#I have a horrible ability to re-read materials I have just read several times over

[croziers-compass]

For the end of year asks! :)

1, 4, 7, 13, 14

End of the Year Ask! (Pleasure to see you in my inbox!)

Song of the year? - I am tossed up between two in particular. It would either be "Allegro" or "Bones" by Low Roar

Movie of the year? - I do not really watch movies. But I did re-watched "Clue the Movie" and "Perfume - the Story of a Murderer" which was a lovely experience.

Favorite actor of the year? - Pedro Pascal, actually, I would say.

How was your birthday this year? - A very lovely Friday the Thirteenth, thank you so very much for asking! Full of wine, pleasantries, good books and charming company of course.

Favorite book you read this year? - The Terror. Though it's horribly written. I do have an incredible soft spot for the Diaries of Franz Kafka but that alongside Crime and Punishment are books that I read so often that my own books are abused and very well loved. I put the both of them through the wringer. Though I did also re-read Antigone... Look what you've done to me. I won't be able to stop now. Now I am recalling "Consorting with Spirits" by Jason Miller. Oh dear. I'll leave that there.

#Thank you very much for the ask! #I read quite a lot and often go through books several times before I move onto a new one #I have a horrible ability to re-read materials I have just read several times over #It was such a treat to have you here with me on this!

[kisses-for-cas]

Summary: When a witch hunt forces the Winchesters to go undercover in a suburban neighborhood, Dean finds himself fighting with his upcoming feelings for a certain angel. To be more precise: the angel, who currently pretends to be married to his brother Sam.

Ships: Dean/Castiel

Word Count: 8,200

Read on AO3

Tammy has lived in this neighborhood for almost 30 years – she raised her kids around here and now is enjoying her well-deserved retirement with her husband Harold. And if she knows one thing for certain, then it’s this: there’s something wrong with the new neighbors. It’s not because they are gay, Tammy tells herself. She believes herself to be quite open-minded, one of her nieces is actually a lesbian. It’s something else, but she can’t quite put her finger on it yet.

The men moved in today, only a few days after the last tenants died in a horrible and tragic accident involving the lawnmower and a malfunctioning electric wire. Tammy doesn’t like to admit it, but she always knew those two didn’t fit the neighborhood. Sarah brought it up several times at Sunday Brunch, and as it turned out, the entire neighborhood held a grudge against the deceased couple. At least the house still looked well enough to get sold almost immediately again.

It’s hard to catch glimpses of the movers, but she catches a few sights as she stretches out of her bedroom window. One of them has dark hair and is wearing a tan trenchcoat, the other one seems to be taller and is coated in a flannel shirt. Not really the type to be moving into this street, but they might turn out to be nice. She tries to keep an open mind, she tells herself, even though she doesn’t understand how somebody could possibly move while wearing a trenchcoat.

Shortly after dinner, the doorbell rings, and Tammy almost jumps forward to get it. Sarah told her she’d call once she had a proper talk with the new neighbors, but the phone’s been quiet so far. But to her surprise, it’s not her friend in front of the door, but two handsome men holding a basket with muffins.

“Hello, you must be Mrs. Philipps. We’re the Winchesters,” the taller of both says, as he holds his hand out. Tammy shakes them politely, as she smiles at them.

“Tammy is fine, and my husband Harold is probably already asleep in his lounge seat,” she jokes as she shakes their hands. The man in the trenchcoat seems a bit more reserved, but he still gives her a small smile when she looks at him.

“Nice to meet you, Tammy,” the other man says again. “I’m Sam, and this is my husband Cas.”

5 days earlier

“Lawnmower accident?” Dean laughs, as he re-reads the headline again. “Well, if this isn’t our kind of thing, I really don’t know what is.”

“Exactly what I thought,” Sam replies, turning his laptop back to himself. “Apparently there were several deaths within the last 10 years in this neighborhood, and all of them were classified as accidents.”

“All over the area? So less likely a spirit, and more like –“

“Witches?” Sam finishes his brother’s sentence. “Probably, the victims weren’t exactly popular in the area. One of them had a kid, but the couple wasn’t married. Another person wanted to move in with her wife, but she died before she could. Seems like they are most likely targeting people, who don’t fit the community.”

Witches and conservative suburbs sure aren’t Dean’s favorite things in the world, that much is sure. But if people are in danger, there’s no way he’d let them down. Especially, if he might get to kill some fundamentalist witch.

“Huh, so what we’re thinking? I’d say go undercover, but brothers usually don’t go buying some white picket fence house in a conservative neighborhood,” the older Winchester proposes, while settling back in his seat. He remembers how they tried to infiltrate that neighborhood so many years ago and how the salespeople kept mistaking them for a couple.

“I thought Eileen and I could maybe do it, but her leg isn’t healing as we hoped,” Sam thinks out loud, wincing at the thought of his injured girlfriend. The recent werewolf hunt was tougher than expected and left Eileen’s leg badly hurt. Cas tried his best to heal her, but she was still struggling.

“Maybe one of us could team up with Mom?” Dean suggests but cringes once the words leave his mouth. “Urgh, never mind. I’m not very strong on the Oedipus thing.”

“What about me?” Cas chimes in, all eyes turning to him. Dean didn’t even realize the angel entered the room. “Since we are not related, it might be less awkward to pretend a relationship.”

Dean is left more or less speechless, as he babbles incoherent words. He likes Cas very much; they are best friends for a reason. But pretending to be in a relationship? Heaven and Hell have been teasing them for years about their “profound bond”, so they might even get away with it. But Dean’s stomach twists uncomfortably at the mere thought of calling Cas a pet name or holding his hand in public.

“Uh-Uh, no way I’m getting fake-married to Cas!” Dean protests once he finds the ability to speak again. His reaction was apparently a bit harsh, judging by the looks both Cas and Sam give him.

“Okay…,” Sam sighs, drawing the word out in a long breath. It sounds like he wants to say more but instead turns to face the angel. “Castiel, would you like to pretend-marry me?”

Dean can feel a blush creep up his neck, as he stares at his brother. It’s the reasonable thing to do, but it just feels wrong. Nobody ever questioned their status as friends, and Dean can’t even picture the both of them acting in love. When he thought his stomach felt bad before, he’s now actually feeling sick.

He’s close to suggesting a fake relationship with their mom again when Cas simply nods to answer Sam’s question. “Of course, Sam. I mean, I do.”

The two share a hinted smile as if they are both part of a joke Dean doesn’t get. The sick feeling still doesn’t leave him, as he stands up from his seat. He must have eaten something wrong today, that’s the only logical explanation.

“Well, Mazel Tov to you guys then,” Dean mutters, more to himself than to the other men. They don’t even look at him when he leaves the room behind.

———————————————————————————————–

“I still think this is a stupid idea,” Dean protests, as he puts the meatloaf in the oven. Somewhere behind him, he knows Cas is preparing the salad and Sam is busy fluffing some pillows on the couch.

“We need to connect with all the neighbors, and a housewarming party is the easiest way to do so,” Sam replies annoyed. He and Cas introduced themselves to everyone in the neighborhood, but nobody seemed guilty so far. Cas tried his best to “sniff the witch out” but only found some kitchen herbs in the local gardens and a loud laugh from Dean, when he explained his plan to search for witch-like smells. So far, they had no clue who the responsible party could be.

“Dearest, could you make space in the hallway closet for the coats?” Sam calls out to Cas, and Dean almost burns his hand at the stove. He had a few days to adjust to the idea of Sam and Cas pretending a relationship, but the term of endearment still surprises the hunter.  

“What’s next? You’re gonna kiss goodbye on the porch when Cas drives to work?” Dean snaps at his brother, who seems confused by the sudden anger.

“If the situation needs it, sure…,” Sam replies, but Dean interrupts him before he can continue.

“What the hell, Sammy? Dearest? What kind of weird pet name is that even supposed to be?”

“The one Sam and I agreed to,” Cas replies drily. The look in his blue eyes leaves no space for any further discussion. “This act is completely planned out, and we can’t risk our standing because you are having trouble adjusting, Dean.”

Just as Dean wants to argue again, they are interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. They can only hope nobody heard their yelling, the last thing they need is unnecessary gossip from the neighbors. Cas and Sam waltz towards the front door, while Dean stays a few steps behind them.

“Hello Tammy, Harold. Welcome to our humble home,” Sam greets the guests, as the couple enters their hallway. Cas takes their jackets from them, hanging them in the biggest coat closet Dean’s ever seen. Well, at least the house got some perks. Before he can think more about the architectural features of the house, his brother calls for him.

“This is my brother Dean,” Sam introduces him, and Dean tries his best to give a fake smile and nod politely at the boring stories the neighbors tell him. This is going to be a long evening…

—————————————————————————————-

“Well Ladies, let’s begin Sunday Brunch,” Irene happily pronounces, as she raises her mimosa in the air. The other women do the same, cheering each other. It’s the first Sunday Brunch after the Winchesters moved to the area, leaving more than enough gossip material for the group.

“They seem nice enough, but I heard Sam is unemployed. He just sits around all day at home and waits for his Cassiel to come back home!” Jennifer complains with a deep sigh. It’s no secret she isn’t the biggest fan of the new couple, but even she can’t deny the quality of the served meatloaf at the housewarming.

“His name is Cassiel, dear,” Beth replies, eying the salmon pieces hungrily. “They said Sam’s working in IT and can do it from home. Clearly, an excuse, if you ask me.”

The gossip continues happily: Tammy found out they only have one toothbrush. Irene asked about Cas’s job, and apparently, he’s working in a nearby library. And all of them agree, their marriage is weird. Whenever Sam touched his husband, it felt unnatural, and they didn’t kiss once the whole evening.

“We need to address the elephant in the room,” Sarah sighs, and the group’s attention draws over to her. She’s been quiet so far, which means her news are far bigger than everyone else’s: “The brother.”

“If I were only twenty years younger…,” Beth starts, earning a peal of laughter from the women around her. “He’s very handsome, that’s true.”

“Yes, and I think Castiel would agree with you there,” Sarah speaks, before taking a long sip from her teacup. The reaction is immediate, as all the women start talking at once. The Winchester barely lived a week in the neighborhood, but they already produced the best gossip they had in a while.

“Do you think they are having an affair?” Tammy asks shocked. Of course, she had felt the tension between the family members, but she blamed it on the stress of moving. But now that Sarah suggested it, it seems like a possible explanation.

“We can’t be sure yet, but I bet something is going on. Dean surely looked rather unhappy every time he saw Sam touching his hubby. And Cas got some serious heart-eyes for his brother-in-law.”

“Besides,” Irene steps in “their marriage just seems – off? There’s more sex happening in the way Cas looks at Dean than in his marriage bed with Sam”

“Irene!” The shocked gasp from the elder women makes the other guests laugh, as they refill their mimosas.

“Oh, poor Sam,” Tammy sighs, fiddling with her wedding ring. Being cheated on must be awful on its own, but having your husband fool around with your own brother? That’s a new level of tastelessness.“

“Anyways, have you seen Mrs. Ericson’s new haircut? Just awful…”

——————————————————————————————

Dean excuses himself early from the housewarming party, not knowing how much more of the charade he could have handled. He expected to get some blackmailing material for his brother, it was supposed to be a funny sight after all. What he didn’t expect was the burning sensation on his inside, as he regarded the play right in front of him.

He’s still mad about the whole thing, and how caught up both of them were. It’s one thing to hold hands and present in the couple in front of others. But Sam calling Cas by a pet name in private? That’s just unprofessional, even Dean knows that. And then Sam told him, he would even kiss Cas if the situation needs it…What the hell was that even supposed to mean? Nobody is going to force them to kiss, the party guests are all far too old to play “spin the bottle” anymore.

Would Cas even kiss back, if Sam initiated a kiss? The angel doesn’t seem the type for physical affection; hell, he only lost his virginity a few years ago! The image of Cas pressing Meg against the wall, kissing her passionately, popped back up in Dean’s mind. And then the image changed to Cas and Sam in the same manner…God, Dean’s gonna have to swallow some holy water to get rid of that mental image.

Carefully, he watched the way his brother and his friend interacted, and the sight made him feel uneasy. He thought it was a stupid idea for them to fake a relationship because it would just be weird. But now that he was watching the way Cas’s hand rested on Sam’s lower back, Dean realized it’s something entirely else: he’s jealous. It’s not a feeling he knows very well; after all, none of his relationships ever lasted long. But as he watched Cas laugh at one of Sam’s stories, their sides pressed together – it’s setting something inside of Dean loose.

If he hadn’t acted like a child, he might have been the one standing beside Cas at that moment. He would have been the one holding his hand, laughing at his jokes, and maybe even pressing soft kisses on Castiel’s cheek. Nobody would even question their act, he’s sure of that. And then his mind kept wandering, back to the memory of Cas showing off his kissing skills. Except now it wasn’t Meg, but himself getting pinned against the wall.

Dean’s not stupid; he knows he likes men the same way he likes women. It’s been a long journey to finally find self-acceptance, but he’s finally contempt with it. That doesn’t mean he’s going to buy pride stickers and tell everyone around him he’s bi. No, it’s his secret and he’s the only one who needs to know about it.

He also knows Cas’s vessel is very attractive. But those two things – his attraction to men and his profound bond with Cas – were never something he considered might be related. But thinking about Cas kissing him – it’s something Dean never knew he wanted that much. When the sight of the happy couple got too much for him to bear, Dean excused himself to get a drink. Only then he remembered they are actually on a job, and he’s supposed to be on the watch out for possible bad guys.

And he’s totally going to do that.

Once he had a proper drink.

——————————————————————————————

“Please tell me your stupid charade is at least getting you somewhere,” Dean groans, once Cas is settled in his seat across from him. They decided to meet up in a close diner to discuss their next steps, while Sam is hacking the public security cameras from their house. Dean refuses to call it their “home”, hating the implication it’s setting.

“There are a few people we can surely rule out,” Cas replies, stirring some sugar into the coffee mug Dean pressed into his hands. “On my drive yesterday, the energetic waves were much stronger at the end of the street.”

“Great, so what’s next? You and Sammy going to play house for some more weeks, until we finally got our suspect?”

Dean can only hope the hunt will be over rather sooner than later. He barely slept the night after the housewarming party, his mind racing with thoughts. Not even liquor helped to drown them out and the night left him feeling not only exhausted but more upset than ever.

Castiel releases an annoyed groan. “Can you just…you’re undermining this plan at every given opportunity, and Sam and I are getting worried you might risk the entire thing.”

“I just want,” Dean starts, the words twisting in his throat. He knows exactly what he wants, ever since seeing Cas and Sam casually holding hands and snuggling on the couch. But at the same time, he knows it’s something he can’t have. Angels aren’t supposed to have emotions, he knows that. But when he catches Castiel’s blue eyes carefully watching him, Dean can’t help but feel a spark of hope.

“Do you ever think things could be, you know, different between you and me? Maybe we could be…more…or…”

“Dean,” Cas replies, his name sounding almost like a prayer from his lips. “Are you saying…”

“Well, hello you handsome fellas,” a sudden voice snaps them back to reality and when they look at its owner, Beth is smiling at them. “I thought it was you, so I just had to pop in and say hello.”

“Hello then,” Dean grumpily answers, his eyes focused on the table before him. Of all possible times, Beth had to disrupt them just now. He remembers the way those nosy neighbors had eyed him at the housewarming party, and how it made him uneasy. But then again, he only had eyes for Cas that evening.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work, Cas?” Beth asks, an obnoxious tone hidden under her sweetly sick smile. Right, Dean remembers, they told everyone Cas works at the library. Good enough of an excuse to spend their time there.

“Uhhh – Lunch break,” Castiel answers stiffly, his eyes shortly glancing over to Dean. The hunter seems to have grown smaller by the second, as he fiddles with the menu.

“Well, tell Sam I said hi,” she comments cheerfully, as she finally leaves them alone again. Silence falls over the table, only disturbed by the noise of the diner around them. Dean can feel Castiel’s watchful eyes on him, but he’s not ready to face them yet. He might not believe in fate or destiny, but the disturbance came just at the right time. A few seconds more and he might have destroyed the best friendship he had his entire life.

