#its so hard for me to maintain focus on a long game MAINLY BECAUSE the gaming chair is broke. and hurty my butt

[du-hjarta-skulblaka]

I am going tovplay Baldurs Gate today. I want to play it I am going to play it.

...I cannot guarantee I will be continuing my Act 2 Durge,

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Kismet {9}

Henry Cavill x Famous OFC Aliya Taylor

Warning: Slow Burn, Mild Cursing, Dialogue Heavy, POV Changes

Words: 3.5k

Summary: Aliya is a singer turned model turned actress. Since she was fifteen, she’s been creating her empire in the entertainment world. As the daughter of a famous fashion model/designer and Hollywood director, you’d think life is easy for her, but her past has been anything but easy. Due to past trauma, she’s forever changed and no longer trusts any man that is not in her family and a select few in her team. She’s sworn off love and serious relationships and has planned never to fall again, but love isn’t something that can be planned. It just happens when it’s meant to. Can Aliya outrun a love that seems hellbent on holding tight to her, a love that is Kismet?

If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!! 😘  

As always, thank you so much for reading. ❤️❤️

***Loosely Edited/Proofread***

***Interactive***

Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 

The change within you was instantaneous, and your body fought it like a foreign virus. You’d barely slept a wink the night before. You tossed. You rolled. You took up your phone and hovered over Henry’s contact only to put it back down and toss and turn some more. Half of you wanted to talk to him so badly, but the other half wanted you to practice some restraint. There was no happy middle ground, and because there wasn’t, you struggled to find any peace in your mind. By the time you managed to fall asleep, it was one hour before you had to get up to prep for your day. When you opened your eyes, the first thing you saw was a message from the culprit to your sleeplessness himself.

 MSG Henry: Good morning, beautiful. I didn’t sleep a wink. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I must have picked up my phone ten times to text or call you. It’s torture not being able to hear the one voice you want to hear more than anything.

 As soon as you read the words, your heart literally melted, and butterflies filled your belly.

 “Christ almighty,” you whispered as your fingers itched to rapid-fire. Before you could catch yourself, you’d already typed out a reply and sent it.

 MSG: Good Morning to you too, handsome. I know what you mean. I didn’t sleep either. I almost called you so many times. I think you’re addicting.

 You reread the message then groaned at the last sentence.

 “Really, Aliya, addicting?” You rolled your eyes hard and pushed to get yourself ready for the day.

 By the time you’d left the hotel, he still hadn’t replied, and you regretted responding altogether.  So, here you were sitting in one of your four meetings for the day trying to keep your head in the game and your mind off of Henry’s lips, or his eyes, or the feel of his muscular arms around you. It was proving more complicated than it sounded. When you weren’t thinking of his lips, or his eyes, or his arms and kisses, you were overthinking your message and his lack of response.

 A little more than halfway in your first meeting, your phone went off, and you had to make yourself slow down and not leap for it. Nonchalantly, you glanced at the screen and saw Henry’s name.

 MSG Henry: Addicting, huh? I like that, but you should not be talking. I have been addicted to you since the day you bumped into me.

 Any worries you’d had the last few hours melted away, and a smile spread across your face.

 MSG: Do tell me more, Mr. Cavill.

 Barely a minute passed before another message came in.

 MSG Henry: I would rather tell you while looking in your eyes so you can see the depth of which I mean them in my eyes.

 You bit your bottom lip and closed your eyes. He was different alright, you thought.

 MSG Henry: I’m sorry it took me this long to reply. I’m trying to finish up all business between today and tomorrow. I had to hide my phone from myself, or else I would have been messaging you this entire time.

 You couldn’t lie. That felt good to know that he was having as much of a struggle going about his typical day to day tasks as you were. The knowledge of that comforted you, but it also worried you. This thing was still so new. For the duration of your meeting, you texted on and off. It continued as you moved to your second and third meetings, and by then, your focus was shot. The only thing you cared about was what he was saying.

