#Bowling? Arcade? Drive in movies?? So many possibilities

[cisnecorazon]

ooc ;

Thinking of 80s AU, and Rosinante hanging out with someone on a roller skating rink date.

He would be so PITIFUL.

[jayalover]

DATES ALPHABET; rhekker edition!

i just miss these guys so bad. here’s what (i believe) we could’ve had <3

A - Amusement Park / Arcade

the two go to Navy Pier one evening after work, during the winter when it's quiet, wanting the best games to themselves. coonor's desperate to show ava how to play all the games and all the crappy pier food from his childhood. however, ava surprises him with her hook-a-duck talents, to which he accuses her of cheating at (her response? "if you were a good surgeon, you'd understand.")

B - Biking / Brunch

they're both not big on brunch, so they only really go when claire and her husband invite them. they make sure to order very different options, just so they can steal from each other.

C - Candlelit Dinner / Cabin Getaway

100% on the candlelit dinner! connor books some fancy place in uptown chicago, just so he and ava can dress up for it. however, a last-minute surgery comes up and they have to cancel; to make up for it, ava snags a table on the hospital terrace, decorating it with candles. it may not be caviar and champagne, but some cafeteria food and just each other's company can make up for it.

D - Dinner Cruise / Drive-in Movie

they may not seem like the couple for a drive-in movie. ava forces connor to go, telling him it's "the only way i'll ever experience proper american culture!", to which he begrudgingly goes along with. let's just say that a lot more happens between them than just watching the movie..

E - Eiffel Tower / Escape Room

why wine and dine in chicago when you can do it on top of the eiffel tower? they both take furlough from work to go there for their second anniversary. it's a second take of one of their failed candlelit dinners, and it's better than either could imagine.

F - Football Game / Fireworks

when marcel hosts a 4th of july BBQ, they go together, hand in hand. it's the first time they've told their coworkers together, and whilst it doesn't come as a shock to some, they're all still supportive and excited. as the fireworks burst in the sky into pretty patterns, ava finds herself in connor's arms; everything is just perfect.

G - Gala / Glamping

gala dates happen quite often, mainly because of connor's social status. neither want to go, it's all for appearances. however, it is fun when they get home and get to rip each other's clothes off.

H - Hockey Match / Harvest festival

connor scores some pretty good tickets for his favourite team and decides to take ava. it's a decent game; of course it's great when your team wins, but what's even better is seeing your girlfriend in your sports sweatshirt.

I - Interior Design Expo / Italian Restaurant

when claire falls ill and is unable to attend an expo, the two take the invites from her. instead of taking it seriously and finding new retailer for D&R, they spend the day fantasising how they'd decorate a place they buy together.

J - Jacuzzi / Jogging

jaccuzis are a great way to relax, especially when your job is so stressful. although, connor does find it hard to relax when ava looks so good in her new bikini..

K - Kayaking / Kickboxing

when summer finally hits chicago, the two make a plan to go to the beach, where they go kayaking for the first time. neither are very good at it (both trying to be in control of where they go, which leads to their usual banter), but they do find some cool caves and crevices.

L - Lakeside Getaway / Live Music

when ava wins a trip away during a gala auction, they immediately take time off to go. it's only for the weekend, so they try and fill it with as many activities as possible. however, not a lot get done; it's mainly fishing, drinking, and of course, sex. but hey, who could want more?

M - Museum / Masquerade

Sometimes it's best just to spend quiet time with each other. he two walk around hand in hand, simply glad to be in each other's presence. it all makes a change from the business of Med.

N - Nightclub / Nine Pin Bowling

it starts off fun, but quickly escalates into a competition. there's no need for it - they just can't help but to bicker over who's the better bowler (spoiler; it's ava). maybe it's best not to go bowling when you're both so competitive..

O - Observatory / Orchestra Concert

it's another date they attend for the appearances, but they end up enjoying it more than they thought.

P - Picnic / Photoshoot

when the weather is good, they go for picnics in the park, stretched out on the blanket and enjoying being with each other, finally free from their stress of work.

Q - Quiz Night / Quiet Time

when molly's hosts a quiz night, connor and ava decided to team up with the coworkers. but what confuses everyone, though, is when they go on seperate teams - they tell their coworkers that they "don't want to scare you with our intelligence". everything goes well until the final round, when connor surprises ava with his knowledge on crappy reality shows.

R - Resort Weekend / Road Trip

it's a double date with claire and her husband, but it doesn't mean they have to spend every waking second with them. connor and ava go off to do their own thing, which includes a lot of typical couple activities.

S - Spa Day / Swimming

this ties into their resort weekend trip. it's a good day for them, finally feeling relief from the recent stressors at work. but it's hard to keep it PG-13 and not get caught.

T - Tiki Bar / Tango Lessons

this date happens as a re-do after ava misses connor's leaving party, but instead of celebrating someone moving on, they celebrate moving in together. it's gonna result in a massive hangovers the next day, but it's worth it.

U - Upscale Dining / Unplugged Date

sometimes it's better to just escape the real world (AKA electronics) and be with each other. whilst it could be reading or spending time with one another, they tend to lean towards coffee dates, just the two of them, not having to deal with their pagers going off or endless surgeries.

V - Valentines Day / Volunteer

valentine's days are the ones they go all out for; whilst they attempt to both have clear schedules, it never quite works out. so, it doesn't surprise ava when a bouquet of flowers turn up at work for her, or connor gets home to his apartment to find a new bottle of whiskey. it's the little things.

W - Woodworking / Weekend

weekends off from work are basically dates for them, and mean they can be as lazy as they want. sex in the morning, not getting up until midday, breakfast in bed. it's bliss for them.

X - eXcursions / eXpensive

of course it’s gonna be expensive! connor will go above and beyond to treat ava right up (which she loves). sometimes she’ll try and get the bill, but he always insists. neither are a stranger to expensive gifts either.

Y - Yacht Cruise / Yoga

for their third anniversary, they go on a cruise. but not just any cruise; connor rents one out so it’s just the two of them. it’s a great weekend away, even if neither of them are the best sailors (at least nobody dies!).

Z - Zoo / Zip Lining

they’re both animal lovers, so the Lincoln Park Zoo is sometimes a date. they both love reading the facts and seeing all the different animals. occasionally they’ll do the petting zoo; connor has his phone lock screen as a shot of ava holding a rabbit.

-

taglist; @superstorefannnn @v1bri

comment if you want to be added to the list!

[chaoticcollectivenightmare]

200 Date Ideas for Fanfictions

⭕️Not proofread

⭕️Not spell or grammer checked.

⭕Please tell me if what is duplicate

⭕ From: Pinterest

Make chocolate covered strawberries

Paris night: get a baguette, French wine, and

cheese!

Read your favorite books to one another

Bake cookies together

Watch the sunrise, then make breakfast together

Attend a local sport game

Watch an entire season of your fav TV show

Go for a long drive

Planetarium

Art gallery

Play board games

Movie

Visit garage sales

Volunteer for a homeless shelter

Go dancing

Go to the driving range

Build a snowman

Ride go-carts

Rent a movie

Have a carpet picnic

Go to an arcade

Play Frisbee

Go kayaking

Go ice skating

Visit the pumpkin farm

Go to a forest preserve

Go to ballet performance

Visit a place listed in an entertainment book

Bike riding

Study social media marketing

Bowling

Haunted house

Out for coffee

Visit a flea market

Play bingo

Go to an opera

Swing by a bookstore

Visit another city

Go hear jazz or reggae

See an NBA game

Play in the batting cages

Visit Vegas

Visit a nursing home and hand out flowers to everyone

Have lunch at a trendy new restaurant

Grab a fish fry

Grab a pint at an Irish pub

Chinese food and DVDs.

Attend a poetry reading

Attend an author reading from their latest fiction work.

Go antiquing

Go out for drinks

Visit a winery

Attend a painting class

Visit an animal shelter-you may come home with a new pet

Go for a carriage ride

Visit the tourist spots in your hometown

Take a trip to the hobby store-pick out a project to work on for the afternoon

Take a walk-around a lake, in the moonlight, by the river, on the beach

Go to an ethnic festival

Create a scrapbook

Go to a shrimp boil

Attend a matinee

Visit the zoo

Go see a local band

Have lunch at a church festival

Go camping

Go hiking

Go rock climbing

Play croquet

Attend a farmer's market

Have dinner at a new place

Try out a new cuisine

Take part in a community theater performance

Go strawberry picking or visit an apple orchard

Attend a live, outdoor music night in your town

Go see fireworks

Go stargazing

Play mini golf

Ride bikes

Make Only That

Bonfire

Go on a long drive

Recreate first date

Have a fancy dinner

Pizza and a movie

Get ice cream and or donuts

Go to an arcade

Drive-in-movies

Picnic at a park

Watch a sunrise or sunset

Climb a mountain

Theme park

Go to the beach

Museum or art gallery

Rock pools

Bake cookies

Christmas light looking

Kick the footy around

Local zoo

Day camping trip

Go on a search for as many good climbing trees as possible, climb as high as you both can in all of them, compile photo evidence.

Go to a major chain bookstore, and leave notes to future readers in copies of your favorite books.

Have her dressed up as a ghost and you dress up as Pacman.

Walk around downtown holding hands, and whenever anyone sees you two, pretend to be embarrassed, and run off screaming "wocka wocka wocks"

Create photo evidence suggesting that you went on an adventure that didn't really happen.

Do the lamest tourist thing in your area that you have both secretly wanted to do forever. Have an unabashed good time!

In the middle of the night, drive to the beach, so you arrive just as the sun is rising, Have a breakfast picnic, then fall asleep together. Bring a sun umbrella.

Drive somewhere unknown and have dinner in a city you've never been to. With fake names.

Go to a minor league baseball game under the stars. Tell each other stories about how bad you are at athletics Randomly cheer for both teams. Eat lots of Cracker Jacks.

Build forts out of furniture and blankets, and wage war with paper airplanes.

Try and visit as many people as you can in one night, and turn as many things inside their apartment upside down as you can, without them noticing

Go to the airport, get the cheapest, soonest departing flight to anywhere when you show up, and stay there for a weekend.

Write a piece of fiction together Outside at a cafe. Ask strangers when you get stuck

Dress to the nines, pretend to be married, and test drive very expensive vehicles at an auto dealership.

Walk around a city and perform short silent plays in front of security cameras.

With camera and pair of boots, make photolog of a day in the life of the invisible man.

Walk around the city all night and find a place to eat breakfast at dawn.

Go to a restraunt and convince the cook to create something completely new for you.

Rent a movie you've never seen before. Set on mute and improvise dialogue

'Say yes' day

Go ziplining

Do an Escape Room

Visit an aquarium

Road trip to random place

Casino night

Invisible ink calligraphy

Vintage boardgames night

Visit a waterfall

Ride a ferry somewhere

Murder mystery night

Rent your dream car

Rooftop dinner and drinks

Rowing boat on the lake

Write your couples bucket list

Watch sunset from a hill

Spa-day and couples massage

Kiss atop a Ferris wheel

Hot air balloon ride

See a famous musical

Champagne and bubble bath

Ice skating at an outdoor rink

Learn a dance together

Overnight luxury hotel stay

Recreate your first date

Read favorite books to each other

Volunteer at a dog pound

Have a pizza and wine night

Watch your favorite childhood movies

Complete a coloring book

Free outdoor concert

Bar crawl

Movie marathon weekend

Bike ride

Evening at the fairground

Photography in the park

Try on clothes at the mall

Drinks at the barcade

Blackberry picking

Go to a barn dance

Play mini golf

Visit a planetarium

Rent electric scooters

Go bowling

Frozen yoghurts on the pier

Watch a new band

Cocktails masterclass

Go to a farmer's market

Coffee and cupcakes

Dancing at an arcade

Photobooth challenge

Scenic train ride

Virtual game night

Cook same meal together

Candlelit dinner over Zoom

Movie night

Learn a new language

Play '20 questions'

Happy hour cocktails

Online AirBnB experience

Painting evening

Online board games

Adopt a pet

Go salsa dancing

Tubing down the river

Paddleboarding at the lake

Sunrise silent disco

Dress each other in costumes

Play Twister

Go zorbing

Stargazing from a rooftop

Play laser tag

Graffiti art bicycle tour

Monster trucks show

Make a time capsule

Wine tasting at a winery

Water gun fight

Be tourists in your local town

Kite flying at the beach

Beach sand sculptures

[maximumcupcakereview]

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[blu-joons]

DATING SUPER JUNIOR A⇴Z HEADCANON ⇴ Lee Donghae

A ⇴ AFFECTION

You can guarantee when Donghae gets affectionate with you, his cheeks are a dark shade of red. He finds affection very reassuring and comforting, so will often try and hold you against him or bury himself into the crook of your neck.

B ⇴ BEFORE DATING

Being a bit quieter than some of the other members, you were intrigued by him when you first met the group. Hyukjae could tell instantly that Donghae had taken a liking to you, he tried to often bring the two of you together in conversation because you were usually too shy to approach each other. He found himself talking around you a lot more which he loved.

C ⇴ CONFESSION

He was incredibly shy when it came to confessing, he was a perfectionist, and nothing could go wrong. He didn’t plan anything huge, just in case he got rejected, but he still put together a nice meal at his house, a casual movie night was all he had planned. When he turned to you at the end of the film, you had a funny feeling that something was going on. It took a while, but eventually he built up the courage to tell you exactly how he felt.

D ⇴ DATES

Your dates were quite typical, Donghae loved to pick you up in his car and drive you around before taking you somewhere nice. Your dates had a lot of variation too, sometimes you’d just go out for dinner, but other times you’d try something a little more competitive, maybe the arcade or bowling. He was super competitive and hated when you won, especially when it meant the loser paid for dinner. He’d often surprise you with little songs or poems that he’d written late at night whilst working on music for the group on your dates.

E ⇴ EXPERIENCE

For a long time, he’d been too nervous to date, he knew that the other members were louder, so girls tended to gravitate towards them. When you began to pay attention to him, he had a strong feeling that this was the world’s way of telling him he was ready to start dating. It had been a long time since he’d been in a relationship, and at times things felt very strange to Donghae, but you were very understanding. He loved being around someone, he hated being alone, so very quickly the two of you began to spend a lot of time together as Donghae learnt about love again.

F ⇴ FIGHTING

If the two of you ever argue, expect a lot of tears. One minute the two of you will be yelling across the room at each other, desperate to win the argument, and then the next minute, you’ll look across and see Donghae struggling to hold back his tears. He hates conflict and confrontation, it breaks his heart, and eventually gets him very upset. As soon as one, or both of you, start getting upset you’ll make the decision to sit down and talk about everything, preventing things from getting any further out of hand then they already are.

G ⇴ GETTING TO KNOW HIS FAMILY

He was very keen for you to meet his family, after only a couple of months he invited you to a family dinner with him. There were thousands of questions on your first meeting as everyone tried to get to know you, but luckily for you, they were very impressed by your answers, and very impressed that Donghae had found you.

