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spoadicdeviance · 3 years

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When “Anger Always Wins In The End”: The Story of X-Play vs Skyward Sword

Gather around the Barcalounger over by the fireplace friends, family, and those who only come to the Skyward Sword tag to bash the game in question. Old SporadicDeviance is going to tell you a tale that harkens back from the far distant past of 2011. It’s going to be a quite a long story, so you might want to get comfy.

The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword was making its rounds across the mainstream game review circuit, largely earning 9′s and 10′s across the boards. The game also ended becoming one of the very few games to earn perfect scores from both EDGE magazine and Famitsu. Talks of potential Game of the Year awards were already underway.

Yes it seemed Skyward Sword would experience nothing but smooth sailing when it comes to the gaming media.

Enter X-Play; the TV show focused on game coverage airing on the network dedicated to gaming and technology (in the sense that MTV used to be dedicated to music) G4.

Starting in summer 1998, as GameSpot TV, and ultimately concluding its run by the start of 2013, this show was perhaps the most popular source of game reviews in its heyday. In fact, with the shows propensity to include heavy layers of snark and cynicism in their reviews, as well as having the tendency of preforming comedic skits based on the various games they covered, one could say that X-Play was one of the progenitors of various online independent game reviewers that started from around 2006 and continue to the present day.

“Why bring up the show’s history?” One may ask. Well its important to establish that the programs was very popular with a substantial viewership, even in its final years of broadcast.

Which brings us to the moment that X-Play and Skyward Sword crossed paths.

It all started with the shows review of the game and the program ultimately giving Skyward Sword an overall score of a 4 out of 5. This caused a bit of stir amongst X-Play’s audience.

Now, on the surface, a score like that wouldn’t appear to be anything to really harp on about. Sure, a 4 out of 5 score was on the lower end of the range of scores Skyward Sword was receiving at the time. Nevertheless, a 4 out of 5 was still overall a good score.

However, as said before, this is all surface level. To get a full understanding of why some gamers were questioning X-Play’s review, you have to look at both how X-Play defines its rating scale as well as the content of the review itself, beyond the final score.

First let’s talk about X-Play’s ratings scale. In 2011 the program updated the meaning behind each of the five different ratings. For a game to earn a 5 out of 5, the game would have to “realize all ambitions of its design” while a 4 out of 5 game would only accomplish most of its goals.

Well Skyward Sword’s goal was to be the proof of concept on what the Wii’s intent was as a console. The game’s ambition was to show the world that motion controls not only be practical as the primary means of control for a AAA game but also in some ways surpass traditional controls in terms of immersion and practicality. Does that mean by giving Skyward Sword a 4 out of 5, X-Play thinks Skyward Sword didn’t fully accomplish its ambition?

No. They didn’t think Skyward Sword failed in that regard. In fact, in their review of the game, X-Play stated that despite initial skepticism on Skyward Sword going all in on motion controls, hosts Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb were pleasantly shocked with how good the controls felt, saying that the Wii-Motion Plus controls were fluid, responsive, seamless, and never frustrating. They also stated that if all Wii games controlled just was well as Skyward Sword then a large majority of complaints lobbied against the system would never have materialized.

So what caused the show to give Skyward Sword a 4 out of 5? According to X-Play’s 2011 rating system and game needs to have “minor flaws” on order to get a 4 out of 5 score. So what did X-Play think were said flaws?

Well X-Play used the trite “revisit certain areas of the game” non-criticism that I’ve already touched on in a prior post. It’s weird since games like Metroid Prime also used backtracking and X-Play still gave those games perfect 5 out of 5 scores.

They also said that there wasn’t much to do in the Sky overworld, which is outright wrong considering all of the goddess treasures and various sky islands that have their own minigames/sub quests to do. Yes its mainly side content but almost every Zelda overworlds are mainly used for side content and linking the various areas in the map. I think I’ll go more in depth on the whole “The Sky is too empty.” criticism in another post.

Then they complained about how your shield can break and you would have to go back to Skyloft in order to purchase a new shield. Seriously? This is like when people complain that in Banjo Kazooie, when you die, you have to recollect all the music notes. That’s the point. The game is punishing you for messing up during the combat. Also the game doesn’t force you to purchase a new shield. You can play the game without a shield if you choose to do so.

I would say the shield bit is the worst criticism in the review if it wasn’t for the frankly dumb, and hilarious in hindsight, critique of Skyward Sword’s crafting system. Adam called the system “grindy” and said that crafting doesn’t fit in a Zelda game. Considering how Breath of the Wild not only has a crafting system, but also, by X-Play’s standards, made it more grindy than it was in Skyward Sword, I think even Skyward Sword’s biggest detractors can call this assessment of Skyward Sword crafting system half-baked at best.

And those were the flaws X-Play found in Skyward Sword. Even if those critiques were legitimate, and let’s face it they’re not, it doesn’t seem like these flaws are enough to justify docking Skyward Sword an entire point in a 5 point rating system, does it?

Well according to a lot of fans of the show, it wasn’t. Fans were speculating that X-Play wasn’t really sincere in their giving Skyward Sword a 4 out of 5. Some thinking that they set out to not give the game a perfect score and were grasping at straws trying to find any justification for their score, rather than have their final score come naturally as they played/reviewed the game.

By all accounts, Skyward Sword seemed to have been more deserving of a 5 out of 5 score rather than a 4 out of 5, according to a lot of X-Play’s viewership.

Viewer response to Skyward Sword’s 4 out of 5 score might have been the primary reason X-Play revamped their ratings scale the following year, using “half-stars” in its ratings (ultimately making the rating system a 10 point scale) as well as reworking the conditions for a 5 out of 5 score. Now for a game to achieve a 5 out of 5 a game doesn’t have to achieve all of its design ambitions and merely not have any “issues” which would result in a 4 out of 5.

My suspicion that the viewer response to the Skyward Sword review was the catalyst for the change is only strengthened by the fact that X-Play used Skyward Sword as their example of a 4 out of 5 game in their new ratings system.

But despite all that, the backlash to X-Play’s review was relatively minor, especially compared to the backlash a certain other professional reviewer got for giving Skyward Sword a lower score compared to X-Play, but that’s a tale for another time.

This isn’t the main part of the the story. X-Play’s review of Skyward Sword and the viewer response to said review were all the primer for the centerpiece of this tale.

It’s now time for the awards season. All the various gaming publications were nominating and awarding the best games of 2011. Skyward Sword managed to get itself plenty of nominations, including Overall Game of the Year from publications like EDGE.

But what about X-Play? What awards did they nominate Skyward Sword for?

Did X-Play nominate Skyward Sword for Game of the Year?

No.

Did X-Play nominate Skyward Sword for Best Action/Adventure Game?

Did X-Play nominate Skyward Sword for Most Innovative Game?

No. .

Did X-Play nominate Skyward Sword for Best Story?

No.

Did X-Play nominate Skyward Sword for Best Art Direction?

No.

All Skyward Sword was nominated for were Best Soundtrack and Best Motion Controls.

And you want to know the really messed up part; Skyward Sword only won for Best Soundtrack and lost the Best Motion Controls award to Dance Central 2. Let that sink for a beat. DDR Kinect 2 Dance Central 2 apparently had better motion controls than Skyward Sword according to X-Play. This despite of all the praise the show gave Skyward Sword’s controls in its review. This is like when the Queen bio-pic, Bohemian Rhapsody, won the Oscar for “Best Editing”. Are you kidding me?! But I digress.

Needless to say, if viewers were just a little peeved with X-Play’s review of Skyward Sword, they were outright mad with how the show basically snubbed Skyward Sword from its award show.

The vast majority of gamers felt that, even if the game would ultimately not win many awards, Skyward Sword should have at least had more than two (relatively minor) award nominations and should have been nominated for Game of the Year. X-Play was being called out, rightfully so, for not giving Skyward Sword its fair dues.

But all was not lost for Skyward Sword, for while X-Play would have full control on which games were nominated and which game would win the majority the awards, the fans would have their own say for one certain award.

G4 decided to do what they called a “Videogame Deathmatch”. This was basically a tournament consisting of 32 games released in 2011.

Each round would have multiple games paired off to face off against each other. The general public would go online and vote for one of the two games in each match to go on to the next round. The first round had people vote between 16 pairs of games. The next round would have 8. Etc. Etc. This would culminate in a final round where the two winners of each side of the bracket would face off and the people would vote between these last two games to decide which game would win the tournament and would receive the Viewer’s Choice Award at X-Play’s Best of 2011 Award Show.

Skyward Sword was one of the 32 games selected for the tournament, whether it was because G4 honestly thought the game deserved a chance to win or they were simply trying to placate fans of the game.

