#OH and by day 2 of V's route i mean like day 6 overall. you understand

[duskerot]

i disappear inside myself / my friends don't know it can't be helped

[Pure You - Nothing But Thieves]

[rayneul]

Ray Route Bad Ending 3 Guide

(donʼt/never answer messages it give good heart so i suggest dont answer it :))

Day 7 (100%)

00:58 – To become the child of darkness

Selection 1 Go to bed. It’s not good if you stay awake late… T_T

Selection 2 Zen, you’re practicing! (Nothing)

Selection 3 Yoosung, get a grip! And try again!!

Selection 4 Get a hold of yourself, Yoosung! (Yoosung)

Selection 5 ???

Selection 6 Yoosung….I’m sure this is your chance to grow. (Nothing)

Selection 7 Oh, are we getting started here? (Nothing)

Selection 8 What about White?

Selection 9 I think this hacker’s more good-looking. (Ray)

Selection 10 But lame man is my style!

Selection 11 Who said that? (Nothing)

Selection 12 Zen, you do realize we’re living in the 21st century, don’t you? (Nothing)

Selection 13 Not really interested.

Selection 14 I think this is takinf a direction just so weird.

Selection 15 Zen, try barking for me. (Nothing)

Selection 16 Great idea lolol

Selection 17 First, you gotta look like him. (Nothing)

Selection 18 You should give up your rehersal.

Selection 19 Your darkness within beckons you…. (Nothing)

Selection 20 I’ll be waiting…!!

Selection 21 I think this is all pointless.

Selection 22 Aren’t you excited? Lolol

Selection 23 I will in a few minutes! (Nothing)

03:01 – At This Night

Selection 1 It’s late. You didn’t log off? (Nothing)

Selection 2 Don’t worry. You’re not going to have another boss lololol (Jaehee)

Selection 3 For now, let’s trust him! (Yoosung)

Selection 4 When is your holiday?

Selection 5 It sounds like your office hour is 24/7…. Poor you. (Jaehee)

Selection 6 Anything new about the hacker?

Selection 7 I’m going to stay awake just a bit more. I don’t think I can sleep well tonight….

06:17 – Mr. Han

Selection 1 Did you eat something funny? (Nothing)

Selection 2 It suits him lololol

Selection 3 Mr. Kim! (Yoosung)

Selection 4 You should take a break from time to time – (Nothing)

Selection 5 Zen, show me what you can do! You’re a pro! (Zen)

Selection 6 That’s a great enlightenment! (Zen)

Selection 7 You should take at least 50000 won.

Selection 8 You should stay with him till the end if you’re there to help him – ! (Nothing)

Selection 9 Yes, sir. (Nothing)

Selection 10

It’s great that you’re enjoying your work…! I really hope that’s the case here as well…. (Ray)

Selection 11 Ok…

Selection 12 Good luck to everyone! (Ray)

08:43 – Continuously Thinking

Selection 1 Ray, did you have a good morning? (Ray)

Selection 2 About what happened back then… (Nothing)

Selection 3 That’s adorable! (Ray)

Selection 4 Remember that we kissed the other day? (Ray)

Selection 5 Of course I don’t hate you! I really like you! (Ray)

Selection 6 Who told you that? (Nothing)

Selection 7 I miss you. Are you busy?

Selection 8 First let’s try to spend more time together. (Ray)

Selection 9 Are you feeling alright? (Ray)

Selection 10 Please stay positive, even if you’re having a hard time! (Ray)

12:03 – Cooperation

Selection 1 …What about you?

Selection 2 Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Selection 3 Are you two together right now? (Nothing)

Selection 4 Any news from the hacker…?

Selection 5 Don’t you mean that the equipment is cool?

Selection 6 Well done, Jaehee! (Jaehee)

Selection 7 Because the hacker is so good…? (Ray)

Selection 8 That would mean more work for the hacker… (Ray)

Selection 9 Ok! I’d like to meet this knight of the light. (Email from whitehacker)

Selection 10 Welcome, Mr. Kim! (Nothing)

Selection 11 <<It’s time to awaken your dark force!>>

Selection 12

Don’t tell me… Did you collect 1500 won? (Nothing)

Selection 13 Is it time for the game event…?

Selection 14 What about Zen…? (Nothing)

Selection 15 Great! You’re trying various methods! (Ray)

Selection 16 That’s a good idea. (Nothing)

Selection 17 Wow.

Selection 18 Have fun!

Selection 19 He’s pretty smart. (Nothing)

Selection 20 Let’s invite her for the love of the world! Love the world! (707 + Email from eyegglasses)

Selection 21

What?

Selection 22 Enjoy your lunch, both of you. (Nothing)

Selection 23 Enjoy your lunch – (Nothing)

Selection 24 I’m fine… Sorry, I can’t tell you much. (Ray)

Selection 25 Thanks for your concern. (707)

14:44 – Art of Efficiency

Selection 1 Did you see how Yoosung imitated you?

Selection 2 Zen, is your sanity ok? (Zen)

Selection 3 Relax^^ I think he’s trying to tick you off on purpose. (Zen)

Selection 4 Do you think things would’ve turned out differently with definite strategy?

Selection 5 Oooh, please give me your know-how, Mr. Han! (Jumin)

Selection 6 Wow….you’ve come this far already? (Jumin)

Selection 7 Zen’s an actor. I think there’s a limit to the help he can get.

Selection 8 Who is the genius that calculated how much thread you’ll need for your stitching?

Selection 9 Now I’m starting to wonder why you won’t leave stitching part to someone else…

Selection 10 Wow! Why don’t we invite that person to the party? (Email from prorhythmist)

Selection 11 So your hobby is overall planning and stitching.

Selection 12 I do! The fundamental problem of your unsuccessful repetition of practice is none other than…. (Nothing)

Selection 13 I knew we’d need money from the very beginning.