H ⇴ HOME

Again, he doesn’t always like to be left alone in his own company for too long, so it won’t take long before Donghae mentions about moving you in. To begin with, you’ll just think it’s a bit of a joke, but after the fifth time of mentioning it, you’ll begin to realise he’s being serious, and start to talk about it properly together.

I ⇴ “I LOVE YOU”

Donghae was the first one to say it one night at the end of a date. As he pulled up in front of your house, he didn’t want to see you get out of the car. Before he’d even realised what he’d said, the words came from his lips as he tried to encourage you to spend the night at his. Your head snapped around with a wide smile, as you told him you also loved him too.

J ⇴ JEALOUSY

He’ll try hard not to get jealous in your relationship, but sometimes he just can’t help it. He knows he’s not the loudest person in the room, so there’s usually someone who has your attention more than he does. If he gets jealous, he’ll become very reclusive, he’ll usually walk away so he can deal with his emotions alone so no one else can see. When you look around and notice he’s not around, you’ll quickly walk around until you find him, recognising straight away what’s going on. He’ll always apologise for feeling that way, but as you always assure him, jealousy is only a natural feeling.

K ⇴ KIDS

He wanted kids at thirty-three, so when that didn’t happen, he was desperate for it to happen as quickly as possible. It didn’t take long before he brought them up for the first time, and when you moved into his apartment, the conversation became a lot more serious. The two of you would spend many late nights talking about how you imagined your lives in the near future, deciding that you’d wait for when the time was right.

L ⇴ LAUGHTER

Donghae laughs more than he talks most of the time, which you laugh. He’s got a bright smile, one of your favourite features about him, and seeing him happy always touches your heart. He’s very good with cheesy jokes, which as much as you don’t want to laugh at, you usually end up doing so. He loved to make you laugh, he’d always be tickling you or doing something funny to bring a smile to your face, especially when he knew you’d had a bad day. If he’s not making you laugh, he’ll somehow find a way to make sure that you do.

M ⇴ MISSING

He hated being away from you, it was incredibly hard on him. He’d always worry about you and fret that you were by yourself, checking up on you numerous times throughout the day. You’d have long phone calls whenever the two of you could find the time, usually they wouldn’t end until one, or both, of you fell asleep. He’d also send you plenty of photos so you could see all the fun things he was getting up to, expecting the same from you too so he could make sure that you were taking care of yourself. The minute he got home; he’d refuse to leave your side for quite some time.

N ⇴ NICKNAMES

He’s very affectionate with his nicknames, ‘bub,’ is his favourite as it’ll always make you smile. You love to tease him with nicknames, knowing how hard he’s working on his body, ‘muscles,’ will always wind him up.

O ⇴ OBSESSION

Donghae is obsessed with your eyes, he feels like he can tell a lot about how you’re feeling from your eyes. He also loved to hold eye contact with you, even if he usually does end up getting too shy and looking away.

P ⇴ PDA

He’s quite shy when it comes to PDA, he hates to make a massive deal of pointing your relationship out to people. His affection is very subtle, he’ll usually hold your hand, so people know that you’re his without being obvious. If he’s in a playful mood, maybe he’ll peck your cheek or something, but that’s usually as far as he goes.

Q ⇴ QUESTIONS

One of the most frequent questions he’ll ask is if you’re busy. Whenever he’s worked on something, whether it be music, or a recipe, he’ll be desperate to get your opinion on it.

R ⇴ RANDOM FACT

After a little over a year into your relationship, Donghae began to introduce you to people as his wife. The people close to you always referred to the fact the two of you acted as a married couple, so Donghae would love to play on that. What he enjoyed more however, was the confused faces of people, who searched for a ring with no idea what he was going on about.

S ⇴ SEX

Very loving, he’s very attentive and very romantic. He’ll always work hard to make you feel special, he doesn’t care if he doesn’t get as much attention, you’re his priority. He loves to have your hands in his hair, it always makes him shy. He loves to take his time and pay as much close attention as he can to you.

T ⇴ TEXTS

He doesn’t text you often when he’s at home, but the second he leaves you for tour he’ll text, constantly. He tries to have as much contact with you as possible so it can still feel like you’re there with him.

U ⇴ UNIVERSE

Not many people appreciated his character as he was so quiet, but you were definitely one of them. He had plenty of quirks, and terribly cheesy jokes, but whilst others would tease him for it, you’d always laugh and make him feel special.

V ⇴ VACATION

He’s very keen on taking at least a few days out of his schedule in the year to take you on holiday. It’s his way of making up to you the many days you’re left waiting up for him to come home, or not even seeing him at all. He’ll tend to keep it all a secret, and surprise you that morning with tickets for somewhere he knows you’ll love.

W ⇴ WHINING

Donghae doesn’t whine often, but if he needs your help with something, he’ll be sure to let you know about it.

X ⇴ XXXXX

In private, he kisses you quite often. If you’re sat at your desk working, he’ll appear with a kiss to your cheek and a mug of coffee, or when he finds you sat reading, he’ll come up beside you and kiss the top of your head. His kisses are always when you least expect them, which in turn means they’ll always end up making you blush.

Y ⇴ YOU

You were his best friend, well, if Hyukjae would ever allow you to be.

Z ⇴ ZZZ

He loved to have you nice and close when he slept, especially if you were playing with his hair. You’d have many late nights staying up, laying face to face and talking about anything that came to mind.

---

Masterlist

[gettothestabbing]

I’ve been using dating apps for a few years. I have been moving states often and dealing with inconsistent shift schedules. I wasn’t meeting any adequate single men in my church or work environments, and because of the frequent moves, it was hard to make friends, much less have anyone set me up with someone.

I’ve finally decided that they’re doing me more harm than good. I’m giving up on them entirely and trying to date the normal way. I hope it improves the quality of the men I meet and date.

The final straw was the last guy I dated. Most of my matches are based on similar political or religious labels. When we meet in person, we don’t have many other interests in common, and a second date would rarely follow. This guy was an exception. We both liked older music and movies and games. Although he was a lapsed Catholic, which is quite different from my denomination, he had some similar spiritual values that were encouraging to see.

On the first date, I explained that I didn’t drink. I don’t enjoy the feeling or the taste in any way. I have religious reasons. I’m also allergic to alcohol. Even one sip will give me a massive headache and sleeping issues for at least 24 hours. It holds no temptation for me. I had not realized my allergy at the time of the date and so gave my other reasons. He seemed to accept them.

On our second date, going to a bowling/video arcade place, he gets a drink for himself and gives me soda. I’m glad he respects my boundaries. When we walk around later, he playfully tries to sneak us into a rooftop bar, but it’s part of a hotel so we simply take a joyride on the elevator and continue on.

On the third date, he offers me a drink of seltzer. I, assuming it is nonalcoholic, since I had never heard of hard seltzer, try a sip. I don’t like it and don’t have any more. He told me he didn’t like this seltzer himself, but as we sit down to watch a movie, he brings the bottle. When a character drinks in the movie, he loudly says, “If he’s having a drink, I’m having a drink!” and takes a huge drink straight from the bottle. He does this once more before I ask if he does this a lot. Then he seems embarrassed and stops. I’ve had a headache since I had my sip and go home, after being kissed once. I realize that he gave me alcoholic seltzer during my drive back. When I ask him, he admits it’s 5% alcohol and says that he assumed I had read the label and “wanted to have some fun.”

I’m concerned about his character now. He apologizes, and wheedles, and pleads, and keeps talking to me until I consent to a fourth date. I don’t really feel safe alone with him now. I make sure we’ll be in public.

But I go out of desperation. My sister’s marriage is going so well, and I’m still nowhere near married, and I shouldn’t give up on him so easily, I tell myself.

On the fourth date, we have fun bowling together. He pays with cash, then says he forgot his credit card, so I pay for the last game. We drive back to his place so he can get his credit card, and then we get back into the car to go to dinner. I’ve been enjoying myself and my concerns about the drinking are starting to fade. Maybe it really was just a mistake.

He takes me to a bar for dinner. A bar. When there’s a perfectly serviceable restaurant right next door.

I didn’t bring my driver’s license (he was picking me up so why bother) and get carded. He tries to convince the bouncer to let me in anyway. I convince him to take me straight home instead. He tries to kiss me in front of a large party of neighbors that are staring at us. I duck away and go into the house.

I break up with him in person as soon as possible afterwards. He just couldn’t understand how his violation of my trust and his continual attempts to get me to drink destroyed any sense of attraction or safety I had had around him. He was shocked when I told him I wouldn’t see him anymore.

I feel like if someone looked at the people I’ve dated, and then heard me say I was lonely being single so long, they would assume that I’m just a very picky person. I have been the one to end most of my would-be relationships. But I’ve also been stood up and pressured and hit on a lot. While it’s possible I really am overly picky, I think the real issue has been meeting men of low quality. I hope that not being on apps will help my selection pool improve.

I trust my discernment because it’s gotten me out of bad situations before. I’d rather be single than with the wrong person just for ‘experience’ or to not be single. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a long, lonely road that I’d like to leave behind.

[woozisnoots]

light up kicks | lee chan

° pairing: chan x reader ° genre: fluff ° summary: an unexpected ‘visit’ at chan’s first day at work. ° word count: 1153 ° warning: none! ° a/n: thank you to @cha-lan​ and @interludeshadow​ for beta reading !! biggest hugs and kisses to you both <3 and hbd to the one and only lee chan B)

masterlist!

okay, it’s your first day. obviously, they don’t expect you to be perfect. but then again, you’re also just passing out shoes… so leave little room for error or else that would be so, very incredibly embarrassing. like, come on? what can possibly go wrong?

it was wrong for chan to think that friday night would be anything other than busy. as a first-timer handing out shoes (really his first time working at all), chan was not prepared to work one of the hardest shifts on his first day.

kim’s bowling stones is known all throughout town, and better yet - they’re notorious for their mind-blowing, great deals. on fridays, every kid and teen come from far and wide to experience one hour of bowling for unlimited tokens at their arcade.

and not only are every mother and uncle get lured in by such an offer, but also a certain someone chan isn’t expecting to see.

“can i have size six shoes, please?”

spoke too soon. not to jinx it, but- everything might go wrong.

chan mentally smacks the back of his head. duh, of course, you’re gonna be here! he isn’t as much of a bowling fanatic as his coworkers, but as cliche as it sounds - and yes, it makes many people laugh, chan landed this job because of you.

well, maybe not directly. you didn’t know chan at all. the times chan could go out with his friends on the weekend were always spent at the bowling alley out of convenience. none of his other friends knew how to drive, and chan avoided the freeway as much as possible for his “passengers’ safety.” the place was only about three blocks away from his house anyways.

yes, chan knows of you, but he doesn’t know enough about you to think you’d also be there. and the day after, and the day after that. no, each passing day doesn’t help him to get used to you within a few feet away when he was used to being a few meters from where you stood up in the ‘cool kid table’ as people would call it.

tonight is also no exception; it doesn’t make things easier. in this moment, chan could feel the beads of sweat forming on the corners of his hairline and the calluses on his hands from gripping under the counter too hard.

wait fuck, did i ever respond back?

“oh yeah!” chan’s voice suddenly changes, lowering his tone. he ruffles his bangs forward to cover his forehead, mostly in an attempt to distract you from how awkward his stature is, not at all to try and make himself look good now that you’re up close. “i’ll go get that from the back for you.”

now, this may not seem like a big deal  to anyone else, but to chan, it means everything. in every coming-of-age teenage movie, the not-so-popular nerd (whichever breed they may be) ends up with the astonishingly popular main lead—the one everyone knows and loves—so this is chan’s moment!

chan comes back, hands clammy and wet, hoping that none of the residue transferred to the actual shoes. “here ya go!”

okay, maybe the moment is a little more short-lived than chan expected, but this is a good start.

that is until he hears the light tone of your voice come back in hesitation, rather than the thank you he’d been expecting.

“uhh, chan?” this is the first time hearing his name fall from of your mouth, and now he’s embarrassed for two reasons, not knowing which one is worse.

however, the responsible side of his right hemisphere steps up first. “oh shoot, is that not the color you wanted?” chan says, clearly aware that he knows the ins and outs of the small shoe rack corner of the entire facility. “dammit, i should have known. i’ve seen you play a few rounds on the weekends before, and i- i don’t mean to sound at all creepy, but you actually prefer the light up purple shoes over the blue ones.” as soon as the words leave his mouth, chan already knows he’s said way too much. after only a few minutes, your first impression of chan probably resembles that of a creep. “sorry about that! let me just-”

“no, that’s not it all!” you’re quick to say, noticing the distressed, flustered look on his face. “the color is lovely. it’s  just that-” chan prepares for the worst, even though at this point, he already bears the weight of this unfortunate incident. “i think you gave me the kid’s sizes instead.”

yup, everything is definitely going wrong.

“i am so sorry! i’ll go ahead and change those out for you.”

stupid. stupid. stupid.

nothing more as embarrassing than when it happens in front of your crush. that’s not an actual saying, though it sure as hell should be. from the back of the storage room, chan grieves the deepest of sighs and slumps his head on the nearest cabinet.

“here you go, i got you the purple ones to make up for it,” chan shyly nudges the shoes towards you, keeping his head down so his bangs at least hide the tips of eyelashes. out of all the things that could have happened, today just isn’t chan’s day.

“thank you very much,” you say with a smile and a nod to the head. thank goodness you are alone at the booth—who knows what rumours would have started to circulate at school if anyone had seen this unfold.

chan watches as you carefully sort your things and proceed to grab the shoes from the booth. he holds in the heavy sigh at the back of his throat when he sees you turn your head back towards him.

“if giving me a smaller pair of shoes is your way of telling me that you think i’m cute,” chan almost laughs at the statement; not at you, of course. this isn’t exactly the stop-motion, picture-perfect confession episode of iCarly he longed it to be. “i think you’re also pretty handsome.”

chan barely manages to save his hand from slipping off the counter, placing his free hand at the edge to catch his balance after hearing your words. his surroundings are disoriented at this point, alongside his peripherals, which are now starting to blur. shaking his head, chan babbles incoherent sentences to no one in particular, realizing you were no longer there, leaving him to rethink and sort out his thoughts.

scratch that, maybe everything just turned out right?

the job slows down as the night progresses, but you remain there until late. even in the midst of massive crowds of needy children and demanding parents, chan notices the subtle, stolen glances from across the bowling aisle. and again from the skee ball machine. then one last time at the exit, along with a smirk and a wink.

yeah. yeah, i think it did.

