan, please," Maritza put her hands together in front of her, "Snap out of whatever this is. I'd say it's unhealthy but I think we're long past that. We need plans, we need to do something-"

"-like what? Belén is gone, Noah's gone...and these headaches just won't go away!" Rayan tapped the side of his head rather aggressively, making Maritza even wince. "My head feels heavy, Maritza. I can't do anything right now..."

"You need to rest," Maritza set her hands on her brother's shoulders. "Maybe after some sleep you'll feel better."

Rayan rolled her eyes and for the first time displayed an emotion at her. "You know what I really want? I want to kill the Flash. Anyone involved with him. That way Belén can be alone just like she left me." He turn around and headed back to where his dead rat laid on the ground.

Maritza gaped at his back. He was actually talking about...hurting their little sister? The even scarier part was the fact she didn't know if he was joking or already planning something.

~ 0 ~

"Yeah, they're not taking it well," Barry told Belén while the two walked alongside each other on the street of Belén's house. He'd just told Caitlin and Cisco their suspicions about Dr. Wells and while Cisco seemed a little more inclined to believe them, Caitlin was having big trouble deciding who to believe.

"They've worked with the man for a long time, it's natural they have doubts," Belén said, though she was sure the two would come to believe Barry instead. They had to remember he would never lie about something so big like this.

"I just hope they don't go doing something stupid like directly asking Wells," Barry sighed. If anyone gave Wells even the slightest slip of what they suspected him off, he would no doubt get away from them. Barry didn't want to risk losing him again.

Belén stopped when she saw her sister taking Axel from Mrs. Andrews. "I didn't know she needed a babysitter today. I have the day off!" But that was Maritza, she was always going off doing things on her own...though Belén never pushed Maritza about it considering she did the same thing with STAR Labs.

"Auntie Belén, look what I made!" Axel shouted as soon as he saw Belén on the street. He was waving a white paper over his head while Maritza led them towards the house. Belén and Barry crossed the street to follow them home. Axel shook his hand from his mother's and rushed up to Belén. "I drew a house that I'm going to build when I grow up!"

"His father was an architect," Belén whispered to Barry for his understanding. She took the drawing from Axel and laughed with Barry as they examined the house Axel was so proud of. It was a bunch of squares with the traditional triangle roof but there were many small circles around, making the two metas wonder what Axel was planning on those being. "This is great, Axel."

"Mrs. Andrews said that she would live in it," Axel said, even more proud. "I told her could."

"So nice of him," Maritza ruffled his dark hair. "Where've you been, Belén?"

"Went out to the park," the younger sister said cheerily.

For a split moment, Maritza heard Rayan's wish and felt a terrible pit in her stomach. Axel tugged on Belén's arm, motioning with his hand he wanted his drawing back. "Auntie Belén, are you going away with Barry again? Remember you said you were going to have dinner with me one day?"

"I said that?" Belén looked up at her sister for confirmation, and when Maritza nodded Belén glanced at Barry. "I may have said that..."

Barry chuckled. He looked down at the hopeful boy, knowing how much Axel loved his 'auntie Belén' and decided their plans could wait for another day. "We could go out another night," he told Belén, "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Or..." Maritza began before she even realized what she was doing, "...you could stay for dinner?"

The request made both Belén and Barry stop and look at each other. Belén was sure this was too fast - having dinner with a family member when they'd only been dating for a couple months was too fast...right?

Axel beamed at the idea. "Ooh! Can we? I'll help clean up!"

"Maritza," Belén made a face that indicated the request was too out of the blue.

"I don't mind," Barry's response made the ombre-blond snap her head in his direction. She was sporting a light pink blush...just like he was. "I-I mean if you d-don't mind...I meant..." He understood it was out of the ordinary and yes it made him nervous actually sitting down and having a conversation with Belén's sister, but...didn't they deserve to have a nice night after so many things were happening at STAR Labs?

"I don't mind," Belén quickly clarified, putting a hand over her chest. "I definitely don't mind, I was just...maybe you had plans or something..."

"My plans were with you, remember?" his small smile of reminder made her smack her forehead.

"I'm so stupid," she mumbled.

Barry laughed. "No, you're not." He looked back at Maritza who was already smiling at them. "I'd love to."

"Great, any cravings we could go by?" Maritza asked from them but Axel was the one to raise his hand to answer.

"Oh! Oh! Can we have spaghetti!? With meatballs!? Oh! And ham! Let's have spaghetti!" he put his hands together and smiled as wide as he could for the three adults.

Maritza looked down at her son. "I don't know, honey. Barry's our guest, he gets to pick remember?"

Axel very innocently inched closer to Barry, tugging on his arm until Barry bent down in front of him. "You can pick. Do you want to pick spaghetti?"

Barry couldn't help but laugh. He rarely got to be around children so Axel made his heart swell with happiness. "You know what, I do want to pick spaghetti."

Axel beamed and turned to his mother. "See? He picked spaghetti!"

"I wonder why," Maritza's sarcasm didn't register with the boy. "We'll see you later, Barry," she said as she grabbed Axel's hand again to lead him back home.

"You really didn't have to do that, Barry. I want you to know that you're not under any obligation to come," Belén said as soon as her sister was inside their house. "It's too fast - even for the Flash - and I would get that completely."

Barry smiled at her, genuinely happy in that moment. He surprised her with a kiss that may have lasted a minute or two...and may have been broken by the sounds of a car passing by. He had one hand resting on Belén's cheek, and his smile that just grew the more he stared at her. "I want to. We deserve something nice and besides, your sister invited me. I was not going to turn down the big sister."

Belén chuckled. "Maritza can't hurt a fly."

"I'm not taking the chance."

"You really okay with this?" Belén's voice quieted down. "I know you have a lot on your mind and...I don't want you to-"

"Bells, I'm really okay. I do have a lot on my mind but being with you helps me more than you think," Barry reached for one of her hands and gently tugged her closer to him. "Let's have a nice dinner with your sister and your adorable nephew."

A big smile spread across Belén's face. "I can't wait."

~ 0 ~

"This makes it the third break in this week," Cisco huffed at his computer as if it were at fault for Pixel breaking into another jewelry store. "This chick's obviously mad we locked her boyfriend away."

"How do you know they were together?" Caitlin asked beside him. She was sitting down at the desk, with her computer turned on but she wasn't really doing anything with it.

"Believe me, that face she makes every time she sees the security camera is for us," Cisco said, making a face each time he remembered the blonde woman glaring at the camera feed. "She's basically saying 'come at me'. She's mad."

Caitlin made a shake of her head and reached for her mug on the desk. She took a small sip of it then lowered her mug. She let a moment pass before she spoke again, and when she did it was much more quiet. "Have you thought about what Barry told us?"

Cisco raised his eyebrows and leaned against his chair. Of course he thought about it. It was the only thing he'd thought about since Barry talked to them that morning. "Oh yeah."

"And...? What do you think?" it was easy to see the turmoil Caitlin was in. She was torn between believing the guy who'd risked his life countless times to help others...and believing the man she'd worked for years now.

"Look, I gotta be honest, it does have some logic," Cisco continued to think about the flashes of Wells killing him. Though he didn't understand what it meant yet, he was sure it had to do with all this.

"But it doesn't make sense," Caitlin gripped her mug's handle. "Dr. Wells has done nothing but help us. How could he be the same man who murdered Barry's mom and Belén's father? It - it doesn't make sense."

"No one said it would be easy to understand," Cisco shrugged.

"How are you so calm about this?" Caitlin shot him an accusing glance. It was as if he was throwing away all those years he worked closely with Dr. Wells.

"Because Barry said we were going to come up with a way to prove all this," Cisco thought he was acting appropriately. He wasn't going to freak out but he wasn't going to discard everything Barry said. He needed to see evidence before they could make a complete decision on their next actions. Besides, Wells didn't know anything at the moment so it would be a quicker process to gather that evidence.