I would say the latter because the side of the bracket Skyward Sword was on was definitely the more competitive side of the two. How more competitive? Well while the side of the bracket Skyward Sword was on had games like Portal 2, Minecraft, Uncharted 3, Batman Arkham City and The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim, the game that would become the finalist for the other side of the bracket was Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. Does that answer your question?

So Skyward Sword faced some stiff competition. It really seemed like G4 and X-Play did not want Skyward Sword to win this tournament so they made sure it would go head to head against some of the most popular games of 2011. It was going to be a miracle if Skyward Sword made it to the final round.

Well let me tell you something; a miracle did occur that year.

In round 1, Skyward Sword went up against Uncharted 3, the flagship PS3 title of 2011, and the fans voted for Skyward Sword over Uncharted 3.

In round 2, Skyward sword went head to head against Fifa 12, the latest entry of the videogame series based off of the most popular sport in the world, and the majority chose Skyward Sword over Fifa 12.

In round 3, Skyward Sword faced off against Batman Arkham City, the game that is considered to be one of the greatest superhero games ever made (if not the greatest), and Skyward Sword got more votes than Batman Arkham City.

In the semi-finals, Skyward Sword went one on one against The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, one of the best selling games of all time, and the gamers chose The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword over Skyrim.

Needless to say when Skyward Sword went up against Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, a game that even fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise don’t hold in the highest regards (at least it’s not Unity?) in the final round, the vote went overwhelmingly in Skyward Sword’s favor.

The end result was that Skyward Sword won G4TV’s Videogame Deathmatch: Best of 2011 Tournament and was awarded the Viewer’s Choice Award for 2011.

Now when it came time to officially announce the winner of the winner of the Viewer’s Choice Award during the televised award ceremony, how do you think the hosts handled the situation?

Well take a look for yourself with this Youtube video archiving X-Play’s award show that year. (Timestamp 34:04-35:25)

They start out by saying how close the matchup between Skyward Sword and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations was, despite the fact that by accounts of those who participated in the voting process, Assassin’s Creed never got more than 40% of the votes in the final round, but that can be chalked up as theatrics for the audience.

When they reveal to the audience that Skyward Sword won the final round and in turn won the Viewer’s Choice Award, you can juts tell that Adam Sessler is not happy with the results. The way he’s moving his body. His tense face and pursed lips. The sarcastic tone in his voice as he calls Skyward Sword “Nintendo’s love letter to motion controls”.

Adam is not happy that the game he and the rest of the staff at X-Play snubbed from their award ceremony not only won the Viewer’s Choice Award but also beat two of their nominees for Game of the Year, including their choice for overall Game of the Year, in the process.

At this point, most people think it would be best for Adam to just accept the results for what they are, give Skyward Sword a proper congratulations, and move on with the next award of the night, in spite of Adam’s personal feelings towards the situation. Just be professional. That’s all Adam needed to do.

Most would think that, but Adam Sessler is not most people.

As the hosts were talking about Skyward Sword’s win, Blair Herter made a passing comment saying that the Nintendo fanbase being “enraged” over Skyward Sword not being nominated for Game of the Year helped Skyward Sword win the Viewer’s Choice Award.

Adam immediately jumped on that by adding with and I quote;

“Enraged? That’s a-th-th-that’s a nice term. It was close race, but ANGER always wins in the end.”

Wow. I mean wow. Not even the Red Sea is as salty as Adam Sessler was with that comment.

He couldn’t just take the L like an adult and move on. He felt like he had to get the final word on the matter.

It’s like Adam wants to say the Viewer’s Choice Award doesn’t really count because the vote didn’t go the way he wanted. This is, ironically, the kind of immature fanboy behavior Adam is trying to make fun of. It makes it seem like Adam thinks he’s above the “unwashed masses” that participated in the Videogame Deathmatch voting process.

Regardless on if you think Skyward Sword deserved to win the tournament, you must admit that this was bad look on Adam’s part.

Now I don’t want to end this post on a bittersweet note so I want you to think about what actually happened.

Skyward Sword is so beloved by the majority of gamers that when a review show as big as X-Play tried to downplay the game’s quality as well snub the game from its best of the year award show, the gamers respond by making sure Skyward Sword won the title of the Viewer’s Choice awards.

And this is one of several time where when major reviewer publications/programs reached out to their audience, the gamers, to get their take on what game they felt was the best game of 2011, and The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword was chosen by said gamers as the the best game of that year.

It’s funny because whenever I bring up that point, the minority of Skyward Sword detractors try to make up some excuse to delegitimize Skyward Sword winning the viewer’s choice award.

When I mention Skyward Sword winning IGN’s viewer’s choice award, or when Skyward Sword was voted the number one, best game of 2011 by the fans of ScrewAttack, they say “Oh that’s because fans of Skyrim, Batman Arkham City, Portal 2, and so on were divided amongst themselves while Nintendo fans were united in their support for Skyward Sword. If the poll wasn’t a free for all, Skyward Sword wouldn’t win.”

Well here’s another instance of Skyward Sword winning a viewer’s choice award; Skyward Sword had to go one-on-one against multiple games in order to win the viewer’s choice award. Skyward Sword got more votes than some of the most popular, well reviewed, and highest selling games of that year. More gamers preferred Skyward Sword over Uncharted 3, Arkham City, and Skyrim.

I think all of that, along with how Skyward Sword was considered the best game of 2011 by ScrewAttack and IGN users, and how people are hyped for the HD rerelease, it’s safe to say that despite what some vocal people may try to say otherwise, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is a game that is far more beloved by gamers than it is “divisive”.

#the legend of zelda #skyward sword #ocarina of time #breath of the wild #majora's mask #wind waker #twilight princess #a link to the past #a link between worlds #fi #link #groose #ghirahim #demise #impa #x-play

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hydrangeasimagination · 4 years

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BNHA Incorrect Quotes: My Friends Edition

... Our humor is very weird but I wanted to get some giggles out since these times are tough. But I’d like to keep this blog as somewhat of a safe space and an escape?? It’s nice to not have to think sometimes.

It’s not good for my mental health either since I worry about those outside and fighting this fight and worry about what else could happen and it’s just a big source of anxiety for me.

I support the BLM movement. I support pushing against the system that so readily put us in this space. I support rising up when things are so clearly unfair.

I support this fight.

But we are all human - we are all beings that need a bit to slip into escapism.

I love y’all. Here’s a quick scrib of a boi.

~ Dari

(P.S. My friends and I are 20-21 and the pinnacle of Gen Z humor so lots of death jokes and sex jokes. We’re also potty mouths.)

Edit (11/29/20): Found out rat was an East Asian slur and while I’m Asian myself, I’m changing it. Because ✨no✨.

Driving Bakugo’s Car

Kirishima: That’s a cop.

Kaminari: That’s not a cop.

Kirishima: That’s a cop.

Kaminari: It is not a cop!

Kaminari:

Kaminari: It’s a cop -

Kirishima: We’re gonna get pulled over.

Kaminari: We’re not gonna get pulled over.

Kaminari:

Kirishima:

Kaminari to Bakugo later: We got pulled over.

Why The Heroes Always Win

Midoriya: They’re overwhelming us by the second! There’s too many villains!!

All Might: It’s fine!

All Might, buffing up: They’re bad -

Midoriya, confused: wHA???

Deku vs. Kacchan Part 100

Kirishima: Uh, Bakubro just Snapped me with his location on - he’s really close to your house??

Midoriya: I’m safe in my bed under blankets for now.

Midoriya: If I don’t come back, it’s either he’s killed me or I’ve killed him.

Kirishima

Midoriya:

Midoriya: More news at 7.

Watching Izuku Break His Bones To Fight

Shigaraki:

Shigaraki: Don’t like that, gamer -

Not Technically Untrue

Dabi: Until someone or something kills me

Dabi: I am immortal.

Dabi: Until then, I’m not about to die while Endeavor is still alive

Denki, nO - ft. the homoerotic things my guy friends say

Bakugo: FUCK YOU

Kaminari: COME FUCK ME YOURSELF, COWARD

Bakugo:

Bakugo: Turn on your fucking location.

Dekusquad Group Chat + Ghosthunting ft. Shinsou

Shinsou: I woke up with these scratches?

Shinsou: I don’t know what caused them.

Iida: Well, if they itch, they’re likely cat scratches. If they are open, I suggest washing and sterilizing.

Uraraka: Did you leave your door open? Was it your cat??

Shinsou: Nope.

Midoriya: Ah, that’s really strange.

Todoroki: It’s the demon you challenged

Tsuyu:... That sounds plausible?

