#his outfits his attitude his muscles wtf

[whenitsdarkweilluminate]

Moscow 2009 – Semi-Final 1

Host: Russia Slogan: [none] Participants: 42 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - combined; televoting only for the semi-finals) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 4 + host General Overview: The 2009 contest commences the 50/50 era of Eurovision... but not in the semi-finals, where pure televoting was still utilized. That switch won't happen until 2010. Meanwhile, the jury wildcard twist was in effect again to determine the 10th qualifier. Incidentally, this lead to Finland and Croatia advancing in their respective nights, despite finishing outside the top 10. The two relegated countries were (North) Macedonia and Serbia. The former was denied two years in a row. Slovakia returns after a 9-year absence (in SF2). Over the next few years, the country will uphold their abysmal track record by amassing four consecutive DNQ's before permanently withdrawing again. San Marino also dipped after their debut entry flopped. Georgia, meanwhile, were disqualified because their song mocked Putin, and they refused to change the lyrics or submit a different song. SF1 opens with an announcer narrating a mythological story about a two girls and a firebird. It's a reference to a Russian fairytale. This leads to a flashy entrance of the Tolmachevy Sisters, the winners of Junior Eurovision 2006, and later representatives for Russia in 2014. They descend to the stage via a glowing firebird-shaped structure. The interval act involves a military choir (hard pass to this), segueing into t.A.T.u performing “Not Gonna Get Us”, where the aforementioned choir provides backing vocals. At least t.A.T.u's vocals are acceptable this time, although it was probably prerecorded. A different pair of hosts were employed for the semi-finals – Natalia Vodianova and Andrey Malakhov. The latter is irritating and overzealous. Their dialogue is badly scripted too. The results are presented differently this year. The physical envelopes are ditched in favour of revealing the qualifiers on the digital screen. Although envelope icons are displayed instead. The hosts press a button to “open” each one. The stage design is impressive this year, but I'll mention that again in Grand Final post. × Montenegro: Andrea Demirović - Just Get Out of My Life Montenegro are a somewhat surprising DNQ, but the 10 qualifiers make sense. “Just Get...” is a disco-pop song that follows a brisk, slippery rhythm. The melody and production are agreeable, while the “out of my, out of my, out of my” refrain is easily catchy. It was written by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, two people responsible for several German entries since the 1970s. The verses also use a rising melody. The staging incorporates playful interactions between Andrea and a male dancer, which could be viewed as uncomfortable. The male keeps grabbing Andrea's waist and tries to pull up her dress at one point, while she repeatedly rejects his advances. He also twerks lol. In the song, Andrea is trapped by his charm. She knows this relationship is toxic, so she casts him away. The repetition of “out of my” highlights her torment. But then the song ends on a twist – “or just stay”, which undermines the message. × Czech Republic: Gipsy.cz - Aven Romale WTF is this? The composition is the definition of the word “discordant”. The melody jumps all over the place, veering off course into jarring directions, and none of it flows cohesively. There's claps, group chants, and vocal grunts. The staging, meanwhile, features bright outfits and comic book imagery on screen, while the lead singer wears a superhero costume. He also brings a zany personality. There's a funny moment when he ducks from the violin bow. But this entry is utter nonsense. It's also one of the rare instances of “nul points” in a semi-final. × Belgium: Copycat - Copycat And here's a song that earned just ONE point in the semi-final! “Copycat” involves an Elvis impersonator singing from the POV of Elvis Presley himself, commenting on his doppelgangers. The singer dresses like the King of Rock N Roll and emulates his vocal style, while the instrumentation mimics 1950s rock n roll. Meanwhile, the lyrics are littered with well-known references. The concept is just not that interesting. The idea is too thin to stretch to three minutes. And it's rather cringe. × Belarus: Petr Elfimov - Eyes That Never Lie Belarus continues to embrace tense, melodramatic atmospheres. Their '07/'08/'09 entries all conveyed that vibe. And this one cranks the intensity to 11. The rock instrumentation drives the song and represents Petr's distress. In the song, he's escaped a dark place in life since meeting his lover. It's also a visually striking entry. The staging features a person obscured and trapped by translucent bed sheet, while the wind machine batters them like a hurricane. This is complemented by the crafty lighting tricks and camera work. At one point, a single shot runs from the back of the arena to the stage and circles around Petr. But the issue is that the melody doesn't stick that well, and perhaps the atmosphere is too over-the-top. ✓ Sweden: Malena Ernman - La voix Despite placing 4th in SF1, “La voix” is Sweden's third consecutive under-performance at the Grand Final. This rough patch will culminate in next year's DNQ, though. So the mother of Greta Thunberg beat out Måns Zelmerlöw, Alcazar, Agnes and Molly Sandén at Melfest 2009. The