[cashmeremars]

dating seulgi || k.sg

pairing: seulgi x fem!reader

summary: seulgi is your girlfriend, here’s how it goes....

genre: fluff, angst, domestic!au, idol x non-idol reader

word count: 3.1k (whoops)

a/n: basically my dream life

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

how you met:

you’ve always been very art-inclined but never did much with it but sketch and paint in your apartment, so your friends thought it would be a good idea to enrol you in an art class (without your knowledge)

At first you weren’t very fond of the idea because you never really shared your art with anyone, and going to an art class meant that you would have to share your art with a bunch of random strangers and a professional art teacher (which is super nerve-wracking)

your friends manage to convince you, but not without your constant protests

the day of the first art class comes and you decide that if you’re gonna be surrounded by strangers for the first time, you might as well look nice, especially if your art is gonna suck

you had approximately 5 minutes to gather your art supplies and get in your car before you were gonna be late (because you spent too much time on your appearance)

you manage to arrive to the art studio in time and find a seat next to a girl that looked all too familiar to you

as soon as you sit down you can feel her looking at you, when you look up, she whips her head back towards her canvas

The teacher walks in and starts teaching. your first assignment was to draw a fruit bowl but in the most abstract way possible

as everyone starts to unpack their supplies to draw, you realize that you left your sketching pencil at home (typical) 

you panic for a little bit before you turn to the girl next to you

As you look at her, you realize just how pretty she is; her dark hair and bangs frame her pale face beautifully as her cheeks are dusted with faint strokes of pink that match her lips

She turns to glance at you and you realize that you’ve been staring at her for too long. She raises an eyebrow at you before you speak

“Hey, um, i was being really stupid this morning and forgot my pencil. Can i borrow one of yours?” you stammer as you look at her with wide eyes

she giggles softly to herself as her eyes crinkle into little crescent moons, she hands you one of her pencils and then extends her hand out to you

“I’m Seulgi, you must be new to this class?” she asks with a smile

You introduce yourself before answering her question “yeah, my friends kind of forced me to do this, i’m not sure if it’ll be fun or not”

“Well if you’re not having fun then you can just talk to me. I like keeping people company”

You smile at her softly before turning your head back to your canvas. For the rest of the class you and seulgi find each other speaking to each other, or stealing shy glances at one another

After an hour, everyone’s sketches were complete. You hear a gasp next to you and quickly turn your head towards Seulgi

“Oh my god, that’s amazing” Seulgi says as she gapes directly at your artwork

Your first instinct is to cover up your canvas, but seulgi’s gasp attracts the attention of your classmates as they all move towards you to look at your art

As you get showered with compliments you can’t help but blush since everyone's reactions were so unexpected

The commotion near your canvas calms down as everyone goes around admiring each other’s artwork

“You’re so cute when you’re shy” seulgi says quietly beside you

“What? O-oh thank you. You’re pretty too” you stutter

Everyone begins to pack their bags to leave. When you turn to hand seulgi her pencil, you realize that she’s gone

You being to pack your things more frantically so you can try to see if she’s still hanging around the building

As you rush out of the room you bump directly into seulgi with a huff, she turns around startled before she realizes that it’s just you

“Um, I just wanted to return your pencil. I didn’t know if you had left the building already” you say as you hand her the pencil

She reaches to grab it and your fingers caress each other gently before she looks up at you with a sweet smile

“Thank you, you art is amazing by the way. I wish I could draw like that” she says as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear

“What? Seulgi, your art is quite literally the best I’ve seen in awhile. If anything, I should be jealous of you” you exclaim with wide eyes. It was ridiculous to think that Seulgi’s art was anything less than astonishing. 

“Oh thank you. Hey, did you enjoy the class? I really hope you can come back” Seulgi says as she lightly taps your forearm

“Honestly, it was actually pretty enjoyable. I really loved being in an environment where everyone has the same goals. Especially with classmates as supportive as you” you reply

“Good, hopefully you’ll remember your pencil or anything. Not that I mind if you don’t” she jokes

“Please, I’ll definitely remember it next time” you reply with a chuckle

After a while of speaking, you and seulgi exchange numbers as you head towards your car

“Hey, have I seen you somewhere? You seem really familiar, but I don’t know how” you ask as you reach your car

Seulgi visibly hesitates for a bit before she replies “I’m an idol. Seulgi from Red Velvet” she replies with awkward jazz hands

Then it all hits you. You’d often see red velvet on TV and Seulgi was always the one that stood out to you the most

“Oh. Well I think that Seulgi from art class rolls off the tongue better” you reply with a wink. 

She laughs before a car pulls up and honks at her

“Oh, my managers here. I’ll text you, if you want me to” she replies with shy eyes

“Of course I’d want you to text me. I’ll see you later Seulgi” you say before opening your car door. She waves at you before walking away and into the car. She rolls down the window before shouting out another goodbye with a wide smile and both of her hands waving

You roll your eyes at her playfully before waving again and heading into your car. You drive home with a smile stuck on your face as you remember her smile. 

When your friends asked you about how the art class went, you told them everything that happened. They teased you for a bit but were also happy that you made a new friend that shares the same hobbies as you, although they insisted that you wanted her to be more than your friend

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

dates:

You and seulgi had been hanging out for the past 3 months (usually after your art classes) and she’d quickly become one of your closest friends over the course of those 3 months

You and seulgi were having an art-picnic at the park. You’d both decided it would be fun if you drew sketches of each other to your best abilities. 

Obviously you tried really hard on your sketch of seulgi (which wasn’t all that hard considering how many times you’ve mindlessly doodled her, you’d basically memorized her facial features)

The wind was blowing your hair in your face but that didn’t stop you from completing your sketch of her 

You look up at Seulgi to catch any more details that you might’ve missed and you notice that she’s smiling shyly as her face starts to blush while she draws you. You raise your eyebrow at her but she doesn’t notice.

A little while later she flicks her wrist upwards while semi-yelling “Done!” with a bright smile

You finish yours soon after with a smile. The drawing looks exactly like her; from the stray hair of her bangs to the tiny little freckles on her cheeks. 

You both stare at each other for a bit before she motions towards your sketchbook, waiting for you to share yours first.

You hesitate before turning your sketchbook towards her. You close your eyes and wait for her reaction. You hear a gasp as she quickly takes the sketchbook out of your hands and examines it. 

You open your eyes and look at her as she gapes at your drawing. 

She looks up at you with bright eyes as she starts to gush at your drawing “this looks exactly like me” she says with a smile. “Do you mind if i keep it?” she asks quietly

“Uh. yeah, of course. I mean I drew it for you anyways” you say with a nervous chuckle

There’s a bit of silence as you watch her admire your drawing. Her eyes glimmer like the sun reflecting the ocean in a way that looks like she’s about to tear up

She suddenly looks up at you before she takes a deep breath. She puts your sketch down and holds hers up towards you. She smiles nervously at you before she turns her sketchbook towards you

There’s a nearly perfect portrait of you sketched onto the paper. She even managed to perfect your hair flying in the wind.

You grab the sketch from her in awe and begin to inspect it closely. Seulgi’s attention to detail never fails to surprise you

As you look even closer at the portrait, you notice a bit of handwriting at the bottom. You slightly squint your eyes at it before your jaw slowly starts to hang open

“I know this might seem a bit awkward but I really feel like I’ve known you my whole life. Please don’t hate me, but do you maybe kinda wanna go on a date sometime?” it says in scribbled handwriting

You dropped the sketch and engulfed her in a long loNG hug (and she started crying aw)

The rest of your picnic was just you guys staring at each other and giggling

Your first date lasted around 48 hours because Seulgi insisted that she takes you on a roadtrip to her favourite places (but you wouldn’t have asked for anything more)

You and seulgi will go on dates anywhere

You’ve gone bowling, arcading, canoeing, hiking, karaoke, and tree climbing (which was kind of weird but you guys had fun)

On your 100 day anniversary, seulgi takes you out on a date to the lake where you ride those cute swan boats

You then shared a red velvet cake (wink wink) before heading over to your apartment to binge movies

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

kisses:

Even though she’s your girlfriend, seulgi is still pretty shy about kissing you (which also makes you shy)

Your first kiss was actually on your first date

You were both sitting in the swan boats, pedaling lightly as you laughed along with each other. At one point you both fell into a comfortable silence

She was brushed a piece of hair behind your ear before leaning in slowly and capturing her soft lips with yours

It was a very wholesome kiss that left her blushing aggressively when you pulled away

You leaned back in for another kiss (which she obviously granted) and that was your first kiss !!!

Seulgi’s kisses depend on the situation, for example;

Good luck kisses - these are usually the kisses that you give seulgi before she has to go to rehearsal or days of the group’s comebacks. These kisses are always very sweet and long and filled with encouraging words between each one. You grab her face with both hands and plant a big kiss before whispering good luck and patting her cheek. 

Goodnight kisses - these kisses usually happen at the end of each date when seulgi has to head back to the dorms. you guys usually spend at least 10 minutes saying goodbye to each other before one of you actually ends up leaving. These kisses are usually very soft and linger for much longer than they should, as they’re accompanied with soft whispers of how much you enjoyed the day. 

Greeting kisses - these happen when you meet up before a date, before art class, or literally just anytime you see her. When you see each other, she usually engulfs you in a warm bear hug. They’re usually just soft little pecks, maybe three in a row and then you guys are off catching up on each other’s lives

Adoration kisses - these ones usually come out of nowhere. These happen on your dates when one of you gets so caught up in admiring the other that you kind of slip into your own world, where they’re the only other person that exists. You can’t think of anything but them. So you lean in and kiss her, again, again, and again, until you get lost in the moment.

Morning kisses -  these happen at the crack of dawn. you're both still half asleep, but not enough to not acknowledge the others’ presence. Seulgi will usually wrap her arm across your chest without even realizing it, and you instinctively lean in closer. You both squint at each other, seulgi’s hair is all over her face and the sight always makes you laugh. Seulgi groans quietly as she stretches, her leg falls over yours and she nuzzles her head into your side. She lazily lands a kiss on your cheek and neck before slowly falling back asleep

Comforting kisses - the most heartbreaking kisses that you and seulgi share. Sometimes you’ll visit the dorm to hang out with seulgi and find her laying on her bed unmoving, and with shaky breaths. You quietly whisper her name and your heart breaks as she turns to look at you with red eyes and tear stained cheeks. You’d always heard about how tough it was being an idol, but seulgi never opened up to you about it because she wanted to be herself around you, not “Red Velvet’s Seulgi”, so seeing the effects of it firsthand was nothing less than shocking for you. You rush to hold her in your arms as she cries into your shoulder. You whisper that you’ll be there for her and that you’ll listen when she’s ready. Quietly rubbing her back, you plant soft kisses on her forehead and cheeks between your whispers as she slowly calms down.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

arguments:

You and seulgi rarely argue because you’re both mature adults that value communication

But when you do argue it can get pretty bad

You never really argue about petty things, so that’s why things can get pretty tense when you argue about serious things

The tension in the room when you guys argue is scary for anyone that happens to be in the room

You can quite literally feel how angry the two of you are

Your voices are always very tight and low when you guys are arguing and it would give anyone goosebumps

It gets to the point where you both just decide that you’re tired of talking in circles so someone usually storms out and goes home

You won’t speak to each other for a couple of days (like absolutely no contact at all)

Then one of you will text the other asking to come over and then y’all manage to sort it out, apologize, and go back to how things were before

Your relationship is ultimately very healthy so arguments aren’t exactly a huge problem for you

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

her love languages:

Words of affirmation - seulgi loves when you give her words of affirmation randomly throughout the day. Little compliments and random praise really makes her day. It could be about a new decoration she put up in her room, a dish she made, or even a hairstyle she tried out. The blush that graces her face is the most adorable part of it all, which only encourages you to compliment her more. Seulgi also loves to give you words of affirmation, but they always make her shy and flustered. It’s the cutest sight to see.

Quality time - you and seulgi are basically inseparable. You both always have so much to talk about and so much to do, that you never actually get bored of each other. However, both of you are extremely busy (seulgi more than you), so when you do get free time, you are ALWAYS together. Seeing her face after such a long time apart makes you never want to leave her again. You both spend an hour catching up on each other’s lives, and then you do some fun stuff together. This can include watching movies, learning dances together, biking, drawing, baking, etc. There’s nothing you two haven’t done. 

Gifts - seulgi believes that the best gift you can give someone comes directly from the heart, so she’s a huge fan of home-made gifts. This can go from drawings/paintings she’s made of you, cute little bracelets with your nick-names or initials on them, little sweaters and hats she’s knitted for you. Whenever seulgi has to travel for promotions or tours, she’ll bring back cute little trinkets that she said reminded her of you. You have a whole collection of keychains, stuffed animals, and little postcards that seulgi has sent you while she was abroad. Seulgi’s favourite gifts from you are the ones that you’ve put a lot of thought into. For example, a handwritten love letter, tickets to a movie she’s been talking about, homemade little videos edits that you’ve collected of her, posters of her favourite art pieces, etc. In your relationship, thoughtful gifts mean more than expensive gifts.

Acts of service - your friendship and relationship literally started off with an act of service when she lent you her pencil. You two are constantly doing things for the other. Oh, you were planning to throw out the garbage? I did that an hour ago. You’re hungry? Great, I just finished making you a three course meal just for fun. There’s just something about surprising one another with finishing little tasks for each other each day that’s especially heartwarming. It’s not anything special, but it shows that you care about each other, and it also makes things less stressful for one another.

Physical touch - i feel like i’ve already established that seulgi lOVES physical affection. She would cuddle you for the rest of her life if she could. Although the two of you aren’t into PDA, when you’re alone you’re basically stuck to each other. You’re always holding hands, giving each other pecks, playing with each other’s hands, brushing each other’s hair, squeezing each other’s cheeks. You simply can’t get enough of each other and it’s adorable.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

masterlist

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[aion-rsa]

Marvel’s Loki Episode 5: MCU Easter Eggs and References

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This article contains Loki episode 5 spoilers.

Marvel’s Loki episode 5 is a big one. Yes, we know…last week felt like that. And the one before it, too. But this one really IS, with the entire episode taking place (as DoG’s Kayti Burt put it) on top of a literal “trash pile of MCU and Marvel Comics Easter eggs.”

With that in mind, let’s have some fun with all the incredible Marvel references they managed to sneak into Loki episode 5.

Journey Into Mystery

You probably already know this, but Journey Into Mystery was the book that first introduced the Marvel Comics version of Thor, with Loki following shortly after. The title eventually was just renamed Thor since the Asgardians had become the primary focus of the book for years by that point. However, Journey Into Mystery was revived a few years back, with its primary focus being on the adventures of Kid Loki this time around.

Thanos Copter

The Lokis pass a helicopter with “THANOS” on the side. This is a reference to Spidey Super Stories #39 from 1979. The all-ages comic featured a story of Spider-Man and the Cat (Hellcat) taking on Thanos, who was on the hunt for the Cosmic Cube. He flew around New York City in his own helicopter with his name on the side. The reference comes up as a joke here and there, including an issue of Deadpool. Even Thanos’ giant two-sided blade weapon from Avengers: Endgame has been considered by many to be a sly reference to the Thanos Copter.

