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shemakesmusic-uk · 3 years

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Simpson is a Richmond-based singer and rapper who you may also know as Babe Simpson, one-fourth of the Tumblr-born rap collective Barf Troop. They dazed the internet back in the early 2010s with their uncensored, forward-thinking rhymes and aesthetics, and even got the attention of Drake. Though the collective has gone silent in recent years, Simpson has since cultivated her own steady following around her soft, and ruminative tunes. Her latest is 'Cherry Ice Cream Sundae,' a song about "treating ourselves with as much tenderness as we treat everyone else," she says, and is backed by a lush landscape of jazzy guitars and drums — a sound that could be considered a close sibling to the rap lullabies of Noname. Simpson's now sharing the song's peculiar video, which features a charming but eerie cast of marionette puppets. Over email, Simpson explains that she wrote the song after experiencing "a feeling that I’ve always been trying to put into words but I don’t think I was mature enough to be able to sing. I reached my breaking point where I was like, f*ck it, whatever happens, happens, and I’m gonna look on the bright side everywhere I can. I’m going to 'smile because I can.' I actually changed the original opening lyrics from 'The world is in the shitter' to 'Life is kind to who’s kind to it back.' The world has always been in the shitter, but that hasn’t made it any less special or sweet. I think that’s made me much more of a realist. I recorded it tipsy, upside down, hanging off my bed as a freestyle, and it felt so natural saying and listening to it back made me feel so proud." [via NYLON]

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Earlier this week, Lana Del Rey revealed the artwork and tracklist for her new album Chemtrails Over The Country Club. Back in October, Del Rey shared the album’s lead single 'Let Me Love You Like A Woman.' It was the first song she shared from the album after postponing its planned September release. Now, she’s sharing the album’s second single and title track. She’s also announced that Chemtrails Over The Country Club will be out March 19. In a lengthy interview with BBC Radio 1 — during which she talked about the Trump insurrection and her album cover controversy — she mentioned that Jack Antonoff produced much of the album, minus 'Yosemite,' which was produced with Rick Nowels. Watch a music video for the album’s title track, directed by BRTHR, above. In a different kind of statement, prior to the release of the 'Chemtrails Over The Country Club' music video, Del Rey explained why she is wearing a cast in it: "When you see my second video for this album, don’t think that the fact I’m wearing a cast is symbolic for anything other than thinking I was still a pro figure skater. I wiped out on my beautiful skates before the video even began after a long day of figure eights and jumps in the twilight of the dezert. Anyways my fracture isn’t that bad kind of goes with my new bucket hat. Thanks to my beautiful family for my gifts." [via Stereogum]

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Joining forces for the new uplifting track, G Flip and mxmtoon are sharing new empowerment anthem ‘Queen’, produced by Rostam Batmanglij. "'Queen' was written about the strong women around me, the queens that raised me and the queens I’ve met through my years,” G Flip explains. “My idea of a queen is not necessarily linked to gender; queens come in all forms and walks of life. To me a queen embodies power and strength; they embrace all they are fiercely yet gracefully. The song was written one sunny day in LA, I was chillin on Rostam’s lovely white couch and he turned around to me and said ‘how about we write a song about Queens’ and I replied with ‘F@!K yeah!’. I’m also super stoked to have mxmtoon on the track with me, she is an absolute queen. I first was introduced to her when I was trying to find ukulele chords to a Khalid song and found her cover on YouTube years ago. She makes awesome music and her voice has such a cruisy timbre to it so I was thrilled to have her jump on 'Queen' with me. She is also an avid croc lover and part of the LGBTQIA+ community, so obviously it just made sense!” mxmtoon adds, “So happy to be a part of ‘Queen’ with G! she and Rostam were such a joy to work with and so so much fun to collaborate with on creative as well. I’m so glad that it’s still possible to make art and music with someone even when they’re on the other side of the world, and I’m lucky that I got the opportunity to feature on G’s song. ‘Queen’ is a power anthem for any person, and I’m so excited for people to love it as much as we do!” [via DIY]

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With her hotly-anticipated new album Magic Mirror out now, Pearl Charles gave us our latest teaser of what to expect earlier this week, sharing new glitzy bop ‘Only For Tonight’. “‘Only for Tonight’ tells the story of a currently bygone era of wild nights out on the town - the highs and lows of one night stands and the crashes of the morning after,” she explains. “The music video, directed by Bobbi Rich, leans into those excesses, paying a sparkly homage to the late-night musical television shows of the 70’s, from Soul Train to The Midnight Special, as well as the gauzy, Vaseline’d lens of ABBA’s music videos. With an added sprinkling of VHS special effects, you’re likely to feel like you’re watching a home-taped recording of a lost episode of Top of the Pops.” [via DIY]

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Alt-pop trailblazer dodie has shared her new single 'Hate Myself' in full. Everything the songwriter touches seems to turn into melodic gold, with her debut album Build A Problem landing this Spring. Out on March 5, it's led by new single 'Hate Myself', which made its bow as Annie Mac's Hottest Record In The World. It's an apt title, with this instantly-viral moment offering an "inner monologue" that touches on some of dodie's inner-most feelings. The song depicts "someone who seems to find themselves in relationships of any kind with people who deal with their feelings internally - unfortunately resulting in assuming the issue is with them." dodie co-directed the video alongside Sammy Paul, shooting at the Cornish seaside village Polperro. The pair "excitedly landed on the silly idea of the training leading up to becoming a post-lady, and thoroughly enjoyed planning the many bizarre exercises she would have to perfect. Our excellent Art Director, Louis Grant, worked on bringing her home and training station to life. Though jogging on cliff tops in the rain, carrying a large sack and slipping in the mud was certainly cold and exhausting, I think I preferred it to slowly feeling sicker, licking stamps on a swaying boat by the Excel." [via Clash]

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Berlin-based indie five-piece People Club are back with new single and video 'Francine', following on from their last release 'Lay Down Your Weapons', which focused on police brutality. The new single 'Francine' tackles the topics of addiction and lovelessness. In the words of the band: "The song speaks from the voice of a lamenting partner whose lover (Francine) is helplessly addicted to drugs. Francine lost interest in her relationship with the narrator a long time ago. It's a song about commitment and how love can fade away leaving only wickedness behind." Regarding the visuals, the band said "The 'Francine' video is a play on the old idiom of 'being your own worst enemy'. A phrase which quite beautifully captures the inner critic which we know so well, especially during the course of the pandemic - we've had to learn to each give ourselves a break. The video was shot in the depth of the harsh Berlin winter, in the depth of the pandemic." Director Felix Spitta added "I love the band and I love the different personalities. It is always heaps of fun working on creative output together. Riding through Berlin only with bikes and all the film equipment in the freezing cold almost felt like a masochistic idea from Saxon. It's inspiring to be surrounded by so many creative minds.”

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Pale Waves are back with 'Easy', the third single to be shared from their highly-anticipated second album Who Am I?. Lead vocalist Heather Baron-Gracie describes the new track as "a song about how love can change your whole entire perspective on life itself. It’s saying ‘being in love with you is so easy, you finally make sense in my life because nothing did before'." The new single is accompanied by a James Slater-directed video that shows Baron-Gracie performing at a Tim Burton/medieval-style wedding in an abandoned church. Baron-Gracie adds, "I wore a wedding dress throughout and we shot the video in an old abandoned church. I’m really inspired by the gothic medieval aesthetic and at the time I was thinking of the video I was watching a lot of Tim Burton films whose creativity really inspires me." Pale Waves' second album will follow their 2018 debut LP My Mind Makes Noises. Baron-Gracie says of their upcoming album, "For me, music and art is for people not to feel so alone and isolated. I want to be that person my fans look up to and find comfort in." [via the Line Of Best Fit]

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The official video for Zoe Wees’ new single, 'Girls Like Us,' is online now. Like the song, the clip sends a message of togetherness and solidarity to girls around the world who are feeling the pressures of society. Zoe Wees says, “It’s not always good to think about how you look to the rest of the world. It’s much more important to think about how you feel inside. It is not easy to call yourself beautiful but being confident helps you to accept and love yourself.” The 18-year-old Hamburg, Germany-based artist adds, “We’re walking through a world with blinded eyes. At the end of the day, we all go to bed without make-up with the ugliest clothes and wake up with the messiest hair on earth.”

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Julien Baker has shared a new taste of her forthcoming album Little Oblivions by way of a new single ‘Hardline’. Julien says, “A few years ago I started collecting travel ephemera again with a loose idea of making a piece of art with it. I had been touring pretty consistently since 2015 and had been traveling so much that items like plane tickets and hotel keycards didn't have much novelty anymore. So I saved all my travel stuff and made a little collage of a house and a van out of it. I wanted to incorporate it into the record and when we were brainstorming ideas for videos we came across Joe Baughman and really liked his work so we reached out with the idea of making a stop-motion video that had similar aesthetic qualities as the house I built did. I don't know why I have the impulse to write songs or make tiny sculptures out of plane tickets. But here it is anyway: a bunch of things I've collected and carried with me that I've re-organized into a new shape.” The video for ‘Hardline’ was directed by Joe Baughman, who notes: “Man, even after having spent 600 hours immersed in ‘Hardline’ and having listened to it thousands of times, I am still moved by it. It was a fun and ambitious challenge creating something that could accompany such a compelling song. The style of the set design, inspired by a sculpture that Julien created, was especially fun to work in. I loved sifting through magazines, maps, and newspapers from the 60s and 70s and finding the right colors, shapes, and quotes to cover almost every surface in the video.”

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Teenage Joans are staying true to their world and unveiling 'Something About Being Sixteen', a new single that's sure to cement their 2021 as victorious. It's the perfect successor to 'Three Leaf Clover' and a track that makes it two-for-two for Teenage Joans, further capturing the excitement and energy within Cahli and Tahlia as they trade catchy riffs and thriving choruses with the combo of light-heartedness and intimateness that seems to define Teenage Joans' work, and how they're able to look in at themselves (and out at the world around them) through a lens that keeps it fun and digestable. "'Something About Being Sixteen' is undoubtedly Teenage Joans' great take on the classic coming of age rock tune, generally closing our live sets with audiences singing along every time without fail," the duo say on the single. [via Pilerats]

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Kate Hollowell took a risk going by the moniker Number One Popstar when she released her debut single 'Psycho.' However, Hollowell didn’t mind if that choice set her up for failure or not. She goes with the flow. Luckily, that mentality has advanced her even farther. Now, Number One Popstar releases her second single, 'I Hate Running.' New Year’s resolutions are, most of the times, created for the wrong reasons. It’s also no surprise that majority of people’s goals center around exercising and weight loss. 'I Hate Running', however, challenges that mindset, satirizing the toxic nature of exercise industry and diet culture. Hollowell said herself, “The song explores facing the hard, emotional work instead of the physical. I really don’t enjoy running, and I wanted to troll the exercise industry and write an anti-motivational song.” In terms of sound, 'I Hate Running' shares similar vibes to her first single with its classic 80s pop of saturated synths. But, this time, there’s a hint of disco with the zealous psychedelic guitar and electric drums and keys. The interludes consist of a symbolic, robotic, and almost sinister snippet from a workout instructor. It all complements well with Hollowell’s escapist lyrics. Even though the lyrics say otherwise, the track’s sound might just spark that motivation to workout or dance, doing mindful movement that makes us feel good. Exercise should never feel like a punishment, and Number One Popstar is here to remind us. She makes us want to stick it to the exercise industry, proving to it that we will only work out for the right reasons. [via Earmilk]

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Alt-pop riser Chloe Rodgers has shared her new video 'The Algea' in full. The Nottingham based talent sparkled in 2020 in spite of the pervasive gloom, releasing two startling singles. Her third release could be her best yet, with 'The Algea' hitting streaming services just before Christmas. The video captures those mid-winter chills, while providing a platform for Chloe to express herself. Constructed alongside creative director Kate Lomas, it was shot at Newstead Abbey in Nottingham. Chloe comments... "I wanted to use a music box in the video to represent being objectified and getting stuck in the same cycles, as that’s largely what the song is about. I wrote the song when I was 18, but didn’t add the verse at the end about claiming my power back until a couple of years later when I felt a bit stronger. We tried to reflect this in the video too with the Chloe in white sort of protecting the other Chloe of the past." Kate Lomas adds: "This was such a joy to watch come together, the video concept is based around the idea that Chloe is the character in a music box, she’s the performer that’s spinning round on an endless cycle for other people’s entertainment. The video tells the tale of Chloe definitely breaking this cycle and no longer playing this role." [via Clash]

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Jaguar Jonze has announced her ANTIHERO EP will be released on April 16 via Nettwerk Records. With the EP announcement, Deena shares the official music video for her latest single, 'ASTRONAUT,' the follow-up to two previously released videos for 'DEADALIVE' and 'MURDER'. Each of the five music videos for the forthcoming ANTIHERO EP will come together through bold-palette videos that transform into an antihero character “in a cyberpunk, anime, futuristic, graphic, almost sci-fi world,” says Deena. Deena adds, “as ‘ASTRONAUT’ delves into my anxiety, I wanted the film to reflect that in a simple way that helped portray how my anxiety can sometimes manifest - a contradiction between feeling lost in vast spaces and trapped in claustrophobic spaces. I had a specific idea in mind, which meant that I had to undergo stunt training with professionals and learn how to maneuver in a wire harness. Most of the video had to be shot in a single take because of the stunts' nature in safety preparation, time consumption, and impact on the body. I'm still recovering from the bruises, but it was all worth it, and the team was amazing in pulling it all together. I'm proud of this one as it is 3 minutes of my rawest vulnerability, visually interpreted. I'm also finally ready to share it.” 'ASTRONAUT' is the sound of Deena liberating herself from a lifelong battle with anxiety. “It is a human trait. It’s how we survive in the wild,” she says. “We’re all wired as humans to be quite anxious. As females more so, because we’re more susceptible to danger.”

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Rising star Mulay shares the smoking visuals for her new single, ‘Antracyte’. It’s the culminating release in a three-part video series from the Berlin-based alternative R&B singer-songwriter/producer/artist, ahead of her highly anticipated EP, which comes out at the end of the month via Groenland Records. Mulay explains about the single, “'ANTRACYTE' is the intro and title track to my debut EP. It’s the soundtrack to the birth of a villain and captures the moment of complete honesty to yourself about the awareness of doing wrong by the ones you love while feeling the inability to turn around. It’s about the desire to taste forbidden fruits, to cross and explore what lies beyond the line and the self-empowering feeling of playing by your own rules defeating the fear of consequences and the power of moral concepts. 'ANTRACYTE' tells a story of contradicting emotions, a story of love, lust, pain and a longing for more. It’s about facing your own darkness and sins, about self-revelation, emancipation and about paying its price, resigning to your fate.”

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Only a band like shallow pools could make a blast of 'ice water' sound refreshing and necessary in the dead of New England winter. But the Massachusetts indie-pop group is usually pushing against the current of what we’d normally expect, and now the quartet hits us with a dose of cold reality through their new single and video. 'ice water' is a vivid new single that confronts the mental health struggles brought on by quarantine and isolation, and even the shallow pools aesthetic has reflected this by shifting from bright glowing neons to a more subdued color palette of beiges and browns. Call it a sign of the times, and call 'ice water' the sound of now; upbeat and jovial on the surface, a comet of pop smarts and hooks, but with the darker shine that resides in our lives when we’re positioned away from the screens and digital scenes. As Glynnis Brennan sings “Every day’s the same and / There’s no breaking out / Like I’m stuck here / Going through the motions now” well, we feel that. shallow pools describe “ice water” as “a departure from the music we’ve made in the past, but it’s the perfect bridge between our old and new sound.” That is certainly the case, and 'ice water' continues to showcase the group as one of New England’s sharpest, following a string of 2020 singles that included pop standouts like 'Haunted' and 'Afterlight'. “We wrote the song with our friend and producer, Chris Curran, and learned a lot about the type of music we want to be making in the process,” the band adds. “The song is about the impact that the state of the world has had on our mental health, specifically in the last year. We’re excited to share it and hope that anyone who has had similar experiences will find some comfort in knowing that there are others who can relate.” [via Vanyaland]

#videos of the week #simpson #lana del rey #g flip #mxmtoon #pearl charles #dodie #people club #pale waves #zoe wees #julien baker #teenage joans #number one popstar #chloe rodgers #mulay #jaguar jonze #shallow pools

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thirteenthspirit · 4 years

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ESG Investing in the Pokémon World

As a financial advisor (aka professional bank pimp), it seems the concept of “Sustainable Investing” has really taken hold this past year, despite being around for quite a few years. I was pondering new investment ideas and recommendations (so they can sit patiently on my desk waiting for my boss’s approval) and noticed that most of them are ESG-focused. Of course.

As a Millennial (like that means anything), imagining that your investments might go towards helping someone or doing some good for the world is a key motivation. I don’t mind even sacrificing some additional returns, if that means my money is being put to good use. Unfortunately, I don’t really have a lot of like-minded people as Clients, so raw returns still dominate the investment sphere. But we’ll get there!

I want to explain a bit what it is we call ESG – Environmental, Social and (Corporate) Governance Investing. It is a very studied and elaborated research topic that has become so convoluted that virtually any company can be qualified as ESG-passable (sigh). A company with a high ESG score means it Excels in all or one of these three key areas. The ESGest of them all, try to integrate in their daily practices some of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which range from ending world hunger to reducing inequality, climate action, etc.

I’ve also been replaying Pokémon Platinum (ayyy you see where this is going don’t you?) – probably not, since you haven’t read my previous newsletters. But anyway.

Sinnoh could really benefit a lot from some ESG-focused investing, especially in the Environmental aspect of it. The first thing that popped into my mind was the Fuego Ironworks. No, it is not related to the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest runner-up’s song of choice, but rather a big warehouse-like facility harboring a huge furnace in the center of it all. If you manage to get past the arrow-one-direction-thingies leftover from the renovation of the Viridian Gym, you eventually reach this massive incinerator. Ok, so, fossil fuels are a big no-no in the battle for climate change. Hydrogen plants and renewable energies trump coal mines and similar facilities. So I would take that big chunk of investor money and shut down the Fuego Ironworks. I know what you’re thinking – WHERE ELSE AM I GONNA CATCH A POKÉMON WITH FLAME BODY THIS EARLY IN THE GAME so I can hatch that perf Togepi (because what else) – but fret not, those Magmar can relocate to Stark Mountain. But uh… maybe I’d try to throw a couple of Slugma near the Lost Tower or something, so you can still hatch them eggs early on. Need a motherboard-frying Magnemite? You can now catch them in Iron Island! Have fun.