song fuses operatic vocals with a contemporary Euro-dance beat. The opera sections imply a sense of angelic, pristine beauty. Not just vocals, but in how the screen fills up with a blindingly bright white light when that chorus hits. The soothing backing vocalists complement that illusion. Malena is feeling heavenly euphoria. The dance-pop production, on the other hand, delivers a bouncy, clap-along rhythm. But the verses are too short. And the transition into the final chorus is... a choice, with Malena's guttural notes and the muscle tensions in her face. Ultimately the song doesn't quite accomplish the graceful charm it aims for. Slovenia 2007 did opera/pop fusion better. ✓ Armenia: Inga and Anush - Jan Jan Armenia succeeds “Qélé, Qélé” with another phenomenal bop! “Jan Jan” is an “Ethnic” entry where the traditional instrumentation is rich and prominent. It's a dance-able rhythm. Meanwhile sisters Inga and Anush deliver fierce energy. Their attitude really makes the song. And the mystical instrumentation matches that assertive approach. The outfits and the dark colour layout complete the allure. Furthermore, the chorus is infectious (ie. “everyBODY move your BODY”), the sisters trade lines cleanly, and the build-up leading into the key change is exciting. The duo later spew meaningless phonetic sounds in the bridge. It sounds exotic, though. The lyrics (the ones that are real words) imply sisterly support. Inga and Anush help each other move on from life's troubles by partaking in the “new dance” together, which symbolizes a new chapter. That's my interpretation, anyway. × Andorra: Susanne Georgi - La teva decisió (Get a Life) This is Andorra's last appearance in Eurovision to date. All 6 of their entries failed to qualify; an indication that micro-nations have an uphill battle. Some of them were surprisingly decent, though. “Get A Life” is a sugary and cutesy entry. It projects a carefree, assured, innocent vibe. The chorus employs a perky “pip-pip-pip” sound. And in the performance, Susanne and her backing band wear beaming smiles and joyfully sway about. The song is also professionally arranged in structure. The “ah-ah-ah-i” hook stands out. And the final chorus is a triumph. That said, the lyrics are too clingy. Susanne's lover wants distance, but she refuses to let go. Plus songs this sugary can lead to a toothache. × Switzerland: Lovebugs - The Highest Heights Switzerland fails to qualify despite putting in the effort – a repeat story to last year. The synth-rock instrumentation on “The Highest Heights” is so aurally satisfying. It establishes a mood of peaceful euphoric bliss so perfectly. And it's consistently held in place, only pausing for the “oh-whoa-oh” bit. Which is an elevating moment. The lyrics, meanwhile, are charmingly straightforward – the narrator asks if his lover will be there during the dark times. Unfortunately, the song doesn't quite reach “epic” heights due to the underwhelming vocal melody. The lead singer fails to soar. ✓ Turkey: Hadise - Düm Tek Tek “Düm Tek Tek” has to be one of the catchiest songs in ESC history. It's astounding how every single second contains a hook. There's also a good variety of them – the instrumental intermissions, the double stammers in the verses (“bay-BAY”), the responses of “of all times”/“feels so fine”, the slower pre-chorus, the floating chorus melody, and of course the forceful “DUM TEK TEK” stomps. It's so jam packed. The production also cleverly pauses to emphasize that “DUM TEK TEK”. It's a cheesy representation of a heartbeat, but Hadise's assertive approach sells it. The “Ethnic pop” instrumentation helps reduce the cheesiness too. I like the guitar(?) and the heavy percussion line. Furthermore, the song is bursting with energy, there's pyro!, and all the pieces fit together. It's such a fun entry. ✓ Israel: Noa and Mira Awad - There Must Be Another Way The Israeli entry pairs a Jewish singer with an Arab singer. The song calls for unity and acceptance amongst the political divide in the country. It includes both Hebrew and Arabic verses. And the duet exhibits intimate chemistry on stage. The song's tone is heavy and emotional, where Noa and Mira express love, compassion, empathy and reassurance to each other. The arrangement is minimalist to allow the message to take focus. But it's also underdeveloped. The vocal melody didn't immediately connect, and the title phrase is anti-climatic. But it's grown on me. It's pleasant, with the lead in to the title phrase being the best part. The square tin drums add a subtle texture too. × Bulgaria: Krassimir Avramov - Illusion LMAO what a train wreck. The backing vocalists are hilariously horrific. Their shrieks are ear-splitting, uncoordinated, and off-key. It renders the live performance into un-listenable territory, since they're impossible to ignore. It's weird because the backing isn't THIS prominent on the studio version. Krassimir's falsetto is comparatively bearable though. Likewise, the almighty force created by the production and the “give me give me you time”/“do I want your touch” hooks are good ideas. There's also dancers on stilts. But there's no cohesion or cooperation to any of this. Instead of being atmospheric, the result is more like a nightmare. ✓ Iceland: Yohanna - Is It True? The winner of SF1, and the runner-up overall, matching Iceland's peak placement from 1999. “Is It True?” seems to be an overshadowed entry from 2009. Which is a shame because it's a stunning and heartbreaking ballad. The emotion resonates due to Yohanna's honest performance – her vocal is beautiful too. Meanwhile, the gentle tone and the methodical pacing allows the melancholy and devastation to flow naturally. It's a moment where time stands still. The key change shifts the final chorus into a moving finale, and to a higher degree of pain. Also, the backing vocalists reinforce the melody. The watery blue colour palette and the cello are effective. And the lyrics are relatable. They explore Yohanna's mental processes as she confronts a lover who's keeping a secret. She's preparing for the break-up, and she wonders how love can lead to hurt, but she also second-guesses herself (“did I throw it away”). I can empathize. I could do without the extreme close-up at the start, though.  × F.Y.R. Macedonia: Next Time - Nešto što kje ostane The juries deny (North) Macedonia from the Grand Final AGAIN. Incidentally, it's the 6th consecutive time they've placed 9th or 10th in a semi-final. Nothing of value was lost, though. “Nešto” is an entry that I feel indifferent towards. It emulates 1980s rock bands. There's gruff vocals, long hair, a guitar solo, and some catchy “yeah-eee-yeah”'s. It's an energetic and inoffensive song, but it's highly forgettable. ✓ Romania: Elena - The Balkan Girls Romania delivers a light and breezy celebration of Balkan girls. The song emanates a summery beach party vibe, thanks to the relaxed melody, the horns and hand drums. Elena is enjoying her life! The staging is inspired by Romanian mythology, where Elena enters via a stone throne, and the backing dancers wear sea-colour shredded dresses. Their fluid dance moves are sufficiently engaging. And the “for crowd delight” hook is strong. Overall, the arrangement flows smoothly and it's a solid performance. The only noteworthy flaw is that the song is basic.  ✓ Finland: Waldo's People - Lose Control Finland are the jury wildcard pick of SF1. The song ultimately placed last at the Grand Final, but with 22 points, which is relatively high for that position. So “Lose Control” contains a ridiculously catchy pop chorus, with rap verses interspersed, and a dance-pop production that is very 2009. My teenage-self would've loved it at the time lol. Also, the staging is notably flashy with all the fire antics. The booms and pyro explosion in the bridge are especially stimulating. It's a cool moment. On the flipside, the live vocals are patchy, and the chorus becomes a little repetitive. But the production is energetic and easy to bop along to. A catchy chorus is hard to resist. And the performance avoids taking itself too seriously, nor does it become novelty.  ✓ Portugal: Flor-de-Lis - Todas as ruas do amor The Portuguese entry is heartwarming and sweet; both in lyrics and composition. Vocalist Daniela Varela is so smitten here. In the song, she uses metaphors to illustrate the compatibility of her and her partner. Meanwhile, the folk instrumentation breathes a springtime vibe. A keenness of what the future holds, perhaps. It's also characteristically Portuguese, with the accordion and hand drums being highlights. Those drums enter and exit at appropriate times to prevent monotony, as the song shifts between dreaminess and excitement. The melody is lively and cheerful too. The colour patterns on the LED screen look like vomit, though. ✓ Malta: Chiara - What If We This is Chiara's third appearance in ESC, following her top 3 finishes in 1998 and 2005. “What If We” doesn't match those heights, however, as it places 22nd at the Grand Final. Her 2009 entry is, unsurprisingly, a ballad that follows the same structure as her other two. This type of redundancy is a pet peeve of mine. “What If We” is too much like an X Factor winner's single. It's boring and predictable. Still, Chiara is a talented singer. And the lyrics are existential in her search for the answers to life's questions, and skeptical over what we've been told. The drums also build anticipation. But the final chorus isn't climactic enough. ✓ Bosnia & Herzegovina: Regina - Bistra voda Bosnia's Balkan ballad reaches the top 10, but I find this one slightly overrated. The melody doesn't latch on easily and the chorus seems incomplete. I struggle to remember how it goes. To be fair, this genre doesn't follow Western pop music structures. On the positive side, “Bistra voda” is well-staged and the instrumental breaks do elevate the song. The visual involves a marching band showing a fervent, determined demeanour, set against a red backdrop. The outfits also appear historical. The accompanying lyrics are ambiguous, but they revolve around the theme of patriotism, which gives context to the staging. It's a meaningful entry anyway. My Ranking: 01. Iceland: Yohanna - Is It True? ✓ 02. Turkey: Hadise - Düm Tek Tek ✓ 03. Armenia: Inga and Anush - Jan Jan ✓ 04. Portugal: Flor-de-Lis - Todas as ruas do amor ✓ 05. Finland: Waldo's People - Lose Control ✓ 06. Romania: Elena - The Balkan Girls ✓ 07. Switzerland: Lovebugs - The Highest Heights 08. Montenegro: Andrea Demirović - Just Get Out of My Life 09. Sweden: Malena Ernman - La voix ✓ 10. Bosnia & Herzegovina: Regina - Bistra voda ✓ 11. Israel: Noa and Mira Awad - There Must Be Another Way ✓ 12. Andorra: Susanne Georgi - La teva decisió (Get a Life) 13. Belarus: Petr Elfimov - Eyes That Never Lie 14. Malta: Chiara - What If We ✓ 15. F.Y.R. Macedonia: Next Time - Nešto što kje ostane 16. Bulgaria: Krassimir Avramov - Illusion 17. Belgium: Copycat - Copycat 18. Czech Republic: Gipsy.cz - Aven Romale