Caitlin's eyes had barely returned to her computer when the screen started blinking in an alert. She put her mug down and ignored Cisco's groan.

"If it's that woman again-"

"-it's Pixel," Caitlin offered him an apologetic smile.

"Homegirl is working my last nerve..." Cisco muttered as he grabbed his phone to call Barry. "I can't wait till we lock her - Barry! Pixel's on 5th street and Main! Jewelry store! Yeah, I know, again-" Cisco rolled his eyes but Caitlin grabbed his phone to hurry Barry along.

"Seriously, save it for later," Caitlin disapprovingly shook her head at Cisco. She took his phone and dialed for Belén's number next with the intention of handling the call herself.

~ 0 ~

Pixel had shattered almost every display case to personally pick out the pieces of jewelry she loved. She had all the employees and the unfortunate customers huddled in one corner, anxiously waiting for her to take what she wanted and leave. She didn't even flinch when she felt wind pick up behind her. She was currently trying on a blue stoned ring.

"Too much?" she glanced back at Barry with her hand in the air, wiggling her fingers.

"A little," Barry's tone was flat. He was tired of the same game she'd been pulling all week. She wasn't even selling what she was stealing - it was clear she was just doing it for attention and, above all, to irritate the team.

"The color's beautiful though," she turned around completely, letting her blonde hair cascade over one shoulder. "It reminds me of Azul...you wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

Barry was about to answer when he noticed the sneaky vines crawling underneath the display table. With a smile on his face, Barry shook his head. "Nope. And even if I did, I don't think my partner would let you have him back. She's mad."

Pixel smirked. "Oh, I bet she is." Not a second later did she feel something wrap around her ankles. Before she knew it, the vines had yanked her down, letting her hit the floor headfirst. Barry flinched - as did the civilians in the room - when he heard the crack noise no doubt from Pixel's nose breaking.

"You're going right where Azul did!" the Azalea was formed by her trusty vines. There were blotches of green patches on her skin and Barry was happy to see her no longer bothered by them. It was still a challenge for her to control but it was getting easier when she allowed the random patches to appear instead of forcing them away. It was the first step.

Pixel raised her head up and touched her broken nose that was also bleeding. "Bitch," she mumbled under her breath. She disintegrated there and then, leaving the two metahumans in an alert state.

"C'mon, get out of here," Belén decided to get the civilians out before Pixel returned. She hurried them along towards the entrance doors but as she was helping the last civilian she felt a streak of energy hit her on the side, knocking her into one of the display tables.

"That was for the nose," Pixel had reappeared across the store and was now coming for Belén, both hands ready to shoot again, "And this one's for whatever you did to Azul." She fired again but Barry sped Belén to another part of the store.

"You okay?" he noticed her left forearm had a long gash that was bleeding.

"I may have glass inside," Belén gave a quick shrug before setting her eyes on Pixel. "But she's going to be inside a pod today."

"We'll see," the blonde metahuman wiggled her fingers just as her feet began disintegrating.

"Nope!" Barry sped forwards and rammed her into a wall, forcing her to stop the disintegration if she wanted to go in one piece.

Pixel, however, was quick to retaliate. She brought her knee into his stomach, making the speedster groan and instinctively duck. Pixel fired her energy directly at him, blowing him back across the room. Belén acted fast when she saw the blonde going for a third blow of energy and snatched a display glass with her vines. She threw it directly at Pixel, hoping to crash it over the woman but Pixel's energy made the glass shatter instead.

Barry picked himself up, though felt groggy from the throw. His vision was a bit blurry but he was able to see Pixel making a run out the street. He and Belén rushed out only to see Pixel disintegrating halfway down the street, only God knowing where the hell she would appear next.

"Dammit!" Belén hissed. Her frustration grew every time they lost Pixel, especially since it was always the same way.

~ 0 ~

Caitlin immediately set to take the shards of glass from Belén's arm, but it was hard to do when the metahuman was still raging over their loss and moving her arms around to do her wild gestures.

"She's toying with us! She's having fun just messing with us!" Belén's shouted in the medbay room. "She's not even a hard metahuman to deal with - she's a pesk! That's what she is! A pesk!"

"Belén, please stay still," Caitlin calmly instructed her. With a loud sigh, Belén put her arms down and glared in silence.

"It's that disintegration trick she does that gets us," Barry was leaning against a desk in the room. Caitlin had already taken a look at him after Pixel's attack but he was fine - he was mad, but fine.

"She's crazy and annoying, a horrible combination," Cisco shivered just at the thought of Pixel.

"And getting to be a dangerous one at that," Dr. Wells' voice made the group look out into the cortex to see him coming towards them. The air shifted in the room into a much more tensed one. "Before we captured Noah, this woman had never really appeared in the city. She's not going to stop until she either gets Noah back or we put her in the pipeline."

"We've been thinking the same," Belén said in a quiet tone.

"Perhaps there's something we can use to disrupt her teleportation ability," Wells looked to Cisco and Caitlin for that task.

"Yeah, we'll get started on that," Cisco threw Caitlin a look, hoping the brunette wouldn't slip anything while they worked with Wells.

Caitlin pursed her lips together and nodded. "I just need to stitch Belén's cut first."

Wells agreed and took a head start to Cisco's workshop.

"I don't like lying to him," Caitlin then said once they were alone again.

"But he's been lying to us," Barry was quick to remind. She sighed and went back to her stitching. "Caitlin, please don't say anything."

"I won't," the brunette promised. "But I don't think this can be true-"

"-we'll look for evidence, trust us," Belén promised her. "But in the meantime, please don't act so weird around him. He's smart enough to suspect anything if we do."

Caitlin wasn't happy but what else she could do?

~ 0 ~

"That was stupid of you! Why the hell would you do that again!?" Maritza's shouts echoed throughout the warehouse. Pixel - or Angie who was now dressed in civilian clothing - merely rolled her eyes and stared at her new ring. "You're going to get yourself thrown into prison - or wherever the Flash stores all his prisoners."

"Jesus you yell so much, how does your kid take you?"

Maritza's eyes flared at the mention of her son. "Don't you ever mention my son, do you understand?"

Pixel shrugged and went back to admiring her ring. She pulled herself over an empty crate and crossed her legs. "I have to send a message that I'm going to keep causing trouble until I get Azul back."

"Rayan, tell her she can't do that," Maritza called to her brother but of course he never spoke up. Maritza groaned and turned to see her brother sitting cross legged on the floor, still working on that damn dead rat. "You have got to be kidding me! Rayan!"

Rayan let the rat fall to the ground but never glanced back at the two women. "Who cares? She's making life miserable for Belén and the Flash. Maybe that'll cause some strain between them."

"If you want to come with me I'm sure that'll leave some arguments between them," Angie suggested with a smirk. Now this made Rayan glance over his shoulder. "No doubt the Flash wants to put you in prison just like Noah, but Belén will definitely want something else for you. You want to make your sister miserable? You're the way, stupid."

"Stop that," Maritza hissed at the blonde. "He does not want to hurt his sister-"

"Why shouldn't I?" Rayan pushed himself up from the floor, turning to face the two while he dusted his hands against his jeans.

"Rayan, what's happening?" Maritza scowled at him. Her heart actually raced with fear for Belén. "The plan was to get Belén to join us but even if she doesn't...would you really hurt her?" Rayan's straight face practically gave the answer. "Rayan, she's our sister..." she whispered. "I love her, and you do too."

"But she doesn't love us," Rayan countered with absolute certainty. "Her feelings for that speedster made her forget about us. She's no good woman, Maritza, or else she wouldn't be leading that poor civilian boyfriend of hers like she is. She's not good and therefore what does it matter if we fight her?"

"This wasn't the plan," Maritza shook her head. "I can't fight my sister-"

"-then don't," Angie hopped off the crate. "We will."

