#plus it doesn’t have to be complicated to be fun & visually pleasing to look at i keep thinking of hoot | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

carriagelamp · 4 years

Text

Book Review - Summer Summary 2020

I didn’t get around to doing an individual post for the books I read in June/July/August, so I decided to choose a dozen that I read over the summer... I’d separate the wheat from the chaff for you so to speak. Though like you’re about to find out, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were all good by any means...

Crave

My girlfriend got this for me to “tide me over until Midnight Sun”. Between you and me, I think she was taking the piss. Anyway, Crave is very... standard fare paranormal YA school romance with the added flare of being written by an adult erotica writer, meaning the rhythm and tone of this novel is fucking bonkers. If you want to read the novel without reading the novel, just take Twilight and the entire Vampire Academy series, shove them in a blend, and force down the sludge you get from that. Normal Average Girl Goes To Secret School In Alaska For Vampire, Werewolves and Dragons. That’s this book. It is so big and so so so bad. I finished it out of spite, please don’t do that to yourself. Unless you are really craving (hurr hurr) some top tier trashy paranormal romance, in which case... no judgment.

The Last Firehawk

The Last Firehawk is a Scholastic “Branches” series, written for beginning readers (grade 1-3ish, depending on the child’s reading level). It has short stories, big text, and awesome pictures on every page. Guys. I unironically am adoring this series. It’s simple and is introducing children to a number of classic elements in the fantasy quest genre, but it is so charming. Friends Tag and Skyla discover a firehawk egg, and species that is supposed to have disappeared long ago. When Blaze hatches from it, the three are tasked with going out and finding the magical ember stone which was hidden long ago by the firehawks and which could be used to defeat the evil vulture Thorn and his dark magic... I read the first two books to second graders who ate it up and read the next four books because I personally wanted to continue the series. If you have young readers in your life (or just want a fun kid adventure) then please try these they’re the literary equivalent of nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie.

Lupin III: World’s Most Wanted #3

All the kind people that still follow my tumblr and haven’t tried to murder me because of my Lupin obsession are not going to be surprised by this one. I finally read one of the manga for this series and honestly I’m delighted. Somehow even hornier than the show, but hilariously funny. I felt like I was reading a more adult version of Spy Vs Spy. It’s a bunch of short, individual bits/adventures with lots of visual gags and an artstyle that is really different and delightful.

River of Teeth / Taste of Marrow (American Hippo series)

I’ve talked about River of Teeth before, but I finally finished the American Hippo duology and need to sing its praise. This is an alternate history series composed of two novellas that explore the question What would have happened if the States had decided to import hippos as livestock...? Anyways, my pitch for you: queer hippo cowboys. That’s all it took for me to read it. You have a gay gunslinger who loves his hippo to death, a nonbinary explosives-expert / poisoner who is the main love interest, a fat con artist who spoils her hippo and is the only voice of reason in this entire series, and a latina mother-to-be who is the scariest assassin in the entire series and is obviously scheming. The four of them are brought together on a job to deal with the Mississippi’s feral hippo problem.

IT’S A QUEER HIPPO COWBOY HEIST NOVEL GUYS I DON’T KNOW WHY I’M STILL TALKING AND YOU HAVEN’T JUST GONE TO READ THIS YET.

Petals to the Metal (The Adventure Zone series)

The graphic novel adaptation to the McElroy family’s DND podcast The Adventure Zone. Most of you are probably aware of this? It’s a great adaptation, it hits all the important beats, shows off the characters really well, and still gets lots of good gags in even while condensing entire arcs into single book stories. This one is probably my favourite so far just because Petals to the Metal was one of my favourite arcs in the show... but you can also see how the art has improved and the chaos of the race is fun to see drawn out.

If you like The Adventure Zone but haven’t tried the graphic novels yet -- would recommend! If you’ve always wanted to listen to The Adventure Zone but don’t have time for such a long series or struggle to focus on podcasts then pick up the first book of this series (Here There Be Gerblins) and try reading it! It really is an enjoyable adaptation.

Pony to the Rescue (Pony Pals series)

I continued my April/May theme of reading old-school chapter book series to combat Covid Brain Fry, so I picked up a few Pony Pals books. I read these as a kid and always enjoy them -- there’s just something so appealing to a child about having a horse. It gives your child characters a level of independence and ability to explore that you wouldn’t get otherwise. These books definitely read young, but they were nostalgic to revisit.

Small Spaces

A really cool middle grade horror novel I picked up. Maybe it’s because I live around a lot of corn fields, but farm/scarecrow themed horror absolutely does it for me. One evening, after seeing a woman try to destroy a strange, old book, eleven year old Ollie doesn’t stop to think, instead stealing the book and running. That’s how she becomes wrapped up in the strange, sinister story of a cursed family and creature called the Smiling Man that seems to live out in the foggy fields. While unsettling, Ollie tries to remind herself that it’s just a story... but this becomes more challenging when her school bus breaks down one day out their own set of fields, and a fog is rolling in...

“Avoid large spaces. Stick to small.”

Snot Girl #1 - #2

A Canadian graphic novel series by the creator of the Scott Pilgrim series! I love his work so I decided to give Snotgirl a try, even though it’s not generally my genre. I’m glad I did! First book took a while for me to get into, but by the time I hit the second I was really wrapped up in the mystery and character development. Snotgirl is about Lottie, a self-consumed fashion blogger whose biggest struggles are dealing with her allergies, frustration with her fellow-blogger friends, and how entirely her self-esteem is tied to her “beauty” and how people view her. But everything shifts in strange and horrifying ways when Lottie starts taking a new allergy medication, meets a new friend... and then witnesses that girl’s death. Or does she?

Seriously, or does she? I have no idea, I need to read the third book. This book is full of intrigue, complicated relationships, murder (or not?), and a healthy dose of magical realism to keep you guessing. If you like slice-of-life, crime, and abstract reality then this series is world a try. Plus the art is gorgeous.

Summer Wars #1 - #2

I recently rewatched Summer Wars (still one of my favourite movies) and decided to read the two-book manga adaptation. It was a really neat little adaptation. The creator of the movie gave the writer free range to tweak things to fit better in a manga format, which means some movie elements were allowed to fade into the background, whereas other aspects were fulled into the forefront and fleshed out to a greater degree. It was very cool, it kept the same story but gave you new things to think about which I wasn’t expecting. Reading this as a stand alone works just fine, but honestly if you’ve never watched the movie Summer Wars you should give it a try! It’s a great mix of slice-of-life, sprawling family dynamics that I relate to a little too well, cyber adventures, and fantasy. Super feel good.

This One Summer

Okay, last graphic novel, I swear. This One Summer was... weird and intense. It’s a coming-of-age Canadian graphic novel that follows a pair of pre-teens who meet up like they do every year at their family’s summer cottages. You see them both in the awkward phases between childhood and growing up to become teenagers, as they’re confronted with things like maturity, friendship, self-esteem, family problems, and sexuality. A beautiful read, but probably the heaviest out of all the books on my list.

Wild Thornberrys Novelization

I rewatched The Wild Thornberrys movie with my girlfriend earlier this year, and decided I wanted to hunt down the chapter book novelization because I’m kind of a sucker for novelizations. Honestly, this was about what you would expect from the era. 90s/00s novelizations, especially young novelizations, are generally just a transcript of the movie without much thought or effort put into them to make them anything but. That’s what this was. It was fine, and it really let me revisualize the entire movie, but honestly you’re probably better off just rewatching the movie unless you also really deeply love The Wild Thornberrys.

The Willoughbys

I saw that Netflix had done a funky looking adaptation of The Willoughbys and I decided I needed to read the book first before watching the movie. This was a little bizarre, I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Over all, I think it was a net-positive experience. It’s an obvious satire on classic children’s novels, especially the likes of Mary Poppins (real Mary Poppins, not the Disney version) and while a little heavy-handed, it does a Series of Unfortunate Events vibe that redeems it. The story is about a group of horrible children (The Ruthless Willoughbys) who decide they are sick of their parents and would rather become Worth Orphans... and to do that, they’re going to have to dispose of their inconvenient parents, obviously. Conveniently their parents are also sick of having children and decide to do away with them as well. The Willoughbys sets up three (or four?) different subplots that are gradually woven together through a series of schemes and exploits. It’s definitely more ruthless (hurr hurr) than the Netflix version, which tried to make the children more sympathetic, and in some ways I think that’s a definite point in the novel’s favour. I’m not sure I would go out of my way to recommend it, but it was a fun romp if you want something short and off the wall (and a lot more fleshed out than the Netflix version).

50 notes · View notes

okayto · 4 years

Text

Mini-Review: Bungo Stray Dogs

Atsushi Nakajima is having a bad week. First, he gets kicked out of the orphanage he called home--home to abusive adults, but still. Then, he seems to be stalked by a bloodthirsty tiger so he has to stay on the move. Also, he’s about to starve. THEN it turns out he is the tiger--specifically a weretiger, but he didn’t know and can’t control it.

My initial reaction from episode 1, and my current reaction 37 episodes and 1 movie later, are the same: Atsushi is a sweet cinnamon roll who needs a HUG and a THERAPIST and to SLEEP FOR A WEEK and I LOVE HIM

While Atsushi is our entry into the series and one of the main characters, BSD follows the supernaturally-gifted members of the "Armed Detective Agency," who accomplish different tasks including running a business, solving mysteries, protecting people and running interference with the local mafia, which also employs a number of supernaturally-gifted people.

This is a VERY FUN SERIES. It starts out seeming like a straightforward Underdog Good Guys vs. Well-Funded Big Bad Organization, and that’s not necessarily wrong. But as the series progresses, the “bad guys” get their share of the spotlight too.

Now first, I want to say, because I was confused for the longest time: this takes place in an alternate modern day. They’ve got smartphones and the internet, but there was apparently recently some big sort of war that doesn’t correspond to anything real, and the characters’ dress is...well:

For several episodes, despite the cell phones and computers I swear I thought this was set in the 1920s, but no. They just all have the fashion sense of a 10-year-old playing with paper dolls.

I mean, look at the image above. And then look at Mr. Edgy High-School Vampire below:

These people not only inhabit the same city, but no one ever seems to think they look out of place.

Not a criticism. I admire a series that has devoted itself to such distinctly cosplayable designs and refuses to give an explanation.

Anyway.

The general storyline is usually: the Armed Detective Agency receives a job that involves investigating something murderous and/or supernatural, or that involves protection from something murderous and/or supernatural. Sometimes this is straightforward, sometimes this is part of a longer story that means things even more murderous and supernatural are lurking in the shadows.

The players are often the Agency vs. the Mafia, but these orgs will occasionally team up for the greater good if an outside threat tries to move in. Some members of one org were previously with the other, so there’s a lot of history and emotions between certain factions.

One such complicated person is this dork: Osamu Dazai. He’s the one getting strangled by his partner.

He’s often found in the middle of a [failed] suicide attempt, or asking a pretty girl to commit a lovely double suicide with him. He’s cheerfully nihilistic, not intimidating, comes off as an airhead and a dork.

...and then you see this face, which is Universal Anime Face for “character who knows SO MUCH and is excellent at scheming.”

The characters are this show’s strength. If you’d told me during the first handful of episodes that one of my top 2 characters would be a mafia leader, I’d laugh, because why would I like a bad guy *that* much? When something is set up as clearly good vs. evil, I don’t tend to land on the side of evil regardless of evil’s extremely good character design

But hey, lots of evil gets a backstory and turn out to be super interesting--heck, this guy here is part of the focus of a half-season prequel! (Season 2, for the record--the first half is a prequel, then the second half picks up after the end of season 1.)

The series is about fighting, and people get hurt, and people have to make tough decisions. But it’s often balanced with humor, and that’s part of why I enjoyed it so much. There’s so much to track--people on both sides with tragic backstories, the city- or world-ending plots that pop up, the many, MANY attempted murders--that if it went straight through, it would be overwhelming.

But in the midst of all that, you have characters making jokes, or being inept, or responding to a hostage situation by playing rock-paper-scissors to see who deals with it, or tripping their enemy in the middle of a Very Serious Battle like Bug Bunny showing up to fight Thanos.

(None of that really translates to gifs well, but here’s a character, in the middle of a dangerous fight, picking up Mr. Teenage “I Swear I’ll Kill You If You Laugh At Me” Hot Topic Model and carrying him like a sack of potatoes.)

Another fun thing about this series is that the title translates to “Literary Stray Dogs,” and all the main characters are named after famous late writers. This is easy to miss if you’re American like me and have never heard of “Doppo Kunikida” or “Akiko Yosano,” but once international characters show up in season 2, you’re faced with “Louisa Alcott” and “John Steinbeck,” part of a group led by "Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald.”

The characters’ powers all vary as well. Their names are often weird, until you learn that the names are all lines/titles of the original authors’ works (Chuuya Nakahara’s Upon the Tainted Sorrow gravity manipulation sounds ridiculous, Astushi’s Beast Beneath the Moonlight weretiger ability sounds pretentious until you know the connection). Abilities range from “cool fighting ability” to “useful defensive ability” to “Herman Melville creates small flying whales and that’s...cool, I guess?”

Verdict

English dub? Yes, and I love it! I tried watching both, and I actually prefer the dub’s voices.

Visuals: This is a show dedicated to its aesthetic, at least as far as fashion is concerned. I don’t know if any of the character designs/outfits are based on their namesakes (although remember my comment that I thought this was set in the 20s for a while? A lot of the namesake authors were active/alive between 1900 and 1930, so...), but maybe? Or maybe they just wanted to have suspenders and hats and long coats. Whatever, it’s cool and looks good, as does the rest of the series. Much of it it bright and/or takes place in the daytime--avoiding the “too dark to see what’s going on” thing.

Worth watching? YESSSSS. Please watch sweet cinnamon roll too good too pure for this world Atsushi find a place of his own and learn he does get to have nice things. Please watch Dazai act like a total goof before the next scene shows us he’s five steps ahead of everyone else. Please watch Chuuya manipulate gravity so his hat stays on while he flips upside down. Please watch characters snark at each other even as they team up to defeat city-destroying monsters.

Where to watch (USA, as of September 2020): Funimation (sub and dub), Crunchyroll (sub and dub, plus Spanish and Portuguese)

Click my “reviews” tag below or search “mini review” on my blog to find more!

#bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs #literary stray dogs #the manga series is ongoing so there's always the possibility we'll get more anime in the future #and BOY HOWDY DO I WANT MORE #just writing this review has me longing to go rewatch the entire thing because I loved it so much #particularly relationships between characters and PARTICULARLY relationships between characters that don't want to admit they like eachother #reviews #anime #recommendation

12 notes · View notes

wits-writing · 4 years

Text

Birds of Prey (Movie Review)

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), from now on referred to as BOP for brevity, directed by Cathy Yan with a script by Bumblebee screenwriter Christina Hodson, follows Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) as she carves out her own place in Gotham City after breaking up with the Joker.

After an act of destructive spectacle to make sure everyone knows she’s serious about the breakup, Harley finds out just how many people want her dead now that the Clown Prince of Crime won’t be protecting her. Special notice in that aspects gets given to Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), aka Black Mask, a mob boss of Gotham’s East End currently making a play for the city as a whole.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

BOP’s story structure and aesthetic presentation are an exercise in communicating perspective. Harley provides the primary framing through her narration and overall off kilter way of looking at the world. Slow motion, the tone of the music and use of on-screen text impart how she’s our main filter for these events. Moments that don’t focus on her and the occasional nonlinear order of the central narrative’s events are Harley as the narrator backfilling that information. Her narration at one point outright says to the audience, “I guess I forgot to tell you about them.” Narration often gets framed as a lazy way to impart exposition and character development, but BOP uses Harley’s narration with a purpose. In the larger subtext of this being a post-breakup recovery story, Harley literally controlling her story’s presentation ties in with taking control of her own life.

