#game console in vancouver

[techutcanada]

In the fast-paced world of gaming, where every second counts, a malfunctioning gaming console can disrupt your immersive experience. Tec-Hut steps into the gaming arena as your ultimate ally, offering an unparalleled guide to game console repair near you that goes beyond mere fixes – it's a journey towards optimal gaming performance.

[cell-clinic]

Get The Most Out of Your MacBook

Macbook laptop computers have become a modern-day revolution, being one of the most sought-after products in 2023. Macbooks have been known globally for being efficient, reliable and aesthetically pleasing. If you wish to keep your Macbook as close to the original shape you bought it in, there are steps you can take to get the most out of this incredible laptop.    

Charge Your Macbook Properly

In order to extend the life of your Macbook's lithium-ion battery, it is important you don't keep your laptop plugged in and charging all day or night. The best way to extend this battery life is to only charge the device when you need to once. Once it is fully charged it is wise to unplug the device and wait until it fully dies before charging again. This isn't always the most practical solution but it will indeed extend the overall lifespan of the battery.

When plugging your Macbook laptop charger in, make sure to check for any dirt or dust that might obstruct the charger. If dirt and dust get into the charging port this can cause damage and your port may need to be replaced to work again properly.

MacBook Battery Inspection

Typically battery inspection will be at no cost to you if you visit an electronics repair store. The technician will be able to let you know your battery’s health which is listed on a scale from 0-100. If your battery has a score below 80 it is recommended that you replace the battery, as your battery life is dwindling at this stage. The replacement can usually be done the same day at these laptop repair shops.

Hard Drive cleanup

Cleaning up your hard drive storage can help keep you more organized and also contribute to the overall health of your Macbook. When you save many items to your desktop, this can cause your laptop to run slow and eventually you will hit a limit to how much you can store.

You might want to keep most of your files on something like a cloud service or an external hard drive if you are looking to have your Macbook operate the best it can for the longest. If your hard drive does need replacing, Cell Clinic can help you out with this by replacing it. This process is fairly straightforward and only takes a couple of hours at most.

Keep Your Macbook Cool

Macbook can start to heat up if the fan access has been blocked in any way. This can result in your laptop working overtime which ultimately ends up damaging it. To avoid this, keep your laptop on hard surfaces so the vent at the back doesn't get blocked. Using it for long periods of time on your lap, blanket or pillow will cause the Macbook to heat up. You also want to keep your laptop out of hot cars in the summer or anywhere where it could be exposed to excessive heat.

Servicing The Keyboard.

The keyboard on the Macbook (like all keyboards) can wear out over time due to normal use. To help extend the life of your keyboard, you can get a silicone keyboard protector. This protector is typically inexpensive and sits on top of the keyboard. This will prevent dust or other objects from getting underneath the keys that could potentially damage the mac.

If your keyboard does wear out, the keys can be replaced on most MacBook models very easily. You may need to get a repair technician to help you with the process depending on the model of the Apple MacBook laptop you own.

Keeping it clean

Regular cleaning and care for your Macbook can help keep you looking like the day you first purchased it. The best way to do this is to use a microfiber cloth and rubbing alcohol. You want to make sure you do not use any cleaning products on the screen as this could damage the display. Also make sure you do not use any water on a cloth as this water can get into the casing of your Macbook, causing corrosion to your laptop's internal components. You can also use a can of compressed air to blow out any dust that may be under your keys.

Operating system updates

It is important to make sure that your Macbook operating system is running on the newest update. This can help prevent many issues that could have been caused by vulnerabilities in the older software. Companies like Apple identify potential flaws in their products' software and then issue an update to protect their users. This is typically a free update and will also give you access to new features that may help you.

Hopefully, we have provided some information you can put to use to help you get the most life out of your Apple Macbook. If you do end up ever needing any repairs to your Macbook you can visit our store locations in Vancouver and Surrey. If you live anywhere in Canada you can also mail in your device for repair.

[aliaology]

ANYTHING || 800 followers special! <3

SUMMARY: its all just you and jack — 1.3k words

WARNINGS: slight fighting

PAIRING: jack hughes x fem hughes!

you started dating jack when you were seventeen. it was nerve racking for your teen self— especially since he was your first real relationship. not any situationship or incredibly long talking stage, but a full on labeled relationship. boyfriend and girlfriend.

no one truly believed you two would make it, not at first at least. you were the shy girl at school, the cliche smart student who sat in class and didn’t talk much, but got perfect grades. jack was the cliche jock, known for how incredibly good he was at hockey, and the fact his brother was in the NHL.

seriously, the thought of the shy girl, and athletic popular boy was one no one thought of. it really never would have happened if it wasn’t for the fact some of jack’s teammates wanted to go watch the girls volleyball game. you were in the stands, watching your best friend play; excited for spring because it would be you playing a game and her watching.

the stands were full of students, parents and staff. the game was a big one; senior night. the only open area was the row behind you in the student section. you adorned your best friends away jersey, and even had cute face paint dots of your school colors. thats when jack saw you. as he stepped up onto the stands with his team to get to the open spot, he saw your pretty smile and glasses.

of course, jack stared. he thought you were really pretty, and you looked nice as well. you didn’t have a resting bitch face, but instead a resting smile. you looked sweet. so, he took the opportunity when it arrived and moved to the (now) open seat next to you. from there, he got your number and your name.

after that small interaction, and the moment he got home, he texted you. his teeth showing as he smiled looking down at his phone, seeing the chat bubble pop up. the light illuminated his face, the texts reflecting in his eyes. you practically had him twirling his hair. he found you to be incredibly funny— and really pretty.

he found himself texting you every night, every day. and you found yourself responding each and every time. after an awfully long while of talking, you took the next step and asked him out to the movies. you bit your thumb as you texted him— worried about rejection. but the worry was wiped away when he immediately responded with a yes. he found it very attractive you made the first move.

the day of the first date was the day you had your first ever make out. sitting in his car, leaning over the center console. your hand on his neck, his hand on your cheek. you grew scared he’d stop talking to you after that night, but instead it drew him closer. he wouldn’t let you be— and you liked that.

meeting his parents was scary— especially on christmas. he met your parents on thanksgiving, that was three months after you made it official. now it was four months and it was christmas eve. you were on his porch with a few gifts in your hand— you got one for everyone in his family even after he assured you that you didn’t need to.

the door opened and jacks smiling face was the first thing you saw. you loved his smile so much— it made your lips twitched upwards. he pulled you inside and quickly introduced you to his entire family, even quinn who came back from vancouver.

you believed you won them over as soon as you handed them your gifts for them. they were small things, but ones you believed they’d like after talking long and hard to jack about it. you got fifteen year old luke the new nhl game for his xbox— one he’d been whining about wanting. you gave jim a signed bruins puck— one bobby orr signed. you wouldn’t tell him how it ruined your bank account to get.

quinn definitely liked you when he saw how you were with his brother, but he liked you more when he opened his gift to find a small golden bracelet with the number fourty three on it. ellen opened her gift to see a pretty gold necklace, with a locket. you had jack send you baby pictures, so you put one of the three boys on it. to say you made a good impression was an understatement.

they all definitely liked you then, but they really liked you when they saw the way jack looked at you. the way he looked at you as he opened his gift— eyes wide in excitement as he jumped up before hugging you— lifting you in the air. you knew he was a leafs fan, but you didn’t expect that for his reaction. you should’ve, knowing how expensive front row tickets were to these games.

when you tried to get home, jack tried to get you to stay. you were going to fight his words, but his mother insisted, so you did. you stayed for dinner. you talked to everyone, and slowly you became apart of their family. their big and happy family.

you and jack had your first major disagreement when you were both twenty. you went to school in boston, aiming to get your bachelors in physical therapy. jack was all the way in new jersey, and though not too far, you still didn’t get to see him as often.

you guys called every night, but they were becoming less frequent as he began going out with his teammates more. more clubs, more bars. you worried. so you communicated with him, you told him your worries. thats where the fighting started. after three days of no contact, you somehow found yourself in his car.

all of your stuff was in the back and you were on your way back to newark. your head was propped against the door, eyes shut. you two hadn’t truly made up, but he came and got you anyways. his hand was on your thigh, his eyes were on the road. you slept, and it stayed silent.

you officially made up when you made it to his place safely. him apologizing in more ways than one to do his best to show you there truly was no one else. you cried a lot during the talk, your head in his lap as your tears fell onto his pants. but he didn’t care, he just let you rest there, and he let you let it all out.

your favorite part of the apology was when you lied in bed with him. your bodies entwined and tangled in the sheets. your head on his chest, listening to him breathe, to his heart beating. listening to him move. his hands rubbed up and down slowly on your sides.

you didn’t want to talk. you didn’t want to talk about anyone, or anything. you just wanted to lay here.

you finally moved in with him when you were twenty-two. somehow— fifteen year old luke turned to twenty year old luke and he was there as well. you living with jack turned into your favorite thing ever. you were awoken with small kisses to your lips— and if he was one a roadie, you were awoke to kisses on the cheek by the dog you adopted with him.

you got to kiss him whenever and wherever you wanted. you got to kiss his forehead, his temple, his cheek, his lips, all of him. you got to have him. small delicate kisses to his eyes were his favorite.

his favorite thing about you living with him was also how easily you made it all feel like home. even with just the sound of your footsteps.

i love happy cute fics

[jocelynscrazyideas]

Coffee Breath | Quinn Hughes x Fem Reader

Summary: Quinn and Y/N go to Starbucks and Target after Team practice, and they prep for the Hughes Brawl that is being played in 4 hours.