Selection 14 So what matters is the courage to actually do it! (Ray + Jumin)

Selection 15 Can you invest in someone smart? (Ray)

Selection 16 But you can’t buy people’s hearts with money! What matters in acting is heart – (Zen)

Selection 17 Let’s not fight. (Nothing)

Selection 18 The balance of the world will stay only when you two look at the world in different views! (Nothing)

Selection 19 That’s right! That could be what gives birth to your artistic performance! You should carry on with your way! (Zen)

Selection 20 Calm down, Zen – !

Selection 21 …You should try performing White in your current state! (Nothing)

Selection 22 What are you doing right now?

Selection 23 Not at all –

Selection 24 I look forward to the completion. (Nothing)

16:27 – Power Save Mode Today

Selection 1 Welcome. (Nothing)

Selection 2 You don’t think there’s something wrong with the hacker, do you? (Ray)

Selection 3 That’s not true! That’s can’t happen…! (Ray)

Selection 4 …It’s his fate. It can’t be helped.

Selection 5 Seven, let’s talk more about the hacker. Have you picked up anything else? (Ray)

Selection 6 I think Jumin helped him enough… (Jumin)

Selection 7 That was a pretty scary joke…. (Nothing)

Selection 8 I can’t stop worrying about that hacker…. (Ray)

Selection 9 Seven, could you find out what happened to the hacker, whether something’s wrong with him…? (Ray)

Selection 10 …I hope you’d save the hacker if he surrenders. (Ray)

Selection 11 Maybe it was all misunderstanding that the hacker attacked us. We must find out what the truth is. (Ray)

Selection 12 ….He’s innocent. And good. I’ll leave it at that. (Ray)

Selection 13 I know. You have a good reason to suspect me. I’m trying to find peace in the middle…but it’s not easy. (Ray)

Selection 14 I’d have to make troulbe for V.

Selection 15 …I think V’s a good person. I think I can trust him. (V)

Selection 16 I wonder what this hacker is doing right now…. (Ray)

Selection 17 Go back before it’s too dark.

Selection 18 I know…. (Ray)

Selection 19 …I hope that never happens. (Ray)

Selection 20 I will…! Good luck! (707)

Selection 21 I will. Thank you. (Ray)

<V Calling>

- Are you nervous? Don’t tell me…are you scared of him?

- Mmm…yeah. Everything’s gonna be okay. Don’t give it too much thought.

 18:31 – The Roots of Pathetic

Selection 1 Jaehee, have you heard anything about the hacker? (Ray)

Selection 2 By results, do you also mean getting the hacker in your hands? (Nothing)

Selection 3 Welcome, Jumin. Are you done with your stitching?

Selection 4 What did you think of?

Selection 5 Exactly how would you apple your realization to business? (Nothing)

Selection 6 I want to know what it is.

Selection 7 But I don’t think you look bad the way you do now.

Selection 8 What about insecurity…? (Nothing)

Selection 9 Maybe it’s because of their personalities.

Selection 10 So you were basically running a business of yourself since childhood.

Selection 11 Nothing is truly wrong in this world… You actually understood that?

Selection 12 I think accepting even my imperfections is something really big. (Ray)

Selection 13 So that’s why people are tormented by their own inferiority and insecurity.

Selection 14 That’s because almost no one every criticizes you. you live an easy life full of respect.

Selection 15 I don’t think he flatters himself.

Selection 16 Then again, there’s really no need for him to confirm whether he’s good-looking or not…

Selection 17 Perhaps a sense of insecurity is no different from a struggle to hide one’s trauma. (Ray)

Selection 18 You’re right. Even if someone feels insecure, that sense of insecurity can actually drive a person to work much

Selection 19 I think it’d be good if I don’t have to be the best in my workplace. (Nothing)

Selection 20 I think that depends on your definition of accomplish… But whatever it is, the fact remains that no one is perfect, right? (Ray)

Selection 21 But maybe this world runs energetically because people want to win recognition.

Selection 22 So does this end with more work for you, Jaehee? (Nothing)

Selection 23 It was complicated, but thanks anyways. (Nothing)

Selection 24 I think he wants to make a team that does not drive people into competition but acknowledges each person as they acknowledges each person as they are. (Jumin)

Selection 25 I wish I could live in a world like that! (Nothing)

Selection 26 Please tell me if you pick up anything new about the hacker. Please. (Ray)

Story Mode – … Way to go, V and  well, that doesn’t sound good

Who is it? Yes, it’s mine. Wait a minute! Have you seen Ray?

Jumin Calling

- I  don’t think young Jumin Han would have been an ordinary six-year-old.

 20:06 – Window of Truth

Selection 1 There’s nothing wrong with him, is there? (Nothing)

Selection 2 Everything’s quiet here. But…I’m worried about the hacker…. (Ray)

Selection 3 Why would you find only troubles around you? (Nothing)

Selection 4 I’m sure it’s not entirely your fault. (Ray + V)

Selection 5 Perhaps we need his advice right now. (Jumin)

Selection 6 I know you’re worried about me but… I think it’s best to admit what you can’t do and ask for help. (Ray)

Selection 7 You should gaze at yourself, V. (Ray + V)

Selection 8 Maybe you should give a call to Jumin. (Nothing)

Selection 9 Nobody is perfect…. I think you need some time for yourself. (Ray)

Selection 10 Good luck… (Zen)

Selection 11 Good luck…(Nothing)

Ray Calling

- Ray, where are you? I’m coming for you right now!

- Ray , you’ve done nothing wrong…!

 21:43 – My True Identity Is

Selection 1 What’s wrong, Yoosung? (Nothing)

Selection 2 You’ll be an adult someday.

Selection 3 IS that you, Prince Seven…?

Selection 4 Why do you have no status? (Nothing)

Selection 5 An android…? (Nothing)

Selection 6 You sounds really serious.

Selection 7 Why do you think they’re running special inspections all of a sudden? (Nothing)

Selection 8 I don’t think you need to worry about that.

Selection 9 All of a sudden…? (Nothing)

Selection 10 …There’s no need for him to be concerned that much… (Ray)

Selection 11 No.