Shinsou: Bitch couldn’t even finish the fucking job?

Iida: STOP IT

Shinsou: Have at me, motherfucker.

Iida: SHINSOU, NO!!!!

Shinsou: SLIT MY THROAT, BET YOU FUCKING WON’T

Todoroki: Mood.

Iida: TODOROKI, STOP ENCOURAGING HIM

Hawks, Please No

Hawks: I went to McDonald's and found out the ice cream machine isn’t working

Endeavor:

Endeavor: Okay, and??

Hawks: I’m not gonna lie.

Hawks: I kinda wanted to commit a war crime.

Stinky

Bakugo, talking about his experience with the League: Their leader, Shigaraki?

Bakugo:

Bakugo: He’s a goddamn noob.

Sunshine Baby

Mirio, after a joke successfully lands: :D

Mirio: I AM COMEDY

Confusion

(based on my very little online presence with lack of face pics)

Hagakure:

Hagakure: HOW

Jirou: What’s up?

Hagakure: You know I’m completely invisible right??

Ashido: Yes?

Hagakure: How I don’t show up in photos?

Yaoroyozu: That is the point of your quirk, is it not?

Tsuyu: If you weren’t, you’d just be quirkless then.

Hagakure: The big joke is that my PFP on every social is just a blank white slate!

Uraraka: Tooru - chan, where are you going with this?

Hagakure: They don’t even know what I look like!?

Hagakure: BUT THEY’RE STILL SENDING ME DICK PICS

Bonus:

Kirishima: What are other ways to explain your dick is hard? I’m... I’m trying to sext my s/o.

Sero: EXPAND DONG

Kaminari: Peepee EXTENDUS

Bakugo:

Bakugo: I hate it here.

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katherinewilliams221b · 3 years

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For A Greater Good Fun Facts and Self Assesment (spoilers)

Long Post

What worked and what didn’t:

I think the overall structure worked pretty well. The most difficult part was, with the plot and subplot already created, scattering all those ideas throughout the text in such a way that at least made some sense. I regret not writing more about Mer Yankelevich, I feel like the crumbs I left on the way were not enough; in my attempt to make it subtle it lacked information about her. The key piece was of course her sister, and I should have introduced her sooner.

MC’s evolution. I feel like Kate’s learnt a lot with this experience (I’m not only referring to the Deathly Hallows or Grindelwald) When it started, she was very discreet and kept a low profile, not knowing what to do really, not taking more risks than necessary. And then she ended poisoned and splinching just to protect a document she thought was important. I hope her evolution is noticeable for the reader.

Worldbuilding. Grabbing HP concepts that were forgotten and full of potential, plus a dash of original ideas from me and blending them with muggle features was my absolute favourite part of the process.

On that note, I dont own these concepts: Durmstrang, Igor Karkarov, Nerida Vulchanova, umbrella flowers, fanged geraniums, billywigs, Appare Vestigium, glow-worms, trick wand, chamaleon ghouls,

If you’ve read the fic and thought: “everything happened so fast” or got a general odd feeling about the timeline it's because I made a series of monumental mistakes: setting a chapter limit, telling you about it and then tried to stick to it. At first the idea sounded nice: this is my first “big” story with complicated components. I should (and I did) do an outline of what I want to happen in each chapter and stick to it methodically so I don't forget what's happening or lose track of the plot. Well...it kind of backfired. So I wrote the first 3 chapters and at that point I thought “okay everything is going as planned, I’m going to put it out there”, bam, instantly cursed. After that it got ridiculously difficult to make the story that I wanted. Why? I needed chapter space that I convinced myself I couldn’t add. Dumb.

The major consequence of this was the lack of character backgrounds. It started out good, but as I kept writing and publishing I realised that I missed some great opportunities to make amazing ocs. That’s Corentin’s fault in a way: he wasn't going to be a major character, really, just a piece to help Kate a bit. But we all fell in love with him so what was I supposed to do? Also, Sheyi Mawut owns my heart and he got just a bit of spotlight. A shame.

I wish I had written more about them, but I think I wasn’t ready just yet to make it even more complicated.I just wanted to prove I could concoct a mystery plot and now that I know I can manage a fair amount of information I think I can take it a step further and deepen new ocs a little bit more.

I’m thinking about the datura series and I know why I got blocked and tired of writing it; it wasnt going anywhere because I wasnt prepared, and I didn’t do the months of outlines and planning that I did with this one. I’ll come back to the datura story one day, subjecting it to a sever rewrite. The ideas are there, I just need to be organised.

Although the chapter limit was problematic it was also a good exercise of managing space and deciding which things were unnecessary for the story. I dont think there’s any filler chapters, perhaps the last ones, but there is important information there too so... However this sentence from the blog wordsandstuff reassured me (and I think I did a good job at that?)

If you set out to write 10 parts and you write a fantastic story in 8, you haven’t failed and it’s not too rushed. Concise writing is an underrated talent. Focus on how effectively you engage the reader, not for how long.

I spent more than year writing this! When I started, I had a lot of ideas, I wrote the last two chapters then the first 3 and I really thought it was going to be that way with the rest of the story... okay... lesson learnt. #humbled

Other thoughts:

I received a couple of comments on ao3 that said that they were pleasantly surprised. Maybe I should change the tags because they are misleading? Clearly this wasnt what people were looking for lol.

One particular comment stood out to me and quoting it said: “You did not choose the easy way with a fiction with so few characters from the fandom.” And I’ve been thinking about this since I read it. It didn’t occur to me that there were few mystery fics (maybe I should write more things like that? Maybe throwing some power couple detective work 👀 ) In any case, I’m glad I contributed with something different to the fandom, and the fact that the Charlie bits are very scarce but people who read it still liked it is really flattering.

I wanted to make sure that all the characters had strengths and flaws, I didnt want to severus-snape them so maybe I overdid it with that bit of introspection kate does at the end...

Also, I did the kiss and fade thing twice to mention sex. I know some people dont like that but since it wasnt the point of the story and I havent done research on how to write sex scenes I didnt include them. I have that on my “to learn” list.

Conclusions:

Writing the whole thing was incredible. It's my first ‘big’ project and its not a great work (there are some things I wish I did better, thats what you get when you are an agatha christie wannabe) and not writing more character backgrounds will haunt me to this day, but I think it's at least good for a first series and I’m proud of it. I loved spending hours doing research and trying to piece together this puzzle. And of course I’m not an expert and I dont want to sound pretentious (like this is my first story) but if you are planning to write this type of genre I can be another source of tips and tricks for you.

If I read the story after a while and I dont cringe, I would call that a success.

FUN? FACTS!

Bakunawa really belongs to Filippines mythology

Snapdragons have different meanings, one of them being: “grace under pressure or inner strength in trying circumstances”

The entrance to Grindelwald’s room was going to be in the duelling classroom, strangely shaped as a triangle. I had this system where one of the round candle lamps descended and lined up with a line on the floor (serving as separation for duels) it created the Deathly Hallows symbol. I couldn’t make that work because it wouldn't make any sense for Nerida Vulchanova to shape a room like that. Here are some sketches:

Lucius Malfoy was going to appear as the Ministry employee that goes to Durmstrang, but after revising the events of the OoP I realised it was impossible.

Kent Jorgensen was going to be around Kate’s age and the charms teacher and he would have a small crush on her. After seeing some pics of Pen Medina, I rewrote the character completely.

The series was going to be 6 chapters long (I’m glad I decided not to) one for each month. The chapter names were ridiculous: January of Beginnings, February of reputation, March of Students, April of Discoveries, May I? and June of Endings. #tragic

The Dolohov family was going to be a part of the plot but I had to erase that part because it was unlocking another layer of complexity that I just couldnt handle.

I dont remember exactly the chapter but I got really confused with the names Rhode and Hodges and there’s one chapter where I accidentally mixed them (I corrected it I think), but for a while I could stop calling Rhode, Hodges, and vice versa lmao

Here are some sketches that helped me describe and imagine things

Thank you for accompany me in this journey, especially if you endured the process with me lmao. You’ve been here for over A YEAR! <3 Mindblowing

Also I’d love to know your opinions about the way you read the story, I mean, I know some people read it as I published, and some other readers found the story already finished, what are the differences? Should I stop the updating system and drop a story all at once? I know it is difficult to keep up with a complex story if there’s a lot of weekly or monthly gaps between the chapters, so I wanted to know.

Sending you a virtual hug 💜💜

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n5md · 3 years

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Cloudwalker

In our newly relaunched "Learn more about..." interviews, we switch up the continuity slightly and focus on just one release: Gimmik's Cloudwalker. Martin kindly agreed to answer a few questions to kick off what we'll refer to as v2 of the "Learn More About..." blog.