Warnings: language, and only one kiss (it’s a peck)

A:N- I hate this sm but I needed to post smth 🫶

All i know is that you talk to much

You’ve got those big blue eyes

Drive me crazy, make me fantasize

‘Bout you baby

After team practice before the next game, Quinn and I leave the rink and we pick up some coffee. Quinn is wearing a letter this year on his jersey so, he has to take his body seriously now. All he does is workout. I’ve been dragging him to get coffee with me, just like it was in the past.

“You wnat your Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai?” Quinn says as he looks into my eyes. All I see is his light blue eyes, almost as if they were grey.

I look to his right eye, and to his left, then down to his lips, I love him. He sees my trick, and he grabs my thigh, as he moves his fingers into my warm special place.

He’s such a cunt.

“Yeah, the chai is perfect. And could I get a Gouda sandwich- the one I like.” I say as we pull into the Starbucks drive through. He turns his head as he pulls his blue hood off his head.

Said you can’t trust me

I said it’s fine.

I’m wearing the perfect outfit. Black leggings, pink sports bra, and of course Quinn’s hoodie. My shoes, are also his, they’re wayy too big, but they’re just crocs. Quinn, in the drivers seat wearing a blue hoodie, black sweatpants, and his grey slides. We’re matching. I love him.

“Mobile order for Maya Ray.” Quinn says as he looks at me with a smirk. Maya- which isn’t my name, and Ray- is also not my name nor his name. We use fake names, out of our safety, and for fun. He pulls up to the second window and he grabs the Iced Chai and swings his arm to me, and he also grabs the sandwich I asked him to get me.

“Don’t get crumbs in my car. I’ll kill you.” Quinn snaps out at me.

What an actual cunt.

“Cuntasaurus.” I say underneath my breath. I grab the drink and the sandwich and place the chai into my lap. I unwrapped my sandwich and started to bite in.

“Do you have change?” Quinn asks. Weird. He payed online, he doesn’t need more money- unless he’s going to leave a tip. Then I thought that he could already leave a tip online.

“Why.” I say in response, only after I remembered to answer his question. I was lost into thought that I literally forgot to respond.

“So I can leave a tip, I forgot to tip online.” sure. I think to myself, I know he’s lying, he’s a freaking millionaire, he should have at least $10 freaking dollars on him.

“Yep.” I say and grab my phone case. I pull the $20 out and hand it to the lady, only because I know if I gifted it to Quinn, that money wouldn’t make it to the tip jar.

“I could have done that.” Quinn says snapping at me… again.

“Well obviously not.” I say as I open the middle console that splits our seats apart. I pull out $100 dollars and shove it in his face.

a side eye is all I get in response from him.

“Shocker. You know where my money is.” Quinn says after we turn into the parking lot of a target about 10 minutes later.

he’s literally the sassiest man I’ve ever fucking met. He’s… so, teenage boy. Literal brain rot. We need to pick up some groceries so I made a list of things that I needed. Of course I made a list of things that again only I need.

“So, why did you need to stop at Target?” Quinn says as he finds the farthest fucking parking spot there is. God, he better carry me back out here. I look into his blue eyes again, he literally drives me crazy, I can smell his cologne, and that makes me insane.

He smells like flowers, but in a masculine way. It’s hard to describe, he’s just so beautiful. It’s just a normal day for us, but it’s THE Hughes brawl. New Jersey Devils vs Canucks in Vancouver.

I’m excited, but no matter what I’m going to be proud, I’ve known Luke for the longest of times, and even before I met Luke and Wuinn I was friends with Jack.

“You coming?” Quinn says as he opens my door and grabs my left ass cheek. Let’s just say his love language is physical touch, he’s really touchy, clingy and childish, but so am I.

“Yep. Also Quinner-” I say before he freaking cuts me off.

“I know. you always make your own list. Never something that I would need, it’s always oh, what do I need? And oh, I ran out on shampoo, better get ME some.” Quinn says as he mocks me. He’s such an ass. But an ass taht I love.

Again as he swipes his right arm under my butt, he grabs my back with his left arm, and he tips over to the left as he swoops me into his arms and over his shoulder. Quinn pulls my leggings over my red lacy thong that I’m wearing under.

“I hate when you do that.” Quinn states as he closes my door and locks the car. He grabs my hand and we walk to the the doors of the store.

“Do what?” I say in actual confusion.

“You tease me, then you follow up with that with oh, I’m too tired and sorry I’m not in the mood.”

Quinn seems really upset, which is why I love to do it. I pull my hoodie down over my butt and I get an cloud of Quinn. I love him. I really do.

I’m hit with this wave of horny desperation.

“Hey, give me a kiss. Please!!” I say as I stop him and we stand in the middle of the parking lot. I stand on my tiptoes and wrap my arms around his neck. I look deep into his eyes in pleading guilt.

“I know what you’re doing.” He says, he’s convinced that I’ll do the thing.

“Omg, just kiss me.” I say. But he won’t. So I grab his hand, and pull him back to the car, and I grab his keys form his pocket and unlock the doors.

“Please. Quinn I’m ready. Right now.” And I pull him into the backseat.

I pull at his silver chain that I bought him, its charm is a heart, and the back of the heart is a photo of us. When we were like 16.

“Please. Don’t. Not right now.” Quinn says as he pushes up agisnt me. I feel him getting hard. There’s truly a tent being built in his sweatpants.

“We have like 4 hours until the next game. We have time.” I say as I look into his neck ready to make a move. I can feel his pulse penetrating from his artery.

“No.” Quinn’s consistent with his answer. And I respect it. So I climb into the passenger seat and I forget about the target trip in general. And he climbs back into the drivers seat as well. And he pulls my cheek towards him. And he leans in for a kiss.

Taste like coffee.

[toasttt11]

five times he told someone + one time someone else did for him

one. luke and sophia

October 21, 2022

Maddox walked out of the locker room running a hand through his dripping wet hair, he saw Luke and Sophia outside waiting for him.

“Maddi!” Luke happily grinned seeing his brother for the first time in almost a month.

Maddox quickly walked to his brother pulling him into a hug, “Hi Moose.” Maddox smiled slighty before they pulled away, he looked towards his best friend, “Phia.” Sophia grinned pulling her best friend into a tight hug having missed him.

“Hi Maddi.” Sophia smiled at him before they pulled away, Sophia leaned her head on her boyfriend’s arm and held his hand, “So what do you want for dinner?”

“You guys pick i don’t care.” Maddox just shrugged happy to be seeing two of his favorite people.

“Alright.” Luke nodded and the three got into Luke’s car and Luke drove them to a little dinner place.

The three got seated in a booth in the restaurant and started looking at the menu.

“You had a good game.” Luke commented to his brother, Maddox having had two assists and a goal, the blackhawks winning 4-3.

“Yeah i was alright.” Maddox just shrugged off the compliment, Sophia smiled shaking her head knowing Maddox hates compliments.

The three ordered their food and started catching up while they waited.

Maddox anxiously twisted his ring around his finger and his leg wouldn’t stop bouncing, he knew he wanted to tell his family and he knew Sophia and Luke were the safest option, he took a deep breath before blurting out the words he has never said outside to anyone before, “I’m Bi.”

Sophia and Luke shared a soft look.

“I know bud.” Luke smiled comforting at his older brother and best friend.

“What?” Maddox eyes widen in shock as he looked at his smiling brother.

“Maddi you made out with a guy after one of our tournaments.” Luke deadpanned with a fond smile.

“Why didn’t you say anything.” Maddox questioned playing with his fingers.

“Because i wanted to wait until you were comfortable of coming out to me.” Luke reached across the table and grabbed Maddox’s hand, “I’m proud of you and you are always my brother.” Luke proudly smiled at Maddox.

Maddox had no idea how much he needed to hear those words.

He looked over at Sophia who was watching her two boys with a fond smile, “Oh i knew too.” Sophia grinned at Maddox, Maddox just fondly shook his head at her, “What i’m your bestfriend of course i knew.” Sophia shrugged having known for along time, “But i’m proud of you.” Sophia squeezed Maddox’s arm gently looking at him proudly.