Selection 12 I’m concerned as well. I couldn’t see him all day long…. (Ray)

Selection 13 …Nothing.

Selection 14 But I’m suspicious about the prim minister’s purpose… (Ray)

Selection 15 Run along now.

23:59 – Strange

Selection 1 Have you hear nothing about the hacker yet? (Nothing)

Selection 2 Something’s not right about this.. We only had 2 parties so far. (Ray)

Selection 3 i know you’re hiding something. Can’t you slip it to me at the least?

Selection 4 Is he back!? (Ray)

Selection 5 Completely different person? Are you sure? (Nothing)

Selection 6 …The hacker is behaving like someone else…? (Nothing)

Selection 7 V…You’re coming, aren’t you? I have a bad feeling about this. (Nothing)

Selection 8 I’ll be waiting. (Ray)

Story Mode – No way… I didn’t see this coming at alllll….

- Who is it? - Ray…! I missed you so much! - Ray, you don’t sounds like you. - …This is not fair. Let go of me.

V Calling

- You’re nearby? Are you planning to sneak in?

- I figured.

[mysmesomefluff]

What do you think of the route overall?

I’ll put my thoughts under the “Keep Reading” section for people who don’t want to receive spoilers. Will be tagging this post too ^^ 

I will just state this upfront first: I hate Rika, I dislike V, but this doesn’t mean I express any ill will towards Rika or V fans. Just to put it out there yeah. :) You guys just do your thing! And the opinions in this post are purely my own. I’m interested to know what you guys think about this route too :D 

Soooo… where do I begin? 

My rating: 6/10 (wow i feel like a real badass critic now except im not LOL)

I do appreciate the effort that Cheritz spent making this route just for us Saeran fans though. Few game developers actually do stuff like that for their fans and we’re super lucky to have Cheritz. So kudos to the team and everyone who spent months and hours working on this route.

But admittedly, there were things I didn’t like about this route. :\ Still WAY better than V route though. Sigh. (I will talk about V later.)

FYI, I played the Normal and Good Ends for this route.

Okay first off, I’ve always been writing for Saeran as I think he would be after the secret ends take place. And I still think that Saeyoung’s route together with the secret ends is the true ending of the Mystic Messenger game. 

As for Ray route… I don’t think Ray is canon. I may be in denial, and it’s probably a personal preference/opinion, but I feel that the whole concept of “Ray” as a separate persona is really bizarre and I think “Ray” was only created so that there could be some way for MCs to romance him in the first place in his own route. So yeah. Not canon imo. Besides, I think there are quite a lot of issues with the way Saeran’s character developed in this route:

1. Ray?? Saeran?? Who?????

It bothered me that MC kept looking for “Ray” in Saeran (I’m still not sure if those choices yield a bad relationship end like they rightly should) because really. They are the same person. Get a grip, MC. I’m kind of annoyed that they even named it “Ray route” because. 

HIS NAME. IS. SAERAN CHOI. 

I shall not go into a pointless rant into how Saeran seemed to “recover” miraculously as if amalgamation treatment came in the form of a “one true love” aka MC. To be fair, Cheritz only had 11 days for this route and they executed a lot in 11 days already, and I respect them for that.

2. Love: The All-Powerful Cure To Your Life’s Problems

No. Just no.

What Saeran needs isn’t a romantic relationship to base his newfound identity on after moving on from Rika. What he needs, is to reconcile with his brother and to heal together with Saeyoung. 

There were multiple issues with this one though: a) Saeyoung Choi was kidnapped (screw you Saejoong scum), b) In this route, Saeran didn’t seem very bothered at all by the possibility of his brother already being dead, da heck????  

That was super problematic for me because BRUH. First 4 days of the common route Saeran was all “Don’t trust that redhead” bla bla bla. And now he’s like “Oh my brother? Nah he’ll be fine. Hey MC let’s go on a HOLIDAY!” NO. GO. 

I don’t really understand why with the characters in Another Story, it seems like love becomes the cure for everything (still didn’t cure V of his annoying personality though yikes) but that really shouldn’t be the case. At least for Saeran I expected much more to come from a Choi twin reunion but we got none of that. And the After Endings probably won’t cover much either so. Idk. Ugh.

Now plot-wise, I think it was kind of interesting? What with the prime minister and all, since we never got to find out more about him in the secret ends. At the same time, there were some plot holes here and there. Like how V mentioned that Saeran was the one who ran away from him back then, and never elaborated further on that??? When and how the heck did Rika even take Saeran to Mint Eye without V knowing? Why didn’t Rika get the prosecution she so deserved? 

WHY DID V BACKSPACE ON ALL THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT HE GOT IN THE ROUTE ONLY TO GO BACK TO RIKA AND GO BLIND. WHAT THE FUCK. 

I have officially given up on this man. I don’t even want to bother anymore. Here I was, thinking that he was less dislike-able in this route, and then he goes and just- sends himself off to die and suffer because apparently that’s the right thing to do instead of setting the other believers in Mint Eye free from Rika’s bullshit tyranny and having her crimes exposed so that she can be prosecuted, convicted and eventually sent to a mental institution for rehabilitation.

That’s the end of my verbal diarrhoea. I think. Sorry for the long-ass rant. I had too many thoughts and being able to write it all down feels liberating. Gosh. 

I’m still looking forward to the after ending (where I’ll probably be disappointed ugh). In any case, the good points of this route were CGs (I LOVED THEM SO MUCH KLDIEJF) and the calls. Buying Saeran’s calling card was soooo worth. I still can’t take him seriously when he’s on his period angst. It’s hilarious and it never gets old. 