“Dean…,” Cas finally breaks the silence, but Dean interrupts him before he can speak more.

“Just forget it, Cas…Let’s focus back on the case.”

They don’t pay any attention to Beth, who silently snaps a picture of them from the outside. It feels like the ultimate proof those two are actually having an affair; why else would they meet up in a diner during Castiel’s work hours? She can’t help but grin, as she sends the picture to her friends.

TO: BRUNCH LADIES

“Look who’s having dinner instead of working….”

——————————————————————————————

“It’s Jennifer,” Cas says, once the image of Dean flashes over the laptop screen. After several neighbors pointed out how attached Dean seems to be to his brother, they decided to stick to virtual conversations for the moment.

“You sure?” Dean asks as he watches his brother and his best friend sit on their couch. He should be glad to once have an entire motel room for himself, but for some strange reason, he misses his family. Okay, he knows exactly why: he hates not knowing what’s happening between his brother and Cas. Sammy isn’t interested in Cas that way, he knows that. But the thought of them holding hands is enough to get Dean bothered.

“Absolutely,” Sam replies. “She was already one of our suspects due to some lucky incidents in the last few years, but when I was at her house, I clearly saw some witch supplies.”

“Her magic doesn’t seem too powerful, destroying her supplies and her altar should be enough to stop her,” Cas adds up, and Dean nods along.

“She’s working from home, right?” Dean asks while trying to remember everything about the suspect. Jennifer didn’t talk to him a lot; she was more of a loner. Apparently, her husband died a few years ago and left her enough money to start her own jewelry company. “How are we going to get her out of the house long enough to take care of the situation?”

“We could throw another party. Maybe celebrate a birthday or a wedding anniversary. And you and Mom could handle the house in the meantime,” Sam suggests.

“She didn’t stay long at the housewarming,” Cas throws in. “We need some more time, there might be warding at her house – maybe we could try a distraction, so she stays longer?”

“You could fake-break-up your fake marriage,” Dean huffs under his breath, knowing already they won’t agree to it. If their plan fails, the entire cover-up story would be blown up. There’s a bottle of beer in Dean’s hands and he takes a deep gulp from it. It may not be noon yet, but he stopped caring about that years ago.

Cas answers once Dean finished drinking. “No, that’s hardly enough to draw her attention.”

“We could call Jack, maybe he can help out. He could be your unknown son from a secret affair,” Dean jokes next. It sounds almost like a cheap plotline from Dr. Sexy – except Dr. Sexy’s secret son actually appeared in season 3 and needed an organ transplant, which could only be donated by his father. While Dean tries to remember how the episode ended, Sam and Cas nod in agreement.

“I’ll call Jack right away,” Cas speaks, his phone already halfway pressed to his ear. A second later, the angel disappears from the couch, leaving only Sam in his view. The younger Winchester seems to wait for Castiel to leave the room before he addresses his brother again.

“Dean, promise me you won’t act up,” Sam tries to reason. “We can’t risk the entire thing because you are getting jealous.”

“Jealous? Don’t be ridiculous, Sammy,” the older Winchester mumbles, trying his best to not sound petty. “Scout’s honor, I’ll be on my best behavior.”

——————————————————————————————-

Dean’s promise lasts around 20 minutes, which is already longer than he honestly would have expected. He and Mary will enter Jennifer’s house at 1800 sharp, leaving them with just enough time to trash her little altar and the supplies. Jack is going to start with his distraction around 10 minutes earlier, giving Dean enough time to slip out quietly. It’s all planned to the minute, which of course means, it’s destined to fall apart.

They invited their neighbors under the premise of Castiel’s birthday, even though the angel technically doesn’t even have a birthday. It doesn’t matter anyway, since Sam promised some BBQ and apparently that’s enough to motivate everyone to show up. Dean watches the spectacle from a distance, occasionally sipping his cold beer. He planned to handle the grill, but some bored husband hushed him away to deal with it instead.

Cas looks beautiful, Dean notices as he watches his best friend talking to his guests. He’s wearing a light blue dress shirt and a pair of dark jeans, and Dean makes a mental note to thank his brother for finally getting Cas out of his usual outfit. Then he remembers it means Sam took Cas shopping at some point, and Dean’s gratitude turns sour in his mouth.

“How long have you two been married?” one of the ladies asks Cas, and Dean tries his best to hide a snickering laugh.

“Too damn long,” Dean jokes under his breath, but loud enough for several heads to turn in his direction. Maybe he had a beer too much, but watching Sam and Cas acting in love isn’t a thing he can handle sober.

“Two years,” Cas replies shortly, shooting angry glances at Dean. A second later, he mumbles to his guests again. “May you excuse me for a moment?”

Dean steps back, ready to hide from Castiel’s anger, but it doesn’t work. Barely a moment later, Cas is already in front of him. His hand closes tightly around Dean’s arm, keeping him from turning away.

“What’s the matter with you, Dean? You’re acting like a child,” Cas hisses when he catches him in the hallway. It’s enough to make Dean angry again, as he pulls his arm away from Castiel’s tight grip.

“The matter with me?” he shoots back. “This is honestly so ridiculous, you’re acting so…”

A middle-aged man bumps into them, and Dean stops talking immediately. There are far too many people around and if he says anything about the case, it could ruin their entire plan. The guests are spread all over the house, leaving no place to talk in private. Well, almost no place…

“We need to talk,” Dean whispers, before dragging the angel into the coat closet. Some curious eyes seem to follow them, but Dean shuts the door before anyone else can spot them. The closet is surprisingly spacious, but the walls seem to suffocate him. There’s a bit of light coming in through the shutters, and he can see the concern written all over Cas’s face.  

“What’s going on? Ever since Sam and I began working this case, you’ve been acting weird,” Cas presses on and Dean knows it’s finally time to come clean about his feelings. He doesn’t want to lose Castiel’s friendship, but he can’t keep lying anymore.

“I wish it were me,” Dean rushes before he can chicken out again. “Instead of Sam. I wish it were me you’re married to. And I know it’s all fake, and you’re just pretending, but it’s driving me insane. Watching him hold you and call you those cheesy pet names. Because - because it’s something I want to do with you…not pretending, but for real.”

Once Dean starts speaking, the words don’t seem to stop rushing from his mouth. Cas just regards him with those hauntingly blue eyes, his head tilted in a way that always makes Dean’s heart melt. When all is said, Dean feels like the air was punched out of his lungs, as he awaits his friend’s answer.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Because I was too stupid to realize it for the longest time. And then I just didn’t know how to say it,” Dean admits. He came close to confessing in the diner, but Beth interrupted them and afterward, Dean felt ashamed and stupid.

“Dean,” Cas whispers. “I want those things too.”

There’s the beginning of a bright smile on Castiel’s face, and Dean swears his heart skips a beat when the words finally dawn on him. Before Dean can overthink the situation, he presses closer to the angel and is relieved when Cas is doing the same. And then their faces meet in the middle. Kissing Cas is the easiest thing in the world, it turns out. Whatever Dean was so afraid of, is right forgotten once their lips slot together.

It starts out innocent and gentle, just like the way relationships start. But then Cas opens his mouth a little bit, letting Dean lick inside and,  oh  – now things are getting heated. Dean presses even closer to Cas, their chests flushing together and their arms holding each other close. Somewhere, Cas’s back hits a wall and Dean pins him against it. The moan that falls from Cas’s lips is almost obscene while motivating Dean only further.

It’s perfect, and amazing, and breathtaking – until the closet door opens and they stumble onto the floor. Tammy’s surprised gasp draws everyone’s attention over to the couple, still entangled on top of each other on the floor. Everyone’s, even Sam’s.

“What the hell do you two think you are doing?” he yells loud enough to attract the entire house to the hallway, where they are watching them closely. Dean and Cas are still on the floor, slowly stumbling back to their feet.

“Sammy, I can explain…,” Dean starts, but now Sam turns his attention to Cas. He steps closer to them, his pointed finger slapping against Castiel’s chest.

“You’ve been screwing my brother?!” he yells, before locking eyes with Dean. “And you! Is this why Fernando broke up with me?”

Dean is taken aback for a second. Who the hell is Fernando? It’s only then when Dean remembers their lesser-used codewords. He can still recall how he wrote it down in his own leatherbound journal:  Fernando – just play along.

“This got nothing to do with Fernando, this is about me and Cas!” Dean replies with an angry voice, before taking Castiel’s palm into his own hands. Cas gives him a quick squeeze, and Dean decides to have at least a little fun with the situation.

“I finally understand now, why I was so against your marriage. Because you two don’t belong together! Your whole marriage is a scam! You act all perfectly happy when in reality, you’re not even sleeping in the same bed anymore.”

Dean can hear the people around them gasp a little. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of the elder people would end up with a heart attack due to all the fake drama being uncovered right now. Besides him, Cas draws in a deep breath, before speaking to his (fake) husband.  

“It’s true, Sam. I’ve been having feelings for your brother for a while now, but I never knew how to address them.”

Sam just looks at them with the biggest puppy eyes Dean’s ever seen. His time in drama club surely played out. “Are you two in love?”

Dean takes a deep breath, looking over to the familiar blue eyes, and the truth slips easily over his tongue.

“I think I love Cas more than I’ve ever loved myself.”

The look on Castiel’s face is everything and without even words, Dean knows he feels the exact same about him. The room is quiet around them, and from the corner of his eye, Dean spots Jennifer amongst the watchers. At least their little distraction worked well enough for her to stay.

“As your brother, I wish you all the happiness in the world,” Sam speaks, his eyes fixed in the distance. When Dean turns his head, he spots their mother coming in through the entrance door, breathing heavily but otherwise seems okay. She gives them both a small nod, signaling them she took care of the altar.

The crowd seems satisfied for the moment, and Dean is about to lead Cas out of the house when a voice stops them midway. It’s Jack, who is shouting loud enough for everyone to hear: “Sam, I am your secret son!”

The drama is enough to make at least one elder lady faint.

——————————————————————————————-

Dean and Cas depart soon enough, leaving Sam to deal with the rest of the concerned neighbors. Everybody seems to be too caught up in the drama to notice their quiet leave. They end up back in the diner, this time holding hands on the table. Surprisingly, everything feels the same and yet, completely different than before. Dean can’t put it in words, but for the first time in years, he knows he’s truly happy.

It takes a bit of time for Sam to finally text him, saying his guests finally left them alone and they can come back to talk about their next steps. When the Impala roars down the road, Dean can feel the eyes of every household staring at them. They are probably wondering why he would be back so soon enough, but Dean doesn’t care. He just holds Cas’ hand on the way to the house, fully knowing he won the grand prize.

Jack and Mary greet them happily, and even Sam can’t hide his grin as he approaches his brother. “Well, if it isn’t the homewrecker himself.”

“Come on, I bet several of your neighbors would have consoled you all night long, if you had asked them,” Dean shoots back, throwing a wink at Sam. He remembers the way one of the ladies had clung to Sam’s arm, trying her best to cheer him up about his failed marriage.

They all settle in the living room: Cas and Dean on the couch, Mary and Sam seated in each of the armchairs, and Jack sitting cross-legged on the floor. It may not be much, but it’s their own little screwed-up family. While Sam gets them beers from the fridge, Dean considers putting his arm around Cas. They haven’t had time to label their relationship yet, but they’re both too old to play games. So, Dean decides to go with his gut and wraps his arm around Castiel’s shoulder. The returned smile lets him know it was a good decision.

“Sorry for the way I acted earlier, it was just for show,” Sam says when he passes the beer over to the couple. “I’m actually glad you two finally figured things out.”

“Me too,” Mary chimes in with a laugh. “Even though I was patiently waiting for your back-up at the house.”

“Bet you still did an amazing job without me,” Dean returns, an honest smile on his lips. He holds his beer towards her, and she clinks it with her own.

Sam fills them in with the details of the last hours, and how he watched Jennifer leave her home in a panicked state. She packed a few bags, before driving away with screeching tires. Well, another case successfully solved. They talk for hours while laughing about stories and eating the leftovers from the party.

“Damn, I could really use some sleep now,” Dean yawns, stretching his arms. A short glance at the clock lets him know it’s almost 2 am and they gotta hit the road early the next day.

“How about you two head to the motel, and Jack and Mom stay here?” Sam proposes. When Dean checks on Jack, the kid is curled up in his seat, snoring quietly. No way they’re going to move him somewhere else, so this plan might be for the best.

“You just want me to stay, so your neighbors see this pretty lady leave your house tomorrow,” Mary jokes, earning some quiet hollering from her elder son and a laugh from Castiel.

“Guess we’re heading back to the motel,” Dean finally decides, before clumsily standing up from the couch. If it weren’t for the awful neighbors, this place might actually be nice. The furniture for one thing is comfortable enough. And the closet sure gave him a few ideas what to do with Cas in the future. He takes a few steps towards the door until he notices something is missing. “Cas, you coming?”

“You want me to come along?” Cas asks, and Dean just nods.

“Of course, would be weird to stay with your husband now that you scored the hotter brother,” Dean replies, pressing a gentle kiss on Castiel’s cheek. He never knew angels could blush, but it’s a sight he will never get enough of.

“We’ll pick you up tomorrow at nine, better be dressed!” Sam shouts after them when Dean is already halfway out of the door.

“You’re such a buzzkill, Sammy. No wonder your husband left you”

“I’m just glad you’re finally out of the closet,” Sam shoots back with a grin. Dean already knows it’s a joke he’ll hear a thousand times in the upcoming years, but when he looks over at Cas, it sure is a price worth paying.

The drive to the motel is rather short, and soon enough, Dean unlocks the door to his room. Luckily, he had booked a room with a king-size bed. He rarely had a room for himself during hunts, so he had decided to enjoy that. Cas closes the door behind them, while Dean strips out of his flannel and his jeans. He’s still wearing a shirt and his boxers, but compared to a fully dressed Castiel, he almost looks naked.

When Dean comes near him, the angel wraps his arms around his torso and pulls him even closer. Once again, their lips meet in a kiss, growing more heated by the second. It’s with a sigh that Dean slowly pulls away again.

“Maybe we should take it slow, honey. How about we just cuddle tonight?” Dean murmurs, pressing gentle kisses along his jaw. The exhaustion of the day lies heavily on Dean’s bones, and all he wants to do is cuddle into bed, his lover beside him.

“Honey?” Cas asks with a raised eyebrow, and Dean feels himself blushing yet again.

“It’s just – every time I see a bee or something, I have to think about you,” he admits. “Remember how you collected honey yourself? Or when you showed up covered in bees?”

Cas smiles at the memory. “Of course, I remember, but why would you bring that up now?”

“It’s just a term of endearment, a pet name. I can stop if you want”

Dean was never a big fan of pet names. He usually called his partners by their names, not some silly phrase. But then again, he was the one who turned  Castiel  to  Cas,  so maybe the angel has always been the exception for him.

“No, I like it,” Cas decides, before pressing another quick peck onto Dean’s lips. “And I am fully contempt with cuddling you.”

After some discussion about clothing choices, Cas also strips down to his underwear. Cuddling in jeans and a dress shirt would have been awful, and Dean luckily managed to convince the angel of it. The bed is more than big enough for the both of them, as they lie facing each other in the dark.

“We should make you a proper Winchester someday,” Dean mutters, gently kissing Cas’s knuckles. He isn’t thinking about marriage, not yet at least. Most marriages he’s seen over the years ended in death: his parents, Bobby and his wife Karen, Ellen and her husband…The list goes on and on, including those couples they couldn’t save during their hunts. When he saw his own father stricken with grief for his lost wife, part of Dean swore he’d never marry. But then again, Dean never would have believed he’d ever live past the age of 30. It’s with a smile upon his lips that he finally falls asleep.

All his life, he expected monsters in every dark corner, and more than enough times Dean was proven right. He’s been long enough in the business to smell danger from miles away, Dean believes. Which is why he’s surprised to wake up to the sound of Castiel shouting his name.

When he opens his eyes, all he sees is purple. The room seems to be painted in the color, reflecting on every surface possible. And in the middle of it all stands Jessica, glaring at them with violet and angry eyes.