“Thank you.” Maddox choked out feeling touched for getting so much support from the two.

two. quinn

January 24, 2023

Maddox was texting on his phone in the hotel lobby when he got a text from Quinn, he stood up putting his phone into his pocket and walked out into the cold Vancouver weather seeing Quinn waiting in his car.

“Hi Mads.” Quinn fondly smiled seeing his little brother, Maddox smiled and let Quinn hug him over the center console.

Maddox and Quinn were both more quiet of people and honestly like silence a lot more than talking so they sat in comfortable silence until Quinn pulled into his apartment building parking garage.

Maddox and Quinn walked up to Quinn’s apartment and they both hoped onto Quinn’s couch, Quinn handed the controller to his brother as he turned on the TV and game system.

After they played a few rounds Quinn looked over at his little brother seeing his anxious ticks and had a feeling Maddox needed to say something.

Quinn paused the game and set his controller down, “Alright spill.”

“What?” Maddox looked up from the controller and towards Quinn.

“Tell me, you have something to say.” Quinn raised an eyebrow at Maddox.

Maddox let out a nervous breath and nodded knowing he does have something to tell Quinn, Maddox planned to tell Quinn when he came out to Vancouver for the Blackhawks at Canucks game.

“I’m bi.” Maddox mummled out not wanting to look at Quinn when he told him.

Quinn nodded slowly always having a feeling and saw some signs but wanted to wait till Maddox was comfortable.

Quinn wrapped an arm around Maddox’s shoulder and pressed a kiss to the top of his fluffy hair, “Thank you for telling me.”

Maddox’s head shot up shocked, “Your not disgustied?” Maddox honestly was the most worried about Quinn and Jack finding out about his sexuality and not Luke.

“Maddi your my brother, i love you no matter what there’s nothing you could do to change that.” Quinn held Maddox’s face in his hands.

“Oh.” Maddox whispered out, He just burried his head into Quinn’s chest and felt protected in his brother’s arms.

Quinn frowned having a feeling that’s something happen that made Maddox believe that he would think he is disgusted and when Quinn is going to find out who thought they could hurt his brother and get away with it.

three. alex

February 27, 2023

Maddox was laying on his back on the hotel bed next to Alex, they had just played their game againt the Ducks and had lost.

Maddox and Alex are always roommates on roadies and they usually end up watching a movie or show together.

Maddox looked a the ceiling before blurting out, “I’m bi.” Maddox tightly closed his eyes nervously.

Alex just nodded not even looking awya from the TV, “Ok.”

“Ok?” Maddox repeated confused, his eyes shot open and he turned on to side facing Alex.

Alex fondly rolled his eyes pausing the movie, “Dude i’ve seen you mack on a guy before, i’ve know for a while.”

“I know.” Maddox nodded having known Alex knew, “I was coming out to you, you dickhead” Maddox fondly rolled his eyes.

Alex made a face, “Oh, Well i’m proud of you for coming out.” Alex patted his best friend’s shoulder, “Now can we keep watching the movie.”

“Ass.” Maddox fondly chuckled shoving Alex.

four. connor

November 14, 2023

“Bud? What’s wrong?” Maddox frowned in concern as he opened his front door hearing a knock, seeing Connor standing there with the saddest look on his face and tears in his eyes.

“I-“ Connor chocked out breathing heavily and just into forwards into Maddox’s comforting arms, Maddox frowned and wrapped his arms around around Connor gently rubbing his back as he walked them backward and closed his front door.

Maddox kept Connor in his arms leading them to his living room, Maddox sat down on his couch and Connor sat next to him hiding his face in Maddox’s chest.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Maddox quietly asked running his hands through Connor’s hair knowing it calms him down.

Connor took a deep breath and blurted out, “I think i’m gay.” Connor waited anxiously for Maddox to say anything. Connor was scared and Maddox always feels the safest.

“I’m so proud of you for telling me.” Maddox wrapped his arms around him tightly pressing a kiss to his head, Connor let out a sob of relief and couldn’t help but cry. Maddox frowned knowing exactly how he is feeling right now.

“I’m bi.” Maddox told Connor once Connor calmed down.

“You are?” Connor looked up at Maddox with his puppy eyes.

“I am, and i understand how scared you’rere feeling right now, but i promise i’m always on your side okay buddy.” Maddox promised him, Connor smiled softly not knowing how he would have made it through the last few years with Maddox being there for him always.

“Thank you for always being there for me.” Connor mumbled hiding his face back into Maddox’s chest.

“Always bud, Always.” Maddox held Connor until Maddox looked down hearing little snores and saw him fast asleep.

five. ellen

December 22, 2023

Maddox walked in the kitchen of his parents house and saw his mom in the kitchen, “Mom, i uh was wondering if we could go out just us today.” Maddox had his hands behind his back anxiously fidgeting.

Ellen looked up seeing Maddox looking tense and frowned slighty, “Of course Maddi. Would you like to go now?” Ellen smiled softly at her boy.

“Sure, Coffee?” Maddox mischievously smiled knowing he got his love for coffee from his mother.

“Of course.” Ellen replied having alreadly planned to go get coffee with Maddox today, loving when her boys are home but it’s always nice to have someone who loves getting coffee to go with her.

Ellen knew all of boys like the back of her hand and she could tell Maddox wanted to tell her something. She drove them to their favorite coffee shop in Michigan and drove them through the drive thru.

Ellen ordered their coffee before pulling up and paying at the window and getting handed the coffee’s, she handed Maddox his and held her as she parked them into the parking lot.

“Got something you wanna talk about Maddi?” Ellen questioned softly looking over at her son seeing him look nervous.

Maddox took a deep breath and looked at his mom, “I’m bi.” Maddox clenched his eyes not wanting to see her face when he tells her.

Ellen proudly smiled at her sun and she gently cupped his face, “Maddy look at me.” Maddox slowly opened his eyes and saw his mother still looking at him the exact same.

Maddox’s looked shocked, “Your not disappointed?”

“Maddox Hughes, i could never be disappointed in you.” Ellen sternly spoke looking directly at her son, “And it was kinda obvious with how you act around Trevor.” She gave him a knowing smile and glance making him blush and look away.

+ jack

June 15 2024

Maddox and Trevor both got to the lake house late last night having both been busy since the end of the season.

Maddox had to spend a week doing some captain stuff at the end of the season so Trevor left to LA to visit his friends and Jamie was joining him as well and to also pack up or get rid of the rest of the stuff at his Condo in LA. Maddox then went to watch some of Quinn’s playoff games and spend that time with his parents and Quinn before he headed out on a vacation catching up with his old teammates and their families from Tampa bay.

Jack also spent some time out in the Jersey Shore with his friends while Luke went to Michigan to see his friends and girlfriend and Quinn was in the playoffs.

Now all of the Hughes brothers got to the lake house the last few days. Maddox knew it was only a matter of time before all of the friends and teammates came over so he knew that he wanted to tell his brothers and best friend quickly about Trevor and him.

Luckily for Trevor and Maddox everyone was too tired to even notice that Trevor went with Maddox into Maddox’s instead of his normal guest room.

Trevor woke up looking down at his chest seeing Maddox peacefully sleeping on his arw chest, Trevor hummed contently and he could tell everyone else were still asleep besides Quinn.

Trevor hoped that everything went well with them telling everyone today.

Trevor eventually got Maddox out bed and Trevor headed down stairs before Maddox and saw Quinn cooking breakfast and Sophia eating with Luke resting his head on her arm looking like he was going to fall asleep again and Jack texting on his phone.

“What’s for breakfast Quinner!” Trevor grinned happily knowing it will get on Quinn’s nerves.

“Food.” Quinn deadpanned with a small smirk as he scooped some of the eggs onto a plate for Trevor and handed it to him.

Maddox came down a few minutes later looking like a zombie still half asleep as he stumbled straight to the coffee machine and quickly started drinking the black coffee he poured into his mug. Trevor fondly shook his head.

Maddox just shoved the food into his mouth as he was on his second cup of coffee.

Everyone else was just finished eating, Trevor looked over at Maddox giving him a look and Maddox nodded.

Trevor hopped up, “Jacky Boy, can i talk to you?” Trevor questioned as he gestured to the outside.

“Yeah sure man?” Jack answered following him outside.

“What’s that about?” Luke noisily questioned looking a Maddox for an answer.

“He’s telling Jack we are dating.” Maddox blunty told them drinking his coffee.

Sophia squealed, “Oh my god!! Finally!!!!” She hurried up and hugged Maddox.

“Thanks Phi.” Maddox mumbled to his best friend.

“Huh, took you long enough.” Luke shrugged not suprised they are together especially because Trevor has obviously been in love with Maddox for a long time.