While Entre Les Chambres was the actual return of Gimmik to the public eye, Cloudwalker is more of a return to form. It is undeniably Gimmik; however, Cloudwalker treads some new ground for you. Can you shed some light on how the creative process changed from Entre Les Chambres / Deux Nouvelles and how those two albums might have influenced Cloudwalker?

Very well observed - they did influence Cloudwalker! Entre Les Chambres and Deux Nouvelles were both produced under technically limited circumstances. On top of that, I thought that no one will ever hear this material. Luckily it was not the case, and I got the chance to become a member of the n5MD family. When you produce with the idea that the material will never get released, it gives you a lot of room and space. You are not concerned about expectations. The music can flow and evolve freely. The calm nature of those albums helped that process. It was research where I experienced myself more as a witness than a composer. For me, that is a new approach. This approach was still the same when I produced Cloudwalker. That is the reason why the tracks are so diverse. Short Wave Memories and In My Family do not have anything in common, but that is the way they evolved, without me constructing anything. The most significant difference is that Cloudwalker was produced in a proper studio environment. Plus, I took a step into eurorack, which brings a very unpredictable element. And yes, that is Mutable Elements "Rings'' what you hear on In My Family. I was working on a self-generative patch with "Marbles'' when all of a sudden, the melody appeared...

I think you sent me In My Family shortly after you finished it, and it was one of the darkest days of the early pandemic; where our local government-issued curfews and such. It was the track that I needed at that moment; it brightened my day. It's very cool that the melody was a generative experiment gone right. I seem to remember you have quite a bit of the Mutable Instruments modules. Modular, to me, seems like a bit of a wormhole of experimentation. So, how do you stay focused when experimenting with new sounds and textures to bring, say, one of your Modular Nature tracks, which you have on your Youtube channel, to life.

Working with a modular system is entirely different. My approach is always a question. What will happen if I connect this with that and modulate with this? Then you start patching, and the results are entirely different from what I expected - a lot more exciting and better! In the beginning, I thought modular was about rebuilding synth voices. So I started emulating the signal-flow path of a 101 for a start. I missed the whole point of modular... A system has a life of its own and takes you to completely different places, and sometimes I do not even understand the results. (-: But that is not important. The decision to work with modular is to avoid walking down paths I have taken too many times when composing. What keeps you focused is your ear. The trick is to learn when to stop. In the beginning, I lost a lot of great patches when the result was already at 90%. When trying to reach 100%, my tweaks destroyed that patch's beauty, and I never found a way back to 90%. That happened a lot of times in the beginning. A modular system really helps to learn when to let go… (laughing). I chose Mutable Instruments because those modules are very focused on musical and harmonic results.

So, going back to Cloudwalker, how did it feel getting back to basics as far as Gimmik goes. People may not know that Entre Les Chambres and Deux Nouvelles were made for very personal listening. Care to shed a little light on those two, and more importantly, what made you want to go past those themes and bring Gimmik full circle for Cloudwalker?

Entre Les Chambres and Deux Nouvelles were NOT a conscious decision. Those were a necessity! The title Entre Les Chambres means "between two rooms", the space that is between two rooms. That is nowhere! It mirrors how I felt at that moment. There were many significant changes in my life, luckily nothing concerning my family, but still major changes. In order to cope with it all, I started making ambient tracks. It was the only thing that helped me to cope and focus again. The tracks happened by themselves. Listening to them and working on those albums was a calming experience. When they were finished, I played them to Chris, and he convinced me that he liked them. That led to the decision to make those first tapes. Later I sent them to you. Your reaction was very motivating because the music got released. With that motivation and getting back into a studio environment, the Cloudwalker tracks just poured out of me very quickly - it felt terrific to go back to the studio. My family gave me the time to work in my studio, and you and Chris gave very motivating feedback! From my perspective, this makes Cloudwalker my most important album so far, and I am very thankful for this chance! Another key element is that you gave me total freedom regarding artwork, choosing tracks, and their order. Just great!

Well, I knew going in that you know what you are doing. So I shouldn't have needed to step in and manage such details. For release prep, I'm available to take care of the details that an artist doesn't have access to or the working knowledge. You and Chris ran Toytronics, and you are a graphic artist as well, so I knew that you know the drill. If something was glaring or didn't work under the n5 stylistic umbrella, it is my job to say something, but I was pretty confident that wouldn't happen. I also know that after you completed the tracks, you took a great deal of time to get them to flow perfectly and also fit on four LP sides—your care in craft shows, and it's been great to work with you.

You brought up Chris, and there is an Abfahrt Hinwl remix on Cloudwalker, so; I'm going to ask. Are we going to hear some new Abfahrt Hinwl soon?

Thank you, as I said, that means a lot to me. And I still think that it is a fortunate situation. The AH RMX of Sailing Everest on Cloudwalker was just me, to be honest. That is why I used an abbreviation - AH. It is more a hint. It has a lot of the Abfahrt Hinwil ingredients. We tried to revive the project and realized that working over a distance via the internet does not work for either of us. The key of Abfahrt Hinwil was that we worked in the same room, at the same time, with the same equipment - listening to what the other one does - giving an immediate reaction. The most important point is communication, which has to happen immediately - you need to respond straight away, not with a delay. Today we find ourselves in two different life situations. We both would like to continue. After an online experiment, we realized it would be only possible when we visit each other and then work in the same studio. That is not possible at the moment, and Covid plays a significant role in that.

Ah, I see; Abfahrt Hinwil was you and Chris basically feeding off one another; also, there are cheques and balances, which is great to have. I completely understand why it would not be feasible to do it from a distance effectively. So, I'd like to pivot to these little builds I see on your Instagram. You recently sent me a pic of a peculiar little box that looks to be a synth. Assuming this is something you built (loving the stickering, by the way). What is this, and does it appear on Cloudwalker?

(laughing) That is a drone box handmade by a guy in Russia. Six oscillators, each one with a kill switch. Three standard range oscillators and 3 Sub. A very rough-sounding machine, great for drones. The filter sounds very nasty, just great. There is a little bit in the track Cloudwalker itself but washed out by Big Sky. The downside is that there is no midi, trigger gate, or voltage control. It is more of an experiment tool. The important parts of the track Cloudwalker have Mutable Instruments: Plaits and Tides 1, using the Sheep mode. Both outputs went into Warps, modulated by Stages. The little melody was played live on the Yamaha DX Reface, going into the Big Sky. It was all recorded live onto tape to 4 tracks to a Tascam 234. Then it was mixed the classic way, patchbay, fx, analog mixer main out to digital. 75% of the album was recorded to a Sound Devices MixPre-3 II.

It sounds like your Big Sky gets some action! Strymon makes some exceptional pedals. It seems like you can almost entirely make music out of the box if you needed to, which is excellent. So one last question: When we collaborated on the Cloudwalker one sheet text, you added something about the production tools "representing technology from 1958 to 2019," and I asked if 1958 was a type-o that needed to be corrected to 1985 when it was not. When people read that, I think they will be very curious as to what technology you utilized from that far back…

Yes, it is a great pedal, I love the sound and the fact that you get nice results very quickly.

1958- (laughing) There is an on oscilloscope from Russia, which can be seen in some of the videos on HIDDEN REALITY, and 2 vintage function generators. I got those old function generators from a close friend, he is an electronic engineer and professor for physics at a university. They got rid of all their old equipment, and he asked if I wanted to have something. He could not throw those old machines away, so he rescued them to his cellar. He changed the connections for me, so I can use them with the modular environment, using my standard patch cables. I used them a lot as modulation sources, as they can modulate extremely slow (like MI tides). But I have to admit that I got them for their looks in the first place…(laughing) - Those machines look like the machinery you see in Qs research center in old James Bond movies...

Order Cloudwalker now: US / UK / EU

Learn even more about Gimmik

#Bandcamp #mutable instruments #IDM #experimental electronica #gimmik #toytronic #Abfahrt Hinwl #n5MD #Austria #ambient

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straynstay · 5 years

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this is my stupid “theory”

Alright, so here's my dumbass theory on 부작용 (Side Effects) M/V

DISCLAIMER: this is only my opinion and I might be completely wrong, so don't take it too seriously, this is just speculation, but bear with me and my weird mind cause this is gonna be a long trippy journey lol

First of all, Yellow Wood refers to a poem by Robert Frost called "The Road Not Taken" and this is my main source in trying to understand this whole concept of Clé 2. The poem refers to some existential questions that concern the human being, such as life and death, one's choices and the unscapable passing of time. The narrator faces two possible ways to go, but he has a hard time chosing one, feeling sorry that he can't travel both, but eventually he decides on one even though he spent a long time trying to see where the other leads to. Yellow Wood is mentioned right at the beginning [Two roads diverged in a yellow wood] and it’s considered a metaphor for our “autumn years”, when we get to "harvest" everything we "cultivated" when we were young, and it's also a time to remember and reflect upon our deeds. We see the yellow wood (a tree) that symbolizes this "passage" on the teaser as soon as they step out of the elevator. This means that SKZ is now more mature and wiser than they were before, and are looking back on their choices (Hellevator, anyone?). However, they know that for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction, and these reactions are the Side Effects of their choices.