[jennysmash]

THE BASICS

NAME/NICKNAMES: Jennifer Walters / Jenny / Jen etc. ALIAS: “She-Hulk” AGE: 30 PREFERRED PRONOUNS: She/Her AFFILIATION: N/A (for now) FACECLAIM: Kylie Bunbury

THE DETAILS

(lowkey fun fact info)

FAMILY: Sheriff Morris Walters (dad), Elaine Banner-Walters (deceased); Bruce Banner (cousin) THREE FAVORITE THINGS: Kicking ass in court, kicking ass out of court and a large caramel cream frappacino! EDUCATION: Juris Doctor Law Degree from UCLA; Master of Law at Harvard SKILLS:

Expert Attorney: Extremely intelligent, the She-Hulk is a skilled and experienced lawyer. She has won many cases proving various civilians, costumed heroes, and even villains innocent.

Law Degree: Jennifer attended UCLA School of Law, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif, a national merit society for top legal scholars. Walters has also attended Harvard Law School; though details are not provided, it is probable that she earned a master of laws (LL.M.) degree at Harvard to complement her juris doctor (J.D.) degree from UCLA. She has shown great versatility in her legal practice, representing criminal defendants, corporations, and even domestic violence victims.

Capable Combatant: As both Jen and She-Hulk!

Walters knows American Sign Language.

WEAPONS: she is the weapon… ABILITIES:

Physical Transformation: Into the one & only She-Hulk! (Her frame also gains another 9 inches in height and 560 lbs of muscle and bone tissue).

Superhuman Strength: As She-Hulk, she is proportionally stronger than her Jennifer Walters form. This means that any extra strength gains as Jennifer Walters through intense physical training will be amplified, making her She-Hulk form that much stronger. 

Superhuman Speed: Due, at least partially, to the great muscular strength and development of her leg muscles, she is capable of running and moving at speeds that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.

Superhuman Stamina: She-Hulk's highly advanced musculature produces considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human. She can exert herself at peak capacity for about 48 hours before fatigue begins to impair her performance.

Superhuman Durability: In addition to her strength, She-Hulk possesses a high degree of resistance to injury. Her skin is capable of withstanding tremendous pressures, temperatures from -190 F to 3,000 F, falls from great heights, field-artillery canon shells, and powerful energy blasts without sustaining any injury.

Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite her body's extremely high resistance to injury, it is possible to injure her. However, she is capable of rapidly regenerating injuries that result in great tissue damage and blood loss within a matter of minutes. However, she is not capable of regenerating missing limbs or organs. She-Hulk's highly efficient metabolism renders her immune to all drugs and toxins as well as total immunity to all known Earthly diseases.