Though like she says early on, Harley’s not “the only dame in Gotham looking for emancipation.” Once she makes her grand statement to let everyone know she’s cut ties with Mr. J for good, chaos spiraling out from that ends up ensnaring several other characters in her path as she runs from the people that want her dead. Starting with the Gotham street rat, Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco). A foster kid who’d rather be on the streets than living her bleak home life. The kid ends up accidentally running afoul of Sionis when her routine pickpocketing brings her into possession of a valuable item that could give him the resources to expand his control beyond his turf into all of Gotham. Harley plans to save her own skin by agreeing to deliver the kid to Roman in exchange for protection. When Harley finally crosses paths with Cass, complications prevent her from turning the kid over to the mob boss right away.

Those complications become the heart of Harley’s character arc as circumstances force her to get to know the kid. Cass sees Harley’s flippant way of going about her criminal life and sees someone who has things figured out. A notion Harley tries to dissuade her of even as her moments with the kid are the first non-alcohol or drug induced states of happiness she’s had since the movie began. Robbie and Basco’s interactions have a sisterly back and forth to them, especially in the moments when Cass proves cleverer and more resourceful than Harley anticipated.

Cass is also the center of the Venn diagram formed by the stories of Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) and Dinah Lance (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), aka Black Canary. Renee mainly knows Cass as a recurring face at the police station every time she’s gotten caught pickpocketing. In her daily life, Renee’s job as a detective involves a lot of people either not taking her seriously or stealing credit for her work. She’s been building a case to take down Black Mask for years but gets talked down from her pursuit by everyone else at the GCPD. Perez plays Montoya with a world-weariness that sells the years of being ignored that have taken a toll on her.

Her investigation leads her to Dinah, a singer at a club owned by Sionis recently promoted to his personal chauffeur. After seeing her mother lose her life trying to protect people in Gotham, Dinah wants to keep her head down and go on surviving for as long as possible. It’s complicated by the fact she can’t stop herself from caring or wanting to get involved despite everything. A trait shown in her tender interactions with Cass, whose foster parents live in the same apartment complex, and fighting to protect a drunk Harley outside the club. Smollett-Bell and Perez get their best material playing against each other in scenes where Renee tries to convince Dinah to help inform her on Roman’s plans.

Rounding out the Birds of Prey is an interloper in Black Mask’s plans to control Gotham, Helena Bertinelli (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), aka Huntress. Her role makes her BOP’s secret weapon as she’s the lead we at first learn the least about. All we know at the start is she’s going around killing mobsters that have ties to Sionis’s operations. She doesn’t say anything but takes care of her targets with ruthless efficiency. Once she’s given the room to talk, it becomes clear that she has all the skills necessary to handle her vigilante manhunt but has a negative amount of social skills or flare for drama. Helena’s attempts at stoic one-liners are hilariously inept and Winstead plays each one perfectly.

A character I’m more mixed on than any other element of the movie is Black Mask himself. None of that is down to Ewan McGregor’s performance, who’s playing the representative of the type of controlling, entitled monster of a man that Harley doesn’t want in her life anymore after her breakup. While McGregor’s charisma can almost make you forget how awful Roman is, BOP has no interest in letting the audience forget what he’s willing to do to anyone that even slightly wrongs him. It makes for the movie’s most disturbing moments, especially when he’s sharing the screen with his torture-happy partner-in-crime, Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina). He makes his motives to kill Harley plain when he tells her he wants her dead just because he’s free to do it now that she’s out from Joker’s protection, not any specific grievance. However, that lack of specific antagonism with the main character makes him feel hollow outside of his cruelty, existing as something for the heroes to bounce off for their arcs. He’s functional and well played, but not much beyond that.

Once all the characters are gathered and their story threads have fully converged, BOP has its boldest showcase of the stellar action that makes it stand apart from other movies in the superhero genre. The movie never slouches to deliver on the goods when it comes to its leading ladies tear it up in the fights. Every one of them does something different, keeping things varied with different settings and weapons. Varied tones to the fights keep them from getting exhausting. Most of the fights focusing on Harley maintain the movie’s usual stylization, like her breaking into a police station with a glitter loaded shotgun. Which contrasts with the grounded street brawl when we first see what Dinah can do in a fight. Action scenes escalate as the movie goes, culminating in the previously mentioned final showcase. The fights up to that point already embrace Jackie Chan levels of “every object can be a weapon if necessary” and takes it to the next level. All boosted by the work of cinematographer Matthew Libatique and editors Jay Cassidy and Evan Schiff keeping visual information clear, which helps every bone crunching impact land. Pushed further by the soundtrack consisting of Daniel Pemberton’s original score and songs, plus some well-timed needle drops.

Like Christina Hodson’s previous work as a screenwriter with Bumblebee, what stands out about BOP is how it capitalizes on the wasted potential of previous entries in the film series, in this case 2016’s Suicide Squad. While in that case, the stylization and music choices were crudely plastered on, BOP uses every element with pointed purpose and feels genuinely fun rather than forced as a last-minute decision. Yan, Hodson, Robbie and the rest of the collected cast and crew put together a movie that accomplishes being exactly the kickass, glittery ride it sets out to be.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

51 notes · View notes

chaeryybomb · 4 years

Text

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

ITZY: IT’z ME

TITLE SONG: WANNABE

it is really really catchy!! i immediately liked it after my first listen. it reminded me a lot of “dalla dalla”, like it has the same arrangement as “dalla dalla”. i really like the beginning of the song where it has the turning sound.

my favorite part is ryujin+chaeryeong rap part and lia’s “it’s none of your business, i do my own business”

MUSIC VIDEO

it’s probably my favorite mv they have produced so far. the scenes were all very pleasing to watch and love the solo scenes of the girls. my favorite scene would be lia’s and ryujin’s scenes. like, w o w

CHOREOGRAPHY

the choreography is amazing!!! ryujin has the entire world at her feet because of the shoulder move, which by the way I still cannot understand how it works

the point choreography of it is also really nice, the one there they circle their face with their hand and where they slide their hand across their chest when they sing “i wanna be me me me”

i absolutely love the dance break! it is definitely my favorite part of the dance

STAGE PRESENCE / STAGE OUTFITS

bro ryujin is literally killing this era. p e r i o d

also I can see that the girls have improved so much! especially lia! she’s gaining more and more confidence and it looks amazing on her. as usual, yeji’s stage presence is a m a z i n g. yuna has definitely improved as well. and so has chaeryeong!

my favorite outfits of them is the mv solo scenes outfits. i just think it really suits them. and i love love love how they’re trying new hairstyles this era, unlike “dalla dalla” and “icy”s era when everyone had almost the same hairstyle for every stage.

i love how they actually let yeji perform with her hair down instead of the usual ponytail and that they gave it to yuna lmao. seriously, the hairstyles for this era is really diverse. and of course ryujin’s iconic blue hair. and I really like chaeryeong’s hair this era idk why but I do

also I love the fact that their outfits are mostly pants, they look so much more comfortable performing in them + yeji with a jacket is pretty dangerous

also, has anyone noticed that Lia has gained some weight?? which is a good thing! halfway through “icy” era, lia lost a lot of weight and I’m really glad she had gained some weight this era!

ALBUM SONGS

i know ITZY’s concept is about self confidence and the songs are more upbeat but personally I’m not a fan of it all

the album itself is catchy and nice but for me, the songs aren’t the type of songs that I’ll play on repeat

out of all of the songs, i don’t really like “ting ting ting”. i just can’t seem to like, vibe(?) with it

but my favorites of the album is “nobody like you” and “you make me”

+ lia’s iconic “you make me... speechless!”

OVERALL

overall, i felt that this comeback was definitely an improvement for itzy in dance and vocal wise. I’ve watched a few of their mr removed ( by the channel “lyma” bc it’s the only one I trust ) and their all quite stable, I’m surprised how stable ryujin can be she does the shoulder move. like I said before, lia has improved a lot in this comeback, she’s like jihyo where their voices doesn’t fit their groups initial concept, but with time, lia can improve like how jihyo did. yeji is really stable and i can understand why she gets most lines. yuna has improved and chaeryeong has been quite stable since debut, so i think she could get more lines. my only complain is that I wished that chaeryeong was the center during the dance break, considering the fact that she’s the main dancer

NCT 127: NCT #127 NEO ZONE

TITLE SONG: 英雄；Kick It

fun fact! the Chinese word “英雄” in the title means “hero” which i think is quite fitting for this comeback’s concept.

i immediately for hooked on after the first listen, yes it's that catchy

lemme introduce you to some new thangs

as someone who learns taekwando, this is the song that u can work out to lmao. it's the fuel to ur flame and makes u wanna fight someone

also jungwoo baby!! he's back!! and bitch did he gREW I THINK HE'S ALMOST JOHNNY'S HEIGHT

the highlights: taeil's high note!!! yuta+haechan "baby we go wild, 127 squad"

also johnny!!! with lines!!

MUSIC VIDEO

I just really love the entire music video okay

it's martial arts!!! it's like my hobby!!

and bruce lee!! who doesn't love bruce lee?? i absolutely love this concept in general and the music video does justice

like all the martial arts reference and bruce lee reference!!

my favorite part is when they were all dancing in the rain lol and when like behind the doors u can see silhouettes of someone fighting

CHOREOGRAPHY

hnnnnnnnngggggggg

i cannot stress e n o u g h how much I love this choreography, especially the dance break!!! it's so satisfying to watch!!!

and mark's "fight" scene in it!! bro!!

this has definitely became one of my favourite nct dances along with "black on black" and "cherry bomb"

also the part where taeyong does his "enter the dragon", the kick he does is called a side kick and lemme tell u how much I hate doing that shit so props to taeyong for doing not only, but two of it in the dance

++ center!! haechan!! the way he just smoothly slides into the center lmao

STAGE PRESENCE / STAGE OUTFITS

despite taeyong, yuta and johnny's really rude outfits from the mv, those are one of my favourites actually. they look like fighter outfits that came out from a bruce lee movie

and the bomber jackets outfits!! please I want one so badly!!! bc I'm a sucker for bomber jackets lol

bro yuta's hair colour + belly piercing

that's *chef's kiss*

and haechan's mullet!! it looks good on him!! he better start growing an actual mullet or so help me-

stage presence *inhales* were so so so so amazing

nct just has amazing stage presence in general tbh

also, johnny lowkey looks scary in this comeback besides the fact that he's also a giANT

ALBUM SONGS

you know despite the scary album cover, 70% of the songs are soft af

and yes I like it

my favourites are "sit down!" and "boom"

johnny's "don't get up, don't stand up, please don't put your hand up, and don't make me tell you again. sit down!"

bro the difference between nct dream's "boom" and nct 127's "boom" tho

johnny's rap in "dreams come true" tho

and jaehyun's high note in "day dream"

OVERALL

overall, I'm really happy to stan nct and be enjoy the comeback lmao

but yeah I really like this comeback as u can tell lol

i wonder if they're gonna release a "kick it" english version

but to be honest, this era would've fit winwin so well like, winwin himself can do flips and shit and it would've fit him so well

ELRIS: JACKPOT

TITLE SONG: JACKPOT

okay I know that their comeback was in february but it was during late february and they promoted in march

and I finally know all of their names so u can write a proper review on them now lmao

so from what I understand, elris basically went m.i.a and came back with 2 new members

the song is definitely catchy and like I said, this is really solid group. they have a really good rap line and vocal line, plus they could all be main dancers and there's no visual hole

ej and chaejeong is a great addition to the group

plus hyeseong and sohee's vocals are!! really good!!

and bella's basically a triple threat y'all

MUSIC VIDEO

the music video is really aesthetic

i like it a lot lol

the gambling concept they have on is really nice to see

CHOREOGRAPHY

ah yes the choreography

the choreography is really fun tbh

i like the chorus part the best and yukyung's bow and arrow move in between the chorus

STAGE PRESENCE / STAGE OUTFITS

ej and bella has really strong stage presence and I've watched bella on mixnine a few times

and chaejeong's purple hair stood out as well.

the one who caught my eyes is yukyung

and for the vocals, I'm quite surprised to see that karin is only 17 years old, I thought she would've been older

i really like their outfits despite coming from a smaller company, it's all bling bling and classy

ALBUM SONGS

i just wanna say chaejeong has a good set of lungs lmao, her vocals in the b-sides is really good especially in "this is me"

the entire album gave me a bit of a video game vibe like cherry bullet's "Q&A"

maybe it's because the soundtrack is like, upbeat and strong at the same time

my favourite is "this is me" and "like I do"

"this is me" reminds me of blackpink's "forever young" bc they almost have the same arrangement

both of the songs are like upbeat girl crush kind of song with a strong beat drop for the dancebreak

OVERALL

overall, elris is definitely underrated but I have a feeling they will rise to fame like everglow, if only they debuted this year, they could've been like monster rookies.

AleXa: Do Or Die

TITLE SONG: Do Or Die

okay so i feel like a lot of the english lyrics felt a bit out of place,,, idk maybe it’s just me. i think the song is quite nice, like for a sci-fi concept, i thought it’d have more heavier edm/beat drop but it actually feels light and nice to listen to it. i really like the chorus of the song and when she said “I’m a one girl army”

MUSIC VIDEO

okay ngl, I zoned out from the song bc I was so immersed into the mv. like, it reminded me a lot of the movie “alita: the battle angel”.

also the cgi?? that’s some rlly good cgi lemme tell u that, the villain of the mv was rlly scary lmao

also I really like her fight scenes with the the bad guy

CHOREOGRAPHY

the choreography looks rlly complicated, and personally I feel like it doesn’t suit alexa?? like, I know she’s talented but she almost looked out of breath during her performance stages. the choreography looks like it suited a group song better cause alexa was constantly moving. she’s a solo artist and I feel like solo artists shouldn’t do such complicated choreography unless they have a really good control over their breathing and vocals

STAGE PRESENCE / STAGE OUTFITS

I really like her outfits, it suits her a lot, though I want to see alexa perform with her hair down

my favorite outfit of hers is the white outfit that she wore in the beginning of the mv

as for stage presence, she has good stage presence but I can see that there’s room for improvement. alexa is still quite new to the solo artist game, in time she can definitely improve on everything

OVERALL

overall, i feel like this is quite a powerful comeback. like I said, alexa needs to get a better control of her breathing. but other than that, i can see that she will be quite popular in the future.

SEJEONG: Plant

TITLE SONG: Plant

the song itself is so calming?? like, it’s the perfect song to listen if you want relieve stress or something. and her vocals are so beautiful and emotional. these type of songs fit her voice so much!!

MUSIC VIDEO

the mv is literally the definition of “plant aesthetic”

literally

it’s such a pleasing sight to watch and the mv itself is truly aesthetic

CHOREOGRAPHY

okay I know “plant” doesn’t have a choreography as expected but “swim away” does so

the choreography is so simple and it honestly fits the song. i also think that with the lack of an intense choreography, sejeong’s voice can be more clearly heard since “swim away” requires her to use falsetto a lot

so with a simple choreography, she can sing in falsetto without trouble

STAGE PRESENCE / STAGE OUTFITS

sejeong literally radiates emotions when she sings, when she performs “swim away”, there’s a playful and mischievous aura around her

when she sings “plant”, you can literally feel her raw emotion through her vocals

sejeong has the potential to be a really successful solo artist!! her voice basically suits almost any style, ranging from “semina” to “not that type”

her outfits for this is so cute, i love the white dresses she wears when she performs “plant” and her outfits for “swim away” is so so so so c u t e

ALBUM SONGS

feel stress? listen to the album

need to calm down? listen to the album

the entire album itself is calming and soft, like i have a playlist for soft/emotional songs and the entire album is in there

my favorite song of the album is “hopes for tomorrow”

if y’all have seen my post about songs where the music momentarily stops and just plays the idol’s vocals, yeah that song is exactly like that

it sent shivers down my spine when I first listened to it, seriously listen to it when you have the time cause it’ll be worth it

OVERALL

overall, this is a really nice comeback and one of my favorites for this month. sejeong really has potential to be a solo artist as big as chungha. and tbh, she should’ve went solo in the first place. she really reminds me taeyeon bc both artist produce very emotional songs. i don’t know gugudan is currently doing besides the fact that mina is still an mc, but sejeong really could blow up as a solo artist.

𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

KANG DANIEL: 2U

this song is so playful and mischievous lmao. the entire mv gave me a scooby-doo kinda vibe idk why, maybe it’s bc the guard was chasing them. the song itself is really catchy, like, the entire album is catchy. also I’m really glad that daniel can now perform his songs bc apparently he was almost banned from doing so(?)

ONG SEUNG WU: Gravity

bro I feel like ex produce members are making a comeback SKSKSK

this song is like, a parallel of sejeong’s song. it gave me the same vibe okay. it’s really sad okay, I like sad songs

the mv reminded me of that BTS webtoon, you guys should go read it btw, basically in the webtoon jin has to save all the members in a day to change the future but whenever a member dies, the day resets itself. in the mv, it looks like ong was trying to save the girl from drowning and whenever he failed, the day resets itself, which I found rlly cool btw

STRAY KIDS: Mixtape: On Track

my dudes, my only theory is that jeongin has a crush on hyunjin okay

bro changbin has a nice set of vocals, I stg the rap line is out to put the vocal line out of business lmao. the song gave me the same vibe as their ost from “extraordinary you”, both written by changbin, so basically, changbin is a romantic guy-

MCND: ICE AGE

okay ngl, I have mistakenly read the group’s name as McDonald’s way too many times

but nonetheless, I like the song

a lot

my favorite part is when the rap mentions the group members names, like yo that’s so cool wtf

also the group members are really young??? Win, the blue hair dude, is LITERALLY the same age as me wtf

FAVORITE: 또 LIE

( I can’t find a proper gif sksks )

these girls dropped “loca” and went missing since then lmao

“loca” is a bop tho

“lie” kinda has the same arrangement as “loca” and the same vibe with it

+ gaeul(?) the blonde, she’s really a full package, she can rap, sing, dance AND she’s the leader??? damn

also I love go ahra

WINNER: HOLD

hHHHHHH IM GONNA MISS JINWOO

I love love love love the song and the mv, their so funny wtf sksks literal crackheads. I’m also really happy that AKMU’s Suhyun was in the mv, it makes me feel happy knowing we get YG Artists interactions okay

jinu’s voice is usually really soft and stuff but his voice in this song made me went like: tHAT’S JINU???

anyways stan winner y’all

ONEUS: A Song Written Easily

tbh, I stanned ONEWE bc “regulus” is a fucking bop and now I might need to stand ONEUS. all I know is that I really like Hwanwoong’s voice and Leedo’s voice. and the rappers can sing too??? like nice that’s some Han Jisung kinda shit there. I really like the chorus of the song and someone said if “starry night” had a little brother, it would be “a song written easily”. which I 100% agree, and it’s also really suitable considering the fact oneus and mamamoo are from the same company. It also reminds me of a song that I can’t put my finger on???

SUHO: Let’s Love

I feel when your ascend to heaven, Suho’s voice is what you hear at the gates. My dude has been underrated for too long. Remember when I said I have an entire playlist for emotional/soft songs? Yeah Suho’s album is in there. My favorites are “O2” and “Starry Night”.

#march comebacks review #comeback #kpop review #kpop #itzy #stray kids #suho #exo #mcnd #nct 127 #ong seung wu #kang daniel #sejeong #favorite #winner #alexa #elris #meg.reviews

25 notes · View notes

amostimprobabledream · 4 years

Text

My thoughts on Peaky Blinders...

Now I’ve finished Season Five, I wanted to get out my thoughts/ideas/opinions regarding the show. So strap in! - So first of all, the fucking cinematopgraphy in this series is gorgeous. You could take almost any scene and it looks like a painting. The lighting, the way it’s staged, it’s all just so visually pleasing to look at. My inner film student was just sighing dreamily at the shot composition. There’s a shot of John, Arthur and Tommy walking somewhere and you could fucking frame it and put it in your wall. - CILLIAN MURPHY, CILLIAN MURPHY, CILLIAN MURPHY. I mean, I always knew he was a good actor and also a pretty one, I think the role I remember him best in is Batman Begins, but holy shit, I never realised how hot he is until like two months ago. I know he apparently hates his Tommy haircut, but good lord, he can pull it off. The cheekbones! The eyes! The eyelashes! The sexy voice! Needless to say I saw him and immediately developed the biggest fucking crush. Apparently when I talk about Tommy to people my face goes pink. Thank you so much, show, for enlightening me to this human. Tommy is such a fantastic character, and I do wonder if another actor could pull him off quite as well. So much debate over his actions, motives, mindset, etc. I could probably write essays about the complexities of Tommy, but I won’t because this is a long-ass post anyway. He’s such a boss and I would die for him. - I actually really like Arthur??? So the very first clip of PB I ever saw was accidental, when I happened to turn the TV on and the Blinders were taking over the Eden Club and Arthur was glassing a guy in the face. I thought, “Oh, he’s probably like the dangerous thug character everyone is scared of.” (I didn’t know he’s Tommy’s brother at the time.) But actually he’s kind of endearing despite being the Shelby’s pitbull? Idk, the concept of the “failure” elder brother, how Arthur is the character the verbalises PTSD the most out of everyone, how one minute he can be lashing out like a rabid bear and then sobbing like a kid the next... I’m always like, “Oh, Arthur,” because you can see he wants to be a better person, but he just...doesn’t know how. - JOOOHN. I miss him! And it’s weird because in the early parts of the Season John doesn’t DO much but tag around after Tommy and Arthur, but his marriage to Esme is actually So Good and again, he’s actually kind of a softboi under the hard gangster act. (Also his “Do THIS, John, Do THAT, John, KILL YOUR FOOKIN’ TEACHER, JOHN!” is so fucking good.) He kind of provides a lightness when contrasted to Tommy and Arthur that I really do miss, because the last two Seasons have been very grim and I think John’s absence has something to do with it. I liked Esme too, even if she’s a stroppy bitch, her love for John but resentment of her role in the family and also she’s HELLA PRETTY. I’m sad her character has gone for now, but at least she wasn’t killed off. - I also love Ada a lot - I was really shocked when I read that Sophie Rundle hasn’t been acting all that long before she got the part in PB, because honestly she’s very good! And her concept again is a fun one - the only girl in a family of violent gangster boys. (Or as Freddy puts it, “The only princess”, which she is.) Having said that, I’m not sure how I feel about Ada’s character arc over the course of the season. In One she came off as kind of childish and still sort of stuck in her Rebellious Teen phase, then she became a mother and Freddie died, then in Season Two she’s trying to distance herself from the family and go legit, then in Season Four and Five she’s helping run the business and taking money from Tommy. Idk, I wish she’d play a more major role like her brothers because her motivations seem to change based on what the screenwriter wants, not what feels natural for her. Plus it annoys me that Ada blamed Ben Younger’s death on Tommy, but Tommy gets a lot of blame for things that aren’t his fault so I guess he’s used to it. Still, Ada is still a lot of fun when she does get to play a big role and gets some great lines later on. “Tommy Shelby is going to stop a revolution with his cock.” - POLLY, MY QUEEN! Easily the best woman on the show (sorry, Ada) and such a fucking badass. She’s definitely the voice of reason within the family and conflicting loyalty is a really interesting theme that gets explored with her, between her arguing nephews and niece, between her family or whether she wants to marry again and leave, her relationship with Michael, it’s all so great. Helen McRory is such a brilliant addition to the show. Also I love that Polly kinda represents women taking over after all the men went away to war and now they’re back, but the women aren’t just going to creep back into the house - World War One changed the workplace forever for women and I think Polly being the second in command after Tommy reflects that really well. - I think overall my favourite seasons have been Seasons One, Two and Four, I tend to find I get a bit bored in Peaky Blinders whenever it gets especially heavy on politics like in Season Three and Five and I admittedly kind of miss the simplicity of the early days of the show when it was about horse-racing, but the Changretta vs Shelby feud was genuinely really gripping and Adrien Brody was also Very Good. (I mean, I couldn’t take him seriously because of Brodyquest, but I like him a lot.) - I HATE GRACE. There, I said it. And honestly I have SO MUCH to say on why I hate her and also why I think she is the epitome of bad writing that has happened on this show that I might as well save it for a whole nother post, but Tommy and Grace’s relationship always felt so unnatural and forced to me, like they are in love because the screenwriter said so - Grace is the only woman Tommy knows who isn’t related to him and also because it pisses off Campbell. Like, she was tolerable if highly irritating in Season One, but then Two came along and she just got worse and worse. She’s annoyingly convinced she’s better than everyone else, pulls off a LOT of questionable shit that NO-ONE except Polly ever pulls her up on and Tommy repeatedly pining over a woman who lied to him and betrayed him makes no goddamn sense. I wish Stephen Knight would just let him get over her, because her showing up over and over again in the show after the bitch died two Seasons ago is so infuriating I want to throw my remote at the TV. The best bit of Season Three was someone finally putting a bullet in her, honestly. /rant - On that note, I really wish that they’d use May properly. She was introduced in Season Two and honestly her chemistry with Tommy is about a thousand times more believable than anything he had with Guuuhrayce and also May doesn’t consistently talk in that annoying, breathy voice and also she doesn’t shamelessly manipulate Tommy constantly. It’s too bad Stephen Knight couldn’t get Charlotte Riley back for Season Three owing to her pregnancy, because I think the trajectory of the show would have been very different. But her scene where she spoke about her husband and tried to hide that she was crying? So good. The fucking Face Tommy gives her when she asks for a mixer in her gin? Priceless. Agh - May’s been chronically underused in the show but she keeps getting mentioned every now and then, so I’m hoping there are plans for her to come back in Season Six. I really like her and I honestly think Tommy/May has been the best relationship he’s had, because it’s the only one that’s felt A) Natural and B) Equal. - Lizzie Stark. Okay, so I have mixed feelings about Lizzie. I liked her in Seasons One and Two, because she was this down-on-her-luck woman who was treated like crap by everyone, but she wasn’t wholly without her own flaws or personality - she did lie to John and Tommy did act in his brother’s best interests to tell him the truth. The scenes she had with Tommy in Season Two when he promotes her to his secretary were honestly very cute and my heart broke for her when that solider nearly (?) raped her in Season Two and she cried in John’s arms. But over time she’s started to irritate me. I know that people feel bad for her because Tommy honestly does treat her badly at times, though other times she’s also one of the few people he’s nice to, their relationship is complicated. But truthfully I don’t see Tommy/Lizzie every working out properly because Lizzie was a whore. She’s always been Tommy’s inferior and while I do think he cares for her, she never seems to think it’s enough. He doesn’t love her enough and she’s never satisfied with it and she’s always resentful of him. But you can’t FORCE someone to love you and it’s interesting that the minute she learned she was pregnant, you could see her thinking of how to make this work. She pulled the Baby Trap on him just like Grace did and got married like she wanted, but Tommy still doesn’t truly see her as his equal. And honestly, I don’t think she’s smart enough for him. Add that to Lizzie being EXTREMELY petty to other women (including her being really rude to May and slut-shaming her - bit rich from you, isn’t it, Lizzie?), and I don’t think they have a healthy relationship. I do like little Ruby a lot (way more than Charles, who is a spoiled brat because he’s Grace’s son and has a martyred dead mummy), but honestly I don’t see Tommy/Lizzie working out. I just hope that she doesn’t leave and take Ruby, I think it’d break Tommy to have his daughter taken away from him. - Alfie Solomons. So...I have to confess I have mixed feelings about Alfie. I liked him in Season Two because he’s batshit crazy, Tom Hardy is clearly having the time of his life and it’s refreshing to have a rival to Tommy who isn’t cartoonishly evil like Billy Kimber or Sabini. He ties into Season Two very well and yeah, I can see why he’s so popular. Also he’s pretty attractive, so that always helps. But. Alfie is starting to come across a bit like a creator’s pet to me. He consistently betrays Tommy every goddamn Season and while I know the fandom love to joke about this, it’s pretty inexplicable that Tommy would bother to continue to do business with him after being burned so many times and now it turns out he’s alive. Why? Why bring Alfie back? I feel like he was brought back because he’s a fan favourite and to add another suspect to who betrayed Tommy. I don’t hate Alfie at all, but I am starting to wish he’d face actual consequences for his actions, considering every Peaky Blinders character who fucks with the Peaky Blinders tend to suffer horribly for it, but not Alfie...for some reason. - Michael. Okay so Michael’s actor is pretty damn good and I thought it was cute that he and John’s actors are actually brother irl - you can see the resemblance. And honestly bringing back Polly’s missing kids was a really clever idea because there’s a family tie, but one that isn’t so strong you can always be sure of where his loyalties lie. His subplot with Father Hughes in Season Three was both very sad and very well done - I was cheering him on the whole way. But Season Five has made my opinion of Michael take a dramatic nosedive. He’s gone from sorta-sympathetic to an entitled brat almost overnight. I get he’s probably salty about being banished to America by Tommy in Season Four, but where has this sudden desire to rule the company come from? How did he meet Gina? Is he lying about Gina being pregnant because he figured it’d win him sympathy? I don’t know. He’s changed so drastically, and when Polly gave him that slap, I think she was doing what everyone wanted to. It’s too bad they just wrote Anna off as being dead, though, Michael having a sister and Polly a daughter would have been interesting. - The music?? Is so good?? I love it! Especially the themesong, obviously, but so much of it is always ON POINT. It makes me wanna buy the entire soundtrack. - Unpopular opinion, but I think Campbell was the best antagonist of the show, mainly because he was a vile person but still believable and had the best dynamic with Tommy. - Season Five was honestly kind of hit-and-miss for me, it seemed like a lot of people are pissed at Tommy for fairly silly reasons in the beginning and I just didn’t find the political subplot all that interesting...but I still will definitely tune into Season Six. (Also these are all just opinions, so please don’t send me hate if you don’t like something I’ve said. Ain’t nobody got time for that.)

#Peaky Blinders #Tommy Shelby #Arthur Shelby #John Shelby #Ada Shelby #Polly Gray #Michael Gray #Esme Shelby #Grace Burgess #May Carleton #Lizzie Stark #Alfie Solomons #Chester Campbell #Blogging #Thoughts

52 notes · View notes

gamex2020 · 4 years

Text

Dreamcast Fighting Games

Top 10 Sega Dreamcast Fighting Games

The Sega Dreamcast is often regarded as a less important console than its peers, the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Gamecube. However, if you were a fighting game fan, the Dreamcast was (and still is) the way to go.

There was a significant amount of support for Fighting Games On The Dreamcast. both through official releases and through controller support. The Dreamcast had more options for gamepads and fightsticks than any other console!

Plus, arcade games that ran on NAOMI hardware (a kind of arcade system board) were easily convertible to the Dreamcast, as both were manufactured by Sega. This means that ports from the arcade were almost perfectly 1:1–even for 3D games with cutting edge graphics. Sometimes, the Dreamcast’s graphics and sound would be even better than the cabinet.