But shutting down a massive energy-producing (assumption here assumption there la la la) facility like this is BOUND to have an effect on the residents, especially for the people who live in the nearby towns – I mean where else are Floaroma residents supposed to work? Smell the flowers in the floaroma medow (which is somehow located DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE IRONWORKS but ok)? Serve as night guides to wandering girls and their Chansey in Eterna Forest? Or sweat away in the Valley Windworks?

Huh? Windworks? Like an actual wind power farm? Grab ‘em Pachirisu and let’s go!

Seriously, the Valley Windworks would be exactly where my inflows would go. From any residual money gathered from the sale of the Ironworks, my investors could provide a massive overhaul of the windworks. We could bring specialists in from Hoenn’s Weather Institute and build a ton more Teletubbies (my boyfriend’s endearing nickname for those huge fan-thingies). Maybe we could even expand to hydraulics, what with that huge river flowing alongside the facility. Just imagine the drifloon! One for each doom-bearing child.

Ok great! We’ve managed to take action by remodeling the energy supply from the area, effectively diminishing its carbon emissions while preserving the citizens’ quality of life. For me that qualified as a big E investment! And maybe our work wouldn’t stop here, if you’ve got a few cents in your pocket imagine if we could harness the energy from Mt. Coronet! With cares not to disturb any dimensional beings or pseudo-gods. Just a thought.

Miss Moving On is a song by Fifth Harmony. Next we have the “Social” aspect of ESG investing. This would be the category where you would find the community-improving or demographic and populational aiding aspects. Infrastructures, accessibility, any and every thing that could better a population’s daily routine and ensure its sustainability for generations to come. So which issues plague Sinnoh residents? I can think of a few – weird people with bowl-shaped haircuts stealing Pokémon, people-swallowing marshes, freakin’ SELFDESTRUCTING ROCKS (née Geodude) and the occasional time/space distortions from the odd attempt at creating new universes.

Well let’s not go overboard with our intervention, we cannot hope to solve ALL problems plaguing our beloved residents. Let’s start with a simple issue. Little Timmy loves everything related to boats. Boats boats boats and sometimes ships – so he loves going to Sunyshore City, to see the Lighthouse. He goes whenever he can - he swears one time he even had a date with a girl who was visiting with her Ampharos! Legend has it for him it was love at first sight. But she had a ship to catch, bound for her hometown region. So they agreed to meet that very night, before she departed. She waited and waited, but Timmy never came. With tears in her eyes, the girl was last seen boarding the ship, never to return…

Dang it Timmy! Why did you do that?

Well… the thing is, Timmy tried. Timmy lives in Solaceon town and works for the local newspaper. So on that afternoon, after collecting his heart scales, he cheerfully got on his bike and began pedaling, heading to meet his lover. But there is no direct route from Solaceon to Sunyshore – Solaceon is pretty much isolated where it stands, one has to either go North trough Veilstone or face the marshes of the south through Pastoria, to finally traverse route 222 to the city.

Since a bike would sink pretty hard on the bog, Timmy rode North. He got drenched in rain before reaching Veilstone, though – forcing him to change clothes in the city before carrying on. Oh and he claims to have also had an encounter with a couple of Psyduck which seemed pretty checked out… I assume Misty rammed her bike into one. After leaving the city, he just had to face – I’m sorry, am I reading this correctly, inexistent participant – “hellhounds”. Um… ok… Timmy is a BIG Supernatural fan (Destiel FTW). But he finally made it to the Hotel Grand Lake – the last rest stop before reaching Sunyshore. His legs were already tired, and he was sweatin’ bullets, but his spirits were high as a Staravia!

“I’m sorry sir but Route 222 is closed until further notice, due to the occurrence of a blackout”.

Aaaand that was the end of Timmy’s love story. Don’t feel bad for him, I hear he went on to win a Pulitzer from his work on exposing the Ditto sex trafficking scheme.

Maybe if Timmy had been a little faster on his route, he could’ve avoided the blackout altogether, it is just such a long stretch of Sinnoh to traverse…

Like Timmy, many residents who work in East Sinnoh face this issue in their daily commute – the lack of viable connections. So where could we begin to tackle this subject?

Well I heard of a guy who has been trying to dig a tunnel from Route 2014, to Solaceon Town, all by himself! Must be tough, Excadrill weren’t even invented back then…

Maybe our kind investors could give him a hand with their funds! We could make the efforts go faster and more smoothly, maybe even establish some underground ferry mechanism to aid in the crossover. Create a separate entrance, so people wouldn’t have to disturb the Unown. The newly crafted pathway would sure come in handy for travelers, maybe even helping in dynamizing Solaceon or Celestic Town with tourists staying at the Hotel Grand Lake! Seems like a somewhat simple-enough project for us to tackle.

So we basically identified a necessity, designed a way to overcome said necessity and then implemented it – thus creating sustainable impact!

Fantastic! Stunning!

Speaking of stunning – hrm, our efforts might be a bit derailed if these “blackouts” continue. Maybe someone could go have a chat with Volkner, to stop experimenting with the power grid? Perhaps Flint could help, I hear they get along quite well… Does he even have a license to tinker with the mechanisms? What, imaginary voice? You don’t need one in Sinnoh? So you mean I can just connect my Raichu to a generator and power my entire 12-story building?

That seems… unlawful. Couldn’t we do something to change that? Well, we could write a strong-worded letter to the lawmakers of Sinnoh, urging them to pass legislation on these activities. Maybe even use our leftover funds to raise enough awareness on this issue, so we could enact this change in policy! Wow, that’s what I call putting the G in Governance.

Random segway aside, that is exactly what the last letter in ESG is meant to state – policy, rules, means of internal conduct and culture that an organization runs with. And apart from Volkner’s constant need to reinvent his contraptions, there is a topic on which we can praise Sinnoh – gender equality.

Now, we recognize that we don’t know the details, but let’s assume Gym Leaders are paid equally, as not to have poor shivering Candice earning 70 cents on the poke-dollar, compared to Byron’s wage. 4 female and 4 male gym leaders comprise Sinnoh’s gym challenge. 50/50, nice message to relay. Ok fine, if we only look at the number and don’t analyze much else, we can give Sinnoh a passing grade on this one… what about the Elite Four?

The Elite Four is also comprised of 2 male and 2 female members. Wow, nicely thought out. And Cynthia is given enough screen time to actually be a fleshed out character, even appearing in several generations. She is, after all, in my opinion, the toughest Champion the Player is required to face.

But other generations don’t really follow suit – the list of League Champions or Elite Four members is comprised mostly of men… In these regions perhaps some gender diversity or inclusion metrics could be put in place, starting with getting each of them to affirm their stance and compromise with ending gender inequality in the League Challenge!

For that, I guess we’ll have to take that same ship and sail away to another region, with the sure knowledge that (maybe) we managed to help Sinnoh inch a little closer to a sustainable future!

Your ESG-type Trainer,

-João A. (Pachiren)

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g0ldxplated · 5 years

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My MANIA (era) experience

Now that all my FOB related shows are over and none are coming up in the near future, I thought why not look back on what has probably been one of the best years I was lucky enough to experience, all thanks to my favorite band and the people I got to meet through them.

It all began with the three small shows they announced in Europe. I had already booked a vacation to Japan, just two weeks prior to them releasing the dates. I already knew that I had to make it to at least one of them and while Berlin was out of the question since I wasn’t going to go to Tokyo just for a couple of days, I decided I would cut my vacation short and book another 16 hour flight from Tokyo to London, so I would be able to see them at least in Brixton. Prior to that, me and three of my friends had come up with the idea to design a flag, specifically for this show.

Basically, what we did was to put the wave that had come around by the beginning of the MANIA era inside of the crown FOB logo. Needless to say the show (01/11/2018) was an absolute blast and by the end of it, we had our flag handed to Ranel in hopes he would give it to the boys. It was such a good time, seeing them after what had been more than a year and in a setting that was way more intimate than the venues they usually play in. After the show we thought that this would be the last we would ever see of our little project, but months later we would come to realize it would turn into one of the greatest memories ever.

Anyway, the day atfer the Brixton show (01/12/2018), the boys were playing a short acoustic set in Kingston, in a venue even smaller than Electric Brixton. They only played 5 songs (HMTOD, Sugar, Uma, Mmrs and Centuries) but I enjoyed every second and they seemed to be in such a great mood. Not to mention that it’s not every day we get to hear the acoustic version of those songs.

After these two special gigs, I already knew the MANIA era was off to a fantastic start for me and the adventures along the way would become some of my favorite memories. Shortly after, MANIA was released and the boys announced their Wrigley Field show, so me and a group of friends immediately decided to visit the US for the first time, as we couldn’t miss out on such a special show (it had been my dream to see them play in Chicago, their hometown for a long time). Additionally, we planned to attend 6 shows of their EU/UK tour and I spent months being excited for all that was to come. They went on to play in New Zeeland and Australia and what came next truly blew my mind. I saw footage from the first show that would kick off their tour over there and came across a very blury video of Stay Frosty. During that time they didn’t have the backdrop for it ready so the background image they used was a logo. But not just any logo, it seemed awfully familiar and I immediately thought of the flag we had made months prior. I couldn’t tell 100% if it was what we had designed, but I decided to take a chance and tweeted Pete about it to ask him whether it was inspired by the flag we had given to them in Brixton. What happened next was probably one of the best things that ever happpened to me.

Hours later, the FOB twitter account responded me, followed me and sent me a DM. Me and my friends were ecstatic and they promised to send a package to me that would include stuff for all of us. Little did I know how generous they would be. They even included a picture of the logo and one with Pete in it in their reply to me. And I wouldn’t be disappointed. A short while before I was going to leave for my upcoming FOB shows, a gigantic package was delivered, including a signed copy of MANIA, the vinyl and Llamania for all of us and additionally stickers, bath bombs, a guitar strap, a Folie poster and the bobble heads. I couldn’t thank them enough for making this an absolutely incredibly memory for me to share with my friends, especially because they would use the logo as a backdrop during Church, meaning so many people got to see what we inspired and I had a chance of witnessing it with my own eyes during the EU/UK tour. The feeling of seeing it in person was incredible. Next, the EU/UK tour came up and I saw them in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Düsseldorf. It was the best time I got to spend with friends, traveling to all these awesome cities and seeing our favorite band together.

It was bitter sweet when tour ended, but I knew I was going to see them again in Chicago and meanwhile decided to also see them at Leeds fest. I can’t thank my friends enough that always spent ridiculous amounts of time queueing with me, freezing with me, sitting through rain and cold wind, sharing stories and laughs together, only so we could rock out on barricade after. The whole experience was one I will always treasure. So up next was Leeds fest:

As always, the boys didn’t disappoint and Pete’s flame thrower bass made one of its first appearances. It was tough to last until FOB’s set, mostly due to how incredibly terrible some fans of certain artists behaved (I even cracked my rib from being crushed against the barricade as I found out once back home), but all the exhaustion was blown away the second they came on stage, opening with Disloyal Order, which had all of us emotional to say the least. Leeds happened around two weeks before our biggest FOB related adventure to date would begin and meanwhile I had started a small project months prior. I created a book filled with letters from fans all over the world, specifically about their very own MANIA experiences. I knew a lot of people wanted to be present for this big milestone the band was looking forward to, but couldn’t be, hence why I wanted to take a part of everyone with me to give to the boys. I had managed to snatch a Sunshine Riptide package for their Wrigley show, meaning I knew I was going to meet Pete and Andy at a m&g, so I thought I could hand the book to them in person.

This is us a couple of hours before getting on our flight to Chicago ♥

The Chicago trip turned into a little bit of a FOB tourist tour, meaning we went to the infamous Pick Me Up cafe and sat on the table they shot the cover of EOWYG on. The food was terribly delicious as well, so I can 100% recommend going there if you take a trip to Chicago.

All the days spent with so many amazing people in Chicago made the whole trip truly unforgettable. I’m so grateful for all of the friendships I’ve been able to make this past year.

I also got a tattoo done while there (not my first FOB tattoo but definitely one of the most meaningful):

What it means? Basically it’s inspired by Chicago Is So Two Years Ago, especially by the line “There’s a light on in Chicago and I know I should be home”. It just personally made a lot of sense to me to get a tattoo related to this song in this particular city. Inside the light bulb is part of the Chicago skyline and the coordinates are for Wrigley Field. Soon the big day came and I couldn’t contain my excitement, neither could my friends. I was stoked for the show, I was stoked to give them the book I had spent months on making. But mostly I was thrilled to finally, after 11 years of waiting, meet Pete and Andy. Especially Pete has been someone I’ve been looking up to for a long time, therefore I couldn’t believe it was going to happen on such a special day.

The m&g itself was rather short (sadly), though the boys were lovely and Andy said my KISS shirt was cool.

I can’t even express how much I enjoyed the show itself. It was emotional from beginning to end and I did shed some tears. I felt blessed hearing Chicago Is So Two Years Ago and Lake Effect Kid in this particular place. Despite having been to quite a few FOB shows, this one will always remain one of my favorites, without a doubt.

Amazingly enough, Wrigley Field wasn’t the end of our FOB adventures. Remember the book I was talking about? During the m&g I wasn’t allowed to bring it with me and therefore couldn’t hand it to the boys in person. Luckily a lovely staff lady took a hold of it for me. Once again, I thought I had seen the last of it. But I was curious whether they had eventually gotten it or not (also felt a certain responsibility towards everyone that had contributed), so I tweeted Pete. After the show when we got on our Lyft back home, my friend suddenly told me he had replied! Though he commented on my tweet and said the book was rad, rather than answering my question as to whether or not he had gotten it. Still, I was happy. A couple of days later I woke up to Pete having posted my book on his IG story! I couldn’t be more thankful, he’s truly a real one and made my heart super happy. So many people trusted me with their words and I decorated the book with my personal art, so it meant the world to me he cared enough to truly let me know he had gotten a hold of it.

The next day my friends and I had tickets for the MANIA experience. Yet another thing I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to say I saw in person. It felt like talking a walk through Pete’s head. We spent hours just hanging out, listening to the demos and songs they had available for people to listen to over headphones.

After the experience we decided to visit their old apartment, where everything pretty much began (the one where they also took the photo for their TTTYG album cover). This would be the last stop of our little FOB Chicago tour and probably the right place to visit last. I feel I kind of came full circle and couldn’t be grateful enough for everyone who made this trip truly special.

I pretty much thought that Chicago/Wrigley Field would be the last FOB related event I’d attend for this era/year, but then we figured out Andy was going on EU tour with his band SECT and immediately bought tickets. What can I say, no better way to let this era come to an end than meeting Andy at this show a week ago. We were the only FOB fans there so we got to talk to him for quite a while, which was refreshing since it’s pretty much impossible to spend more than 10 minutes talking to one of them unless you bump into them on the street. He was lovely, took a lot of time to talk to us, took pictures with us, signed my Wrigley ticket and even kept saying hi every time he walked past us. Once the gig was over he immediately came looking for us to hand all four of us one of his drumsticks. Andy is truly the sweetest and I’m so happy I was able to meet him in this very intimate setting (I don’t think there were more than 60 people). This year was certainly unreal and I can’t wait for next era.

Maybe it was all just a dream ♥

#FOB #Fall Out Boy #Pete Wentz #Andy Hurley #Patrick Stump #Joe Trohman #SECT #j #MANIA #MANIA era #The MANIA experience #MANIA experience #Wrigley Field

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i-prefer-the-term-antihero · 5 years

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My 2018 in Review (Long Post Incoming!)

I know everyone’s been making new years posts, and that I’m late, but I’ve been thinking about what I’d say for this post for months, so…

Once again, VERY long post incoming! (I put a “keep reading” bar, but it doesn’t always show up on my posts…) Also...please forgive any typos...I’m writing this at midnight.

I don't know if anyone will be interested in this, or read the whole thing...but here goes.

To begin:

Last year, during December ,I wrote my Pandora Hearts fic “The Things We Say Aloud.” During the fic, it’s been raining all month, and it finally snows on Christmas Eve. I lived in Seattle, where it does snow, but white christmases are rare. Last year, after writing that fic, it snowed at my house on christmas eve. It felt like a christmas gift that my fic came true in my own life.

But there was this little voice in the back of my head that said “What if this is your gift for your last year in Seattle?”

My response was “What the heck?! Why would you even think that?! Why would we leave Seattle?!"

When this year started, I was doing just fine. I was starting my (*cough cough* second...) gap year, happy in my house in Seattle, writing, and soon I started cat sitting, which was kind of the perfect job for me.

But things were stagnant, I wasn’t really sure what the year would hold, or if I was doing what I was meant to do—or simply what I was meant to do in general. I wasn’t making much progress in my original novel, and I wondered what I was supposed to be doing, if I was making the right choice in still not going to college. (A lot like the feeling Thomas Sanders described in “Learning New Things About Ourselves”)

By far the highlight of my year is that I got to go to a bunch of conventions (which, while I always wanted to do before, I never did for some reason), and meet my three most favorite celebrities in the entire world: David Tennant, Tom Hiddleston, and Jacksepticeye. (I got to briefly meet Summer Glau, Sean Maher, and Tom Holland as well, which was also AWESOME, but I didn’t actually get to talk to them...). I’m not going to go into a ton of detail about that right now, (but I would love to make a post about my experiences meeting them, and/or going to cons in general, but I fear it’ll sound like bragging…so let me know if any of you are interested!), but that was absolutely AMAZING.

I couldn’t believe that I met even one of them, and the fact that I met all three of them, in the span of a single year is…beyond mind-blowing. I feel so incredibly lucky. I never thought I could possibly meet David Tennant in my life, and had already bought my ticket to Emerald City Comic Con ahead of time, so when his name came up on the roster of Emerald City Comic Con…I think I may have screamed. After meeting him my mom said, “the only thing that could make this year better would be meeting Tom Hiddleston, am I right?” And I smiled and shrugged as if to say “yeah, but that’s never gonna happen.” Then….somehow….it did. And, if that wasn’t enough, I had been watching Jack going on tour, and desperately wanted him to come to Seattle, (and didn’t realize the plan for the different legs). Then he said he was coming to Seattle!! I had barely heard of PAX, so when I learned that not only was he coming to Seattle, but I might have the chance to meet him before the tour, I had to go for it. I was only able to get Friday tickets, and it was a complete gamble as to which day he would be autographing. And once again…it somehow happened.

After those experiences, the sheer luck of all three of them coming to Seattle in the same year, I was once again greeted with the idea that “Maybe this is Seattle’s way of saying goodbye to you.” And once again my immediate thought was “What the heck?!”