THE QUESTIONNAIRE

IN THE LAST YEAR SINCE THANOS WAS DEFEATED, WHAT HAS YOUR CHARACTER BEEN DOING?

Jenny had been heavily debating on whether or not she should be putting her greener foot forward on a more full-time schedule but with Bruce back on planet Earth to save the day... And that he did, BTW. All the Avengers did which was a good thing and kinda made her feel less guilty about not actively participating like that. Besides, who would have came up with the plan that they did to get the world back together? Not she. 'Wild enough to work' is her M.O but whatever, didn't matter. Point is, there was a rest of the world to help re-build afterwards in her own way. She stuck mostly to the legal sides of things, helping out a lot in victim support and doing what she could in her free time to help wherever else with the big rebuild. She traveled a lot for work, did her best to live life to the fullest and connect with as many people as she could; you never know when half the population is gonna get dusted, right? She may have done some crime fighting out of the New York area but that's a Buzzfeed Unsolved "European Hulk Rip-Off" Speculation article for another day. She got good with feeling herself as both Jennifer and She-Hulk (one in the same, really) and clung tightly to the fact that the world already had Bruce AKA The Incredible Hulk.

WHAT HAS YOUR CHARACTER LEARNED IN THE AFTERMATH OF THANOS, HIS SNAP AND EVENTUAL DEFEAT?

During The Snap*TM*, Jen was on a flight back from Glasgow, Scotland when the pilot and a number of passengers on her flight literally dusted away. Thankfully, the co-pilot made the cut and the plane made its landing but chaos quickly ensued. She had been moving, working constantly since landing back in L.A. as her then-office had been trying to sort through the dusted witnesses and convicts and staff… It’s was a lot. The WiFi was not reliable, for one. Five years is a long time to re-adjust and make sure that the whole world didn't collapse in on itself but she did her best from where she could. Even with half the good and bad gone, people still needed lawyers and witness protection and a safe place to run to. Jennifer learned that she was resilient but that whole 'roll with punches' attitude could weigh down on you. Feeling the loss of half the world, of her friends, her whole life... Yeah, not something she wanted. Big nope. But they won, right? At the end of it all, the good guys won.

THE SAVAGE LANDS IS A NEW AND DANGEROUS PLACE, HOW IS YOUR CHARACTER COPING WITH THE NEW ENVIRONMENT?

Um, WTF? First of all... Can the Earth catch a break, just once, maybe? Like, can it just not? Needless to say, this wasn't how she'd expected to spend her next two weeks thus far. Still though, resilient. She can take care of herself, obviously (not that she'd packed one of those She-Hulk tailored #fab outfits with her, for one) but WTF? Maybe this is it, right? The universe is telling her that it's time to take action. Avenge. Or... Whatever the motto is, she doesn't know. Basically, if she doesn't get eaten by a dinosaur, it'll be a good day!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

HEADCANONS :

Jennifer Walters was born and raised in L.A with a loving yet slightly overbearing father (who also just so happened to be the LAPD Sheriff) and her sweet, soft mother who was also a former dancer. She was showered with nothing but love and encouragement growing up as she bounced from hobby to hobby and big dream to big dream. Of course she always wanted to be just like her mom who was her whole world and then some so she took up dance lessons as soon as she could. A part of her loved it, really but the other part just…didn’t feel the way her mom had always described it. There was no magic. But it made her mom happy, coming to shows and recitals and reminiscing about her own career so Jen kept at it. Until she didn’t. Until her mom was running late to a recital one day and a drunk driver came out of nowhere and t-boned her car. She never stood a chance.

After, Jen quit dance and her dad did everything he could to fill her mom’s expensive and impractical shoes. He did his best but she learned how to look out for herself and him. She also learned that there’s no use in pretending that you want something or like something if your heart isn’t completely in it. So when she wants something, she goes after it. When she feels something, she says it and when she knows that she’s right, well, you’re never gonna win that argument.

Her dad thought he’d escaped his worst nightmare of her joining the police force like him- putting herself into a line of fire- when she graduated from UCLA with a law degree and glowing recommendations. He was mistaken. A rising, private attorney with a recklessness she couldn’t quite control and a knack for taking on the dangerous ones, Jen wasn’t exactly pushing papers behind a desk. Tenacious as ever, she quickly made a name and reputation for herself in and out of the court room so when she took on a notorious gangster who had agreed to turn state’s evidence against an even more notorious crime boss; she knew she could handle it.