Ecto-Cooler

While the Lokis are all drinking wine, Kid Loki is shown drinking Hi-C Ecto Cooler. The Slimer-based citrus drink was a tie-in to The Real Ghostbusters cartoon of the 1980s and lasted into 2001 due to its popularity. Afterwards, it became a fondly-remembered relic to time. Ecto Cooler made a brief return in 2016 to coincide with the Ghostbusters reboot. Sadly, there’s no news of it coming back for the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie.

Speaking of Kid Loki…

Kid Loki

Kid Loki seems to be wielding a flaming sword, which looks an awful lot like Laevateinn, the sword he wielded in the Loki: Agent of Asgard comics.

Polybius

In the background of the Lokis’ lair, we see a Polybius arcade machine. Polybius is a long-running urban legend. Supposedly, back in 1981, an arcade machine was set up in Portland, Oregon, watched over by various men in black. The game was so addicting that it caused fights to break out and horrible side-effects to its players. We wrote more about the decades-old mystery of Polybius right here.

Pretty sure there’s an old Williams Space Pinball machine in there, too but that’s not as wild as Polybius.

The Void

Fittingly, the realm where all the pruned victims end up is called the Void. In the comics, the Void is a dark, inexplicable, and possibly biblical entity that acts as the evil side to the Sentry. During the storyline Siege, the Void murdered Loki, which facilitated his rebirth as Kid Loki.

Alioth

Alioth first appeared in Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #1, the same 1993 comic that also introduced Ravonna Renslayer to the world…and one that features Kang as its central villain. Hmmmm…

Oh, and Alioth was co-created by Mobius M. Mobius inspiration/model Mark Gruenwald, who gets another shout later in the episode.

Vote Loki

The “politician Loki” who we see leading (inasumuch as they can/want to be led) the loose coalition of Variant Lokis is modeled almost exactly on the version of Loki from Marvel’s Vote Loki story by Christopher Hastings, Langdon Foss, and Paul McCaffery. In it, Loki ends up running for President, with his ridiculous campaign built on the “honest” deception of openly lying to the American people inadvertently aided by a credulous news media. It’s a good read and you should check it out.

This episode also engages in the old MCU/Star Wars tradition of someone getting a hand cut off…in this case it’s our pal, “Vote Loki.”

Frog Thor

A frog resembling Thor is shown in a jar labeled “T365.” Wouldn’t you know it, Thor #365 is the issue where Loki transforms Thor into a frog. Yes, it was a whole thing. Walt Simonson’s run on the Thor comics is really spectacular.

“Frog Thor” also got a mention in Thor: Ragnarok, during the “play within the movie” seen as “Loki” apologized to “Thor” for turning him into a frog.

You know, there’s even an independent wrestler with a Thor Frog gimmick. Life is beautiful sometimes.

Classic Loki

So it appears that Classic Loki is basically what would have happened if “our” Loki survived the opening of Avengers: Infinity War, which he did by allowing Thanos to kill a duplicate while he disguised himself as some debris. Classic Loki went into hiding and developed a taste for brighter greens and yellows, and aged into Richard E. Grant, before he was pruned by the TVA and found himself here in the Void.

Classic Loki’s line about “the god of outcasts” comes from 2019’s Loki #5, by Daniel Kibblesmith and Andy McDonald:

“I am Loki. God of outcasts. They see themselves in me. And I in them. All of us, alone together. It’s why my stories always end with someone trying to put me in a box. And begin with my spectacular escape.”

Later in the episode, Classic Loki and Kid Loki literally “exit stage right,” in what feels like a very deliberately “stagey” moment that plays on the Shakespearean overtones of all of this.

The Living Tribunal

On the ground in the Void there’s a large severed head…and it’s that of The Living Tribunal, a cosmic entity created by Stan Lee and Marie Severin back in 1967. The presence of a Living Tribunal (even one who is dead at this present time), whose entire purpose for being is predicated on the existence of a multiverse, means that the TVA is trying very hard to cut all ties and any evidence of the fact that the multiverse is already out there.

U.S.S. Eldridge

The USS Eldridge was a real Cannon-class destroyer in the U.S. Navy in use from 1943 to 1992. It was supposedly sold for scrap after it was decommissioned but Loki posits that perhaps it was an unwanted Variant in the Sacred Timeline. Perhaps this is because the ship was rumored to be subjected to the “Philadelphia Experiment” that was supposed to render it invisible to the human eye. The story is sadly probably a hoax.

There’s a not exactly great 1984 movie called The Philadelphia Experiment which adds time travel to the equation, making this little callback even more Loki appropriate.

Is That Stan Lee?

At about 9:38 there’s a mural in the TVA headquarters. On the right there’s a guy in prescription shades, with a familiar moustache and salt-and-pepper hair. We’re not saying that’s Stan Lee, but…

The Castle

Yes, we know, that ominous castle sure looks like Doctor Doom’s  home of Doomstadt, but…it’s probably not (or is it?). More likely, this is Castle Limbo, home of Kang the Conqueror (or…is it?).

We unpacked these possibilities some more here.

The Music

The “heroic Loki” theme at the end sounds like it’s about to break into Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.”

Speaking of, the regular Loki theme is very similar to the part of the Delfonics “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” that was sampled for Missy Elliott’s “Sock It To Me.” The original (also sampled for the Fugees’ “Ready or Not” and Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”) was about the inevitability of love, and Missy’s song was about sneaking into somebody’s house to get your back blown out, so basically the same thing. Could have some bearing on Loki and Sylvie’s story.

The music that plays during the “Loki brawl” is this show’s equivalent of Scooby-Doo chase music. That’s a good thing, by the way.

Pixar, is that you?

Was that the Pizza Planet truck? Mobius’s ride, a station wagon with a slice of pizza on top, immediately brought to mind the popular Pixar easter egg/elaborate timeline mcguffin that has appeared in every Pixar movie to date. Also, very nice touch having Lightning McQueen himself drive it.

An even nicer touch is the license plate on the car Mobius is driving: GRN W1D. As in “Gruenwald.” As in (say it with us, kids!) Mark Gruenwald, the Marvel writer and editor who Mobius is based on.

Ant-Man

At one point on the ground in the Void we can spot a gigantic Yellowjacket helmet. Yellowjacket is the codename for several size-shifting superheroes in the Marvel Comics, but is best known to MCU fans as Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross from the first Ant-Man flick. 

Guardians of the Galaxy

There’s lots of crashed spacecraft, one of which kind of looks like the Dark Aster (Ronan the Accuser’s ship in Guardians of the Galaxy), and there may be a Helicarrier hanging around. There’s also a flying saucer that vaguely resembles the ship from John Carpenter’s The Thing, and a pirate ship that if Doctor Doom were actually the villain of this show (he isn’t…or…is he?) would make us think of that character’s very first appearance in Fantastic Four comics, where he sent Ben Grimm back in time to become Blackbeard. No, really.

Miscellaneous Time Variants

The fate of the Lokis is reminiscent of What If? #12, otherwise known as What If the X-Men Had Stayed in Asgard? At the end of the story, after tasting defeat yet again, Loki begged Those Who Sit Above in Shadow to allow him to rule Asgard. They agreed by sending him far into the future at the end of time. As reality started to break down, Loki went out laughing in the face of oblivion.

The bus ad at the beginning is for Calum Ross, who is an editor on the show. 

The shot of all the Lokis walking as the camera swoops overhead is very much reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies.

Loki and Sylvie are cold in The Void. But wait a minute, aren’t they both Frost Giants? Why then would Loki conjure a green blanket? Unless he wants a convenient excuse to cuddle up with his Variant…

Loki is drinking “RoxxiWine” pinot noir…out of a box…which is a nice touch.

Is that weird, very large plant in the bowling alley hideout supposed to be a Variant Yggdrasil? Or wait…what if that’s Plant Loki?!? He’s green, isn’t he?

Next to Alligator Loki’s kiddie pool there’s a copy of The Mystery and Lore of Monsters, a 1930 book by Charles J.S. Thompson.

The tower we all keep thinking is Avengers Tower is in fact Qeng Tower, the headquarters of Qeng Enterprises, the company that Tony Stark (mistakenly) sold the old Avengers tower to in the comics.

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Spot anything we missed? (Probably, right?) Let us know in the comments!

The post Marvel’s Loki Episode 5: MCU Easter Eggs and References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[gamersonthego]

Matt Giguere’s Top 10 Handheld Games of 2019

Handheld gaming is in a weird spot. Beyond the plethora of mobile devices running iOS or Android and the app store fronts they offer; the handheld market has now been distilled down to one major device in 2019. Lo and behold, Nintendo, once again sits alone on the hill. While the Switch has seen great gains in maintaining a constant flow of software on its platform, the vast majority of their releases are either mobile ports or older games from generations past. It is amazing on how much has been released so far, but what makes a handheld game a “handheld game” now anyway? When your choice can be a small bite sized game like BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! or a massive single player game like Tales of Vesperia, there really isn’t much of a difference what a handheld platform can offer compared to the home consoles for the types of games that can be played. As the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation Vita sunset into their legacy years, there seems to be a wider line on what can be considered a handheld game.

Nintendo did release a portable only version of the Switch this year, dubbed the SwitchLite. Considering that most of my playtime has been in handheld mode, I picked one up shortly after release. After a few months of playtesting, I think this will be my go-to system for the foreseeable future. I adore the form factor size. The original Switch still works great for quick pick up and play in my home, but I find the new model easier to hold in my hands and store away when I’m travelling. The dedicated directional pad, as opposed to separate buttons because of the nature of the detachable joy-cons, is a big selling point for the myriad of 2D platformers now on the system. I sometimes miss the “HD Rumble” feedback that had to be cut, but that is a small gripe. If you don’t care for playing games on the big screen in a higher resolution and varying framerate, I highly recommend picking this dedicated handheld up.

Admittedly, a lot on my best of 2019 list are games that can be enjoyed on the big screen, especially with the convenience of the Switch’s hardware. Of the games I played this year, I think this smattering represents a healthy dose of what managed to present a case that gaming on the go is still well alive and ever changing.

Top 10 of 2019 or the Hollow Knight Memorial List*

*Sometimes when making a top list our favorite thing came out in a different year or is so clearly ahead it is a lock of number 1 across every critic. This year Hollow Knight from Team Cherry captivated me like nothing else that released this year. Alas, this game came out in 2017. So instead of placing it on my official list for 2019, it takes the honor of being my list’s name. This Metroidvania style exploration platformer is full of surprises, sometimes subverting my expectations when I thought there wasn’t anything left to uncover. If you have a Switch, I highly recommend checking out one of my favorite games in the genre since Metroid: Fusion.

10. My Friend Pedro (Switch, Xbox One, PC)

An action, score-based shooter that I’ve had my eye on for years since seeing the gif put out by publisher Devolver Digital and developer Dead Toast Entertainment. The nature of this very tricky to pull off and even harder to master game lies in its focus on style. Moving across short levels on a 2-D plane, you must, roll, spin, flip, kick, skate, and, of course, kill combo as many enemies to place a high score and a top rank. While there is a story to keep the drive of the game moving forward, I wouldn’t say that should be the guiding factor to check this out. Rather, I found the quick get up and quick play of a level or two perfect for on the go gaming. Once the controls click, this game really delivers on its promised “Bananas” style.

9. Untitled Goose Game (Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PC)

“What if Hitman, but a Goose?” is probably the most quoted pitch heard for this small, but very charming game by developer House House. In it you play as, well, a goose who terrorizes a small town from every front. From untying shoes so people trip to locking helpless victims in garages, no one is safe from this feathered menace! Okay, so the Hitman comparison is apt, minus the extreme brutality, for this sandbox-lite adventure. The best I can compare it to is an interactive toy; one that is unique in how the player can approach a situation and explore the possibilities of what can and will happen within the rules of the program. It might not have the deep experimentation of a larger game of its kind, but I found its calm and lighthearted nature makes this a very stress-free experience, especially when you are the one dealing out all the harassment.

8. SteamWorld Quest (Switch, PC)

I don’t normally go for card-based RPGs, but when Image & Form provide a new adventure in the SteamWorld universe, I had to check it out. This might be the one that changed my mind, because after several turns, I was hooked. The adventure itself keeps things relatively jovial with plenty of jokes and wit to keep the story moving forward. It can be easy to stick to one group of characters, a limit of three per battle, but I find more enjoyment in the battle system when different combinations are put into play. The battle system also provides linked combos that offer bonuses and stringing cards together in a row also adds more to the strategy. Building a potent strategy is where I found the most engagement in this RPG, and all the trappings around the edges made this one stand out in my mind. A good starting point in the genre for those curious.

7. Baba Is You (Switch, PC)

A tough logic puzzler I think goes the extra mile with its charm and style. You play as Baba. Or, rather, Baba is you, or a wall, or section of water, or a skull, or... well you get the point. The goal in each stage is to reach the “Win.” What is the “Win?” Most of the time it is a flag, but really it can be anything. Using a simple push function mechanic that many top-down puzzlers have used before, the twist comes in that you can have these sentence blocks to push around and affect the game’s logic. For example, if the winning object is out of reach by a wall that forces you stop (“Wall is Stop”) you can push one of the sentence blocks away so you can pass through the wall. Even making a sentence to “You is Win” will also result in a victory. The difficulty can be a bit stiff, but I would often find myself just thinking about a stuck puzzle while out and about and think of the solution as a sort of epiphany. Even when getting stuck on a tricky brain teaser, the game offers multiple paths so you can keep progressing through. Certainly, Baba Is You has been on my mind since first playing it.

6. What The Golf? (Apple Arcade, PC, Switch TBD)

If Desert Golf is the pinnacle zen of the golf sport genre, What The Golf? embodies its “party mindset.” Yes, it is golf, and yet, it becomes something more than just golf. Sometimes you will find yourself having to hop across a very familiar level. Other times you will have to coordinate trick shots while being an exploding barrel. And sometimes, there’s just good old-fashioned bowling. What The Golf? will keep you on your toes, especially if you are fond of video games released prior to this. I won’t spoil some of the surprises in store, but some of them had me in stitches from laughing so hard. It would be nice to fully outright buy this game on the iOS App Store, but for now, a subscription to Apple Arcade is the only way to play this on the go.

5. Sayonara Wild Hearts (Switch, Apple Arcade, PS4, PC)

Another Apple Arcade exclusive for mobile (you can also buy it on the Switch at this time), this one showcasing music and style. If there is one thing that counts in making an impression on me, it’s presentation. Sayonara Wild Hearts is described as a pop album video game; one you experience as much as you listen to. The format seems simple at first. Guide your character along the track and collect different items for points to rank a high score while also dodging obstacles. Soon though, things start to mix up as fast as the soundtrack’s BPMs start to pump up. While the touch controls are adequate, I think for certain spots, a physical controller would have been nice. However, there are movements that are far easier to pull off using a touch interface, such as time hits reminiscent of music games like Elite Beat Agents. This gem of a game needs to be experienced at least once, not only for the wonderful soundtrack, composed by Daniel Olsen and Jonathan Eng and featuring Linnea Olsson on vocals, but also to see the twists and turns the game takes. This little game surprised the hell out of me, and I think it will be one that I will revisit again based on its production.