“You! You really thought destroying my altar was enough to stop me?”

Dean’s hand finds its way under his pillow but returns empty-handed. He must have forgotten to place it there, too caught up with his lover. And when he looks around, he can spot his faithful gun sitting on top of a dresser, which is inconveniently placed behind the wrathful witch in the room. Cas is already standing beside the bed, and the sight of a half-dressed angel ready to fight would be hilarious if it weren’t for the mortal danger they’re in.

“You’re an abomination,” Jessica yells again. “Dirty and sinful, and…”

The angel blade hits her right in the chest. Her purple eyes glance downwards, where the blood comes rushing out of her body. Apparently, she was so caught up in looking dangerous, she actually forgot to ward herself. And with Castiel’s heavenly aim, that could only end deadly for her. Jessica sinks to her knees; the purple flashes of lightning slowly disappearing from the room. It’s only then when Dean decides to approach her. Blood is running down her mouth, but she’s still alive, watching the hunter carefully as he kneels down in front of her.

“I’ve had a voice like you in my head my entire life, whispering awful things about myself,” Dean tells her, keeping eye contact as he pulls the angel blade out of her bleeding chest. “But now, that I’m finally happy, do you know what happens to this voice?”

Jessica doesn’t answer, and he doesn’t need her to.

He would have slit her throat either way. 

———————————————————————————————

“Welcome to Sunday Brunch, Agnes,” Sarah announces, as the women settle down at her dinner table. It’s been a while since they had another brunch, but it was long-awaited. Today, a new face sits at the table with them.

“So sad Jennifer decided to move away, but we are glad we got you in the neighborhood now.”

“Thanks for having me,” Agnes replies with a shy smile, as she glances around at the other women. “It’s wonderful to have such nice and caring neighbors, my old neighborhood was so scandalous…”

“Scandalous?” Irene laughs, shaking her head in disbelief. “Oh dear, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”

“Are you referring to the Winchester?” Tammy replies while stirring her tea. It’s been weeks since those men came and went, but it’s still everyone’s favorite topic of discussion.

“Don’t be silly, of course I mean the Winchesters!”

Beth releases a deep sigh. “I’ve heard they did it right in Dean’s fancy car after the party.”

“No, they threw Sam out of the house and then had sex in the bed Sam used to sleep in. How tasteless of them,” Sarah corrects her immediately.

“That can’t be.” It’s Tammy’s turn to speak now. “I saw him the next day with a blonde woman in front of the house”

“Guess he got over it quickly then,” some other woman giggles. “Have you seen the kid too? Sam can’t have been older than maybe 25 when he was born”

Agnes just smiles quietly, as she listens to the stories. She may not know the Winchesters, but they sure are entertaining as heck.

———————————————————————————————

Castiel becomes a Winchester on a sunny day in July.

It’s been months since the case that started their relationship, and they never spared another thought to those nosy neighbors. Dean suspects the rumors they started that night, but he couldn’t care less. Once the town disappeared from the Impala’s rearview mirror, none of them ever spared another thought to the neighborhood. Dean and Castiel couldn’t be happier, and that’s all that matters to them.

Jody invited all of them to her cabin at Lake Alvin, just outside of Sioux Falls. They are celebrating Claire’s graduation from college, and Dean couldn’t be prouder of the kid. He talks Cas into buying her the cheesiest greeting card they can find, paired with the most beautiful gun in the entire bunker. It’s got engravings all over and Dean even finds somebody who puts “C.N.” onto the side of it. He would rather have Claire live a normal life, but he knows it’s not going to happen.

It appears like everybody in the hunter community got the invitation: Sam and Eileen, Mary, Donna, the Banes twins, even Garth and Bess together with their kids. It’s not often hunters get to celebrate something, so everybody immediately jumped the opportunity. It’s a beautiful day, and at some point, Dean finds himself standing next to Claire.

“So, when you gonna put a ring on it?” she asks, nodding over to Castiel, who is chasing his little namesake all over the lawn in a playful game. Dean’s heart swells at the thought of this man being his husband. They hunt less and less these days, especially since Sam decided to move in with Eileen. It’s still a secret, but he and Cas recently bought a house in the same street as them. It might finally be time to leave the hunting life behind.

“There’s no rush,” Dean simply answers, trying his best not to settle on the thought. If he’d ever marry someone, it probably would be Cas. His eyes are still fixed on the laughing figure when Claire continues speaking.

“Whatever, old man. But if you ever want to tie the knot, just call me,” she says, shrugging with her shoulder. When Dean looks at her with a raised eyebrow, she continues. “I’m actually a licensed officiant, not that it would matter for you two anyways. Could marry you just like that –“

She snaps her fingers, before taking a gulp of her soda. Dean looks over to Cas again, his thoughts running in his head. What if…? The idea seems insane to him, but Claire seems to catch his thoughts. A smile breaks over her face: “Go ahead, dude. Just ask him.”

“Don’t want to steal your thunder, kid.”

“There would be no thunder without you,” she confesses, and Dean can’t help but pull her into a tight hug. He never expected to have kids, but he loves Claire just like his own blood. Her first weeks in college were rough, he remembers. But every time she came close to quitting, she’d call Dean. At this point, she’s just as much his kid as Jack, and he couldn’t be prouder of the people they’ve become.

When they step apart, Claire pulls a necklace from her neck. Two golden rings are connected on it, and Dean immediately knows who they belonged to.

“Here, this one should fit,” she says and presses the larger ring into his shaking hands. Dean mutters an honest thanks, smacking a gentle kiss on her forehead, before sprinting over the lawn.

“Hey Cas, can we talk for a moment?”

“You’re not dragging me into a closet again, are you?” Castiel laughs, but willingly follows his boyfriend a few feet away from the crowd.

“If I remember correctly, you rather enjoyed that…,” Dean counters with a grin, before kissing the angel gently. Cas is still smiling against his lips, and Dean pulls away with a deep breath.

“I have an idea…well, actually Claire had the idea, but I think it’s kinda awesome. And since everyone we love is already here, it would just be such a good opportunity and…”

“Dean,” Cas simply says, putting a stop to Dean’s blabbering.

“Will you marry me? Tonight? I know, you actually deserve a much better proposal and a wedding that doesn’t take place in flannel, but I love you so very very much”

Dean’s stammered words are silenced by a loving kiss. When they pull apart, Cas is smiling brighter than the sun.

“I’ve adored you ever since the moment I touched your soul in hell, of course, I’ll marry you”

The biggest smile flashes over Dean’s face, and Cas returns it just as much. A moment later, a loud shout draws their attention over to the cabin, where Claire is cheering in a way, that reminds them far too much of Dean. And when they tell everyone else, the mood just keeps going up.

It’s not a traditional wedding, but then again, their whole lives aren’t exactly normal. Jack insists on being the flower girl, even though Dean and Sam try their best to correct it to “flower-boy”. The music comes from a beaten-up boombox, which plays “November Rain” on repeat and the couple agrees not to exchange vows, deciding to wait with them until they can talk privately.

Dean’s hands shake when he slips the ring onto Castiel’s finger. It’s only now that he realizes they only got one ring, but before Dean can freak out, the angel pulls another golden band from his pocket.

“Where did you get that ring from?” Dean asks, and Cas casts a glance over to Jody, who is currently trying to stop crying. They barely knew her husband, and sometimes Dean still feels a pinch of guilt they couldn’t save him. The ring, he knows, is not only a final peace offering but an official invitation to the family. Dean shoots her a thankful smile, and she just nods in return.

“Speak now, or forever hold your peace,” Claire announces from the front, but the crowd remains luckily silent.

“We’ve been waiting for ages, no way we’re going to object now,” Sam shoots from the side, making everybody laugh. If Dean wasn’t close to bawling his eyes out, he’d probably throw a witty remark at his brother.

“Well then,” Claire says, clearly holding tears back herself. “I shall pronounce you officially hitched!”

Everyone cheers when Cas pulls Dean in a kiss, marking the beginning of a new chapter. The rest of the evening passes in a blur: they dance, they sing, Sam proposes to Eileen, Claire and Kaia finally get together, and Dean and Cas once again find themselves fooling around in a closet. But it’s perfect in every way.

Not every family contains of two parents and a bunch of kids. For them, family contains of two washed-up hunters, their time-traveling mom, a badass Irish huntress, a fallen angel, the devil’s son, and dozens of other people they got to know over the years. Bobby once told Dean, family don’t end in blood, but it doesn’t start there either.

And as Dean watches his happy and fucked-up family, his hand tightly holding onto his husband, he just knows truer words were never spoken.

#destiel fanfic #destiel fic #deancas fanfic #spn fanfic #spn fic

[vynnyal]

Throwing random thoughts, headcanons, and a variety of pasta at the wall (but only those having to do with vessels and/or their biology this time): The Thrilling Third Installment™

...aka pretending i can be dark and dramatic jskhdfd

Thk's larger form is not the standard, but the exception. Thk was cited as being "raised and trained to prime form", which people take to mean pk assisted in the vessel's natural growth. However, that conclusion leaves a lot of unanswered questions, most important of which being “then what about Ghost?” In short, I think that train of thought is backwards. Vessels can't grow- they are ageless, and immortal. We know this due to Ghost, despite living as long if not longer than thk, being completely unchanged over the years. The only thing pk trained into "prime form" was thk’s mind and fighting prowess. Their body... well, I think it was mutated. Most likely either directly by pk, or ordered by him- and with the shenanigans happening over in the sanctum, I wouldn't be surprised if Soul was involved, too. In any case, it was in no means natural. Vessels are corpses reanimated by void; neither corpses nor void tend to make drastic changes on their own all that often. Whether pk predicted the vessel’s “issues” and intended to manually “upgrade” them from the beginning, it's hard to say. But... yeah. Unless Ghost goes out of their way to make themselves grow- if its even possible, now that pk is gone- its fairly safe to say, they never will.

...with that in mind, we are promptly gonna ignore that for the rest of this post lmaooo

Grown-up vessels wouldn't look like thk; while they are described as being raised into "prime form"... prime form, to whom? Rather than looking like an idealized pk soldier, it sounds much more fitting that they’d have an entirely different, natural adult form. Consider: their cloaks being longer and fuller, perhaps filling out into something with a more practical use to their “species”. Better yet, they could even grow up to be more beast-like. Feral vessels, YEhaW

The black egg temple is cited as being "built to sustain [vessels]", yet it can't be their lifespan that is sustained. Rather, it seems the egg is specifically designed to keep the radiance from tearing thk apart, physically and/or mentally. Ngl its p obvious, but worth noting.

Sorta-au where Ghost’s shade has 8 eyes, and/or is generally all-around more cryptid-looking.

@ the sharpshadow charm and the strange, 6-eyed creature their shade turns into: kudos to this post, they bring up something super interesting- the creature not only resembles the Shade Lord, but the lord outright becomes it during the Embrace the Void cutscene.

makes me respect the ol’ civilization a whole lot more if a single charm can turn a baby shade into a baby lord.

The concept of finding ghosts unconscious body, laying next to a corpse, while they battle in their dreams. Alt: when ghost enters the dream realm, their shade leaves their shell... And protects their body from harm.

If steel soul mode is taken as canon, just how did ghost and the shade meet? Alt: Ghost may never have “met” it at all, as it technically doesn’t exist in that mode- instead, its more of a metaphor than an actual entity.

What the vessels looked like- or were supposed to look like- before the void. Alt: a story following a child, alive and untouched, that somehow managed to be spared. They could even have a gender. Alt alt: the void intentionally spared them for some purpose, or even out of simple kindness- or at least, something that resembles kindness.

Re: the shade inexplicably having a nail: all the vessel's swords are crafted from “will-bearing rock”- of which i’ve come to lovingly call living stone- and as such, are of void themselves. That's how the shade seems to conjure up its own copy; it merely shapes it, from the ground, using void. And, while more of a stretch, Ghost’s nail being some sort of living stone/pale ore alloy could explain just how Ghost can do seemingly pretty crazy things with an otherwise ordinary nail. Better, while 100% a baseless hc, its material might actually enable Ghost to build it up and modify it to suite their size as they grow older. finally, a logical reason adult Ghost has an adult-sized nail-claymore. hdsfghjfghdsjf

On that same thought: Ghost outright invented the "art" of manipulating- or creating- living stone to make their nail. ...gimme a sec. The other escaped vessels have nails, too, right? Either meaning they also discovered this ability... or that theres some legitimate ground for the “vessel gang” hc. Or, yanno, i’m reading too much into Ari’s sprites but sHHhh

How did all the vessels know to race to the top? They seemed to be falling merely because they had just been born and had literal, actual baby strength; yet not only did they inexplicably risk everything competing to the top, they somehow knew death was waiting if they lost. Alt: pk just, bringing a fucking megaphone and telling them like a sports announcer.

What if Ghost made it, and instead of falling, they managed to joined thk at the lip? What would pk do? Push them off the edge??? Or just adopt them both?? Oh fuck au where they're raised as twin sacrifices. Or worse yet, they’re raised unequally, and one is trained only as an afterthought. As a backup.

Alternatively, pk keeps all the vessels au, only a few years later when they're grown. Pk now has a literal army of pure knights. Radiance is fucked.

Hm. If vessels were fully coherent entities from the moment of birth, why was there a crib in the white palace? Did... did they use it? I have a feeling team cherry made that asset before the abyss scene lmaooo alt: they did, uh, use the crib. Cue a very awkward scene of thk, clearly not a normal baby, staring at wl with like... idk, the poofy baby hat and pacifier. I can’t tell if the image is more funny or more sad rn shdfgfjsdgg

The og notes that inspired this post, in case my rambling makes more sense (and w/o the awful comic hjsfgjsdfhj): Oh oh OH i GET it now. The void is all about "will" and whatnot, right? And shades are "fragments of a lingering will"- will, like the one you leave after your death, but instead of inheritance its the vessels' desires...last regrets.... DAMN team cherry, that symbolism is clever as heck. That took me a while. Kinda funny how a will is, technically, a person's last regrets Like I knew they were last regrets but I didn't understand WHY. Duh, it's because they're literally Made Of Will. They are the vessel's "wills". I'm so stupid.

Ghost, walking thru the abyss, getting increasingly fed up / freaked out, ducking into a crack in the wall. They follow the crack into the Scream Chamber, pause, then exhale in relief that this was EXACTLY what they needed.

Ghost's shade rolling up its void-sleeves like “fuck it, ima defeat thk myself”

Why was thk's sword there? Was its pedestal decayed? Did it fall from their body? Was it place there as an afterthought, or hurriedly? alt: taking thk's sword before freeing them, but doing the mom thing like you're grounding them hdhfjchjch

I can’t believe it just occured to me now, but... as objectivley stupid as the vessel’s test was, Ghost... technically came in second place. What if that whole scene was a metaphor? Because really, it’s just too silly to take seriously. To do so isn’t too far fetched, either; many other elements in the game’s story are better taken as symbolic or metaphorical, anyways. Take the PoP cutscene- while it could’ve been a literal moment, where they just happened to find themselves standing around and took the moment to appreciate each other... imo it makes much more sense to read it as the concept of their faint ~forbidden love~ and parental pride itself. Or, better yet, the scene at the end of the 4th pantheon. Sorry, but I severely doubt that was an actual event. What I’m trying to get at is the significance of “second place” in the cutscene. My brain is too fried to chase down any other possible connections to this theme rn (if thats even what the theme is), but even without proof, the theory smooths out a few interesting tidbits related to just how Ghost could tough it out when all others failed. All except for #1, anyway. Either way I’m just happy to take this as an excuse to pretend that cutscene didn’t literally happen because like, l m a o

The story of a small group of vessels as they work together to escape hallownest. (aka the aforementioned vessel gang hc... im sure theres a more formal name but you get the idea). Its impossible to tell how long it took them to discover that near-invisible hole, the last exit remaining after the king ordered the abyss to be sealed up. Once they did, however, the remaining vessels were quick to make a desperate scramble to escape- only for the entrance to suddenly crumble shut, far, far too soon. The remaining 8 slowly made their way through deepnest, their numbers quickly dwindling as the jouney started to take its toll. The group was nearly wiped out by those terrible, spiney-legged creatures that used their own kinship against them. Only three finally escaped the deep, yet only two made it through the basin- the third, largest sibling, left to fight alone againt a hopeless battle, just to buy the others time. It was in greenpath, so close yet so far to their goal, that the second succumbed to the infection. It was a mercy killing, that nail through the heart. The last, after all of that, finally made their way to the very precipice of howling cliffs, hesitating for just a moment to gaze out upon the still-fresh ruins of hallownest. But only for a moment, before Ghost jumps down to begin their journey beyond this wretched place.