THOUGHTS? ANYONE? I WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT THIS ROUTE TOO :) Disagree, agree, it’s cool. ^^

[allykat4416]

EuroTrip

In which Ally goes to A Very Special Place that she Loves Very Dearly

I used to have this belief, back when I was in high school. ‘If my family’s going to Busch Gardens this summer, nothing bad can happen!’ Busch Gardens became a symbol of idealized peace and hope in my brain, holding tight to that foolish fable that if my family could just go to Williamsburg when summer rolled around, I would have a blessed semester and a blessed summer. It had held true in 2009, with spring of 09 being one of my most favorite semesters of school to date, and repeated itself with the spring and summer of 2012. So with my family going back in 2017, that surely had to hold up once more, right?

Uh, wrong. I can safely call Major Bull Schitt on that now, because this past semester has been arguably one of the lowest points in my life, and this summer has been nothing short of strange. So perhaps, that’s exactly why I needed to come to Busch Gardens (and come to life, as the Old Country-era ads would sing.) Some rose-colored goggles need to have their lenses cracked, and now I can see Busch Gardens for perhaps what it was all along: a safe haven to run to when life’s storms got to be too much to weather alone.

I owe so very much to Busch Gardens; in a sense, this park has always been my muse. (If you’re reading this, Stephanie, I’m sorry in advance for waxing poetic on the car ride home.) I find so much inspiration from this area in general, but this park is exactly where the personification nonsense really began. And I think I’ve finally reached today what I’d hunted for for years: I felt, even if for the briefest of moments, as I did in 2009. My brain has been in hyperdrive here recently, it seems life’s traumas beget my creativity, and it was almost like my whole head imploded the moment we pulled into the parking lot.

In short? Today was much needed and much awesome.

We began and closed our day with Loch Ness Monster, a true American classic. Nessie is a refined and dignified lady, and after riding some Arrow duds, I’ve grown to appreciate Water Mum more and more through our five years apart. I was extremely happy because on our final ride, Victoria actually rode with us! On our maiden voyage, there was a television in the station with park and coaster trivia, though the line was much too short for me to stick around and see the questions. However, one of the answer options was Big Bad Wolf so automatically, I felt a sharp pang in my heart. All we wanted, Busch, was for you to save the Wolf. Was that too much to ask?

However, Nessie is running beautifully, especially for a ride that’s almost 40! Those loops are iconic, and I honestly felt blessed to have a picture taken of them. The only truly rough patches are the first turn after the initial drop and the exit of the helix into the second chain lift. There were plenty of young thrill seekers taking their own first steps into hopeful-enthusiasm, with one young girl happily crying “I Likey!!!!” upon exiting. Our second trip was even cooler, because I saw a guy rockin’ a Fury325 shirt and I was hanging out with Colonial Coasters (one of my friends from Instagram), and where he’s a park employee, we got a queue-cutter pass! Big shout out to Nate for that, even if he isn’t on this site.

From there, it was onto Apollo’s Chariot. This was the first one we did twice, back-to-back actually, because guys, I will legitimately throw down for this ride. I said in my Carowinds report that I preferred AC over Intimidator, and it’s true. I do. Good Lord, do I. (Again, it’s not to say Timmy isn’t good. He’s good! But AC, dare I say, soars high above him.) I love this ride so very much, and it was running really smooth! I also got a compliment there on my dubstep shirt, which is apparently a super popular shirt for me to rock at a theme park? I need to draw Lottie, Lilly, and MisMis in it.

And then my sister shocked the lights out of me, frankly, by deciding to take a journey to the sun with us. It was really funny, and kind of neat; on my first ride on AC in 2009, my dad said “Look! We can see the Blazer in the parking lot!” and I frankly told him to shut up. On my first ride here in 2017, I pointed out we could see the Jeep, and on my sister’s, she echoed my own words to my mom when she jokingly said she saw our parking spot. Again, this trip had a lot of things coming full-circle.  

Since we were in Festa Italia, and I’m kind of a credit whore at this point, I did something nobody would have expected me to do. I rode Tempesto. Tempesto sure is…something. I will humbly admit, I don’t think it entirely deserves the hate I give it. But Tempesto is by no means a particularly good ride, and I agree with those who say it’s the weakest of the park’s lineup. Tempesto was surprisingly quite rough; I found it worse than row 6 on Alpie. The launch was pretty cool, I confess, and the color scheme is much prettier in real life than in photos. It isn’t nearly as busy or loud, and actually compliments with Apollo’s purple and gold quite nicely. And I would always prefer to see a park put in a Premier SkyRocket than a crappy Vekoma Boomerang. Lesser of two evils and all.

But honestly? I stand by what I said: Tempesto is the Asami Sato of roller coasters, and not just because Asami has canonically worn a helmet like in the logo. There’s potential in Tempesto, just as Asami had a whole lot of potential as a character. It could have been great if they’d gone with a more unique layout. But just like Bryke squandered her, BGW squandered Temp by going for the easiest route out. And doggone it, just as people are mad at how they booned Sato over, I’m a little mad at how choosing the most brainless, effortless decision for Tempesto totally screwed up what could have been a solid ride.

Long story short, I want Artemis to hug a personality into Salamiana Satonavanni and buy her a decent wardrobe so people don’t think she’s an Asami cosplay. Even if she really is actually Asami. (And then go hug some happiness into Clark, because purple hypers gotta stick together. Even if Supes is red again.)

After that, we crossed the bridge into Oktoberfest and tussled with Verbolten. Overall, we rode this coaster twice as well, my sister boarding both times for it to wind up being her favorite for the day. Our second time around was the attacking forest scene, which was cool because in the Andromeda Project universe, that’s the power that Vika Schwartzwald (my personification of Verbolten) has. I think the ride is pretty neat, even if some of the effects in the events building aren’t working as brightly as they used to. I rode V-Bolts in her inaugural season, so it only makes sense that 5 years later, some of it won’t be as shiny and new. I actually think the darkness within the building works to the ride’s advantage, and I love love love the drop section.

But my favorite part of Verbolten was my first ride and the event setting we got. We got the infamous lupine chase scene, the homage to Big Bad Wolf, the way to pay respects to he who once treaded where she now stands. And my guys, I genuinely cried. For real, there were big fat tears slipping out of my eyes, and my voice was shaky when I tried to warn my sister to keep her head back for the launch out of the building. I was NOT OKAY.