“Out of anyone it had to be Trevor.” Quinn groaned teasing his brother.

“I know.” Maddox quipped back.

“Why is Trevor telling Jack?” Sophia questioned, wondering why Maddox or Trevor didn’t just tell them all together.

Maddox kind of froze up setting his coffee cup down, “I uh didn’t want to be the one to tell Jack.”

Quinn, Luke and Sophia shared a concerned look.

“Why not?” Quinn gently asked.

Maddox just shrugged, “We should make sure they aren’t killing each other out there.” Maddox weakly avoided the question and started walking to the backyard and the three followed him.

Jack and Trevor would outside, “Why’d we go outside Z?”

“I’m dating someone.” Trevor told him.

Jack eyes widen and he nodded, “Woah that’s great Z! How long?”

“Three months.” Trevor answered shortly.

“Three?!” Jack looked shocked knowing Trevor never has relationships that long.

“Look i’m dating a guy and i’m Bi, and if you have a problem with that.” Trevor coldly spoke to someone he once considered a best friend.

“What! No! Of course not!” Jack denied quickly he would never have a problem with that.

“I’m dating Maddox.” Trevor told him.

Jack opened his mouth in shock, “Maddi? My brother?” Jack looked incredibly shocked not thinking his brother is Bi or Gay.

“Yes.” Trevor curtly told Jack.

The two didn’t realize that the others had just walked into the back porch.

“He didn’t tell me?” Jack looked hurt, Maddox and him use to tell each other everything.

“And why do you think that is?” Trevor sarcastically asked crossing his arms over his chest.

“What Why?” Jack stammered out.

Quinn titled his head as he watched the two, he didn’t know there was a reason Maddox didn’t tell Jack because he thought Maddox did tell him.

“Do you remember what you said about him.” Trevor coldly questioned glaring at Jack, Jack frantically shook his head.

Luke and Quinn shared a look not liking where this is going. They never knew Jack has said something about Maddox.

“You said that he would never be gay, he isn’t. Hughes aren’t like that and Maddox would never be with a guy especially Z.” Trevor quoted exactly what Maddox told him.

Jack’s eyes widen and his face paled as he remembered when he said that, “I was drunk!” Jack protested quickly, Jack didn’t even think Maddox heard his words.

Quinn and Luke both look extremely angry as they now realized why Maddox didn’t come out to them for so long and why he was so scared.

Sophia felt her heart break knowing that Jack might not have meant the words but they definitely meant a lot to Maddox hearing them.

“You were but the words you said to Maddox wasn’t correct, do you even know how much they impacted him, you made him scared to come out to his own family.” Trevor sneered feeling his jaw shaking with emotion.

Maddox looked down at the floor, Quinn clenched his jaw shaking his head and wrapped his arm around his brother.

“I-“ Jack was wide eyed as he realized how his actions affected his little brother, Jack knew over the years that Maddox and him have not been at close and Jack just assumed it was because they lived so far away from each other but now he’s realizing it’s because he hurt his little brother.

“I don’t care if he is gay or bi, he’s my little brother. I really didn’t want him to be thinking about his sexuality when he was about to be drafted to the NHL because i knew it would be harder for him.” Jack admitted he didn’t want his brother to have to hide, “I love him no matter what and i’m glad that he has you.” Jack saw a new side of his best friend and he knew Trevor was good for Maddox.

Trevor nodded and turned away and walked back up to the pouch because he knew the others had walked outside, Trevor saw Maddox looking overwhelmed and wrapped his arm around him and started walking inside with him and Trevor nodded at the thankful look that Quinn gave him.

Jack watched the two with guilt and regret all over his face, Quinn and Luke looked at him with anger and disappointment. Sophia shook her head and headed inside.

[youcouldmakealife]

Dave, Bryce/Jared; attitude

For the prompt: Dave getting a glimpse of Nucks Bryce, that is, happy-go-lucky, cheerful, literal baby kisser Bryce

There is no baby kissing here, alas, and Dave’s seeing Bryce at high alert considering the circumstances, but here continues the slow thaw of two people who have been on each other’s bad side for a long ass time at this point.

Also: Dave POV of the ~revelations!

Dave is not in the best of moods, leaving Vancouver Airport. For one, apparently Brian Foster just decided to make this an even bigger story than it was, and frankly that was already a much bigger  story than Dave would like.

At least they haven’t been blindsided. That was always Dave’s biggest fear, dealing with this sort of thing without having the first idea of what to say or do, or worst of all, not even knowing it was a possibility. He’s got people going off script, but at least that means he had one. Has plans blowing up on him, but at least they had plans, had thought of this eventuality. 

If Marcus hadn’t been as clear eyed and sure as he was that being out was a price he was willing to pay to come to Vancouver, they wouldn’t even be in this position. They might have been in a similar one, though — in hindsight they were only buying time and pushing a problem down the line with that article, and it spectacularly blew up in their faces.

Well, Dave’s face. Marcus and Matheson’s faces. Andreas had argued against it from the get-go, and Dave needs to remember that the reason he pays Andreas the big bucks is that he’s really fucking good at his job. 

Not to mention he understands the whims and ways of the internet better than Dave ever could. Than Dave would ever want to, either. He’ll continue to be baffled, thanks. But next time he’ll also defer to Andreas’ superior knowledge on the matter, because all the reading between the lines he said was going to happen, well. It’s happened. And what was between the lines was a fucking essay, apparently.

Dave goes through all five stages of grief watching Brian Foster’s speech on repeat in a town car into the city. Dave’s with him on every damn point, but he’s also just poured gasoline on the flames Dave has been trying to put out. He’s never wanted to hit someone he agrees with wholeheartedly before, but Foster deserves a whack upside the head and a drink, honestly. Thankfully the conference with Bryce and Jared is tame, and not just in comparison, and Dave can breathe a sigh of relief that they know how to follow marching orders, even if their GM doesn’t.

Dave gets himself a cup of coffee that isn’t airport shit and gives Andreas a call, mostly to vent about what the fuck Brian Foster thought he was accomplishing — that is a man who wanted to be Superman or some shit growing up, Dave can tell. He’s finished the rant and mostly finished the coffee when he gets the proverbial thumbs up from Bryce, and heads over to Chez Marcus Matheson. Usually he meets with clients at a restaurant, but that’s out for obvious reasons, and with neutral ground out — and he doesn’t consider Rogers Arena that — the best place is somewhere away from prying eyes that Bryce feels safe, even if Dave has to intrude a little.

Their place looks different than he thought it would. It’s a condo for one, instead of a big place out in the burbs, but Vancouver’s expensive and they’re close to the arena, so Dave gets that. With apartments and condos Dave’s used to a particular type of young dude decorating, or lack thereof, but it’s not the typical hockey player pad, outside of the framed pucks and the absolutely massive TV, game console and cords tangled around it. Give a guy an NHL contract, the first thing he’s buying a TV as tall as he is. Which — fair enough, honestly. Makes your highlights pop. Dave’s sure it’s more for the killing dudes in PVP, but — also fair enough.

“Nice place,” Dave says, as Bryce watches him look around.

“It’s usually cleaner,” Bryce  says, a little warily, like he’s not sure if Dave’s being sarcastic. He’s not — he has very low standards for ‘nice’ when it comes to the places of his younger guys. Single guys too, and while obviously Marcus isn’t that, it’s a place where two dudes in their twenties are living. As someone who was once that — single, married, and divorced — well. He’s not being sarcastic. “We’ve, been, y’know. Hiding out, like you told us.”

“Good,” Dave says. “Jared’s at the arena?”

“Pregame, yeah,” Bryce says.

Dave would ask if Jared wants to be pulled out, get a few more days to put together his armor, but guys don’t like it if you skip out on games for any reason that isn’t injury or illness, maybe childbirth, a death in the immediate family. If he did ask Jared would say no, even if he did need it, and the coaching staff would get pissed about Dave stepping on their toes if they haven’t already asked him themselves.

“You don’t have to be there tonight,” Dave says instead. It’s one thing for Jared to miss a game, but Bryce can watch the game from home just as well as he can watch it from the press box, and nobody’s going to fault him for ducking out right now. Well, anyone who does probably would make a stink about anything, practically looking for something to hold against him, and Dave doesn’t have any interest in playing to those particular cheap seats.

Bryce is shaking his head before Dave even finishes. “Jared,” he says simply, like that’s self-explanatory, and maybe it is.

“You’re not going to do Jared any good sitting in the press box,” Dave says, then internally winces. It’s not like it isn’t true, but it sounds a little harsher than he’d like, considering the situation. No guy likes sitting there, looking on, and Dave tries to avoid piling on.

“I don’t want people thinking this is something I’m ashamed of,” Bryce says. His tone’s getting sharper, and there’s that stubborn jaw again, the one Dave’s learned at this point there’s no point arguing with.