Now, I had heard of tumblr for many years before now. I’ve never been big on social media, but when I got a pinterest, I would see all the funny tumblr posts secondhand there. They always made me laugh out loud, but tumblr also always seemed like this… vulgar place. I had heard terrible stories from my real-life friends who were on tumblr about how unkindly they were treated here. I’m a very sensitive person, so after hearing all that I decided that joining tumblr was out of the question.

Still, as the years went by, and I learned more about it…it was one of the few social media sites that interested me. It seemed much more fandom-centric than anything else, and I was really interested in it. But also sad about how I didn't think i would be treated well here.

Back to meeting Jack; had become a fan of Jack fairly recently, and didn’t have any memorabilia from him for him to sign at PAX. So when I found out that the day I was going WAS his autographing session, (after containing my joy) I had to scramble to find something for him to sign.

That’s how I met @jacksoopticboop. I went on etsy and found an art piece that made me cry the first time I looked at it. I had to get it. To have him sign it—(don’t worry Boop, I still plan on sending you a copy of the signed version…I’m so sorry it’s been taking me so long!!) I contacted her to make sure it would reach me in time and from then…we hit it off. We kept on talking through etsy, and email. Boop was the first person to tell me that she had NEVER received negativity on tumblr—at least, not the kind I was worried about. That, plus wanting to talk to her more, and already having been thinking joining tumblr for a while, I decided to finally take the plunge and join at the beginning of October this year.

When Boop was convincing me to join, she said that if I made a post saying I was new to the JSE community, she could guarantee I would get a positive response. And I honestly thought “That’s great but…can you really guarantee that??”

She could. I smiled more that first day on tumblr, when I made that post, and got lovely messages, than I had in a very long time.

However, as this was going on, it so happened that October was also when my dad found a new job…in Dallas Texas.

I won’t go into the details of the move as a whole, but we decided to take a motorhome trip down to Texas…which may well have been the worst decision of our lives.

Part of the reason we decided to do that was so we could make a bunch of fun stops on the way—brighten our stressful time.

1) ALL those stops were wiped out, because of timing, and fires in California.

2) We got in a car accident the day before thanksgiving.

3) The exact moment we arrived at our temporary housing, certain events led to my cat—my one hope, my best friend—dying.

I was completely lost. Still am, for the most part.

But I had you guys.

I firmly believe that my joining tumblr at the exact same time the move came was part of a plan from a higher source.

My friends were all at college, so I didn’t get to see them often anyways in my first gap year. But i knew that feeling alone was weighing on me, and if I didn’t have you during the move, as I am truly leaving everything I know behind…I honestly wonder if I would have made it. Those first few nights in Texas, after Granita’s (my cat) death….I honestly didn’t feel like life was worth living.

But I wasn’t alone. I could still talk to all of you.

When I first got into Jack’s videos was actually when I watched him play Getting Over It. I had already watched him play Undertale, and enjoyed it greatly, but I didn’t get into his channel just yet. I watched Dan and Phil play Getting Over It, and for some reason was interested in watching more, since they didn’t get far. I watched Mark throw a chair in rage….Then I watched Jack play it and…he was so different from everyone else. He smiled and laughed—and he made me laugh too. It can be somewhat difficult to get me to laugh out loud at things, but I knew his videos would continue to make me laugh, so I didn’t stop there, and I’m SO glad I didn’t.

Recently, in a “What is My Life?” style, my life has felt a lot like Getting Over It. But you guys have felt like Jack’s commentary in my life; you have given me reason to continue to laugh and smile, despite how much of a struggle the simplest things have become for me.

When I found out about the @jsecardexchange for December, I was so happy. I knew I desperately needed a little extra joy in a christmas where I wouldn’t get to see my grandparents, or snow, and I wish I could thank each and every one of you personally for your cards on here, but that would fill up the post…but please know that your cards saved me from so much sorrow.

I am so grateful to everyone in the JSE Community, you’ve become a family to me that I can turn to when I’m sad.

Some short-but-sweet personalized thank you’s for friends in the community:

@bucklethefckleup I’m so grateful we started talking. Our conversations have brightened my days!!

@jacksinsanity Once again, I will never forget how you were the first person to message me on here. I couldn’t believe that someone would message me directly, just to welcome me. You showed me the community's kindness in its purest form, and I so enjoyed getting to know you more recently, and would love to continue chatting with you!

@r-a-i-n-y-d-a-z-e Thank you so much for organizing the card exchange, and your personalized card was one of the highlights of my entire Christmas season!! I hope we can get to know each other better!!

I’m so glad that the PMA movement started this year, because I needed it this year more than ever. And you guys have embodied the movement for me in my everyday life. That first post I made when you all welcomed me was the start of something wonderful. So all I can say, is thank you.

Now, so far I’ve only talked about the JSE community…I haven’t forgotten about my friends from other communities!!

First of all, my real life friend @opheliaeee!! We’ve been through so much together. You’re one of the few people from high school i continue to talk to on a regular basis, and I’m so grateful. It’s been so helpful to be able to talk to someone who’s going through similar things that I am, and reading your writing continues to be such a delight!!

Tangled has always been one of my all-time favorite disney movies. It was the kind of movie I never got tired of, and watched when I was sad (…speaking of, I should watch it again, it’s been a while…) I didn’t expect the series to be that good…then when it was…there was no going back.

I saw @kaede02mangaka ’s art all the time on pinterest, and loved it, but the fact that on here I could see your art right as it was posted, and not only talk to you, but have you tag me in your own posts, (like your new years one), just makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. On pinterest I could never hear from artist’s directly, or tell them how much I loved their art. You’re one of my favorites!! <3

While I’ve always written fanfiction, I was too scared of the internet’s negativity to post. This, and the fact I’m a bit of a stickler for canon, also meant that I didn’t really read fanfiction. But my friend @ophelieaeee convinced me to start posting at last…which also meant that I started reading. I looked up Tangled and one of the top fics that came up was one that had more kudos, comments, and hits than I had ever seen…this was, of course, @izadreamer ‘s Labyrinths of the Heart. Having just started out on Ao3, I couldn’t believe how someone could get so much publicity. I was skeptical a fic could be that good. Then I started reading…my jaw was on the floor. The characterization was perfect. The writing was phenomenal—so much so there were quotes that both stuck with me, and made me cry, in a way that happens with only the best of novels. I still have to catch up, and I’m sure there’s more amazingness to come, but whenever I think about the ending of chapter 5, I kind of have to sit there for a moment in silent reverence and be like…."that was one of the best things I’ve ever read in my life, let alone in just fanfiction.” Needless to say, I’m glad I found you. And reading your fics, and seeing that you were on tumblr certainly helped me to join tumblr too, and gave me positivity!!

I am in a lot of fandoms, and I had to make sure I found blogs from all my favorite fandoms. Which meant that finding good Loki blog was important. It was surprisingly difficult for me to find a Loki blog that had what I wanted. (While I love Tom and Loki, most of the blogs I found were simply pictures of them, and I wasn’t super satisfied with that). But I came across one that was focused on theories an mythologies that I was deeply intrigued by…and it was @mylokabrennauniverse‘s. I forget what exactly got us directly talking, but I’ll never forget how on one of the nights I was in the motorhome crying, I got a mention from you…that you had given me a virtual hug. It’s such a small, almost silly thing, but I needed it so much. I was amazed that from the first moment of saying something to you, you were then willing to send me such positivity. If you told me by simply talking to you, I’d be able to join a Loki theory blog with you, and discuss in-depth theories with you and everyone there, I’m not sure I would have believed you, but I’m so glad that’s what happened. <3

And last, but certainly not least, Pandora Hearts.

It was a few years ago when I saw a little post about on pinterest about a show called Pandora Hearts, and decided to watch the anime. From then my life has never been the same. This was one of the first mangas I ever read, and some of the best memories of my life are from the first time I read it. I fell in love with the story, almost every single one of characters, but especially a man named Xerxes Break, whose struggles helped me understand and make it through my own.

But I had no one to talk to about the series.

And when I say no one, I mean no one.

I forced my friends to watch it, but even now, I still haven’t gotten them to finish the anime, or read it.

@xerxesbreakisbadass I’m sure you can attest to just how desperate I was to talk to someone when I first joined tumblr XD I’ll be forever grateful that you were willing to be my friend, and talk to me about the series!!

@maddyisenough I’m so grateful that you contacted me a few months ago, and organized the phmonth18 and phsecretsanta events! I’ve written more in a single month because of these events than I have in a long time, and it helped me so much!! Feeling productive and creating things I’m proud of kept me from my sadness. Not just that, I have so enjoyed our conversations in general, reading each others fics, and coming up with fic ideas together!!! Here’s to a year filled with more fics and friendship!!

@doodlesrune I love how you’re in so many of the same fandoms as me, and I enjoy talking with you—we should talk more!!

@almaadst Similar to what happened with Kaede, I saw your art on pinterest and I was like “My favorite boys together in one picture? UMM YES PLEASE” but I didn’t realize so much of the Break and Undertaker and Mephisto art I saw was all drawn by one person, or who that person was!! I was so happy when I found your blog , and then to have you thank me personally for the reblogs….once again, I’m blown away by the kindness of everyone on here. I still love your art, and have enjoyed chatting with you, and am so very excited to continue to work with you!!

@sanhatipal It’s been so fun discuss PH, Celtic Woman, and Fate—(let me tell you, I did not understand as much about the series as I thought I did before I met you XD)—with you, as well as see all the wonderful arts and crafts you make!!

@emily-cheshire Though we haven’t talked a whole lot, I always love seeing you interact with my posts, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know you!!

@the-twisted-otaku Your ask was the first I ever received! I was so happy to hear someone liked my username, and its so cool that we love all the same characters! Im excited to continue to get to know you better, and read each other’s pics!!

@tabinotochuu We’re just starting to get to know each other, but chatting with you is lovely, and your secret santa gift has certainly been one of the highlights of my year!!

And last, but certainly not least, @song-of-amethyst. As you know, I’m the kind of person who is very detailed, and likes to overanalyze, and look in-depth into things. And no series do I currently do that more than my favorite: PH. As I said, I spent years with no one to talk to. I didn’t realize how much that weighed on me until joining tumblr. But even with fellow fans, finding someone who’s willing to have lengthly conversations about the series is difficult. Our conversations have been like a breath of fresh air for me; letting me talk as much, and as in-depth as I want, without fearing that my long responses are a burden to the other person, and receiving equally long and in-depth responses that make me think even MORE deeply about the series!!! Not only that, but, as I’m sure you know, getting people to read and comment on your fics is difficult. I’ve been so grateful for everyone who’s been willing to do that. But you have been reading my fics right as I post, and giving me nice lengthly comments that I cherish and look forward to so much!! So, once again, all I can say is thank you.

Thank you. Each and every one of you has brightened my life in some way, in one of the lowest points of my entire life. I cannot thank you enough. I am so beyond grateful that i joined tumblr, and met all you lovely people. It’s been the opposite of everything i thought it would be all those years ago.

So this me saying farewell to a 2018 that was both one of the best years of my life, and the worst, and a welcome to 2019. Here’s hoping that it holds more of the better half!!

A very happy new year to each and every one of you!!!

#personal #2018 #year in review #jse community #jse fam #jse family #jacksepticeye community #jacksepticeye family #new year #happy new year #2019 #thank you

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messifangirl · 6 years

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Cressi Rec List (Lionel Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo Football RPF)

Now that the world cup is over, it appears that there are many new football fans interested in this pairing! I’ve made a few rec lists before (so if you’ve seen them, some of these fics may be familiar to you), but it’s been some time since then (some of those fics are deleted or the authors go by different names now etc), so here’s a list of some of my favorite complete Cressi fic posted on AO3 for anyone who is interested.

Listed alphabetically by author and title. I’ve included the story summary, word count, rating, year posted on AO3, and a few keywords. If you check them out, please don’t forget to leave kudos and comments! (And of course, these are far from the only fics out there for this pairing--check out the Leo/Cris tag on AO3--there are a ton of fics! I just tried to narrow it down to some of my personal favorites. 57 to be exact.)

Nice Day (For A White Wedding) by acchikocchi (2011)

Leo's the one eloping with Cristiano Ronaldo, so why is it up to Cesc to make sure nothing goes wrong? And what kind of elopement has an afterparty, anyway?

Words: 7681, rating: general, about: crack fic, humor, weddings, love

Tactical Decoy by acchikocchi (2014)

"Don't worry," Gerard said. "If he stands you up I'll kill him."

Words; 631, status, rating: general, about: humor, friendship, first dates

like sparklers on guy fawkes night by arachnestomb (2015)

No one knows exactly how it works, but when you meet your soulmate, you glow. Leo’s seen it happen in front of him. When he was a kid, he saw two people crash into each other--literally, crash--and then they went up in lights. He thought for a second her chest might burst open like a firework, that’s how bright it was. He was only four years old, but it was beautiful. He dreamed that it’d happen to him someday.

Cristiano’s never actually seen two soulmates glow. He saw a recreation of it some animator created for the sake of education. He saw someone compare the sparklers he lit on Guy Fawkes’ Night to the lights of two soulmates coming together. He doesn’t understand what’s so cool about it, honestly, and if it’s going to happen he only hopes it isn’t someone he hates.

Words: 2880, rating: teen and up, about: soulmates

A Sort of Idea by awkwardsorta (2012)

Because: I get bored at work; Cesc takes a lot of attention from some of Messi's best looking-after people; Ronaldo can totally spot an isolated star; and Kaka's just nice.

Words: 1322, rating: general, about: picnics, friendship

The Ice Bucket Challenge by bethepuck (2014)

Cristiano Ronaldo is nominated to complete the ice bucket challenge and nominates none other than Lionel Messi to do the same.

Words: 4244, rating: not rated (prob explicit), about: smut, top Cris

O Leãozinho by bethepuck (2014)

Lionel Messi, unexpectedly, is traded to Real Madrid, for vague reasonings and is forced to leave his home, adjust to a new team, and face his greatest rival.

Words: 44468, rating: not rated (prob mature), about: transfers, Messi to Madrid, teammates, smut, top Cris, love

We Could Be "A Thing" by bethepuck (2015)

Lionel Messi transfers high schools from Bishop Stamford to Illyria Prep and receives some, at first, unwanted attention as the wealthy and popular Cristiano Ronaldo does anything to get Leo into bed.

Words: 27487, rating: not rated (prob mature), about: high school au, rivalry, smut, top Cris, love

Like A Hurricane by carolinka (2015)

I am just a dreamer, but you are just a dream,

You could have been anyone to me.

(Apparently students in Madrid and Barcelona need to bond. Via internet.)

Words: 31852, rating: mature, about: epistolary, humor, high school au, love

See you through by couldvelovedyou (2015)

Cristiano gets injured in the Clásico and is out for the rest of the season. Leo helps him through.

Words: 5040, rating: teen and up, about: injuries, friendship

Wake Up Calls by detodores (chasingnukes) (2016)

kink meme prompt:

"Cristiano wakes up one morning and rolls over to see Leo still naked next to him from the sex they had the night before. Leo is still sleeping but Cristiano is getting so horny seeing him laying on his stomach, his ass totally exposed that he can't help himself. Cristiano starts rimming a still sleeping Leo. Leo eventually wakes up at the feeling and then they decide to do it again."

Words: 1409, rating: explicit, about: smut, top Cris

but if you want me by dizzydancing (2016)

Cristiano walks away (again) because he needs to regain a sense of control. He needs to regain the fragments of sanity and restraint that seem to slip away whenever he loses himself to the sensation of Leo’s soft lips under his.

Leo doesn't follow. He never does. Cristiano should be used to it, but his heart still sinks every time.

Words: 8394, rating: teen and up, about: friendship, relationships, friends with benefits, rivalry, love

one is the loneliest number by Flywoman (2012)

Sometimes no one understands you like your greatest rival. Set immediately after Portugal's elimination from the 2010 World Cup.

Words: 3030, rating: mature, about: WC 2010, Portugal Nt, Argentina Nt, hurt/comfort, smut, sex, top Cris

no is the saddest experience by Flywoman (2014)

Lionel Messi visits Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal fail to make it out of the group stage at World Cup 2014. A sort of sequel to one is the loneliest number.

Words: 1805, rating: mature, about WC 2014, Portugal Nt, Argentina Nt, hurt/comfort, smut

it's just no good anymore by Flywoman (2015)

His countrymen have never loved him, but his greatest rival just might. A sequel to one is the loneliest number and no is the saddest experience, but all you really need to know is that this is not a first-time fic.

Warning for rough (consensual) sex.

Words: 3548, rating: mature, about: CA 2015, Argentina Nt, hurt/comfort, hurt/comfort, smut, top Cris

Coming Out by footielover (2015)

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been quietly dating for a few months. Then a paparazzo takes some rather intimate pictures of them and all hell breaks loose.

Words: 61599, rating: explicit, about: relationships, friendship, family, smut, coming out, top Leo

Don't fall in love with a superhero by Guessmysoul (2017)

Cristiano Ronaldo, a handsome, intelligent and a charismatic young man could have any man he pleased; except, his attention was consume by a little shy boy with a surprising intelligence, and Spider-Man his saviour in moments of distress. Why did he had to fell for both and not being corresponded?

Words: 10991, rating: teen and up, about: friendship, love, superhero au

everything will fill with light by haroldslouis (2015)

The one where Cristiano falls in love with his son's nanny, Leo, and Sergio Ramos is there because he signed up for the drama.

Words: 27135, rating: mature, about: nanny au, kid fic, love, smut, top Cris

rains, pours (i'll be there for you) by highways (2014)

Winning isn't constant, but maybe something, someone, always is. (post Copa del Rey final, 2014)

Words: 1352, rating: not rated (prob teen and up), about: CdR 2014, love

the boiling point by highways (2014)

Leo's always preferred boys, but he's never had a type until stepping into high school, never really cared for what kind of boy he liked until he suddenly did, wanted to be fucked in the locker rooms by the basketball captain, face pressed against the sting of the cold metal doors, back arching and moulding to the flit of someone's fingers down his spine.

aka, the one where Cristiano's the MVP basketball captain and Leo is essentially a nobody.

Words: 12471, rating: mature, about: high school au, basketball au, relationships, bullying, smut, top Cris, love

Sweethearts: Alfajores by keep_it_fresh

Non-canon. AU-ish. Tween-fic. Middle School (12/13). It takes a team for Lio to not only realize he has a crush but also to snag to his guy.

[Cressi Week 2017: Day 1 - First Times]

Words: 2297, rating: general, about: middle school au, first crush, teen love

Sweethearts: Milk Bones by keep_it_fresh (2017)

Non-canon/AU-ish. Cris wakes up to find an unexpected visitor trapped in his backyard.