 You loved how open he was. He always found a way to describe to you just what he was thinking or feeling while still remaining mysterious enough to have you wondering what he felt and thought. It was interesting. You’d always been able to predict every man that tried to enter your life. You could predict their motives, what tactics they’d use to try to weasel themselves in, and you often could predict how things would end. With Henry, you’d been having a difficult time with those predictions. It bothered you.

 By the time you got back to your hotel room, it was nearing seven o’clock. You wasted no time putting your phone on silent to concentrate on a little self-care beginning with a soak in the jetted tub. You did your best to keep your mind open to allow the meditation track you played to really work at loosening the knots in your shoulders and tension in your neck. The stress of your life, mainly from work, was really beginning to show. It had always shown, you just never listened to your body whenever it told you to slow down or take it easy.

 Many of your friends and family teased you that you lived to work instead of working to live. There were times you were inclined to agree with them because you didn’t need to work so much to maintain the lifestyle you were accustomed to. You had more money than you knew what to do with. You could afford to take time off to recharge but, you’d lived with the belief that the less time you had to be idle, the better it was for your mental and emotional health. Idle hands, after all, were the devil’s playground. You’d grown so accustomed to working nonstop that you didn’t know how to just do nothing.  

After almost two hours in the bath, as you walked into the bedroom, you saw your phone light up. It was an incoming call from Henry. Sighing, you plopped onto the bed, trying to fight back the smile that wanted freedom. The smile won the battle.

 “Hello?”

 “Did I wake you? I called earlier but--.”

 “No, I’m awake. I put my phone on silent and took a long bath,” you clarified.

 “Ah, that sounds relaxing. Maybe I should try that. I’m feeling this burnout more and more.”

 “Those who are serious about their craft work too much.”

 Henry sighed softly, and you wondered if there was a hint of mint and Guinness on his lips.

 “I don’t want to work tonight,” Henry declared. “Tonight, I want to be with you.”

 You dropped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Oh, do you now?”

 “Yes,” Henry confirmed, his voice dropping in baritone. Your belly fluttered, making you press your palm against it.

 “Have you eaten?”

 “I haven’t,” you breathlessly replied.

 “Good. I’ll be around for you in forty-five minutes.”

 You sprang upward. “That’s not enough time.”

 “Oh no? High maintenance are you?”

 You snorted and shook your head, hearing the tease and challenge in his voice.

 “Forty-five minutes then, just don’t get mad when I don’t look like pictures in magazines,” you quipped.

 “Come as you are.”

 Your reflection caught your eye. Because you’d gotten your hair slightly wet in the tub, it was now in a half natural half blown out state, making you look crazy. You doubted forty-five would be enough to tame it.

 “See you soon,” you said before hanging up to focus on getting yourself together.

 Forty-nine minutes later, you were dressed and on your way down in the elevator. As it made its way down, you assessed your appearance, thankful you were able to straighten your hair again to add a few loose curls. Part of you hadn’t wanted to bother, but you knew the dress you were going to wear would be better complemented with a sleek look. Your eyes skimmed the half sheer and half bodycon black dress you wore, loving that it was the right mix between sexy and classic. You added another layer of your mauve tinted lip gloss and just in time for the doors to open.

 It didn’t take long for you to spot him sitting in the lobby where one of the big-screen TVs were placed. He was watching a rugby match. You crossed the black and white designed tiled floors and approached behind him. When you dipped to his ear, his scent almost had a moan escaping you—almost.

 “Either, no matter where you are, you gravitate to rugby, or I took too long,” you whispered.

Henry turned, and the moment his eyes landed on you, a dumbfounded look washed across his face. You tried not to bashfully look away as you watched his jaw drop when his eyes took in the full view.

 “Wow.”

 A giggle that would have been nauseating from someone else slipped from you, making you press your fingertips to your lips.

 “You’re breathtaking.”

 You smiled, then gently tapped his chest.

 “Stop.”

 “I’m being completely truthful.”

 Those damn butterflies made their presence known once again.

 “Thank you,” you whispered.

 Henry held out a single peony to you. “For you.”

 As you took it, your smile widened. “Wow, one of my favorite flowers.”

 “Is that so?”

 You nodded.

 “Hmm, happy coincidence,” Henry replied as he stood and buttoned his suit jacket. Once done, he held out his arm for you. “Shall we?”