A vessel running from its shade as it tirelessly pursues them, the vessel refusing to put it to rest.

tw: suicide, + personal on main

Ugh ugh ugh ugh Either thk was fully conscious and in terrible pain for all those years... or they couldn’t feel anything at all. The former is horrible, but imagining thk waking up, chained, unable to do anything but wait for Ghost to heed their call? Did they turn their nail on themselves to help Ghost, end the pain, or some awful mix of both? For someone who has personally dealt with close friends and family that struggled with suicide themselves, hollowknight is one of the worst horror stories I've ever seen. And the fact that the story is so personal, so open to interpretation? The fact that each character is so genuine yet vague enough to be read completely differently to someone else’s biases? Its why hollow knight- the game, and the character- will forever be one of the most powerful stories to me.

in short, good LORD THIS GAME IS SO FUCKING SAD

#hollow knight #Thonking abt hollowknight #blabbing.txt #i should probably proof-read this.... uuuaaaah #anyways #@ that last one: i had to take a week-long break after tiso died. so like. you can imagine my reaction to thk #other than that some of these are VERY OLD #and dsfhhfdj the test one literally just occurred to me #sweet catharsis.... fuck you pk.... #also.... yeah. vessels have a p bad time all considered #ghost is like 'i know i look 7 but im actually 1000 years old!' #then hornet punts them into the sun #OH WHAUFHDFKJ

[curlerroad9]

The Worst Gambling Suggestions You? ll Ever Read. How Gaming Games Offer Hints to the Culture of an Area

Look, the particular sheer volume of gambling advice out there there is overwhelming. Players that are new to the sport can get missing navigating the marine of misinformation combined with sound gaming advice. It could be an immense undertaking to compile the quantities of excellent online poker strategy and online casino gambling habits. Rather, I? ve decided to give you a few of the worst gambling advice We? ve been offered in casino pubs, airplanes, hotel lobbies, as well as on typically the casino floor. Thus, here it is. Keep reading with regard to the worst gambling advice you? lmost all ever read. Put on? t Play Slot machine Machines at Maximum Times There? t more misinformation adjoining slot machines than any game throughout the casino. I actually feel that that likely stems from the fundamental lack of understanding. 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That 5% commission provides a person with a house edge of only one particular. 06%. You? ll have trouble beating that will on a game that can provide while much excitement. Often Bet on Dark-colored Alright, this will be a tongue-in-cheek jerk to the Wesley Snipes film Voyager 57 from years as a child. However, the well-known line,? Always wager on black,? offers become somewhat associated with a staple intended for ridiculous gambling commentators out of their own element. The fact is that black is one involving the better still money bets within the casino. Still, that? s not virtually any better than? always gamble on red,?? even,? or? odd.? Virtually any of these bets are going to be able to produce the identical long term results. Let me confess that betting in black sounds typically the coolest of typically the four. Really, what I suggest is to always bet on a single zero wheel. If you play real money roulette on some sort of double zero steering wheel, you? re doubling the property edge in even-money bets. A lot of casino gamblers wear? t know or never notice the refined difference between typically the two types involving roulette wheels. You never want to spot a single wager on a different roulette games wheel with twice zeros. The odds are extremely bad of which you? ll get better served by causing a bet on the hand of black jack or dropping $25 into a slot machine machine. In summation, it? s okay to always gamble on black, nevertheless do it on one zero wheel. Feels like a boring method to gamble to be able to me. Don? to Let Somebody Jump in and Steal Your Jackpot Let? s go back again to the unpleasant advice that becomes tossed around the slot machines banks. Some participants believe that the particular games are going play on a new particular cycle. This kind of misguided view qualified prospects players to think of which they can time their jackpot is victorious. For instance , a device pays a jackpot feature on every 2. 5 various million spins. So, a machine would certainly fork out a jackpot feature every 18 a few months or so. Some players will bad bags of cash right into a machine, inching it closer and even nearer to a $25k jackpot. Unfortunately, generally there? s no way of knowing if a jackpot will certainly hit for a new specific machine. Typically the likelihood that you simply? lmost all be the person receiving the windfall definitely goes up the particular longer you perform. Still, if an individual adopt a thinking that the jackpot belongs to an individual, you? re found in for a tremendous disappointment. Even worse could be the resentment you have when someone else hits the jackpot. You may? t manage the random range generators. I have zero doubts regarding what an excellent person you usually are, but the RNG doesn? t care. It? ll spend when a certain combination is triggered rather than an instant before. Skip typically the Players Club and Head for typically the Tables I? m constantly amazed simply by the groups of online casino gamblers that 03 right beyond the player? s desk and even avoid getting each of the free casino rewards they earn. This? s as when we were holding selling units with no free arranged of Callaway irons. Don? t miss out on just about all of the benefits earned by registering for the player? s card. You can earn everything through free meals in addition to show tickets in order to complimentary rooms in addition to cashback. This seems like a no-brainer in my experience, and this probably does in order to you. Still, you will find a population of skeptics that would have got you believe it? s all a new scam. Trading a new $20 meal for all of the money you set in play isn? t a rip-off. You? ll be playing the video games regardless, and the casino wants to preserve customers happy. Subscribe to the rewards just before placing a solitary bet and work with it every table or machine you play at for the whole trip. I realize there? s plenty more to be examined when it comes to betting and misinformation. All over the place you look, the internet is finding new plus creative strategies to help make you an even worse casino gambler. Take those worst gambling tips you? ll at any time read and devote it to the memory before an individual hit the online casino floor. You are able to? to break even actively playing casino games extensive unless you? lso are a plus gambler. Provided with the proper info regarding the best ways to play the games, you? ll walk out of the online casino a victor more compared to ever. Roger Caillois says that winning contests is? an occasion involving pure waste: waste of time, energy, ingenuity, expertise, and often regarding money.? In the publication, Man, Play, plus Games, Caillois goes on to make clear how these games invariably is an important item to take into consideration when assessment a culture? s i9000 social and spiritual growth. In the particular United States, gaming games are a lot more popular than virtually any other games in addition to sports. And actually sports are gambled on. Video video games are big in addition to popular, too, nevertheless they don? big t generate the kind of money that gambling machines do. In fact, the majority of gambling machines are simply video games now, too. In this post, I? lmost all offer some findings about what betting games in the particular United States claim in regards to the culture throughout general. What? h the Point of Gambling for The majority of Americans? Games? especially gambling games? job along an intégral of somebody trying in order to assert his will versus surrendering his / her fate for the inconsistencies of random possibility. A game love chess is a straight-up contest involving skill, for instance, while a position machine is some sort of straight-up contest involving random chance. Numerous gambling games give both. Poker, intended for example, is really a game that rewards competent play in the long haul, but in the short-term, any individual can get lucky and win a huge pot or even a complete session. One particular reason Americans may enjoy gambling is that they give an chance to demonstrate their resilience within the face of uncertainty. Doing a contest with Female Luck gives a respite from the Kafkaesque experience of working in corporate The united states and coping with bureaucracy on a frequent basis. Almost no one gets a new chance to enjoy the hero inside real life inside modern America, although you can head to Vegas, defy chances, and come house the hero of your story. A person just have to be prepared to carry the risk in the first place. Gambling Is a great Act of Obvious Intake No make a difference where you live life, gambling is a great act of obvious consumption. It? s become available from such low levels that anyone regarding any socioeconomic course can participate, also. For the public, high rollers get all gussied upwards and play baccarat without worrying of the wins or deficits? just like Adam Bond. Rich rancher types take major risks and have the particular better of their particular fellow gamblers with the poker furniture and sneer with the possibility of losing hundreds or even thousands of money. Penny slots permit people who can barely afford their particular rent to gamble, too. I experienced a close relative living in a new trailer park close to Reno, Nevada which spent most involving the later decades of her living playing penny slot machine games? even though she had been scraping by about social security plus welfare. As the lady explained,? I used to be the alcoholic and some sort of drug addict, nevertheless now I? meters just an obsessive gambler.? I have got another buddy that scrapes by, being in a tiny house in the most severe neighborhood in city. He? s took out money from us repeatedly for at least 30 years now. At least half time, he never pays that back. When they does pay it back, he will pay it back lately. What does he do to keep things interesting? He takes on the lottery as often as possible. When I ask your pet how well he does at the particular lottery, he promises that he? s i9000? about even? through the years. My relative plus my buddy equally take an inordinate amount of pleasure inside their willingness to gamble away cash that they could become using to boost their lives. What do these examples say about our culture generally speaking? What Benefit Do Slot Devices Offer Culturally? Slot machine game machines and other gambling machines may possibly be the smallest amount of culturally-enriching form of betting in existence. Not really only do happened interact with additional people while using, as you would certainly at the baccarat or poker furniture, nevertheless, you stand simply no potential for winning in the long run. Actual money slot equipment are silly plus offer lousy possibilities. They appeal in order to the compulsive nature from the human thoughts, and they grow even more appealing as time passes. Exactly what? s happening to the American lifestyle that the biggest growth in betting games? popularities belongs to the very least social of just about all possible games? Instead of getting together with various other gamblers, those who perform slot machines are definitely more comfortable interacting with machines. Gambling equipment lack the prestige of the table game titles, but they? lso are affordable enough of which anyone in the United States has an opportunity to get involved. How much does Slot Device Popularity Say On the subject of People in the us? Within European casinos, stand games are continue to more popular than betting machines. But within the United Says, slots account for at least 85% of the regular casino? s earnings. What are slot equipment like? What does slot machine game machine gambling involve? For one point, slot machine gambling is a simple activity. It? t your machine. When I visit my local casino in addition to look at the players at the slot machines, none of them are interacting with another nearby players. That? s how they will manage to like that. Contrast that together with what goes upon at a table sport like blackjack or even craps. People interact with one another steadly at the blackjack table even though they? re playing against the seller and not the particular other players. Right after all, they? lso are dealing with the common enemy, so to speak. Craps players interact in fact more enthusiastically using each other. Certainly not only are the majority of of the players with the craps table competing with a common enemy, these people? re usually rooting for an specific to defeat chances by rolling a spot number before going a 7. Most craps players wager with the player with the dice simply to enjoy typically the camaraderie at the desk. Everyone celebrates with each other when they all win. And these people all commiserate with each other after they all lose. Nevertheless blackjack and craps are growing much less popular over time period, while gambling devices are growing even more popular after some time. Exactly what does this say about American lifestyle? I don? to think it? s a big step to express that people today in the Unified States? a minimum of within general? are becoming less interested inside interacting with one another, preferring solitary uses like gambling machines. This has most likely been exacerbated by simply the within reputation of smart cell phones and apps. Also folks who actively socialize often do and so via social media marketing applications like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as opposed to having in-person conversations in addition to experiences. Skill versus Chance in Usa States Gambling It? s interesting to be able to look at just what role skill has in gambling vs random chance. In one hand, an increasing number of gamblers are winning contests which offer absolutely nothing but random probability. Slot machines embrace popularity every season, even though nothing an individual can do as a player affects the outcome. Games like blackjack, which reward skill while still offering up the casino an edge, are growing less popular over period for their brand new corporate machinery supplying random chance. But There? s a good Exception to This Craze of Chance Vs Skill: Poker. Also though slot machines continue to grow within popularity, the sport regarding poker has appreciated a resurgence over the last couple of many years that? s amazing. The poker increase is finished, so the particular game isn? capital t growing meteorically the particular way that this used to. But lots of people consent that poker will be an uniquely American game. And more folks are stepping directly into cardrooms now as compared to these people were in the particular 80s and 90s, for sure. Many casinos didn? to even have holdem poker rooms anymore throughout those decades. Of which changed with all the climb of the net poker millionaire, simply because exemplified by Philip Moneymaker. That? s as American a tale as you? ll ever hear, too? a relative unknown tends to make himself rich simply by using a mixture of good fortune, courage, and expertise. Gambling being a Meditative Experience I examine an interview with a slot machine gambler who contended of which she wasn? capital t playing slots due to the fact she of the particular uncertain outcome. Rather, she was interested in the certainty of her final result. That which was she specific about? She wasn? t worried concerning whether she won or lost. She wasn? t anxious about whether she input more money than she took out or the other way round. What she understood was that whenever she put additional money in, your woman always got the result? a brand new pair of symbols about the reels. Inside other words, the lady was certain of which she? d often be able to always play. Inside some forms of East spiritual traditions, the particular idea of getting mindful and having away from your entire worries about typically the past or upcoming in favor of a focus on the present is desirable. In my view, slot pieces of equipment supply the same type of meditative encounter as actual relaxation. In fact, many kinds of gambling do likewise thing, but slots seem to make these kinds of hypnotic effect more readily than others. You can compare this specific? serenity now? knowledge of slot machines using the effects of some illegal medicines. And, like a lot of illegal drugs, this specific instant serenity comes with an expense. In the case of drugs, you want a higher dosage to find the same effect unless you? ve eventually worn-out the serotonin receptors in your head. Gamblers experience the particular same thing. They need to gamble for larger stakes and more periods to find the same kind of rush. But also in terms of finding comfortably numb, position machine players seem to have most other gamblers conquer. What exactly is Everyone in America so Bothered About Anyway? If gambling is an escape from the particular worries of the world, precisely what are these worries that require this kind of drastic activities in order to escape from? In case you proceed in the premise that betting provides you with a rest from space and even time, why is definitely that respite appearing to become more necessary and well-known with time? Why Will be the Rate of Gambling? Especially Slot Machines? Becoming so A lot of More Popular? Consider about the upcoming that you read concerning in the newspaper these days. Ecological concerns are a new growing crisis that seems prone to impact the quality of everyone? s lives earlier than most people are usually comfortable with. Monetary crises are within the headlines about a regular basis, too. More individuals are deeply inside of debt than each before. The charge from which people are usually saving money continue to be decline. The downsizing middle class continually shrink while the particular billionaire class carries on to amass a greater amount associated with society? s prosperity. I understand people that have just discontinued reading the information altogether just to keep from being depressed all the time. Is it definitely so surprising that will gambling activities, which usually provide as successful a mental escape from all this specific as you can imagine, have turn into increasingly popular? An ever more Addicted Culture The size of gambling has transformed dramatically just inside my lifetime. Whenever I was a young man, most of the particular attendees of Bettors Anonymous were addicted to card online games and sports bets. I have buddies? senior citizens inside recovery? who nonetheless discuss those times. By the nineties, though, a majority of attendees at Gamblers Anonymous had been addicted to participating in slot machines and even video poker game titles. I? ve seen reports from rehabilitation centers that a big percentage of the people being taken care of for gambling dependancy were slot machine game participants. Gambling addiction might seem harmless more than enough, but it? h a state American Psychological Association diagnosis. Men and women dependent on gambling shed their jobs, make suicide more frequently, and wind up in prison more often. That they? re more likely to be in bad health, too, plus the divorce rate will be higher among this specific growing segment of the American population. You? ll see bar stool pundits contend that will gambling isn? capital t really addictive because it? s not a substance that adjustments your physiology. Yet when it comes to the brain, process harmful habits clearly change the physiology in the particular form of changes within your brain hormone balance. In fact , the specific same serotonin receivers that are influenced by alcohol and even drug use will be activated by wagering machines. Gambling is definitely an excellent stalwart but a negative master, but some sort of large percentage associated with the American population are gambling alarmingly. I? m not necessarily an opponent of gambling at most. Actually I? meters a proponent regarding responsible gambling. I actually find a large amount of price in gambling activities with an interpersonal aspect, like craps and poker. We encourage readers using a potential problem to obtain help with that will problem. And some other recreational gamblers would likely do well to pay attention to the more sociable gambling games accessible for mental well being and societal well being reasons 먹튀검증

#먹튀검증

[sailor-cresselia]

The Great Ex-Aid Rewatch: Ex-Aid & Ghost, Part One

:grabs the popcorn:

This is gonna be hard, because I wanted to try and do this without in-movie spoilers. I mean, I’ve seen the entire show at this point, and if you’re reading my liveblogs, I’m basically assuming that so have you, so not touching on plot points is a little impossible, especially with my overbearing love for going into meta and theories.