And she did right up until she got shot defending her client. That might have been the end of it all too if her cousin Bruce Banner hadn’t been in town. She hadn’t known, hadn’t seen how he’d managed to fend off her attackers at the time but it all made sense after. Losing blood and pretty sure that big old white light was coming her way, there’d been no time to get her to a hospital. So Bruce- a legit doctor, thankfully- did what he had to do to save her life (a fact she’s had to drill into his thick skull plenty of times). Giving her a blood transfusion, who’d have known just what Bruce had passed onto her. At least green had always been her colour.

Jen didn’t find out that she was capable of sprouting up and out to 6′7 (formerly 5′6 out of heels), 700lbs until said crime boss’ thugs attempted a second hit on her life. The danger to her life caused the gamma radiation particles in the transfused blood to activate and thus She-Hulk was born. Finding it in herself not to literally smash those assholes into the ground, she left them for the police to find and with the emergency over, reverted back to Jennifer Walters, attorney at law.

Now, unlike her emo cousin Bruce (who she loves), Jen didn’t take too long to come to terms with She-Hulk slash herself (actually, being her was pretty damn sensational) meaning that now when she goes green, she’s still Jen. Same voice, same diction- she’s just had to have a few fab outfits very customized for her. Saying that, she doesn’t have anywhere near the level of notoriety and fame as The Hulk, given she’s kept her green side mostly a secret, using it on the DL for her more dangerous cases which she took more and more of post-hulking.

Traveling a lot, as much as she can, for work Jennifer stuck to calls, texts and snapchatting Bruce pics of Hulk merchandise with a hilarious ‘dat u’ captions which he is yet to appreciate but whatever. She’s kept up with his Hulking shenanigans via the news and internet. Jen acts like her life is together completely all the time, it’s how she walks and talks and just is, but deep down… She’s only human too and sure, she’s been down about her greener side before and her regular side but there’s no point on dwelling. Living is living no matter how much you can bench press.

Let me know if you want to have any pre-established connections with her!! (And anything from the comics, keeping her lowkey is how I thought to slide her into the MCU since they’ve not had her in there yet<3)

[nardaviel]

Part 3 / ?, wherein they go camping, much to Kinshirou’s dismay.

This is a long, image-heavy post. I’ve had it ready since like December but I never bothered to post it until now because I stopped playing the game for a while and I’m lazy. If you’re reading this on my blog and it’s done the obnoxious thing where it doesn’t show readmores, just click the date <3

You probably don’t remember where we left off because it’s been ages since the last post. I didn’t remember either. En had just gotten his second promotion in a few days; the game continued to insist on sending him home from work in an awkward outfit on promotion days. Kinshirou had just published his etiquette manual, and I had finally learned how to keep Atsushi from being miserable when he got home from work. However, En and Atsushi’s work schedules still kept them from spending much time together as a group.

En’s latest work of art is a beautiful, subtle masterpiece. I know that because I, an ignorant philistine, see the art of a 6-year-old, but an art gallery was interested enough to pay $50 more than he usually gets for large paintings.

This is kind of sweet, but he and En aren’t even engaged yet. Calm down, Kinshirou. It’s amazing how well the game knows them asd;lfk

Atsushi has been promoted to caterer!! A $10/hour raise so that his hourly wage is no longer a pittance, a $368 bonus, and a coffeepot. His work hours start an hour earlier and end two hours earlier, which still isn’t very good :\ but look, he’s so proud of himself.

To get to the next level of his career, he has to start learning to mix drinks. I’ve dreaded this moment because the last time I bought someone a bar to level mixology, they never wanted to do anything else again except mix drinks. I took it away in the end.

Kinshirou wakes up, sees that En’s gone, and goes to find him in the bathroom just so that he can kiss his cheek.

Since he’s awake now anyway, En paints an Enatsu painting and then a Kinatsuen painting, one after another. I can’t bring myself to sell either of them. The Kinatsuen one is going to stay where it is, but I’m putting the Enatsu one in Atsushi’s room, because it’s kind of bare at the moment.

En’s suave kiss is different than Kinshirou’s was. I assume it’s because he and Atsushi aren’t boyfriends yet? But Atsushi still seems charmed.

And now that they’ve drawn my attention to that oversight, Atsushi asks En to be his boyfriend.

You can imagine your own dialogue here. You’re all so dirty-minded.

En is into it, though.

He immediately kisses Atsushi on the cheek. I’m glad all the Sims think that’s as cute as I do.