 You nodded and looped yours with his, ready for whatever the night brought on.

  -Henry-

As you sat across from him under the hanging flowers and dim lighting of the restaurant perusing the menu, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you. It could have been the way the golden light bathed your skin, giving it an almost glowing aura. Or it could have been the soft smile pasted to your subtle painted lips. It could have even been the spell of the restaurant, the classical music playing, and the sweet scent of flowers that surrounded the two of you. Whatever it was, he itched to touch you, itched to get closer, and itched to do nothing but find a way to keep a smile on your face.

 “What?”

 Realizing you were now looking at him, he smiled back at you.

 “Nothing.”

 “No, no. That’s a something look,” you said, still not able to not smile.

 “It’s nothing,” he repeated.

 “Henry, seriously. What is it?”

 You reached out and gently slapped his hand, then rested it on top of the table.

 “Nothing, really. It’s just—I can’t seem to keep my eyes off of you,” he admitted.

 Your smile slipped, revealing a serious expression for a few seconds before you smiled again and dipped your head in a bashful way. Unable to keep his hands to himself any longer, he closed the gap between your hands and took yours.

 “Your parents must be proud to have raised such a charming son.”

 He smiled, then shrugged. “She has five of them.”

 “Bless her heart,” you added, making him chuckle.

 A comfortable silence drifted between you as he enjoyed the softness of your hand in his and the way your warmth mingled with his. He could get used to this, he thought to himself. When the waiter returned to the table to pour the chosen wine into your glasses, you pulled your hand away, but he didn’t take offense.

 “So, by this time next week, I will be off the grid,” he said after the waiter walked off again.

 A quizzical look swept across your face.

 “Off the grid? Are you a spy?”

 He smiled. “I promise I’m not.”

 Another waiter approached the table, this time carrying your selected third and final courses. He thanked the waiter as he laid the plates before you before he retreated.

 “You were saying,” you prompted, lifting your dinner fork from the selection of three different ones to your right.

 “I’ve earned some much needed R&R.”

 With your fork paused at your lips, you smiled. “Oh, that’s great. Congratulations. When was the last time you took a holiday?”

 He watched you chew and quickly got lost watching your mouth. It took him several seconds to regain his train of thought.

 “Eh-em, uh—perhaps a year and a half, if we are talking about a true holiday.”

 “Wow, that’s a long time.”

 “What about you?”

 You smirked, then scoffed. “Define holiday.”

 He returned your smirk then rested his knife and fork atop the braised beef on his plate before he replied. “Time off, no work, nothing that you have to worry about that can cause stress,  anxiety, or tension. Oh, and of course, sleeping late, drinking until three or four in the morning, fun every day, and feeling refreshed upon return.”

 You smiled as you finished chewing. He watched you take another sip from your glass and knew the wine was only making your lips even sweeter than they already were.

 “Ha! Jeez, when you define it like that, it’s been years upon years,” you replied.

 “Not good at all.”

 You nodded. “Tell me about it.” A soft smile was still on your lips as you placed another forkful of the pan-seared sea bass you were eating.

 With those words, a thought formulated in his mind, and it was a thought he wondered if he put words to would you be receptive. The remainder of dinner passed comfortably. Another reason why he couldn’t stop thinking about you and enjoyed being around you was because your conversation was always excellent. There was never any form of discomfort or awkwardness between you. You easily talked about so many things, and the things you said were always thought-provoking and intelligent. While everyone thought you were just a pretty face, you’d repeatedly allowed him to see that the world knew nothing.

 His hand was rarely without yours in it, and when he held your hand, you softly raked your fingernails against the palm and fingers. Every time you did it, the goosebumps that raced across his skin sparked a reaction that was visible much, much lower than his hand. Everyone else in the restaurant could have disappeared for all he knew because you’d captivated him and every single one of his senses.

 By the time you left the restaurant, it was close to midnight, but you didn’t seem to care what time it was. You held onto his hand as you walked along The River Thames. He often did this late at night when he couldn’t sleep. It was really the only time he could come and not be bothered or recognized because he was more than likely the only one there. Tonight your laughter danced through the air, and the gentle ebb and flow of the water only helped the glistening light from the bridge and neighboring buildings shimmer that much more. It was quite romantic.