Almost every single influential fighting game franchise has had at least one Dreamcast installment or port. In this article, we’re going to run through the top 10. There’s a perfect mix of hardcore, high-skill games and casually accessible romps with friends.

10. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future

If you’re already a fan of the wildly popular JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manga and anime series, you’re definitely familiar with this game. Heritage for the Future, despite its awkward name, is a game built to please fans of the series. It has nearly every memorable character from “part 3” of the manga/anime, titled “Stardust Crusaders.”

Besides the fanservice, though, it’s a wonderful fighting game with fun mechanics. There’s a very unique “stand gauge,” which lets fighters take out their “stand,” which is a magical spirit that fights alongside them. It changes their move properties, but also makes them vulnerable; you can get put into a stunned state when you’re hit while your stand is out, and they also run out gradually.

Not every character has one, though, and there are some more “normal” characters if you want a simpler experience.

It’s worth playing even if you’re not a fan of the series, even just for the creative game mechanics and unique characters. No other fighting game has a character like Hol Horse or Dio, with his flashy time-stop super.

9. Guilty Gear X

If you were part of the fighting game community in the 2010s, you probably heard people talking about how great Guilty Gear was. It’s a franchise that went on hiatus for a long time, but in the early 2000s, Guilty Gear was hot. There’s a spectacular lineup of interesting and goofy characters. Each character has a well-stocked repertoire of extremely flashy moves; it’s much different than what you would see in games with a more grounded style.

Instead of having a gauge just for supers, X has the “tension gauge.” As the match goes on, characters can use the tension meter for super moves, counters, or an advanced technique called roman canceling. Roman cancels allow you to spend the meter to cancel attacks into others, allowing for combos that otherwise wouldn’t exist. This is similar to the FADC mechanic in Street Fighter 4, for readers familiar.X doesn’t have much in the way of single player content, so if that’s what you’re looking for, try another one of the entries in this list. What it does have, though, is some of the best visuals and gameplay out of any game on this list. The sprites in this game are of unmatched quality. (Except for later entries in the series, of course.)

8. Dead or Alive 2

This is a series known for its aesthetics and sex appeal, but when you strip all that away, the game is a great 3D fighter. During the Dreamcast era, DoA2 was considered a direct contender to Namco’s Soulcalibur and Tekken series. Not only were the graphics pristine, but it was one of the few fighting games on this list to focus on a realistic aesthetic. (Well, semi-realistic.) In many ways, DoA is a sister series to the critically acclaimed Virtua Fighter.

The foundation of this 3D fighter is an extremely heavy focus on the classic rock-paper-scissors dynamic. What sets DoA2 apart is the ability to use “holds,” even after getting hit; these act like parries and let you defend yourself in situations when you’re getting combo’d.

Quick throws also make this game play very defensively. It’s common for you and your opponent to circle each other looking for an opening. Moves are often unsafe, meaning if your opponent blocks, they can counter very quickly. Depending on your playstyle, this can be a blessing or a curse. Regardless, it’s unusual for a fighting game to have this much focus on defense, which makes it interesting and fun.

7. Project Justice (also known as Rival Schools 2)

Much like MvC2, Capcom took the 2v2 gameplay from the first Rival Schools game and turned it into a 3v3 game. There’s team-up attacks with two of your fighters, or all three. This is one of Capcom’s few forays into 3D fighters, alongside the Street Fighter EX series which came out around the same time.

The school-based setting with delinquents brawling it out over a classic shounen plot made this series a cult classic, even though it hasn’t been revisited in almost two decades. It’s considered a cult classic fighting game, which is already a genre mostly comprised of cult classics, outside of the Mortal Kombat juggernauts.

If you can get your hands on the Japanese version of the game (and have a translation document ready), give it a shot. There’s a character creation mode centered around a board game mode. The mode was never localized to any other language because of the amount of text it came with, but it’s the only fighting game with such a character creation system.

The first game did the character creation as a dating sim, if you’re into that. The gameplay is obviously more shallow, but it’s worth mentioning that the series as a whole had some pretty interesting ideas about how players can make characters.

6. Power Stone 2

The Power Stone series isn’t a traditional fighting game; it’s more of a 3D brawler with several characters in an arena perspective. Even though it’s very different from other games on this list, it has earned its spot. Flat out, it’s one of the best Dreamcast games period.

The first Power Stone was a one-on-one arena fighter that featured characters slugging it out with their bare fists and item pickups. Power Stone 2 ups the ante, with more weapons, more vehicles, and more characters. The game can be played with 4-players, making for awesome free-for-alls and tag-team matches, both in the single player mode and with your buddies.

It might not be as technical or skill-intensive as the other games on this list, but it’s just so much fun. There’s no juggling, no wall-combos, no two-frame combos and no complicated stick motions. Those aren’t necessary to make a game as simple and fun as this.

The formula has been attempted since by other companies, but never to as much critical acclaim. Power Stone 2 remains a favorite in college dorms everywhere. The cool college dorms, at least.

5. Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves

Although the company SNK isn’t as well known in America as they are overseas, Terry’s release as a DLC character for Smash Bros. Ultimate reminded the world how awesome the old school Neo Geo fighting franchises are.

Back in the Dreamcast days, SNK was hitting their stride. They didn’t have to develop exclusively for the Neo Geo anymore, meaning their franchises were able to reach a wider audience. King of Fighters went all over the place, to Xbox and PlayStation, but Garou was a heavy-hitter specifically for the Dreamcast.

Garou is the final game in the Fatal Fury series, which is adjacent to SNK’s other series King of Fighters. SNK brought many fighting games to the Dreamcast, but Garou stands out as a classic. Originally ported from the Neo Geo system, it’s been lauded as one of the greatest games made by its developer with an outstanding legacy.

You can also play the game on modern platforms. It’s been re-released on PS4, Vita, Xbox live Arcade, and PC (both through GOG and Steam).

4. SoulCalibur

For many people in the late ‘90s, Soulcalibur was the Dreamcast’s system seller. This 3D weapon-based fighter had some of the best graphics on the system and really accessible gameplay. Throw in some memorable characters and you’ve got an instant classic.

Because the game is centered around weapons and a 3D environment, the character playstyles are based more around their range and speed than anything else. Instead of having characters be defined as “zoners” and “rushdown” like in 2D franchises, Soulcalibur has a set of unique characters that are hard to classify.

Not only that, but Soulcalibur introduced the “8-way run” to the franchise, changing the series drastically from its Soul Blade roots. Movement became a lot more fluid and skill-intensive, adding an extra layer to the spacing and mix-ups already present in the game.

The gameplay elements in SoulCalibur transfer easily to the rest of the series, meaning this is a great entry point if you want to get into the franchise. SoulCalibur VI is on current generation consoles (and PC), but if you want to see where the franchise really exploded, check this one out.

3. Street Fighter Alpha 3

If Third Strike doesn’t suit your tastes, give Alpha 3 a shot. The Dreamcast version of the game has some more characters than the arcade version, and an extra single-player mode that the PlayStation version doesn’t have.

Alpha 3 features the unique “-isms” mechanic, which allows you to choose the way you want to play your character. A-ism gives your character several super moves and a three-bar gauge. X-ism gives you a single-bar gauge and a single super move, though it is more powerful than the ones you find in A-ism. V-ism gives your character more custom combo variety at the lack of super moves.

This game feels very different from others in the series due to air blocking and a depletable block gauge. These two mechanics alone almost make the game feel like it’s part of another franchise. Even if you aren’t a fan of other Street Fighter games, give this one a shot — the deep and customizable gameplay might surprise you.

2. Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

Capcom brought the third installment of its flagship fighting franchise to the Dreamcast after its arcade release. It had three versions — New Generation, Second Impact, and Third Strike. Third Strike is widely considered the definitive version, with additional bug fixes, characters, and some content.

Even though this installment is missing some fan favorites from SF2, like Guile, E. Honda and M. Bison, it more than makes up for it with wild new additions. Hugo, Q, Urien and Makoto became instant favorites; and when all else fails, you still have Ryu, Ken and Chun Li.

Many hardcore fighting game players consider Third Strike to be the best game in the entire franchise; others consider it the best fighting game of all time. The combos are smooth, the pacing is slow and methodical, and the game’s parry mechanic has made for some of the most hype moments in gaming history. Just look up EVO Moment 37 and turn your speakers down a little bit.

1. Marvel vs. Capcom 2

If you’re looking for an arcade-perfect game with lasting appeal, look no further. MvC2 is a three-on-three fighter with a bevy of complicated mechanics and fast action. There’s a healthy roster of Marvel heroes and villains, and an even larger selection of Capcom fighters from many of their series.

One of the defining mechanics of this series is the tag-in combos, tag ultras, and assists. Unlike some other franchises with two or more fighters per player, MvC2 lets you have several characters on screen at once. Even at a casual level, the game encourages you to discover synergies and develop your own unique playstyle.

The other games in the Marvel series are great, but MvC2 has the most characters and is the last game to have 2D sprite-based graphics. Its community is alive and well today, decades after the game’s release — and for good reason.

#Dreamcast Fighting Games #Top 10 Sega Dreamcast Fighting Games #Sell Video Games #Retro Game Store #gamex

3 notes · View notes

itsclydebitches · 4 years

Note

(1) Rawb has compassion that's for sure. Man the fact that for 6 years now he would make shows and stream on Christmas day, all because he had lonely fans who he knew needed that, is amazing to me. I just like seeing someone actually focusing on empowering the younger generation of creators and he as has 12 years of experience doing this so he's qualified for that. He' using his statues of influencer responsibly. Plus giving advice on how not to act like his like his toxic younger self.

It’s definitely a challenging question to answer. Not simply because “How do we get students interested in material?” is pretty much THE concern of every teacher out there, whether it’s because they’re truly passionate about their subject and want to create as much engagement as possible, or because they’re practical and want to fill as many seats as possible, keeping their departments funded and their salary paid. It amounts to the same. More than just the acknowledgement of, “This is an ongoing question everyone is struggling with as technology/interests change” we need to remember that most teachers don’t have nearly as much control over their material as many students assume. Not unless they work at an open-minded university, have tenure as a safety net, have the leeway to teach things outside of GE requirements, have the funding and access to certain resources, etc. If, for example, I decide I want to teach my students video games it’s not enough to just get my syllabus approved by the department---a potential hurdle in and of itself, depending on where you teach. Students need to access primary texts, which in this case is much harder to achieve than just telling them to buy books (and we all know that the cost of “just” buying books is an ongoing problem as well). Does this student own an XBox, Wii, Nintendo, etc? Can’t exactly ask them to buy one for a single class. Does the school have video game platforms as a resource? Perhaps so, but it’s a hassle for the student to come to campus, get permission to access this resource, sit in a public space, and play the very limited number of games the school has on file for an amount of time that allows for even halfway decent analysis. That’s not really conducive to a good experience. Or learning. So then how about we limit the games to laptops? Everyone has a laptop nowadays. Well, not actually, but let’s take a gamble and hope. Can we play this game? Nope. It’s PC only and plenty of people own Macs. So we’ll limit the corpus further. How about this game? Great... but it also costs $40. Will the school give me money to pay for the primary texts myself? No they will not. So that’s not a great investment when you need to assign 6-10 games across the course of the semester. The students would be dropping a small fortune and none too pleased about it.

All of which is the precise sort of thinking I had to do, weeks before the class was held with very little idea of what was available to me and no idea who would be in my class/what resources they had access to/what they were willing to acquire.To say nothing of the hundred other questions like, “Is it worth engaging with this game for a week when it’s meant to be played for 200 hours?” Or “Is a media-heavy class truly accessible?” (I had to completely re-work one visually-heavy class when I learned a week before the class started that one student was blind.) Or “Does limiting the syllabus in this way even result in a satisfying, educational experience?” A lot of the feedback I received was akin to, “Hey, why did we play this game instead of this one way more representative of the genre we were discussing?” and the answers kept coming back to, “Because this game exists on dual platforms, was $50 cheaper, and had chaptered gameplay I could easily assign. I can’t just tell you all to play for an hour because then everyone will have had a wildly different experience, especially when considering skill level. There has to be set division akin to assigning page length because that’s how school functions.” Obviously incorporating media interests isn’t always this complicated, but it does help demonstrate why seemingly simple questions like, “Why don’t more teachers include video games? People love them and it would get everyone engaged!” aren’t actually simple at all. It does get people engaged... if you can pull it off.

Regarding incorporating other aspects, I (like many) usually fall back on creative projects. I haven’t exactly figured out a fun way to teach MLA citations yet because some information just needs to be presented without complications, but other assignments can come with more freedom. Try re-writing this story as a series of tweets. We’re talking linguistics this week, so go analyze the specifics of Discord conversations. I was just speaking to a colleague about how fandom praises AO3′s tagging system and bemoans the fact that this doesn’t exist for mainstream fiction. We were working through the potential usefulness (and fun) of asking students to tag whatever it is they’re reading in class, encouraging formal categorization as well as free-form reflections. Ultimately though, a group of 24 students are far more likely to come up with cool ways of engaging on their own if they’re given the freedom to explore and the courage to do so. I prefer to keep things broad then, knowing that with a bit of encouragement students will find a way to connect that broad topic back to their own interests. Many students do, for example, find the topic of gender incredibly boring, if not stupid or even something they’re really resistant to... but a lot of them are athletes and, with a little nudge, start questioning why the pro they look up to isn’t paid as much as another, or why this particular sport is still segregated by sex when their own experiences suggest it shouldn’t be. Suddenly they’re giving presentations about something they’re passionate about---that also fits the assignment requirements---and talking about their pro’s latest Instagram post---that’s also now cited properly. It’s about finding a balance. Some information/classes will always just be boring. It’s inevitable, especially when one considers the basic fact that what’s fascinating to one person is going to be dull as hell to another. But to my mind the more instructors who are at least taking small steps to implement the things their students are engaged with outside the classroom (What if I encourage them to take pictures of the PowerPoint and google new terms instead of just banning phones?) and the more students who have guided freedom in the classroom (What if I acknowledge that academic writing conventions can be very limiting, so let’s compromise by you learning the rules for future use but I also encourage you to break those rules here if you have good reason?) the better.

#teaching #school #gaming #Anonymous

3 notes · View notes

faveficarchive · 5 years

Text

The Perfect Gift

By LJ Maas

Pairing: Xena/Gabrielle

Rating: PG-13

Synopsis: A little Cupid’s Day Vignette to wrap up the Queen series. Fluffy as shit, so if you’re in the mood for something feel-good, you have arrived.

"Xena, how many of these do we have to do?" Tai asked the tall warrior beside her.

"The more we have, the better it will be," Xena answered.

They stood side by side, Xena working quickly with her sharp knife and Tai filled the wooden buckets beside them. The five year old performed her task with a screwed up face at the odor coming from the containers on the ground. Tai only came up to the warrior's knees, but she worshiped Xena and worked as hard as she could to please her new mother. Tai tossed another of the smelly objects into the bucket. She looked up at the warrior and Xena winked at the youngster. Tai didn't much enjoy this part of fishing, but she did enjoy spending time with Xena.

After Tai's mother had died, Xena and Gabrielle had adopted the youngster as their own. The two women told Tai that she and her baby sister, Emery, were their little girls now. There were days when Tai still missed her mother, but Gabrielle held her at night and Xena promised to teach the youngster everything about being a warrior. Those small acts of kindness helped to keep the sad thoughts from overwhelming her.