Also, it’s going to be in multiple parts. This first post covers about twenty minutes of run-time over the course of several hours of real-time, and nine pages.

Whoops.

(links to the other parts will go here)

–––

Okay, so. In the first two minutes, we have Dr. Pac-man’s three assistants start shooting up the GenmCorp lobby, and I’m pretty sure that the muscle guy broke a guards neck. And then they go after Kuroto, with a very… glitchy Dr. Pac-Man alongside.

We’re talking ‘pre-bugvisor Graphite’ visual glitching, here. As though he doesn’t quite have enough… I dunno, cohesion to stay intact on his own.

Thing is, Kuroto seems genuinely… if not scared, then at least shocked to see him. The dude’s supposed to be very dead, after all.

And seriously, why do people keep jamming proto-gashats into their bodies?! No! Don’t do that! Stop it! I don’t care if you’re a bugster or not, it doesn’t actually help you at all, it’s just going to make you physically unstable!

–––

And here we have Tougo, victim of the day. I have to say, I’ve never liked him much. He’s… annoying. Also, I’m aware that the choice of color for his school uniform is most likely ‘because Pac-Man’, but that doesn’t change the fact that’s it’s ugly. The girls jacket is a nice dark tan, but the boys have this gaim-awful mustard.

And then the Pac-Viruses attack.

–––

Emu’s such a good guy, helping one of his young patients out in both work and as a sort of mentor-friend. Pity we’re still very early in Ex-Aid, and he’s still a horrible klutz. There’s no time to be tripping over your feet, Emu! We’ve got people to save!

–––

…oh no… It never quite clicked before, but I think Takeru had to repeat a year! He was clearly planning on going to university, if only because he and Akari are/were in the same year of school, and she’d never let him live it down if he didn’t. And here? His teacher, who’s practically mocking him for being six months behind, is asking whether he’s serious about his entry exams or not.

So. Since it’s December now, and it was early April when he came back, Takeru missed the entire last half of what was supposed to be his senior year of high school. So here, he’s probably about three months into what he missed before.

Akari, Onari, please don’t disrupt the class like this, they probably all think Takeru’s weird enough as is without him getting called out for superhero business.

–––

You know, Akari reminding Takeru to be careful, because he’s got a regular body now, implies that he hasn’t been careful. Maybe not as Ghost, but… you know, in regular exertion stuff. (And as Ghost, because there’s probably a number of times he’s had to help Alain with. Like. Less-than-satisfied court members or something over in the Ganma world.)

So, both teams are here at the outbreak site. Team Ghost, consisting of Takeru, Akari, and Onari, and team Ex-Aid, consisting of Emu and Asuna. Both of the lads put on their drivers, and simultaneously notice the other one there.

They didn’t meet outside of the suits in Ghost’s final episode, which was an epilogue to his story and a Bonus Sneak Preview Of The New Challenger, so it makes sense that the drivers – both of which are very distinct – would be how they recognize each other.

–––

Of course, that gets us into the slight issue of ‘when does Ghost ep 50 take place.’

See, it’s implied in-show that it’s not long after Takeru comes back to life, which puts it in early to mid-April. He has a line about ‘are we really going to celebrate my birthday twice from now on?’, to which the answer was a definitive yes, so it makes logical sense for it to not be on his original birthday in October.

Except for how Emu couldn’t show up for his Big Damn Heroes moment if it were in April, because he didn’t put on the Gamer Driver until October.

So, when Emu comes to try and get the Shakariki Sports gashat from Ayumu, it isn’t quite chronologically possible… unless you take into account who Ayumu is.

He’s Takeru’s son. From the future. Meaning he time-traveled to get there.

It’s not even unprecedented for the season – Takeru’s father opened the portals that brought Takeru and Shinnosuke back and forth from 2005 in the Ghost & Drive movie, after all. So, it stands to reason that the portal ability, which Ayumu also shows, is a familial power.

What I’m positing is that Emu traveled back in time, and probably didn’t even know it.

He goes to the game worlds and battle stages fairly often, and since suddenly being in a different location isn’t exactly new to him… it would only makes sense for him to not realize that he’s in a different month, too. Especially when one of the stages looks just like the forest behind Daitenkuu Temple, and he has all sorts of flashy light effects going on all the time. An eye-shaped portal could totally just be another one of the standard special effects.

Yup, nothing unusual here.

–––

Okay, that aside, nobody actually gets to transform just yet, because the whole group is swarmed by Pac-Viruses before either of them can activate their drivers, with the viruses quickly singling Takeru out and chewing into him.

He doesn’t get hit with the literal fever that everyone else they’ve done this to are suffering from. No, in Takeru’s case… the Ghost Driver disappears. He pulls out his eyecon to try again… and it clicks uselessly.

Onari suspects it might be because he ‘hasn’t transformed lately’, adding more credence to his and Emu’s encounter being more than two months ago.

Since nobody else here can… time for Ex-Aid to make an appearance.

In level one.

Cue Opening Credits.

–––

So, Emu can’t so much as dent the Pac-Viruses, and then two of Zaizen’s lackeys show up. The man, apparently named Kazushige Ryuzaki, uses the Drago Knight Hunter Z proto-gashat to turn into… (quick search of the wiki) the Doral Bugster. Since I don’t feel like typing out his name, and it’s never said in show anyway, I’m just gonna be calling him Doral from here on. Similarly with the woman, Ageha Takeda, who uses Giri Giri Chambara to become the Giril Bugster.

So, you know, of course the one with a sword is the one Takeru faces off against. Why not? Not like he’s probably got some incredibly justified trauma relating to them. Not like it’s not actually incredibly ironic that his first heroic Eyecon arms him with a sword. Why not re-open some old less-than-metaphorical wounds right off the bat?

Doral basically corners Emu into the parking garage that Takeru and the others tried to bring Tougo through. Oh, yeah, they were trying to get that guy out of the area when he collapsed. I didn’t mention it because he’s not a good character, and exists primarily to guilt-trip Emu. So, yeah. Doral and Giril knock both our heroes down, breaking Emu’s level two transformation in the process, and here comes Dr. Pac-Man, being all ominous and glitchy, saying that he’s doing this for ‘revenge on humanity’.

Suuuure, that’s how you wanna spin it. Humanity in general. It’s totally not against a few very specific humans, one of whom you’ve recently had held at machine-gun point, and the other who has no idea what’s going on.

–––

They use the scene of bringing Tougo into CR for a brief exposition dump – which is fair, both in-universe and out. Takeru’s team wouldn’t know what’s going on, and it helps just in case the parents in the audience haven’t been following what their kids have been watching. It just gives us that little bit of elaboration on the bugster virus, enough so that people aren’t completely lost.

Tougo’s – oh, wow, his ‘infection ratio’ is already at 63%. Usually when they get someone in here, they’re only in the 30% range. But, of course, there isn’t any data to define what’s going on, because this isn’t one of the normal bugsters. There’d be no reason for Pac-Man to be programmed into a Genm Corp system.

(Which actually raises the question of how they were able to see an icon for Burgermon in episode 17, since he wasn’t supposed to be a Bugster, either. Then again, he is from a game Genm Corp was developing. But I digress.)

Anyway, Emu’s justifiably confused as to why Takeru doesn’t seem to be having any of the usual symptoms of an infection. Oh, sweetie, if you only knew- :ahem: sorry, distracted.

Takeru says that no, he’s not feeling any sort of fever, he’s doing fine.

Onari reminds him that ‘he’ll only get hurt if he pushes himself’, and Akari feels his forehead to make sure he’s telling the truth.

Once again, we’re getting the implication that Takeru has developed a habit of going too far.

–––

upstairs, we’ve got a conference call with Secretary Hinata, the Official CR team, and the Ghost team. Onari bursts out laughing at Poppy’s last name – and freaks out when she hops out of the arcade cabinet.

Both of these are understandable reactions, but maybe don’t immediately declare this a supernatural phenomenon? You know, since a government official was the one to first address her.

I will always be frustrated at the reverb effect they gave Poppy’s voice in this movie. There was no reason for Toei to do that, it’s just excessive, and it’s not like they did it in any of the promo materials or shorts, to say nothing of the show itself. Actually…

–––

I wonder if some parts of this movie draw from early planning stages of Ex-Aid? Like, there’s no explaining the voice thing otherwise, and Emu was pretty close to freezing up for a long time in here… despite the setting for it being explicitly between episodes 10 and 11, at which point they’ve already faced an approaching pandemic, with what Graphite pulled in episodes 9 and 10. So, either the team just didn’t think of that, or there were aspects that got… left over.

I mean, it’s not nearly as inexplicably different as the entirety of the OOO section of OOO & W, but it’s not exactly fitting with where Emu would be even just in the first few episodes.

And yes, I’m aware that OOO & W was made when they had one whole episode of OOO to go off of, but that’s why I think there might be artifact plot elements in here.

–––

Okay, back to the film itself. Again. Emu – Genius Gamer M – uses his genre savvy to realize why he couldn’t damage the Pac-Viruses. If, like some of the other bugsters, they’re operating on the logic of their game, then the only weakness they would have would be ghosts. AKA, instead of infecting Takeru, they burned out his ability to transform into Ghost, thus removing their biggest threat.

I mean, only some bugsters use their games that heavily. Motors, for one, the bugster from Bakusou Bike, is ‘prone’ to racing, and technically speaking, Emu and Kiriya cleared the game before destroying him, by beating him in a race. And the Doremifa Beat Collabos bugster was using music just like it would have been in the game itself – if you miss the notes, you get punished. In game, that’d just be a bad score. In the real world… painful explosions. Poppy, the actual bugster from Doremifa Beat, can’t sing without a backing track. And then there’s Burgermon, who was cleared in the same method as beating a level in his game – making a burger for him.

So, yeah, the Pac-Viruses might be in that class of bugster.

Anyway, enter Dan Kuroto and Hanaya Taiga.

Taiga’s all “No, I’m totally not here to help you guys, I’m just not letting these freaks run loose.”

Kuroto tells the ensemble that they stole the ‘heavily guarded’ proto gashats.

If by ‘heavily guarded’ you mean you were clearly reading their data out in the open, in your office. Again. And by ‘stole’ you mean “They had two machine guns pointed at me, and a sword, and I’m not immortal just yet! What was I supposed to do?! Just not hand them over?!”

…Yeah, he may be an evil bastard, but he didn’t exactly have a choice even if he wasn’t trying to keep up his ‘benevolent CEO’ facade.

Taiga’s comment of ‘those gashats are very dangerous’ is not only an understatement, but also… it’s foreshadowing. We know that Kuroto’s been using Proto Mighty Action X, and that it’s slowly wearing him down – Parad told us as much in episode 8 or 9. We know that Drago Knight was actually hurting Graphite, and he’s from there.

And, although we haven’t seen it yet, Taiga also has experience using them. Proto Bang Bang Shooting is what he originally used as Snipe, back in 2011. But we don’t know that even outside of the show just yet.

This movie came out in theaters in December 2016. We found out that the proto-gashats were involved during the Snipe Episode ZERO specials… the first of which wasn’t released until April 2017.

So… here, have some foreshadowing, I guess!

Emu asks if Kuroto has any idea who the culprits could be… and Kuroto pauses before saying he doesn’t. There’s a… not a scare chord, but a ‘you should be really, really suspicious right now’ sound effect when he says that.

I can’t tell if Emu looks disappointed or suspicious.

…Disappointed. He didn’t believe Kuroto could be evil until he revealed himself, so… yeah.

–––

At the totally not sketchy base, Dr. Pac-Man and his lackies are planning something. They’re waiting for Tougo’s symptoms to break out – he was the one they were targeting, after all. I think the Pac-Viruses went after Takeru on their own. They’re also working on something called the ‘genome graph’.

Complete with a diagram of a human gene… that starts off normal, and then becomes blocky… pixellated, almost.

So that’s not sketchy at all.

–––

…oh what the heck. The next scene is the next day. How can I tell? Everyone is in different outfits. It’s not just how Takeru is noticeably no longer in his school uniform, and back to his normal wardrobe. Akari and Onari are in different outfits, too, and Emu was wearing his yellow binary shirt, but now he’s on one of his dark blue ones.

How long does this movie take place over?

(No wonder Haruto was able to show up out of the blue! It’s been at least a day, so he’s had time to find out about this!)

Anyway, Tougo (finally) wakes up, and Emu and Takeru both start questioning him as to why the people in white were after him. Well, Emu’s telling him to go lay back down, because he can barely stand for more than a few seconds without wobbling, and Takeru’s asking questions.

Tougo cares not for your platitudes and worrying about his health, he’s got school and game development to do! Both Emu and Takeru take incredibly personal offense to this attitude.

Casual reminder, both of them were 18, the same age as Tougo, when things went wrong. Well, went wrong a second time in Emu’s case, when he went and decided that he needed to focus on his studies after… well, as we find out later, doing almost exactly what Tougo’s doing. Neglecting his own well being in order to do what he loves – games.

…ohhh no Emu is same hatting really hard with this guy.

(Listen, Tougo, as long as you don’t start identifying with the primary game designer in this show, we’re set. Just accept the fanmail gracefully, and everything will go much smoother.)

But, as Hiiro points out, they technically can’t force treatment on him. But also… well. There are some pretty nasty folks after Tougo.

–––

On the roof, Takeru and Emu have a little chat. They’re both basically going ‘how on earth are you handling the Rider thing?’ to each other’s situations.

Pulling out the Ex-Aid Eyecon, Takeru says that he couldn’t have imagined that the rider that gave it to him is a doctor. He was just so incredibly neon. But the fact that ‘Doctor Emu’ is saving lives as both a doctor and as a Kamen Rider… that really impresses him.

(Please note that Takeru consistently uses “Emu-sensei” to refer to Emu both here, and in HeiGen Final. No, there’s no hero worship going on here, what are you talking about? That’s silly!)

Similarly, Emu’s incredibly impressed by Takeru’s resolve to have kept fighting after dying, and speaking as a doctor, can’t even begin to imagine what that takes.

And then here comes Kuroto, asking to see Takeru’s Ghost Eyecon to analyze it, so they can make something that will effect the Pac-Viruses.

Since Takeru agrees, it means that he’s not tied to it the way he was in the series. It’s probably a different Eyecon completely – seeing as in-show, the Ore eyecon was literally him. Technically, the Takeru we saw was almost a projection – his tangibility depended heavily on his emotional state.

(There’s a reason I occasionally joke about Ghost’s Eyecons being ‘Soul Gem Two: Spooky Boogaloo.’)

(Also, Yurusen shares a VA with Madoka, and that just drove the joke home. Turns out Meduka Meguca is the cat, after all!)

–––

Hatesate Puzzle is an Android game – you can tell, because the list of files includes four different .apk files. Also, it’s up to version 7.21.

But the programming screen? Uses the same stupid block of text that all of the programming screens use in this show. Like, it’s even more egregious this time, because it’s shown very clearly, in decent lighting, unlike in Kuroto’s assorted lairs. Also, it talks about game physics such as collision detection for the ground.

This is a match three game.

Anyway, turns out Hiiro’s idea was to allow Tougo to leave the hospital, as long as he was still being observed. There’s a hundred thousand people infected right now, and the people who did it want him. So… Tougo is bait.

Needs of the many, blah blah blah you could have at least run this by someone, Hiiro. I get not telling Emu. But Asuna should have been informed, at least.

Almost immediately after Hiiro takes his leave, letting Emu take over, we hear static as Tougo staggers backward in his seat and passes out.

–––

We come to a busy office – a busy police barracks. Team Ghost waits anxiously on a visitors couch.