"I've practiced a good deal for today. You want to get lunch, Angie?" Rayan smiled for the first time in a long time, but it wasn't a smile that Maritza knew of his. It was dark, crazed. There was a new sparkle in his eyes Maritza had noticed for a while now and...it didn't give her a good feeling.

~ 0 ~

"You sure you're okay?" Barry asked as Belén walked into her house. He watched as she tugged her cardigan's sleeve over the stitches on her arm.

"Yeah, just mad in general," Belén muttered and plopped down on the couch. "That bitch Pixel is gonna get thrown into the pipeline, I swear it!"

Barry learned from the Brie Larvan incident that whenever Belén cursed, she was an extra special type of mad. He surmised, though, that most of this anger wasn't solely directed for Pixel - it was for her brother. He took a seat next to her on the couch and put a hand on her back. "We'll find your brother soon, okay? And we'll give him any help he needs."

Belén had told him what Noah told her days ago. If it was true Rayan's health was deteriorating because of his powers, then STAR Labs would take every measure they could to help him.

"If he even wants to see me," Belén said quietly. "I captured his team member and when I get Pixel he's going to lose it."

"He'll have to understand it was for the best," Barry rubbed comforting circles on her back. "But please don't put any blame yourself. He made his decision and you made yours."

Belén knew he was right. She didn't regret choosing her team - choosing to be a good person - rather than be with her brother, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt. Her family was already broken - her father was dead, her mother was in Starling, her sister had lost her husband...

Barry saw her getting lost in thoughts he assumed were all bad. He wrapped an arm around waist and pulled her closer to his side. He lowered his head so that he could nuzzle his nose against her cheek. "Bells...?" his soft call earned a smile from her. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and purposely let his lips linger against her skin. "...Bells?"

"Barry, if you don't stop doing that we're going to have a problem," Belén shivered in a way she'd never really done. His touch was comforting no doubt, but this time she felt a necessity to have his arms around her and his lips on hers. Barry knew no such thing so he just kissed her cheek again, thinking it would at least annoy her and help her forget her problems for a moment. "Barry stop! I'm going to kick you!"

"How rude," the speedster frowned at her. She playfully rolled her eyes. "I guess I just won't kiss you anymore. Ever."

A snort slipped out from her. "As if. We both know you like to kiss me. You started to on your own right now."

"Yeah, to distract you!"

"Meaning you can't survive without my kisses. It only took you a couple months to be addicted? I'm good," she smirked proudly.

Barry shook his head. He stared at her for a good minute until he decided there was no actual problem with that. Yeah, he liked kissing her - so what? He'd never had a relationship like theirs and he wasn't going to be ashamed of it. He snaked an arm around her waist again and pulled her closer to him for another kiss. Even though she hadn't been expecting it, Belén smiled through it. Her hands ran up his chest to come rest over his shoulders.

Barry pulled away only slightly to speak but when he did his lips brushed over hers. "I'm never going to be sorry for being addicted to your kisses."

Belén blushed a bright pink and smiled. "I like your idea on how to end disagreements," she admitted.

Barry gave a smug smile and tilted his head. "I'm good too."

"Yes, you are," she moved her hands to grip his jacket's collars. "Now let me show you some of my ideas for...future references." She flashed a smile at his puzzled face then planted her lips on his. Even if Barry wanted to pull away, Belén had gotten a good hold on him and was progressively pulling him closer to her. She scooted back little by little, bringing him with her, until Barry was hovering over her on the couch.

The two were drawn to each other with each kiss they shared. Belén's hands slipped under Barry's jacket and ran all over his shirt, purposely pressed firmly against the fabric that wasn't as thick as one would have thought. Just as Barry was starting to kiss alongside her neck, something strange happened. As soon as he felt himself actually vibrate, he recoiled from her altogether.

"What...?" Belén slowly sat up, eyes dazed and confused.

"I'm sorry! I don't - I'm sorry about..." Barry felt his face warm, and he didn't need a mirror to know he was probably red from embarrassment. What the hell was that?

Belén languidly took in a breath, her hands passing over her hair. "That's unexpected," she admitted with a light chuckle. "But a good sign for my part." Barry dropped his hands from his face and gave her a puzzled look. She giggled and leaned forwards. "You like me."

Despite his embarrassment - which Barry thought would follow him till the day he died - a laugh slipped from him. "Clearly."

"You haven't actually dated someone since you got your powers have you?" Belén came to realize it was the same for her. No one ever really considered how having powers would affect all parts of their lives. Barry seemed to have gotten a small taste of that tonight. It was honestly hilarious to her, but she would hold in her laughter for his sake.

"No, so I...Bells, I'm sorry," Barry shook his head, but Belén scooted closer to him again.

Her arms draped over his shoulders, giving Barry that same tingle as before. "I'm not," she bluntly admitted. "Nothing wrong happened. I liked what happened...didn't you like what happened?"

"Kissing you? Like that? Of course I did," Barry said without putting any thought into it. Sure, they'd kissed a lot before, but so far it'd been those short types of kisses. Sometimes when they were in moments of comfort, they were longer but to say that they'd actually had a make out session before would be a lie. And tonight that they had...he'd done that.

"Barry it's okay," Belén chuckled only slightly. She didn't want to make him feel worse. She purposely kissed his neck once, then twice, and looked up to see him making an effort not to fall under her charms again.

"Belén..." he sounded strained, like was restraining himself from responding.

Belén tilted her head up to meet his gaze, smiling innocently. "Have I mention that I really love this relationship? Like...you're just it. I don't think I could imagine myself with anyone else. It honestly had to be you. It had to be you who helped me with my brother, who helped me get through my dad's death, who made me realize that...I could have feelings for someone again despite being...green and ugly."

A smile came to Barry's face, suddenly no longer tainted with embarrassment. "You're green, but you're not ugly," he started off with. He ran a hand through her hair, letting his fingers play with some strands. "You're the first the woman I've ever really done all that stuff for. I mean, I'll help whenever I can no matter who, but...I'm really glad Caitlin got us to go to that karaoke bar." Belén laughed just at the memory of him going up to the stage to sing. "And I'm really glad that I shouted in the streets that I wanted to go out with you." It became no problem to lean forwards and kiss her again. Unlike the last time, it wasn't heated but it was sweet, gentle kiss that expressed his desire to just be with her. He left her lips to press soft kisses down the side of her neck, one by one and slowly.

Belén closed her eyes and tilted her head. "Just perfect..." she whispered. When she opened her eyes she had Barry already looking at her again. "You're perfect," she leaned on him, resting both her hands on his chest. "Oh, and I can feel your abs and I just want you to know that I like."

Barry closed his eyes to laugh, lowering his head to hide his reddened face. "Belén, you always make me laugh, I..." he opened his eyes and looked at her with nothing but fondness.

Belén would have said more if it hadn't been for her sister's car making noise as it pulled up into the driveway. "Dammit, Maritza."

"That's my cue to go," Barry started getting up with the intention of speeding through the backdoor.

"And we were having such a nice time," Belén rose up from the couch. "One of us seemed to have a really good time."

"For the love of God, please never tell anyone," Barry put his hands together in a praying form. "Cisco would never let me live it down."

"Your secret's safe with me," Belén put a finger to her lips.

"Thank you," Barry gave her one more kiss before heading out.

When Maritza and Axel walked into the house, both carrying grocery bags, they found Belén sitting on the couch, smiling so widely but at nothing. Maritza raised an eyebrow at her sister and kicked the door shut behind her.

"Belén, if you're done smiling at the wall, we could really use some help," Maritza watched her sister practically get up in a brainwashed manner. Belén walked over to them and took some of the bags, still wearing that smile that Maritza now deemed as a 'dreamy smile', and headed into the kitchen.

"Mommy, what's wrong with auntie Belén?" Axel asked as soon as Belén was in the kitchen.