Now they can all go on a much-deserved(???) vacation :D En and Atsushi have to take some vacation days to do it, but they want to spend some time together as a triad.

They’re going camping! For four days. It’s cheap, and they’re still a little broke. En and Atsushi are nervous, but willing to give it a try. Kinshirou...

..yeah.

Their home away from home. There are cabins and houses you can rent, but... like I said. They’re broke.

Kinshirou decides to start his vacation by practicing horseshoes. If this is all they have for entertainment, he’s going to master it.

But En doesn’t like that attitude.

En: Come on, cheer up, it’ll be fun. Kinshirou: Hmm... Maybe so, then.

Kinshirou: ...but I’ll still win at this game. Move.

As you can see behind them, Atsushi has been setting up their tents.

He’s also the only one to introduce himself to the park ranger. In other words, he continues to be the only useful Sim.

En is a miracle worker wtf

Once Atsushi’s done the boring stuff, he can join his boyfriends and spend his time being cute and flirty, as was the point of this vacation.

Kinshirou lights the fire for no reason. You’d think after part two, he’d have seen enough fire.

En... get up. What if Atsushi drops that horseshoe?

He does get up, finally. He has important painting to do.

Yes, I did add the easel to the lot before I brought them here. This vacation is costing $3 more per night than it otherwise would have.

So much excitement for a mediocre toss. And Atsushi can’t pretend to be impressed because he’s besieged by bugs.

Maybe En is trying to develop a style reminiscent of a young child’s?

Meanwhile, Kinshirou is still struggling with horseshoes.

So it’s easy, but you’re still bad at it? Got it.

Atsushi reassures him until he’s not embarrassed anymore...

...so now snobbish boredom is his dominant emotion. Look at that face. Why does anyone tolerate him?

If you’re wondering where En went, he’s taking a shower in here.

Atsushi’s first attempt at grilling!

En is drawn back by the promise of Atsushi’s excellent-quality(!!) baked potatoes. They’re sparkling! Atsushi’s so happy :D

Happy boyfriends, although Atsushi is again plagued by bugs.

Help him

Kinshirou wanders off in the middle of a conversation and goes to sleep. En is glad to have an excuse to do to the same.

Atsushi goes to the bathroom, but doesn’t return. When I check on him, I find him like this:

He’s stargazing. <3 But that’s not the spot I would have chosen, myself.

The next morning, Atsushi happily makes breakfast. He seems to be moving past any fire-related trauma from his near-death experience in part two.

Kinshirou also goes to the bathroom and doesn’t return. When I find him, not only is he making unnecessary food, he’s making exactly the same thing as Atsushi, except

wth a lot less skill behind it.

He burns himself. :c Just go eat breakfast with the others, Kinshirou.

Kinshirou: En, isn’t Atchan wonderful? He makes the best food, and he’s always so kind...

En: Yeah, you’re right. Atsushi’s great.

Atsushi looks so embarrassed... Change the subject, guys.

They’ve ventured out to the national park! They’re learning how to fish in case Atsushi ever wants to use fish in a meal.

They keep gaining friendship with each other and with this girl, even though none of them have said a word. Maybe words aren’t necessary when you’re fishing buddies.

Kinshirou catches two fish before either of the others catch anything. So when Atsushi catches one...

...he’s super excited.

Finally, to En’s incredulous annoyance, it becomes clear that he won’t catch anything in that spot.

Poor En-chan.

...poor En-chan.

There, back to normal.

Before they give up altogether on En learning to fish, they’ll try this one other spot. I just really want En to learn how to fish a;lskjf ...but the fish are too crafty for him here, too.

This is the face of a man who no longer cares.

Catching the fish made Atsushi confident, so he decides that En will be real impressed if he shows off his muscles. ...It’s sweet of En to humor him.

I see you back there, bear man. Fuck off.

I said fuck off.

If the last screenshot had you wondering, Kinshirou is telling an unbelievable story.

God damn it they’re all tense now

Kinshirou mocks the bear costume because I’m annoyed he’s annoyed about the situation. Then the three of them leave, so that they aren’t tense anymore.

Atsushi cooks his fish while En entertains them all with an adventure story :D

He follows up with a ghost story. Atsushi hangs on his every word.

Kinshirou chooses to find it amusing.

................ I forgot that ghost stories summon ghosts.

Oops.

He doesn’t stay long, though. The ghost that haunts the picnic table...

What has En done?!

En: Holy shit, my bad. Kinshirou: Well done, En. Good job.