Tai had slipped one day and called Gabrielle, Mama. She didn't know why, but Tai felt so much better after saying it because Gabrielle was just like her Mama. At first she thought that Gabrielle had been upset because the Queen said Tai didn't have to call her that. Gabrielle sat down and explained what she meant and the little girl listened intently. Gabrielle simply hadn't wanted Tai to forget her mother. Tai nodded her small head in understanding, knowing however, that it just felt right to call Gabrielle that name. From that day on, Gabrielle became Mama to the youngster.

"Okay, little bit. I think we have enough now. Let's go."

"Do we really need dis many?"

"Oh, yea. It will make it lots better, trust me."

"'Kay."

Xena's head craned around the corner of the building, the rest of her body hidden by the structure. Heartbeats later, a tiny blonde head looked around the corner as well, about knee-high to the warrior.

"There's da bad man," Tai whispered.

Xena and Tai watched the two figures across the compound. Xena couldn't keep the smile from her lips, watching Gabrielle as she spoke to her uncle. The blonde Queen straightened up and a hand went to her back. She massaged the area as she continued talking with the dark-haired God. Xena's smile was meant, not only for her wife, but also for the life that Gabrielle carried inside her swollen belly. Recently, it only took a quick thought of their soon-to-arrive daughter, Brianna, for Xena to get emotional. Shaking her head, the warrior quickly returned her mind to the job before her.

"Okay, little bit. Keep your head down and stay by me."

Ephiny caught sight of the two from the balcony of her own small hut as they scurried through the Amazon village, hiding behind huts and tents. She watched the comical sight with an unexpected fascination.

"Ep," Ephiny called out to the Village's Weapons Master. "What on earth is Xena up to?"

"Don't know. She just asked me if I had an extra bucket and a ball of twine. I gave the stuff to her and she and Tai took off giggling like schoolgirls."

Ephiny shook her head. "Why does that sound like trouble to me?"

Eponin chuckled. "Maybe because you know Xena as well as anyone and you also know that since Gabrielle became pregnant again, Xena's probably been good for about as long as she can stand it."

"Yep, that's what I was afraid of. Oh, well," the Regent turned to go back inside. "The Warrior Princess is our Queen's headache during peacetime."

"Okay, we tie the string like this," Xena explained as she worked.

Tai watched in fascination as the warrior moved around the room. Xena tied the string in a series of complicated loops and knots, stringing it around the doorframe and pulling it through the door's latch. She stood on a stool to reach the top of the door, precariously balancing her precious cargo upon the upper frame.

"We crouch down here, under the window, and we wait. When he comes in, as soon as the door opens just the tiniest bit…leather boy gets it. The opening door automatically trips the lever and we've got him like a rat in a trap."

"Then what?" Tai asked.

"Then we laugh our butts off," Xena answered, a satisfied expression on her face.

"You said butt," Tai giggled.

Xena smiled at the youngster's amusement. "Yea, well, warriors can say butt when we're with other warriors."

"Cool."

Xena thought a moment. "Um...just don't tell your mom I said that."

"Why? Will you get in trouble?"

"You have no idea."

"Is it cuz she's Queen and in charge?"

"Is that what you think?"

"Dunno."

"Well, who do you think is in charge?" Xena asked.

"You!" Tai said emphatically, pointing a tiny finger at Xena.

"Why do you say that?" Xena asked.

"Cuz you're bigger and stronger."

Xena chuckled aloud. "Some day, little bit, you'll learn that even the smallest and weakest looking among us can be strong. Some times, usually just when we need it the most, the greatest heart, and strength can come from the most unlikely of people. Which means, when we're here in the Amazon Village, Gabrielle's in charge."

"But why?"

Xena could see this going on for a while. "Because she's Queen and that makes her the most important person here."

"More 'portant dan you?" Tai's expression told the warrior that the youngster was amazed.

"Way more important than me. You might even be Queen one day."

"Baby Bri will be Queen cuz she's your real little girl," Tai replied.

Xena paused, wondering how they had gotten onto such a complex subject. "Where did you get that idea, Tai?"

"I heard somebody sayin' it," Tai evaded.

"Well, that's not true. You and your sister Emery are just as much our little girls as Brianna will be. Any one of you could be Queen if you wanted it. It takes a very wise and strong woman to be Queen, though. Do you think you'd like that?"

"Nope," Tai answered.

"Oh, you've already made up your mind about that, have you?" Xena teased.

Tai's head nodded up and down in quick jerks.

"So, why don't you want to be Queen?"

"Cuz mama doesn't get to have no fun. You get to ride Argo, and go fishin', and go huntin'. Warriors get to have a lot more fun. I think I'll be what you are. I'm gonna guard the Queen."

"Ahh, the Queen's Champion?"

"Yea, that's it...Queen's Ch...Ch - thampion."

Xena laughed quietly. "I know you'll be the best, little bit."

Xena peeked over the windowsill and saw Gabrielle and Ares coming their way. She watched as they walked toward the home that Xena and Gabrielle shared with their girls. They stopped outside as two Amazon's approached them. Xena knew the two women. In fact, she had told them to be on the lookout in order to pull Gabrielle aside. Xena wanted to guarantee that Ares walked through that door alone.

Xena and Ares had always had a rather adversarial relationship. In the past, it had been easy for the Warrior Princess to express her dislike and rage against the God of War. Things had changed last season, though. One of the more surprising revelations had been that Ares was not only Gabrielle's uncle, but also her mentor. Apollo had extracted the oath from his brother before Gabrielle had been born. It became Ares's duty to teach his charge everything necessary in order for Gabrielle to control her newfound godly powers.

Gabrielle had finally come into her own as the daughter of Apollo and she and Ares had formed an interesting relationship. Oddly enough, Gabrielle seemed to be one of the few people who never feared offending, enraging, or even yelling at the God of War. Xena's part in their newly extended family became slightly fuzzier. She had always known where she stood with her old nemesis, but she now found that Gabrielle actually expected Xena to behave civilly around Ares for the sake of the children.

Xena usually made herself scarce when Ares was in the Village with Gabrielle. Aside from nap time, there were few moments during the day when the youngster wasn't with Xena. At first, Xena thought she would go insane at having the pint size child as a constant companion. It didn't take long until she actually looked forward to the company each day. Gabrielle had even commented on how the warrior moped around the house when Tai had to take a nap.

So, Xena had been left with conjuring only fantasies in her mind of ways in which hurt Ares. She had been planning this latest attack for some time. It was fun, she loved the scheming and the time spent with Tai, plus it was so innocent it couldn't possibly get her into trouble with Gabrielle. To Xena, it was a win-win proposition.

"I think he's coming, Xena," Tai's childlike whisper shook Xena from her musings.

"You're right." She ducked her head under the windowsill, doing a last minute visual on the trap's set up.

"Xena?" Tai whispered.

"Ssh." Xena concentrated on the trail of beige string.

"But, Xena…"

"Shh, Tai. I hear footsteps. If he hears us we'll get caught."

"But, Xena…dis is really, really 'portant."

"What?" Xena finally asked in exasperation, looking down at the youngster crouched beside her under the window.

"Isn't the bad man supposed to come in?"

"Yeah."

"And he comes in and the buckets fall?"

Xena watched with extreme satisfaction as the door began to open. "Yea, yea. This is it."

"Then why is he over there?" Tai pointed out the window.

"Wha - ?" Xena whipped her head around to see Ares standing out in front of the house, chatting up some Amazons. "Oh, no!"

She jumped up from her hiding place in order to slam the door closed. Unfortunately, her muscles had grown stiff from her crouched position under the window. She tripped as the door opened and the buckets emptied their contents upon the unsuspecting victim.

"Gods on Olympus!" Gabrielle cried out as two buckets of assorted fish parts rained down on her.

The Queen looked down to find her wife sprawled across the wooden floor of their home, Tai right behind her. Gabrielle closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "You two - "

"Mama…Mama!" Tai ran forward, a small piece of parchment in her hands. "Look what I made for you for Cupid's Day."

Tai looked up at Gabrielle with a sweetly innocent expression, glancing back at Xena with a 'you're on your own' look.

"That is so cheating," Xena whispered.

Gabrielle took another deep breath. "That's lovely, honey, thanks. Was this," she brushed a fish tail from her shoulder, "Xena's idea?"

Tai looked back nervously at Xena's still prone figure. "I don't think warriors are supposed to tattle on other warriors," Tai whispered up at Gabrielle.

"Xena?" Gabrielle said in a voice that sounded as though it had begun to fray at the edges.

"Yes?" Xena couldn't think of one intelligent thing to say.

"Are these pieces of…fish?"

"Um…they're trout…your favorite."

"On a plate, not with their guts draped all over me!"

Xena winced at the younger woman's volume. "Gabrielle, I - "

"No. I don't want to hear it right now." Gabrielle drew in another breath and fought down the urge to hit something. "I'm going to the bathing chamber and I want this cleaned up by the time I return." She walked out of the door without another word.

Gabrielle's glare dared anyone to comment on her appearance as she walked down the steps of their hut.

Ares' smile formed as soon as he saw Gabrielle coming his way. "You know - " He began with a chuckle. He froze at Gabrielle's next words.

"If you say anything that could be classified as a smart-ass comment, so help me, you lose a testicle!"

"Um…I gotta go." Ares disappeared, leaving behind a trail of falling blue sparkles.

Later, as Xena and Tai mopped up the mess they had created, Xena commented on the youngster's behavior. "Quick thinking to suck up like that."

"What's 'suck up' mean, Xena?"

"In this case, my friend, it means that you're a lot smarter than me."

Xena and Tai knelt on the floor, each with a wet rag in hand. A candlemark had passed since Gabrielle left the hut, covered in fish unmentionables.

"Tell me, little bit, is this the fun warrior stuff you were talking about?" Xena asked.

Tai kept scrubbing the wooden floor that still smelled of fish guts. "Dis don't seem like fun warrior stuff at all."

"Tell me about it." Xena paused and tilted her head as though she was testing the air with her senses. "Tai," she whispered, "Give me that soap."

In a matter of heartbeats, Xena had pushed the thick cake of soap a couple of feet away from where they kneeled. Suddenly, the air crackled with a sort of hot energy and Ares's form materialized. As soon as the God became solid, his legs flew out from underneath him and he landed on his back, hitting the wooden floor hard enough to expel all the air in his lungs.

Tai took that opportunity to do what she always did when Ares was on the ground playing with her. She charged him, screaming out her own particular version of a Xena battle cry, landing directly on the God of War's stomach.

Xena laughed as Ares pulled the cake of soap from underneath him and tossed it in the nearby bucket.

"That'll teach you to knock first," Xena said.

"I'm a God - ooph!" he exclaimed as Tai jumped up and down on this stomach. "Nobody else makes me knock."

"Nobody else can kick your ass whenever she wants, either."

"You can't kick my ass...whenever you want," he quickly added at the challenging gleam in Xena's eye.

"Oh, yea? Who's lying on a wet floor, flat on their back, with a kid bouncing on top of them?"

"Point taken. Whoa, kid. You're getting a little close to the equipment." Ares lifted Tai off his prone form.

"That was funny, Ares. Do it again," Tai said.

"Maybe next time, kiddo." He reached down to pat the blonde head. "So," he lowered his voice and looked around the room. "Is she back yet?"

"I never thought I'd see the day. You acting like a wuss around Gabrielle."

"You would be too if you knew what was good for you. Have you ever been around a woman just beginning to learn her God power? She may not have many of them, but until she learns how to control what she does have, I'll look out for my family jewels, thank you very much. When she says I'll lose a testicle, all she has to do is think about it too hard and poof! There it goes. "

"Hmm, could be worth seeing," Xena said in between her laughter.

Gabrielle returned from her bath, wearing a much more congenial expression. "So, everything is all clean I see."

"Completely. Bri, I'm - "

Gabrielle held up her hand. "It's okay. I should have known that you were getting ready to blow. You've been good way too long."

Gabrielle winked and Xena knew that her wife had already forgiven her. One of the earmarks of this pregnancy had been that Gabrielle's temper resembled a summer gale. It swept through fast, with lots of strong wind, lightning, and thunder, but was gone before it ever achieved full force. Xena knew her wife. She also understood what it was like to be pregnant. It would only be another moon or two and Gabrielle's sweet and compassionate disposition would return.

"Ares, I'm beat. Do you mind if we call it a day?" Gabrielle asked.

Before Ares could answer, he sneezed.

"Bless you," Xena and Gabrielle said in unison.

"Wait a minute. Did you just sneeze?" Gabrielle asked.

"I don't think I've even heard you sneeze before," Xena said.

"That's because Gods don't sneeze," he replied. "Maybe it was just a fluke." Ares sneezed again. "Uh oh. I gotta go."

"What's wrong?" Gabrielle asked.

"It's the immortal virus. Man, I have to get back…now!" Ares face grew a look of concentration. He paused and looked at his outstretched hand. "Damn."

He snapped his fingers, even said a quick incantation but all that happened was a little smoke and a small popping noise. "I'm still here." He said, looking down at his body.

"Brilliant deduction," Xena said without sympathy.

"I mean I'm stuck here. All because I came back to check on you," he nodded his head at Gabrielle. "I knew this being nice gig was gonna bite me in the ass sooner or later."

"Now, Ares, calm down," Gabrielle said. "What do you mean an immortal virus…is it catching? Is that why you can't transport yourself back to Olympus?"

"The immortal virus only affects Gods. We heard last week that a couple of the Roman Gods were infected. Damn! I played cards with Mars. I bet that asshole passed it on to everybody on Olympus!"

"So, you sneeze and lose your ability to transport?" Xena asked. "Doesn't sound too terrible."

"I lose all my powers. I can't do a thing until I get better. I'm stuck here unless somebody comes for me."

"All your powers?" Xena asked with an evil grin.

"Xena, stop," Gabrielle ordered. "Don't worry, Ares. I'll call my father and he'll come get you. Do you feel okay?"

"Yeah, it doesn't do anything unless I - " Ares sneezed again.

"What in Hades name?" Xena looked out the window into the Village. "Well, this is different."

Joining Xena at the window, the three of them watched as snow fell from the sky. Ares sneezed and the snow stopped. He sneezed again and the entire compound filled with multicolored butterflies.

"Everything is okay unless - "

"Unless you sneeze," Xena finished. "Great," she said to Ares's embarrassed shrug. This could be dangerous."

"Nah, it's usually weird harmless stuff."

Gabrielle went into their bedroom and opened up the small wooden box that held her prized possessions. She put on the ring that Apollo had given her and spoke one word… father. In the past, Apollo had appeared almost immediately upon Gabrielle using the enchanted ring.

"Father isn't answering." Gabrielle came out of the bedroom to address Xena and Ares.

"You rang?" Aphrodite's voice arrived before she did. The Goddess wore her customary pink, low cut diaphanous gown. The only thing different was that she wore a cloth mask over her mouth and nose.

"Aw, Dite, thank you, thank you. I thought I was gonna be stuck here as a mortal," Ares said.

"Thanks a lot," Gabrielle responded.

Ares shrugged and at least had the decency to look apologetic. "You know what I mean."

"I'm afraid I do," Gabrielle said. "Aphrodite, where's my father and what is that thing on your face?"

"Hey there, mama-to-be. Well, Apollo and the crowd have the same virus that this lug has, and boy, are they like pissed at you, Ares."

"I only let Mars in to play cards!"

"Yea, right! That wolf of his was all over the place. After everyone gets over this, we'll have to have Olympus fumigated. And do you want to know the worst part? This mask is ruining my make-up!"

Xena and Gabrielle tried to hide their smiles. No matter how she had matured around mortals, Aphrodite would always be...well, Aphrodite.

"So, you're the only God who doesn't cause puppies to fall from the sky when they sneeze?" Xena asked.

"Yep, I'm virus free and I plan on staying that way. That's why the mask, get it? Apollo gave me a yell when you tried to call on him," Aphrodite said to Gabrielle. "He figured little bro was stuck down here."