After that, the family went on Curse of DarKastle, which is a pretty fun little ride. I’m not huge on dark rides like that, I find them quite disorienting, but it was beautifully-themed. We also went into the Festhaus, where I saw some shirts of the retired coasters (two of Big Bad Wolf and even one of Drachen Fire) and felt my soul leave my body through the pieces of my tattered heart. Then, my family proceeded to pull the biggest taco-tease ever to me, going and getting some food (food, mind you, that I couldn’t even enjoy as I loathe funnel cakes) while sitting right beside Alpengeist. I could hear the Beemer roar of the track. I could hear the glorious clacking of the lift hill. I could see those tendrils of looping white track. But I couldn’t go to her, not yet, and I just about went insane.

But after waiting five years to be here again, and three years yearning intensely before our glorious introduction in 2012, I was reunited with Alpengeist once more. I now pronounce thee Ally and Coaster. You may now enjoy your avalanche of adventure. I rode Alpengeist twice, once in row six (to angered Taylor Bybee sounds, I’m sure) to watch the G-force meters, and once in the front row because it’s obligatory to do that on an invert. I also may or may not have stolen some of the chipped paint off the guard rails so I’ll always have a piece of Alpengeist with me.

Can I just say Taylor Bybee can clean off my shoes with his face? Because this ride slaps in the best of ways. Sure, it’s rougher in the back; all inverts are. Even Afterburn isn’t immune to that. But in the front, it was just as smooth as the other 2 Beemers in the park (and here’s my obligatory ‘Oh baby, a triple!’ like Hershey’s Intamins from two years ago.) The only part I found snappy at all was the cobra roll and a bit right after the MCBR, things that can easily be forgiven for how impressive the rest of the ride is. Happy 3-months’ belated birthday to the date, lovely. You’re still doing amazing. And then the guy has the audacity to put Tempesto in the top of the park, like boii….

Can I also just say how much I adore the station in Alpengeist? From the pretty snowflake painted on the wall to the big orange Black Diamond sign and all the little sleds hung around over your head in-between, Geist’s station just feels cozy. I think this one and Griffon’s stations also feel the most open. Everyone else’s felt so darned cramped. The touches of theming are so nice, especially the sign right by the lift. “Weather conditions: Excellent! BLIZZARD!” I may or may not have freaked out when I realized the pattern above the entryway as you return to the station has little hearts on it.

I also liked the flags they have in the station on the rafters. One is pale yellow with an eagle on it, and the other is pastel pink with an Italian Republic crest of arms. (I never took Alpengeist for a pastel aesthetic, but here we are.) In between that and the very-obvious Matterhorns in the logo, it’s pretty obvious that Alpengeist wasn’t an angry German ginger after all. She is an angry Swiss ginger, so someone please draw my Alanna with a Swiss Army Knife I beg thee.

It should surprise none of you that I got the most photos of Alpengeist, 18 counting videos. Verbolten was a close second because I had the balls to actually bring my phone on the ride. I was not about to take my chances with the Feisty Geist, which sucks because that station is still so very, very appealing to me. Maybe next time, which will hopefully probably be next year if all goes according to plan.

If I was expectedly-underwhelmed with Tempesto, I was pleasantly surprised with Invadr. Invadr is a small, precious boy who likes warm hugs, Vikings, and spending time with his kooky, wonderful big sisters. Invadr is a solid ride, and it definitely fills the family coaster slot better than Verbolten does. All in all, not bad! Plus, I’m going to go hard for Bear Train for the rest of my days. Tori and I rode this together once, since the line was awful because it’s new. It’s not intense, and there isn’t a whole lot of airtime, but it’s a solid and fun ride and a fantastic ones for new coaster riders to cut their teeth on.

Also, someone was more than likely partaking of some...not-so-legal substances in the queue, and honestly, please don’t do that in front of my child. C’mon guys, this isn’t Wicked Twister. This isn’t Six Flags Great Adventure. Invadr is my small child, and I want to write a fanfiction now where Invadr meets Actual Viking Valravn and he just. Idolizes him and wants to hang around him forever.

As I said earlier, I got to meet Nathan (Colonial Coasters on Insta) today after I got off Invadr. We ended up riding almost everything together, except AC and Alps. It was nice to have another enthusiast there, and he seemed to get on very well with my family which is always a huge plus for me. I’m really glad I made an Instagram account for a number of reasons, and one of those is all the amazing people I’ve got to meet because of it. So to Colonial, keep rocking, and thank you for not laughing at my raccoon face on Escape From Pompeii and for making today really, really epic. (And you are absolutely right in calling that invert Alpenbae.) I will totes get you a Lightning Rod shirt the next time I’m at the Wood of Dollyness.

I should close out today with a coaster that really has been a huge part of my journey as an enthusiast too. If Alpengeist was always the one that got away, Griffon has always been the big shadow looming over my shoulder and probably breathing menacingly down my neck. That’s part of why Giselle Chaffey’s been characterized as an expy of Armin from the Slap on Titan parody series. (And yes, I did think of the scene in episode 11 when he becomes a dark lord on the lift hill. ‘You thought you could probe the darkness that is Griffon’s mind? FOOL! She will DROWN YOU in the maelstrom of her nightmares!’)

Yeah well, after Fury, literally nothing scares me anymore except the StrataBabes. Because of this marked lack of fear, I think my opinion and enjoyment of Griffon has drastically raised, to the point I’m not sure if she or AC is my second-favorite in the park. (Sorry, ladies, but Geisty’s always gonna be my #1 for this park.) The ride ops totally made this even better, with one proclaiming “Bye, Felicia!” when the train departed, and another one telling us not to swing our feet because “Griffon doesn’t like when you kick. Please, don’t kick.”