4. Ape Out (Switch, PC)

Sometimes we all need to get out. Especially when you are an ape stuck in a cage. That’s the conceit of the top-down, twin stick, hyper violent, and super stylized game, Ape Out. There is one goal: Be the ape and get the hell out! The concept is very rudimentary which I feel allows the game to shine. You will have to run, dodge, grab and toss enemies to reach the exit while the only advantage is being able to take three hits before going down. Enemies have guns that the player can’t use in the typical way. Instead, grabbing a foe allows one immediate shot to be fired from the grappled target. Used strategically, it can get you out of a lot of close calls. Other enemies can have bombs or body armor to keep this from being too repetitive and thanks to the game’s art style, they all look distinct so there’s no confusion on who you are fighting. Levels are procedurally generated as well, so even thinking on memorizing enemy patterns doesn’t always work. The fluorescent color palette and very minimalist style, like that of a Saul Bass movie poster, highlights the chaos and violence without making it too gross or unappealing. Even the soundtrack is minimalistic, utilizing only jazz percussion that plays out dynamically as the action plays out in real time. A feast for the eyes and a challenge on the thumbs.

3. Katana Zero (Switch, PC)

Taking a page from one hit kill action games like Hotline Miami, Katana Zero plays out at first like a typical note from the genre, right down to its ‘80s aesthetic. You clear room after room of enemies, slashing with your katana, wall jumping to high points, and focusing time to slow down and either dodge or reflect projectiles. A lot of this game is a throwback thanks to its choice of graphics, 2D platforming and story points from movies like Drive and Leon: The Professional. It is thanks to the presentation that makes this game shine for me. The story, music, graphics and gameplay presentation are what makes Katana Zero so high on my list. Clearing rooms is fast paced and quick, with messing up only taking several seconds to get back into the fray. While the loop of the game can get a bit repetitive, there are plenty of surprises that change up the standard formula of the game as you progress. The story does a nice job of not only driving things forward, but also tying in gameplay concepts into the narrative. The music is a healthy blend of synthwave and some very heavy and experimental electronic tunes (one that I’ve had on repeat most of the year). The overall games is fairly short and ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but there are speedrunning modes and secrets to uncover from replaying. Katana Zero stands as one of the best independent games this year.

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch)

There was a time when Fire Emblem was on the ropes, becoming a lagging franchise that was not connecting with strategy enthusiasts on the home consoles. Then in 2013, things changed with the release of Fire Emblem: Awakening on the 3DS. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems had intended that game to be the last in the series. Instead, we got another 3 (and 1/2) games released on the 3DS this past decade. Now it’s time to pass the torch onto the Switch and boy did they deliver on a packed adventure! Instead of just following one or two paths like most FE campaigns, Three Houses offer up to four different story playthroughs that each roughly takes about 50 hours or more to complete. There is also a vast amount of customization thanks to the setting being centered around a military school and teaching classes. If you love watching meters and bars fill up, there are tons of those to be had in Three Houses. Even though not every aspect is well thought out (the amiibo gazebo comes to mind, even though it is the best named mechanic), the cast of characters and support conversations (all fully voice acted) provide some rich storytelling from a character development standpoint. Do check out this game as it is one of the best in the series.

1. Tetris 99 (Switch)

“Where are we dropping, Blocks?” In a personal first for me, a multiplayer game has taken my number one spot. Tetris 99 is just that. Tetris. However, it’s you versus 98 other players in a battle royal style completion. Released as a free download to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, it now has multiple versions that can be bought as well. Thanks to constant updates and weekend tournaments, the online community is still strong, so finding matches is quick and painless. Playing against such a wide number of challengers turns the typical Tetris strategy on its head. Racking up combos instead of quickly clearing lines, for example, is one way to secure victory, but leaving too many gaps and holes can prove disastrous if you suddenly become the target of a handful of players. Even though I have yet to secure a 1st place finish, the nature of Tetris keeps me coming back for more. Whether it’s facing against bots, friends, marathoning solo or playing the featured battle royal, this is a fun version of Tetris to be had.

[softschnappi]

Will’s Birthday - Another Ryers HC because I’m trash

This is about Ryers reuniting after Richie moved away in my other HC and this is my second favourite HC besides the gas station one!!

But a brief summary of part one: Richie and will started dating in freshman year and Richie moved back to Derry in the summer of senior year so they were both really upset and stuff 

The fun is under the cut ;)

Warning: mentions of sex, swearing?? LOTS OF FLUFF THOUGH

Richie and Will were calling each other for about an hour every night for about a week before Joyce said the phone bill was going to be so high if they kept it up any longer because it was long distance

So they called each other once a week instead

Two years passed and they still hadn’t seen each other 

So they’ve both graduated and are just saving up for a year before they go to college

They talked about seeing each other all the time 

They’re saving up money for it

But they’d need to probably take a plane

And get passports

Which are expensive

So it wasn’t going to work out quite yet

Until Will’s 19th birthday 

hheheh

Richie saved up the money and wanted to surprise Will for his birthday

So when they had their weekly phone call he managed to subtly get out of Will when Joyce was working

He took that and called her on her day off, which was a day that Will was over at Mike’s 

So it worked out perfectly

Once he told Joyce that he wanted to come and visit, she was all over the idea

“Oh, he’d love that! He’s missed you so much, Richie. And you can stay here at the house, of course”

Soon it’s all set in stone

Will’s birthday was in a few months so he had plenty of time to buy a plane ticket (He’d gotten a passport last year)

Joyce would come and get him at the airport and

He would show up on Will’s birthday to the party he and his friends were having at his house and surprise him

It was going to be great

Last year, Richie mailed Will his gift, which was a set of 24 Prismacolour pencils

They were expensive, but the worker at the store said they were top of the line so that was fine with Richie

Only the best of the best for his love

This time, he barely had money left over after buying the plane ticket, so he resorted to making Will a bunch of mixtapes

Will always loved it when he made him mixtapes

In no time he was on the plane and before he could blink he was already getting off

He’d talked to Joyce on a payphone to tell her that he’d arrived at the airport and she said she would go and get him

She made the excuse of forgetting something at the store

When she picked him up they hugged and she told him she’s really happy he came 

When they get home they go through the back door

And they leave Richie’s suitcase in the car for now 

Richie and Jonathan shake hands 

Jonathan whispers “They’re watching a movie in the living room”

Richie creeps as quietly as possible toward the living room and leans against the wall

Luckily it’s dark so nobody can see him/turn their attention away from the movie

They’re all watching Back to the Future Part II

A scene with a hoverboard comes on so Richie blurts out “I hope they’ll have those in the future”

Unaware that there was someone standing there, everyone turns their head to look at him

Will gasps and yells “RICHIE!!” and practically jumps off of the couch, spilling the big bowl of popcorn all over Mike and Dustin

He runs into Richie’s arms and Richie lifts him off the ground to spin him around 

After they say how much they’ve missed each other they begin to kiss make out which prompts the party to make noises of disgust

But they’re happy Richie is here 

Richie then picks up Will bridal style and carries him back to the couch before sitting him on his lap

which is and always will be Will’s reserved seat

So they watch the rest of the movie

After it’s finished Jonathan takes a group picture of everyone and one of just Will and Richie (which he gives to him later)

Joyce drives El and Max home because their parents won’t let them sleep over at a boy’s house

So then it’s just Will, Richie, Dustin, Mike and Lucas

They end up playing video games and eating more cake and pizza until Joyce tells them to shut it all down at two in the morning

They all just stayed up talking for a little while 

Dustin was the first to fall asleep, then Mike, then Lucas

So it was just Will and Richie after that

Who just sit in the dark and talk

There’s not much to talk about since they only talked to each other over the phone a few days ago

But there were still things like how the trip up to Hawkins was for Richie

Will decided it was time to sleep after Richie whispered into his ear “I would fuck you right now if it weren’t for that super creaky bed of yours”

“Mhmmm. Maybe tomorrow, Rich. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, baby. I love you so much”

“I love you too. Now get some sleep because I don’t wanna haul your ass out of bed at noon”

The next day they do fuck while Joyce is at work and Jonathan’s at the mall 

And on top of Will’s bed being very creaky, they had to pull the bed away from the wall so that it wouldn’t damage the wall because Richie fucked Will hard

Richie also gives Will his gift that day which is the mixtapes

And, no surprise, Will loves them 

So they listen to them all day long on top of the other ones Richie had made for him in the past

For the next few days, Richie sleeps with Will in his bed

They go to the arcade and Richie leaves with the highest score on Street Fighter

One day they just chilled in Will’s room and cuddled for hours

Will also drew Richie so many pictures that day of whatever Richie wanted

“Santa fighting a bear!” “Yoda having tea with the queen!” “Us in Hawaii!”

Will just shook his head with a smile and tried his best to draw everything

“I can’t believe that the world’s most talented artist is mine,” Is what Richie would sigh and say with a whipped smile

Will would blush and deny it, but Richie would pretend not to hear him and just compliment him more

Another day they went to the mall and Will bought them ice cream with his birthday money

They would mainly just cuddle most of the time though

Joyce would come home and see them snuggled up on the couch and think it’s just the old days

The day Richie had to leave, Joyce drove him to the airport with Will riding along

They held hands the whole way and discussed the next time they would see each other

Since college was expensive and soon, it wouldn’t be for a while, but it would happen

It would probably be sometime next year during summer or Christmas 

Will wanted to come out to Derry 

They also made out the last ten minutes of the drive oops

When it was time for Richie to go, they hugged for a few minutes, and Will kissed him on the cheek

And  watched him walk away until he couldn’t see him anymore

[maximumcupcakereview]

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Entertainment: Dickson street is great, lots of The Gold Blood Warriors 2021 22 Nba Champions Golden State Warriors Shirt and good food. There is the Walton Arts Center which has top notch broadway events (musicals, plays, etc). TheatreSquared is also excellent for watching plays. The AMP (Arkansas Music Pavilion) has well known bands/artists every year. There is a Botanical Gardens. Believe it or not, we still have a drive-in theatre which plays current movies and is lots of fun. There is also a retro-arcade, bowling, skating rink, Locomotion (go karts, arcade, mini-golf), Gater Golf (mini-golf), several area Golf courses that are very nice, museums, and lots more. Outdoors: We are right next to the Ozark National Forrest, Beaver Lake, the Buffalo River, White River, Mulberry River, Devil’s Den state park, the Ozark Highlands Trail (218 miles through seven counties), caving, rock climbing, hand gliding, scuba diving in Beaver lake, and countless more to do. There is an excellent paved trail system that stretches from south of Fayetteville to the Missouri border with lots of parks and side trails along the way. Everywhere you turn there is hiking, biking, canoeing, geocaching, etc. Enough to never be bored. Community: Excellent Farmer’s Market, lots of community outreach programs, excellent public schools and some great private ones also (or so I’ve heard) Events: We also have lots of events in our area: Bikes Blues & BBQ, Joe Martin Stage Race, First Thursday (every first Thursday downtown), Fayetteville Foam Fest (Local Breweries, Food Trucks, Lots of Beer), War Eagle Crafts Fair, Block Street Block Party, NWA Naturals baseball games, Tri Sport Kid’s Triathlon, Fayetteville Roots Festival, Lights of the Ozarks, Ozark Valley Triathlon, Halloween Monster Dash, Color Vibe 5K Run, Primal Challenge.

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Entertainment: Dickson street is great, lots of The Gold Blood Warriors 2021 22 Nba Champions Golden State Warriors Shirt and good food. There is the Walton Arts Center which has top notch broadway events (musicals, plays, etc). TheatreSquared is also excellent for watching plays. The AMP (Arkansas Music Pavilion) has well known bands/artists every year. There is a Botanical Gardens. Believe it or not, we still have a drive-in theatre which plays current movies and is lots of fun. There is also a retro-arcade, bowling, skating rink, Locomotion (go karts, arcade, mini-golf), Gater Golf (mini-golf), several area Golf courses that are very nice, museums, and lots more. Outdoors: We are right next to the Ozark National Forrest, Beaver Lake, the Buffalo River, White River, Mulberry River, Devil’s Den state park, the Ozark Highlands Trail (218 miles through seven counties), caving, rock climbing, hand gliding, scuba diving in Beaver lake, and countless more to do. There is an excellent paved trail system that stretches from south of Fayetteville to the Missouri border with lots of parks and side trails along the way. Everywhere you turn there is hiking, biking, canoeing, geocaching, etc. Enough to never be bored. Community: Excellent Farmer’s Market, lots of community outreach programs, excellent public schools and some great private ones also (or so I’ve heard) Events: We also have lots of events in our area: Bikes Blues & BBQ, Joe Martin Stage Race, First Thursday (every first Thursday downtown), Fayetteville Foam Fest (Local Breweries, Food Trucks, Lots of Beer), War Eagle Crafts Fair, Block Street Block Party, NWA Naturals baseball games, Tri Sport Kid’s Triathlon, Fayetteville Roots Festival, Lights of the Ozarks, Ozark Valley Triathlon, Halloween Monster Dash, Color Vibe 5K Run, Primal Challenge.

Buy it now:         .The Gold Blood Warriors 2021 22 Nba Champions Golden State Warriors Shirt

St Louis Baseball Albert Pujols 700 Home Runs T Shirt

Wolverines All Time Greats National Champions Signature Shirt

Zack Thomas Miami Dolphins 1996 2007 Pro football Hall of Fame 54 signature shirt

Kansas city Chiefs legends football signatures shirt

Homepage: T-shirtsky.com Teeclo

The Vikings Kirk Cousins Adam Thielen Dalvin Cook And Justin Jefferson Abbey Road Christmas Signatures Shirt

ver Molotee

Teejeep is your one-stop online shop for printed t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, stickers, posters, mugs, and more…High quality original T-shirts. Digital printing in the USA.

Worldwide shipping. No Minimums. 1000s of Unique Designs. Worldwide shipping. Fast Delivery. 100% Quality Guarantee. to cover all your needs.

By contacting directly with suppliers, we are dedicated to provide you with the latest fashion with fair price.We redefine trends, design excellence and bring exceptional quality to satisfy the needs of every aspiring fashionista.

WHAT IS OUR MISSION?

Teeartprint is established with a clear vision: to provide the very latest products with compelling designs, exceptional value and superb customer service for everyone.

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[rattanachronicles-blog]

Dedicated to my sweet family

SET THE SCENE

I’ve been on my fair share of cruises – Hawaii, Caribbean, and another Alaskan cruise by Holland Cruise lines – and thus, I think I can safely say that I have had enough comparison to write a pretty good review on a cruise ship. The Bliss is the newest and biggest ship to sail the Alaskan waters and I will say it definitely lives up to its ship name. But before I go into the ship, let me give you a snapshot of beautiful Alaska.

Cerulean blue waters with hints of green flow around the gorgeous state of Alaska. The skies alternate between clear blue and a light gray and there is a chill in the air that is a profound welcomed relief from the humid heat of Texas (where I’m from). The air is devoid of heavy pollution and car traffic fumes and every city has its quiet charm. Salmon in every shape and color climb the salmon ladders while bald eagles dominate the skies.