Atsushi, in the background, is preoccupied. He’s exposing himself to the source of his fears in order to lessen the fear. No ghosts will get in the way of his exposure therapy.

They go back to their campsite, where the ghost is not. Kinshirou hopes that if he goes to sleep, he’ll be less freaked out about the ghost in the morning. En has other ideas for how to dispel his tension. Atsushi never even noticed the ghost to begin with, but he’s happy to go along with En.

...at which point I remember that this is the first Enatsu WooHoo! Congrats, guys. They get a happy moodlet from good WooHoo, as well, like En and Kinshirou did that once (except theirs was from “spectacular” WooHoo but ok whatever).

Kinshirou and Atsushi have never had a WooHoo so good they got a happy moodlet. I guess En is just really good at WooHoo.

Morning activities c:

Atsushi made this meal twice and it was poor quality both times. Fish tacos 2.0. At least he’s not so heartbroken about it this time.

This screenshot has no narrative value. I just thought it was cute.

The food was so bad it made them all feel sick... Oh, well. Atsushi is still learning.

En... I know you’re a slob, but there are limits...

“From the moist depths of the trash, En has recovered: 1 baconite.” Congratulations, En. Was it worth it.

It wouldn’t be a Kinatsuen Sims post without a screenshot of Atsushi looking distressed. This is why I put you in your tent to relax, Atsushi!! Just rest for a little while, you’ll feel better soon.

He takes it out on the bugs instead. I guess that works too.

This is the moodlet Kinshirou got after he and Atsushi WooHooed:

But this is Atsushi’s:

Kinshirou, you worry too much. Atsushi liked it, see? It looks like I spoke too soon about no happy moodlets from Kinatsu WooHoo, although it’d have been nice if they’d both gotten it.

But Kinshirou must not be too mortified, because he accepts Atsushi’s offer to be BFFs.

...and only afterwards did I realize that you can’t have multiple BFFs, and there’s no mod to make it possible. I guess it doesn’t matter too much, but poor En.

This is the only couple that hasn’t WooHooed in a tent yet. They should have a turn.

...but really that’s only an excuse to get them doing something else so that Atsushi can wander off and harvest wild things guilt-free. I want him to learn herbalism.

He identifies things by eating them, which makes me nervous. But the WooHoo back there seems to be going well.

lol.

Kinshirou now has two concurrent WooHoo moodlets. I’m proud of him.

Desperate for culture and civilization, he decides to view this big statue. But the bugs have other plans.

Dont look so resigned, En. Maybe it’ll go better this time.

(It did go better! He caught a fish. But I was following Kinshirou around in his herbalism journey and missed it.)

This again... If they can’t learn that every time you poke a fire with a stick, the stick catches fire, maybe they should just stay away from fire.

Because En is a lazy Sim, he doesn't jog when he has to go long distances like the other two do. As a result, it takes him a million years to go places. They all started to head back to the campsite at the same time, but Atsushi has already cooked and eaten dinner, and Kinshirou has burned a stick as well, by the time En deigns to show up.

After dinner, Atsushi asks Kinshirou to go stargazing. <3

There aren’t many screenshots for the next day because they don’t do much of anything interesting. That’s largely because they sleep very late.

Kinshirou, pls

This is not the time to hit on Atsushi. Atsushi is fighting the eternal battle against the bugs.

Or so I would have said, but whatever En does here, he manages to get Atsushi’s attention.

...then he turns and starts talking to Kinshirou asldjkf

Atsushi: Hey... En-chan... I’m still up for... you know... you didn’t forget already, did you?

They all keep rolling whims to get married to each other but hey don’t have enough money or friends for a nice wedding yet asdl;jfk and they would be sad in the end if they had the quick, boring type of Sim wedding. They’ll have to daydream quietly about it for a little while longer.

En ends the trip with another story. Not a ghost story this time, though. He learned his lesson. This is a fairytale. Soon afterwards, when he and Kinshirou are stargazing, Kinshirou gets homesick :C Poor baby, he’s not meant for camping.

The next day, without fanfare or screenshots, they head home. I think their vacation was good for them, but Atsushi has no vacation days left, so lets hope he doesn't set himself on fire again before he earns another one.

Will they ever get to see the community lots built and chosen especially for them? Will they get a cat? Will I, in fact, pick up The Sims again at all? When in the world will En and Atsushi have compatible work schedules so that they don’t have to run away into the wilderness to be together? Only time will tell.

Epilogue:

The lion is En’s idea of a painting that inspires confidence.