“It was just an option,” Dave says. “Nobody’s saying you’re ashamed.”

Bryce raises a shoulder, lowers it, something Dave would call a shrug only at a stretch. “I was, though. Like, not of Jared, obviously I’d never be ashamed of him, but like…“

“I get it,” Dave says, taking pity on him when he trails off. “Got to say, Jared’s good for you. Keeps you—“

Dave doesn’t know quite how to finish that, but regardless, he’s good for him.

“Out of trouble?” Bryce supplies after a moment, and Dave has to laugh.

“You think this isn’t trouble?” he asks.

He can see Bryce bristling, the way he always used to, whatever Dave told him always the exact worst thing. Dave swears he used to look for reasons to be pissed off, but then, he was a pretty miserable kid, and with hindsight, it’s not hard to see why. Not hard to see why he’s bristling now either, and Dave can’t blame him for being defensive either.

“Nothing to be ashamed of, though,” Dave says.

“No,” Bryce says, a little slow to agree.

“Let’s go see your boy, yeah?” Dave says, and this time Bryce’s agreement is wholehearted.

[onmytape]

Highlights from The Star: "Connor Bedard wasn’t raised to be a hockey phenom. He made that decision himself."

Bedard fell in love with the game with minimal help. His first skating lesson at four years old went badly — “I was crying when I got off the ice,” he says — but at the end of the second lesson there was a stick-and-puck session, and he asked his father Tom if he could try. “I mean, ever since I kind of first touched the puck it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” says Bedard. “And I mean, I’m 17 now and that hasn’t changed.” He learned to skate. He rollerbladed on their rare flat street in hilly North Vancouver, but with purpose: self-made drills. He rollerbladed in the house. And lord, he practised. To save the windows out front Tom built a shooting box in the backyard, and Connor still shoots there when he’s home. Tom heard there were open ice hours at North Shore Winter Club, which was relatively affordable: he joined, and took Connor. Unlike most places in Canada, there’s not much outdoor winter ice in North Vancouver. “He’d stay there eight hours at a time,” says Tom. “More, sometimes. He’d come off, eat, go back on. His feet would be literally bleeding. I would go on once in a while, but normally I would just let him do his thing.

He played some soccer and liked it, but not like hockey. His dad thinks Connor had a natural baseball swing — Tom was a pretty fair baseball player — and golf swing, too, but Connor was born with the same obsession that every great player has to have. The street was full of young families and Connor would spend days outside being a kid, playing tag and running through sprinklers, but working at hockey most of all. He has never owned a video game console.

Even now Connor gets on the ice on optional morning skates or off days, accompanied occasionally by teammates: he works from different areas, tries different shots, pantomimes celebrations. He sometimes sneaks out of the makeshift school classroom at the Brandt Arena in Regina — a room left over from the COVID emergency era, where the players would gather — and the teacher retrieves him by following the sound of a puck ringing off the bar, shot by a young man wearing flip-flops on the ice.

“I think he’s obsessed, possessed by it,” says John Paddock, the veteran hockey man who is the coach and general manager of the Pats. “He’s so meticulous in his daily routine, game day, other days. It’s just another part of his game.” Paddock does say he has tried to dial Bedard back. “I tell John I don’t believe in them, in days off,” says Bedard. “But he makes us, a little bit.”

But when he was very young, Connor told his parents, “I get along really well with all the kids on the team. But I don’t think their parents like me.” Melanie figured rink politics would become the topic at the dinner table every night if she and Tom both lived it, and they didn’t want that. So Tom would get up as early as 2:30 or 3 in the morning and drive up the mountain way past Whistler, back when the Sea to Sky highway was a truly treacherous road. He’d fell trees for six hours; six, six and a half was the maximum, because it’s not a job where you can afford to lose focus. Tom knows a lot of loggers who were killed on the job, has been at the site of one logging fatality; he once broke his collarbone and neck when hit by a falling tree. His partner drove him out with Tom lying down in the backseat of the truck, bumping down the road. It was all hard work. “Yeah, it was hard, but you know, struggle is not a bad thing, really,” says Tom, a solid man with blue eyes. “It makes you close. It makes things more important, it makes things real. You know, if you have it too easy, usually it doesn’t work out very well. So I don’t mind struggle.” He would drive back and stop at Madi’s gymnastics in full backwoods gear, take her home, and drive Connor wherever he needed to go, while Melanie would make healthy snacks and coordinate everything. For a long time Connor’s drive could be channeled into teams and open ice and backyard shooting, but eventually the Bedards did what every parent of a serious hockey kid has moved towards in the last 10 years or so: trainers, skating coaches, hockey academies. Tom has friends who have their own kids in hockey, and he tells them he wishes he could tell them they don’t have to spend the money to keep up, but that’s how it works now.

A couple days before Bedard had to apply for exceptional status to play in the WHL as a 15-year-old, Melanie was driving him to the gym. “I did not sleep the day before,” she says. “And I said Connor, I don’t think you should do this. And I know it’s what you really want. I know. But I feel like as your mom I’m going to be taking something away from you that’s so special; just the ability to make stupid mistakes that we make, and have regret.” She worried that under the spotlight, in the age of social media, people would root for him to fail, as they did when he was a young phenom. She said she’d still get mad at him if he did something stupid, went to a party he shouldn’t go to, whatever. But she would understand he was a kid, too. “And he said, ‘I don’t care if I go to a party,’” says Melanie. “‘This is something that I want. You can’t. As my mom you feel bad about that, but you don’t feel bad about taking away something that’s so important.’ “So we did decide to go ahead with it.”

Melanie moved to Regina to be Connor’s billet the past two seasons, because nobody knew what it would be like for a kid of his calibre, and as Paddock puts it, “His whole preparations are based around perfection, and she’s the only one that knows it.” (Another Bedard youth coach, Dan Cioffi of Burnaby Six Rinks, recalls Bedard would be the kid ordering chicken caesar salad and a mineral water at age 12, surrounded by kids enjoying burgers and pop.)

There are other moments, though. The mom who passes him her daughter’s phone number. The letter that purported to be from a boy who was paralyzed who asked for a jersey, but whose address pops up in other, vaguely similar, differently-named letters. The yahoos driving by the house at 3:30 a.m. yelling TOE DRAG AND RELEASE. The autograph hounds here and on the road, pros, everywhere they go, forcing the team to change some of its protocols. After one uncomfortable incident that Bedard laughed off in the moment, he came home and told his mom about it. “He said, ‘You know, I’m kind of realizing in some ways I have to be just a robot. Because you know that certain people are just wanting you to say this one thing that they can pass on,’” says Melanie. “And I said to him, I feel kind of upset, but I’m also proud that you’re mature enough to be aware of that. Because it’s so important.” “I think it’s a small sacrifice to make,” says Bedard. “I mean, I’m myself most of the day; I’m at the rink and home most of the time. If I’m walking to the car and someone wants a picture or something, that’s all good. And, you know, for me, I think if I had to change things, which I haven’t much, but just a few things to try to achieve my lifelong goal, I think I’d do that in a heartbeat.”

Coaches say that from a young age, Bedard was the kind of kid who was really attentive to his teammates, and it wasn’t correlated to how good they were. He could have asked for a trade from Regina at the deadline. He didn’t want to leave; he felt a responsibility. “I think I’ve just always been almost sensitive to other people’s feelings,” says Bedard. “You know, I never want to hurt someone’s feelings or make someone feel bad about something. I’m still young, and if there’s something I need to say no to, I try to get my agent or someone to do it for me; I feel bad about that."

"Like it makes me emotional, because I am so grateful. (Tom) learned so much in that moment. And he never has critiqued Connor. They talk about things, because Connor is his biggest critic. And I’m so grateful for their relationship, because what I’ve seen, and a big part of why I wanted to step away, was I would look at these dynamics ... Connor would say some of his teammates would be crying because they didn’t want to go on the car ride with their dad, with their parents. “And I thought, all these people in this machine, you are losing sight of the most important thing: your relation. Because even if they are the next Crosby, they’ll probably be done in their 30s and you’ve damaged that relationship that you could have had the rest of your life. Like, you’re gonna make everything in your world with your child about whether they scored a goal or not? That always was strange to me in that world.” (Melanie Bedard)

[crossbackpoke-check]

56 and any Yamo pairing! 🫶

i just wheezed so hard when i saw what the song was i almost snorted coffee out of my nose i am so sorry for this one

#56 - kyoto phoebe bridgers + yamo

the story of how this song ended up on my wrapped is too long so it’s going in the tags but. let me set the scene for you.