The cold air is contrasted by a hot cup of chowder in chilled hands. One of the little things in life is having your insides immediately warmed by sip of a hot latte. Or being in the middle of a forest surrounded by trees connected together by fairy lights while roasting marshmallows over a large fire.

The most brilliant sharp icy blue glaciers and its pieces float enchantingly and menacingly in the waters. Whales swim by, peaking their heads and showing off their tails as cruisers lean over, awed, with binoculars. Waterfalls bloom out of the sides of mountains with the force of the water creating a thunderous sound.

This state is so breathtaking in every way.

THE BASICS

Time of Travel: July Type of Travel: Family

THE SHIP

Size: While Bliss is definitely not the biggest cruise ship in the world, it definitely appears like the biggest ship on the Alaskan waters when all the ships are parked next to each other at the ports. It’s impressive to see from afar and to walk up to when returning from the city.

We saw so many whales from our cruise ship windows! Not the best photo but I got too excited and eventually put away my camera to just enjoy the magnificent sights

Exterior Décor: The front of the ship is beautifully decorated and my brother and I joked that the artwork definitely invited all the whales to swim up near our ship. I was honestly so surprised by how many whales I saw on the cruise – definitely more than the last time I was in Alaska. The front of the ship is illustrated with the wildlife of the ocean – whales, turtles, and rays. It’s the perfect artwork for a cruise ship.

Interior Décor: The inside of the ship is also tastefully ornamented. In the center of the ship is a gorgeous glass-appearing staircase that wraps around and glitters in the light. The hot tubs are purposefully placed at the tail end of the ship and on the sides so there is a clear view of the ocean. Every room is carefully constructed to its theme.

Service: The staff on the ship is 5/5 stars. They are so incredibly friendly and accommodating and always willing to strike up a good conversation with you but they also know when to leave you alone as well. They always have a smile for you and their response to everything is quick. They all come from different countries around the world and it is fascinating to hear their stories and everywhere they have traveled!

THINGS TO DO ON THE SHIP

Observation Lounge: Located at the front of the ship, this area was one of my favorite areas on the ship. Decked out in large windows showcasing the beauty of Alaska, the lounge is full of comfy arm chairs and the best part? The bar in the middle as well as two buffets of tea time food fully stocked with finger sandwiches, salads, and desserts. On the days at sea, it’s the perfect area to chill with family and friends, play cards, and observe the Alaskan magnificence without being in the cold.

The Pool and Aqua Park: On one of the top decks of the ship is the pool and the incredible water slides on the ship. There is one water slide where you slide down in rafts and there is one thrilling slide that literally hangs over the ocean! There is a fun area where the kids congregate and hot tubs that dot the sides of the ship as well as the rear end. I highly recommend chilling in the hot tubs at the rear so you can see the full view of the ocean behind you as the ship sails.

Race Track: Yes, this ship has a whole level dedicated to a race track where you can race your family and friends either in a single cart or a double seater cart.

TIP: Book your reservations before you get onto the ship! My family and I did not realize that seats were limited so we did not get to try out this part of the cruise.

It does cost a small fee per drive

Mini Golf

Laser Tag: a small fee

Bliss Casino

Video Arcade

Bowling Alley: a small two lane bowling alley. It gets busy really fast! A small fee

Entourage Teen Club: a haven away from the parents – this place has video games, music, movies!

Fitness Center: this fitness center is legit. There is a running track outside and every machine and weight you could possibly need for a week long cruise.

Guppies: A great area for parents and their kids. Many interactive activities

Hair Salon

Plenty of Spas

Mandara Spa and Salon

Spa Salt Room – natural salt caves – halotherapy

Spa Snow Room – an ice cold arctic environment

Spa Thermal Suite

SHOWS

My favorite thing about cruises is the kind of night time entertainment the ship provides meaning the evening shows. I would say my review for this ship’s shows is probably a 4/5 stars in comparison to the other ships I’ve been on. The best shows I’ve seen on a ship still goes to Allure of the Seas, but this ship definitely provides a great entertainment and truly hats off to the hard working actresses and actors!

Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical – $30 per person. This musical is set in a speakeasy and set in the Prohibition Era. My family and I chose not to see this one just because there was a fee and plenty of other free shows to see

Jersey Boys – such a great show about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

Havana – set at The Palace of Lights, this show brings you the beat and culture of Cuba (takes me back to my time in the Cuban capital!)

The great bands on the ship that play across different bars and lounges

Plenty of comedy shows – make sure you book when you get on the ship!

SHIP ROOM

My family of four booked two separate rooms without ocean views. I always encourage people that if you go on a cruise, try to book rooms with ocean views but obviously if it’s not affordable or available, then it is definitely not the end of the world. I only encourage ocean views for two reasons. One, I think it really helps with orientation to time and feeling as though you are not holed up on the ship. A window or a balcony brings light, views, and a breath of fresh air.

But like I said before, if you can’t get a room with ocean views, then it is completely okay too! My family got non-ocean view rooms and we were completely satisfied. The rooms were on the smaller side (but to be expected with cruise ships), but they were clean. The beds were super comfortable and could be put together or turned into two beds. The TV has a huge list of movies to buy but also a great select of TV channels that plays a cycle of movies depending on genre (action, romance, drama).

Nothing better than opening the door to your room and finding complimentary champagne!

BARS AND LOUNGES

There are so many bars and lounges on the ship and they are all excellent. So many options to choose from that I didn’t even get a chance to make it to all of them

Atrium Bar: This is the center of the ship and where a lot of the main ship’s entertainment occurs. There is a stage area and a movie screen where there are nightly movies and hilarious game shows.

Horizon Lounge

Humidor Cigar Lounge

Maltings Whiskey Bar

Mixx Bar

Skyline Bar

Social Comedy and Night Club

Spice H2O – the pool bar

Sugarcane Mojito Bar

The A-List Bar

The Cavern Club

The District Brew House

Vide Beach Club

THE FOOD

The Local: The 24hr pub experience! The two pros of this place is that it is open 24 hrs, the food is free, and there is a great view of the Atrium Bar stage meaning you can eat and watch entertainment one floor below

The Dining Rooms: There are three dining rooms on the ship that you can eat lunch and dinner at. Unlike the other cruises I’ve been on where you had to make reservations ahead of time and to eat at an assigned time, this cruise gives you the liberty to go whenever you would like. Because there are several dining rooms, there is always plenty of space at any time and thus you can dine on your own schedule.

Every day, there is a menu posted outside the dining rooms. You don’t have to look at each of the dining rooms’ menus because they are all the same. The menu does change for lunch and dinner every day

My mom was a bit disappointed that there was no true formal night with a lobster dish as we have found on other cruise ships

The Garden Café Buffet: I have to say that usually I am not a fan of the cruise buffets. The food usually is sub-par, but I have to say I was mildly impressed with the menu at this buffet. My family and I actually ended up eating here more than the dining rooms because of the expansive options and the ever changing menu.

There are hamburger/hot dog stations, Indian food station, a hot food station that changes every day according to the theme, Italian station, cold cuts station, Asian food station, salad station, and a huge dessert station

For drinks, there is a bar and non-alcoholic beverages such as tea, coffee, and different flavored waters

Room Service: This is complimentary and 24hrs a day but there is a service fee!

Restaurants (not complementary)

Ocean Blue – Seafood

Los Lobos – Mexican

Food Republic – Fusion

Cagney’s Steakhouse

Coco’s – Chocolate, Crepes

Dolce Gelato

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Sea

La Cucina – Italian

Le Bistro – French

Q – Texas BBQ

Teppanyaki

The Bake Shop

Starbucks

Tea Time Snacks

Room service juice with my champagne to make mimosas

PROS AND CONS

Pros

The last Alaskan cruise I went on seemed catered to adults, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this cruise really catered to family and the young kids.

Flexible dining room schedule

Plenty of activities on the ship

Friendly staff

Entertaining game shows that allows most of the ship guests to interact with each other

The buffet food is better than the other cruise ships I’ve sailed with

They have a package that every room gets on the ship – meaning that your price of the cruise comes with every ship getting a certain amount off at each excursion per port or a drinking ticket in which all the alcoholic beverages were free

They were also very big on hygiene and sanitizers

Cons

No main lobster dish

Not a true formal night on the ship (this is a pro or con depending on what your opinion of this is)

Most of the activities on the ship came with a small fee

The room service food was definitely not as good in quality as the rest of the food on the ship

ITINERARY

Detailed itineraries on how to do each port coming soon!

Seattle, Washington

Ketchikan, Alaska

Juneau, Alaska

Skagway, Alaska

Victoria, BC

Basically, I highly recommend this cruise as your first way of exploring Alaska!

Happy Traveling!

— Monica

The Bliss Alaskan Cruise by Norwegian Cruise Line – The Full Review: Following the Whales #travel #travelblog #wander #travelblogger #alaska #alaskancruise #ncl Dedicated to my sweet family SET THE SCENE I’ve been on my fair share of cruises – Hawaii, Caribbean, and another Alaskan cruise by Holland Cruise lines – and thus, I think I can safely say that I have had enough comparison to write a pretty good review on a cruise ship.

[wwereaderinserts]

Meet And Greet (Part 5)

Part 1: (x)

Part 2: (x)

Part 3: (x)

Part 4: (x)

A/N: I know, I know. It’s been over 2 whole years since I updated this. But here’s another part, and part 6 is already in the works!

Pairing: Dean Ambrose x Reader

Word Count: 1,738

Summary: After a long night of waiting, it’s finally time for the day of your first official date with Dean.

When you wake up the following morning, the first thing you do is roll over, pick your phone up off of your nightstand, and unlock it. Surely enough, there are two unread text messages from Dean waiting there for you. You inwardly curse yourself for falling asleep on him the way you did, but it couldn’t be helped. You’d stayed awake until the early hours of the morning, texting him back and forth until you simply couldn’t keep your eyes open any longer. Eyes still adjusting to the backlight from your phone, you open up your messages and give it a moment before reading them.

>> [text] Dean Ambrose: Haha you’re one to talk! Get some sleep and stop worrying about me. I’m a big boy now, my bedtime is whenever I want it to be ;)

You chuckle sleepily and brush your hair back and out of your face, scrolling down to read Dean’s second message to you, which you assumed he’d sent because you didn’t reply to his first one. You read over it probably twice. It’s so simple, nothing out of the ordinary, but it still makes you melt inside nonetheless.

>> [text] Dean Ambrose: Guess you finally went to sleep and I’m glad, don’t want you staying up all night and tiring yourself out because of me. Night darlin, can’t wait to see you tomorrow x

You beam uncontrollably over the last part of his message, and your fingers hover over your keypad while you try to conjure up a reply to type out. You contemplate replying after breakfast. Part of you doesn't want to come off as too eager, but then you remind yourself that Dean is very well aware of and has a rough idea of what you think of when you have some...alone time thanks to Lilly. So really, there’s no excuse for you not to text him back right away, even if it is still fairly early and even if you've only just woken up.

>> [text] (Y/N): Sorry I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer! I'm really looking forward to today, just let me know what time is best for you because I know you're a busy guy. And I know plenty of places we can go so I'll be able to give you directions again like last night seeing as you don't know your way around town ;) x

You hit send, still beaming without even realising it. Last night still doesn’t seem real to you, and no matter how many times you mentally replay the events, read over the texts, all the rest, you can't get your head around it. Dean Ambrose wants to get to know you. Take you out.

Sliding out of bed and throwing on a hoodie, you already know that keeping a neutral expression during breakfast is going to be a struggle. Even now, you’re still smiling at the thought of seeing Dean later today. At the kitchen table, you’re already thinking through so many things. What outfit you’ll be wearing, where you two will meet, where you two will even go on your date, wh-

“Helloooo? Earth to (Y/N)!”

Lilly’s voice rings out, dragging you out of your train of thought. You’re startled for a moment, but then you put on a smile and look towards her. She’s giving you a look. The kind that hints at the fact that she knows something is going on with you.

“Huh? Sorry, uh...I was in my own little world there.”

“Sure seemed like it.” she nods, but she’s obviously not buying your response, “You’re smiling, by the way. Like…a lot.”

You try to play it off, simply chuckling, but it’s blatantly a forced one. You’re hoping she doesn’t call you out on it, you’re not sure if it’ll help you out here in any way, but you feign innocence.

“Oh...am I?”

You ask, and Lilly grins and nods. Internally groaning, you shrug, somehow maintaining your poker face.

“Guess it’s just a decent morning for once. I mean, wasn’t last night great?! We met The Shield!”

Now, you let your guard down and break out into a beaming smile. At least if anybody happens to call you out on it, you have a viable excuse.

“What you mean is you met Dean.” Lilly hums, smirking, “But yeah, it was honestly an amazing night!”

Well, I’m meeting Dean later today, too, you think.

And, as if on cue, your phone buzzes from its resting place on the kitchen table. You fight the urge to immediately reach out for it, practically jump to answer the text, even. You already know who it’s going to be. You aren’t expecting anybody else except Dean to text you at this time of morning. Pressing the lock button on the side of your phone, the screen lights up, and sure enough, you have an unread message from Dean. You type your passcode into your phone, unlocking it to read the message.

>> [text] Dean Ambrose: Mornin gorgeous ;) Great news, I hit the gym earlier, just let me shower and all and I can meet you this afternoon? Would have said tonight but I can’t wait to see you x

You fight the urge to reply immediately. It’s almost stupid, but you don’t want to seem too eager. Your fingers dance along your keypad for a moment before you reply to him.

>>  [text] (Y/N): Someone’s eager ;) I can be ready for 1pm? I can even meet you outside the arena, it might make it easier for us to find each other x

You somehow mask your smile once you’ve unlocked your phone, and you sink your spoon into the bowl of cereal that your mother has placed in front of you, shovelling in many mouthfuls as quickly as you can. Milk dribbles down your chin, but you don’t even care much to wipe it away. Laughing, your mother plants her hands on her hips, shooting you a quizzical look.

“Okay, what’s the rush?”

She asks, and you shrug whilst crunching a mouthful of cereal. Normally, you’d never talk with your mouth full, but right now, you’re in a rush. Well...more eager than hasty, actually.

“‘m jus’ really hungry-”

You manage, continuing to pile food into your mouth. Once you’ve devoured breakfast, you pick the dish up with both hands, tilting it upwards to down the milk in one go. Then, you dump the dish and spoon on the counter next to the sink, and grab your phone before you rush off upstairs.

You have plenty of time before you have to meet Dean, but you know that picking out an outfit you’d deem cute enough is going to take you a while. Obsessing over outfits wasn’t exactly the norm for you, but this is Dean you’re meeting. You really want to make an effort for him.

When you do choose an outfit, you ensure that you look absolutely gorgeous for your date. You aren’t overdressed, but you certainly aren’t underdressed, either. You aren’t even sure what you two are going to do together just yet, anyway, so it’s best for you to keep your outfit, hair, and makeup as casual as possible.