[Cressi Week 2017: Day 2 - Identity]

Words: 3513, rating: teen and up, about: shapeshifter au, animals, relationships, love

A Supernatural Love (Cause Love is What You Want) by kkslover9 (2016)

The one where Cristiano and Lionel are dukes vying for the attention of a princess but Cristiano ends up cursed to love his rival instead.

Words: 6056, rating: teen and up, about: magical au, royalty au, fairy tale, love

Let Me Drive You Down the Love Street by kkslover9 (2017)

Cristiano is as surprised as anyone when he ends up on the same team as Lionel Messi. It's not the challenge he's used to but he's ready for it, to take Major League Soccer by storm with a new team and a new partnership.

Words: 20187, rating: explicit, about: MLS, teammates, friendship, slow burn, love, sex, no clear top

I Won’t Bite (Unless That’s What You Like) by kkslover9 (2017)

"Leo licks his lips. He wants it so badly, to sink his fangs into Cristiano’s neck and drink from him and Cristiano knows it."

Words: 6065, rating: explicit, about: vampire au, semi-prostitution, blood, smut, top Cris

You Got to Know (That Everyone Falls) by kkslover9 (2017)

Everyone is born with a soul mark but not everyone gets to keep it. It's been two years since Leo's soul mark burned itself off the inside of his left wrist. With encouragement from his mother and his best friend, Kun, he starts attending a support group for those who have lost their soul marks. Here he meets the confident and charismatic Cristiano who has been without a soul mark since birth. As they become closer, Leo realises that Cristiano has insecurities of his own. Can they overcome their vulnerabilities or will their doubts break them once and for all?

Words: 10840, rating: teen and up, about: soulmate au, soulmarks, loss, relationships, sex, love

you smiled and then the spell was cast by kkslover9 (2018)

Cristiano was Leo's first kiss and first boyfriend but then he moved away. Now nine years later, he's back and Leo finds himself drawn to his childhood friend once more.

Words: 24935, rating: explicit, about: New York au, ex-boyfriends, relationships, crushes, childhood friends

Best Player by LeoDios (2015)

Cristiano grudgingly goes to the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award ceremony. He wants to have a drink with Leo Messi, but for that he has to visit him in his hotel suite.

Words: 24781, rating: explicit, about: award shows, lots of smut, top Cris, love, injuries, relationships

Who is he? by LeoDios (2015)

Wow. Just wow.

This isn't the first time someone cornered him and told him he just had to watch this incredible video of Leo Messi. It is pretty annoying any time it happens.

This time it's Sergio, grinning and practically jumping up and down like a kid at a birthday party all hopped up on cake.

This isn't just any video though. He can feel Sergio's eyes on him, drinking in his reaction gleefully. Cris feels his face going hot, red hot.

Words: 4279, rating: not rated (prob explicit), about: smut, top Leo

In the Wake of Loss by luxover (2012)

Leo opens the door and Cristiano is standing there, leaning against the doorjamb like he does it all the time, like it’s normal for him to just swing by. Leo’s confused; he doesn’t even know Cristiano, not really, not in the ways that count, and certainly not enough for them to hang out.

Words: 7706, rating: mature, smut, rivalry, relationships, humor, love

Day 1: Firsts by MADR1D1SMO (2017)

Leo goes through the text slowly. He can recognise some of the pictures - the famous photo of them standing together in their countries’ colours before the international in Switzerland, the ones from the Ballon d’Or Gala.

There are a lot of firsts.

It doesn’t have the most important firsts, though, he thinks.

Words: 5028, rating: general, about: first meetings, rivalry, friendship, humor

Day 2: Identity by MADR1D1SMO (2017)

After taking a hard blow to the head during a game against Espanyol, Leo wakes up with amnesia. The person who helps him remember is the least one anybody could expect it to be.

Words: 13484, rating: general, about: amnesia, injuries, teammates, friendship, possible love

Day 3: Other Worlds by MADR1D1SMO

There’s a world where Cris plays for Madrid and Leo for Barça, the one we all know and love. There’s also another world, where CR7 and D10S are the deadliest duo in football history playing for the best club in the world. What happens if one day, the two of them switch places?

Words: 15341, rating: general, about: parallel universe au, injuries, teammates, friendship, possible love

Day 5: Time by MADR1D1SMO (2017)

During a Clásico match Leo gets a severe career-ending injury after which he would never be able to play again. Cristiano doesn’t realise how much competition is important for him until it’s gone. He gets one chance to go back in time and try to prevent the injury, but will Leo believe him when he tries to warn him?

Words: 11619, rating: general, about: time travel au, injuries, award shows, teammates, friendship, possible love

nice for what by nahco3 (2018)

“Who are you and how did you get this number?” Ronaldo says, instead of a greeting.

“It’s me,” Leo says, momentarily taken aback. He hasn’t had to introduce himself for years.

“Um, Leo Messi.”

“You know, if this is a prank call, it isn’t very original,” Ronaldo says.

Words: 4006, rating: explicit, about: WC 2018, Portugal Nt, Argentina Nt, angst, hurt/comfort, smut

the best you ever had by nahco3 (2011)

five times Leo Messi surprised Cristiano Ronaldo.

Words: 2044, rating: teen and up, about: award shows, humor, transfers, sex

Okay? Okay. Okay... by Nina22783 (2014)

It's been nearly four years since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been together and a BBC journalist finally gets them both to tell the world how it all happened...

Words: 24469, rating: mature, about: WC 2014, coming out, kid fic, injuries, smut, top Cris, family, relationships, friendship, WC 2018 au

Flesh by orphan_account (AM) (2015)

"I was wondering where you were hiding", Ronaldo said, voice getting on Leo's every nerve as the man invaded his personal space. There was a lot of that on the pitch but Leo felt uncomfortable now, dressed in his suit with his hip pressed against the counter. "I'm not hiding", Leo bit back, doing his best to retain his monotone but ultimately failing. He could tell by the way Ronaldo's lips curved and he confidently stepped even closer.

Words: 5735, rating: explicit, about: award shows, smut, top Cris, dub con, hotels

I Think We Made A Sex Tape? by orphan_account (AM) (2015)

The prequel.

Words: 3998, rating: explicit, about: smut, sex tapes, drunk sex, rough sex, top Cris

If This Were A Movie by orphan_account (AM) (2015)

"How about you text him to explain then?", Leo asked, stifling a yawn in his hand. "I haven't text him since like... May", Higuain whined, reminding Leo that he captained a bunch of overgrown children. "How about you give him my number and I send him a text then?", Leo prompted, shocked and annoyed by his own proposal.

Words: 16222, rating: teen and up, about: injuries, friendship, hurt/comfort, fluff

Playing With Fire by orphan_account (AM) (2015)

"You're whatever I want you to be", Leo replied easily, "and it's sir".

Words: 38495, rating: explicit, about: bodyguard au, guns, violence, powerstruggle, dub con, smut, ust, top Cris

The Re-Enactment by orphan_account (AM) (2016)

The sequel.

Words: 6360, rating: explicit, about: smut, sex tapes, top Cris

Your Summer Dream by orphan_account (AM) (2015)

Cris had watched and wondered, wondered what it'd be like to touch all the soft unmarred skin, to feel Leo's muscles around his fingertips. Then he'd had to adjust his shorts and remind himself that having a boner in public would probably drawn him even more attention.

Words: 4068, rating: mature, about: vacation, smut

It gets lonely at the top by postmodernsleaze (2014)

Portugal is on the verge of being eliminated from the World Cup, and Cristiano Ronaldo's injury is progressively getting worse. Not knowing how to deal with any of it, he turns to perhaps the most unlikely person imaginable.

Words 7362, rating: explicit, about: WC 2014, hurt/comfort, Portugal Nt, Argentina Nt, friendship, humor, smut

A Pitch Invader Attack, Messi/Ronaldo by prompt_fills (2015)

During an El Clásico match a crazy fan manages to get onto the pitch just when Cristiano and Messi are arguing over a foul. Things go sappier from there.

Words: 5657, rating: teen and up, about: violence, hurt/comfort, hospitals, PTSD, kissing

Home Is Freedom by prompt_fills (2017)

The Deaemon!AU

Sometimes it’s not the humans who make the first move.

All humans have deamons but no one has ever seen Cristiano’s daemon. Leo isn’t so quick to jump to conclusions because his own deamon is currently missing.

Words: 4574, rating: general, about: deamon au, animals, soulmates, injuries

Cris/Leo, two Leos from different universes swap places by prompt_fills (2016)

There is a reality in which Leo and Ronaldo aren’t together yet but there is also another reality in which Cris and Leo are together.

This is a story for an anon who wanted to know what happens when one Leo switches places with the other Leo.

Words: 6633, rating: teen and up, about: parallel universe au, humor, kid fic, kissing

Ronaldo/Messi, exchanging jersey by prompt_fills (2015)

Written for footballkink2, PP5, for this prompt: How about during one El Clasico in the new season Ronaldo came over and asked for Messi's jersey? Messi was a bit shocked but still complied. Maybe later media made a big deal out of it and the rumor of Ronaldo preparing to leave La Liga next season starts spreading. Messi realized he doesn't want to see Ronaldo leaving, he wants Ronaldo to always be his best enemy. And their relationship takes the next step from there?

Words: 1771, rating: teen and up, about: humor, fluff, transfers, friendship, possible love

D10S by pseuicide (2015)

Cristiano was sunning himself in front of one of the castle's enormous windows when he felt a hand on his arm. "The king requires your presence in his bedchamber tonight," the guard said. Cristiano resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The king required his presence just about every night.

"As His Grace desires."

Words: 17309, rating: explicit, about: harem au, royalty au, concubines, dub con, power struggles, smut, top Leo, friendship, love

Studio Galáctico by pseuicide (2015)

Cristiano's first instinct was to laugh.

The guy was tiny, easily a head shorter than him, with slender limbs and pale, tattooed skin. He was cute, with his big brown eyes and dimpled chin, but nothing about him really screamed 'top.' He had a sleeve of tattoos down one arm and to Cris it looked like a little boy playing at being a badass. Cristiano wondered where they found this guy and why they thought he was going to be able to convincingly top him.

Words: 5333, rating: explicit, about: porn star au, sex tapes, porn, smut, top Leo

I Bet There's One Thing I'm Better At by sdmadridista (2015)

After Ronaldo wins the Ballon d'Or for the second year in a row, Messi needs to prove he's better at something.

Words: 967, rating: mature, about: award shows, smut

All Gone (Well Done) by slappedq (2016)

He does the best he can at the moment; he pretends.

Spreads his hands at the referee and pretends that it was an accident.

Blanks his face (because he can't steel his pounding heart) and pretends that doesn't want to punch the snarling Alves in front of him.

Pretends that he is endlessly frustrated by the loss, not the overwhelming urge to push Leo back on the ground.

Pretends that he doesn't want to hear Leo to gasp like that again.

Words: 10926, rating: explicit, about: njuries, friendship, award shows, dub con, smut, top Cris, relationships, love, coming out

Regret, Remorse; Hold On - I Got To Go by slappedq (2016)

It’s extremely hard to just walk away from Leo when he is like this. Eyes bright with hunger and body tense with need, wound tight like a string; waiting for Cristiano to break him apart.

Words: 5538, rating: explicit, about: relationships, smut, love, rough sex, top Cris

four times leo messi surprised cristiano and one time he didn't by stickmarionette (2015)

As long as he lives, Cristiano will never forget that horrible screech. It tears through him in the seconds before the landing ships take over the horizon and echoes between his ears for the entire week after that, getting louder every time he closes his eyes.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have to team up to save the planet.

Words: 12780, rating: general, about: friendship, teammates, alien au

We're Going to Fight by stillgold (2018)

Ronaldo and Messi have hated each other for as long as they can remember. But then one day, Cris sees something that changes everything. It’s easier than Cris imagines to start to like Messi, easier than anything and more frightening.

Words: 5245, rating: explicit, about: award shows, CA 2016, WC 2018, Portugal Nt, Argentina Nt, rivalry, smut, top Cris

Text Me by tenshi_who (2013)

In which Leo tries to stay annoyed at Cristiano. He really does. But the other man is way too charming, and his lips are too distracting.

Or, The One Where Leo and Cris Film a Commercial Together and End Up Falling In Love.

Words: 5383, rating; general, about: friendship, fluff, love, smut

Remember the Best Times Are Yet To Come by Velocity_Owl87 (2014)

Leo Messi has heard it all: He was too small, he was too quiet, he was too different. He didn't give a damn and did what he wanted to do and was damned good at it. He didn't care that he wasn't what an Alpha was supposed to be.

Hell, he wasn't even worried about finding an Omega.

The game was all that mattered.

Cristiano Ronaldo was too focused on making it against the odds. His goals were clear and none of them involved getting mated and settling down. A feat that was made easier by his not being a typical Omega.

Then Cesc Fabregas's party occurred and now Messi and Ronaldo are bonded and mated and have to deal with the aftermath of that meeting and all it brought with it.

Words: 39094, rating: mature, about: a/b/o au, mpreg au, relationships, kid fic, smut, top Cris

The disease by yulin (2016)

There's a weird disease going around. When you touch a fertile man, you have a sort of shock, like static electricity. Then, in a few days, you either have sex with that man or you die. Leo catches the disease, and Cristiano has to take care of him.

Words: 6568, rating: explicit, about: fuck or die au, dub con, friendship, smut, top Cris

#fic #cressi #football rpf #cristessi #crismessi #fic rec #lionaldo #football fandom #football fanfiction #lionel messi #cristiano ronaldo #argentina nt #portugal nt #real madrid #fc barcelona

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roseisread · 5 years

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My Year in Movies: Favorite Non-2018 Feature Films (Part 1)

I watched a LOT of movies this year. At last count, I had logged 229 features and 126 shorts; and that doesn’t count rewatches--only movies that were new to me.

I set a few challenges for myself as well this year. The first one was to watch at least one non-English language/US release per week--this exposed me to so much world cinema and some really amazing filmmakers. Anyone who avoids foreign films because “I don’t like subtitles” is really missing out, and I found myself craving these narratives from voices I don’t ordinarily get exposed to in my everyday life.

Other personal challenges: Watching as many horror movies as possible in October (with horror defined pretty loosely so I could include entries from silent era and onward, as well as some comedy cult classics that have horror/thriller elements); participating in Noirvember (in addition to attending Noir City in Chicago); crossing off some major blindspots from my list (such as Bicycle Thieves, The Producers, Lethal Weapon, A Few Good Men, Grease, Home Alone 2, Brazil, and Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom); and trying to watch movies and short films from every decade that motion pictures have existed.

In 2019, I hope to do similar personal challenges with a focus on movies made by women, LGBTQ+, and people of color, in addition to filling in the gaps of my classical/canonical movie knowledge.

OK, so that’s enough preamble. Let’s get to the list! For this list, I’m excluding movies that were released in 2018--that’s coming but this is for movies released before that.

50. Linda Linda Linda (2005, directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita, country of origin: Japan)

High school girls recruit the Korean exchange student (Doona Bae, of Cloud Atlas and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) to join their rock band a few days before the school talent show. This is just a feel good film, recommended if you enjoyed the likes of Sing Street, We Are The Best!, and The Runaways. Unfortunately, it’s out of print in physical form; but last I checked someone had uploaded it to YouTube so you might want to get on that before it’s removed. You can watch the trailer here.

49. The Blue Dahlia (1946, directed by George Marshall, country of origin: US)

This film noir stars Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd, and like any good noir, it deals with dark subjects including murder, blackmail, political corruption, and PTSD. It’s been on my watchlist for a long time, and thanks to Noir City Chicago, I got to see it on the big screen at the Music Box Theatre. For small screen viewing, you can catch up with it via rental on Vudu, Amazon, iTunes... the usual suspects.

48. Siren of the Tropics (1927, directed by Mario Nalpas and Henri Etievant, country of origin: France)

My dearly departed Filmstruck had a spotlight on the films of Josephine Baker, and this was among them. I fell in love instantly with the lively, beautiful Baker, here playing a woman named Papitou who deals with some super scummy dudes but manages to be herself in the face of all that nonsense. Silent films can sometimes be tougher to engage with for modern audiences, but this one flies by and contains some unexpectedly racy sequences for the time. Its racial politics don’t meet today’s cultural standards, but considering Baker’s parents were former slaves and their daughter went on to become the first woman of color to star in a major motion picture, this is still a landmark film worthy of our consideration. She broke down many barriers and contributed a great deal to both the entertainment world and the Civil Rights movement, and this serves as a nice entry point into her career. It’s available on DVD through Kino Lorber, and hopefully one day soon it’ll pop up on another streaming service that carries on the Filmstruck legacy.

47. I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore (2017, directed by Macon Blair, country of origin: US)

Here’s a film that goes to some unexpected places. I had no idea what to expect from Macon Blair, who frequently appears in the movies of Jeremy Saulnier; but in his debut feature for Netflix, he pulled out all the stops. Hilarious, violent, and intense, with memorable performances from stars Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood, this is a movie about getting in over your head and just going for it anyway. I don’t want to tell you about the plot because it’s best discovered through watching--just go to your nearest device and add it to your Netflix queue.

46. Song of the Sea (2014, directed by Tomm Moore, country of origin: Ireland)

Absolutely gorgeous animation from the team that previously brought us The Secret of Kells, and a touching story that combines family and mythology. I adored this one. Watch it on Netflix or rent on the usual streaming sources--for a preview, click here.

45. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942, directed by Michael Curtiz, country of origin: US)

I always watch Independence Day on the Fourth of July; but in 2018, I decided to mix it up and cross this patriotic musical off the watchlist. I’d seen James Cagney’s gangster movies like White Heat and The Public Enemy, but seeing him sing and dance was a whole new joyous discovery. This movie is entertaining, funny, touching, and full of iconic sequences that other films would go on to borrow from. I absolutely loved it. Pretty sure I saw this on Filmstruck originally, but since that’s no longer possible you should be able to find it at your local public library or you can rent it for a couple bucks on Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, and the like.

44. The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950, directed by Felix Feist, country of origin: US)

This tightly wound noir thriller pits brother against brother against the backdrop of 1950s San Francisco. Lee Cobb plays an aging bachelor and an accomplished police detective who falls for the wrong dame. His younger brother, played by John Dall (Gun Crazy, Rope), has just joined the police force and idolizes his older brother. Trouble strikes when the dame murders her no good husband and needs help from Cobb to cover it up. Naturally, Dall gets assigned to the case and as he begins to piece together the clues, he doesn’t like where they’re leading him. The climactic sequence is one of my favorite endings to a noir film, and I’ve seen a lot of them. Watch it for free if you have Amazon Prime; otherwise, there are a few versions uploaded to YouTube of varying quality or you could wait for it to pop up on TCM.

43. Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003, directed by Thom Andersen, country of origin: US)

This documentary edits together clips from movies of every era that were filmed or set in Los Angeles, and explains through voiceover narration the significance of each location and the history of the motion pictures in LA. That’s it--very simple concept but also fascinating. I split this up over a couple nights because it’s pretty long, but if you’re a film fan or a Los Angeles native, this is well worth your time. The voiceover is kind of hilariously flat in its delivery--kind of a Steven Wright sound actually--but that sort of adds to the charm for me. Get a taste by watching the trailer, and then you can rent it on YouTube for $1.99.

42. A Simple Plan (1998, directed by Sam Raimi, country of origin: US)

It’s been almost two years since we lost Bill Paxton; I don’t know about you but I don’t think any other actor can really fill those shoes. This year I caught up with three films that showcased his talent: A Simple Plan, One False Move, and Frailty. He plays very different characters in each one but in many ways they all start off with a similar premise: Ordinary guy dreams of becoming more. What that “more” is for each character is what sets each film and performance apart, but Paxton provided a great canvas to paint these unique characters onto. He inhabited the ordinary man better than just about anyone.

In this film, which I watched during Noirvember, Paxton plays Hank, a college-educated guy working a blue collar job in a small town, trying to make a better life for himself and his family. He’d like to get away from those small town roots, but his socially awkward brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) relies on him. Unfortunately, Jacob is often accompanied by the hard-drinking loose canon Lou (Brent Briscoe). When the unlikely trio discover a crashed plane in the woods containing a suitcase full of cash, they each have ideas for how to handle the situation. Of course things escalate from there, and the way the movie explores human nature and family ties set this story apart. Available for online rental on the usual platforms.

41. The Iron Giant (1999, directed by Brad Bird, country of origin: US)

Given my obsession with Vin Diesel in the early 2000s, it’s pretty shocking I never saw this movie til now--sure, he and his glorious muscles don’t appear on screen, but he does provide the voice of the title character after all. When the Iron Giant made a controversial cameo in this year’s film adaptation of Ready Player One, I decided it was time I saw the source material for myself.

This gorgeously animated fable unfolds during the Cold War era, and features an ET-inspired story arc of a young boy befriending an unlikely being that the government is looking for. If you’ve never seen it, this is definitely a must-watch. Currently available on Netflix, but rentable on other platforms too.

40. The Unsuspected (1947, directed by Michael Curtiz, country of origin: US)

I adore Claude Rains, star of this film and supporting actor in Curtiz’s more famous work, Casablanca. Here, he plays the host and narrator of a popular radio show that revolves around tales of murder--basically the Law and Order: SVU of its day. We learn early on that he sometimes draws inspiration for his broadcasts from real life criminals. When people in his own life start dropping dead, the plot thickens and he finds himself at the center of the action. A very suspenseful and well-plotted film noir, which is available from the Warner Archive collection on DVD. I got to see it at Noir City Chicago, and loved every second of it.

That’s all for this entry--stay tuned for part two of this list, posting soon!

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lunebinnie · 5 years

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(1/11)Oh my gosh yesss I'm glad that you like long messages too because I talk way too much 😂 (And yeah about my friend and just hanging out w/ her more that's exactly what I was thinking 😂) It's actually kind of funny bc just yesterday I was hanging out at her house and her younger brother needed to go to Walmart and I was like 'I've been meaning to go to Walmart, I'll take you' and ofc since I have a bluetooth radio adapter the whole drive I had my Spotify going with some quality k-bops, lol

2)And as we were driving I noticed him kind of jamming and I was like 'Oh my god Mickey do you actually like this???' And he was Like 'yeah, these are some good bops 👍' I was shooketh. I had to go home before I had the chance to show him any music videos but he says he's open to watching some with me next time I see him. One way or another I'm going to turn someone in my social circle into a kpop fan you mark my words ☝ and then maybe we can team up and try to work on his sister some more 😂

3)I only started first getting into kpop last June so I'm still very new, but it's definitely super frustrating how so many ppl act like it's an inherently bad or cringey genre of music just bc it's kpop! The stigma is ridiculous! I also started out with BTS (lol) and since they're pretty popular in the US at least I was able to be like 'See, this isn't just a niche thing, lots of people know abt and like this group' but of course my dad still says 'Just cause it's popular doesn't make it good'

4)And I'm like? You're a band teacher, you of all people should understand that music doesn't have to be in your native language (or even have lyrics) in order for you to enjoy it, but go off I guess... It's the same with one of my college friends. They make fun of me for liking kpop but this is coming from some who still treats March 22nd (the day My Chemical Romance broke up) as a day of mourning. Like, no tea no shade no pink lemonade, MCR was a good band nothing wrong with liking them.

5)But like if you're 22 and you still haven't grown out of your emo phase do you really have room to pick on other people for their music taste? 🤷 Anyway that's the person who follows my main that I didn't want to know I had a kpop sb. I think I made it around July. Tbh it was pretty dead for most of 2018. But like I said I've started using it way more since I recently revealed that it exists, lol. Especially since that good good Astro cb 👏💗😩 But honestly Astro is such a blessing

6)Idk how I lived so long w/o them. When I first got into kpop I was planning on just sticking to BTS since the reaction to me being into kpop was so volatile. I was like 'I'm only into one group, ppl already are negative about me liking kpop so I'm just gonna stick to this and not become a full on multifandom fan' and then in Nov I accidentally let myself fall in love with Monsta X and that plan was foiled. And realizing I wasn't gonna be able to stick to just one anymore opened the floodgates

7)And I was like okay in that case, let's just start getting into *all groups* Lol. My story of getting into Astro was actually bc of my best friend's roommate (can you tell I have like one friend and my whole social circle kinda revolves around her? Lol) so this roommate when she heard me being sad about having no kpop friends was like 'oh hey, I'm kinda into kpop' and it turns out she didn't like very many groups and was one of the ppl who blah blah BTS is overrated, which ya know isn't ideal8)But I was just really desperate to have someone to talk about kpop with. And Astro was her favorite so I was like, okay I'll get into them so that I have something to talk about with her! So I started watching some videos and I fell in love with them pretty much instantly! And I was real excited bc #1 now I can talk about kpop with someone! And #2 this group is actually amazing? Bonus! ... And then they got in a big fight about their living conditions and the roommate ended up moving out RIP

9)So that didn't work out, lol (Your story about finding them during that internship sounds amazing though! Haha) But yeah, so this is my first cb too! And although I love them w/ my whole heart and would have loved to have them in my life even sooner what an amazing cb to be your first! The concept was wonderful, the album was excellent, the visuals were to *die* for. They worked so hard and I'm so proud of them and I'm so happy we got to see their work come to fruition and get them a win 🤧🤧

10)The dance practices though? You're so right omg 💗 Me and my Rocky bias *fully* understand 😂 All of them are such good dancers?? I never fail to be impressed. Of course you know who I always end up watching tho 👀 lol (̶i̶f̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶l̶f̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶R̶o̶c̶k̶y̶'̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶o̶t̶w̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l��d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶e̶y̶e̶s̶.̶.̶.̶)̶ ̶ I also love how at the end they always pause all dramatic for a minute and then start screaming 😂

11)It's like? Amazing talent *and* dorky personalities? What more could you ask for? Lol. In regard to your last question though Unfortunately I also won't be able to see them 😔 I live in the smack middle of the US and since they're only going to coasts all of the venues are way too far away to get to. Esp since it's the school year and I can't skip class to drive cross country for a concert much as I'd like to (Holy lord I talked over twice as much?? Why am I like this?) Talk again soon! -ASA

Okay SO I’m very sorry I haven’t had the time to answer everything until now bc I’ve been busy studying for midterms and also I was a lil trashy today since my uni closed bc of freezing rain so I slept in but I’m glad that FINALLY everything got sent like damn tumblr you really don’t want us making friends huh.

Yessssss I love the feeling of seeing someone else also get into the same interests! I’ve been pretty lucky in the sense that I grew up around mostly other asian americans, so kpop was never something that was considered super “weird,” like some people were into it and some weren’t but even if you weren’t you still would’ve been familiar with the more popular groups from when you were younger. Even now, I have a bunch of friends also into kpop (one of them is even my roommate) so tbh I was definitely the one in my friend group late to the party aha. Even my university hosts kpop nights at our bar and I’m pretty sure we have a kpop dance team as well? So tbh if I met someone new there’s probably like a 50% chance they’re into kpop or at least listen casually.

Tbh I used to be a little bit judgy too but moreso because of the obscene amount of money I’ve seen some of my friends spend (no joke one of my friends has spent probably like $500+ on Loona stuff in the past month and a half and another friend bought like 5 copies of the same album for herself like damn idk how do you have that much money).

I also really don’t like it when people bash other people’s music tastes, since I feel like it’s something so personal? Idk but for a long time I used to be really self conscious about sharing my music with other people and even now I feel like that sometimes. For me after getting into BTS I kind of expected to get really into other groups since I was in Korea anyway and I was already listening to a lot of other artists casually. For me it started with NU’EST (fell for them immediately at the same concert that I saw Astro at) and then after was Astro, and then I just started slowly getting into other groups after that (even though I haven’t totally been able to get into Got7′s music they’re SO funny and I just kinda fell for their personalities you know).

I honestly think that they did such a wonderful job with this comeback too! I like seeing their concept evolve and mature but they’re not straying too far from their original cute concept so I feel like it’s a nice middle ground that’s very unique to them, you feel? Also I feel like the visuals especially and the execution of the whole plant concept was just done so well?? Even my friend who’s not in kpop was like “k idk who they are but that was the prettiest music video I’ve ever seen”. What are your favourite eras and songs? For me I’d have to say either the Spring Up or Baby era BUT right now my favourite song is probably Again/Should’ve Held On though tbh my mood and my tastes change like every few weeks loool.

I have no idea why I tend to be most attracted to the dances rather than vocals or rap (maybe has to do with the fact that it’s something I’ve always wished I could do but have always been bad at lmao). But Astro’s stood out to me for the exact same reason! I just thought it was so funny seeing them all break character at the end because you really get to see how hard their choreos are and you get a glimpse of their personalities like damn, how can you not stan these dummies?

That’s really unfortunate that you won’t get to see them either :/ They’re also coming to the closest city to me but it’s on a Tuesday, but I *hypothetically* looked up flight prices and tried to see if I could get away with just missing a day of classes if I flew back in the middle of the night since I have some friends who did the same thing and drove down to Buffalo but I seem to have underestimated the size of New York State LMAO. But apparently my university’s too far from the airport so it’s “not realistic” (and also I’m hella broke from travelling to Taiwan and Japan while I was in Korea but that’s a minor issue ig). I hope we do both get a chance to see them live though! Who knows, after the success of this comeback I’m expecting a lot more cbs and world tours out of them ;)

#asa #Anonymous

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periodicreviews · 6 years

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RWBY/RTX Austin 2018

Last weekend, I went to RTX Austin which is Rooster Teeth’s annual convention. Last time I went in 2016, it was about primarily to try it out, but I was also interested in seeing the RWBY panel for the plan the staff had for the forthcoming Volume 4, the first without Monty. I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Jeff Williams would be performing a concert and this turned out to be the highlight.

I skipped 2017 because there was no Jeff Williams concert and partially due to being disappointed with Volume 4.

I bet this year on the fact that Jeff would be coming back and that turned out to be a good choice because the show did not disappoint. I don’t think the 2016/first time experience can ever be topped, but this 2018 show was equally worth the money.

After the disappointment that was Volume 4 and the mediocre Volume 5, I wasn’t as hyped about RWBY, but I figured I should still go to RTX and see it since I’d be there anyway. But admittedly I was going more for the concert than anything else.

The following is a summary of the RWBY panel #1 on Friday, the JWFO concert and Q&A, and a few other things.

RWBY pre-panel

There were several things that stood out to me at this panel.

Before the panel began, two women came out on stage to warm up the crowd. (This was after Craig from GameAttack came out to ask for donations for the Extra Life charity stream that they do). I hate to reduce them to stereotypes because I don’t really know anything about them and don’t have anything against them, but it’s the easiest way to convey the scene. Girl #1 was cosplaying as Yang. She seemed to be a very energetic and outgoing type of person and I got the impression that she is trying to get hired by Rooster Teeth in a marketing/PR role. Girl #2 was wearing a RWBY dress and was the quieter kind of nerdy girl who had a little trouble speaking either due to nervousness or she just stutters when she talks. Girl #2 also had a bat wrapped with barbed wire, like from The Walking Dead which apparently someone just gave to her as a gift.

I bring up their appearances/personalities because they mentioned they had introduced several panels together, meaning that some organizer had put them together for some reason. There just didn’t seem to be any chemistry between the two. Girl #1 would start to go off on a PR line about how beautiful all the Yangs/cosplayers looked and Girl #2 would say “I like turtles”. She didn’t actually say “I like turtles” but I’m just trying to illustrate the kind of disconnect between them.

“So amazing!”

Girl #1 repeated this phrase at least 20 times while she was on-stage. I get she was there to hype up RWBY and RT, but maybe she went a little too far. She made it sound like everything at RTX was the best thing ever, which I get for fans, it’s a very enjoyable experience and from a PR perspective that’s what you want to convey. This is no different from something like Electric Daisy Carnival where they really push the “You are loved”/“We are all friends” message as you bake for 12 hours in the sun.

“Proud of me yet dad?”

Girl #2 said this near the end of their time and it felt like it was one of the few genuine moments during that opening.

“RWBY is the most forward facing property that Rooster Teeth has.”

Girl #1 said this and it’s one of many things she said that made me think she was trying to get hired.

“Are you guys ready for the Yang-bang with Barb?”

I cringed at this. I was completely unaware that the group selfie with Barbra Dunkleman (the voice of Yang) and other Yang cosplayers was referred to as a Yang-bang (I looked it up and that is what she tagged it as in 2016). I get that RWBY is now dark and gritty and no longer a “kid-friendly” show per se. But phrasing the selfie like this seemed to be a little too casual pun on “gangbang”.

Besides this, they went through the usual crowd questions like “Who’s here to see RWBY?”, “How many people have been to RTX before?”, “Did you guys get your merch? Oh that merch is so great.”, etc.

RWBY main panel

Once the panel officially started, I was confused as to why, just like in 2016, everyone seems so unorganized/unprepared. Maybe they think it’s funny, but I’d much rather prefer just a concise 45 minutes of presenting/banter, with 15 min for question. Kerry is always like “Oh guys, where did I put that? Is this next? Is that later? Should we just do it now?”

They announced “RWBY After the Fall” a new set of YA novels from Scholastic. It makes sense that they’re exploring the RWBY universe but it does make me wonder whether the V4 timeskip was seen as more of a business opportunity or done more in service to what would make the story better.

The most shocking thing about the panel was the discussion about how the writing process is different for Volume 6. Kerry and Miles initially started to say “In the past” but then quickly altered course and said “Let’s not talk about how we used to do it, just how we’re doing it now.” They basically described how they are writing more than one draft/getting the opinions of other people in the company who have been on the RWBY team for a long time.

It was shocking that they are doing it just now in Volume 6. I can understand Volume 1 and 2 just being a product of Monty/Miles/Kerry and 3 can kind of get a pass. But before/during Volume 4 and 5, wasn’t there anyone that said “Hey, maybe we need to do something different”? Maybe they did and it didn’t work out like they hoped. I am glad to hear that they are trying to improve the process.

The other big thing they did was to show a new character short. This one focused on the villains, mainly the White Fang/Adam. The short featured at least one new Jeff Williams vocal track and some of the animation looked amazing. In general, the animation for V4 and beyond has been decent to good, but there aren’t many instances where it really blows me away.

The short shows Sienna Khan using a chain rope weapon against multiple enemies at the same time. The chain (with a blade at the tip) moves so fluidly and the combat has a real sense of rhythm to it. Sure, you can have the greatest animation in the world, but it doesn’t mean anything if the story isn’t there to match it. I’m willing to stick around some more to see if the script improves. They did also announce a new RWBY Co director and if this short was a product of his involvement, then I like what I’m seeing so far.

Jeff and Casey Williams Q&A

When tickets first went on sale, the only option to be on the floor was to pay 60 dollars for a poster, ticket, and Q&A with Jeff and Casey. I think afterwards, you could just buy the standalone ticket, but I didn’t want to risk not being on the floor.

I get that the concert is hosted by ACL and not by RTX, but you would think there would be a little more coordination between the two organizations given that the concert appears on the RTX schedule and the graphic says “RTX presents”. On Saturday afternoon, I tried to figure out when and where the Q&A would be held. The regular guardians didn’t know and referred me to their manager. I was told to contact the venue to find out and that RTX wasn’t in charge of the event. It was just weird that RTX staff didn’t seem interested in finding out for themselves. I would bet I was not the only person to ask someone at RTX for information about the concert. Additionally the guy in charge of coordination was apparently not at RTX that day so I guess maybe he would’ve known. I ended up getting an email at 4pm telling me to go to the venue at 6pm. But for anyone who didn’t see that email, they were pretty upset that they missed it.

When I got to the venue, one of the staff members saw my Babymetal shirt and asked if I had seen them at ACL. I said no, but that I had seen them elsewhere. From that guy’s reaction and some of the looks from the other staff members, it felt like they instantly had a level of respect towards me. Like they had seen how the fans of Babymetal were at the show and thought “hey, this guy knows his good music.” Maybe I read them completely wrong. It was a very bizarre feeling because few people know what Babymetal is and fewer can read my almost illegible shirt.

Jeff seemed like he didn’t enjoy the stress of having to put on a big show and seemed kind of bored or just tired? Maybe RWBY fatigue is setting in and he feels kind of trapped by the constraints of the show. He talked about wanting to retire and start his Rush Limbo side project, which is music by the band Rush set in all 4-4 time in a reggae style. Obviously someone had to be that guy to ask Casey if she was single. I realize the guy thinks he is being funny or has a chance, but I think you’d be far less likely to go out with someone after subjecting them to a question like that where they are obligated to give you a response.

They floated the idea of playing shows in other locations but that seemed to be constrained by the forces at Rooster Teeth. Or maybe they’re just concerned they aren’t big enough to make any money off a tour. Jeff recommended everyone read a book called “The War of Art” which is about overcoming yourself to create the thing you’ve always wanted but never finished.

JWFO concert

The concert itself was great, but got off to a late start.

I almost forgot about all the weird things that happened while waiting for the concert to start. Someone started a sing along to Bohemian Rhapsody and several other songs. I’ve experienced the Bohemian Rhapsody sing along before, but never at another concert. When they played Numb by Linkin Park as background music, everyone sang along to that too, which is something that I have seen at other concerts at Hard Rock/House of Blues. At one point some people in the crowd erupted in shouts of “Jason?!” which I can only assume was a Heavy Rain reference. Then the crowd started to cheer whenever any technician or photographer came on stage. Again, this is not something I experience at many/if any shows.