NOW THIS IS WHERE THIS GETS CHALLENGING BECAUSE I NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS MESS THAT'S INSIDE MY HEAD, HOLD MY HAND AND LET'S GO CRAZY TOGETHER!

we all know by now that this MV is focused on Hyunjin, right? we'll talk more about this later on, so let's analize the elements on the video first

The opening scene shows a bus with a lion (Miroh, anyone?) and a license plate that says "AD 2540". The only explanation for this in my point of view is that this is probably Anno Domini (referencing a long distant distopic future). Anyways... we also see some sort of security system being displayed on the screen as if they're being constantly watched (it shows up again when they trespassed the road and it reminds me of Miroh too)

We see them not taking the bus, since the MV is the development of their second choice on the teaser, and walking together with Hyunjin behind them. What called my attention is that not only we see two freaking moons (alternative universe, parallel universe, alternative reality??), but we see that the road is blocked!!! how did that bus stop there if there's no open road? Besides, the elevator seems to go down on the teaser, so they were actually up in the sky? it seems like it since it looks like there's more of that elevator structure upwards

It's morning when they begin their journey by themselves (there's reference to morning as well in the poem, and it symbolizes new beginnings, new things coming), and this is where SKZ are heading: a new path

We see them with nine dancers wearing black clothes and a mask, probably signifying their double selves that have taken a different path because they mirror their moves like a shadow

The cart's gas is almost ending, but what makes them stop is a flat tire, weird, huh? as if they were supposed to end up there somehow...

Felix sees something outside the cart that makes him happy and interested, but Hyujin seems to breakle his bubble (would he be hipnotized??) and they fight, probably because Hyunjin knows more than he shows... what could Felix see on an open field that's so appealing? Maybe whoever is watching them is also manipulating their reality? Don't know...

Throughout the MV we see the scenes changing to yellow shades and in this one we clearly see the duality between SKZ and their doubles

Don't know if it's on purpose, but here's another feline on the door

Moving on!!

After being forced to stop, they face a closed road and they seem to be pondering how to take this road. Seungmin grabs a camera and Hyujin is quite pissed that he's taking pics. Why? Here again I think that Hyunjin is probably the one that's more "lucid" in this whole alternate realities thing, but why taking pics would annoy Hyunjin so much? Would pictures mean evidence? Hmm....

Once they start fighting, we see shades of yellow again taking over the scene. In reality universe stories we know that once you decide something, other possibilities open while some close, and to me the yellow symbolizes the side effects of their actions, the paths they’re closing and opening according to their choices.

They step on a map that shows a yellow area, the elevator, open road, and the closed road they're at, so they're probably trying to figure out their own path without guidance of any sorts, they're gonna find out their way out by themselves

SKZ drives until it's dark, and Robert Frost has another poem that is called "Acquainted With The Night" that deals with themes such as isolation, insomnia, existence, and depression. The narrator says he's outwalked the furtest city light/ and he's heard an interrupted cry/ not to call me back or say good-bye/ and that a clock against the sky proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right/. According to the Owlcation website, the "poem echoes the descent into a dark place where time has no meaning and words are useless [...] there may be a sense of hopelessness, a sense that some kind of threshold has to be gone through to regain confidence and light". Jisung is looking at a city (light) that seems to be up in the clouds, probably the place from where they came down on the elevator, but now they have to face this hard dark path to reach the light again, to go up once more.

They see the bus they didn't take and they are seen by the driver through the rearview mirror, but the bus doesn't stop for them, showing they can't go back to walk the path they already left behind (although we see SKZ on the bus too, the ones on the left side of the screen on the teaser, I'll call them v.2). Some say that a bus is a metaphor for our own internal conflicts and experiences like our emotions, thoughts and memories that are "passengers" in our bus (= mind), but SKZ is not the one driving their bus, hence they're not in control of themselves. SKZ v. 1 is outside, being left behind while SKZ v.2 are just passive passengers, sleeping soundly and unaware of what’s happening on the outside.

We see them on the road with a storm behind them, symbolizing that a huge disturbance will happen. Frost also has a poem that can be related to this, it's entitled "Storm Fear" and it shows how the human mindset can be changed by the environment the person is in. We see this in Felix's part in Side Effects: I won't change, always yeh / I used to shout that, but why am I / According to my surroundings / Countlessly being changed? As a verb, we see storm on the dictionary as "moving angrily or forcefully in a specified direction", and that's how they run afterwards (although I don't get why Minho has his back turned - maybe denial? I don't know)

And here we can clearly see that there’s a distortion of their reality (and a fragmentation when 부작용 shows up on the screen).

Soooo.... what does all of this mean?

In my opinion, they're being affected by their choices. In Miroh we see them saying It's not hard in this rough jungle/ It was me who ran into it, I'm okay/, but in Side Effects we have I threw myself with trust in me/ But why am I being swayed?/ But why am I just being hurt?/, meaning that probably the path they chose was harder than they thought and they can't live up to their own expectations, wondering if they can actually do everything they screamed they could (we see this in Felix & Hyunjin's lines in Side Effect). In Miroh, Jisung says that they're running through the maze like a beast and avoiding all the familiar paths because it's a new challenge, but this challenge now is weighing them down and their bravado (atittude intended to intimidate) can't last anymore now that they're more experienced and going through hard times.

The way I see it, they're now in some sort of a limbo, an in between place (a maze, Miroh), constantly facing multiple paths that may lead them to the exit (they had an Entrance song in Clé 1), but they're on their own, trying to figure everything by themselves, and they're still lost and confused because they're chosing unfamiliar paths. They're changing, although they're trying to fight against it and remain the same as they were before, but it's impossible not be affected by the surroundings (they're being watched and controled).

But in my interpretation, they're gonna figure out that taking the harder and uncommon path is gonna be worth it, and I say this because of Frost's "The Road Not Taken". The poem ends with the narrator saying that: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- (the man facing his own internal issues) I took the one less traveled by, (he's breaking patterns for not walking the same road everyone else walked on) And that has made all the difference (by 'rebelling' against the system, doing what few people has ever done, he's securing his individuality and free will).

And that's how Stray Kids are gonna break free and be in control of themselves again.

If this long dumbass theory is right or not, Clé 2: Yellow Wood to me seems like SKZ is trying to show they're more mature and independent, even though they have to face hardships and confusion in a path they wanna take without help to show us their true colors (and that one of them is probably a huge Robert Frost fan lolololol)

Now a couple of things I don't quite get in this MV: why is Hyunjin the one that's more aware of everything? why was he on the grass on the last scene? was he dreaming? foreseeing their future? what?! and why SKZ is looking at him in a weird way? (especially Jeongin, who hugged him in the cart and smiled too much.. Jeongin was the one on the control room in Miroh, maybe he's working on both sides?). And the key at the end is another path they might walk? another road to "unlock"??? are they unlocking worlds?????

I NEED ANSWERS STRAY KIDS!

#stray kids #skz #yellow wood #skz comeback #stray kids clé 2 #stray kids theories #stray kids everywhere all around the world #help me chan i need answers now #this is me tripping #i should have been studying lol #side effects #stray kids reactions

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olicitysecretsanta · 5 years

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Worth Fighting For

This fluffy semi-canon fic is for you Liz @trippin-over-my-fandoms by @tangled23works!

It’s been a pleasure to write this story even though I’m sure it’s not exactly what you had in mind. I promise, however, there is a method to my madness. Hope you’ll enjoy it! Merry Christmas!

Summary : Oliver has a devious plan in order to charm his wife after a stupid fight. Meanwhile, Felicity may have been blind to the obvious.

Rating : Teen and Up Audiences

Word count : 2217

***

The fight had started innocently enough. Oliver had made a rather self-deprecating comment which Felicity now couldn’t even remember and she had exploded like a bomb. A year’s worth of repressed emotions and negative thoughts had violently burst out of her like a swollen river. She had blamed him for things that he had honestly thought they had put behind them with all the drama that happened last year. She had accused him of having one foot out the door, always thinking of ways to leave her like her father. That comparison had hurt him more than anything else. In other words, she had had a major freakout. In her loud voice.