2026 NHL GLOBAL SERIES™️ JAPAN - Presented by YPPI

November 13 & 14, 2026: Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks

Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan

It’s a pitiful excuse of a consolation prize for not being able to go to the Olympics, but Kailer’s not going to look a vacation horse in the mouth. The arena’s cool. It’s huge. The people are cool. There’s so many more of them than he thought there’d be with jerseys that have his name on the back, and a lot more that have the familiar orange and blue. He takes a picture of the fifth Oilers Yamamoto jersey he signs—this one’s the good Reverse Retro—and texts it to Connor, says,

no one here has even heard of mcjesus

and gets a moon face emoji in response. Leon’s influence. Kailer’s still never really deciphered what that one means, and he doesn’t think Connor knows either.

They don’t have a lot of time off between games, but Kailer’s trying to be a good tourist. His dad had been so happy when Kailer had told him about the series that Kailer’d had to stop him from trying to book a flight a year in advance, and his mom’s been just as bad, sending him every article she sees about Best New Spot in Tokyo! Cool Restaurant! Have You Seen This Japanese Cat Café? that she scrolls across on Facebook since June. Suzy’s in the same boat, so they’ve been crossing off their compiled travel-guide list together, looping in as many guys as they can. Everyone’s been pretty game. All the teams are crammed into close quarters at the same hotel, which means everyone wants to spend as much time as possible outside of it, and it helps that Kailer’s gotten pretty close with all the other guys that the NHL picked up as Global Series figureheads. Robo’s memes? Absolutely fire. The groupchat loves them.

For every item he crosses off the list, Kailer takes a picture and keeps it tucked in his phone notes. It’s like speed-running a scavenger hunt—they’re only here for four days—but he’s doing a pretty good job. His favorite so far has been all the gardens. They’re stunning, trees shining bright red and yellow, and every vendor has been selling maple candies, maple cakes, and even fried maple, though the official maple festival doesn’t start until next week. The second garden he visits, he does it on his own after practice, buying two cakes from a cart near the gate and walking until he loses the bustle outside. It’s easy to get lost in the winding pathways, heading deeper into the quiet, and there’s dozens of benches underneath the burnished leaves where young couples are tucked away on dates, or old friends are laughing and catching up. In some of the little clearings, there’s small shrines where people leave offerings, a prayer for good luck or good fortune.

Kailer stops at one without any people and sets the second maple cake on top of it, then sits and scrolls through all the texts that he’s missed. His mom gets replied to with a picture of him outside the garden gate, grinning and surrounded by other travelers. He sends his brother a picture of a trashy graphic I Love Japan t-shirt with the threat that he’ll buy one for him, and Kailer’s dad gets a picture of the meticulously arranged and cut bonsai that are across from the bench where he’s sitting. The Seattle groupchat gets a recycled meme from Robo, and he gets two thumbs up and an “LMAO” before he can even exit the thread. Finally, Kailer takes a picture of the half-eaten maple cake in his hand, holding it next to a fallen maple leaf on the bench, and gets halfway through typing another message before he thinks better of it.

(On the plane over, Drieds was reading them a story about how when they first introduced the high-speed railway, people were afraid to use it because they thought it would be too fast for their souls to keep up.

“Bro, if that were true, you just left your soul in the middle of the Pacific,” Ebs had laughed. “Planes are faster than trains.”

“Are they?” Matty asked. “Isn’t the train in Japan the fastest in the world?”

Drieds couldn’t make it through the rest of the story over the sound of everyone ripping Matty to shreds, so Kailer didn’t get to ask whether or not they found out anything about planes. Kailer’s not worried about his soul, but the logic makes a strange kind of sense; after all, he traveled 429 miles in five and a half hours once, and that was a little too fast for his heart to keep up.)

Fuck it. Kailer’s been trying to write a response for the past ten days, and he’s sick of swiping in and out of the message, staring at the keyboard so long he starts to see swirls in his vision.

Kailer drafts the text again and sends it, no context, no caption. A text travels faster than a high-speed train or a jet. Maybe it’ll pick his heart back up on the way.

[cryinginblaseball]

a b and c!

A is for Ally!

Ally is one of the few OCs I made before Blaseball forced me to. Ally's human but she doesn't really relate to them. She's got heterochromia, and kids were really mean about it when she was growing up. But the furs at her school weren't really fazed by it, and were happy to make friends with her. It kind of stuck, and she mostly hangs out with furs (hence the ears on the hoodie and the collar). She's a photographer, and has sold some of her pictures to magazines and other publications.

B is for Bourbon!

(Bourbon on the left, Fink on the right)

Bourbon is a punk kid made good. He grew up a queer kid in a religious foster home, got into a lot of stuff he shouldn't have, but eventually fell in with a group of friends who saw the best in him, and took care of him. He manages to get out of the States for university, meets the love of his life, and lives quietly in Vancouver.

Bourbon's charismatic, gregarious, even flirty. He tends bar, and is really good at it. He picked up a cigarette habit when he was in his teens, and is trying to kick it, though he occasionally relapses.

I mentioned he's flirty, but he's actually pretty ace. He's not really interested in sex, he just likes the attention that flirting gets him. He is madly in love with Fink, though.

C is for Charlie!

Okay so Charlie's story is called "I was young when I came up with this, and I'm sorry."

Originally, Charlie's whole thing was she was a model for a site called Lithium Girls (like for depression? Instead of Suicide Girls?? GET IT???). She made a good chunk of change doing that, finds a guy, Jon, in Ally's (and Bourbon's) friend group, and also finds a stable life. (None of her friends care she did low key sex work, it's really not that big of a deal).

Charlie's also a gamer, and loves retro games, especially Sega consoles. Eventually, she takes the savings she made from Lithium Girls and opens a retro game store in Denver. She's super cool, confident, unflinchingly tomboyish and geeky, and at least one of my other OCs has a huge crush on her. She's also the oldest of that friend group, at 5 years or so older than Jon and Bourbon and Ally.

Thanks for asking!

[erysdren]

I'm A Director Now I Guess

I don't usually write long posts or anything, but I'm gonna try my best to write a vaguely interesting blog post here about what I've been up to the last few months.

Since 2017 I've been fascinated by a defunct videogame/software/media company named RUNANDGUN! Movin' Pictures, which existed from 1993 to 2004 or so. It was founded by four friends just out of college, and was based in Chicago. In the early days, they made ends meet by doing contract media work for companies like VictorMaxx, Nickelodeon and TV Land. Once they had a footing though, they set about making their first big project: Duelin' Firemen!, an extremely weird and abrasive FMV game for the 3DO console.

Filming commenced in 1994, and continued throughout 1995. A handful of programmers were brought on throughout the development, but no concrete "game" could be established. The founders were film students, and making pictures move was what they were good at. While almost everything they planned to film had been filmed, no sort of gameplay or even a working prototype had been developed.

By 1996 they had a few 3D mockups, but nothing concrete. This was also the time that the 3DO, their target console, had shown itself to be a total failure. The timeline is a bit hazy, but this is approximately when they gave up on Duelin' Firemen! as a game, and tried to pitch it as a short film. Around September of 1996, they edited all of the finished footage together into a 7 and a half minute short film, which they submitted to the Sundance Film Festival. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they were rejected.

After the failure of Duelin' Firemen!, they hired their first full-time programmer. With their same oddball sensibilities and a few years of experience under their belt, they successfully produced Wild Ride! Surf Shack, a cute surfing game about doing sick tricks and scoring huge points.

It's hard to find much evidence online of this game at a quick glance, but all of the known versions can be downloaded from the Internet Archive.

After Wild Ride, the team realized that the emerging market of handheld consoles could be highly lucrative. A subsidiary company was created, Cave+Barn Studios, which consisted of essentially the same members but with a new name and new contractual obligations. They developed a few Gameboy Color games, which were cancelled, including a sequel to Wild Ride! named Wicked Surfing.

Later they moved on to the Gameboy Advance, developing the cult hit Urban Yeti! and the much-lampooned BattleBots: Beyond the BattleBox. In 2002 or 2003 they entered into a bad contract with an unnamed publisher, who pushed them to develop games for the Playstation. After some time, the publisher pulled out suddenly, leaving Cave+Barn high and dry, and without any money to pay their bills. They went under shortly after that.

That's the short version of their story, essentially. And since 2017 I've been working on a feature-length documentary film about them.

I can't help but be fascinated by this group. A floundering media company, fucked over by publishers at every turn, trying their damndest just to make something that appealed to their sensibilities, which they say did not really exist in videogames at the time.

I've collected loads of archival material, including development assets, behind the scenes footage, tapes and photos, all from the 10+ years of this company's existence. I've also done a handful of interviews. But in the last 6 months the project has really gotten off the ground.

One of the founders has agreed to finance my project, with me as the director and him as the producer. With his help, I went to Vancouver last week and shot interviews with 3 of the subjects, and it was just fantastic.

We had a really great crew! All the stuff we recorded looked and sounded amazing. I asked the interview questions along with my co-writer Cass, who came in remotely.