This super hype atmosphere is fine, until it turns into everyone trying to be a comedian while there’s either a break between songs, or when the musicians are conversing on stage. Someone said like “Rest in pieces Pyhrra” or something like that at one point and sure I can handle one or two jokes or the occasional shout out. But at the end of the day, I’m here to see the band, not the crowd. I don’t blame those people in the audience trying to get Jeff or Casey to notice them and to have that deeper connection, but it gets old after a while.

There seemed to be communication issues or just not enough time to practice the ordering of the songs. Richie Branson was incredible as an opening act. I’ve seen him three times before and he is great every time. I think a lot of the audience didn’t know who he was or that there would be an opening act, but he seemed to win everyone over by the end of the first song. Adrienne Cowan, Lamar Hall, and Lydia were great again on vocals during the main act.

There were sadly no solos sections like there were in 2016. I remember vividly the extended piano solo the keyboardist performed to lead into “When It Falls”. Jeff also didn’t crowd surf this year either. But I think they were just pressed for time. Casey still seems to struggle more on some songs than others, but she was frank during the Q&A that she has a long way to go and it’s a struggle to keep up at Berklee.

Highlights for me were “Ignite” and “Smile” off the Volume 5 soundtrack.

Other things

I spent the majority of my time in the Vendor Room playing Rock Band 4. Harmonix was there because “This Will Be The Day” is now available as DLC. But with everyone playing the same song, I think they were grateful for anyone who wouldn’t play that. There were some talented players there and it just felt good to play Rock Band after not having done it with a group in a while. I think the people in the Rock Band line were some of the friendliest I met all weekend.

I felt like I struggled socially during the whole weekend. Maybe it’s just that most con-people aren’t very good at socializing. Or it’s just me or a byproduct of going alone. Everyone else staying at the hostel I was at was interested in talking though.

I went to see an improv comedy show at the Fallout Theater. The show was called “Penalty Box” and there were a set of rules that the audience knew but the performers didn’t. So every time they violated a rule, they would get sent to the penalty box and through trial and error they would figure out most of the rules. It’s entertaining as an audience member, but as someone who is taking improv classes, I recognize how painful it is for the performers. Some of the rules prevent you from doing things that you are taught to do, resulting in at least one scene where the performers just stood still on stage and didn’t talk.

The Mega64 panel was also very enjoyable. Arcade UFO is a pretty nice arcade with a lot of games you don’t normally see in the US. I also got to see a friend I haven’t seen in a while. I have mixed feelings about Troy Baker’s “TED” talk style panel, but I respect that it was not just “another Q&A” type panel.

Maybe I’ll go back next year.

#rtx 2018 #rwby

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vomiting-out-words · 6 years

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Boyfriend’s Background Commentary - The Twilight Saga Part Uno

Movie: Twilight

Director: Catherine Hardwicke

Cinematography: Elliot Davis

Budget: 37 million USD

Release Date: November 21, 2008 (Canada)

Watched: August 21st, 2018

Boyfriend: @shiftaria

Part Uno - Part Dos - Part Tres - Part Cuatro - Part Cinco

With very little convincing, I managed to get my boyfriend to watch Twilight, about 10 years later. After all, he’s never read the books or really seen the movies, so, I thought it was about time. Having read and watched the sage myself over the years, I have this entire series implanted in my head, since I am that lame, so, to watch this with someone with fresh eyes is about to be very interesting.

Now this is the first movie, and like these movies, they try to start off like the book, and it’s pretty cool like the visual was welcoming, yet, the lighting was rather bright. With the brightness being as such, it makes this seem like such a fantasy world when it’s really just a teen romance.

Just a heads up, we’ve attempted watching this a while back and never finished. This is attempt number two.

Anyways, we get introduced to Bella Swan, who is off to live with her father that is pretty on the other side of the country, because she doesn’t want to travel around with her mother and Phil; Bella’s mother’s new husband. So, off to one of the rainiest places in the world. Which can totally be relatable, because so do Shifter and myself live literally in one of the rainiest parts of the world, literally twelve hours away from Forks.

We know a total of four characters, two of which don’t even make any kind of impact to the plot. Now, we are introduced to two more; Jacob Black; who made mud pies with Bella when they were little, and Jacob’s father; Billy Black, Charlie Swan’s best friend. We are then introduced to Bella’s lovely truck that can take a beating, which was rebuilt by Jacob. Bella does the lovely thing by hitting Jacob with the door as thank you.

First day at a new school, where all the guys just want to fuck her. Making friends with Mike, Jessica, Eric, and Angela, though Angela would be the only one that could even be called a friend, then besides Jacob (at least at the moment).

PA Announcement from Shifter: lots of three point mid-length shots, ei: a longer shot that has three different framings with two cameras moved that are transitioned between on an action beat.

This moment now is to lunch, where the Cullen’s are introduced. All of which come walking in white, then he comes Edward; dressed in black. I agree with Shifter that this was very in your face visual metaphor about Edward being the black sheep of the Cullen family. Also, another point that Shifter had pointed out, they don’t focus on it either. Like movies are either blunt about the metaphor or more in the person’s face, this movie is kind of pulling a middle ground, which is apparently throwing Shifter kind of off. Now for me, Edward just makes the scene awkward with staring, borderline glaring.

Back to class, which I now think is Biology. And shoot to Edward with wings behind his head, that once again is a shot at a metaphor. Back to Bella, who is standing in front of a fan, blowing her wonderful scent towards Edward. Jump to Edward very much overreacting. Now, this is where my wonderful boyfriend comments on their acting. This short story of it all is high school students putting on a play with a poorly written script, so their acting is either stiff or overacting.

We now get Buttcrack Santa and Bella getting really awkward with people because she hasn’t really been to Forks in a really long time. Now, I mentioned really shitty lighting with this movie. Thanks to Shifter he made a really good point. The scenes are really graded blue to give the feeling that it was at the risk of raining at any point. Like it’s fitting for the movie but the only issue was, it made the movie too fantasy-like.

Nice Edward, he apologizes for not talking to her when she sat next to him when she first arrived. It’s all way too strange, to begin with. He tries to be nice, only, Bella almost gets killed later that day, risking Edward and his family to be found out just because he went to save her. Back to being old and mean Edward. At least Alice tried to be nice to her. These scenes are just Edward mood whiplash. And she tries to invite him down to La Push as well, to be nice. Bella gets teased, and finds about the ‘Cold Ones’. Now we’re watching a Canadian History documentary, not that it wasn’t appreciated.

If Dr.Cullen might be a matchmaker, but Bella is a good friend and matchmaker herself for her friends. And she goes out of her way to do some serious research on something that shouldn’t be real, yet it’s very much is. Which leads to a very interesting way that might as well equal to coming out. But it was a rather good exchange.

Shifter finds that entire scene good, mainly because of the information dump that was given to him. Like the vampire camouflage, and the white, diamond skin. He was watching the movie with interest. Bella was asking questions, which was really good. The only line that made us cringe, was about Bella being Edward’s own brand of heroin.

Now with the movie slowing down a bit, Bella actually went out of her way for the Cullen’s to not worry about her. She gets a look into Edward’s life, through a music video with a beautiful piano, which goes to Charlie meeting Edward.

Que Charlie’s badass acting skills, especially with a shotgun. Very threatening, and very clever. Edward being very polite and say your daughter is going off the play baseball. Now, if Edward only had told us what Charlie was thinking at that moment.

Baseball! In a thunderstorm! For what reason!? To hide them making a loud boom when the ball hits the bat. Kind of surprised that nothing broke while they were playing since super strength is a thing. Like this scene was another music video, just a bit more fun than it was previously with the piano music. Really shows the family, but it’s a subplot that comes out of nowhere, yet this was pulled from the book since it’s the way to introduce our first three baddies of the series.

Thank god for Alice’s vision because they could have gotten Bella killed. Now, this is where I kind of get salty. They totally had time to get Bella out of there, just put her in the jeep and go, it would have saved like the last 30 minutes of the movie from being a fucking mess of unnecessary drama and Bella wouldn’t have to be mean to Charlie just to keep him safe.

Off to Arizona, Bella goes with Jasper and Alice, kind of putting Bella’s mom at risk. Why are they coming into a hotel during the day in Arizona? No clue, but let’s hope they don’t get found out. Just chill in a room with two vampires until your vampire boyfriend calls to let you know that you both need to disappear for a while. Now, to maybe an hour later, another phone call, but not any phone call, mom is worried about you, only to be a trap. Also, I’m honestly not surprised that Victoria got Bella’s information for James. They’re vampires, pretty easy to figure out a way to hack into a computer or something.

We all know that Bella is a complete idiot, so, she just goes alone, leaving no note or anything for the Cullen’s. Back to her old ballet studio, with glass everywhere, doesn’t that scream very bad things are about to happen. Oh, and smart on James for using a recording to bring Bella to him. Yet, dumb on Bella to use pepper spray, like what is that to do on a vampire?

Bella gets thrown across the floor, head bashing into a corner, and yes, she starts bleeding. Bring in sadistic James, who has a video camera, filming all of this, along with whatever thought told him to break Bella’s leg at that moment. Oh where, oh where is Edward? Oh, he finally arrived, but alone, and Bella is very much hurt. How hasn’t she passed out from her leg being broken is beyond me. Edward tried to get them away, but James has Edward back into a fight. James has the upper hand, Edward is too frantic with concern over Bella and the fact that her scent is filling the air due to the blood, giving James the chance to bite her.

Back to music video mode with inner monologue, and probably a seizure warning. Like I mentioned before, this entire part could have not happened if Edward and Bella just left the field, but whatever. Finally, after all of that, we get Bella frantic in a hospital room due to Edward saying that they shouldn’t be together. Kind of disappointed that we didn’t get to see Bella apologize to Charlie about all of this, it would have been nice to see since Charlie is kind of a huge part of the series, more so than Bella’s mom (I honestly can’t remember her name and way too lazy to even google it).

Father judging Edward scene, it’s very obvious that Charlie doesn’t trust Edward that much anymore for getting his daughter hurt and “hurting” her. But Bella is in a very beautiful dress, even if she’s in a cast. With words from Shifter, I would have to agree they dragged out the ending here a little much, but my main issue was why didn’t they have this nice lighting for the entire movie? It was soft and much more realistic in my opinion.

All in all, it was a good start to this review. Hopefully, I can get the next one out as soon as possible, because I can see this taking off somewhere.

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allykat4416 · 6 years

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Meme Trip 2k18: Kings DAYUMinion

Oh look, the Kings park that ACTUALLY DESERVES a giga!

You know what’s really stupid? Me, a hick who loves coasters and salivates at the POV for i305 and lives in Virginia, had NEVER been to Kings Dominion until May 2018. It’s blasphemous, isn’t it? I had to remedy that.

And the funny thing is? We almost didn’t go. The forecast was horrid. But we went anyway, because we’re ignorant and I decided a long time ago that 305 was worth it. I questioned my sanity a lot on the way down, especially when we hit wreck traffic leaving Baltimore or rains in DC.

Why did we do this? We didn't even really know other than "We like coasters," and "the hell of it." Knoebels fog this was not. This was Big Boy clouds, and when we pulled up and saw that replica of the Eiffel Tower, I hoped so desperately it was worth it.

But when I saw that cherry-red track slicing against the sky, I already knew it was. So we darted in and suddenly found ourselves on the famed International Street. But we didn't have time to admire how pretty it was; we had lots of coasters to meet and not a lot of time to do so.

Dominator was our first ride since it's so close to the entrance of the park. It’s pretty cool, better than Hydra and Rou but not as good as Biz. Still a fun ride as it is, and even though the “I’LL BE YOUR DOMINATOR” shirts gave me 7 strokes, I enjoyed it. There’s not a whole lot to say about it. The turns at the end were pretty cool, and I can’t believe I’ve ridden 2 Geauga transplants now. (Soon to be 3 if I ever get to KI and the line for Firehawk isn’t a sin against God.)

Time to dart again! We genuinely ran through so much of this park, but I want to go back and see more of it. It looks really pretty.

Flight of Fear took me by surprise. I’m not usually a huge fan of indoor rides, but this little fella was pretty neat. I’d definitely do the one at KI as well, so if I would ride a clone, that's a good sign that it's a pretty solid ride. The spaghetti bowl is truly disorienting, and the few lights they had were really pretty. This ride is best left unspoiled and experienced for yourself, so my lips are sealed! Just go ride it!

Rebel Yell (there’s no way in hell I’m calling it Racer75) needs some milk. It’s very obvious where the retracking was at, and much like Hurler and Fury at Carowinds, I attempted to flash 305 during the turnaround because that ride is sexy. More on her later. That ride is in some…poor shape otherwise. They were only running the blue side to boot. It’s not a bad ride, it just makes me sad. Please help it. Bailey the Ride Op was very hot though, and we may or may not have attempted to flirt with him.

Casie and I joked on the way down about how messed up it would be if we liked Twisted Timbers more than Steel Vengeance. Everyone slept on Hurler 2: RMC Boogaloo (I also BIG HATE the name Twisted Timbers. EXTREME dislike for that name, even still. I will refer to it by everything except that from here on out.)

So we waited, and we knew it was gonna be pretty bad. Operations were bad anyhow, with nearly 4 minute dispatches and only one train running. We DIDN’T know that it would go down for both a storm AND mechanical issues. We weren’t about to get cucked by Taylor Bybee, so we stood there, stubborn as a certain giga across the park, and we waited.

So finally, after nearly an hour, in the pouring rain, we boarded the bluest, most Yee-Yee train I’ve ever been on. I questioned my sanity as we pulled out from the dryness and relative warmth of the station, and when those first few drops hit my face, I knew I was in for one hell of a time. I was able to keep my eyes open for that barrel roll drop until the end of “Airtime Alley” before the rain got to be too much. I rode the rest of the ride essentially blind, letting Bad Name McAwful Name throw me along with it until the brake run.

How did Alan Schilke, in all his glory, take a paperclip layout and make it into THIS? How many innocent goats did RMC sacrifice, and to which specific Pagan deity did they do it in the name of? All jokes aside, we genuinely liked Taylor Bybee’s Yee-Yee Truck more than Steel Vengeance. I said it. I’ll say it again. (LRod is still the best RMC though.)

Speaking of. What’s up with the bad names here? Twisted Timbers, Racer 75, Apple Zapple (????????). KD, are you…are you okay? Do you need a hug?

Grizzly has a very nice station. It’s cozy, nestled back in the woods. It made me very hyped for my eventual introduction to Ohio’s favorite woodsy alcoholic. The ride is a little rough-and-tumble, but not so much that I didn’t enjoy it. Plus, riding in the blistering rain was a blast! To everyone on Reddit who praised KD Griz, and to my friend Nate who says it’s his favorite in the park, hats off. I can see what you see. Maybe not to the degree Nathan does, but it’s still a really good ride.

Like Thunderhawk at Dorney earlier in the adventure, Volcano was resting today. Which is disappointing, but I’m not surprised, and it isn’t like I won’t be able to go back whenever I so fancy, especially this fall. I’ll get that credit yet, it just won’t be this time and I’m okay with that. We figured it was time to leave when a certain ride was down for the rest of the evening and we saw someone attempting to swim in a rain puddle. So we chucked some deuces when we walked out, got a hotel room and some Dominos, took a shower, and called it a night.

“But, Ally! You’re forgetting something, aren’t you? Someone?”

Oh no, child. I’m merely saving the very best for the very last.

I ALWAYS had said, especially after Fury failed to really overthrow Force for me, that if there was ANYTHING in this world I would love more than Millennium, it’d be Intimidator 305. If I love Fury so much because it’s so similar to Force, I love 305 so much because she’s NOTHING like her sister at all. We shouted out “This isn’t Millennium Force?!” at the top, and… it was very, very prophetic. While Force is very showy and graceful, laughing in your face about how much better she is than you, 305 wants to kick your ass and prove it.

I didn’t grey out, sadly, but that just means I got to experience looking up at that godly lift hill in all its glory through the whole ride. The restraints gave me a bruise on my arm. I’m really sad that it’s faded. The twists on this thing make Maverick look like the gentle horse-nerd that she is. 305 isn’t “if Force and Maverick had a baby.” 305 is a beast all on her own, cut from a similar cloth as a lot of my other favorites like SkyRush, Toro, and LRod. This thing had alllllmost all of the intensity I expected it to WHILE IT WAS TRIMMED. I can’t wait to get back and marathon this thing. Hopefully trimless. I want to die.

With a gun to my head, you’d have to kill me. I can’t tell which one I like better. No wonder they’re twins. So congrats, Intamin, you outdid…yourself. Kind of. Maybe. I can’t tell.

#trip reports #Meme Trip 2K18

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kewltie · 7 years

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title: MONSTAR

author: kewltie

pairing: hyukjae/donghae

contains: slight media fic, non-linear narrative, celeb/manager, substance abuse, fandom

summary: The life and time Lee Eunhyuk--rock god, king of the airport's runway, lord of the tabloid's front page and Donghae's eternal migraine.

a/n: i said i wasn't going to start anything new new until i finish my other projects but LOOK it been two years (??) since i wrote anything that doesn't belong in magnetic, posted to my tumblr, OR updated any of my old fics soooo hey! this isn't even new new since i been working on this on and off on my tumblr for years now so haha /o\. i like to think of this entire 'verse as my love letter to lee hyukjae so HERE WE GO GUYS. 2-3 parts i think?? lmao I THINK.

>>>>>>>>>Part One<<<<<<<<<<<<<

#eunhae #fic: monstar #I SOLD MY SOUL TO FINISH THISSSSSSSSS #im not sure it worth it BUTTTTTTTTT IT'S DONE OMFGGGGGGGGG #well ok no it was mostly my sleep #it's almost four omg someone save me #i fucking lie #it's five now bc I HAD TO EDIT THE FORMAT AGAINA;SLJDF;ASJD

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therecordscratch · 5 years

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Album Review!

twenty one pilots - Trench

Released October 5, 2018

First of all, if you have decided to not listen to this band because of shallow reasons, I strongly suggest putting that aside and listening to the music for the music. That being said, I’ve been a fan of these boys since their album Vessel and they never fail to impress, so let’s go!:

Track 1 : Jumpsuit - The first or two simultaneously released singles from this album, Jumpsuit quite literally jumps right in to the heavy bass and drumbeats from our boy Josh Dun. I could get into the entire world created in this album, but instead of butchering the story, click here to see it explained better. However, you do not need to know the deep dive to appreciate the solid beginning track to an even more solid album.