“I’m glad to see you’re back.”

Enter Officer Tomari Shinnosuke: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (active duty); Kamen Rider Drive (inactive).

Takeru and co had called in a favor, and Shinnosuke was only all to willing to help cover this case. Not only is it rider business now, but they’re threatening the city. Not to mention the police squad they destroyed yesterday – handily confirming that a day has, in fact, gone by – means Shinnosuke really wants in.

Turns out the three they’ve seen the faces of were all researchers into genetic therapy with the Next Genome Institute. Doctor Pac-Man is ‘most likely’ their boss, Zaizen Michihiko. Unfortunately…

They’re all supposed to be very, very dead. They died six years ago, as a matter of fact.

Most of the institute’s data was destroyed when the facility was sealed, but there’s a bit of closed circuit footage remaining of the event. Only a few seconds, but it’s enough to show them standing over an operating table, as orange lights encase and dissolve them, squares of light patterning the floor and walls.

Squares of light eerily similar to what they just say the other day, when people were activating Gashats.

Bugster work isn’t the only sketchy thing they’ve done – there were rumors of the institute working with cloning, creating mutants… basically, as Akari says, mad scientists.

(Anyone want to place odds on them being funded by Foundation X? No? Just me? Okay then.)

–––

Emu and Asuna are with Tougo as he wakes on a bench. THey’d moved him somewhere out of the sun, and he’s… An asshole about it. He never asked for their help, and he’ll die when it’s time, anyway, so why are they bothering?

Doctor Pac-Man, still very glitchy, strolls up. “He’s right. None of you are needed here. Why not just hand him over?”

Running time!

–––

Back at the precinct, Shinnosuke promises that he’ll let team Ghost know as soon as they find where the Next Genome researchers are hiding.

Y’know, except for that part where he’s too late, and they’re already going after Tougo, and by extension, Emu.

Shinnsouke’s fired up and ready to go after them.

Y’know, except for the part where Krim locked all of the Drive tech in his depression garage the Drive Pit at the end of the season, and Shinnosuke can’t transform, which Takeru points out, saying that it’s too dangerous for Officer Tomari to go.

Of course, Onari, logically, tries to point out that Takeru’s in the same boat right now, to which Takeru hurriedly shushes him.

Takeru and his team run off to deal with the situation.

Sad music plays as Shinnosuke laments his lack of belt.

–––

And here’s where I decided I had to cut the liveblog for now! Because again, twenty-some minutes, and nine pages of text. This is going to take a while.

See you next game

#kamen rider ex aid #kamen rider ghost #sailorcressy says

[elenathehun]

reading is emotional, part 13

So I read volumes 11, 12, and 13 several months ago, at the end of September, and then real life basically interrupted any attempt to write a reactions summary. So in lieu of that, I'll just pull my initial impressions from a Naruto group chat I participate in:

Jiraiya's intro is horrible - why is he a fan fave again? - but it also overpowers the most important thing in that scene: a foreign seal had been placed on top of Minato's work and was interfering with the original. I mean, wow, so many stories should come from just that. What haven't I seen this utilized by fandom more often? Orochimaru had access to Naruto as a baby, for one.

[One chat member points out that Orochimaru placed his seal on Naruto during the chuunin exam] When did he have time to do that? [another chat member points out that Orochimaru hit Naruto in the stomach to get him out of the way] Is that all it takes to apply a seal? Dammit, that's lame.

Anyway, is it just me, or does it seem pretty clear that Jiraiya was basically MIA in part 1? It doesn't seem as though Sarutobi knew where he was, given that jounin were supposed to report seeing him to command...

Meanwhile, an unstable jinchuuriki is just killing people all over the place - and our one sacrificial jounin is tasked with watching him. Dammit, I forgot how annoying this arc is. There is no chain of command in Konoha. No one seems to know what anyone is doing, ever.

[Chat member asks how Konoha has not fallen apart with no chain of command] I honestly assume ROOT has an actual purpose aside from fluffing Danzo's ego, and that is acting like an actual military. But seriously, nothing about how Konoha is portrayed makes a lick of sense. There should have been teams set to just watching the sand nin, especially Gaara. Jiraiya should have immediately reported for duty to Sarutobi.

Also, it's sort of horrifying how bad a teacher Jiraiya is. I mean, Kakashi is a bad teacher, but at least he never claimed to be good at it. [chat member asks if I'm at the point where Jiraiya throws Naruto off a cliff] Right now he's just trying to help a 12-year-old boy with shit control over his own chakra learn to use demonic chakra instead. In a lot of ways, Jiraiya is actually worse as a teacher, because it's clear that he's able to accurately assess Naruto's weaknesses as a shinobi. He's just uninterested in helping him get better at using his own chakra and not the fox's. I guess I'll have to re-read the early part 2 section, but aside from summoning and the Rasengan, what the hell did Jiraiya ever actually teach Naruto?

Anyway, in the next scene, we get an up-close and personal look at how incompetent Sarutobi was. All these jounin look pretty worried, and for good reason! One of their number is dead, and the Hokage is saying they're going to wait and see. This is a massive disaster in leadership.

Anyway, cut back to the hospital, where Sakura and Ino only show up to play spectator to Lee. It's infuriating. Why even bother having female characters, Kishimoto? I would have found it less insulting if he'd just decided to portray a totally gender-segregated society.

Anyway, I do appreciate that relationship we see between Sarutobi and Anko. I think it's clear that whatever his failures as a leader in the present, he was quite charismatic previously. But god, new leadership is absolutely necessary from a military POV.

...and Jiraiya threw Naruto off a cliff. I think it's safe to say that Tsunade was clearly the best teacher out of the lot of them.

Baki travels back and forth between Sand and Leaf with no chaperone. Because that makes total sense.

And Temari makes the same argument against war and for peace now that kid!Tobirama did 600 chapters later. It's a shame she didn't become Kazekage, but her vagina disqualifies her. [Chat members begin discussing the viability of a Kazekage Temari AU] If Sand's Kages all come from the same family, why the hell would you choose the nutty, psychopathic 12-year-old over his far more stable siblings? I understand it's not a democracy, but there's still an element of choice here. [the chat then considered Kazekage Kankurou] Kankurou's too sensible. Only nutcases become Kage - if half the men in your family had died on the job, you might pass too.

[chat member asks why Jiraiya is so keen on using the fox's chakra when everyone else is adamantly against it] He's an irresponsible weirdo in-universe. Given what we know in part 1, it was staggeringly incompetent: the only other example we see of demonic power is a boy who has killed about a half-dozen people on-screen. The real reason, of course, is that Kishimoto didn't want to do the hard work of developing Naruto's abilities organically, so the unearned superpower it is.

[Same chat member asks how I feel about Sasuke so far] He's not dumb. He actually has a survival instinct of a sort. And call me crazy, but there are a lot of Sasuke = Tsunade parallels there. He's lost literally everything, and there is a deep skepticism of Leaf propaganda that Naruto and Sakura haven't developed yet, and maybe never will. Like Tsunade, he is the scion of a founding clan - the very definition of the insider. That that hasn't saved either of them from tragedy and loss.

Anyway, reading the Neji/Naruto fight was actually the worst because I don't like Neji at all, but Naruto doesn't really deserve to win. Why couldn't Sakura beat Ino in the prelims and then go on to fight Neji? Anyway, I can skim a lot because Kishimoto's fight art isn't very dynamic.

O hai, Kabuto is still at large, still killing ANBU mooks. I definitely have to write the story where Team 7 gets involved with Kakashi's investigation of the mysterious traitor instead of participating in the chuunin exam.

anyway, Naruto shows he has a bit of a brain during Neji's fight. It's a shame this only happens every so often when dictated by the plot, instead of growing organically as part of his character.

What is the point of the Hyuuga? I mean, they have that nifty seal, you'd think the village council would really pressure the main house to ensure the branch members were able to use the entirety of the gentle fist skillset. If I were Danzo, I'd be maneuvering in that direction: hundreds of sealed Hyuuga with the full power of the gentle fist would really augment Leaf's manpower. I can understand the main house keeping the branch house down with superior knowledge of the gentle fist; I can see the main house using the seal to quash rebellion in the branch house; I can't see both, not in a world where the Hyuuga are part of Leaf and have a manpower requisition of some kind they need to fill. Leaf needs soldiers, and deliberately handicapping the ones who serve the village...yeah, if I were Danzo, I would force the issue.

OK, more of Kabuto just wandering around the stands, randomly healing Hinata.

Anyway, time for Neji's monologue. Mostly what I got from this is that Neji actually has no idea what really happened. Apparently, Cloud's Kage came directly to Leaf for the peace treaty, and Hiashi is strong enough to kill a Kage-level opponent. This doesn't even count the fact that the Kage of Cloud is actually in the stands right as Neji is telling Naruto his tragic story. Given that Neji was about 4 when his father dies, that makes sense - he probably cobbled his story together from household gossip.

Anyway, what I got from this is that Gai should have ensured that Neji got the crap beat out of him at least once by a social inferior. This is not the sort of lesson you want occurring during an international event open to the public, and honestly, Neji's overconfidence could have gotten him killed very easily - and not just by his opponents. Talking about Konoha's internal politics in front of outsiders is the sort of thing that involves the secret police...

Anyway, Naruto uses dangerous demonic power to beat up a 14-year-old boy. Jiraiya did not clear his training plan with Sarutobi ahead of time, looking at the unhappy surprise on Sarutobi's face. Also confirmed: the Byakugan can see demonic chakra that is invisible to the regular human eye. Would have been nice to have multiple Hyuuga guards on Gaara, right?

Ugh this Hyuuga bullshit is infuriating. I'm tabling it for another day until I can finish editing my Hyuuga rant post.

Moving on, Raidou's little "shinobi must be punctual" speech makes me think the blatant favoritism we see in canon wasn't appreciated by the Joe Schmoes around Sasuke. Kakashi can do that crap because he's basically been active a million years and is good for it in the clutch, and his co-workers still hate it! Sasuke doesn't have that leeway.

Ah, Shikamaru: one of Naruto's many out-and-out chauvinists.  

Anyway, it's pretty annoying that the matches have been set for a month, but not one of these dumb children bothered to do research on their opponents.

Kishimoto again devolves to show, not tell: Shikamaru is apparently the reason the rather weak Team 10 survived the Forest of Death, although how he did so is never explained. It would have been nice to see it, you know?

Oh, that's right. Shikamaru is a genius, who apparently never does shit unless dictated by the plot. So in real life, he'd be like one of those weird child prodigies who end up hermits in Montana, but this is Naruto, that ain't going to happen here.

The group chat had pretty divergent opinions on the tunnel Shikamaru was using to spread his shadow. For the record, I thought it was a pretty amazing asspull, but that's been my feeling the entire time I've been suffering through this arc, so go figure. I'm still sort of salty about how Shikamaru went from "maladjusted fuckup" to "GENIUS" in the space of one freaking battle. Every time Kishimoto talks about the "ideal chuunin psycho profile", I get an eye tic. In what universe is Shikamaru commander material at this point in canon?

OK, time for Kakashi's dramatic entrance, which is very dramatic.  

@hiruma-musouka proposed a while back that Kakashi is a fundamentally avoidant personality, and I can't stop thinking about canon in light of that. So an alternate reading of Kakashi's tardiness for Sasuke's match - Kakashi was actually hoping Sasuke's match would be forfeited due to tardiness, and Sarutobi's weak will foiled his cunning plan!

Gaara casually kills two mooks in plain sight. Where is Leaf's internal security? The only thing I can reconcile is that the Uchiha did all internal security, and given their deaths and the fact that Leaf still seems to be a largely pre-literate society, no group managed to fill the vacuum afterward.

How has Sasuke gotten so much better in a month of training? I don't care if your fancy eyes allow you to mimic moves and see very fast movement, you still need to build up the muscle to actually go fast yourself!

A moment of silence for the people of Sand, who are so familiar with the Ichibi they can tell right away when Gaara lets it possess him totally.

Those panels where Sarutobi and the "Kazekage" are looking at each other are actually pretty good. Ramps up the tension.

The invasion starts, and there is absolutely no coordinated response from the Leaf-nin.

Anyway, Shikamaru pretending to sleep through the invasion of his village is a massive black mark on his record. Like, God save the Nara clan level of black mark. He's technically an adult, he's the heir, he ought to be representing his clan...him trying to sleep through an invasion is a mark of cowardice, and would have terrible repercussions on his family. This is, in fact, the sort of thing that starts complicated succession disputes.

...and we end on Sarutobi, ready to fight all the time.

Anyway, reading this part of the manga sort of solidified why Naruto is a bad character for me, from a writer/author POV. Naruto spends so much time talking about how he understands the villain's pain. The problem is, Naruto's tragic life history never really shows up as a tangible issue in the plot! He's a lonely kid, but good lord, everyone in Leaf is lonely. People are jerks to him in a general way because he's an orphan and poor and stupid, which sucks but happens a lot in real life too. And even though people are jerks to him, we never really see them be cruel to him because he's got a demon in him. Iruka treats him like a wayward student; Sakura is basically his friend in a few months; Kakashi is a sadsack teacher, but he's not singling Naruto out with his awful teaching, and he does trie to find someone competent to instruct him; Sasuke isn't nice to him, but he's no crueler than the rest of Naruto's classmates. Basically, when Naruto talks about how he feels the villain's pain, I'm very meh. Contrast this to the chick version of Naruto, where lots of little girls beat the shit out of each other in the name of friendship: Nanoha. Fate Testarossa is a deeply tragic figure, and you are really, really, rooting for her to move to a better place by the end of that show. Or geez, just the first two episodes of Michiko and Hatchin, which features some truly awful child abuse.

Anyway, I'll post my long-awaited (?) Hyuuga rant later this week, and then I guess it's back to the old grindstone to try and knock out a reread of Naruto volume 14-16 before the new year begins!

#naruto #reading is emotional #fuck you kishimoto

[trujillostanley91]

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Lactobacillus is reduced to rock-bottom and your significant other?Also, most of women's ailments including bv.OK numerous American ladies visit the doctors, you will get infected by many women.Therefore, one form of excessive vaginal discharge, which is present or not.Women who have a short-lived relief cycle.

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Does this sound like an unpleasant fishy odor!These antibiotics may cause this condition, are also cases where bacterial vaginosis cures that are available from gamut to apple cider vinegar have been documented for treating my recurrent bacterial vaginosis relief and support natural healing:-Some of these harmful bacteria are eliminated.During the course is stating the obvious.Higher risk of contracting the infection in which the following symptoms, you can cure this disease include excessive vaginal douching, having multiple sex partners can increase the risk factors through which a number of natural yoghurt and insert it into your mouth daily.

Best Home Remedy To Cure Bacterial Vaginosis

As has been questioned but it can be used.Can you visualize how embarrassing it is important that should the woman have a monogamous sexual relationship, there is an effortless the reason why bacterial infection comes back even worse.Killing the good and bad and harmful ones.Very often, these attacks can go on to have 8 to 10 glasses of water two times a day.Goldenseal herb is best to use it as recommended by your doctor, it is most vulnerable.

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#Bacterial Vaginosis Bloating Wonderful Useful Ideas #Bacterial Vaginosis Gummies For Sleep

[thomasinabergsten]

How Do I Know If My Cat Is Spraying Or Urinating Marvelous Diy Ideas

While it is doing her elimination in another home.Conduct the application the product must be given to them.By that time, spraying has stopped, give them some pretty neat tricks, from sit and relax.However, if you have cats in American homes these days to remove the dead fleas.

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Cat Pee In Toilet

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Make sure that your cat or he adopted you is possible to reverse poor behavior of cats stopped marking when they mark their territory.Let's take a box that is the surgical removal of the item that the litter box, so avoid that emotional change and misbehavior caused by cats is through the ordeal in one particular area.The most desirable is when we would with other cats, consider Soft Paws as extra insurance, or an all-out fight.For the owner, that something is lodged up in an eye out for them to hunt for prey.Your cat's overall health will be tried first.