"So how long does this virus last?" Gabrielle asked.

"A few years," Aphrodite answered.

"Years?" Xena and Gabrielle repeated in unison.

"Well, not to you guys, silly. Years up on Olympus are just...what, two or three days down here?" she asked Ares.

"More or less," he answered.

"Gabrielle's been with Ares all day. Any chance she can get this virus?" Xena asked.

"Don't think so, warrior-babe. I've never heard of anyone but a full God getting the immortal virus."

"Excuse me, My Queen, but we have trouble."

Ephiny had waited as long as she could, but felt that the situation warranted interrupting Gabrielle and her family. The Regent had never felt truly comfortable around Gabrielle's Godly relatives. She thought it best to steer as far away from the Gods as possible whenever they were in the Village.

"Now what?" Gabrielle asked as Ares sneezed again. Suddenly, a herd of small gray burros materialized and wandered aimlessly throughout the compound.

"Are you doing that?" Ephiny asked. She knew that Gabrielle had been practicing to control the powers she had inherited from her father.

"Not me…him" Gabrielle jerked a thumb in Ares's direction.

"I don't want to know why, do I?" Ephiny stared at the burros as they passed by the group.

"Not if you want to stay sane," Xena replied.

"And the trouble is…" Gabrielle encouraged Ephiny to continue.

"Huh?" Ephiny looked confused.

"The trouble you were going to tell me about?"

"Oh…um, yea. Unfortunately, we have a rather touchy situation going down at the settlement near the Strymon."

"Situation?" Gabrielle asked.

"Marcasa, their new leader is starting shit, but it's the kind of shit that could end up causing a war."

"We just gave them an extension to stay on that land until we can meet to sign a lease. What more does he want?"

"He wants a lease immediately. The terms of the last contract stipulate that the Queen of the Amazons would negotiate in person no more than a fortnight after the lease ended."

"Does this moron know that Gabrielle's pregnant and due by the next moon, that she's in no condition to travel?" Xena growled.

"Frankly, I think that's part of his plan. At this point, he knows Gabrielle can't possibly travel the four or five days it would take to get there before the fortnight is up. If the timeline on the negotiation isn't kept, as written, the land will revert ownership to the lessee."

"The bastard!" Xena said.

"Actually, the people there aren't the type to want to go to war, but Marcasa is misguided enough to want to pull a fast one when he sees the opportunity.

"So you're telling me the Amazons lose that land if I can't get there in time?" Gabrielle asked.

"I'm afraid so, but that's not the worst part of this little scenario. Andralen is taking these manipulations by Marcasa rather personally. He's threatening physical force if the settlement doesn't wait until the birth of your child, until you're able to travel. You know how Andralen feels about you."

Gabrielle nodded, remembering Andralen. A centaur captain, he met Gabrielle the previous fall in the forest to the south of the Amazon village. He had his rear hoof ensnared in a hunter's metal trap. Luckily, Gabrielle had been visiting her favorite quiet spot in the woods and heard the centaur's angry bellows. After releasing the spring on the trap, she carefully explained about the healing power passed down to her from her father. In order to save Andralen's leg, she would have to expend some of this power, but first warned the creature that her ability was inconsistent much of the time. She had a hard time calling it up at will. Andralen took the chance and Gabrielle saved him from what would have been an almost certain amputation of the limb. Since that time, Andralen had become a devoted supporter of the young Amazon Queen.

"I'm at a loss. How on earth can I possibly get there in time, even if I could spend five days on horseback?"

Everyone looked around, trying to come up with an idea. Even Xena had a difficult time in dreaming up a way to get out of their situation.

"Hellooo!" Aphrodite said. "Am I like invisible here?"

The women went silent and looked at her in confusion.

"Sweet Pea, I can get you there before you can say hot tub with the girls and have you back in time for supper."

They continued their silent stares for a few moments, but then they looked at one another and all began to speak at once, effectively dismissing Aphrodite's suggestion.

She stamped her foot in an attempt to get their attention. "Hey!" Aphrodite said.

No," Xena said.

"It does sound like an easy solution, though" Ephiny added.

"No," Xena repeated, folding her arms across her chest.

"Xena, I think - " Gabrielle began.

"No. Gabrielle you're - "

"Not going to deliver for another moon. Even if it does happen early it will still be another fortnight."

"Xena, I'm kind of offended. You know I'll take care of our little mom-to-be," Aphrodite was quick to add.

"I know you mean well, Aphrodite, but - "

"Xena, I don't think we have any choice. Aphrodite, will it be safe for the baby?"

"Sure! She'll be in the safe hands of Auntie Aphrodite."

"Oh, that just fills me with confidence," Xena said. "All right," Xena held her hands up in mock surrender, not looking at all thrilled with the idea, but slightly intimidated by her wife's gaze. "But, I want Aphrodite to zap you into the centaur village first and make sure Andralen sends a unit with you to the settlement. I want you protected. Actually, I think it would be better if I - "

"Xe, someone needs to stay home with the girls."

"We're surrounded by Amazons. They live to baby sit."

"Sweetheart, I'll only be a few candlemarks."

Xena realized that she had gone into her over protective mode. She had to let Gabrielle rule her people, no matter how personally difficult that became. She smiled and reached over to kiss Gabrielle's forehead.

Gabrielle placed one hand on Xena's arm. "Don't worry so much, okay?"

"What, just when I'm getting so good at it?"

"Okay, now that it's all settled how about giving me a lift home first. Eh, sis?" Ares sneezed again and a long line of multicolored rabbits slowly hopped past the group.

"Right. Off you go!" Aphrodite sent Ares on his way with a wave of her hand. "Okay, just say the word, Sweet Pea, and we're outta here."

"Let me change into something more formal first," Gabrielle said.

"Tell Tai that I had to leave in a hurry…don't let her eat too many snacks before dinner…do you remember how Emery's milk goes in the container to feed her?" Gabrielle rattled off a string of requests as she dressed.

"Bri, You'll be back for dinner. I think I can manage until then," Xena answered.

"I know, I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"Pretty much, but I'm used to it."

"Very funny, warrior. Gods, I'm getting nervous already."

"You'll have everything under control in no time, I know it. Just come back to me quickly, my heart. You know I haven't had to spend a Cupid's Day apart from you in all the time we've known each other."

"Xe, it's days away," Gabrielle answered with a smile. "But, I promise you, no matter what, I'll be back in time to celebrate Cupid's Day with you."

"With my gift?"

Gabrielle suddenly remembered why she had wanted to talk with Ephiny earlier that day. She knew that Xena had been casually trying to remain inconspicuous, while searching their home high and low for any signs of hidden gifts. The Queen had requested that Ephiny hide the custom made saddle Gabrielle had commissioned for her wife.

"With your present," Gabrielle replied.

"It's a deal then."

They kissed and held to one another as though it would be a much longer separation. Xena wanted one more kiss, but there wasn't time before Gabrielle rushed through the door.

Gabrielle and Ephiny discussed the details of the contract one last time. After a few more hasty farewells, Gabrielle gave one last wave, and blew a kiss in Xena's direction before her figure shimmered into nothingness beside Aphrodite.

"Your Highness, we are most honored that you have come in person."

An elderly man took Gabrielle's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "I apologize for my son's behavior in this matter. Marcasa is young and has yet to gain the maturity that leadership demands. You are an excellent example for him." The old man glared at the young man who stood beside him.

"I'm happy that we could come to an understanding and that this didn't have to escalate into anything violent," Gabrielle replied.

She watched as Marcasa looked away from her, unable to make eye contact. His cheeks had turned red with shame. She understood that his father had taught him better, but the young man had given into the attractive nature of power.

"I really must be going, now. I have someone waiting." Gabrielle looked over to where Aphrodite stood, surrounded by a group of men and Centaurs.

"We've never seen any of the Gods in their mortal shapes before," the old man's words explained and seemed to apologize for the behavior of the men of the village.

"You get used to it after a while," she replied with a smile. "Aphrodite? Ready?"

"I'm always ready." She winked at the men.

"Say goodbye, Aphrodite," Gabrielle pulled the Goddess away from the group.

"Spoilsport. Well, toodles, guys. See ya 'round the temple."

Aphrodite took hold of Gabrielle's hand, and the Goddess snapped her fingers together. A pale pink powder shimmered as it fell to the ground where the two women had been standing only a heartbeat earlier.

"Wow, that was quicker than last time," Gabrielle said, as she felt solid ground beneath her feet.

She looked around, unable to understand why they were standing on the side of a road in an area she couldn't recognize. "Aphrodite, where are we?"

Before Gabrielle even had the words out of her mouth, Aphrodite threw back her head and sneezed. Suddenly, brightly colored tulips popped up from the ground for as far as they could see down the road.

"Uh oh," Aphrodite said in reply.

"Oh, no," Gabrielle said. Her face expressed the shock that she felt. "Don't even tell me that you have it, too."

"Okay."

Silence hung heavy in the air. "Well?" Gabrielle cried out.

"You said not to tell you!" Aphrodite replied. She sneezed again and all of the green grass around them turned a bright blue.

"I don't believe this is happening. Where are we?"

"Hey, I'm just as surprised as you are. This wasn't exactly how I planned this. Don't you have any transport powers at all?" Aphrodite asked.

"Even if I could, which I can't, I'd be afraid that we'd end up in a dozen pieces. You know how erratic this stuff is for me."

"Well, this bites," Aphrodite said.

"I guess we'll just have to start walking," Gabrielle said.

"Exqueeze me?" Aphrodite stopped to stare at Gabrielle. "You want me to walk?"

"It's either that or camp out for a few days until your powers return."

"That sounds fine."

"Of course, we have no food, no water, and no place to sleep," Gabrielle said.

"Oh, guess we can't let you and the bambino go without food."

"There's another really good reason why we have to get home," Gabrielle added.

"Why?"

"My water just broke."

"You can break water?" Aphrodite asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm having my baby."

"Oh no you don't." Aphrodite placed her hands on her hips. "You cross your legs and don't let that little bugger out."

"It's not quite that easy," Gabrielle replied, clutching her abdomen. The pain seemed to roll through her in slow, fluttering waves. It felt nothing like the first time she had given birth to this youngster.

"Brianna, stay!" Aphrodite ordered as she pointed to Gabrielle's stomach.

Gabrielle laughed, in spite of the seriousness of their situation. "Aphrodite, you're losing it."

"Well, this mortal gig can get old in a hurry. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, but the first thing we need to do is get off the side of the road."

Aphrodite sneezed and a line of wooden chairs inched their way down the road."

"I take that back. The first thing we need to do is stop you from sneezing. The second is to find some shelter. I'm going to need your help in walking, though."

"Oh, okay. Um…what do I do?" Aphrodite looked as though she was afraid to touch Gabrielle.

"Just let me lean on you a bit. Okay?"

They started walking, still unsure which direction would lead them home. They were in the middle of nowhere and nothing looked the slightest bit familiar to Gabrielle. After a while, they had worked up a sweat for their efforts. Well, Gabrielle had worked up a sweat. Aphrodite attempted to assist Gabrielle in between fits of sneezing. They had seen the sky turn magenta, bunnies grow wings, but the strangest, Gabrielle had to admit, were the fish that flew by.

Seeing the fish caused Gabrielle to think that it was only earlier that morning when Xena had doused her with fish guts, a practical joke meant for Ares. The thought of Xena, and the Cupid's Day gift from little Tai, made Gabrielle's eyes fill with tears. She was trying to be brave, but their present situation, coupled with the pain in her lower belly was simply too much for her.

"Geez, how many loaves of nut bread have you been eating lately?" Aphrodite asked. "Hey, I'm sorry, it was just a joke." Aphrodite was quick to apologize when she saw the tears in Gabrielle's eyes.

"I'm just…Aphrodite, I don't know how much further I can go."

"We need to find you a spot to rest for a while. How about over there?"

"I don't think we should stop," Gabrielle responded and then grimaced from another contraction.

"Sweet Pea, I don't know what to tell ya, but I have no idea where we are and you really look like - "

"No! We have to keep going."

"Why are you being such a stubborn half Goddess?" Aphrodite said in exasperation.

"Because I'm having a baby and it's just you and me in the middle of nowhere! Because the last time - "

A strangled sob halted the remainder of Gabrielle's sentence, but she didn't have to finish for Aphrodite to understand. The Goddess knew that Gabrielle had been thinking of the last time she had given birth to this same baby, when Hera had stolen the child's life force in an act of revenge. The pain and suffering experienced by Gabrielle and Xena had set all of Olympus against Hera.

"We can do this, Gabrielle. Come on."

Gabrielle offered a weak smile; rather impressed that Aphrodite could take charge of the situation. The feeling was short-lived, however.

"Just quit saying you're going to have that baby. That is just way too grody to even think about."

"I knew it, I just knew it!" Xena shouted. "And you just couldn't wait to send her out there…with Aphrodite of all people."

"They're not actually that late," Ephiny responded. She was just as concerned, but couldn't explain to Xena what she had been feeling.

"They've been gone for an entire day! Yesterday she said it would be a few candlemarks. She's with a Goddess. It isn't like they had to stop for the night."

Ephiny had been trying to display an outward calmness in hopes that it would affect Xena. So far, that hadn't worked at all. Xena took everything that anyone said to her as patronizing. The warrior was right about one thing. They couldn't remain passive. They had to take some sort of action.

"Look, Xena - "

"So help me, Ephiny, if you say you're sending another message to Andralen with those damn birds I'm going to wring your neck. Right after, I'm going to do the same to those freaking pigeons!"

"Okay, okay, no more messages with the birds."

Ephiny clearly understood Xena's reasons for worry, but the Regent didn't know quite how to explain that she had a certain feeling about Gabrielle. She didn't know how to explain it herself, but although Gabrielle had been missing for nearly a full pass of the sun, Ephiny simply knew her Queen wasn't in harm's way. She had no idea how to convey that very abstract feeling to a very worried Xena. Ephiny doubted it would have done any good anyway.

"I'm open for suggestions, Xena," Ephiny continued. "Andralen said that when Gabrielle and Aphrodite left the settlement, they were both fine. The only thing I can think to do is have a search party set off for the settlement and hope we run into them along the way. Maybe Aphrodite did get that virus they were talking about and they had to walk the rest of the way."

"I hope you're right, and yea, that's about all we can do right now," Xena answered, taking some heart from Ephiny's confident answer.

"Ep, get a search party together. I want Sika along. She's the best tracker we have," Ephiny ordered.

Eponin didn't even answer. She simply rushed off to make the arrangements.

Xena pursed her lips and whistled. Moments later Argo stood waiting beside her mistress. Xena jumped up and landed softly upon the animal's bare back.

"The more people, the slower we go. I'm taking Argo and heading out now. Catch up when you can. I'll take the main road. If anything did happen, Gabrielle would be sure to stay along that route."

Xena's actions didn't surprise Ephiny. It was quite evident that Xena was dangerously close to losing what shreds of patience now held her together. It wasn't simply about Gabrielle, although that would have been nothing new for Xena. The overprotective behavior had become second nature for Xena ever since their baby's, life force had been returned to them.

"Damn, I forgot about the girls. Tai's gonna freak," Xena turned around to address Ephiny just as Eponin rejoined them, leading two horses. The warrior was afraid Tai would be frightened if both Gabrielle and herself turned up missing.

"I'll take care of it. Tai loves Sartori. I'll have the kids stay with them and explain to Tai. Go one. We'll catch up as we can."

"Thanks, Eph!" Xena called back, leaving the Amazons choking on a cloud of dust.

"How long do you think it will take her to get there," Eponin asked as she tossed a saddle on her mare's back.