I'll be able to show some of the stuff we shot soon, contracts allowing. I estimate that this short film, which is a precursor to the full length film, will be completed sometime around Q3 2023.

[variousauthors]

Metroidvania

I remember standing in the videogame section of a department store in downtown Vancouver, BC as a child. It might have been Sears or Eatons or The Bay... the toy section had legos, and transformers, and then a pedestal with a couple of old game boy handhelds set up so that you could play them. I remember standing there playing Metroid II: Return of Samus. I had played Metroid at Laser Illusions, an arcade in Brentwood Mall in Burnaby, BC. It wasn't just an arcade, you could also rent videogames there. I didn't own any consoles until I was a teenager but on the last Saturday of every month my dad would drive me down to Laser Illusions in Brentwood Mall, sometimes alone or sometimes with a friend, and we would stand there browsing the wall of videogames. Sonic & Knuckles was a favourite. One time I rented Phantasy Star for the Sega Genesis and brought it home only to discover that our tiny CRT monitor wasn't wide enough to display the whole UI. I cried a lot: so great was the build-up to that once a month videogame rental. Actually, videogames made me cry a lot. Having to take turns. Not getting a turn. Dying on level 3-1 had me crying unconsolably, big heaving crocodile tears. My dad pointed out that if the game made me so sad, maybe I shouldn't play it. I don't resent that comment, but to this day it boggles my mind. Once at karate class a girl cried after taking her brown-belt test. She had done well, and passed, but she cried a lot. I commented that I thought it was because she was young, but my sensei (Gilbert Chung, 6th Dan) stopped me and said "When you really care about something, you cry. That she's crying shows me she's care about karate." I know my dad had cared about things, and he'd probably cried about things, and now I'm a dad and despite knowing all this I still somehow made the same comment to my child when he was crying unconsolably, those big heady crocodile tears after losing progress due to a bug. There are bugs in videogames now. One time I woke up in the morning, ran upstairs and declared "let's go to Laser Illusions!" my mother said no, and I cried deeply gasping for breath. She explained "it's Friday" and I recovered immediately "oh, I thought it was Saturday!" I had had trouble memorizing the days of the week. My parents standardized the meals to help me remember: Friday was pizza night, Saturday was French toast, and Sunday was croissants fresh from the bakery on Granville island, Vancouver, BC. I don't know if it helped, but it helped me decide to stop hanging out with my friends on Friday nights, because I have a kid now and Friday is curry night. On the way home from Laser Illusions my dad would take a detour and drive me down this hill in Burnaby. It was so steep, it went down, then plateaued briefly at an intersection, and then plunged down again... he would take it at speed and our stomachs would lurch. It's strange to remember because he wasn't the type, which means that he must have been repeating some deeply lodged memory from his own childhood of his dad driving him around, or maybe reliving an experience from his college days when he'd been a student of Robin Blaser up on Burnaby Mountain.

I never had a birthday party at Laser Illusions. Or maybe I did and don't remember, but I think I never did. The way I see it my birthday parties were always simple affairs at home: I would get to rent a videogame console and the rule of taking turns would often be temporarily suspended. I was not self-conscious about this, but Chris Beaver was: one year I rented Earthbound for the SNES, a deeply single player game. We sat on the green sofa that had belonged to my grandmother, everyone bouncing and laughing but only me playing Earthbound. I must have been old enough to read. Certainly old enough that we had rented the game from Block Buster on Oak street, not Laser Illusions. I needed to pee, so I put down the controller and declared "don't play for me!" And went to pee. Later on in life, I'm not sure exactly when, Chris Beaver has confided in me that he had in fact played: he had picked up the controller and demonstratively walked the character around, in defiance of my orders. Tristan had had more than one birthday at Laser Illusions in Brentwood Mall, Burnaby BC. Batman, in the black rubber outfit of Tim Burton's 1989 re-imagining, had attended one of them. I was born in 1983 so that gives you some idea of how old I was when, at one of Tristans birthdays, I had muddled my way through a few mysterious screens of Metroid for the NES. The CRT monitors and controllers were embedded in wooden cases, screens tilted back, some kind of arcade button situation pressing up through the table. I don't remember playing it on a controller. Metroid II: Return of Samus was released in 1991, ahead of its Japanese release. I was first made aware of it in Issue #31 of Nintendo Power which arrived at my door monthly. I remember reading Nintendo Power cover to cover every month: it arrived at my door and I would go bonkers. I read about the different Metroids in the car, on the way to the coin laundromat we used to go to on Cambie and 14th, and then sitting on the metal framed chairs in the laundromat while waiting with my mom for the laundry to finish. The laundromat on 14th is right across the street from the bench on which I would later sit and explain to my future wife that I wasn't a party-boy or a one-night stand. Tipsy on that bench I would ask her to be my girlfriend, and she said "I'll think about it". The bench didn't exist yet in the 90s when I was reading about Metroids in my Nintendo Power magazine while waiting for the laundry to finish, and I wouldn't play Metroid II until that day in the department store downtown, but I remember tracing my finger along the walls of what might have been a fold out map of a cavern, following the path I expected I would take with the spider ball. I couldn't understand why the spider ball appeared on this fold out map again and again, like Samus had been cloned a thousand times and hung from every wall like torches in a Minecraft base. The map was stitched together from screenshots, so Samus was on every screen. It wasn't a map of space so much as an unfolding of a 3D journey through time-space into the plane. I may never have owned Samus II but my best friend Patrick owned a big grey game boy and I played many games with him, taking turns. We played Wario Land, Links Awakening, Mega Man… but I don't remember clearly if we ever played Metroid II: Return of Samus.

Much later in life, in 1994 (remember, I was 8 years old in 1991 so almost half again my entire life passed between 1991 and 1994), I must have finally owned a Super Nintendo. That must have been the year I rented earthbound for my birthday. It was also the year that I purchased Final Fantasy II from a bunch of college students living in an old house on the east-side of Vancouver, BC. I had found the listing in the Buy & Sell Weekly, a thick newspaper you could pick up at the 7/11, which I poured over in search of treasure at every opportunity. I had called someone advertising a "Sega Master System" one time and asked what that even was. "It's the first Sega console" they said. I thought about this for a second and said "but doesn't genesis mean first?" This guy must have been really interesting, I never met him and I can only imagine what kind of life he must have lead. "Yeah, in the Bible" he replied with so much emphasis on "bible" that I felt compelled to end the conversation. The Buy & Sell had put me in contact with all kinds of interesting adults, and on that day in 1994 on the east-side of Vancouver, BC one of them had opened the door and revealed to me a sight I could only have dreamed of. Four of these guys were hanging out on a couch playing the most gorgeous videogame, a vision of deep blues and purples, clearly an RPG. I gave the guy his money and he gave me Final Fantasy II and I asked "what's that?". It was Final Fantasy III. I asked him "can I buy that too?" he told me no in a way that is only possible for an adult to tell a child, a kind of knowing smile, a laugh, probably he had made eye-contact with my dad standing behind me though I wouldn't have been aware. I just knew I had poked the edge of the thin film, the bubble separating adults from children. That same year Super Metroid had been released (this time in Japan first, then North America). Again Nintendo Power had heralded its arrival. I definitely owned that game, and played it a lot but never beat it. I can count on my fingers the number of videogames I actually beat as a child, and I only have ten fingers.

So tell me, if I made an action-platformer focused on guided non-linearity and utility-gated exploration and progression… what genre would it be?

[techutcanada]

In the fast-paced world of gaming, where every second counts, a malfunctioning gaming console can disrupt your immersive experience. Tec-Hut steps into the gaming arena as your ultimate ally, offering an unparalleled guide to game console repair near you that goes beyond mere fixes – it's a journey towards optimal gaming performance.

[wefixitweprintit123]

Best Motherboard Repair Services in Canada

A motherboard is the backbone of any computer system. When it fails, it often brings everything else to a standstill. Whether it’s a desktop, laptop, or even a specialized device, fixing or replacing a faulty motherboard is a complex task that requires technical expertise. Thankfully, Canada is home to several reputable motherboard repair services that can cater to a wide range of needs. Whether you’re looking for a quick in-store fix or a convenient on-site solution, there’s a repair center for you.

In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best motherboard repair services in Canada. Whether you’re located in a bustling city or a more remote area, you’ll find reliable repair options that meet your needs. Bolded words throughout this blog are potential areas where external links to relevant sites can be integrated for a smoother customer experience.

Understanding the Importance of Professional Motherboard Repair

Motherboards are delicate and complex pieces of hardware. They connect and facilitate communication between all the major components of your computer, from the CPU and RAM to the storage drives and power supply. When a motherboard develops problems, it can lead to system crashes, random reboots, and even total system failure.