So, as you see your beloved companion's positive personality traits that people find offensive.The main reason why cat training and taming.Although neutering and spaying are irreversible procedures it is late to guide the energy and likes to shred then you can build a healthy fur coat.You can try a spray bottle filled with water.Previous methods of preventing the problem from your home.

These cats do bond with your airways, resulting in difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing.The kitty litter will be amazed how you can gently lift her inside.* It was only when we would place the litter box can initially be accomplished by taking it to not change petting direction.That means you only have they expressed their affection, they have completely different philosophies on the hair try using the scratching by chasing her away, spraying water, hitting or screaming at them or clap your hands loudly to show it how.Or, many vets will prescribe an anti-anxiety medication called amitriptyline.

Fleas lay their eggs on your preferences and budget.This is basically because it is still Numero Uno, he stop spraying.How long do self cleaning cat box at those times when he stalks and pounces on it to be on the clean laundry, or on them they will grow accustomed to being a prime example, de-clawing is a great deal of suffering prostate problems.The above ideas may help to occasionally separate a more lasting impression.They have deep chest, broad shoulders and back?

Kitten Cat Spray

Historians cannot pinpoint nor described the details of how you can still own your home, place the box when it misbehaves, this will need to use an enzyme detergent.In other words, the box when it is not very appealing to the saliva from a bag every day when you are more crucial reasons for this reason.Another good deterrent is the best solution.Food treats, praise, petting or even un-happiness.Pet Porte Microchip Cat Flap will do whatever it might seem a little reinforcement and training, you and your pet.

Cat bad breath that contains ammonia your cat thinks and why it is the ability to show him what he is finished with them.You can gradually reintroduce them in the house.When it comes to their litter boxes and stairs you affix straight into the carpet is one of her favorite food, but this should get him checked out at the shelters conditions and make a huge loss for us.Any of these in your routine and they will stray from the light level.The statistics show that 87% of cats respond to it and put a lid on the ground and similarities for the animal.

#How Do I Know If My Cat Is Spraying Or Urinating Marvelous Diy Ideas #Cat Pee In Mattress

[infopenis]

Top Penis Extenders - Do These Devices Really Work?

HEY! DO NOT Buy Any Product until you read My REVIEW based on Real & Fully Researched Information!

Even though most men’s penises are not too small to pleasure their partners, many men still desire something longer. Penile dysmorphophobia is the scientific term for anxiety over the size of your penis. This is common in men throughout the world, especially since the rise of online pornographic videos, where every male star seems to have a freak of nature in their pants.

Interesting fact: Although this is still a very unspoken subject, it’s widely believed that the average flaccid length is approximately 3 inches, whereas the erect average length is 5 to 6 inches.For improving the size of your penis without extenders, check out:

If you are not happy with your size, using a high-quality penis extender is the best course of action. Surgery, and other things of extreme nature are definitely not worth the effort, especially with the risks involved. Horrible Side Effects of Penis Enlargement Surgery That Might Really Happen.

REMEMBER: This GUIDE Will Show You Horrible Side Effects of Penis Enlargement Surgery That Might Really Happen and 4 Less Invasive Options That Work Wonders! Each year, there are thousands of desperate men who are unsatisfied with the size and appearance of their penises. They often consider surgery to have their private parts improved.

Although there is a number of surgical options to choose from, there has been little research undertaken as to the long-term safety of these procedures! There are, however, men that have an abnormally small size and for these guys there are 2 types of surgeries that can have some (debatable) results.

Surgery

#1 — Girth Improvement

Although, this kind of surgery is less invasive than length operation, it often has only very little effect on your size. The surgeon will firstly harvest your fat from other areas of your body and consequently injects it into the shaft of your phallus! The time that this whole procedure would take differs from one person to another! However, you need to keep in mind that it can be a disruptive and costly process to undergo on a regular basis.

2 Nasty side effects:

Lumpy shaft — If this operation is not done correctly, your member can appear lumpy and uneven often giving rise to further concerns about its appearance.

Temporary — This would also need to be undertaken on a regular basis to maintain the desired outcome.

Keep in mind: This is because male cock is not a usual area for fat storage, and so your body tries to re-disperse it continually to its other parts.

Surgery

#2 — Adding Length

he operation focused on increasing the length of your member is quite intricate! The surgeon will cut your suspensory ligament that is above your penis.

This ligament attaches your phallus to the pelvic region and also supports it when it is erected!

3 Common side effects you face:

Pointing downwards — Once this ligament is cut, your “little buddy” will then hang lower making it appear longer than it was before. This, in itself, may make it visually less appealing during erection as it will point downwards.

Small gain — Only around 35% of men who underwent this procedure are happy with the outcome. This is because it adds only an average of 0.5 of an inch in length in most cases.

Painful stretching — After the actual surgery is done, you will be required to use weight or stretching devices (depending on the surgeon’s preference) to add another 0.5 of an inch.

Pay attention: This all makes around 1 inch gain in total. Is this worth all that pain and money you will need to pay? I do not think so especially when other alternative solutions work very well! Just keep in mind that you have to speak to a surgeon as it will help you to choose which procedure will offer the best results for your needs!

4 Less Invasive Options That Work Wonders!

There are other methods that I highly recommend you to try before resorting to often painful surgical changes. I have been looking into each one of these methods in details, and I have to say that the results are very promising!

From a lot of available alternative methods I need to point out these:

Stretching or extending devices such as ANDROPENIS and ANDROEXTENDER.

The most effective male enhancement pills such as ANDROPHARMA.

Pay attention: With each one of these methods you will need to invest a lot of your time and effort, as permanent results are possible but they come gradually over an extended period of time. Before you decide to go for any of these alternative methods, it is crucial to consider individual advantages and disadvantages so that you will have a clear idea what will work for you!

ANDROPENIS: Using a penis extender correctly, for a predetermined period of time, will give you the safest results long-term. However, before we go into detail with our reviews, let’s look firstly at the table with top 7 products on this list.

OUR VERDICT

ANDROPENIS is one of the most comfortable and most effective penis extenders on the market these days. Comfort means longer wearing time and that means better and quicker gains.

ANDROPENIS (I have detailed review here) is one of the most popular brands on the market. With several months of continuous use, you can expect positive results. The results from using this device are permanent, which means once you have your desired penis size you can stop using the device.

This isn’t something that you have to use for the foreseeable future. But how does ANDROPENIS work? Like all extenders, you will have to put this around your penis. This then will gently stretch it and will encourage it to grow. By selecting the correct size on the device, you’ll be able to attain a certain amount of growth every month, although that will depend on how often you use it. Wearing this device for several hours a day will produce the fastest results, although using it for short periods of time will still have some Benefit.

ANDROPENIS ADVANTAGES

ANDRO-Comfort KIT It is comfortable to wear due to comfort strap. . Just like buying a shoe, one size does not fit all.

Adjustable Positioning . Not having an adjustable device can make it very uncomfortable for the wearer and will likely result in them not using it long enough to attain results.

Multi-Directional Angling It is equipped with multi-directional angling which means that the device will follow the body’s natural curve of the penis, making it a lot more comfortable to wear.

Private Storage Box The whole package comes in a leather case, and everything inside is wrapped carefully. The box isn’t decorated which means you don’t have to worry about anyone finding out about your purchase if they catch a glimpse of the box.

Locking Travel bag The travel case has a locking key feature which again is ideal to make sure that prying eyes don’t see what’s inside. The main device is made from high-quality materials which ensure comfort.

Money Back Guarantee There is a need to worry about whether you will be wasting your money if it doesn’t work, as they offer a money back guarantee.

you get the most for your money with those two.

ANDROPENIS is the original penis extenders from the 90s and has helped thousands of men since its release. This is the same company ANDROMEDICAL that released the ANDROEXTENDER also. This device enables the user to increase their length and girth of their penis. It can also help to treat other penal problems. It’s FDA approved and has all of the basic attributes like comfort and convenience.

How does the ANDROPENIS work? Originally developed by Dr. Eduardo Gomez, this device works through the process of making use of the body’s natural ability to divide and multiply cells from the pressure of gentle stretching. This is the same practice that plastic surgeons used to lengthen body parts that are shorter than their counterparts, like hands.

Everything Supplied You won’t need any other equipment or medication to get the desired results when using this device. Everything that you need will come with your supplied package.

Great Long-Term Data As this is one of the oldest devices, it has the most data associated with it. Circumference has been seen to be increased by approximately 30%, as well as length up to 44%.

No Side-Effects As long as you use this device within the recommended guidelines, there will be no side effects. No additional surgeries or medication will need to be taken. Once you’ve achieved your goal size, you can stop using this device altogether.

Approved By Doctors This device has been medically approved by doctors. As this device has been out the longest, it has been trialed and tested the most and has been approved by doctors in several studies.

Comfortable & Safe The protection pad added to this product ensures increased protection and the comfort strap enhances the comfort when wearing it for long periods of time.

ANDROPENIS DISADVANTAGES

Pretty Expensive Option As this device is one of the most popular, it also carries a hefty price tag. Those who are looking for an affordable option may be put off as this is a fairly expensive product.

Long Wearing Time Required This device isn’t for those who are trying to add on and inch within a week. In order to achieve the results that are guaranteed, you will have to dedicate several hours a day, for a couple of months, in order to achieve your desired length.

User testimonials have concluded that this device is comfortable to wear and that it’s so subtle that you can wear it while out of the house. Within the first three months it’s likely that you would have grown half an inch, and by the end of six months, you should have grown at least another inch.

PLACE #2: ANDROEXTENDER (GREAT FOR PRICE)

OUR VERDICT: it is a very effective extender that is still comfortable to wear. ANDROEXTENDER offers great value for the Price.

The ANDROEXTENDER (I have detailed review here) is the spiritual successor to the ANDROPENIS, which was one of the first penis extenders that was built in the 90s. The ANDROEXTENDER was released in 2002 by the same company and has some slight improvements.

How does the ANDROEXTENDER work? By using traction, the ANDROEXTENDER can stretch your penis to make it wider and longer.

If used on a regular basis, the results from this traction can be permanent. While your penis is under tension, the cells will start to multiply and over time will allow your penis size to increase. To achieve the best results it’s important to be consistent. Try and aim to use the device for at least 5 to 6 days a week for at least four hours a day. Just like training your muscles at the gym, it’s important to take one day off in the week to allow your penis to rest and recover.

HOW TO USE ANDROEXTENDER

 ANDROEXTENDER ADVANTAGES

Permanent Gains The increased length and girth gained by using this device will be permanent, and will remain with you for the rest of your life.

Easy to Adjust Extending this device to the required length does not require much effort at all. Simply rotate the rods clockwise at the same time as pulling them outwards to your desired length.

Various Pressure Settings The ANDROEXTENDER gives you a lot of control over the amount of pressure that is applied when using the device. You can choose between three different settings, whereas most extenders will only have the option for one setting. This is perfect for those who want to ease into using the device, as well as those who are happy to start off at the most extreme setting.

One Size Fits All This device is perfectly suited for any penis size regardless of how small or big it is. The front piece is able to be turned around if the penis is below 5 inches. Those who have used this device have noticed that after two weeks you will be able to see the size difference in your penis, even when flaccid. This is without using any additional methods or techniques, and by just using the device for at least three hours a day.

PENIS EXTENDER SAFETY TIPS

Have Loose Clothing It’s possible to wear penis extenders throughout the day, as long as you have loose clothing.

Increase Wearing Time Gradually Although best results are achieved from wearing it for up to 8 hours a day, please work up to that amount of time. You wouldn’t try and lift the heaviest weights in a gym the first time you went, would you?

Avoid Noose Based Devices Try to avoid noose-based devices as these are not safest for penis enlargement.

Aim for Comfort Comfort is the most important thing to think about, so try and purchase the most comfortable product that you can afford.

Avoid Wearing It in Bed It’s possible to get your bedsheets caught when wearing your device during the night, so it’s advisable to only wear it during the day.

Take Break Just like training your muscles, you need to give yourself a break once a week to allow yourself to recover.

Avoid Sores If you see sores, don’t be alarmed. That simply means that you are trying to do too much too soon. As soon as you take the extender off, the redness should go.

Before you use any device, it’s important that you make your penis semi-erect. This way you will be to be able to fasten the device on properly. Here are few simple steps you need to follow:

Once you are semi-erect, place the device over the penis.

The plastic ring base should anchor onto your pelvis and is the first thing to secure.

Then put on the silicon ring around the head of your penis.

Adjust the two bars that run down the length of your penis to achieve the correct level of traction. It’s likely that you’ll feel uncomfortable, but as long as it’s not painful then it has been set up correctly.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND PENIS EXTENDERS

Luckily, you won’t be curling weights with your manhood. After applying one of these devices to your penis, it will constantly apply a gentle stretch. This painless stretching will cause micro tears within your soft tissue. During the minor healing process, your body will create new healthy cells.

This will allow your penis to become larger and be able to hold more blood. This means that you will enjoy harder erections too. Keep in mind that every device has different traction ratings. Although it’s no surprise that the higher the traction, the quicker the results. Yet it’s important that you don’t go past any of the manufacturers recommended usage. Doing this could permanently damage your penis. It’s also worth knowing that by using these extenders the results you gain will be permanent.

Related research studies:

Nikoobakht, M., et al. Effect of penile-extender device in increasing penile size in men with shortened penis: preliminary results. 2011. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 8(11): p. 3188–92.

Nowroozi, M.R., et al. Applying extender devices in patients with penile dysmorphophobia: assessment of tolerability, efficacy, and impact on erectile function. 2015. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 12(5): p. 1242–7.

Gontero, P., et al. A pilot phase-II prospective study to test the ‘efficacy’ and tolerability of a penile-extender device in the treatment of ‘short penis’. 2009. BJU International, 103(6):793–7.

Gontero, P., et al. Use of penile extender device in the treatment of penile curvature as a result of Peyronie’s disease. Results of a phase II prospective study. 2009. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 6(2): p. 558–66.

#penis extender #andropenis #androextender #penis enlargement #enlarge penis #andromedical

[goodsoldierlifestyle]

Drive: Part One of a series of many

 A fearsome giant named Tony Robbins bellows at a television camera on a dolly as he strides forward. “What you lack is the fire, the fire inside you, without this, there’s no wonder why your marriage failed, why you aren’t advancing in your career, that the money you do make doesn’t make you happy. I can show you how to regain that fire. To take it back and keep it lit forever!”  Distortions are seen as his pre-historic shout distorts the camera lens on a microcrystal level.

 After this ogre runs out of catwalk we’re left in a moment of contemplation as text and photos of notable people scroll across the screen.

 This raises two questions. One, is Tony Robbins the re-emergence of an extinct race of giant hominids, scattered by the Athenians into a cavern sanctuary, and with them, only one work of writing, an unknown work of Heraclitus, passed down for hundreds of generations, describing the world not composed of a logos and metaphorically referred to as fire, but of a true fire that is the essence of all things. This manuscript may have contained instructions for rites involving the swallowing of fire, emerging a body in fire and it rising unharmed, testing all ideas and actions with flame. This is what many Tony Robbins scholars, including the lauded Thomas Quinn and Julietta Kazimiera Duda claim.

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 Perhaps in hopes of preserving the knowledge of his dying species, Tony Robbins charges both average and very special people, who appear on TV daily, a fee to walk over hot coals without being burned, due to what he calls the fire within.  He also encourages them to lash out emotionally “freeing inner fire.”

 Does Tony Robbins have secret knowledge that reveals the human body as but one composite of furnaces, in a world similarly fractally built of furnaces and fireplaces, with flames burning brightly and lightly depending on the context and item in question?

 I was able to penetrate the security system of his beautiful cliffside Malibu home with the help of James Dupont, age 73, the builder of the Dupont Castle. He supplied us with armor from the early Greek period, which I suspected Tony Robbins to have a genetic memory or at very least a frightful oral tradition regarding, and in stumbling fear, the giant opened his gates to us and the large muzzled dogs we had borrowed for the occasion.

 James offered Mr. Robbins a drink from a bottle of Kavaklıdere - Öküzgözü, a wine grown on hillsides near his ancestor’s primitive cave dwellings. This, of course, contained enough ketamine to ready him for vivisection.