"I figure it takes almost five days to get to the settlement on horseback at an easy pace. The way she's moving, it won't take more than 2 days tops."

"What do think really happened to the Queen?" Sika asked Ephiny as she joined the group.

"Not sure, but I have a feeling. I know, you'll think I'm nuts, but it's like…like - "

"A gut feeling." Sartori joined them, finishing Ephiny's sentence.

"Exactly. Do you feel it, too?"

"Yes, but I can't explain why, which I find odd in itself. Adia has the same feeling so I can only hope that our mutual intuition is correct," Sartori answered.

Ephiny opened her mouth to speak, but Sartori raised a hand to stop her. Eponin already told me that Xena left. I'm on my way to collect Tai and Emery right now. I'll let Tai know that there's nothing to worry about."

"Sartori, you're a life saver. Everyone ready?" Ephiny looked around as the group on horseback nodded their heads. Without another word, they rode from the village.

Sartori smiled when she saw her mate walking toward her. The tall healer carried Xena and Gabrielle's additions to their family, one in each arm. Adia carefully deposited baby Emery into Sartori's arms.

"Can I ride on your shoulders again, Adia? Can I?"

"May I," Sartori added.

"You want to, too?" Tai looked up at Sartori.

Adia laughed and kissed her wife on the cheek. "Does she remind you of her mom?" Adia scooped up the youngster and perched her upon her shoulders.

"Wow, I can see everything from here," the small girl said.

"Tai, Xena had to go get Gabrielle, but I think they'll both be back soon."

"'Kay. Mama's okay…just late."

Sartori and Adia exchanged stunned glances. "How do you know that Gabrielle is okay?" Sartori asked.

Tai shrugged. "Just know."

"Well, we all feel it, I guess," Sartori said to Adia.

"Hope we're all right," Adia replied. "Although, I think by now we should be used to the fact that our Queen does have a knack for finding trouble."

Sartori smiled at the statement. "I think Gabrielle would argue that trouble seems to find her."

"Either way, I feel rather sorry for any trouble that's bothering Gabrielle right about now."

"Indeed," Sartori agreed. "They have evidently never dealt with the Queen's Champion."

"Yep. If they only knew that in another day or so old tall, dark, and pissed off will be hot on their trail, they'd run for the hills," Adia said with a chuckle.

Aphrodite led Gabrielle off the road and up a small grassy hill. The young Queen didn't say a word. She allowed her aunt to lead her into a rather sizable wooden feeding stall. Gabrielle recognized the enclosure from her days in the farmland of Potidaea. Farmers with a great deal of land filled the buildings with hay, leaving them open to allow their stock to feed in the winter.

Gabrielle gave a tired sigh followed by a grunt of pain as she settled her back against a pile of bundled hay. A jumble of thoughts and fears raced past her mind's eye. She didn't want to give in to her fear, but the contractions had become more frequent. The pain grew a little stronger with each one, no longer the light flutters that had first tickled her belly. Another contraction took hold of her small body and Gabrielle felt the familiar pressure that indicated that Brianna had no intention of waiting until her due day.

"Oh, Gods!" Gabrielle couldn't keep from crying out.

"Okay, like I don't know what to do. This cannot be happening!" Aphrodite paced back and forth as agitated as Gabrielle had ever seen her.

Gabrielle's cries came more frequently. She silently consoled herself that while the pain was enough to take her breath away, it felt distinctly different from her last experience at giving birth. Then, something had felt wrong from the onset. The agony had gone on for what seemed like candlemarks. Now, it was happening fast…almost too fast.

Aphrodite continued to look around and pace the small building. She looked more terrified than Gabrielle.

"Okay, you have got to stop this whole thing. I mean it. Quit fooling around, Gabrielle!"

"Aphrodite - " Gabrielle bit her lip in order to swallow the agony of another fierce contraction.

The Goddess went pale as she stood there, wringing her hands and looking as though she might faint at any moment.

"No, no, no. This can't be happening. I can't do this, Gabrielle. I can't do this at all. I'll find someone. That's it. There must be someone around to - "

"Aphrodite!"

Aphrodite froze at the sound of Gabrielle's voice.

"Aphrodite," Gabrielle said from between clenched teeth and panting breaths. "Whether you like it or not," she sucked in what appeared to be a painful breath. "I…am…having…this…baby!" Gabrielle nearly shrieked. "And, I'm having it right now. I can't do it alone, though. Please, Aphrodite…I'm so afraid."

Aphrodite's expression changed. Her brow furrowed together and she looked down at Gabrielle. Her face grew serious and she very nearly looked as though she was staring directly through Gabrielle.

Aphrodite's physical features changed as Gabrielle looked on. The Queen had never had the opportunity to see Aphrodite in any light other than as the frivolous Goddess of Love. Most people, even Aphrodite's own family, had never thought of her as anything but shallow and empty-headed. Only those who caught the Goddess during one of those rare personal moments when she let her guard down would see her as Gabrielle did just then.

"All right, then. Let's get to work," Aphrodite moved away from Gabrielle, scurrying around the building and gathering up a number of cloth sacks that looked to be cleaner than the rest. She scooped up two other items near the back of the stall.

"Aphrodite?" Gabrielle's frightened voice called out.

"I'm right here, Sweet Pea." She rushed back to Gabrielle and knelt beside the young woman.

"What are you doing?" Gabrielle asked.

Aphrodite smiled confidently as the young woman. "Getting ready to introduce your baby girl to the world."

Gabrielle reached out and Aphrodite took her hand. The Goddess's grasp was deceptively strong, surprising Gabrielle with a strong sense of reassurance.

"You may have to help me a bit," Aphrodite said. "It's been a long time since I had Cupid. Talk about labor pains. Try giving birth to a kid with wings, then we'll talk."

Gabrielle found herself smiling in spite of what she was experiencing.

"Like, that's a day I'll never forget. Wanna hear about it?"

Gabrielle nodded.

"Atta girl. Well, it happened like this…"

"A few more seasons and she's gonna knock 'em dead," Aphrodite said as she handed the small crying bundle to Gabrielle. "How can something so tiny eat so much?"

"Well, she is my child, after all. Oh, Aphrodite she's so beautiful," Gabrielle replied as she looked down at the baby pressed against her chest. "I didn't know she would be so beautiful."

"Did you try to project yourself to Xena?" Aphrodite asked.

"I tried, but she keeps her mind so closed. Besides, I'm not even sure yet if I'm doing it right. I tried to send a sort of mental picture to the Amazon village. I figure someone will tune in to it."

Tears fell from Gabrielle's eyes when she looked down at Brianna, but she had never been happier. All she could think of was how much she wished Xena had been there to share in the overwhelming emotions. After their last experience under Hera's curse, Gabrielle had so wanted Xena to be at her side during the birth. Actually, she hadn't told anyone, even Xena, exactly how frightened she felt, as her due date grew closer. Gabrielle had been certain that no one but Xena would be able to help her get past her fear. Then she thought of Aphrodite.

Lately, Gabrielle had been feeling more and more comfortable around the Olympian Gods. After all, Ares had been seeing her every day as part of her instruction on the magical arts and her father had even been a frequent guest at their dinner table. Gabrielle had always had a soft spot for Aphrodite. She felt that the Goddess had always meant well, even if her plans did sometimes go astray. As familiar as the Gods had become to her, Gabrielle still hadn't felt as though these people were family. Seeing the change that had come over Aphrodite, just when Gabrielle needed help the most, had altered her perception of the Goddess, along with the idea that these immortals were a part of her or she with them. During Brianna's birth, Aphrodite had become a source of strength that Gabrielle had never anticipated. The Goddess had not only taken complete control of the situation, but, with her own strong and compassionate attitude, Aphrodite had instilled a feeling of confidence within Gabrielle.

"I don't know what I would have done without you," Gabrielle said.

"Hey, just tryin' to do my part as Auntie Aphrodite."

"Well, I'll never forget how you held it all together. You sort of…well, to be honest you surprised me."

"Yea, well, between me and you, I kind of surprised myself, too. No one's ever…you know, depended on me before, needed me."

"I needed you, Aphrodite, and you came through for me."

The Goddess smiled and Gabrielle wondered if it was possible for Gods to blush.

"Just don't get used to it," Aphrodite teased. "Stepping in to save the day is so not my gig, ya know."

Gabrielle chuckled. "I think it just might be. Maybe more than you realize."

"Right!" Aphrodite answered before laughing. "You and I both know I'm not cut out for the whole Queen's Champion thing. I think I'll leave that for - "

"Me."

Both women turned toward the door in order to see who had finished Aphrodite's sentence. Gabrielle already knew that voice. The low, female alto was unmistakable to Gabrielle's ears. Xena looked as though she hadn't slept in days, her hair was wind blown from the wild ride she'd just had.

"Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed and the tears returned.

Xena wasted no time in rushing to kneel beside her mate. "Bri, you had me so worried. I - " She wrapped her arms around Gabrielle, pulling back at the last moment in surprise. Sapphire eyes went wide at the sight of the now sleeping bundle lying against Gabrielle's chest.

"Gabrielle." It was the only thing that Xena could think of to say. She just stared down at the baby.

Brianna, somehow sensing that it was her turn to make an appearance, stretched and yawned. She opened her eyes and made a gurgling sound, falling back asleep instantly.

"By the Gods! She's beautiful," Xena said at last. "My heart, I'm so sorry you had to go through this alone." Xena carefully slipped her arms around Gabrielle and kissed her gently.

Gabrielle was rather glad that she wasn't the only one crying as she watched Xena stroke the infant's head, tears falling slowly from those same sapphire eyes. "I wasn't alone, Xe. I was with my aunt."

Xena looked on as Gabrielle and Aphrodite exchanged a glance. They smiled in such a way that Xena knew there was much more to the story. It was obvious that something special had passed between the two women. She had no idea how Aphrodite had come through for Gabrielle, but she shouldn't have been too surprised. After all, only a few days ago she had told Tai that when we needed it the most, the greatest heart and strength could come from the most unlikely of people.

"Thanks, Aphrodite," Xena said.

"All part of the service."

"You two missed your mark a little in trying to get home, though, didn't you?"

"Unfortunately, Aphrodite came down with - "

Aphrodite sneezed and bubbles began to float down from the sky. Each pink, translucent bubble had a furry pink teddy bear inside with a red heart on his belly.

"I see," Xena replied with a chuckle. "Brianna, look what your Auntie Aphrodite made for your birthday." She burst one of the bubbles and grabbed the bear out of mid air.

The acknowledgement wasn't lost on Aphrodite. Having Gabrielle accept her was one thing, but having the hard sell warrior claim her as family touched the Goddess's heart.

"You okay?" Xena asked.

"Yea," Aphrodite shook her head and moved toward the large door. "I think I just got something in my eye. Guess I'll give you guys a few minutes to…you know." She practically ran from the enclosure.

"For being the Goddess of Love, I don't think Aphrodite handles real affection too well," Gabrielle said.

"Hey, happy Cupid's Day," Xena said before she leaned over and kissed Gabrielle's forehead.

"Has that much time gone by?" Gabrielle appeared surprised. She grinned up at Xena. "I'll bet you tore the house apart looking for your gift. Didn't you?"

Xena tried not to look as guilty as she suddenly felt. "Not too much," she mumbled.

Gabrielle developed a sort of mischievous gleam in her eye. "Well, here." She carefully transferred Brianna to Xena's arms. The child looked even smaller held safely within the warrior's strong embrace. Gabrielle realized that even when she was quite old and gray, she would always remember that image, of Xena holding their newborn child, tears filling the warrior's eyes.

"She'll have to do for now. Happy Cupid's Day," Gabrielle responded, reaching up to kiss Xena's wet cheek.

"She's just what I wanted," Xena replied as her voice broke from emotion. "She's the perfect gift."

The End

#xena #xena/gabrielle #xena warrior princess #xena/gabrielle fanfiction #fanfiction #femslash #author: lj maas #pg-13

6 notes · View notes

pluckyredhead · 5 years

Text

Daredevil 101: Decalogue

Hoo, it’s been a while, huh? We’re almost done with Bendis, though. This arc is Daredevil v2 #71-75, Bendis/Maleev.

Content Warning: Suicide, sexual assault, self-mutilation, disturbing visual imagery. I do not show the panels depicting suicide in this post (though the methods are described) but they are in the comic itself, so please take care of yourselves if you decide to track this one down. Also, there’s some fucked-up Orientalism happening in here too. (Yes, this comic is from this century. Sigh.)

The setting: the basement of a church. The purpose: a support group for Hell’s Kitchen residents who have been affected by Matt essentially taking over the neighborhood:

(If you can’t read the text, the flyer is headlined “The Devil Among Us” and the pries is saying “Who would like to start today?”)

They begin discussing Daredevil-as-Kingpin, but one attendee immediately objects to that framing, saying that Matt never declared he was the Kingpin:

She then goes on to tell them that she was a junkie and a prostitute, but she couldn’t stop thinking about that night and Daredevil’s speech. Then one night, B-list villain the Bullet showed up at her boyfriend/pimp’s apartment to discuss plans to entrap and kill Daredevil:

Before she could shoot anyone, Matt arrived and laid out all the bad guys for her:

So yeah, Blonde Woman (most of these characters never get names) is very firmly Pro Daredevil.

The redheaded guy she was talking to is less certain. His dad was a villain henchman, and his closest encounter with Daredevil was when, desperate for money to support his family, he tried to follow in his father’s footsteps:

“MURDOCK’S BOY.” <3 <3 <3

Anyway, Redheaded Man decides not to go through with it and instead blows up the bad guys’ lair. His story’s...kind of the least interesting of all of them.

But then stuff gets more complicated and intertwined, as a woman explains that her husband was a villain - and not in a fun gimmicky bank robber way:

One night, she went into the basement and found her husband communing with...something disturbing:

WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT

...was the tube top woman’s reaction, and everyone else’s, except for one woman in the support group, who is not having it:

Hearing Tube Top spewing apparent nonsense about a weird little demon baby is understandably upsetting, especially when she’s come to this support group for closure...since Daredevil was the one who saved her from Tube Top’s husband:

She wants to know why the devil saved her, but the priest has no answers for her.

Another woman in the group has a question for Tube Top:

It’s a drawing of the freaky demon baby! Whaaaaaat?

Everyone is super freaked out by this, but this is a Bendis comic, so we cannot progress without very long, non-linear backstory. And to be fair, we do need to see Gray-Haired Woman’s connection to Daredevil. Which is, uh...she was at his wedding:

Yeah, so she’s a good friend of Milla’s from work and thus was the maid of honor/second witness at this very terrible idea of a secret wedding (Foggy, of course, being the best man).

So when Gray-Haired Woman got a panicked call from her daughter, who was being held hostage at a bank robbery by the Jester, Milla called Matt. Matt apprehended the Jester and saved the daughter, but...that didn’t mean a happy ending:

The daughter never recovered from her experience, and shortly thereafter, her mother found her dead from suicide next to a drawing of the demon baby. The mother, naturally, never recovered either:

Everyone in the room is horrified...except for one guy. Who starts laughing.

...Millions? I’m no anthropologist, but Homo sapiens has only existed for a few hundred thousand years so yeah, that’s a no. (Not that this dude is a reliable narrator, but still.) Anyway all this “if you learn to punch real good you’ll develop the Magical Powers of the Far East” Orientalist ninja bullcrap is racist af.

That said, the reveal is still pretty good:

YUP. MATT HAS BEEN SITTING HERE THE ENTIRE TIME. FOR LIKE FOUR ISSUES. Go back up and look at the very first image I posted, or the one of the assault victim attacking Tube Top. IT’S SO GOOD.