Attempting a DIY fix for a faulty motherboard can be risky, especially without the right tools or expertise. It’s often more efficient (and safer) to leave repairs to certified technicians who have the experience and resources to identify the root of the problem and fix it effectively. In Canada, there are several highly-rated repair services that specialize in motherboard issues for both desktops and laptops, and some even handle mobile devices.

Top Motherboard Repair Services Across Canada

Here’s a detailed look at the best motherboard repair services in Canada, categorized by their specialty and the type of customer they serve.

1. wefixitweprintit: Nationwide Chain with Reliable Service

Wefixitweprintit is one of the most trusted names in electronics repair in Canada. With locations across the two cities GRANDE PRAIRIE and DAWSON CREEK of Canada. They offer a convenient option for motherboard repairs. The chain is known for its same-day repair services for most of the devices, which is ideal for those needing their computers back in action quickly.

Their trained technicians can diagnose and repair a range of motherboard-related issues, from power failures and short circuits to more complex problems involving integrated components.

We Fix It & We print it also provide services like imac and laptop repair,gaming console repair,tablet repair etc . The company has experience of more than 10 years.This ensures that your device is in safe hands.The best thing about this company is that they provide all their services at reasonable and affordable cost.

2. PC Service On Site: Professional On-Site Repair Service

Not everyone has the time to pack up their desktop or laptop and bring it to a repair shop. For those in the Toronto area and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), PC Service On Site is an excellent solution. As the name suggests, they come to your home or business to diagnose and repair your motherboard on-site. This service is especially convenient for businesses with critical downtime or individuals with immovable desktop setups.

PC Service On Site specializes in motherboard repairs and replacements for both desktops and laptops, and their technicians are well-versed in handling a wide array of brands. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction, they ensure that you get fast and reliable service right at your doorstep.

3. Canada Computers & Electronics: A Nationwide Electronics Giant

With stores across major cities in Canada, including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Ottawa, Canada Computers & Electronics is a go-to destination for not just electronics shopping but also motherboard repairs. Their in-house service department is staffed with certified technicians who can handle everything from diagnostics to complete motherboard replacements.

They have the advantage of access to a wide range of parts, often directly in their inventory. This allows for quicker turnaround times on repairs. Additionally, Canada Computers often provides comprehensive repair warranties, so you can feel confident in the longevity of your repair.

This is a great choice for customers who are looking for professional service with the added convenience of having access to parts for future upgrades.

4. iFixit Canada: A DIY Option for the Bold and Tech-Savvy

For those who are more adventurous and willing to try their hand at DIY motherboard repair, iFixit Canada is an invaluable resource. The company provides detailed guides for a range of devices, helping users troubleshoot and fix motherboard issues themselves. While not a traditional repair service, iFixit is ideal for tech-savvy individuals who want to save money by taking matters into their own hands.

iFixit Canada also offers high-quality tools and replacement parts, so you won’t be left stranded without the necessary equipment. With step-by-step guides tailored for both beginners and advanced users, this platform empowers you to handle motherboard replacements and repairs at home. However, it’s important to remember that this option may not be for everyone — there is always a risk with DIY repairs, especially with something as complex as a motherboard.

5. LaptopMD: Specialists in Laptop Motherboard Repair

While many services cater to desktops, LaptopMD focuses on laptop repair. Laptops pose unique challenges due to their compact design and integration of components, making LaptopMD a great choice for individuals who rely on portable devices. LaptopMD operates in several Canadian cities, including Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton.

6. Futuretel Repair Services: Electronics Experts with Nationwide Reach

Futuretel Repair Services is a well-established name in the electronics repair industry. With several locations across Canada, they specialize in repairing a range of electronic devices, including computers, laptops, and mobile phones. Futuretel’s motherboard repair services are highly regarded for their speed and reliability.

Their technicians are experienced in handling motherboard repairs for both consumer and business clients. Futuretel is known for its rigorous testing and quality control standards, ensuring that your repaired motherboard will function as intended once it’s back in your device.

Conclusion: Finding the Right Motherboard Repair Service

Choosing the best motherboard repair service in Canada depends on your specific needs, location, and level of comfort with technology. Whether you’re looking for an in-store repair service like wefixitweprintit or Canada Computers & Electronics, a more convenient on-site option like PC Service On Site, or even a DIY solution with iFixit Canada, there are plenty of options to get your system up and running again.

For those in need of specialized laptop repair, LaptopMD and Futuretel Repair Services are top choices with excellent reputations. By selecting a service that matches your requirements, you can save time, reduce stress, and get back to using your computer without the hassle of persistent hardware issues.

Regardless of which service you choose, the key is to ensure that your motherboard gets the care it needs. This vital piece of hardware deserves the attention of skilled professionals who can restore it to full working order.

[limerentdeath]

(2/3) Oh yeah when Greg was playing the Jurassic Park pinball machine, I went up to her and she was like oh hey what’s up and I said how was Sick New World. I told her I was gonna go but I couldn’t because I’m going to more festivals and she was like oh yeah I was gonna say you should’ve gone. And she asked what fests I was going to. That was cool. Anyway, back to the other scene. After the photos I asked Greg if he wants to play Mario kart because we need four people. He was so down. He was drunk at this point so he did whatever I asked. At some point around this time I said hi to goose shoes. Then we went over to the Mario kart place. There were already people playing so we had to wait. Two of them wouldn’t get off the game so me and Josh played. I won. Greg didn’t see it though because he had gotten impatient and went around the corner with Reba. He was very extremely attached to her the whole time. Then I played street fighter with him after I watched him play it with Reba. I can’t believe that happened. I told him I had never played it and I didn’t know what to do and he told me to just “do something/anything” (something along those lines, can’t remember the exact words). I was actually kicking his ass at some point. I told him he was letting me win and he was like no I’m not. We talked about what video games we play. I asked him what he plays even though I already know and he said Fortnite. I said I play that too. I asked him if he plays street fighter at home or just at arcades. He said when I was 13 yeah but not anymore. I asked him what consoles he had, and he said all of them. I told him I’ve never played streetfighter as a kid I only played Tekken. He seemed to think that was cool. He told me I’m cool. I said oh thanks, so are you. Then he said, how old are you? Then I looked in his eyes and said guess. He said 28. Then I said that’s the closest anyone has ever guessed and he started guessing lower 27, 26… I said 33 and he said no way. Then he said when’s your birthday I said March 3. Then he said oh Pisces all my friends are Pisces. Then he said I am an aeries March 27. Then I said that’s my grandma’s birthday. My favorite grandma. He said awww Grandma. At some point we’re playing this he said you used to live in the valley? Then he kept talking about how LA is too expensive now. And then me and my mom said yeah that’s why we left. He mentioned this because we had been talking about it when he was playing the Jurassic Park game, when I told him where I used to live in LA because he asked me. Now that I think about this. This actually happened somewhere between the Jurassic Park game and the Mario kart. I can’t remember why we were standing there. Anyway. He was familiar with the town I grew up in. Except he thought it was in the valley which it’s not. OK coming back in chronological order now. He beat me at the Street fighter. Reba said she had to pee.. Then Greg said yeah, I gotta piss too. I let them go cause I knew they would come back. But Greg and the guy were just standing there outside the bathroom. Reba was taking a really long time in the bathroom. So I went over to them. My mom told Greg I had something to tell him. I had just been talking to her about it. About how I had blood on my brand new shirt. The possum one. He said, where is that from. I said I don’t know, someone. And he said you are so cool and hugged me. I asked him if it’s a possum or rat and he wasn’t sure. He looked at my mom and said what’s your name again? and I hope I see you again at some thing else. He hugged her. He told her I’m great or something like that. We started talking about the Vancouver venue. Oh yeah when we were waiting for Mario kart. I asked him if he likes that venue tomorrow. He said it’s like the only one there. Where else is there? I told him I’ve been to Vancouver three times and every time I went to that place. But that’s not true so then I told him I saw Guns N’ Roses/AIC in Vancouver. He said he he was born in 1980 and he can’t believe he’d see the day when axl and slash were on stage again together.

[softnoirr]

dillymelo x Home!

Winnipeg isn’t Washington, isn’t Dallas or Vancouver or even San Jose. But it is closer to home than any of them have been in years. 

It’s Dylan who picks him up from the airport, even though Dilly had told him he didn’t have to, even though he’d only gotten into the city two days ago himself, even though it has been a year, maybe, since Dilly last had his skin beneath his hands; since the last home game in this same city when Dilly had wasted his curfew exemption on a few skint hours of sitting on Dylan’s brand new couch. 

When he slips into the front seat of Dylan’s car in the pickup line, Dylan looks across the console and says, “Hey Brenden,” and it sounds like Welcome Home. Whatever frayed part of Dilly he’s been catching between his teeth comes unstuck.

Send me a ship/character(s) and a one word prompt and I will write a 5 sentence fic about it.