"I think she's just happy, sweetheart," Maritza concluded. It made her wonder how Belén could still continue to harbor feelings for that Flash when it was clear she really liked Barry. She didn't take her sister to be a woman who would cheat on someone.

~ 0 ~

When Barry returned to the Palayta residence, he was changed into more appropriate clothing and a lot more nervous. He went with a dark blue, buttoned up shirt, dark pants and shoes. He tugged on his open black blazer, feeling warm despite the night being cool. Yeah, he was nervous. He didn't even want to consider how a meeting with Belén's mother would ever go if he was reacting this way with the sister.

He knocked twice before the door opened up to reveal Belén on the other side. "Wow, you look...so, so pretty..." His lack of vocabulary came at the wrong moment.

Belén laughed nonetheless. Her face turned pink for a moment. Like him, she'd gone and changed into better clothing. She wore a white blouse with loose long sleeves and a magenta colored skirt. Her shoes matched the skirt perfectly. Her lips were colored a deep pink that honestly made it difficult for Barry not to swoop down and kiss them. Her hair was pressed to one side, curled, and with a couple tiny clips over the top of her head that created twisted rows.

"I can say the same for you," she pulled him into the house and gave him a short kiss.

"Auntie Belén!" Axel came rushing in from the backdoor.

"Axel, don't run!" they all collectively heard Maritza's call from the kitchen.

"I need help tying my shoes," Axel raised his left food where his white laces were dangling to the sides.

"Is that dirt I spy on your pants?" Belén bent down to tie his shoe though eyed the dried mud patch towards the bottom of his jeans.

Axel made a face but quickly shook his head. "Nooo..."

Belén looked up at Barry, both smiling. "As you can see, he still has problems telling the truth."

Belén's comment elicited a little frown from the boy. "I tell the truth!" Axel stomped his foot. "I was not playing! I was..." he paused to probably come up with an alternative, which made it all the more amusing for the others. "I was looking."

Belén laughed on the spot as she got back on her feet. "You were looking? Axel, you're too funny sometimes!" she swooped down and picked up the boy, peppering his face with kisses. "That's why you're my favorite!"

"He gets that funny thing from you though," Barry remarked before be suddenly frowned. "Hey - I thought I was your favorite?"

Axel bared his teeth in a wide smile. He wrapped his arms around Belén's neck. "Auntie Belén's my favorite person and I'm hers."

"We can share her though...right?" Barry stepped closer to them.

Axel shook his head. "Nope!"

Belén laughed while Barry took in Axel's bluntness. "Aw, don't feel bad. Of course I can handle my two favorite boys." She leaned forwards and kissed him on the lips. "But no one tell Cisco he's been bumped to number three."

A smile came to Barry's face but Axel's "yuck" made them remember it wasn't just them at the moment. Axel wiggled until Belén put him down.

"No kissing, it's yucky," Axel shivered and ran towards the kitchen. "Mommy! Can we eat now!?"

"For the record, I do not think kissing is 'yucky'," Barry said as they headed for the dining table. "Feel free to kiss me anytime you want."

"I'll remember that," Belén chuckled.

~0~

Dinner consisted of a delicious tasting spaghetti and bread sticks filled with gooey cheese. There was salad out for anyone who wanted, but the other two dishes took the main interest.

"Axel, please use a napkin," Maritza sighed in resignation as her son continued to drop marinara sauce all over his shirt. The little boy really loved spaghetti.

"I don't blame him, this is really good," Barry loved the taste of the sauce as soon as it hit his taste buds. "I've tasted spaghetti countless times before but this one is really different."

Belén patted his arm while he took another forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. "You forget we're half Italian, Barry. That automatically makes us better at spaghetti."

"I love this!"

Belén laughed, as did her sister. Barry became aware he was putting on quite a show for the family. He cleared his throat and gently put his fork down. "You cook really well, Maritza."

The woman in question smiled. "It wasn't just me who cooked. Belén helped too."

"And me!" Axel momentarily stopped eating to remind of his contribution.

"So you write, you dance, and you cook...?" Barry hoped Belén knew he also meant to add in her badass heroic talent in that. "I'm beginning to think you're the triple threat in this relationship."

"No reason we can't both be," Belén smirked. She reached for a napkin on the table, accidentally allowing Maritza to catch sight of the stitches Caitlin had put in earlier in the day.

Maritza blinked and slowly put her glass down. "Belén, what happened there?"

Belén followed her sister's gaze to her arm and panicked. "I, um...I...I had...an accident at work."

"At work?" Maritza considered the excuse for a moment before reminding Belén of one important detail. "I thought you had the day off?"

Crap! Belén brought her hand to her head to cover her when she briefly glanced at Barry. The speedster had another excuse up and ready. "We visited Iris today," he spoke up.

"I tripped," Belén quickly jumped on and even laughed. "You know me. I got into one of my rambling states and I tripped. It was no big deal."

Maritza had stopped listening after reminding Belén she didn't work today. Her mind had raced back to her earlier meeting with Rayan and Angie. Could Angie have done that to Belén today? Maritza felt her stomach churn with guilt. They'd fought Belén before, sure, but it was never their intention to deliberately hurt her for the hell of it.

"Maritza, you're a kindergarten teacher right?" Barry's question pulled Maritza from her thoughts. He was eager to change topics before she started asking even more questions.

She nodded. "Yeah. I eventually got hired."

"That must be hard, though, right? Having to take care of so many kids? Especially at that age?"

Maritza gave a light shrug. "I've been teaching for years now. Plus, I kinda have one of my own..." she nodded over to her son who in the middle of sucking in a spaghetti noodle.

Axel grinned at the attention. "Mommy says I get to go to kindergarten this year."

"I didn't take him to preschool because of what happened to my husband, Chris, but...he'll start later in the year," Maritza smiled at Axel. At the moment, he was the only thing that made her days worthwhile.

"I want to go to school and be in Mommy's classroom!" Axel exclaimed.

"I don't think that might happen, Axel," Belén cautiously went around that topic. He had all these ideas about what school would be like and she didn't want to be the one to burst his bubble with reality. "But I'm sure whatever teacher you get will be a fun one."

"Kindergarten teachers are always fun," Barry nodded his head. "Mine used to teach us the alphabet with these purple laminated cards that had little pictures next to these cartoons."

Belén smiled at him and chuckled. "Wow, you were a nerd back then too. What five year old even knows what laminated cards are?"

"Just because someone actually cared about their education doesn't make them nerds, Belén," Maritza playfully scolded her.

"He knows I'm just messing with him," Belén innocently smiled at Barry.

"Not really," he dramatically sighed. "Your sister is surprisingly mean."

Both he and Maritza smirked when Belén gasped in offence.

"I know that. You know, when we were young, she used to steal my clothes and hide them in our backyard bushes," Maritza could see Belén making a cutting motion across her neck. "I caught her and you know what she said? I should have let her borrow my shoes. My shoes."

Barry gawked at Belén who was staring at her plate. Though they couldn't see it, her face was red as the marinara sauce of the spaghetti. "You were evil," he started to laugh.

"No-" Belén's head shot up to defend herself, "-I wasn't! I was young!" she glared at Maritza who was beginning to laugh at Belén. "And I was just pissed that my sister wouldn't let me borrow a pair of shoes she didn't even use!" she huffed and crossed her arms.

"Why are you making auntie Belén mad?" frowned Axel. He looked at his laughing mother to Barry, wondering why they were being mean to his aunt. "Stop laughing! It's not nice!"

"Your aunt's not nice, Axel," Maritza sobered slowly from her laughter.

Barry kissed Belén's temple and grabbed her hand (though he had to uncross her arms first). "You have the most unique childhood stories, you know that? You're just amazing."

At his words, Belén started to come back from her fit. "You think so?"

He squeezed her hand and nodded his head. "You're my triple threat and I'm not letting you go."