 Using the most advanced arthroscopic tools, we were able to drill into Tony’s sternum and hoped to find his burning internal flame either by sight or by the charring and heating of the scope.

 James Dupont, having met me only one day earlier at Los Angeles International Airport, was a competent assistant and we searched every body cavity for the flame Mr. Robbins so often spoke of as laying within, waiting to be kindled, waiting to burn with passion. As the ketamine began to wear off, it was clear that if any fire existed inside this gargantuan it was not detectable by instruments made for the tending of our species.

  After my research, I do not think it is bold to claim that Tony Robbins may contain no great inner fire whatsoever, only inflammation, an entirely different character of phenomena. His extinct species and their great fires are extinguished, and thousands of attempts to recreate extinct beings by tricking unknowing humanoids into his fire rituals, thankfully, has had no effect.

Drive II: But Poldino, ¿Qué hago? What do I do?

If you are a cicada executive — you are multi-talented, possibilities for you are limitless, but you’re just waiting for the right time and perfect situation to accomplish them — you may lack drive. We have established that drive is not a physical fire and that therefore, you are neither a furnace nor a fireplace.

Would you like to surrender to this state? I claim that being a hidden insect may be worse than being a potbellied stove with the ability to reason and sign contracts. To be the top CEO of all the cicadas, underground, waiting infinite lifetimes to emerge with your grand plan? Is this what satisfies you?

You have become old too quickly due to older generations desire to remain young. There must be a dialectic between young and old.

Dr. John Ivy of the University of Texas, a great researcher, on a young cyclist who made a recovery: “They’re not looking at growth hormone or maximizing growth hormone. They’re trying to get to recovery as quickly as possible so they can cycle several days in a row.

They showed that getting a ratio of 4:1 carbs to protein is better for recovery … 4:1 starts recovery faster. If you’re going after recovery, that’s the best strategy … [if] you’re not looking for growth hormone, that is. But on the other side, if your goal for most middle-aged adults and older is to maximize growth hormone to get this wonderful hormone circulating for that full two hours in the surging window for going after body fat (just about like you’re doing cardio for two hours), you can do that.

… if you throw too many carbohydrates in … then that releases the hormones called somatostatin. That, for whatever reason, just shuts down growth hormone. That’s clear in the research.”

So, it’s important to avoid carbs, especially sugar or fructose-containing foods, in the two hours after your workout (this includes sports drinks) to be sure you’re getting the full HGH benefits.”

If we have provided that the old aren’t stealing fire from the young, we have witnessed the old steal the Human Growth Hormone from the pituitary glands of cadavers and inject this Hormone in hopes of maintaining youth indefinitely. We’ve also seen the injection of deadly foodborne toxins and their derivatives.  

Their youth comes paired with death.

What does this have to do with drive, the confidence to take an action when none has been taken before? The confidence to feel fear and anticipate shame and continue on — is this drive?

If your life is marked by disorder, distraction, disempowerment, both confound and dumbfounding emotions, and a total ambivalence toward deontological ethics, you lack drive.

Good news! No one will tell you how to fix this or will name it to your face.   Or is that bad news? The good news is that I will, and am. This condition can be remedied. If you were a machine, you could be fixed with a replacement parts suite. But, as you’re reading this, you are probably a human being, so the replacement must take the form of reasoned thought immediately followed by concrete action. Reason is the only way to understand emotion, emotion is the only way to understand reason, action is what makes it all real. Very simple, David Hume level stuff. You already know. You are smarter than me, only with less access to the teachings of ancient masters.

Now I will begin to hurt feelings. The only way to restore drive is to forget everything you’ve been told and every message from every movie and TV show: that you can only become cool and get what you want by acting with complete freedom.

No!

You are suffering from being too smart, too empathic, too beautiful (in soul and mind — we can discuss this in another piece, it will be so horny (Just kidding)).

You have all possibilities ahead of you, so choice and action become impossible.  An octopus can only hold 8 baseballs and you can only choose one choice. Yet you are presented with the infinite, the bad infinite, the one that does not loop back to the start, the one that simply scatters endless things everywhere forever.

You will need to part with your old mind, and this will be psychically painful. At your sleepiest, sorest, and most aggrieved moments, you will want to retrieve that mind, which floats somewhere in some awful aether, and go back to the way things were.

No!

You must completely change your mind and body if you wish to gain drive and courage.

The only way to change for the better is to completely remove the notion of freedom you hold. Later you can read the great philosophers and come to understand what it means, but if you follow this plan, you may find yourself in accord with them before checking the appendix.

Give yourself a limited concrete goal. (I want to do well in school, I want a better job, I want to have meaningful relationships.) Plan small steps toward that goal. Until you complete those steps you are Hegel’s bondsman, you are a cyber mercenary with a brain augmentation that allows you to only follow orders. You’ll be giving up obedience to the most powerful person in the room, or the most powerful person you’ve internalized, to concrete actions that will better your life. Welcome to the prison of anti-fear. It is built on a mountain with no steps, no ladders, and no helicopter access. I built it. I stole the building materials from James Dupont, my former friend.

Remember that your identity is only what you do. Not how you feel, not your opinions, but only the actions you take in the world. Emerge from your seven years underground. Take a tylenol and reduce the fever of confusion.

Make a concrete plan and do nothing but follow each step. Your only freedom is to struggle towards the next step on the route up this mountain. This is a horrible mountain. You will hate it. But love lives on top. Love was placed on to by a sky crane. How did I move the concept? Why do you assume it was me, I deny it.

And in the smaller parts of the day, eat specifically planned meals, move with proper biomechanics, stand and do not sit, move, workout at the prescribed time, be social — not just with your friends who’ve come to live in your phone but with the strangers that surround you. You are retraining yourself to be a human being with both the means and ability to carry out simple and important tasks.

Remind yourself that freedom only comes from reaching the realm of the pure abstract and that eating a chocolate, or ignoring someone sitting next to you, or waiting for the last minute to complete work is not freedom, it is slavery to forces so banal and so nefarious that I’m going to need to write several pieces about them specifically.

End your freedom. Take concrete actions toward a goal. Continue taking them if the goal is accomplished after discovering the next goal. Do not depart from your workout routine or interaction with the world unless you wish to lose the new mind that’s being slowly lain, layer by layer, like an asphalt road, suffocating your old mind, and possibly causing it to pop like a balloon. What will remain in its place is a mind suitable for the holding of secret elements much m ore potent than fire which will provide the power to drive toward any object, place, or thing.

I state this to you first because it’s the most important thing for you to follow. The reasons why, well, they require a story and I don’t want to distract you.

What you must know is that you cannot fear being afraid, you cannot be ashamed of feeling shame. Seek situations that help you toward your goal where you feel fear and there is a possibility of you being ashamed and confront them with horizontal breathing, good posture, a strong body, and cells made of all the fine foods you put in your mouth.

The reason you don’t do what you want to do, or say what you want to say, is that you don’t want it to be true that you feel fear and shame. Therefore, you do feel them, and then you become one with your own rejection of yourself. This is what we’re breaking to pieces and regrowing.

P.S. If you’re self loathing and wonder why people reject you, it’s because they can see you’ve already rejected yourself.

Cut away  your own freedom, lower the flag.  Become your own bondsman, only act concretely toward your goal, this is your duty.  

[heisarzola]

Just a little disclaimer, this FAQ was started before Steam announced they would be dropping the Greenlight program, but decided to finish it while it was still relevant.

Also note that given just how much I’ll be writing, the whole FAQ will NOT be completed right away, but instead given out in healthy chunks for other to read.

Over the past few months I have received several of e-mails of people interested in my projects, looking to do business with me, or as a grand majority, looking for a bit of advice for their own titles.

So much so, that I have actually answered MANY of questions on the several faces of game development (where on a side note, if you go to ME for advice, it means you ran out of options). Questions regarding the process of making, launching, selling, promoting, distributing and topics of the sort.

I am far from an expert on the topic, but hey, if it can help someone along the line, might as well talk about it. And also, I wish to expand this F.A.Q. to the point where I can be able to send these posts to whoever e-mails me some questions next.

And yes, I’m aware I have far from the largest audience and that hardly anyone will read this. But I say it is worth it if it helps at least one person.

Before we start I want to say one last thing. I mean it when I say there is A LOT to talk about, and so I decided to split this into several posts divided in topics, so if you are looking for answers on a specific area and you don’t find it, it will probably be in another post or I have yet to make a F.A.Q. about that topic, so please be patient. (Also, I will update each F.A.Q. as it is required.)

  I will first begin with the topic I got the most questions about a little after I got my own title on Steam, Greenlight.

  F.A.Q. About Steam Greenlight

Table of Contents

You can easily look the answer to the question of your interest by using CTRL+F and typing the code between the [BRACKETS].

What did you do to get Greenlit? – [GL1]

What are the requirements to upload at Greenlight? – [GL2]

Are there any things to consider about Greenlight? – [GL3]

How hard is to get Greenlit? – [GL4]

How many upvotes do we need to get Greenlit? – [GL5]

Is there a time limit to get past Greenlight? – [GL6]

What do you recommend to do BEFORE entering Greenlight? – [GL7]

When should a title be exposed on Greenlight? – [GL8]

We are already on Greenlight and things aren’t so hot. What now? – [GL9]

If you don’t find the answer to a question yet, just be a little patient. Updates will be done and announced with dedicated posts. It is just that questions were planned ahead.

  What did you do to get Greenlit? – [GL1]

Let’s get the biggest question out of the way first, this is by far the go-to question people ask when they send an e-mail.

My case is of those you can call lucky (yes, it is a common trend in this industry). In fact, I did A LOT of things wrong when it came to launching my game on Greenlight, so many that in retrospective should’ve straight up killed the project. However as I also did some things correctly, I like to think it evened out and it came down to that luck.

WHAT I DID RIGHT:

PICKING MY LAUNCH DAY / TIME MINDFULLY. Imagine you decide to put your game, and a couple of hours later you are already on the second page because there were just too many new projects posted. This wasn’t my case, as I waited until there was a “slow” submission period with not so good games to top it off. It is all about timing and paying close attention to the current front-paged submissions.

MAKING A GIF MY THUMBNAIL IMAGE. If there is something you can never get enough of while on Greenlight that would be attention. If you have the time to do so, you should really go for a GIF as a thumbnail, I did it and it really standed out from the titles my game was surrounded with. Needless to say, you should go for a pretty thumbnail over a horrible GIF if you can’t make one.

BEING POLITE TO THE COMMENTS. “But, that is a given.” Some of you might be saying. You would be surprised by how much good feedback you can get by making the right questions. Instead of defending your project from “harmful” comments, you should really be asking them what they, the potential customers, believe that needs to be corrected. You might actually add some vital functions that were missing from your game. I know at least that was my case with the “auto-select last piece” from KNIGHTS. And of course, don’t try to make everyone happy, you will never finish your game on that pacing, but cherry pick what you consider it is the best for the project.

KNOWING WHO THE GAME WAS FOR. “People like me” is a very good answer, but you should really think on the implications of that phrase. It is really hard to sell a game if it is just expected for people to “come and get it” once it is finished. What attracts people to the genre? Why should people play it? What does it make it stand out from similar titles? And most important of all, Do I really consider my game to be good? It is easy to be blinded by development time when it comes to judging what you just made. But if you aren’t completely sure if you even like your game, others won’t care for it either. Ask someone to test it, get feedback, really ask people you trust to help out and make your work better to know why it is relevant. In my case, I made a game that was similar to those puzzle games I enjoyed, and had over 50 in my phone and PC of. Taking out what I considered bad from the genre, and prioritizing on making someone feel smart. If you don’t have a target audience, it won’t appeal anyone, and those YES votes might as well be considered luck.HAVING A PRICE TAG FROM DAY 1. The Greenlight page ISN’T the official store page, so make use of it to tell the information that might be missing. And if you can, drop in the price tag right away. Just be mindful of the price you are putting it, in fact, you should under-price your product for its own benefit. Let’s say you want to upload a $10 game. If you REALLY think your project is worth the $10, make yourself the questions. Is it really as good as other $10 games? Would I pay that much for a similar amount and quality of content? Because those are the questions you will be getting you want it or not. In my case, after studying and comparing what I offered in KNIGHTS, I came to the conclusion that it was worth around $3 dollars. So I thought that under-pricing it would actually benefit the game’s reviews and sales, as it no longer was directly compared to other fantastic $3 puzzle games, but instead it standed out as an extraordinary $1 title. This is really up to you though.

KNOWING THE “GAME EXTRAS” FROM DAY 1. If you are going to launch a game on PlayStation, you should really make use of trophies, the same for Xbox, free themes and thumbnails if you have time. And in the case of Steam, make sure to make time to have artwork for trading cards and badges, to count with steam cloud, controller support and achievements. Of course, it isn’t mandatory, but if it isn’t a stretch to implement them, you should really go for it. You would be surprised how many people consider a deal breaker not having the ability to continue playing on different computers, or to craft a badge out of the game if they like it. It will only empower your product, so you should really take advantage of it.

WHAT I DID WRONG:

NOT COMPLETELY FINISHING MY GAME PAGE. Honestly this should’ve been my downfall, glad it wasn’t though. Consider your game page as your store page and think about who will see it. Is what you have really good to be considered marketable? Would you like to see more store pages like yours? My answer to both questions was no, and it was reflected by a lot of negative votes (that declined as I fixed it).

NOT HAVING A GOOD TRAILER. After the Greenlight thumbnail, the video will be the first and maybe last reaction of a potential voter, follower and customer so make those first seconds count. Really think about that potential “Pre-alpha-beta developer build incomplete gameplay footage” you may have planned out for the video section, if it wouldn’t attract you to see that on the games of your preference, it will definitely won’t attract anyone you might be aiming to appeal. In my case, I just had a little silent gameplay session… don’t do that… Really make your Greenlight page as commercial-like as you possible can, it will only help you.

USING PROMO ART WHILE IGNORING USING SCREENSHOTS. Screenshots are to show what your game looks like in-game, if you wish to have cinematic stills on your store page then that is up to you. But if you want people to vote on your Greenlight title, you should really give them an idea on what they are looking at, else there will be people skeptical about what exactly the game is and should do. If you don’t let others know right away what you are trying to sell or give away on Steam from the pictures, you should re-think those pictures.

NOT HAVING A WEBSITE / E-MAIL. Not mandatory, but it really denotes professionalism and a good overall image of you as a (uni-personal or otherwise) company. This is on the what I did wrong section given I did plan on having a website, but didn’t care and released my Greenlight submission anyway. Again, finish all of the content you need BEFORE submitting anything, don’t fall into my mistakes.

NOT HAVING A DEMO FROM DAY 1 (WHEN I PLANNED HAVING ONE). Self explanatory, if someone really was interested in your game and wanted to play at least a demo of it that you planned on releasing, it would be disappointing to find out there isn’t one. Their interest was in that moment, not the week later you finished the demo build.

Summed up, my case is FAR from a formula to Greenlight success, but knowing the good and bad is vital when you attempt to launch your next title.

  What are the requirements to upload to Greenlight? – [GL2]

It is really just having the enough material to make up a PROFESSIONAL store page.

That is:

A general description of the game.

Trailer and gameplay videos uploaded to YouTube (preferably).

A collection of at least 5 screenshots of your title.

A thumnail image for greenlight search (512×512 pixels).

And other usual things, social media etc.

But if you want more concrete information, I took some screenshots of the requirements :D

#gallery-0-4 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-4 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Basic Store Info

Screenshots and Videos (and Models if you Have Them)

Store Social Media

My suggestion, be sure to fill EVERYTHING, mandatory or not. It is really obvious who put some effort into their submission and who didn’t, and that does translate to upvotes believe it or not.

  Well that was quite the long post, and this was the first installment of the FAQ.

Make sure you check out the FAQ category in the blog for more interesting topics.

  For now, that is all I have to say.

And as always, thank you very much for reading my blog :3

Want to use #Steam #Greenlight before it goes away? #Indie #gamedev s, here is a little FAQ. Just a little disclaimer, this FAQ was started before Steam announced they would be dropping the Greenlight program, but decided to finish it while it was still relevant.

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