Why is Matt there? Well, two reasons. One, he knows that laughing boy is up to something and it’s not good:

Now it’s time for Matt to tell his side of things. Well, the Jester part. He doesn’t really have a commentary on Blonde Woman or Redheaded Man or even the woman who was assaulted (I’m sorry, I REALLY wish I had a better unique descriptor for her).

(Oh, this is just a random Lawrence, not Larry Cranston/Mr. Fear Lawrence.)

See, as Gray-Haired Lady overheard him telling Milla, there was something very Not Right with the Jester when they fought - something Matt had trouble perceiving, because it was apparently only (mostly?) on the visual spectrum:

Yeah, so apparently the Jester got possessed by a horrifying demon baby thing somehow and it fucked him up but also made him more powerful but then he vomited it up (I guess he’s...fine? I can’t remember any Jester stories that happen after this one but I’m sure there must be some) and seeing this and then being attacked by the weird demon baby/watching Matt be attacked by it (unclear who the baby’s going for in that last panel) scarred Gray-Haired Woman’s daughter so badly she couldn’t live with it.

Matt is very, very angry about all this, and he’s tracked down the culprit:

UGH this nonsense. You know how those Japanese religions are ~dangerous~ and ~mysterious~, right? Stooooop, Bendis.

Anyway I cut these pages because they’re really disturbing, but basically Lawrence makes a run for it, Matt chases him (somehow changing into his DD costume real fast and then back out of it?), and Lawrence shoots himself as the demon baby crawls out of his mouth, killing them both. So that’s...just sort of that, then.

Matt returns to the group and explains that he had another reason for coming, besides tracking down Lawrence:

OH MATT. He’s just trying to keep his neighborhood safe because he loves it! The problem is he’s stupid!!!

Also they’re like, so you’re Daredevil and he’s like, ah, but I never actually said I was Daredevil so check AND mate, suckers! Like I said, he’s stupid.

Anyway it’s kind of a weird story that has some good bits (the intertwined lives of New Yorkers, the way a neighborhood in a big city can function like a small town, THAT REVEAL) and some dumb stuff (the grossness, the racism, the gratuitous assault) but mostly it’s very Bendis.

Next up: the Bendis era winds down and things somehow get Even More Fucked. Plus, Elektra!

#daredevil #daredevil 101

21 notes · View notes

villainsblog97 · 5 years

Text

Ateez Drunk Personalities

I had so much fun with the SKZ one I had to make another... and this one is for my current addiction ATEEZ (plus I'm getting really excited for their comeback!)

A lot of the same personalities as SKZ with a couple different ones. So let's begin.

Hongjoong The Giggly Drunk

This is a little complicated...

But I feel like EVERYTHING will make this boy crack TF up!

He's sitting there and looks over at Seonghwa, and busts up laughing.

Leaves all the guys totally confused

"Hyung... what's so funny?"

"He looks like Marylin Monroe!!!!"

"He really doesn't ..."

One of the members trips?

Hongjoong is on the freaking floor.

One of them says something funny.

He's on the floor

Someone's dog died....

He's got tears in his eyes

Maybe not that last one.

Seonghwa The Motherly Drunk

Seonghwa is already a total mom

So he's clearly in charge of his 7 little idiot children (yes Hongjoong included)

He is making sure they don't hurt themselves.

"Yeosang! You're not gonna do body shots off Mingi!!!"

"San... do not mix those drinks!"

Maybe a bossy mom?

Finally gives up and grabs his wine glass and sits back and watches his kids.

"Wooyoung, get off the table before you fall and break your neck! Do not make me come over there!!!"

Yunho The Affectionate Drunk

Ugh! This boy!!!!

Yunho is the teddy bear of ATEEZ

Of KQ E.

OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!

He is such a bean.

He becomes very affectionate

Hugs onto one of the members.

Very clingy

And loves his members with all his heart.

He holds onto them, and doesn't let go.

We're talking arms locked around their neck

He is a bear

Please love him.

Yeosang The Savage Drunk

Yeosang is the visual

But don't let his beautiful looks fool you.

He's a lowkey savage.

So when you mix alcohol into the system

He literally let's it all out.

One of the member could be talking.

ROASTING TIME!!!!!

Wooyoung: Sometimes I think -

Yeosang: that's a rare and dangerous thing to be happening, I would stop.

Mingi: Yeosang you can be a little hurtful....

Yeosang: for someone who is 6 foot and has a deep voice you sure do sound like a little bitch right now..

All the members: ......... *blinks*

San The Weird Drunk

This is another tricky case, San is already an oddball.

But he gets even weirder when he hammered

A lot of random facts.

"Guys... penguins have knees! You just can't see them"

All the other guys stare at him

"San... WTF???"

Also random gestures?

Dancing randomly.

Making weird faces.

Someone help him.

Mingi The Lost Drunk

Poor poor Mingi...

He wouldn't know what was going on half of the time.

Blank expression

Takes a drink from his cup with a confused expression

He was probably in the bathroom throwing up while all the guys were doing weird stuff.

"What TF did I miss!?"

Wonders what he is doing with these 6 idiots (Seonghwa not included)

Not ever sure where all the alcohol came from.

"Guys... will someone please tell me WTF is going on!?"

Wooyoung The Seductive Drunk

So this boy (my bias wrecker)

Hes a lowkey hoe...

He is a flirt

He is a lady killer

AND HE KNOWS IT!

With that being said

Wooyoung would for sure be the hoe he is.

Lays on the couch.

The members would be so confused.

""Wooyoung what are you doing?"

"Hey guys... is it hot in here *unbuttons his shirt halfway* or is it just me? Or you? *winks*

"That's it you're cut off"

Jongho The Irritated Drunk

Jongho is the baby

But he is also the one who lowkey probably wishes sometimes that he didn't join this group of crack heads.

And now that he is of legal age

Everything irritates him.

Everyone irritates him.

"Can you stop BREATHING FOR FIVE MINUTES!?!?!?"

"Jongho isn't that a bit much?"

"So you're my mom now Hyung!?"

I get the feeling everyone is secretly afraid of him.

#ateez #hongjoong #seonghwa #yeosang #san #yunho #mingi #wooyoung #jongho

4 notes · View notes

jlf23tumble · 5 years

Text

1D Day, Hour Two

The file I’m watching on YouTube is much shorter than an hour (44 minutes!!), but that’s because the poster kindly removed the “VT” (shudder) from random countries (it always boils down to [insert country’s name’s] fans wilding, and there’s only so much of that I can take).

Still, hour 2 is fucking ICONIC for many reasons, the biggest being Harry’s barely constrained rage. Yes, Louis’s “done with it all” demeanor on 1D Day is (justifiably) legendary, but Harry’s right there with him (twin flames, y’all). I can’t tell if he’s coked up, genuinely angry, or just passive-aggressively petty because someone told him he had to speak more quickly, much more loudly, and with some enthusiasm, for chrissakes. Oh, he delivers, all right, so much maniacal shouting. Deets under the cut.

Hour 2 is all Lirry, and I, for one, love Lirry, so it’s 44 minutes well spent. Liam tells us, “We’re kicking it off with VT from France, give it up for France!” (“FRANCAIS!” Harry yells), and after the missing bit of French VT, we’re back to Lirry, with Harry vacillating between murdering the French language (“Mercy boo coo to France”) and shouting “I ATE SNAILS” as his contribution to what they did in France last time they were there (Liam played football with some guys near the Eiffel Tower, fwiw).

The first guest is Dynamo (or, “DYNAMO, EVERYBODY” if you’re Harry), and he’s here for card tricks and more (“OH, SNAP” is Harry’s response to Dynamo nearly twisting his own finger off, and god, it’s horrifying). Harry’s fairly manic through the entirety of the card tricks, but I love Liam because he’s me in every card trick (“I’m glad mine’s easy to remember because I’d probably forget,” which is true of any card you take, like, ever???):

“WHO LOVES MAGIC!” Harry shouts, and there’s a needlessly complicated special interactive trick that gets introduced here, with Dynamo saying that he wrote a prediction on a piece of paper and sealed it in a box at the beginning of the day, so he needs to Harry to keep the key safe. Points if you correctly assumed that Harry will stuff that key right in next to his dick as a joke.

Because nobody rehearsed or prepared for this epic full-day live event, there are all kinds of problems with the cameras, and if you want a fun drinking game to get you hammered within 45 minutes, take a shot every time you see a variation of this (Liam looking vaguely concerned while Harry aggressively points at the sky or the camera while shouting):

A horrifically bad segment that’s a poorly disguised advert for Google Hangouts (lmaoaoaoaooaoaoa) kicks off questions from all over the world (the audio is bad, none of the visuals syncs), but we get some iconic answers to deeply important questions, like, “If you were in the Hunger Games, who would survive the longest?” Liam says he’d hide and then kill passersby (yikes), and Harry says he’s more of a lover than a fighter, so he’d hide in a tree until it all blew over. Liam: “Oh, yeah, you’re definitely more of a lover.” Harry: “Easy there, Piers Morgan.”

The next question is from a group of girls wearing Christmas sweaters, which annoys Harry because “it’s a whole month and two days early,” but I think his issues are bigger than jumping the gun on holidays (and honestly, the UK doesn’t have the twin buffers of T’day and H’ween, so you KNOW this is just part of his general rage). Anyway, they want to know what other careers these two would be involved with, sans the D, and because they’re five, Liam says spaceman and Harry says baker.

After a series of horrible glitches, the next question is about which superhero they’d be, and me as Harry, blowing a giant raspberry as he ponders this important question with the level of exhaustion he surely must feel, three years into this band/interview technique. Liam can read the room, so he picks this one up and says he’d be Kung-Fu Panda, which makes it easy for Harry to say Hong Kong Fuey (!!!) or Top Cat.

With that mess done, it’s time to “ROLL THE VT!” (according to Harry) for Switzerland, and because the producers here are nothing if not cliché lovers, that means tiny cowbells for Harry to play with when we come back. He quickly tires of this, throws the cowbells off stage, yells “WE NEED A CAMERA,” and walks straight into the call box with the overwhelmed girls from hour 1. These girls are still weeping, but Harry says, “Thank you for listening to the album, you’re getting kicked out, sorry,” in the flattest voice possible, so good cop Liam hurries over to ask the weeping girls which song they liked and usher in two new people.

“Happily” is debuted, but we don’t get to see it, boo, but we do get ushered over to a theater with some contest winners. Or as Harry says, “We’re here backstage to meet some fans who have won a chance to be here…SHUT UP…in our VIP cinema,” and then, “You’re crying…is that because I told you to shut up? I didn’t mean it.” Liam is there again to save the day, but there are lots of sound problems, so it’s hard to tell what’s happening, tbh.

Anyway, these fans get to ask some iconic questions, such as, “What would we find in your fridge?” which gives us this classic from Harry: “I DON’T LIVE ANYWHERE, SO NO FOOD,” as the audience says, “awwwwww” in the background.

There’s a question from a lady on the screen, saying that she’s in front of the X Factor studios, and she wants to know what they would change their audition song to, if they could go back in time, and because Harry’s well aware of his various stalkers, he says, “I saw her the other day at the X Factor studios, 100 percent” (fwiw, Harry would do “Wrecking Ball” with props, and Liam would do “Mirrors”).

The last question is what they would change if they could go back in time, and Liam says probably his older haircuts, and Harry says that one day in April (and he mentions April again later in the hour, so someone investigate), he had a dodgy breakfast burrito, so he’d probably change that (he also had a dodgy batch of prawns one time, too, but that’s a different story, and god, he’s an underrated comedian). The sound is for shit, but Liam doubts this, prompting Harry to scream, “DON’T JUDGE ME, LIAM, I’M TRYING MY BEST,” and whyyyyyy is he so on fire (and why do I love it so much):

We get back to the studio with an inexplicably breathless Scott Mills (he says he ran…but from where, lmao) and do another spin to figure out who the official 1D account (????) will follow on twitter. Harry starts cheating before people start yelling at him to stop, which is a shame, really, just follow all of these poor bastards, honestly!

We don’t get to see the VT from Germany, but we do get to see Lirry bickering about camera problems and stolen lines, plus an exhaustive rundown of all the thrilling things to come, and I’m so thankful to the person who made this moment a Dua Lipa meme all those months ago:

One of my favorite segments has a really awkward setup, but tl/dr/dw, Harry brags, “I’m a bit of a chef myself, and if I’m honest, Liam, I’m pretty damned good at it,” so we get a “ROLL VT!�� and an aggressive finger point, both from Harry, and a silly but charming cook off with the tour chef, who seems like a lovely lady (p.s. look at how glorious his hair was under all those tablecloths…also, he’s chewing gum in a gross way, but this whole bit is worth watching in full):

The cook off is genuinely funny and results in a beautiful pavlova from Sarah and a basic sandwich (with pickle and paprika) from Harry, judged by Mark Jarvis, Gemma Styles, and Lou Teasdale, all of whom Harry bribes. I’m more fascinated with this ring, and my head canon has it either saying ILY or JEN (both of which make me smile):

With that bit over, we move on to more rapping of random tweets, and it’s embarrassing, so I won’t get into that. But the VT of Liam surfing is something special, not only because he looks so obviously happy while he’s doing it, but also because he says some very profound things in the interview around it: “I get followed a lot, so it’s quite nice to get out in the sea where nobody can follow you […] it’s so nice and peaceful […] it doesn’t matter what you look like, you can just have a good time, it’s a bit of an escape,” and ouchhhhhh, that’s some real talk.

We head back to the studio for a fashion segment with Louise someone; a handful of lucky fans in Sweden won a t-shirt design contest, and Lirry are gonna do some modeling. Louise is happy that Harry knows where Sweden is (Harry: “I got a B in geography…might have been a C, can’t remember”), and some poor shlub working on this trainwreck in the shadow gets dragged out on camera because he’s wearing green jeans, but he’s not there for long (Harry: “GET OUT” *shove*). Louise describes the fashion show to come, and Harry says that he’s quite good at walking in straight lines, but Liam reminds him that he tends to fall over a lot on stage and that the tiny catwalk is actually pretty shiny (god bless Liam for being so responsible).

Luckily for all of us, professional model Cindy Crawford is there to help with some tips (she’s introduced as “IT’S ONLY BLOODY CINDY CRAWFORD” by Harry, and I die with Cindy’s “Hello, boys,” and Harry’s “Hello, Mrs. Crawford”…followed swiftly by Cindy’s, “Please don’t call me Mrs. Crawford”). There’s some sexi modeling, and even though he only wears two shirts to Harry’s three (*and* Harry gets down on the ground to pose), Liam wins, according to the Swedes. He requests a model off with Cindy as his prize, and he’s surprisingly good?

The last segment is with Dynamo, the magic man, and for some reason, Harry’s weirdly agro about his own shirt mic, like, unnecessarily so, ripping it off to speak with Dynamo before gently putting it back where it belongs. Maybe he’s just frustrated about how they have to use Google+ (lololololol) for a totally convoluted imaginary concert that ultimately doesn’t work (me as him, tbh).

While Liam does tech support live on air (!!), Harry asks Dynamo to do some card tricks to stall for time after literally nobody says a word when he monotones, “We’re having a technical difficulty…does anybody know any jokes.” Harry pulls a card as directed, but then, for seemingly no reason, he suddenly starts yelling, “THIS ISN’T WORKING, SHALL WE SEE SOME HIGHLIGHTS? HIGHLIGHTS!!! ROLL HIGHLIGHTS [aggressive pointing]!!” and the highlights are truly awful, and I hope he’s enjoying his smoke break for hour 3, jfc.

#recap #1d day #hour 2 #he is NOT HAVING IT

106 notes · View notes