Belén's smile seemed like it would crack her face from how wide it was.

As Maritza watched them get into one of their couple moment, she just couldn't understand how Belén could ever have feelings for another man besides Barry. The way Belén looked at Barry was enough to convince strangers that she was head over heels for that guy. And it was clear as day that he liked her - a lot - and that he cared for. She knew that while she'd been M.I.A. during their father's murder, Barry had been with Belén. He was the one to pull Belén out of her near depression - God knew how but he did. And the measures he'd gone to get one date from her sister were ridiculous. He liked her. Period.

Maritza knew that. Belén knew it.

So what the hell was going on?

~0~

The next day at STAR Labs, Belén arrived in the cortex eith s tray of Jitters coffee. As she dropped off coffee for Caitlin and Cisco, the two scientists exchanged bemused glances since their metahuman friend had 'dreamy smile' on her face the entire time.

"You okay, Belén?" Cisco finally asked.

"Of course," Belén took a sip of her own coffee. "I mean, I know how things are but right now I feel...good."

"Any reason why?" Caitlin raised an eyebrow.

Belén shrugged and drank some more coffee. "Barry and I had dinner with my sister last night. You know, since my mom's in Starling City, my dad's dead, and my brother's evil...it was nice having one normal family dinner."

"We're happy for you," Caitlin smiled. At least something remained normal and happy around here.

But it was as if her thoughts were heard. A minute later the cortex erupted with alarms.

"We have a robbery in progress," Cisco announced while Caitlin jumped on the search beside him.

"Not another jewelry store," the brunette pointed out, hoping that this would just be a petty break in by a normal non-metahuman criminal. I never thought I'd say that in my life.

"Where is it, then?" Belén hurried behind her two friends' chairs.

"Hold on, there's two metahumans attacking at the same time!" Caitlin caught the second incident while Cisco remained working on the first. "This one's at the park!"

"Dammit!" Cisco's exclaim made both women then their heads at him. "I swear to god I'll go fight Pixel myself!" he soon realized what he said and acknowledged what he would be up against if he followed through on his word. "Never mind, Bells she's all yours." Belén playfully rolled her eyes.

"Actually, Barry's closer to her. She's attacking a clothing store near the precinct," Caitlin informed them just before she got ahold of Barry.

"I'll take care of the park then," Belén started going for her suit. She just hoped her other side would be in a cooperating mood today.

~ 0 ~

The Azalea arrived at Central City's main park ready to bring in a new metahuman who thought they were so smart they could get away with terrorizing people in broad daylight. She stood over her favorite water fountain and looked around.

"What...the hell?" she whispered. People were running away but because objects - daily life objects and public street objects - were flying in the air threatening to crash over people. She had to duck when a mailbox threatened to hit her. It clanged against the cement upon its fall.

"Belén? What do you see?" she heard Cisco ask.

"Weird stuff..." Belén couldn't think of a better explanation than that. "Things are just...moving...on their own?"

"We're not dealing with a ghost, Bells. Although, that would be cool-"

"Cisco!" Caitlin hissed. "Belén, things don't just get up and move on their own. Someone has to be controlling them like, like-"

Belén's face dropped when she made the realization. "-someone's who telekinetic..."

"...Belén, hold on, Barry will be there as soon as he can," Cisco said rather urgently. Both he and Caitlin knew if this was truly Rayan making an appearance, Belén would have a hard time figuring him. They were just glad Dr. Wells wasn't with then at the moment because if things were true about him then he would have no problem ordering Belén to fight her twin brother.

"I can take care of - AAH!" Belén shouted when an invisible force threw her off the fountain, making her crash into park bench.

"Belén!?" Cisco called but only heard her groans from the other line. "Belén!"

Beside him, Caitlin was doing her best to get ahold of Barry. "Barry, hurry up and get to the park!" the brunette scientist exclaimed.

"I'm trying!" the speedster was in his own problem at the moment. "Pixel's a lot harder to catch when she can disappear into thin air!"

At the park, Belén sat upright and cracked her back. "That hurt," she frowned.

"Kinda the point, Belén," she heard the indistinctly voice of her brother. She looked ahead and saw Rayan, under a black mask, coming towards her. "You hurt me, I hurt you. Just like when we were kids, right?"

"We never did this as kids!" Belén quickly got up on her feet. "We argued and, yeah maybe we threw each other things but...this!?" she gestured to the destruction he was causing. "How could you get up to this?"

Rayan flatout laughed and it pained Belén because it was a mirthful laugh. He didn't care. "I think the right question is how did we end up here? Brother and sister, fighting against each other, while our father is dead thanks to some metahuman?"

"Rayan, please. You're not well," Belén could see that her brother wasn't all the way there like Noah had said. Even with his mask on, she could see his eyes were widened and...dark. He kept flexing his fists, opening them and closing them, like he was anxious about something. "Let me take you back to STAR Labs where we can help you-"

Rayan's response was to pick up the park bench behind her and bring it over her. Belén yelped and struck vine through it before it would crash over her. Rayan didn't hesitate to strike again. He swung an arm to the left and created that invisible force strong enough to throw Belén to the side. Her body tumbled on the ground, landing on her back. She breathed hard and started feeling the other side of her powers creeping over her. Blotches of green crawled over her skin, forming light green scales.

"Belén? Are you awake?" Cisco called through the comms. Both he and Caitlin could see her vitals spiking, and since they had done their recent training with her, they were well aware of what was happening.

Rayan turned his palms over and made a swing towards the fountain. Belén was about to crash into the fountain when a green vine wrapped around it and allowed her to make a swing back to her brother. She kicked him in the stomach and watched him stagger back. Angrier than before, Rayan prepared his fists and started throwing whatever he could pick up around him.

"STOP!" Belén screamed while she deflected what she could, but her brother wouldn't listen.

Vines sprang from her body without her order, acting on their own as they swung on Rayan. He couldn't keep up with the different vines threatening to capture him - and some even attempting to choke his neck - until he balled one fist and brought it down. Belén gasped as her left knee suddenly bent forwards. She fell on it and no matter how hard she tried to get up, her leg wouldn't listen.

A malicious smile came to Rayan's face. "Like it? I've been working on a rat to try and get the right control over the nervous system. My telekinetic powers are advancing and I guess you get to be the first human I use."

"Rayan...I'm your sister." Tears filled Belén's eyes while she started coming out of her 'other side'. The green around her skin started retreating now that she was getting emotional over her brother.

Rayan tilted his head at her. "And yet, you turned your back on me. You left me for the Flash and all your little teammates."

"No, I-I didn't. I love you. You're my brother and-" but she screamed when Rayan managed to twist her second leg, forcing her completely down on her knees. She couldn't budge from the position and even when she tried to move she could feel the force of Rayan's powers inside her legs. It hurt like hell.

"Belén!?" Caitlin shrieked from the other line. She switched comms. to get ahold of Barry. "Barry! Get over to the park now!"

"I'm trying!" Barry shouted back. Pixel was deliberately wasting his time and he knew it. Still, he couldn't just leave the civilians to her mercy. "Call Nina!" he said as a last resort.

"You're a traitor," Rayan was having his go at the park. "You wanted to be a hero for this city? It came at the cost of your own family and you didn't care. So now I stopped caring about you." He looked around and spotted a vendor cart left on its side. He picked it up with his telekinesis and launched it at his sister.

Belén squeezed her eyes shut and awaited the blow.

"Enough!" Plasticine threw her purple mass to force the vendor cart away. Belén cracked open an eye and saw Plasticine shooting purple directly at Rayan. He hadn't expected it so he was thrown into the fountain.

Belén immediately felt the pressure off her legs when her brother went under the water. She got up on her feet but even then she fell forwards. Yup, her legs hurt. Badly.

"You are out of your mind!" Plasticine shouted at Rayan. "The hell are you doing with all this!?" she gestured to the park and barely kept herself from pointing at her sister behind.