After countless minutes of fussing over your appearance and dealing with the first date jitters, half twelve soon rolls around, and you rush down the stairs, heading for the door. Before you can leave, Lilly obviously sees you rush past, and she calls to you.

“Where are you going?”

She asks, and you shrug.

“Just meeting a friend. I won’t be home late, don’t worry.”

You open the front door, but Lilly wants to continue the conversation, much to your dismay. You love your sister, you really do, but you can’t afford to spend another minute at home.

“Is it a boy?”

She sings, and you roll your eyes, groan, and shake your head.

“Like I said, I’m meeting a friend! Lils, I’m gonna be late. I’ll see you later, okay?”

You tell her, smiling a little before you exit out into your car, picking up speed as soon as you’re out on the road. It doesn’t take you long to make it to the arena, and when you do get there, Dean is already waiting for you. He’s wearing sunglasses, a beanie, and a huge hoodie, probably to try disguising himself, but you see right through it.

“Oh, so you beat me here.”

You chuckle when you get out of your car, locking it before you make your way over to him. The initial nerves you’d been feeling the whole drive here dissipate as soon as he flashes you that smile of his, and instead, you now have giddy butterflies.

“And you’re fashionably late.”

Dean grins, and after contemplating it for a moment, he opens his arms out to hug you. Of course, you accept, basking in the warmth of his arms now surrounding you, and you don’t want to let go. Him being warm is one thing, but you also feel some sense of security in his arms, and it just feels so...right. Despite yourself, you eventually pull back, unable to help beaming at him.

“I’m dead on time!” you respond, chuckling, “And...I’m not sure where you want to go. Like...are you a dinner date kind of guy? Movie and arcade kind of guy? Because I’m not picky. And I’m also the one showing you around here.”

Dean chuckles at that, and he nods a little. He hums, lost in thought for a moment, then he looks at you.

“I’m really liking the sound of a movie and a trip to the arcade. Or...a trip to the arcade, then a movie. Whichever way around is fine. I’m a man of simple tastes.”

“Somehow, I thought you might be.”

You chuckle, beckoning him over to your car. When he follows, you open the passenger door for him, then, you walk over to your own side and slip into the driver’s seat. Dean grins and fastens his seatbelt, looking over at you expectantly when you don’t start the car up right away.

“Come on. To the arcade! Don’t keep a man waiting!”

Dean chuckles, and you roll your eyes, now deciding to start the engine up.

“Christ, don’t you have any patience at all?!” you ask, laughing, but then you shake your head, “Don’t answer that. Let’s get this show on the road already!”

[theplateescape]

L.A.

Los Angeles: City of fallen angels

After much too long dragging ourselves out of the quicksand of our modern lives, we touched down in the city of angels with no sleep and, by then, uncomfortable shoes. We at once found ourselves being spoken to like slow children by a large, surly black woman who had apparently seen fit to apply thick, white house paint as nail polish and eye shadow, as we negotiated passage through the broken down houses, and barred windows of Inglewood to our accom in Koreatown. After a brief glimpse of the famous Hollywood sign through the green/grey haze of the thick LA air, we arrived at our temporary home. Our driver of course, was not shy to ask me for a tip (we come from a non-tipping culture in Australia and New Zealand) an awkward exchange which consisted of him giving me change for the ride fare, and then me giving it straight back. We then stashed the bags, as we were much too early to check in and, with a much needed change into my trusty jandels/ thongs/ flip flops, set out into the 40 Celsius morning to kill some time.

Following a lot of cursing and sweating, we managed to get a tuna melt in the belly, and board one of the mobile looney bins they call buses, to the Downtown area for a quick reconnaissance mission. We stumbled into “The Last Bookstore”, and the “Grand Central Market” which was more of an immense extended food court, with great local beers, and a mind boggling array of local delicacies. With the jagged teeth of jet lag digging deeply into our ability to remain conscious, we just managed to get back to Koreatown before surrendering to sleep. Waking sticky, but refreshed, it was back to the Grand Central market for great local beers, tongue tacos and the spiciest raw prawns I’ve had since Bangkok. Marinated in lime juice and coriander and swimming in pure evil, this refreshing bowl of prawn aguachile was the perfect catalyst for a big night out.

First stop, “Varnish.” The worst kept secret bar in LA. With a great cocktail list and super authentic prohibition era speakeasy vibe, this gem is hidden behind a sandwich shop. You enter through a door that from a distance just looks like a wooden panel wall. A few cocktails down, the best mint julep I’ve ever had, and free shots from the vibrant and knowledgeable bar staff, we did what all self respecting traveling alcoholics should do, and asked the bar keep where they go to drink. Seems simple enough right? It’s like asking chefs where they go to eat. We’ve employed this technique many times in foreign lands and have yet to be disappointed. Next to “Bar Clacson” for a beer and to watch people play pétanque on their full sized indoor pitch until I notice a lot of people emerging from the back of the bar. Another hidden space is revealed as we head through to a dark, dingier space playing punk music at high volumes and finished with arcade games. Needles to say this is much more our scene and we hold up here until we can barely stand.

As we leave, we employ the old ‘ask the bar tender where to go’ trick one last time and end up in the middle of nowhere eating tostadas and tacos from a truck with a bunch of LA natives. These taco trucks are an institution here and people are pretty faithful to their favourites. I’ll admit on our way to the “Flamin Tacos” truck, it seemed like the mother of all bad ideas; heading into the unknown with no trusty internet service or cell phone coverage to get our drunk asses back home. But as soon as I tasted the “Cubano,” a two pound sandwich filled with every kind of dead animal you could think of I realised, I am home!

As a child I can vividly remember one of my friends going to Disneyland over the school break. I can also remember being intensely jealous and vowing to get myself there some day. Well folks some 25 years later this overgrown kid got his wish, and then some. We hit three theme parks in 4 days, a deceptively exhausting exercise. I’ll spare the details in favour of a brief overview of each as we experienced them.

Universal studios. This was our first one so we were naturally pretty excited despite getting in from our taco excursion at 2.30am. In short this place is like the Gold Coast’s “Movie World” on crack! Not so many actual roller coasters, but 3D motion master type rides are the go here. The highlight was definitely Harry Potter’s Wizarding World. All the lengthy queues for rides were well shaded with big misting fans everywhere, which were a godsend in the crippling heat. Longest wait time was 45 mins for the Harry Potter ride, but it was the best!

S

6 Flags, Magic Mountain. Our roller coaster lust was fully sated at this park. There so many that we couldn’t possibly ride them all in one day, though we did try. This one is a long way out of town and involved us having to hire a car and drive ourselves out there. We’d had another big night the day before. This coupled with learning to drive on the right side of the road made for a pretty exhilarating experience before we even got to the park. The highlight was probably the “Tatsu” in which you are strapped in then turned to face the ground, and hurtled head first through the most terrifying series of twists and turns ever dreamed up by some sick genius engineers. It was the first ride of the day and we foolishly thought we had picked a gentle ride to warm up with, not the most intense ride in the whole park! Parts of this park where a bit run down and shabby to be fair. Also in a week of bad theme park food, the styrofoam biscuit they were marketing as a burger here was the fucking pits. Longest wait time was an hour I think, and lines were unshaded and the park overall felt poorly thought out compared to the other two. The “Superman Escape” is worth an honourable mention as I have never screamed with such honest and complete terror as I did while being shot 35 meters in the air backwards at 100miles per hour.

Disneyland. We really did save the best for last. As soon as you set foot in the magical kingdom you can’t help but revert back to an awe stricken 10 year old kid. The obsessive attention to detail was impressive to say the least. Some of these rides are at least 40 years old now, but you’d never know. Everything was so beautifully maintained, you’d swear it was built yesterday. Beautiful design and flawless staff execution, (the other parks probably had more thrilling rides) overall immersion, professionalism, and a sense of true childhood wonder made this place on point. Highlight was the “Indiana Jones “ ride which also had the longest wait, not that that mattered as the queue lead you through an ancient temple complete with booby traps and ancient relics. Also “New Orleans Town” was fucken mint! Unfortunately the “Haunted Mansion “ and “Space Mountain” where both closed which kinda sucks but this place was still the happiest place on earth. They also had the best food with the “Dole Whip”, a pineapple soft serve that actually tasted like a real pineapple, and a Moa sized turkey leg that tasted like ham and left me greasy and defeated.

We did all the other LA staples, the Hollywood walk of fame, the Chinese theatre. We saw an orchestra performance of some of John Williams finest film scores at the Hollywood Bowl which was $20, BYO, and so epic it still brought a smile to this jaded old travellers face. I was delightfully and constantly surprised at how, despite the reputation for rudeness, the people of LA were so polite, kind, and helpful. The traffic gets a bum rap here too but to be honest, Auckland traffic is much, much worse (sort your shit out Auckland!), besides once you have mastered the “hook turn” on the mean streets of the Melbourne CBD, you can basically drive anywhere it seems (except Saigon, Saigon is fucked up!). We’re told that no trip to this town is complete without a trip to “In-n-Out Burger” and to be fair it was an experience. If you’ve never seen a drive through queue spill out onto the road, around the block and hold up traffic a road over, then you ain’t seen shit son! The burgers were good, but not that good. We went to “Five Guys” burger parlour a couple of days later which was far superior in every way, and we didn’t have to wait 45 mins for burgers and battle overweight, heavy breathing burger whores for a scrap of table space to actually eat. In a town built on hype and little substance I felt like In-n-Out’s popularity is symptomatic of an age when you can be famous for simply being famous. Sure the secret menu items are kind of a cool touch, but is a secret menu really that cool if everyone, their dog and the internet knows about it?

After cramming in as much as possible in our short time, in this very large city, we decided to hit “Little Tokyo” for drinks and nibbles. Starting with “Mumford Brewing “ we demolished their range of very delicious IPA’s before striding through what was hands down the biggest homeless tent city I have come across. The stark contrast between the “haves” and the “have-nots” in this town was never so brutally apparent as while watching my back we made our way to the next port, in this sea of misery and decrepitude. We’ve seen real poverty in places like Cambodia before, but it was a cold hard slap in the face to see this happening on such a large scale in the “Greatest Nation On Earth”; for shame America. 

Our night then took us to “Wolf & Crane”, where the barkeep directed us to a great sushi bar down the road (always ask the bartenders where to go), where we gorged ourselves on very well priced raw delicacies prepared right in front of us, and sipped giant Sopporo’s and tried our best to order what we could in poorly spoken Japanese. Back to Wolf & Crane for more beers, whiskey tasting flights, and eventually being held captive by the head bartender who knocked off, sat down with us, and proceeded to get us completely shit faced until the wee hours, and refused to let us pay for anything.

Suffering the most brutal hangover, in a week of foggy starts, we pulled our shit together, cleaned up the now unrecognisable food mess we had presumably purchased before retiring only a few hours before, and prepared to leave Los Angeles. We rented a car, packed up all our shit and hit the road for the California coast. The fresh sea breeze and coastal hillsides did much to mend the self inflicted mental wounds we sustained in the concrete jungle. Mile after mile of pristine coast line gobbled up by big business and wanky resorts the size of small towns, made me long for untouched New Zealand just a little, as we made our way down to the border to cross into Mexico.

Los Angeles, city of angels, home of the dodgers and of course Mickey Mouse. Where the air is thick, the water dehydrates you, and the sun is always shining. Looking back however, the angels are dodgy at best, with soiled, scabbed wings, and yellowed nubs for teeth that chatter incessantly to drug induced apparitions, while constantly scratching at the imaginary worms crawling under their skin. I’m no stranger to colourful characters coming from one of the rougher parts of Auckland, and now living in a once notoriously sketchy area of Melbourne, but as we catch the bus to downtown LA to rustle up something to eat, it strikes me that there are an extraordinary amount of damaged individuals roaming the streets in the broad, unforgiving daylight. It takes more than the far off gaze of a few broken souls to deter my appetite, but as I stare into the vast void pooling behind those dead eyes, I have to ask myself, “who is to blame for all this misery?” And then it clicks, who else could it be? The only logical conclusion is as obvious as the track marks on the arms of its victims, we must of course blame the mouse! That’s not to say that I believe a 5 foot rodent wearing gloves and pants is responsible for all the hurt on the streets here, rather it is an effective symbol for the dream, or rather, lies that lead so many hopefuls to over extend and wind up facedown in the gutter. We are all told that if we work hard we can do anything. But this is not necessarily the truth. Do you really think a man (or women) wakes up one day with the burning desire to clear away other people’s trash. Most of us have to play with the hands we were dealt. But that’s a necessary evil in our world. Simply put, if we all got what we wanted out of life by following our dreams our filth would ultimately pile up in the streets and choke society to death. Some ones gotta pick up the trash. Hollywood makes its living packaging up the lie, the dream, and selling it off piece by piece for the price of an admission ticket. So like moths flying too close to the light bulb, the hopefuls come to ‘make it’ in tinsel town, but instead crash and burn, and wind up chatting to themselves on the 720 to downtown. Possibly also the apparent lack of an effective welfare and public mental health systems could be a large contributing factor, but it’s not as fun as taking a swipe at everyone’s favourite bipedal magic vermin.

[newsiegirlscout]

FHFIF Headcanons

HEADCANON TIME!!! Woo-hoo!

Today, I was thinking I’d ramble on a headcanon roll about this show by the name of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. It was really amazing while it ran, and all-in-all was completely underrated. I just finished the last episode two weeks or so ago and, since I’m still in shock over it, well....the best thing to do with sadness and joy and nostalgia is to give it to the Internet, right? Right! So-onto the headcanons!

MAC

--When Mac gets older, he gets a job at Foster’s, much to the delight of the friends. (He used to joke about his shift ending at 2:59 just to freak out Bloo. Frankie still cleans everything, so Mac’s job is mostly cooking and messing around anyway. Y’know, keeping the more active imaginary friends busy. That, and reading bedtime stories-he has an awesome “scary” voice, but in a silly way, like Mojo Jojo.).

---Mac’s favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate fudge with caramel and milk chocolate sprinkles. He gains control of his sugar intolerance somewhat when he’s around fourteen....but still goes hyper if he has too much. (Say, the normal sugar-hyped slight bounce for anyone else is Mac’s sugar rush.)

---Mac never actually retired his bookbag. It was intentionally way too large for  a second-grader’s homework load, so he could hide his most prized possessions from Terrence- or, at least, always keep them on his person. (On a regular day, his bag can be found holding his laptop, wallet, pictures of Frankie, library card, marbles, key chain, and water pistol. Yeah, that’s the water pistol that makes him look like an Ironman villain.) When he left for college, everybody at Fosters signed his bookbag. 

---He skipped more than a few grades. In fact, he was in a school for gifted children during the length of the series-which explains why an eight-year-old was writing an essay on the presidents. 