To top it all off, she had banished her poor husband out of the room. Oliver for his part had accepted her decision, looking stoic as always. His eyes, however, his beautiful, blue eyes that never failed to pull her in had given away his inner turmoil. In a calm and collected manner, he had obeyed her wishes and slept on the couch.

The morning after, Felicity had woken up on the verge of tears. The huge Christmas tree in the empty living room seemed to mock her. William was still in Cambridge and she missed him terribly.

Feeling desolate and alone, she had made a cup of coffee and had been considering the best way to apologize to Oliver when her phone beeped. Sighing, she unlocked the screen thinking that it would probably be her husband checking on her when she noticed that he had sent her not a message but an email with an attached photo. Intrigued, she downloaded the attachment while shaking her head at the fact that Oliver was incapable of using imessage or messenger or any other app more advanced that good ol’ regular gmail.

At first she couldn’t make sense of what she was seeing. Did Oliver send her spam?

The moment she turned the device sideways, however, she figured it out. The sneaky vigilante knew that she had a thing for his arms so he had sent her a picture of him flexing his biceps. She couldn’t see his face but she figured out that he was training at the Foundry 2.0, shirtless. It took a few minutes of daydreaming about her husband’s arms around her, caging her in, protecting her before she realized what the photo meant. Oliver was fighting for her, for them, in his own weird way.

Felicity sighed again - a much more satisfied sigh this time - and poured her awful coffee down the sink. The thing had tasted like dirt. Well, she had actually never eaten dirt on purpose but the coffee was dry and stale, hence the dirt analogy. She looked into the empty mug, worriedly. It was as if someone had drowned a cigarette in there. The thought upset her stomach so much that she made sure to stay out of the kitchen and as far away from coffee as possible for the rest of the morning.

At 2 pm, her phone beeped again. Felicity almost tripped in her haste to reach it. Feeling restless and on edge, she opened the attachment and moaned out loud. Her devious husband was shirtless and glistening with sweat on this one. Granted, all she could see was his glorious, scarred back and muscular shoulders but it was enough to make her flush all over. She bit her lip and felt the need to literally fan herself. If he was trying to woo her he was doing a damn good job of it. She ended up woolgathering for a ridiculous amount of time considering that she usually had the actual man in front of her and could stare to her heart’s content, before an unwelcome thought hit her. She furiously typed one simple question.

Who took this picture Oliver?

His reply came a few seconds later, though it felt like an eternity to her.

Dig. I promised that we would never EVER mention it to anyone.

Felicity giggled like a freaking schoolgirl at the thought of big, mean Spartan taking candid photos of the fearsome Green Arrow to help him win his wife over.

I also had to give him my precious Starling Rockets vs New York Yankees tickets.

Aww, you must really love me.

She added several heart emojis to the last message just to tease him. Oliver didn’t reply but she could picture him grumbling to Dig, complaining about her inability to share his love for the Rockets and baseball in general. Happy to miss the diatribe that would surely follow - her husband was surprisingly eloquent when it came to sports - Felicity focused on writing the algorithm for her new and improved security system. It had been a month since the last update and she had work to do.

She had created the system last year after the Lizard’s attack (she refused to call him the Dragon, it was a matter of principle) and she was proud of it. Apart from providing protection for her family, the system had made her famous among tech companies. Several of the biggest names in the tech world had hired her and decided to trust her technology in the months that followed. Including a certain Mr. Dennis, current CEO of PalmerTech, but Felicity had graciously declined that offer.

She was deeply engrossed in coding the next time the phone beeped. Felicity took a deep breath and refused to hurry, stretching instead to relieve the pressure from her sore back. Let Oliver worry for a few minutes. He wanted to break her resistance but she would not give in that easily. He had to work harder to change her mind. Although to be honest if he was naked in this one, she would definitely fold like a cheap deck of cards. But there was no way that her husband would risk sending a naked pic online. Not with all the Green Arrow media frenzy that followed his every move. Surely she had taught him better than that. Right? Right?

Okay, now she was officially freaking out.

Felicity grabbed the phone and considered it for a moment. This thing was a bigger threat to her sanity than evil doppelgangers from Earth X. It was more potent than any guilty pleasure she could ever dream of. More potent than molten lava chocolate cake, more compelling than Oliver’s authentic Italian tiramisu, more powerful than creamy raspberry cheesecake… Trying to focus, she stared at the damn device as if it was the enemy.

Felicity huffed in annoyance. She was being utterly ridiculous and it was all her husband’s fault. She proceeded to download the photo and reminded herself that she was made of stronger stuff. She would not cave no matter what.

“Oh my God!”

The good news was that Oliver was not naked. The bad news was that it was worse. Way worse. He was actually standing in front of the mirror, wearing his tuxedo (including the jacket and an unraveled bow tie) but he had left the shirt unbuttoned all the way down. The suspenders were hanging down making the whole outfit more sexy if that was possible. Adding insult to injury, he had taken a selfie. Not of his face. That would have been too kind. Of his gorgeous abs.

Felicity enlarged the photo, staring at it, slack-jawed. The sight of his out of this world eight-pack abs caused her toes to curl like they described in romance novels.

“That’s it. I’m gonna kill him this time.”

She heard the front door open before she could finish plotting her nefarious revenge schemes. She couldn’t hear a sound but she knew who it was. There was only one person in Star City who could be so stealthy, moving silently like a ninja.

Felicity turned towards him steeling her spine. As soon as she came face to face with the source of her frustration though she felt her resolution crumble. He looked good enough to eat. Pun intended.

“You’re still wearing your tux!” she accused in a high-pitched voice.

“I know.”

He took one tiny step forward.

“I’m still mad at you.”

“I know.”

Another step.

“Even if I’m not sure why.”

“I know.”

Another step.

“Oliver, I have no idea what’s going on with me. First, I get so mad that I want to throw stuff at you. Then, I get so horny I want to jump you as soon as you get home. And now, I feel…”

“What? Tell me, Felicity.”

He had almost reached her when he paused, waiting for her answer.

“I feel like crying. Which is unfair because I don’t know why I feel that way. And my coffee tastes like dirt and my back hurts and I’m miserable all the time,” she whined.

Felicity narrowed her eyes when she noticed her husband’s sly smile. “Why are you laughing?”

“I’m smiling,” he corrected, “because I know what’s wrong with you.”

“You do?” she asked, surprised.

He nodded and another softer smile adorned his stupidly handsome face.

“Care to elaborate?”

“I’m considering it.”

“Why?”

“Because the moment I tell you, you’re gonna freak out. Because I’m worried you’re not ready for this. Felicity, I’m afraid I’m gonna lose you.”

It was her who covered the remaining distance in the end.

“Oh, Oliver,” she whispered. “You’re not gonna lose me.”

He looked down, avoiding her gaze.

Felicity took his arms and placed them around her waist. She had to stand on her toes and lean her head back to meet his eyes but it was worth it.

“Hey, what’s wrong? I know I’m behaving like a hormone-crazed teenager at the moment but I swear that you’re not gonna lose me. No matter what.”

He shrugged and didn’t comment.

Felicity put her lips against his. Not kissing him, just that silly thing they sometimes did where they whispered their thoughts against each other’s lips.

“I’m glue, baby. Remember?”

His eyes lit up brighter than their Christmas tree at the reminder.

“Hi,” he whispered, tenderly.

Felicity caressed the back of his neck adoring the way his scruff felt against her face. They had been through so much and they would probably go through a lot more in the future. But it was okay as long as they had each other.

“Oliver?” she murmured.

He gave her a slow, wicked smile.

“Why are you wearing your tux? Is it because I got mad at you?”

“No.”

“Because it’s Christmas and you thought that I deserve a present?” she asked hopefully.

“You deserve all the presents. But no.”

“Then why? Are we celebrating anything today?”

She played with his hair while he mulled over his reply.

“Felicity,” he said at last, sounding gentle and unsure, “I think that you’re going to give me the best present of my life in a few months.”

Her eyes which had previously closed because of the safety of his warm embrace, flew open.

“No,” she denied.

Oliver stroked her back smoothly.

“Really?” she asked, unnerved.

“Yes.”

“How can you know?” To say that she was feeling overwhelmed by the idea would be an understatement.

“Trust me. I know.”

The look in his eyes… In that moment, Felicity would have done anything to keep him looking at her like this forever. Like she was the one constant in his life that would never change. Like she was his anchor. Like she had wrapped the world and offered it to him as a gift.