You stopped and pressed your back to the iron gating that kept pedestrians out of the river. You stretched your arms out, leaning back as if to really enjoy the gentle breeze.

 “It’s a beautiful night,” you sighed out.

 Just like that, he drifted closer to you until there were only a few inches between your bodies. When you came upright again, your smile was still bright, even realizing he was so close.

 “Are you trying to push me in?”

 He smiled and shook his head. “Never.”

 “Oh no?”

 “No,” he repeated, taking another step to you.

 You bit your bottom lip then sucked it into your mouth, and he became even more painfully aware that he hadn’t sampled them since the night before.

 “Unacceptable,” he whispered.

 “What?”

 Reaching out, he cupped your jaw and slid his thumb across your cheekbone while he slowly traced every inch of your face to his memory. When his eyes met yours, he fell another foot or two deep into the quicksand-like pit of his growing feelings for you. He was so close to going under it was alarming.

 “It’s unacceptable that I haven’t tasted your lips in over twelve hours.”

 He heard a soft gasp escape your lips, and it was the only sound you made before his lips pressed to yours. The only move you made was to entangle your fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. The feel of your fingers against his skin brought those familiar goosebumps. He moaned, then pulled you flush against him. The feel of your body against his made his heart thump rapidly, and when you moaned against his lips, the need to consume you took precedence.

 When he delved his tongue into your mouth, he was shocked when you swirled yours around his, and the sensual move had him pressing you firmly against the iron behind you. It was out of character for him to do this so wide in the open, but he felt himself doing things that no one would ever guess he would do when he was with you. Your soft nibbled on his bottom lip brought his mind back to the rising dilemma, rising being the operative word.

 Pulling his lips from yours, he rested his forehead to yours. Both of you didn’t speak; instead, you were both lost in trying to catch your breath. Long moments passed, and in those moments, he fought to regain his composure. He’d never reacted to anyone the way he reacted to you.

 “Come with me,” he whispered, his voice shakier than he’d expected.

 Your eyes fluttered open, and he didn’t know if it was wishful thinking, but he swore he saw actual stars in them that put the night sky to shame.

 “Where?”

 “Away on holiday.”

 You pulled back a few centimeters and gazed into his eyes more intently. He watched them dart from his left eye, then to the right and back again. Slowly the stars vanished, and humor replaced them.

 “Good one,” you said before you laughed out loud, pulling your body from his.

 “Oh my god, you really had me going for a second,” you said through laughter.

 You took two steps as if to continue walking, but he laced his fingers with yours and pulled you back before him. You gasped, and the sound of it made him close the space between you again, pressing you onto the iron bars. With his body pressed to yours leaving no evidence of there being two bodies, you moaned, and the sound almost had him capturing your lips again. If he did though, he didn’t know if his hands would remain respectful.

 “I wasn’t kidding.”

 Your eyes were on his lips, and the desire for you to take control, almost overrode his desire to be in control—almost.

 “What?”

 “Come on holiday with me, just the two of us, a beach wine somewhere—anywhere.”

 He saw the moment you realized he was as serious as a heart attack.

 “You’re serious,” you reiterated.

 “More serious than I’ve been about anything.”

 You didn’t speak for the next minute, but you also didn’t move away. He decided he’d give you the time to consider it.

 You scoffed before you spoke. “What? Henry—we can’t.”

 “Why?”

 You gaped at him as if he were insane.

 “Why?” That was when you pulled away from him and took a few steps sideways while still leaning against the gate. “We—we don’t--.”

 You looked as if you were wracking your brain for a response, but you also looked like you were trying to catch your breath.

 “We don’t know anything about each other.”

 He took a step to you. You didn’t move.

 “Which is why a private holiday would aid in us getting to know each other—uninterrupted without the pretexts,” he replied.

 Your eyes widened before you shook your head then turned to face the water. You peered out silently, baffled. “Henry—we can’t.”