The view from the top is stunning, especially since I, ya know, could keep my eyes open. Front row or die with this one, boys, and if you’re lucky enough to get an edge seat, you are a lucky, lucky biscuit. Poor Griff needs a repaint though; the sun’s bleached a lot of the paint so it looks like the ride’s roots are showing. Maybe they can use the credit card someone lost on the MCBR to pay for it.

I also, as I said before, rode Escape from Pompeii. And honestly, the only Pompeii I really ever want to do with a theme park again is someone making an angsty Fury video to the Bastille song. If you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing’s changed at all? I really, really, really don’t like water rides. I don’t like what happens to my hair, I don’t like feeling all soggy and gross for the rest of the day, and I certainly don’t like the burning sensation of mascara in my eyeballs.

But, I can’t end things on a sour note because this trip was just as sweet as Hersheypark. The Fab Five were, well, fabulous. Invadr was a pleasant surprise, and Tempesto didn’t suck as bad as I figured Tempesto would suck. I’ve overcome my fear of heights, at least on coasters, and for the first time this summer, this whole week has felt very peaceful. I hate to go back home after this. At least I know that when I’m in the Gardens, or perhaps it’s just when I’m around my precious wooden and steel children, there’s something safe. It’s so comforting to know that no matter what happens, there’s always going to be a park out there to go to and visit, if only to escape for a little while. And if 2009 was the trip that made me start the personification nonsense, maybe 2017 is the trip that’s helped me get a step closer to really understanding why.    

[seriouscuttervoice]

MM Meme....(all of them)

SAL LMAO thank you hahaha

Okay let’s go

Mystic Messenger Ask Meme

1. Favorite character

Jumin Han

2. Favorite route

Seven or Yoosung because they’re interesting but if we’re talking about whose route I enjoyed most in terms of MC’s relationship with the character I’d have to say…. mmm, probably Jaehee’s.

3. Favorite theme

The opening lol

4. Favorite chat background

I don’t know. Nighttime?

5. Favorite “Cheritz” voice

Probably Seven’s.

6. Favourite voice

I… I don’t know. Depends. V’s voice is really nice and I love Jumin’s, Zen and Seven have fun voices, I like the way Yoosung… sounds, Jaehee’s voice is really cute…

7. Favorite chat emoji

I have a lot of favourites um.

Jumin crying, Seven hearts, Seven starry eyes, Yoosung crying, Yoosung’s triangle-mouth-I’m-so-done, Zen’s annoyed emoji, Jaehee breaking her glasses…

8. Favorite kiss

This would’ve been Yoosung if he didn’t have to ruin it with the last line of the route so I’m gonna say the first one in Zen’s route.

9. Favorite confession of love

Jumin.

10. Favorite RFA party outfits

Jumin and Zen… aka the ones who look least different…..

11. Favorite party guest

This is a hard question!!!!!!!!! I love most of them!!!!!!!!

12. Favorite chat

do you have any idea how many chats there are in this game??????

13. Favorite call

pick basically any of jumin’s calls and some of seven’s on his own route

14. Favorite CG

Jumin’s normal end CG

15. Favorite good end

Again it WOULD be Yoosung if not for his last line so I’m gonna go with Zen

16. Favorite after ending

Zen’s because of the JuminV line Yoosung

17. Favorite bad end

I haven’t done a lot of them TBH

I like the Casual Story Bad Relationship End tho

18. Worst bad end

Haven’t done a lot of them so I don’t know.

19. Favorite headcanon

Jumin and V used to hug for comfort when they were little.

20. Favorite ship (platonic/romantic)

JuminV in all its forms lol

21. Favorite character interaction with each other

… Jumin and V

22. Best plot

Yoosung and Seven.

23. Best character development

Jaehee and Yoosung.

24. Best antagonist

Er if Vanderwood counts then Vanderwood

25. Worst antagonist

Rika

26. Best character design

Jumin appeals most to my personal tastes and V is objectively prettiest

27. Character who left the biggest impression on you

Mmmmhhhhh I’m not sure.

28. Character you’d want to be BFFs with

I– this depends on context but um. Hmm. V?

29. Character you romantically ship yourself with

I don’t know??

30. Most relatable character

Jumin Han

31. Most tragic character

Zen/Yoosung/Jaehee routes: V

Jumin route: Seven

707 route: Jumin

32. Funniest character

Yoosung

33. First route

I did Zen and Jaehee’s at the same time

34. First impression of the game

“Here’s a stupid thing to waste time with. What is happening I don’t want to join ‘RFA’ what. Rika is definitely alive. Why isn’t this letting me talk.”

35. First impression for each character

Saeran: ok who the hell–

Seven: oh that’s the one everyone’s obsessed with, looks a bit like fanon Matt and he’s also a hacker so he basically is fanon Matt

Rika: she’s definitely alive and probably evil

Jumin: goddamnit i’m going to love him aren’t i. fuck he’s said three sentences and i already love him,……

V: god he has the hair colour I want

Jaehee: omg she’s so strict and serious i adore

36. First character you fell for

Jumin >_>

37. Korean OP vs English OP

Korean

38. Current number of hourglasses

3 lmao

39. How did you find out about this game? What made you decide to download it?

It was on my dash and people I weren’t expecting to like it were liking it and I got sick of waiting for Episode to update the stories I was following so I downloaded it to kill time

40. When did you start playing it?

I think October?

41. Have you completed all the routes and unlocked the secret endings?

Yeah but I still have to do bad ends/bad relationship ends.

42. Free to play or paid to play? If so, what did you spend on?

Mostly free but halfway through Secret Ending 1 I ran out of hourglasses and hearts so I bought some.

43. Were you ever obsessed with this game at one point?

You mean right now?

44. How dedicated are you to this game? Do you set alarms and try to get 100% for each day etc?

Right now I forget I’m playing a lot tbh

45. Do you play the game blindly or follow walkthroughs?

I’d reference walkthroughs when I wasn’t sure

46. Did you play the game properly? From casual route to deep route in recommended order?

I did Zen/Jaehee at the same time, got Yoosung’s first Bad Relationship End three times because he got on my nerves so much I wasn’t actually playing it, beat Jumin’s route, then Seven’s, then the Secret Endings, then I finally went back and played Yoosung’s route.