Rayan got up from the fountain and set a deadly glare on Plasticine. "You are going to betray me too?"

"You are sick," Plasticine spat. "And I'm not gonna let you do something you'll regret when we get you medical health."

"You'll have to put me down if you want this to end."

"Fine," Plasticine spat. She started shooting again, pelting Rayan with the purple mass that - with the water - stuck to him.

Belén couldn't understand what the hell was going on but she knew her brother was going to get away any moment. She stared blowing her azalea poison into the air, forcing Plasticine and Rayan to breath it in. The two started coughing, as predicted, and just when Belén was going to strike with a vine she saw the pixelation of the one and only Pixel forming in-between Rayan and Plasticine.

A minute later, Barry joined them and took away the poison. He came in directly to punch Pixel - for the woman owed him - but she disappeared and reappeared behind. Plasticine attempted to punch him but he ducked and punched her instead. She went down and looked up in time to see Pixel clamber onto his back.

"Get the hell off me!" Barry exclaimed. The fact she was actually light didn't make it easier to shake her off.

Pixel smirked and put her hands the sides of his face. "Get ready to see stars, Flash." Her hands emitted a type of energy that Barry felt to the core of his head. He screamed and was forced down to his knees.

"Leave him alone!" Belén cried. She couldn't believe what was happening. Her brother was stuck to a fountain after fighting her and now they were moving onto Barry and here she was unable to move. "Please!"

Plasticine glanced at her sister to see her eyes shining with new tears. Belén was looking directly at the Flash, crying for him? Anyone a mile away could see she had feelings for him, that she cared for him. How could she do that? Barry is such a nice guy and I know she cares for him too. How could she do this to him?

And then the bell went off in Plasticine's head.

Her hand covered her mouth just as she gasped. Her head whipped in the Flash's direction, her eyes wide to the impossible. Without thinking, she shot a purple mass that forced Pixel into the same fountain Rayan was in. She rushed into the fountain and picked Pixel up. "Get us out now!"

Pixel threw her a glare but seeing the Flash getting up meant they had about a second before he grabbed them all. She grabbed Plasticine's arm then reached for Rayan. "Tough luck, little sis," she winked at Belén before disappeared with her two comrades.

"NO!" Belén shouted in vain. She scrambled to get up but each time she did, her legs buckled and down she would go again.

~ 0 ~

"You are very lucky that you didn't break any bones or twist either leg," Caitlin was still reading off her results when she told Belén she hadn't sustained major injuries. "You look pretty good."

"Except for the cuts," Belén pointed to her face that held a couple cuts from Rayan's attacks. "And my broken heart due to the fact my brother attacked me...because he's evil." Her voice shook terribly, making Caitlin look at Cisco and Barry. "But yeah, I'm fine." Belén got off the bed and when her legs buckled, Barry stepped in to keep her steady. "When the hell can I walk normally again?"

"It'll take a couple hours for your nerves to re-adjust," Caitlin stepped aside to Barry could take Belén into the cortex.

Dr. Wells was looking over the public video feed they had from the park. He rubbed his chin while looking particularly at Rayan's attacks. "It's actually quite interesting how Rayan has managed to advance his telekinesis."

"Very interesting?" Belén couldn't help her sourness. "Seriously?"

Wells looked up with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but this is the first metahuman we encounter who has advances his own powers to control parts of the body."

"Rayan is sick and we need to help him."

"We will," Wells' reassurance meant nothing for her. As far as she knew, he would try to kill Rayan too.

"I'm gonna take her home," Barry said, hoping Wells wouldn't keep them around to discuss this fantastic new ability of Rayan's.

"Get rest, Bells," Cisco rubbed a hand on Belén's arm. "Anything you need, you call us." Caitlin nodded beside him.

"Thanks," Belén's voice was barely heard but the two knew what she'd tried to say.

Barry picked her up in a bridal style manner and headed for home. He wasn't surprised when she'd asked him if he could stay with her for a while. Maritza's car wasn't in the driveway so he figured if Belén had to vent, now would be the perfect time.

"Can we go out to the backyard?" she asked him after he carried her in. "I can walk it if you want to put me down."

"I don't think so," Barry's response made her smile. She leaned her head against his chest while he walked them towards the backyard. He came out and helped her sit down on the grass, against the lone tree in the yard.

"Do you need anything?" he asked her after. "Water? We could get dinner? I could go to Jitters and-"

"I don't want to eat anything," Belén said quietly.

He didn't push hard for dinner knowing that he would only get her even more upset. Instead, he took a seat beside her on the grass and reached for her hand. They stayed silent for a couple minutes until Belén started sniffling out loud.

"He attacked me. He actually fought me," the more she told herself it happened the less she was able to believe it. "My twin. He's my brother and he said he stopped caring about me. He stopped loving me."

"He can't do that, even if he says he has...he can't," Barry didn't think that even in a crazed state Rayan would be able to forget Belén was his blood - his twin.

"He nearly broke my legs, Barry. He didn't care what he was doing," Belén angrily rubbed away some tears off her face. "He looked me in the eyes and said that I stopped caring about him so he stopped caring about me. I drove my brother away!"

"No, you did nothing wrong, Belén," Barry shifted so that he faced Belén. "You have done nothing but try to find him and he never appreciated it. I think..." he sighed, hating to be the one to tell her this, "...I think Rayan stopped being your brother the day the Particle Accelerator went off. It wasn't his choice to get his powers but it was his choice to stay away from his family."

"I could have tried harder-"

"Belén, listen to me, please: you did everything you could. Rayan just didn't want your help," Barry gripped her hand between his. "None of this is your fault."

"Then why do I feel so awful?" Belén burst into sobs.

It absolutely broke Barry's heart to see her like that. He took her into his arms and held her tight. He repeatedly told her it was alright and that it wasn't her fault, but he knew his words carried no weight for him. All she knew was that her family was essentially broken.

In that moment, neither of them heard when Maritza had returned home. Without her son, Maritza intended on getting herself together before going to pick him up from Mrs. Andrews. She heard her sister in the backyard, however, and upon realizing it was sobs that she heard, Maritza hurried into the kitchen. The moment she saw Barry was with Belén, she dove to the side and barely peered through the small window over the kitchen sink. Due to the backdoor still being open, she could hear perfectly.

Belén was crying over them, over their brother...

And Barry was there to help her, to sooth her, support her...

Maritza closed her eyes and moved away from the window. Barry was the Flash. Of course it made sense. Belén could never be the type of woman to lead on two different men. Maritza had seen Belén give the same look at Barry during their dinner and then again for the Flash during their fight. It was the same look of fondness, of care...of feelings. She only liked one man and that man happened to lead two lives. And so far, all she and Rayan had attempted to do was hurt the Flash and anyone around him. Now apparently it meant hurting Belén too.

This isn't what she wanted. For a long time, Maritza hadn't really known what she wanted. She'd been drifting day after day, and now suddenly she had one furious brother on one side and a brokenhearted sister who'd been hurt by her own siblings.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #111

You know you’re from North Carolina when...