And that was the thought that broke through her panic. Because Oliver was her anchor as well. He had given her the world from the first moment he had walked in her cubicle and trusted her with his life as the Hood. She might have doubted many things during the past year but she had never, not once, doubted his love for her. And she knew unequivocally, deep in her bones that he would always cherish their child.

“I trust you,” she breathed.

To an outsider it might have seemed like she was replying to his earlier comment but Oliver understood. She was giving him back something she had kept locked since he had first lied to her about his son. She was giving him back a piece of her heart that she had desperately tried to keep safe.

They got lost in each other for a while, both misty-eyed but beaming.

“Do you think we’ll be good parents?” he said out of the blue. “I mean, William is already a teenager but with the life we lead, it might not always be possible for us to be there for this little one.”

“Then our child will grow up knowing that we did everything we could to protect him. He’ll know that his parents loved him even if we’re not there to show him.”

“Her,” he corrected.

Felicity tried to raise an eyebrow and failed.

“Her?”

“She’s a girl,” he announced in what Felicity called ‘his mayoral voice’. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

She shook her head in amusement. Girl or boy she had no doubt that her child would grow up loved.

“Best Christmas ever,” she declared, feeling happiness suffuse every molecule of her being.

And as Felicity rested her head on her husband’s chest, she realized that they were slow dancing without music.

#arrow #olicity #olicity fic #olicity fanfic #olicity secret santa 2018 #submission

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listtree80 · 2 years

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The #1 Best Minecraft Mods Mistake, Plus 7 Extra Classes

If you’re led to a fee gateway or the mod sounds too good to be true, comparable to unlimited diamonds, then it’s safe to assume that the mentioned mod is unsafe. Getting individuals who need to promote their videos in your servers might be a very good deal, but the only catch right here is that you just get paid only once you attain $100. Minecraft on XBLA does promise updates, but with Xbox's observe file there, I'm not holding my breath (except I get caught underwater again). The best Minecraft Mods can change the way you work together with the environment, alter your gameplay, and even add new worlds for exploration. Edit: To see in case you are impacted, you can use our automatic scanning tool. Nevertheless, hacked variations of the sport wich exploit and distribute the source code are beyond the limit. It does not appear as if the creature really exists anyplace in recreation but, but the files are all there, waiting to be hacked in if you've got some sort of loss of life want (as seen in the demonstration video above by Sethbling). Ubisoft is ready to present away free games to early Assassin's Creed Unity season pass consumers, with choices together with Far Cry 4, The Crew, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Watch Canine, Rayman Legends and Simply Dance 2015. The giveaway is in response to Unity's buggy state at launch, however before you pick your most popular freebie, mind Recreation Informer's warning that accepting a recreation revokes your ability to join any future class action lawsuit.

Are all Minecraft mods free? Minecraft Mods have been round so long as mankind, or at the least as long as the game released over a decade ago. Each approaches have advantage, and I think what the group is cooking up for Conan is extra suited for the slightly more stat-based level progression we've in Conan, as opposed to the flatter system in TSW. For many of us, the sport ends where the endgame begins, and the one distinction is that there are other players within the background along the way to the level cap. As I put that degree collectively, I used to be immediately thrown back to all the hours I spent playing Super Mario World on the SNES. Biomes O’Plenty is the mod to get when you’ve spent a dozen or so hours in Minecraft. As quickly you make investments a few hours and collect some materials in Minecraft, you’ll run into an enormous problem- Inventory Administration! The instruments made with Tinker’s Assemble are upgradeable, customizable and modular, so chances are you'll start out with a easy pic axe but turn it into something utterly different after a few tweaks.

Begin up Minecraft. Try your new look. Want a netherrack ladder constructed out of wood, or perhaps explosion-proof obsidian stairs with a matching colour scheme? There are a number of things that you want to do. The issues that appear very easy for us are actually the issues which are really difficult for an artificial intelligence,' said Robert Schapire, a principal researcher at Microsoft Analysis. The blocks created with Bibliocraft aren't only aesthetically pleasing but also include their very own distinctive functionality. Bibliocraft is one other beauty mod that adds a bunch of new blocks. Crossy Road Castle joined Apple Arcade in February 2020, which provides a platforming ingredient to the gameplay. Are you jealous of your favourite Minecraft YouTubers 7 storey castle while you’re struggling to make a 4×4 shelter earlier than nightfall? There’s an enormous number of buildings from manor houses to castle and even full-fledged cities. Journey Man can be utilized as an in-sport mini-map, a full-display map, and even on an exterior internet browser. OptiFine massively improves the visuals of the sport, a highly beneficial mod if your Pc can support it. In any other case, you'll have to pay for the game, which in accordance with the PlayStation Retailer, is $20.

You might not need to let children have unfettered access, in other words. This app is one other instance of teaching your youngsters without them understanding they're being taught. What your youngsters will study: Capitals of international locations, the places of historic occasions and other geographical details. Every link we’ll be dropping here can have detailed instructions on easy methods to get the mods running with your copy of Minecraft. As such, it’s simple to get misplaced and track your method. Basically, you’ll get diminishing returns from each successive unit of the same food. Usually, you’ll have to climb down and scale the opposite peak. The mod additionally lets you lookup recipes from any installed mods, thus eliminating the necessity to have a Minecraft Wikia web page opened in an alternate window. 2. This amazing addition to Minecraft brings hundreds of recent adventures. The Spice of Life is exactly that on this planet of Minecraft. Zac, now 11, is in mainstream school but life is removed from straightforward. Titanlauncher All the pieces might be additional modified with textures. By internet hosting your video games on devoted servers, you may steer clear of the inconsistent efficiency. The distinction between Shared, Cloud, and WordPress hosting lies within the preconfigured settings we’ve put in place.

#Mc titan launcher #Titan Launcher And Minecraft Servers

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brexodus · 5 years

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This ride was perhaps one of my most risky. I aimed to do 56 miles in one day, but ended up. Having it run over to two days. So, after my usual long morning, trying desperately to get my devices charged, eating as big a breakfast as I could handle (this time cheap paté, cheese and gerkin sandwiches), I rolled out of camp and onto the baking asphalt.

I rolled along the road, this time relishing the heat, before taking a left at the village of Gradina onto the D33, which took me away from the plateau into the hills.

It was here I was hallooed by some guys drinking in the shade outside an isolated convenience store. It was around 11am. I was hot and thirsty and so pulled around and shared a beer (or three) with them.

Taking my leave I continued, the road was joined by some rail tracks, and began to climb and wind it's way over a set of hills after an unnamed hamlet by Žitnić. I paused to bleed the lizard at the summit and the views behind me were incredible. Took some pictures. The scrubland behind me seemed to stretch to infinity. The wrinkles of river valleys were obscured by the flat plateau, Skradin being quite hidden.

Over the hill I glided down with the Cikola river to my left into the historic town of Drniš. I really wanted to hit up a cash machine, use Internet and get a soft drink, but daren't deviate from my route. I had still another 50 miles to do and it was past midday. So I paused, had some water and some sweet cakes my friends in Ražanac had given me. More on Drniš later (with pics). The final descent to the town was a fun zig-zag which I could see was tight and tricky for passing coaches!

At the bridge over the river Cikola, the northbound D33 became again the eastbound D56 and I flew along a long straight flat and quiet road in a lush green valley. It made a welcome change to the scrubland on the other side of the hills to my right. The Cikola Valley really reminded me of the verdant country between Gouda and Utrecht, with so many little hamlets and farm-complexes that you can't tell where one ends and another begins. A kind of rural sprawl. But this Croatian one was bounded by hills, and lacked the ditch and canal system of the Dutch.

A small ascent before Ružić, and then a gentle but prolonged climb along the remainder of the valley as it became more like the routes around Postojna and Logatec Slovenia as the road climbed to a terracing above the valley floor and the hills rose on both sides. I began to tire and take more frequent rests. I was still not even half way to Split!

After Ramiljane (Ram-eel-ya-nay), the road became fully alpine, winding up through cool pine forests. Eventually by Gornji Postinje it levelled out and I was riding along the floor of a high valley among tiny dairy pastures, plum orchards and corn patches. The frequent quaint buildings on my right (on my left the forest extended down to the road) were all substantial farm houses, some with small above-ground pools and/or vines growing on trellises out front, and some in better repair than others. However, I was struck by the idyllic nature of the valley, it looked like a wonderful place to raise crops and children.

Upon sighting first a school, and then a library, firestation and municipal building, I realised I was in a real settlement. I soon saw a mini-market and decided I would call it quits here, in Donji Muć, and started asking around for somewhere to stay (hoping I'd have a similar experience to Dolenja Vas in Slovenia). It was around 7:30, and the sun was beginning to set. I had still another 30 miles, over the hills, to go to Split.