Track 2 : Levitate - My favorite of the three singles, this track is one of the strongest in terms of Tyler Joseph’s flow and lyrics. He’s grown a lot in that sense and Levitate sure as hell shows that. Since the Billboard success of “Stressed Out” from their previous album, it seems like Tyler addresses the rise of popularity and dealing with such in this track and the album as a whole. But damn this song a good one!

Track 3 : Morph - I could dissect this song for hours and find something new. Tyler is truly one of the best songwriters of “mainstream” today. The flow is smooth and the percussion, as will most twenty one pilots songs, is solid and captivating. I also love the harmonies in chorus of this one. Favorite lines: For if and when we go above, the question still remains / Are we still in love and is it possible we feel the same? / And that's when goin' under starts to take my wonder Again, this song has so many layers but since we’re only on the third song, I’ll let you experience this song yourself.

Track 4 : My Blood - One of my favorites from Trench, My Blood takes reoccurring themes from previous twenty one pilots albums and puts in a beautiful song. Another song where the percussion really stood out to me, strong and eerie, so beautiful honestly. That combined with Tyler’s powerful lyrics and vocals? So fucking powerful, this track made me fall in love with this band again since my young middle school days. Also, I highly recommend the music video for this song, it provides another perspective on this song. Overall, a track to remember. :)

Track 5 : Chlorine - The most commercially successful song from Trench, Chlorine is a song about the influence of music it has on the narrator’s (Likely Tyler’s) life. I didn’t appreciate this song enough when Trench first dropped, I’ll be honest! But wow, shame on me. Tyler’s vocals are some of the strongest in this song, he even has a solid flow in this one too! And this bridge is so captivating, layered and heavy. Such a powerful song with deep vocals. A beautiful song through and through. A few of my favorite lines: Can you build my house with pieces? / I'm just a chemical

Track 6 : Smithereens - A cute and light love song from Tyler to his wife, Jenna. Also, props to Tyler for not caring what people think, no matter how big he gets, his wife is still deserving of a song at the expense of being thought of as a “sell out.” I love this subtle screw you. He sings of willing to be, quite literally For you, I’d go / Step to a dude much bigger than me / For you, I know I would get messed up, weigh 153 / For you / I would get beat to smithereens I’ve got to admit its a cute, upbeat and gentle song and Jenna is one lucky lady.

Track 7 : Neon Gravestones - A change in pace, this song brings. heavy energy with the drowning piano in the beginning. The subject of this song adds layers and layers. Personally, I interpret this song criticizing the glorification of depression and suicide in our culture today. The more you listen to this song, the more layers you peel back and really feel deep in your chest. Reminds me of old school twenty one pilots with a more mature tone. Lines that hit hardest : Promise me this / If I lose to myself / You won't mourn a day / And you'll move onto someone else Tyler isn’t beating around the bush. Also, the ending monologue from Tyler is one that lingers in your mind after the song ends: Find your grandparents or someone of age / Pay some respects for the path that they paved / To life, they were dedicated / Now, that should be celebrated

Track 8 : The Hype - A song to get you through the tough times, a song about pushing through, not listening to the people raining on your parade and trying to get you down. I really love the dynamic of the soft percussion and the airy vocals as the classic ukulele picks up. It’s an upbeat song to dance to, a lighter one to pick you up after Neon Gravestones. Just a pretty, bouncy, optimistic song to keep in your pocket when you need a friend to tell you you’ll get through it and to tell everyone else to stick it.

Track 9 : Nico and the Niners - One of the first two singles from Trench, this track is one that grew on me. This is the only song I feel needs a little bit of context about Dema and the fictional world of Trench, but the song is a jam for sure! I love the bouncy beat and the rebellious lyrics and vocals from Tyler. A great first song to hear after the year long hiatus. Did I mention the flow in this one? Tyler has really grown as a singer for sure!

Track 10 : Cut My Lip - A criminally underrated song from this album and perhaps my favorite, this song is fantastic. A track with gentle, yet heavy lyrics with a vibe of darkness and euphoria as Tyler sings away. The Chorus : Rust around the rim, drink it anyway / I cut my lip always makes me just want to lay down and zone out, in my own world. I love the steady drum beat in this song too, Josh is really bringing it on this album. The pre-chorus lyrics are some of my favorites too, just yes. A fairly simple song but one that has a special place for me.

Track 11 : Bandito - One of the most simple songs, yet one that holds a lot of power and emotion. Banditos, the rebels of Dema or a pretty heavy handed metaphor for the fans. The second verse specifically is simple yet full of such energy from Tyler. A line that really hits me is the Sahlo Folina line that is repeated in the song several times, a cry fro help. Also, fun fact, thank you Genius, but if you’re familiar with twenty one pilots music, the crackling sound in the background was used in their song Goner from their previous Blurryface album. I love Easter eggs like that, one of my many, many favorite things about listening to music. A beautiful song.

Track 12 : Pet Cheetah - A fan favorite and for good reason. A song about creating, a “Cheetah” is a brand of Keyboard but this also highlights Tyler’s creative process as he creates music. From the lyrics to Josh’s sick drum part, this song is one to get hard too. Tyler also utilizes the deep vocal effect he likes to use to really make abrasive the sound of this track. Favorite lines : I'll sit here 'til I find the problem / No, I move slow / I want to stop time / I'll sit here 'til I find the problem Writer’s block sure is a bitch.

Track 13 : Legend - I’ll be honest, this track was initially my least favorite from the album, but since the album’s release, I’ve wanted to give it a second chance and I’m glad I did! I love the little gentle but serious song about the passing of Tyler Joseph’s Grandfather who passed on March 17th, 2018. (He was on the right on the Vessel album cover.) The band’s Christian roots also shine in this beautiful song as Tyler discusses wanting to “meet for lunch again”, so pretty. Although an upbeat song, it makes me tear up a little. Rest in peace Robert Joseph, you’re truly a legend.

Track 14 : Leave the City - A beautifully weighted song to end this incredible album. Keeping up with the pattern of gentle piano songs closing albums, this track is one for the fans: They know that it’s almost over Tyler’s vocals at the end are dripping with emotion and power, choking up the listener and leaving this album with a note to carry for a long time. Also, Josh’s Dun crescendo is one of my favorite parts of the album. A solid ending to this powerful album.

Album Overview - Whether you’re a Bandito yourself, invested in the entire story of Dema or just want to appreciate a fantastic album, you’ll get that with Trench. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun came back from the one year hiatus with a deep, well thought out and powerful album that speaks volumes to the growth they’ve had as a band and as people. Twenty one pilots is. strong band that I recommend everyone listen to, no matter what preconceived notions you have. Let that go and enjoy one of the best albums of 2018.

Let me know what you think of this album! If you have an album you’d like me to review, shoot me an ask! Until then, I’ll talk to you guys in the next one.

Source: Genius

#Record Scratch Album Review #album review #trench #twenty one pilots #Tyler joseph #josh dun

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wishingfornever · 5 years

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2/22/2018 – No Contact: Siesta Thursday

I woke up at 8… fell asleep. Woke up at 11. Fell asleep. Woke up at 1. Staying awake.

Several dreams. The first dream was about my boss’s boss’s boss. Supposed to be a woman. Dreamed I was speaking with her but I can’t remember her face. Makes sense, since I have yet to see her face. Second dream… Esther. This one was different than recent Esther dreams. We were sitting in a room with other people, I was bored and she asked me if I wanted to read an article for couples who broke up and are trying to get back together again. I considered not going, but I reminded myself that I’d do everything I can to keep her. So, I said, “Actually, I would like that very much.”

Finally, the last dream I had, I was reminded that Esther and I no longer speak to each other and this saddened me. I fell asleep and I was crying, speaking to these people who weren’t really there. The room was dark. It was night. There was this woman there as well as several others. The woman wasn’t Ariel, but I had told this woman I loved her but I could never love her as much as I love Ariel. Then while I was crying, I rolled over to see the door open. I was alone at this time and I thought it was this same woman and I told her I’m sorry when she approached me. She got close enough and I tried to kiss her but she pulled back. As did I.

I realized it was my cousin, and apparently she was fired from her job and she was massively depressed, though she wanted to be fired. I reassured her, she left my room, I looked outside to this alleyway (that isn’t there in rl, it’s just these apartments out my window) and I saw a lot of rain. A lot of Mexicans too, like we were actually in Mexico and not a part of Houston that is heavily populated by Mexicans… which wouldn’t be too inaccurate to say, tbh.

Regardless, something told me they were Mexicans. I saw a couple walk down the street and I was jealous. Then I saw a man hit another man on the back of his head with a club. Then the police came. It was a mess.

Perhaps that dream was a reminder that I worry too much about myself when the world outside my window has… well, the burdens of the world. Criminals, cops, and lovers. Idk.

Anyways, the Boss’s Boss’s Boss. Triple B. She was supposed to inspect the store today. Yesterday, I closed. I did a poor job but I discovered… energy shots make my nose itch. It makes sense but I don’t have concrete evidence just yet. It’s very peculiar. Might have something to do with stress? Idk.

Customers are nice to me at work. I don’t know how to react. Several days ago, a woman tried to give me a bag of potato chips and a liter of pepsi. I told her I don’t drink soda and don’t like chips. She was nice and I felt horrible for saying no. Yesterday, I had a can of pringles and a two liter of root beer. I feel like an ass.

Of course, I hated the pringles and the two liter was to fix my water bottle which had become so dented I needed some carbonation to undent it. Worked great, btw.

I was given a box of chinese food from a coworker. Walked home with that. I have to say, it wasn’t my finest moment. Reason being is that there was chicken in it. I felt bad for that. I’m trying to be as vegetarian as possible. :/

Regardless, I ate everything. So consider 21st of February the last day I had meat. I’ll count until the next day I inevitably cheat. We’ll see.

My manager, the one I closed with last night… I legitimately think he hates Mexicans. Dan is his name. He’s the one who referred to customers as “Wetbacks” and on Monday (several days ago) said kid’s in the store were running loose because their parents were irresponsibly drinking and having a party a little bit down the way. I said “Oh, it’s Monday. Mondays are the worst days for partying.”

“Mexicans don’t care,” he said. “They party every night if they could and we have to deal with their kids because of it.”

The last comment, though perhaps not blatantly racist, didn’t sit right with me. The way he said Mexican… that was an issue I had.

Ironically, I had mentioned to the store manager (Jack) of Dan’s “Wetbacks” comment and how it caught me SO off guard. This wasn’t me reporting, I was just gabbing. That day when he said “Mexicans don’t care,” I found out he told Berenice, a shift manager like Dan. I asked him not to tell Dan about it. I don’t want to get involved in Workplace drama and if he knew I was gossiping, there would be a major conflict of interests and working would be… difficult.

I hate working with Dan. He smells, his breath smells, and he’s kind of a hassle. Bad days are made worse with him. I don’t have a lot of faith when working with him. He complains A LOT. Like so much. One of those. I try to be polite, but god damn. Like, he swears up and down that the store would fall apart without him (not those exact words, mind you).

Admittedly, he’s the only one who can do some chores because he is the only manager with a car. But, still. Some of the places he claims to have organized are kind of… crap.

I wonder if I’m just too extensive in my job or if everyone has phoned it in. I swear I’ve phoned it in but I’ve been wrong before.

So, remember how I wanted to message Marjane Satrapi? Ask her for advice? Not feeling so confident, so I won’t be doing that. I looked, and it’s probably a fan page I saw. I don’t have any chance in hell to get guidance from her.

It’s a shame. When she stopped identifying as Iranian, I could relate. When growing up, I pretended I wasn’t Mexican. My dad sort of made it out to be bad, so I thought so too. Now, I don’t want to identify as American but I don’t have anything else to be.

Dennis used to give me a hard time calling me, “Half-Breed.” A lot. It hurt more than I’d let on, but I ignored it. Whenever I mocked him, he was quick to say, “omg, wtf dude?!” but I never pointed it out. I guess I would have when dealing with Esther, but I was too emotional then. Might still be now.

He also called me “Mama’s Boy” a lot with Adriana which wasn’t as bad as half-breed because it was always my dad I had to call or whatever. I knew otherwise but half-breed… eh.

Whatever. Not trying to shit on Dennis for busting my balls. We all did it. Shane was the worst at it, though. Like, laughably bad. Fun times.

Right, Marjane.

I was hoping to get into a discussion with a fellow Marxist and discuss life… how to approach my dad, tell her about Esther, tell her my troubles, just… I need someone I feel I can relate with. Someone wiser than me. I won’t get that with my parents because my dad is part of the problem and my mom is too invested in me.

I really feel alone.

Tomorrow, I’ll message Esther. I’ll call my dad, too. Esther I will try to make quick. I’ll ask her if she’ll want me to change her name or whatever. Try to keep her identities secret. If not, I’ll keep the names how they are because… well, I’m lazy and I really don’t feel like changing ALL the names on a whim. But if she wants me to, I’ll listen. If she blocks me without saying a word, then I’ll assume she doesn’t mind.

Whatever the case, I’ll make it quick. Let her know I still care… perhaps she’ll see that and open up dialogue again. Won’t amount to much, but if there is a chance then this is the way to get there.

Of course, the worst case scenario is she blocks me immediately. The most likely scenario is that she messages me to tell me “Change my name” and then blocks me without saying anything else. The second to best case scenario is that she tells me to change her name, tells me she wishes me well, and then blocks me.

I can almost guarantee dialogue beyond that. Life hasn’t been kind to me, but… idk. Maybe sometime this year, things will get better.

Strangely enough, despite what’s happened since January, I feel like this may be my year. I mean, it started poorly… and continues to be mediocre, but there are a lot of things that are being released that appeals to my interests. Like, Age of Empires Definitive Edition is released (not for steam yet). Kingdom Come Deliverance (which has a bad title) is supposed to be pretty neat, if you can get past his HUGE forehead. Rome II Total War has more DLC being released for it for SOME FUCKING REASON. Doki Doki Literature club is a graphic novel about poetry… poetry.

I can’t play of these things, yet. Like, AoE isn’t for steam or Windows 8, KDC is too graphically intensive, Rome II DLC hasn’t been released yet or I refuse to get at full price, and DDLC is free to download but I won’t be downloading it yet. Why not? I don’t know, I figure I’d wait a little while to play through it myself but it’s already been spoiled for me so no rush.

Adela didn’t go to work today. She was too sick. Which is great because Max wasn’t in here. So, I sort of slept in if you say taking a nap at about noon is sleeping at noon. I have yet to eat and it’s 5. She’s going to barre soon and she’ll leave Max with me. I think I’ll do some exercise, weigh myself after, have breakfast, then do the dishes.

I look a lot thinner than I used to. I’ve lost a lot of belly weight. I also feel stronger than I have in months. I’ve never felt stronger which is perhaps to say I’ve never been weaker. I’m ashamed to admit that. But, I’ll get over it.

Speaking of getting over it, Max is in the room now. He is something of a pest as of late and has been avoiding me. He used to be super chill with me but something’s happened. Now when we’re in the same room, he pesters me until I let him out. He REALLY doesn’t want to even be in the same level as me. Like, he waits downstairs when I’m in the room and when I’m downstairs he’ll be upstairs.

Hrm… Perhaps this started when we stopped giving him treats? I can’t even remember.

He was walking over the keyboard as I was typing. Unfortunately, his anxiety worsened when discord went “BLEEP” and that scared the crap out of him. So, that makes him want to walk on the keyboard. And Max has the worst breath (not as bad as Dan’s, though).

Now that I think about it, everyone at work has bad breath. I hate it. But I’m reminded of myself because I don’t bathe a lot when I’m depressed and I was depressed for a very long time. :/

Eh. I’m bathing more than I ever had and I’ve never been so… emotionally unstable. Things change, I guess.

About to walk max. Tried to brush my hair. Looked in the mirror. Smiled.

I look like the joker if he were chunkier and more Mexican. The comic book joker. The joker there is super skinny, but I have his angry looking smile. Erm…

The reason for this is because I shaved yesterday. No more beard. It’ll grow back. But… I probably shouldn’t shave.

That said, I now way 241.5 pounds. What is that in Metric? Not sure. The US is dumb. But that’s pretty light. Last time I measured myself, I weighed a bit more. I’m still losing weight, but at a slow rate.

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queen-enthusiast-39 · 5 years

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ASK ME THINGS

No one asked for these but I’m bored

1. You woke up naked next to the last person you texted, what would you say?

Probably “Good morning babe” because it’d be my boyfriend.

2. What’s going on between you and the last person you kissed?

We’re dating (A year and a half now)

3. If your boyfriend or girlfriend was into drugs, would you care?

Hard drugs yes. We probably wouldn’t be dating at all, but something like cigarettes or weed is fine

4. Is your last name longer than six letters? Yes. It’s 10 letters long.

5. Was your last kiss drunk or sober? Sober.

6. Have you ever wanted to have someone but you messed it up? If by messed it up you mean I never did anything to make it become something when the feelings were there in both parties, then yes.

7. What does your last received text say? “That’s not really helping” - I give terrible descriptions through text.

8. How many times have you kissed the last person you kissed? Too many to count.

9. Where was your last kiss at? My boyfriend’s place.

10. When is the last time you saw your sister? I don’t have a sister but I saw my brother 3 days ago.

11. What do you drink in the morning? Chocolate milk, tea, or juice.

12. Where did you sleep last night? In my bed in my apartment.

13. Do you think relationships are hard? Yes. They are hard but can be very fulfilling.

14. If you could go back and change something in the past 5 months, would you? Yes.

15. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, any problems? Nope. Again, its my boyfriend.

16. Would you rather it be sunny or rainy? Sunny.

17. Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you? Nope.

18. Are you wearing jeans,sweatpants,or pajama pants? Sweatpants.

19. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 years from now? I like to think so, but from some recent things maybe not.

20. Does anyone like you? I’m a pretty well-liked person, both socially and romantically, by a lot of people.

21. Have you ever kissed someone with a name that starts with an S? Yes.

22. Is the last person you kissed gay? Nope.

23. Is there a person you CANNOT stand? There’s a lot of people I can’t stand anymore who used to mean the world to me.

24. Have you ever considered getting a tattoo? Yes. I have one picked out for when I get the money.

25. In the past week have you cried? Surprisingly no, considering how stressed I’ve been.

26. What breed was the last dog you saw? Corgi.

27. Do you dry off in the shower or out of the shower? Out of the shower.

28. Have you ever kissed a football player? Nope.

29. Do you think you’re old? No. I’m only 20 and nowhere near close to being an adult.

30. Do you like text messaging? Yeah, but I really like talking face to face too.

31. What type of day are you having? Really tired and kinda depressed for some reason but otherwise good.

32. Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced? Yes.