- You either have the lighthouse or the plane on your driver's license (nobody gets the seal). (don't have my license *shrug emoticon*) - You roll your eyes and correct people that pronounce it "App-a-LAY-shun" instead of "App-a-LATCH-un." - You have probably been to the Biltmore Estate (AKA America's only castle) before on a school field trip. - If there is even a CHANCE of snow school will be cancelled for a week, the grocery store will be out of milk and bread, and everyone will be afraid to drive. (THIS IS SOOO FUCKING TRUE) - You either like light blue or dark blue, not both. - Some of your family members probably make/sell real moonshine and it's WAY better than that knock-off crap they sell in gas stations now. (I know someone who does, though.) - Cook Out is life. - You have waited in line in your car for two or three hours just to see a street of Christmas lights in McAdenville (AKA Christmastown, USA). - In elementary school you heard the phrases "Duke is puke! Wake is fake! But NC State is the one we hate!" and "You can't get to heaven in a red canoe 'cause God's favorite color is CAROLINA BLUE!" thanks to your obnoxious UNC-loving classmates. - Billy Graham is a state-wide hero and you've probably been to his beautiful library. - You often wonder why Charlotte isn't the capital instead of Raleigh. - Two of God's greatest gifts were invented in North Carolina: Cheerwine and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. (I've never had Cheerwine) - NASCAR is a big deal. (Not to me, but to literally almost everyone else, yeah.) - In school there was importance placed on the Lost Colony, Blackbeard, and tobacco. - It doesn't matter what time of year you go swimming in the mountains, the river water is always freezing. - You've been to Sliding Rock before. - "Wagon Wheel" (by Old Crow Medicine Show) is a very important song to you and you knew it way before Darius Rucker covered it. - Occasionally, you have to worry about a hurricane destroying your town. (We get hurricanes every couple years I'd say, but the bad ones usually curve back into the ocean.) - Bojangles is the best way to cure a hangover. (You haven't fuckin' lived until you go to Bojo's, but it's not gonna cure a hangover.) - We love going "all the way," AKA chili, slaw, onions, and mustard on our hotdogs. (Again, not me, but pretty much everyone else.) - You brag about all the amazing movies filmed here, including "The Last of the Mohicans," "Dirty Dancing," "The Hunger Games," "A Walk to Remember," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," and "The Color Purple." - And also the popular TV shows filmed in North Carolina, including "One Tree Hill," "Homeland," "Under the Dome," "Sleepy Hollow" and "Dawson's Creek." - You rep 23 because the greatest basketball player of all time is also from here: Michael Jordan. - There are two kinds of barbecue: Eastern-style and Lexington-style, and you probably have a preference. Either way, North Carolina has the best barbecue in the country. - And barbecue is a NOUN, not a verb. - We have some of the best breweries in the country, also. - The ACC tournament is an extremely important time of the year where families and friendships will be torn apart. - Many people think North Carolina is super conservative, until they make their way to Asheville. (Uh, no. The entire state is conservative.) - There's nothing more relaxing than driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall. - You've definitely been to Carowinds and then realized it's not that great. - Every hour is happy hour to you, because North Carolina legally cannot have an official happy hour! - You can always see a lovely dogwood tree blooming in the spring. (Never, ever, do you want to smell one.) - You will fight anyone who says Ohio was first in flight. - If you need to buy furniture, there are only two places to go: Hickory or High Point. - You know the North Carolina mountains are the best and only place to get a Christmas tree. - You know the struggle of waiting to get your after 9's when you first get your driver's license. (It's the same for a permit.) - Even though we're on the coast, most people go to the beach in South Carolina. - You think the Rocky Mountains are great, but the Blue Ridge Mountains are home. - Tracking red clay into your house is normal. - You had to memorize the names of all the North Carolina lighthouses in 4th grade. - You either conquered the swinging mile-high bridge on Grandfather Mountain, or turned around halfway in fear. - There's a certain time of summer when it's too hot to even go swimming because the pool water feels like bathwater. - People from other states get confused when you say you're going to Beech and grab your skiing gear. (Lmao what.) - You know our state motto "esse quam videri" (meaning "to be, rather than to seem") is an appropriate representation of our great state. (Well that's a load of shit.) - You have strong feelings about barbeque. (Yeah, in the sense that I hate it.) - Somehow our favorite team always come down to some last-minute victory or loss. Ensue floods of tears. - On a Florida vacation at least three people have asked you where you're from. (My grandma lives in Florida.) - You LIKE tobacco, as in, the gorgeous tobacco fields and the rich heritage it has in our state. - You've partied in a field. (We were what, 13, so it wasn't exactly a "party," but we played out there, if that counts?) - It's not Christmas unless you watch the Andy Griffith Christmas Episode - It doesn't feel like fall unless you visit the State Fair. - Summer vacations meant one thing, ferry rides to the Outer Banks. (Again, to other people. OBX is huge here.) - You've bought watermelons, peaches, and vegetables off the side of the road. (I don't trust that shit.) - You have mixed feelings about Myrtle Beach. - You've attended a pig pickin'. (And they're fucking gross.) - Your accent and dialect varies depending on which part of the state you grew up in. - You've never met ANY celebrities. - You measure distance in minutes. (Literally everyone here does.) - Down South to you means South Carolina. (It can.) - You know Pepsi originated in New Bern, Cheerwine in Salisbury, and that Mountain Dew was invented in Fayetteville. (I knew they were all invented here, but not where specifically.) - You know Coke tastes better in the little bottles and that peanuts make coke taste even better. (Don't like peanuts) - Your folks have taken trips to the mountains to look at leaves. - Your school took a field trip to the State Fair in Raleigh. - You watched as Dale Earnhardt was the only man who ever lived who could go 200 mph, spin somebody out, flip them the bird, call them a you-know-what, and win the race all in the last lap. - You skipped school to go to Dale Earnhardt's memorial service. - You know a bunch of people who have hit a deer. (Like everyone lmao) - You know a few that have also hit a bear. - You remember watching the ACC Tournament on television at school. - The local newspaper covers state, national, and international headlines in one page, but sports require six pages. - Most men in town consider the first day of deer season a national holiday. - Fifty degrees Fahrenheit is "a little chilly" (To other people; that's like perfect for me.) - You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Conetoe" or "Top Sail" (I've been to Conetoe once and it blew my mind how it was pronounced lol.  I didn't know Top Sail had a weird pronunciation...?) - Your school classes were canceled because of cold. - Your school classes were canceled because of heat. - Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway. (Happens rarely.) - You know tea is served sweet unless you specifically asked for unsweetened. - You've ever had to switch from "Heat" to "A/C" in the same day. - You end your sentences with a preposition, for example, "Where's my coat at?" "What's that made out of?" (Doesn't... everyone sometimes...?) - All the festivals around the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, or tobacco. - You know the difference between a deer dog, a bear dog and a coon dog by the way they bark. - Your four seasons are almost summer, summer, still summer, and highway construction. (PRETTY FUCKING MUCH.) - You think the four major food groups are beef, pork, beer, and Jello salad with marshmallows. - Schools and churches hold barbecue fundraisers with banana pudding as the dessert. - Your folks would rather eat at Bojangles's than McDonald's. - You know what "cow tipping" is. - You say, “it don’t” instead of “it doesn’t." - You sometimes eat country ham, grits and eggs for supper. - “Onced” and “twiced” are words. - You know how much a "mess" of anything is. - You say "tater" instead of "potato" - You say "skeeter" instead of "mosquito" - You say "possum" instead of "opossum" - You say "coon" instead of "raccoon" - You know that "barbeque" means cooking pork on an open pit and a "cook out" is grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. - You know that "pop" is a sound, and "soda" is used for baking. - Everything tastes better when served in a mason jar. - You'll never hear anything more passive-aggressive than "bless your heart!" - Everyone knows someone who's in the military. - Everyone seriously loves the North Carolina Zoo. - People have to ask, "Is there alcohol in this?" - You loooove Sun Drop. - You know to NEVER go to the Crabtree Valley Mall on the weekend. (Never, ever, do it.)

[gaijinhunter]

Dauntless PAX Demo Impressions (to the Dev)

Dear Phoenix Labs: Here are some notes on what I though after looking at gameplay vids coming out of PAX. Note that I know this is mean to be a hands-on early peak so without being able to touch it really makes my feedback a little meaningless. LOL.

I am going to get awful detailed and sorry if it’s a little over the place. Overall it looks AMAZING and I cannot wait to see more! Few games present themselves so well at first gameplay reveal and you guys are so open to the community it really just explains more why I am so supportive (well, all of us!).