47. Moments that made you laugh out loud?

There were a lot?? this game is big and very funny

48. Ever cried or shed a tear while playing?

I don’t physically cry often so no

49. How many photos/screenshots of MM are in your photo gallery?

On my old phone I had more than 2500 but now I have 700

50. How has this game affected you overall? Do you regret playing it?

It’s all I think about so

[unapologeticadult]

FOR WRITERS

  The decision to give up the traditional publishing route was taken after a great deal of thought. But what’s it really like going it alone? Multi-genre authors Lexi Miles and A.B. Funkhauser tell all in a candid Q&A.

  1.

You worked within the perimeters of a traditional publisher but opted to go the indie route after the fact. What shaped your decision?

AB: Publishers, large and small, are like any other organization. They have guidelines and rules to follow. You need those, especially when you’re starting out and really don’t know what you’re doing. Friends will call you out on things, and you say to yourself “do they really know?” When your fellow authors at the publisher and the publishing team call you out, you listen because it’s part of the exercise, part of belonging, part of learning. Again, publishers are like all other organizations. Think in terms of a condo association or even a cemetery. (I’m a mortician so I can’t resist including the graveyard.) A condo has rules about what you can and cannot put on the balcony. A cemetery has rules about what kind of florals you place and when they must be removed. Same with the publisher. A publisher will have rules about covers; how they’re supposed to look, how many colors are permitted, what kind of fonts are allowed. This is because the publisher wants to achieve a specific look for its brand. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s all agreed upon at the time of signing. Indies have the freedom to write their own rules about content, layout, and cover design. I wanted to try that for myself. However, my biggest caution to authors who want to try this is that they not jump in “boots first” but do their research before anything else. It’s a lot of work being your own publisher and promoter. It can get you down if you don’t know what to expect.

  Lexi: I felt constricted in many ways from cover art, release dates, and overall content. I also felt like I wanted better promotion for my work and wanted to release more works (not according to the houses allotted schedule). There are a lot of options on every front when you have more freedom.

      2.

What are some of the pluses that come with independence?

Lexi: I am what you call a hybrid author (both traditional and indie). With more independent publishers you have a lot more control over the details of your books. From length to content of the story. Yes, I still adhere to the guidelines of mainstream publishers and work with editors that do the same. Let me offer an example. As a romance author if I don’t want the standard girl meets boy and boy rescues girl scenario, I can have a story that is slightly more imaginative and realistic. I can say that they have a meet cute and she is already strong on her own and he’s not emotionally unavailable (aka robotic). They both meet challenges, but their love and support for each other helps them to conquer them. (Make no mistake, I do love those types of stories. I just like it to have more dimensions.)

  AB: The same pluses that come with being your own boss. You can show up to work when you want. You can choose not to work when you want. I tend to go hard when working on a project. From concept to finished manuscript to publishing to marketing. It can be a grind. There are so many theories out there about how often to publish, how best to affect the algorithms. I did that for three years at the end of which time I had to stop for almost a year. I needed to set a new pace for my work and for me as a person. I’m doing that now. It’s wonderful.

    3.

Is there anything you miss about traditional publishing?

AB: I miss the team and the camaraderie. From the moment I signed, they were all there ready to field my untutored questions and reassure me when I got lost. As an indie, I felt like a group of one for a long time, but over time I’ve found other like-mindeds; other indies working toward the same goal: generating quality work and getting it out there. I have peeps again. I don’t feel alone at all.

    Lexi: With traditional publishers you have their audience built in. When you release your sales are more predictable, you are releasing to readers who know and trust their brand. Also, in most cases editors come with publishers. The tricky part there is finding one that works well with you and understands the voice of your story. I have a professional editor that I work with either way, so for me I don’t lose anything.

      4.

Some indies create their own imprint or use smaller more independent publishers. Can you tell us why you did that?

Lexi: First, people instantly look for publishers and imprints. It tends to signal quality of work and indicates a more professional work. Two, the freedom. I like being able to control the various aspects of my work and when you go that route you have complete creative freedom. That is an incredibly freeing feeling. That makes me confident to release all of my work because it is the exact voice I want out there.

        AB: One of the things I noticed on the book fair circuit was that potential readers would turn the book over and then say, “Oh, you’re independent.” The first couple of times it happened, I took it as an invitation to sell my virtues. The next time it happened, I asked the person what they were looking for and they said, “the publisher.” What is the publisher on the back of a book? It’s the imprint. My imprint is real; it’s registered in my country of origin and all my promo materials carry it plus the Independent Author Seal I designed. But I find having the imprint logo gets me past the first hurdle in a face to face. Rather than say “Oh, you’re indie” they say “Cool” or “What?” and then we can talk about the books. It’s a great icebreaker.

    5.

What advice do you have for authors who wish to follow your example?

AB: If you are already with a publisher, you must ask yourself why you want to DIY and then be prepared to do the research. Do you: know how to format a book; design covers; format your book into all formats (there are a few); know a good printer for your paperbacks; need to hire a professional editor or a professional cover designer; have a budget that can cover all your wants v. your needs; know how to use the advertising features across the platforms; understand the algorithms; have resource people who can guide you? And so on. I don’t want to mislead. It’s daunting.

    Lexi: First, write the book. Second, spend time editing so that it is a high quality book. Third, learn the ins and outs of what you need to do to publish it (formatting/covers), protect your work, and promote it. And finally, GO FOR IT!

            6.

What one thing (or things) did you change that leveled up your writing?

Lexi: I am always looking for new ways to level up my writing.