---Mac writes the most flowery, beautiful free-verse poetry you have ever seen. Once, it got published and he won a reward for it, but was still utterly embarrassed when the newspaper arrived at Fosters. He even snuck out around four AM to grab both his and Foster’s papers, but found Mr. Herriman calmly reading it in his study. (Herriman gave his highest stamp of approval-i.e; straightening his monocle, cleaning the lens, and remarking, “By jove!” 

---He tends to wear his hair long when he gets older-that, and typically going unshaven until Mr. Herriman tells him he looks like he’s about to attend a woodstock festival. 

---Additionally, Mac has fluffy, perpetually-askew hair because of his tendency to run his fingers through it when in stress or when he’s thinking. (Frankie’s hair is spiky for the same reason.) 

---He’s a hugger. Always has been, always will be.

---Mac, even as an adult, only prefers (as reading material) Science fiction, action, comedy, and comic books; for viewing, he prefers old movies, comedy films, and cartoons. A lot of cartoons. As in, about 63.547% of the animated films in the DVD case are movies that Mac hauled over at some point or another during his job and intentionally left there. (They all have his name in sharpie on a neat label pressed onto the back.)

FRANKIE FOSTER

--Frankie more or less decided a long time ago that she’s aromantic. The closest thing she’ll allow to love is the filial bond between her and the imaginary friends.

--Her favorite ice cream flavor is pineapple rum. (Yes, that’s a thing.) If any of the younger friends are with her, though, she orders mango. 

---She possesses a secret love for the color pink. She tends not to show it too much, as she feels it’s demeaning to her maturity, but otherwise, it’s her favorite color in the world. 

---Frankie grew up with the Foster’s imaginary friends. Her job started when Madame Foster occasionally asked her to do little chores around the house- say, rocking a baby friend to sleep or washing a pot -so that, by the time she turned fifteen and wanted to get a career so as to earn more cash, she was a first choice caretaker for Foster’s Home. 

--Frankie used to love those little toys that come in cereal boxes. She would eat bowls upon bowls of Choco-Frosted Sugar Bombs Trix and Captain Crunch, etc., until she was on sugar rushes to put Mac’s to shame so she’d get the toy and be able to get another box of cereal as soon as possible. (Her favorites were the superhero rings;((Does anybody else remember those? I feel like those were really big for a while, little plastic rings with superhero emblems?)); she once got so many, she could hook them together into a crown.)

--She loves the arcade games in an almost abnormal way. When she was about nine, she got the high score on Tetris, Paperboy, Centipede, and quite a few others. She is most often the one who will drive friends to the arcade and treat them to tokens partially so she can show off her gaming skills at the classics. (Bloo: “So by classics, you mean Halo and Call of Duty?” Frankie: “ No. The real classics. Defender. Pac-man. Astroids. Games you play in an arcade which was a building outside of your house. You would go there with your friends, listen to music, cute guys everywhere. In ancient times, they call it 'socializing'. “)

Madame Foster

--There are quite a few episodes in the series where an imaginary friend spends money. That was Madame Foster at work-when the house first opened, she distributed around five hundred dollars among the friends. With the addition of a hundred dollars every two years or so, that same cache has been circulating for years. (The trick being that they only spend it inside the house.)

---Madame Foster’s favorite ice cream flavor is butterscotch with caramel, chocolate syrup, rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream, and frosting. (What, you’ve never put frosting on a bowl of ice cream before? My sincerest sympathies.) Typically, she’ll get the chocolate-dipped cone, then have the server put it in a cup for her, so she has a large bowl of ice cream with all the toppings and a fancy cone on top of it all. (Mac starts to shake just looking at it.)

---Madame Foster has managed to scare the horror buffs senseless with her dramatic readings of existing stories, not to mention re-tellings of her own writing.

---Her room is full of stuffed animals. Enough stuffed animals to bury herself in. It is not exactly uncommon to find a stuffed animal hiding somewhere in the house. (Looking for a book? Whoop! A plush cat already beat you to it! Want some pancakes? Seems a small rainbow llama is already on it.)

---Madame Foster also harbors a love for cartoons. The other 44.453% of the animated films are hers. For reading material, she enjoys comedies, including a lot of old storybooks. (Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Black Beauty, Treasure Island, Little Men...et cetera.) She also loves reading the occasional horror story or adventure. (Do you think she’d enjoy All the Light We Cannot See? Yeah, I think so too. Then again, that was an amazing and beautiful bit of literature. Everybody go read All the Light We Cannot See.)

Mr. Herriman

---Mr. Herriman gives the cuddliest hugs. Receiving a hug from Mr. Herriman, especially when you’re somewhere around stomach-level, is the equivalent of sticking your face into a litter of warm kittens. Unfortunately, he’s not too big on hugging.

---Eduardo is by far his (secret) favorite. 

---His favorite ice cream flavor is butter almond, (and yes, he does take all the almonds out individually before consuming it), though he usually prefers a slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. 

---He doesn’t actually understand Coco’s “language”. He tends to get the gist of what she’s saying primarily through another friend, Madame Foster, or Frankie, but otherwise feels a bit lonesome in that he’s the only person in that universe who isn’t fluent in it. 

---He’s a fairly pleasant conversationalist, though he likes things to be run in such an orderly manner to the point of everyone seemingly hating him in a not-exactly-inconspicuous way. This in turn can make him slightly irritated, gaining him a reputation for his short temper and high standards.

---He LOVES bad puns on an almost-sinful level.

---He also prefers classic tales, romances, and adventure dramas in both viewing and reading entertainment. And yes, when watching a movie, he is That Person ™ who insists on popping popcorn over the fire and turning on subtitles.

BLOO

---Bloo was originally created as a vehicle for Mac to say and do whatever he wanted without having to worry about getting in trouble. (For example, getting to give the snarky response to Terrence and getting away with it.) He also created Bloo as a way to prove to his mom that he was responsible enough to take care of something. (This is NOT my headcanon, though I strongly support it.)

---Bloo was the one who found the secret passages to the Secret Library, the Secret Gaming Room, and The Secret Secret Room. He also found all nineteen secret drawers in each (One of which concealed a stuffed canary named Rod Tango!) on various Adopt-a-Thought Saturdays. (Once or twice, Mac didn’t actually find him and ended up playing with the B-team-or, in other words, the members of Pizza Party.)

---Bloo’s favorite ice cream  flavor is cookies-and-cream-birthday-cake. (No, that’s not actually a flavor; he usually just gets two orders and shmushes them together into one BIG ice cream ball). Additionally, if possible, he’ll top it with M&Ms, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, butterscotch, gummy bears, rainbow and chocolate sprinkles, crushed Oreos, mini peanut butter cups, and, of course, frosting- but never, never, never, Coconut. (”If you want to get these things done at all, you have to get them done right!”) So far, the only one who’s  willingly treated him was Adult! Mac and Madame Foster-otherwise, he has to go by himself. 

---His ideal adopter would be someone with year-round passes to lots and lots of amusement parks, a paddleball collection including the Automatic Paddleball, pizza every Friday, a 25-inch television with a ton of video games (”No, 50-inch! Wait, is 75-inch a thing? How about we just do like in that nerd book Mac likes, the dys-zopia, and have the TV replace one of the walls?”), and a large freezer just for ice cream, including a retractable shelf for toppings. (I blame @askblooqkazoo for this one) :)

---He loves the Powerpuff girls. Loves, loves, LOVES it. (Bubbles is his favorite.)

WILT

---Wilt’s favorite ice cream flavor is mocha swirl, with chocolate sprinkles and a maraschino cherry. He’s always the one who treats everyone else and waits patiently until everyone has their flavors before ordering, though he tries to exclude Bloo in the most polite way possible. (”I’m sorry! You see, I can’t afford all your toppings, which I’m honestly really sorry about, I mean..I can’t apologize enough for this, really! Maybe Mac will take you out for ice cream if you ask him nicely?”) He refuses to let someone else buy ice cream for him, so behind his back, Adult! Mac and Madame Foster built a mini freezer that looks like a backpack and has a special rack for ice cream, not to mention the extra two canisters of whipped cream and carton of chocolate sprinkles, just so they could treat him to an ice cream cone without his objection.

---Nobody ever actually put a nameplate on Wilt’s bed, because he always prefers to sleep under the floor. He always has ever since Bloo came-Wilt mainly just wants a monopoly on a bed so he can steal the blankets off it in the winter.

---He is fully aware of how brash he can get in later episodes, so he builds up his “Sorry!” to compensate, until it became, “I’m sorry-if that’s okay!”

---He once got a PhD to help out a struggling college student by tutoring him in neuroscience and quadratic equations. (Yes, he never quite got the hang of it until Wilt taught him.)

COCO

---Coco dabbles in the dark arts. (Check the Wiccan Spellbook she was reading in “Fools and Regulations.”)

---Coco knows something the rest of you don’t. Don’t believe her? Look again, she may have noticed that detail you completely passed over. Maybe it’s just the orange juice in the fridge that’s a day past the expiration date; maybe it’s the ending of the world before your eyes. 

---No one is quite sure what ice cream flavor Coco likes the best. Whenever she goes to the ice cream parlor, she’ll say a few phrases and give a slight nod to the server. No matter who, they always come back with an elaborate sundae, topped with a firecracker, at the price of a regular ice cream cone. 

---Coco is an amazing actress. Just amazing. She once got a role in a high-budget movie for her acting skills. (Not to mention that, once the director came to the door asking for her, she laid a pair of reading glasses and went through every single page of the contract. Then, once satisfied, she laid a silver ballpoint pen and signed it-though by then, the director was on his phone, scrolling through random web pages. “Ya done yet?” “CoCo Cococo Co!” “Well, of course I’m not going to put you in a cage and make you perform for long hours with no sleep! Whaddya think I am, the guy from those Deo commercials?”)

---Nerds (See the “Good Wilt Hunting” Nerds) believe that she was created by a very confused islander child, possibly one who has never seen contact with another human being. She is part plane because of the occasional air crafts passing the island, part bird because of the exotic tropical life, and does not speak English because the child never learned how and instead made up a language that only they could understand. 

EDUARDO

---Once, Eduardo got his picture taken with the actress of Lauren Goes Explorin’. (And got it autographed!) He was super excited about it, and eventually got it framed with the same heavy-duty frame that Frankie used to mount her cereal-box ring crown.)

---His favorite ice cream flavor is bubblegum, partially because of the color (”Pink is my favorite! I like it muy, muy, much!) and partially because of the fact that it’s candy as well as ice cream, so he can take out the bubblegum balls and put them in a separate cup for his Malibu Mimi dolls. 

---Wilt is his favorite, though Adult! Mac comes close. (He eventually learned to settle petty disputes, Frankie-style (A la’ Destination Imagination), so he takes care of most of those-often tipping a Bloo/Eduardo argument in favor of Eduardo while still making Bloo satisfied with the outcome.) 

---Eduardo’s tears do not dehydrate him, nor are they made of salt water. He doesn’t even sniffle beforehand, unless he’s trying really hard not to cry-whenever he’s upset, he just gives a stream of fresh water from his eyes. 

---Yep. He’s a hugger. Was there ever any question?

---Eduardo’s strength was added so he could pick up and cuddle people easily. Nina’s parents have quite a few photos of him carrying her home from a late, late rehearsal, school play, or day-long trip to the park while she sleeps peacefully in his arms.

---No, he doesn’t run out of energy when walking long distances or running. His feet sometimes hurt slightly from pounding the floor too long if he’s been running, but he always has the energy to run, or fight. 

GOO

--Goo has actually wrapped her lunch like a present before. (Her usual lunch consists of a bag of chips, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a cupcake she injected with more icing in the center, an apple, and a juice box. It has been observed by Mac jokingly as being “strangely normal.”) She only does it for special occasions, (It makes everyone jealous around Christmas until they see why she brought it to lunch.), though Goo includes “The third Tuesday of March” and “August thirteenth” as major holidays. 

---Goo likes to celebrate her birthday at Foster’s whenever possible. She additionally actually likes Cheese, because she thinks he’s funny and she’s good with him, so he’s almost always helping her open presents or eating streamers as she decorates the table

---Her favorite ice cream flavor is rainbow sherbet, but she also likes (”blueberry, gold ribbon, cookies and cream, and birthday cake! Well, really I like almost every flavor except not coffee since that one’s really gross and I also sometimes make up flavors that I think they should have, like gummy bear sprinkles, and then sometimes there are flavors that sound made up except they’re really not, like pizza and pear with blue cheese, ew, isn’t that gross? Oh! And did I tell you about my idea for an ice cream burrito where instead of the cone, they make it a tortilla instead with the sugar cone stuff?”) She’s definitely the person where, if she’s alone with a month’s allowance, she’ll try to stack the scoops as high as possible and roll each one in a bowl of toppings. (She prides herself on the fact that she once got the server to coat three scoops in gummy bears, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate chips respectively, and even got him to pour some gummy bears in the cone.) If she’s with someone else, and they’re treating, she’ll just get rainbow sherbet.

---She’s not a hugger. She’s affectionately physical in other ways-friendly slaps on the back, pats on the head, fixing someone else’s shirt collar-but doesn’t really hug a lot. She’s more of a high-fiver, to be honest. 

---When she gets older, she has everybody write a story about Foster’s in an anthology she publishes under the name “Hillary-Britney “Lollipop” Starr”. (Involuntarily included? Mac’s poetry.)

---Goo is the karaoke queen. 

GENERAL

--The soda fountain guy has been through everything. (If you need further proof, just look at the way he casually throws out Mac when he orders all those milkshakes...all, “Dude, I make seven bucks an hour. I’ve seen it all.”)

---Cheese was created with an innate sense of technology. He actually knew full-well what he was doing when he memorized the code to the electronic security system, and sometimes, Frankie has to ask him for his help when fixing her computer. (Usually with her head in her hands while Cheese jumps up and down on the chair and says “No no no, you put too much stuff in the computer! Throw some away! See in the hard drive? See, see, see, see, see? That’s why it’s so slowwwww!”)

---It is impossible to accidentally create an imaginary friend. It’s more of a left-brained thing than a technical thing, and you usually have to have a pretty clear idea of their personality beforehand. Goo’s imagination works at ten miles a minute, so she is the one exception.

---Imaginary friends do not age. Friends like Scrappy (Remember that little guy with the Brooklyn accent and Victorian clothing? That was one of my favorites..) are deemed older by how long they’ve been at Foster’s and how much they’ve matured emotionally. 

---Larry John McGee (Goofball’s creator) had a very silly sense of humor in creating Goofball. He wanted his friend to act as a big brother, and knew that if he ever got lost, he’d go to Foster’s for help and weird out the staff. Goofball did almost all of what he was doing with a straight face to make everyone else in the house laugh when Frankie pulled off his rubber nose to reveal...an imaginary friend. 

---Youngman Rivers actually turned out to be a pretty cool guy when he got older. 

---Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends did not go away after the series finale. Foster’s lives on with many more adventures of its own, including more and more characters as time goes on, until Mac grew into an adult, still coming to tackle Bloo on the first floor every day.