REF Vids I watched:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StJM39WBLFo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUsoELmLU7I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_93VP4Q0d0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlb7BXRgr8U

Pangar:

Awesome behemoth, can’t wait to slay it!

Curious if you’ll add some ground rumble after it jumps into the ground to run away so that you can visually track it

When you knock over a Pangar after hitting its foot enough times (threshold felt a little too high), the motion should be more exaggerated so that it feels more like it’s being knocked over versus rolling over. This is to increase satisfaction and to make it clear what happened.

Saw what looked like the Pangar getting exhausted, creating opportunities to hit its tail. Very nice. Drooling or more visual clues to make its state more clear would be helpful.

Love the effects like the ice! Would love to see it use ice more aggressively, it felt more defensive in the battles I saw.

Shrike:

Not sure if it’ll be added, but please make sure that you add some logic trees that have the Behemoth react a bit differently depending on where the target slayer is. In the demo Shrike seem to really jump all over the place and that can get really tiring after a while, so a way to high risk/high return deal with it by sticking close to the Behemoth would be great

Shrike wind whirl is really nice but it might be hard to tell where the hit box is?

Love how Shrikes aether waves travel across the environment quite a bit

Slayers:

Gun hammer. LOL. Such a fun idea.

Seeing as the jump attack also uses stamina, might be a good idea to have the attack feel bigger so that it feels worth it more?

Curious if hammers will act different from swords like they do in Monster Hunter or not.

Stamina recovery speed seems severe, but it’s also hard to tell what uses stamina and what doesn’t so maybe it’s not an issue.

Adding more frame delay is probably a good idea so the feeling of hitting is more pronounced

Adding blood effects when you hit monsters would really sit well with the target player

The hit box effects to where you hit a monster is nice but for weapons like the hammer, it reveals that the attacks are acting too precise at the moment. For example, the hammer swing right/left should be hitting at the center of the animation but right now because hit detection is so accurate, you end up hitting vastly different areas, meaning it’s better to just use single big attacks than using combos (assuming monster parts have different hit boxes, if not, they should!)

Love this screen shake I saw when charging the axe. The animation should be a bit more powerful feeling for the charged hit though :)

Replenishing a comrade is a great idea, very curious what the restrictions, etc. will be when using it so it can’t be spammed, but isn’t so punishing that a slayer will just ignore the weaker link if they are knocked out

Environment/game system:

Love no loading and how you’ve designed it so you can see pretty far away no matter where you are!

Lighting is gorgeous. Hope this makes it in after optimization way down the road! I can imagine night hunts for “hard quests” that would be very exciting to hunt in limited visibility, perhaps with torch items you can use if you have it cornered and want to go ham on them.

Love the art style. I know it’s a personal thing but I like it a lot.

Camera zoom feels just right, same with angle. Make sure to include a few options for people who prefer different angels maybe?

Using flares is a brilliant idea. It keeps you in the game world and works functionally. It also lets us go without a huge map (if that is your goal). You could have fun with monetized flares with cool designs!

Aether puddles you would assume give you extra power (aether) but they seem to heal the slayers. Maybe a green aether would help communicate health recovery spots better?

Considering the map size, I hope you are considering implement traps

Really do NOT like the idea of falling off a map (not jumping down). I can see frustrating opportunities where a monster hits a slayer off the edge and that’s not so fun from a gameplay perspective.

Hoping there is a target cam like system. It really changed how playable Monster Hunter became and would be a great idea to use

Wording needs work “next bleed out will force a retreat” was super confusing what it meant

Liked the compass above. Gonna have fun saying "The Shrike is headed south!"

Enraged system:

When a Behemoth rages (like Shrike turn red) a dramatic audio cue would really help to increase the tension and announce it to the player

Would like to see the monsters get faster and more powerful when enraged to increase the sense of danger

Music/Sound:

Music is really nice but I hope you can make budget to do unique songs for each Behemoth. Right now the music has a lot of atmospheric and harmonics, but a clear melody could help give Behemoths more personality

Behemoth sound direction is lovely. They sound so unique and not cookie cutter!

Not a fan of the weapon attack sounds - they get repetitive and sound a bit weak.

Sub whooper sound on Shrike’s pound might be a tad too big? lol.

Hope this feedback helps! Can’t wait to play the game!

-Gaijinhunter

Bonus; Fan doodle by me of Embermane, who I cannot wait to see!

[agladman]

Here’s your cheat sheet for Hawkshead Brewery NZPA.

Pale Ale, 6.0% ABV

Featured in the main subscription box on 28 December 2017.

Find the brewery on Twitter at @HawksheadBrewer and on Instagram at @hawksheadbrewery.

Serving temperature

Serve this beer chilled to 7°C to 10°C; this means at least an hour in the fridge, maybe up to 90 minutes. If it’s more convenient you could put it in even earlier, then give it about 15 minutes out of the fridge before 9pm so it has time to come up to the right temperature.

As ever, be wary of over-chilling your beer. More chill means less flavour. If you haven’t already, check out my post on recommended serving temperatures to learn more.

Flavours to expect

“Passionfruit, mango and apricot aromas and a citrus bitterness are balanced by the sweetness of English Maris Otter barley to produce an extraordinary beer which showcases the unique hops of New Zealand.”

Hawkshead Brewery NZPA is a pale ale to balance out all the dark beers we’ll have been guzzling over Christmas. It should have a lighter body and less aggressive bitterness than you’d find in an IPA, but still display a pronounced fruity hop aroma.

Talking of which, we know which hops were used in this beer. From that we can put together a fairly good idea of what flavours to expect.

Motueka: fruit, tropical, citrus

Nelson Sauvin: white wine; grape with fresh crushed gooseberry

Green Bullet: floral, spicy, dried fruit, resinous pine

Pacific Jade: citrus, spicy, herbal, hints of black pepper

Food pairings

I’m thinking Christmas leftovers. Cooked turkey lasts three to four days in the fridge, so if you still have any in there it will need eating up. Why not try this beer with a turkey and crispy potato winter salad? Ham hock and barley soup also looks like a contender.

Turkey and Crispy Potato Winter Salad

Ham Hock and Barley Soup

Further info

Read more on this beer from BeerBods and the Hawkshead Brewery.

Here's my #BeerBods cheat sheet for @HawksheadBrewer NZPA. Here's your cheat sheet for Hawkshead Brewery NZPA. Pale Ale, 6.0% ABV Featured in the main subscription box on 28 December 2017.

[ifmusicbethefoodoflovesingon]

Weird things about New Jersey

So over the school year I made a list of weird things I (an out-of-state student) encountered and I found it in my drafts earlier so here ya go idk

- DRIVING. D R I V I N G. This deserves to be first bc OH. MY. GOD. How do any of you survive?????? Everyone drives really aggressively instead of defensively and it’s fucking terrifying?? I never want to have to drive over here - Wawa WHY IS EVERYONE SO OBSESSED WITH WAWA I didn’t even know what a wawa was until I got here and to be entirely honest they’re fancy 7/11s and everyone insists otherwise but????? They’re fancy 7/11s - all of you pronounce Nevada wrong - half of you pronounce Oregon weird - “wooter” - okay idk if this is just some weird thing with the birds at my school but they never??? fucking?? sleep???? it’s almost two in the morning and there’s a robin singing?? Idk about you guys over here but on the west coast our birds go to sleep at night - “bless up” from what I understand it’s just another way of saying “thank God” or something to that effect but I literally never heard it before I got to NJ - the entire porkroll/taylor ham debate - toll roads (this isn’t that weird but we don’t have them on the west coast) - everything is so compact wtf - there are only deciduous trees (again, not that weird but in the winter everything is just dead and grey bc you have no pine trees??) - YOUR STATES ARE SO SMALL HOLY SHIT you could drive for an hour and be in three different states!! It blows my mind all the time..like….how the actual fuck. At home I could drive two or three hours in any direction and still be in the same state