One, I write daily for at least an hour or more. This helps me to stay in a great groove while writing and to get a lot of high quality content in each day. Two, after writing a section, I reread it as well as get outside eyes on it to plug any holes or to help strengthen the storytelling. Three, I utilize lists/charts with a variety of commonly used words (words like more, said, very, etc.) to really help me say it like I want to bring it across (with impact). Four, I spend time in the world that I am writing. It is what I call touch/sense writing. I do this in many ways. I may listen to beach, airport, or car sounds, visit Pinterest for clothing/setting ideas, mimic a scene in some way to bring it to life (ex: workout if my character is working out), drink a beverage like the one in the story, listen to music that defines the character (character playlist), and the list goes on.

    AB: I go slow and slow=better. Being my own boss now, I don’t feel the pressure to deliver a new book each year. I wish I could, but I find that if I take the time to send the manuscript out for editing by someone with cred and then shop the cover and blurb for feedback before going to print, I get a more effective piece of work; effective in the sense that I don’t have the goofy spelling errors (pore and pour—OMG!) or awkward paragraph splits to name a couple. It really takes time to catch these things. That means, no more rushing.

    7.

Switching gears a bit, what is the one thing you tend to work into your book when possible?

AB: There are two things that have been there from the get-go. The first is the oft complained about omniscient narrator. Dunno why poor omni is disliked. For me, omni entertains as I create, dropping dollops of knowledge onto the reader above what the characters know. I just love having secret knowledge and sharing that with the reader. The second thing readers will find is treachery of the old Byzantine kind. I’m a history nerd, and old Byzantium—fair or not—is renowned for its ability to hatch incredibly complex plots with ease. I don’t write complex plots per se, what I write are characters who are either complex and don’t know it or presume to be complex and aren’t but credit themselves with being crafty. That’s fun stuff to write and it’s going to be there every time.

    Lexi: I like to show that my lead females are not in need of being rescued, but are looking for an intimate partnership. One that makes them stronger and helps both characters face some sort of challenge and to do so by finding the strength in their love. I also like to work in characters big or small that we all have met in our daily lives (judgmental relative, snippy boss, big personality, etc.). A good plot with some sweet or hot romantic moments.

    8.

What is the most rewarding aspect of publishing without a publisher/traditional (indie/smaller house)?

Lexi: I deliver the exact book I envisioned on my terms.

          AB: That’s easy: getting to know the other side of the business. I can say this without exaggeration. After getting my first book to market under the new imprint, I was left with the feeling that writing the book was the easy/fun part. The steps required to deliver a quality piece of work (now called “the product”) were numerous, involved and filled with “either/or” choices. I’m looking forward to smoother sailing on the next ones, but that, I’m pretty sure, will take some more time to get to. Learning. Never. Stops.

    9.

What is one aspect of indie publishing you did not expect?

AB: The speedy turn around time with the printer for paperbacks. Learning the formats for all the digital platforms was so all-time consuming that I just assumed that printing would take weeks. It doesn’t. It takes days. But knowing this, I had to slow right down. I had to make sure that the pdf format for the printer was pristine. Sure, they run a preview copy, but I can’t allow myself to get it wrong. That would be a waste of precious paper. It must be absolutely ready to go before I send it to the printer. Turn around can be as fast as 48 hours for a small run.

    Lexi: All the work and research that goes into every aspect, especially promoting. When going at it as an indie, even with a publisher’s backing, you have to promote, promote, PROMOTE.

        10.

In what way have you stretched yourself as a writer recently?

Lexi: I write goals daily/weekly and stick to them (writing, promoting, and connecting with readers).

            AB: My first six books are blended genre pieces that embrace satire fiction and dark humor. Some, but not all, veer into a literary stream, but that’s more because of the characters’ inclinations. For example, the hopeless romantics go on and on about the trees and what they mean, while the egomaniac sees the end of days when the squirrels arrive. Blended genres are a joy to write, but it’s not always easy to find the audience for them. In fact, it takes years of work to do that. So, for a change, I’ve decided to give pure genre a try. My first mystery, Self-Defense from the Kirsti Brüner Mortuary Mysteries Series, should come out later this summer. It’s kind of a funeral directors drum up business whether the business likes it or not scenario. There’s some grit as well as some laughs to be found in it.

    11.

What is the one thing readers should know when reading one of your books?

AB: Know that I write because I enjoy it and I have a lot of fun doing it. Approach the work with an open mind. Characters, like people IRL, don’t always tell the truth and they won’t go out of their way to help you figure them out. But do know that by the last page, all is explained. It’s important to me to give that.

    Lexi: First, thank you for reading it. Second, I hope you connect with it and can see yourself in the story. Third, I have more books due out soon! Four, strap in and enjoy the ride! And finally, there are sure to be a lot of fun, blushworthy, and intense moments. It will be rewarding!

        About

  Lexi Miles currently lives in California, has one sister named Cat, and is a proud pup mom of two mischievous Yorkies. Tropical warm spots and out of the way ranches are Lexi’s favorite escapes. Lexi loves to giggle. She’s a huge fan of positivity, and she is delighted when she can help someone else smile. Lexi loves a good in home TV/movie binge. She also enjoys music (all genres), baseball, bubble baths, cooking, and long walks on the treadmill (aka working out). As far as writing, she fell in love with it from when she was a kid, and she still finds that she falls more in love with it every day. Lexi is growing a cult following for both her poetry and romance novels (sweet to alarmingly spicy) and believes that love—all forms—is the most precious gift that we are given in life. She is thrilled to pen romance (multiple published titles), and all of that comes with it on paper! To find out more about Lexi, please go to www.LexiMilesAuthor.com.

    Toronto born author A.B. Funkhauser is a mother, mortician and monkey who favors cats but still loves dogs. Dedicated to spreading the word on matters serious, she believes that the best way to get a point across is with a hefty dose of humor. Her fourth novel, SELF-DEFENSE, is the first in a mystery series headed by intrepid mortician Kirsti Brüner. For more information, please visit her Amazon author page and this site.

    Proud Supporter

  YOU’VE LEFT YOUR TRAD PUBLISHER NOW WHAT? FOR WRITERS The decision to give up the traditional publishing route was taken after a great deal of thought.