33. Do you prefer warm or cold weather? Cold weather.

34. Is there a person of the opposite sex who means a lot to you? Yes.

35. Would you prefer a relationship or a fling? Relationsip.

36. Are you a simple or complicated person? I like to think I’m simple but I’m definitely complicated.

37. What song are you listening to? “Nowhere With You” by Joel Plaskett Emergency

38. When you say you’re sorry do you mean it? As a Canadian, I say it a lot out of habit, but when a situation calls for an apology, its always sincere. 39. Is there a girl that knows everything or almost everything about you? Yeah. My mom knows the most about me, and my ex-best friend knew a lot about me. There is one girl though that we are essentially “distance best friends”. She probably knows as much as my mom. 40. What made you start liking the person you like now? He was a genuinely sweet guy who always brought me tea at work and always offered to help me or do the work I didn’t want to do. He’s truly a sweetheart and is a big softie (only for me).

41. When did you last receive a text message? Like 10 minutes ago. 42. What is wrong with you right now? I’m extremely tired, burnt out, and slightly depressed. I also have bad back pain but it could be worse. 43. How well do you know the last female you texted? We could be sisters. 44. Does anyone disgust you? Some people from my past. The levels they sank to is just disgusting. 45. Would you date someone right now if they asked? Considering I’m in a relationship, no. 46. Are you in a good mood right now? I’m pretty neutral. 47. Who was the last person you talked to in person? My friend Julia in my Abnormal Psychology class. 48. What color shirt are you wearing? Grey with red/black details. 49. Has someone recently told you something you didn’t want to hear? No. It’s only been good news or needed things. 50. Anyone you’re giving up on? Possibly. Things are still working out. 51. Do you hate the person you fell hardest for? No. The guy I do hate I never fell that hard for him. I thought I did, but I realized things weren’t right. That’s why we didn’t last long (we also were a terrible pair).

52. Have you ever thought about giving up on someone but couldn’t? Yes. 53. Do you like rain? I LOVE the rain! It’s so relaxing and if I don’t have to go anywhere, I stay in bed snuggled in blankets with a mug of tea and Netflix, a book, or my knitting. 54. Do you care if your boyfriend/girlfriend drinks? No, because we both drink. We know our limits and keep each other to them if we start to go overboard. 55. Have you ever liked somebody and never told them? So many times yes. 56. Do you like to cuddle? Occasionally. Sometimes I feel like I’m being crowded or don’t want to be touched. I can’t be cuddled all the time, but most times I really like it. 57. Are you shy? I’ve grown shyer in recent years. I used to be really open and extraverted, but some experiences have made me more introverted. 58. Do you get along with girls? Some girls. It depends on the group, but at a surface level, I get along with most people. 59. Have you dated the person you texted last? I currently am dating them. 60. What do you carry with you at all times? Burt’s Bees Peppermint Oil Lip Balm (aside from usual things like wallet, keys, and phone). 61. If you were paid 1 million dollars to spend the night in a supposed haunted house, would you? Depending on the house, I’d try. 62. Do you think you can last in a relationship for five months? My first relationship was 4 months and I thought I’d never cross that threshold, but now I’m a year and a half down the line with my current boyfriend. 63. Think back to October, were you in a relationship? Yes. 64. The person you like kisses you on the forehead, do you find this cute? Yes! I find it so sweet, especially because I’m short. 65. Did anything “cute” happen in the last week? Not really. It’s been pretty dull so far.

66. How old are the last three people you kissed? 19 (boyfriend), 49 (mom), 21 (brother).

67. Would you rather pay to get your nails done or do them yourself? Pay to get them done. 68. Which do you like better- Zebra print or leopard print? I’m not a huge fan of either, but I’d be able to pull off zebra print better. 69. Do you have any stickers on your car? No. I have an irrational hatred for car stickers (especially car sticker families). 70. Would you rather listen to Luke Bryan or Lil Wayne? Luke Bryan I guess. 71. Blackberry, Android, or iPhone? My first phone was an Android but I currently have an iPhone. 72. When’s the last time you had pizza from Pizza Hut? November. 73. Do you like diet soda? Yeah. I prefer the regular versions but I’ll drink whatever. 74. What color are the walls in your room? Like a beige kind of colour. 75. Are you 16 or older? Older. I’m 20. 76. Do you watch Pretty Little Liars? Never watched it. 77. Do you have a job? Part-time because I’m away at school most of the year. I work as a cashier/supervisor at a drug store over the summer and holiday breaks and I volunteer at my university’s food bank during school terms. 78. What are your initials? L. V. R. 79. Did you ever have braces? From 6th grade to 7th grade. 80. Are you from the south? The South Shore of Nova Scotia yes. But not the American South.

81. What does your last status on facebook say? “Caffeine is a lie. I’m still exhausted but now I have a slightly faster heart rate”. 82. Do you still talk to the first person you ever kissed? Not really. He moved a few years ago and I haven’t seen him since. The only contact we have is through Instagram. 83. Are you closer to your mom or your dad? Definitely my mom. 84. Have you ever done cheerleading or gymnastics? I did gymnastics as a kid. If I had kept up with it I could’ve been a decent gymnast. I wasn’t terrible at it but it wasn’t a passion. 85. What’s the last movie you saw in theaters? Bohemian Rhapsody. It was great! 86. Do you smoke? Nope. Never have yet. 87. Would you rather wear heels or flip flops? Heels honestly. 88. Is your phone touch screen? Yep. 89. Do you normally wear your hair straight or curly? My hair is naturally curly and most days I’m too lazy to do anything else to it, so curly. 90. Have you ever snuck out of your house? Nope. I never really had a reason to. My mom was chill with me going places. 91. Would you rather swim in a river, lake, or pool? Lake. 92. Have you ever made out in a car? Yes. 93. …Had sex in a car? Almost, but we realized we had the house to ourselves anyway. 94. Are you single or in a relationship? In a relationship. 95. What were you doing last night at midnight? Scrolling through Tumblr because I couldn’t sleep. 96. When’s the last time you saw fireworks? Canada Day (July 1) 2018. 97. Do you like the camera on your phone? Yeah sure. I don’t take many pictures. 98. Have you ever had a friend with benefits? Nope. 99. Have you ever passed out from drinking? Nope. 100. Are you friends with people on Facebook that you actually hate? Yeah, there’s a few. I don’t use Facebook a whole lot anymore. 101. Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? I thought I did. Turns out I was just stressed and threw everything out of whack. 102. Name your favorite Kesha song: Tik Tok. It still slaps. 103. Do you have any tan lines right now? Not tan lines, but scars from a second-degree sunburn I got 2 years ago at a party on senior skip day. 104. Would you ever wear cowboy boots with shorts? I could make that work in the right context.

#queen-enthusiast-39 #bohemian rhapsody #get to know me #asks

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williamsjoan · 5 years

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DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Chris’s Top 10

As 2018 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2018 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2018 releases — can be considered.

In a year that I characterize with existential fear and internal anxiety, 2018 is when I figured out that while video games may not save society, they can at least help the individual. “Escapism” is an overused and reductive term, with the games I dug into providing a variety of positive forces: inspiration, awe, contemplation, camaraderie, and so on and so forth. This was also a year where I tried my darndest to play video games just to try to make myself feel happy.

But enough of that sappy stuff. I got some games to talk about, and this might come across as an unusual bunch. Most of this year for me was spent catching up with games from previous years, mainly titles that I waited for Switch ports. Once I was informed that games from any release year were fair game, the list that I already had was suddenly in flux.

First off, let’s pour one out for the titles that made my shortlist, but not my final top ten, including Hollow Knight (Switch), Dead Cells, Sea of Thieves, Wolfenstein II (Switch), Heaven Will Be Mine, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Red Dead Redemption 2: the latter three are games that I wrote pieces for on DualShockers, all which I linked to. Also, I never got a chance to play Florence, The Messenger, Gris, Return of the Obra Dinn, or Donut County as of this writing, and these were all titles I was looking forward to.

To be quite honest, this list, especially the tenth spot, kept changing every few hours. But I had a strict deadline for this, so let’s capture, in time, how I felt about games during this particular hour before I regret everything:

10. A Way Out

Okay, it’s here where I’ll straight up admit that this list is a weird one. I can’t particularly say that A Way Out is an exceptional game, but the experience of playing it was just fascinating. I played the main story with a close friend over two days, and while much of the core gameplay is standard or contrived, I couldn’t help but want to explore the environment and all of the activities that surrounded us. Well, at least after you break out of that prison.

A Way Out inspired the part of me that just wanted to break games. I wanted to see what my limits were, or if positioning our characters in a certain place together would prompt anything, or if there were activities that I can cheat in. While I was disappointed that some of the final missions of the game turned into an Uncharted ripoff with a Scarface vibe, the turn at the end of the game was peak “me trying to break this game.” Boy, was this fun—and the experience was so memorable to me that A Way Out just barely slipped into the list. Congrats, “f*** the Oscars” guy!

Check out the DualShockers review of A Way Out.

9. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

The general narrative around the Call of Duty games seems to be that the series just hasn’t been the same since Modern Warfare 2. There’s a bit of truth to that, but I must admit that I’ve always had a soft spot for Treyarch’s Black Ops subseries. The stories are usually absurd fun, but in terms of new features and gameplay mechanics, Treyarch has been forward-thinking. While I loved Black Ops II, Black Ops III proved to be a massive disappointment. Against my expectations, Treyarch won me back the fourth time.

Obviously, there’s less story here this time around, but the multiplayer is what keeps us all going anyway. I have to admit my surprise about how manual healing subtly changed up the gameplay—it may seem like a small addition, but I felt that I had a bit more agency and control as a result, and it added a small new layer of strategy. Blackout is a blast, and as someone who missed out on the PUBG craze when it first debuted (though I made up for that on PS4), the Call of Duty interpretation of it quickly won me over. Exploring that map also made me realize how weirdly nostalgic I was for World at War and the Black Ops games—maybe a silly thing to have reverence over, but a reverence I hold, regardless.

Check out the DualShockers review of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

8. Fortnite

That new-fangled video game with the floss dancing might be the most basic thing to like in 2018, but gosh darn it, I still fell victim to its charms. With cross-play finally making its way to Fortnite this year across all consoles, this battle royale game became the default multiplayer option amongst my circles. While I’ve never been wild about the gunplay, exploring the evolving map and learning how to utilize building to its fullest potential has been a truly unique and exciting experience.

And speaking of that evolution, I am just floored by how Fortnite’s battle royale mode just keeps adding elements and changing everything up. I was already thrilled when the golf carts were added, but last I saw, you can fly a freaking biplane now. The crazy map events inspire intrigue, and even though there is only one map, the fact that it changes regularly somehow keeps it all fresh. Do I think that it’s lousy that Epic is stealing dance moves? Oh yeah. But will my friends and I keep playing it? Probably. Ugh. Sorry, all.

Check out more of my thoughts in this editorial about Fortnite.

7. Tetris Effect

I’m often thrown the question of how Tetris is able to make me relax when the gameplay is inherently stressful. Still, to this day, I struggle to come up with words to describe that phenomenon. Luckily, Tetris Effect made that much easier to explain—I still don’t use words, but instead, I simply point someone towards some gameplay and ask them to use their eyes and ears. In case you don’t know by now, Tetris Effect is a gorgeous game, and it ended up as one of the most therapeutic experiences I’ve had with any piece of media this year.

It’s a game that just wants to inspire joy and inspiration, using historical and cultural imagery; sometimes its lifting and appropriating, but that’s an entirely different discussion for later. It wants you to admire the feats of humankind throughout millennia, but even if you couldn’t give a damn about humanism, it still sure looks pretty. I greatly appreciate how completing the Journey mode will allow players to simply enjoy the sensory experiences by themselves, because this game can get really difficult at times. Most of all, Tetris Effect affirms my love for adaptive soundtracks, something that you can only really find in games.

Check out the DualShockers review of Tetris Effect.

6. God of War

I can certainly see why the DualShockers staff picked God of War for the top prize this year. I had never touched any of the previous games in the series, and father-son stories are a bit played out at this time, but I rode the wave of PlayStation 4 first-party “prestige” titles, third-person character-focused action games like Uncharted, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and the like. While I completely fell off of Horizon last year, God of War surprisingly entranced me.

The single take camerawork in God of War is a gimmick for sure, but as a big fan of Alfonso Cuarón, I’m a sucker for it. I appreciated a new take on Norse mythology that wasn’t from the Marvel Cinematic Universe for once, and the world was large and interesting without being intimidating. Combat in God of War hasn’t won everyone over, but it was a system that I strived to get better at. Ultimately, I stayed on because of Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic (who was excellent in Mid90s, by the way). And it doesn’t necessarily need repeating, but God of War looks real, real nice, even on my above average display.

To be real though, it’s all about recalling that Leviathan Axe. That’s a cool-ass feature.

Check out the DualShockers review of God of War.

5. Celeste

Challenging platformers always scare me away. Why do you think I’ve never played Super Meat Boy? I couldn’t tell you how I got over the fence and ended up purchasing Celeste—maybe it was my love for Towerfall or the fact that I wouldn’t stop hearing about how good Lena Raine’s soundtrack was. Regardless, Celeste helped me get over my irrational fear of difficult games.

Here’s the thing about the game: it’s really easy to play! Well, not easy to finish, mind you, but Celeste was more intuitive and inviting than I made it out to be at first. Pretty quickly any frustration I expected was instead replaced with determination. The trial-and-error nature of the game made me think carefully rather than rage like games with consistent deaths usually do. It also helps that Madeline is just a fun protagonist.

Celeste is just a wonderful mix of gameplay, music, and writing, and anyone who doesn’t like it is just not a good person. Got it?

Check out the DualShockers review of Celeste.

4. Night in the Woods (Switch)

There are so few stories that accurately depict the aimlessness of the formative 20s age range, and Night in the Woods is really the only one that I can think of off the top of my head. I won’t get into any self-flagellation here in describing how miserable my own 20s are (I wrote about that elsewhere, if you’re curious), but I will say that the story and art style provided some healing during particularly difficult times in my life this year. The Switch port came just in time for me.

Mae, Gregg, Bea, and Angus are all wonderfully-realized characters; the dynamics and dialogue between them were a delight, and sometimes painfully realistic, from my own social experiences. There’s not too much gameplay to speak of, but I looked forward to each new in-game day to walk around the town and see what the folks I passed by had to say. The story took a real Stephen King-meets-Hot Fuzz turn, and I was down for it. It captures so much truth, and is one of the most authentic pieces of media I know of—and this is one where all the characters are animals.

Check out the DualShockers review of Night in the Woods.

3. Hitman 2

Agent 47, you are one weird dude, and I love you so. As I mentioned in my written review for this website, the “first” Hitman game in 2016 was one that I watched constantly, basically playing it vicariously. With this new game, I graduated to finally, uh, playing it, and almost every moment of it, whether it was a moment of success, failure, or absurdity, has been worth it. Hitman 2, more than any other game this year, is one where if I even think about it, I will have the visceral urge to play it immediately.

I know that I am encouraged to commit these assassinations as smoothly and quietly as possible, but nothing brings me more joy than a contrived plan gone awry. Hitman 2, while very similar to the previous game, added so many fun toys to play with inside its expansive sandboxes. Even with Mission Stories to somewhat guide me, I always found ways to come up with left-field solutions to seemingly simple problems. Stealthily murdering terrible people has never been so much more fun.

Check out the DualShockers review of Hitman 2.

2. Wandersong

I’ve spent the past several months annoying the hell out of everyone I know about this lovely piece of art from Greg Lobanov. Wandersong, in case this is the first time I’m annoying you about it, is a wholesome story-driven game that thematically deconstructs “the hero’s journey.” You play as the Bard, someone without the physical constitution to even pick up a sword, yet is able to use the power of song and vocals to their advantage. It’s a game about a person spreading happiness not only to the game’s world, but to whoever is playing it.

It isn’t too complicated to play, and the song wheel mechanics are a bit finicky at times, but playing through the entire game was such a profound experience for me. Not only did I appreciate its handling of familiar narrative tropes, but I also admired its depiction of mental health and depression. You can tell that Greg and his friends and colleagues put a lot of love into the game’s visuals, sound, writing, and design, and I’m eternally grateful for their work.

Check out the DualShockers review of Wandersong.

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

It’s a tad bit unfair to put Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at the top of my list. Not only did it release so late in the year, but it’s essentially the game of games. I’ve been obsessed with the series since its first iteration on the Nintendo 64, and Ultimate represents such a fantastic evolution of the franchise, and this evolution comes in surprising forms. More so than even its predecessors does it come across more like a celebration to basically every franchise that Nintendo has ever even touched.

I’m not just talking about the Spirits, though those are fun in their own way—the World of Light campaign is long and exhausting, but I remain gleeful every time I see a creative Spirit concept. I’m not just talking about the music, even though the option of creating playlists and basically using your Switch as a music player with its screen turned off is absolutely genius. I just appreciate recent Smash efforts to having characters play like they came out straight from their own games. The trend started with Mega Man in the previous Smash, I feel, but new additions like Simon Belmont and Inkling (from my beloved Splatoon) really take everything further.

I don’t think people talk about this enough, but Smash Bros. is just a great-looking game. It’s a happy medium between the darker look of Brawl and the cartoony colors of the fourth Smash Bros., and I am still in awe by how Ultimate is able to make all of these characters, with totally different designs, aesthetics, and body proportions, look like they all belong together in the same game.

Everyone is here, indeed.

Check out the DualShockers review of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

0. Nickelodeon Kart Racers

Did you know that they misspelled “brake” as “break” in the controls menu? Jeez, what a mess.

Check out the DualShockers review of Nickelodeon Kart Racers.

Check out the other DualShockers’ staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 17: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2018 December 18: Lou Contaldi, Editor in Chief // Logan Moore, Reviews Editor December 19: Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor // Tomas Franzese, News Editor December 20: Scott Meaney, Community Director December 21: Reinhold Hoffmann, Community Manager // Ben Bayliss, Staff Writer December 22: Ben Walker, Staff Writer // Chris Compendio, Staff Writer December 23: Eoghan Murphy, Staff Writer // Grant Huff, Staff Writer December 26: Iyane Agossah, Staff Writer // Jordan Boyd, Staff Writer December 27: Max Roberts, Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Staff Writer December 28: Noah Buttner, Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Staff Writer December 29: Steven Santana, Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer December 30: Travis Verbil, Staff Writer // Zack Potter, Staff Writer

The post DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Chris’s Top 10 by Chris Compendio appeared first on DualShockers.

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