Nobody in Donji Muć spoke any English, there was nowhere to stay, no public wi-fi and only one bar. It was a real place for real people and no tourists. They all responded to my questions about accommodation with 'Idete u Split' [go to Split]. Given the time and distance, and my legs being dead, this was clearly not possible. Eventually I was able to communicate an intention to camp in a nice little wood a little way back by the road and they all said 'yeah fine', and one nice young lad even came cycling along with me and helped me set up camp.

Having done this I went along to the bar to charge my devices for the next day. Having no Internet access, I left my maps and strava running so as not to lose the route. On the way I met my only English speaker, the on duty fireman who suggested I not camp in the woods because of snakes and bears. When I explained my spot, he said 'oh yeah, ok, the bears don't usually come down that far. Just watch for snakes!'

At the bar my plan was to nurse a beer for as long as my devices needed in order to charge. However I was feted by all the patrons and even through the language barrier they all seemed much amused that I would cycle through their village and camp out in the woods. They all wanted to buy me a beer and so I had quite a few.

That night in the tent was quite comfortable, until I was woken around two by a crashing sound from further into the forest. Something big had moved. I was up in a flash with torch in one hand and knife in the other, hoping I wouldn't have to scare off a bear. I had my food in the tent, and thought that that might be proving to be a tempting scent for roaming bears. I stood there for a long time, swinging the beam of light around, trying to catch an eye glow and so determine what I was dealing with. There were periodic sounds from far into the forest, of branches snapping and trunks bending. But I couldn't see anything, let alone the source.

After a silence of at least 30 minutes, I returned to bed, only to think I heard more movement. I was so tired this time I just taped my knife into my hand and passed out, albeit nervously.

The next day I found my devices had again depleted and so, after striking camp, I returned to the bar and stalled there while they charged, seeing also that the weather was about to change to rain (which was quite refreshing). Around one pm I was able to get back on the road, and took a right after the village, following the D56 up into another village (unnamed, but possibly denoted as Gornji Muć). There I found a sports bar (Caffe Bar Magla) wherein I could charge my phone and access the Internet. Also some rain had come on. So I bought a beer and began to review my route and decide on accommodation in a Split. Before long, the regulars were buying me more beers and I had to call quits at three! The rain dying down and my tasks accomplished, I thanked my new friends, mounted up started pedalling. It was odd on the road, rather reminiscent of between Dorno and Pavia after the rain, with large warm puddles and vapour thickening the air. The road was not too steep, but did undulate a little, giving me a wee boost now and again. I crossed over the motorway on a handy bridge and saw the ridge of hills before more, rather more substantial than those I'd seen before Drniš.

It was, however, at this point I heard a cry of 'Stoj! Stoj na pivo prietelj!' [stop! stop for beer my friend!] and a guy basically launched himself infront of my bike. This was on a main road, and he'd already had to dodge across the other lane of traffic to reach me. Again, it was some blokes drinking at a forlorn petrol station in the middle of the day. Of course, with the madness of this dude I couldn't refuse.

So we had some beers, a little wine, and then they made a huge spliff and the chat got a little serious. I accepted the advice of one guy to head off before things got more serious. I'll cover this more in another post (with pictures!).

So back on the road, pretty drunk and stoned, I heaved my bike up the twisty hill, before an epic descent into Split via Ulica Kneza Trpimira.

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diyunho · 7 years

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The Joker x Reader - “25 Signs The Joker is Into You”

1. The Joker burns down your house because he wants you to stay at the penthouse all the time.

“Baby, did you do this?!” you ask since he’s the prime suspect in your books.

“Nope,” the short answer doesn’t give him extra points.

“Are you sure???”

“Innocent until proven guilty, Doll.”

2. J tells you he hates you all the time.

“What did I do?!” you pout, upset.

“Nothing, I just hate you.”

You frown and he kisses you, irritated:

“Tough it out, Princess! Life is cruel.”

3. He tolerates your cat.

The fluffy thing can’t stand him. The feeling is mutual.

Every time kitty sees J, she hisses.

“Likewise!” he growls. But at night she cuddles by his side, purring and he purrs too. It’s a contest and J wins on a regular basis. He’s so proud of himself.

4. He indirectly compliments you when you are insecure.

“My thighs are as big as tree trunks!” you complain, analyzing yourself the mirror.

“Who gave you that idea? Did somebody say something to you?” your boyfriend gets pissed, thinking he’s gonna kill the asshole that insulted his Queen.

“No…Yuck, all the cellulite,” you pinch your skin, horrified.

“Where?”

“Can’t you see?”

“Who the hell cares, woman?! You look fine. Stop your drama, I’m not in the mood!”

“I’m so fat!” you sigh, ignoring him.

“Yes, you are FAT: Fiesty, Annoying and Terrible!”

You finally smile and The Joker sniffles, not wanting to admit he loves it when he’s the source of your happiness.

5. He lets you mess up his perfectly styled hair, aware it calms you down when you’re stressed out. Usually, J is the main source of that stress so…his way of making it up to you.

6. He engages in foreplay (which he normally never has patience for) knowing how much you enjoy it.

7. The Joker likes to expose himself to you as often as possible.

Takes his clothes off really fast, waiting for you to pass by when you walk in the backyard. Opens the glass sliding door too, just in case.

“Oh my God!” J hears you squeal.

“That’s right, Pumpkin, feast your eyes!” he nonchalantly stretches, flexing his muscles in the process.

“Oh my God!” another enthusiastic squeal. He arrogantly smirks, pleased with his achievement.

8. J rubs your feet when they hurt after wearing high heels all day.

9. He blows up the new house you bought since there’s no way he wants you to stay away from the penthouse.

“Baby, did you do this?!” you have to inquire again, frustrated.

“Nope.”

“Are you 100% sure?!”

“Innocent until proven guilty, Princess.”

10. The Joker can’t sleep without you, that’s why you always have to get back by nightfall. If you don’t, the next day is his turn to keep you up all night… with sex. Gotta pay for those dark circles under his eyes.

11. When you’re sick, he kidnaps the best doctors and brings them over to make sure you’re not dying or something.

12. He makes your favorite tea, even if he thinks it’s too much work to boil the water.

13. He actually takes into consideration what you like in bed and doesn’t give up until you scream his name like crazy.

14. J turns one of the smaller bedrooms at the penthouse into your own ”girl room.”

Anything you might need is always there: tampons, make-up, perfume, favorite chocolate, body lotions, bubble bath, shower gels, pink champagne, condoms (although unused, but he thinks they look cool).

15. The Joker cancels meetings when you send him naughty pics.

“Daddy, are you gonna make it home in time or should I start without you?”

16. He pulls you in his lap when you pass by and just stares in your eyes without saying a word.

“Umm, you don’t like my outfit?” you try to guess, nervous.

No answer.

You become more anxious.

“You should have told me, I’ll go change.”

J keeps on staring.

“OK, I’ll be back shortly.”

You try to get up and he stops you.

“You’re pretty,” he sighs, softly kissing your lips.

17. He counts the freckles on your shoulders when you sleep, hoping you’ll get more because he finds them cute.

18. Your boyfriend lets you give him hickeys. It’s implied you’ll pay for it later but he likes it when you go crazy on him.

19. The Joker floods the apartment you purchased yesterday.

Apparently, you won’t be able to live anywhere else but the penthouse.

“Baby, did you do this?!”

“Nope.”

“Are you lying to me?!”

“Innocent until proven guilty, Pumpkin.”

20. When you take naps, he kisses the tip of your nose and watches you smile in your sleep. He finds it adorable.

21. J makes sure you can’t walk straight for 2 or 3 days if you tease him while he has important business to attend to. But he also makes sure you get to relax with him in the Jacuzzi.

22. He buys you a new cat after yours dies.

J hates cats but you like them so…perfect present.

The new kitty adores The King of Gotham, always purrs in his lap. At night, he purrs when you caress his hair and the cat purrs because J pets it. It’s puurrrfect.

23. He texts you love poems (thanks to Google, appreciated nevertheless)

“Roses are red

Foxes are clever

I like your butt

Let me touch it forever.”

24. The Joker reads to you when you have bad cramps, aware that’s the only way you will dose off.

His favorite is “Database Issues in Geographic Information Systems”. Boring as hell, puts you out in less than 5 minutes, this way J doesn’t have to deal with your crankiness. Affection Joker style, but it still counts.

25. He doesn’t kill you when you tell him you’re pregnant

He’s not big on kids, not thrilled when hearing the news.

“Did you get pregnant on purpose, Princess?!” J interrogates.

“Nope.”

“Are you sure?!” your short reply makes him doubt.

“Innocent until proven guilty, baby.”