 He approached you, and as he leaned against the gate, you looked at him. “Tell me why,” he requested.

 “Why—because—I—I don’t do—that,” you stuttered.

 “What holidays?”

 He saw the exasperation wash across your face before it went blank. You stepped away again, then cleared your throat.

 “I have an early flight out tomorrow.”

 It was hard not to feel the rejection, but he hid it the best he could. Nodding, he held out his arm for you to take.

 “Then let’s get you back to your hotel.”

 The entire ten-minute walk, his mind went from one thing to the next. He worried he’d come on too strong, or that he’d said the wrong thing, or somehow offended you. Then he went back and forth with his decision to even ask you. Part of him felt like maybe he was jumping a little too far ahead, but the other part of him felt there was nothing wrong with inviting you especially based on how things had gone the entire night and the vibes he picked up. That made him wonder if he’d read the evening entirely wrong.

 When he stopped with you in your hotel's lobby, he was in no hurry to ask you again. He’d begun to feel quite stupid. His hurt feelings needed the night to recover. He took your arm from the crook of his elbow and held your hand. Again, you didn’t pull away. Deciding he couldn't afford to give you the time to, he lowered your hand and stepped away from you.

 “Thank you for dinner.”

 “T—thank you,” you said barely above a whisper.

 He nodded and debated his next move. He took a timid step forward and kissed your cheek.

 “Have a safe flight.”

 “Thank you.”

 This one was a whisper.

 “Good night, Aliya,” he breathed out before he quickly kissed your forehead then walked away out the door and down the street without looking back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[theblekromantik]

somewhere new

Erik Stevens x Black Reader

a/n: hello lovelies, i hope you’re well and i hope that you enjoy this! i’ve been experimenting with writing lately, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!

summary: you and Erik go decide to go grocery shopping, but you switch things up a little

warnings: fluff-ish with some sexual tension and implied smut

word count: 3189

A booming,

“Yo, ma!”

Accompanied by a knock at the door rattles you, causing you to drop your eyelash into the sink. Your good, very expensive eyelash that requires much focus in order to be applied to your upper lash line.

Grunting and twinging your face in disgust of the sight before you, you fish it out of the sink, blowing on it to determine if the glue is still salvageable.

“Come on, E! Five minutes!” You respond with your mouth slightly parted, a strange requirement for impeccable eyelash placement.

“Princess, we gotta hurry up before the store closes,” Erik protests, pulling up his sleeve to check his diamond-encrusted AP watch. It’s almost seven o’clock, and Erik hated shopping minutes before a store closed. It made him feel like he was being rushed to gather his items and head to the register.

You and Erik frequently ran errands together, only this time you were grocery shopping. Staying in was nice and all – really quite enjoyable – but an end had to come to the endless Netflix bingeing and takeout from your favorite spots. You both, mainly Erik, decided that it was time for a nutritious, home-cooked meal, one that wouldn’t lead you down a road of clogged arteries and hypertension. But Erik was a phenomenal chef, so you could hardly complain that your ongoing DoorDash expenditure had been interrupted.

“Damn! One second!” You holler. “One second…there.”

You step back and look into the mirror, admiring yourself. Thirty minutes of hard work and determination had really paid off! You grab your phone from the sink’s surface and proceed to snap some photos of yourself.

SHUTTER! SHUTTER! SHUTTER! SHUTTER!

Beauty must always be captured, no matter what the time restraint.

“Princess! You taking pictures in there?” The dreaded man pounds on the door, harder this time. Banging, nearly shaking the hinges out of the door until you swing it open.

And there you are, dolled up and all, from the 26-inch deep wave hair to the Adidas tracksuit, the top zipped down nearly to the level of exposing the full extent of your breasts. Just the way you liked it.

Erik can hardly contain himself as he looks further down at you, ogling how your recently-manicured toes fit perfectly between each slot of your sandals. Man, he knew you were one for dressing up, but to the grocery store? Maybe he needs to step his game up.

“Well?” You jest. “You were so loud banging on the door, you got nothing to say now?”

Catching his lip underneath his teeth, he smugly looks you over once more, trying to gather words to say, for you’ve left him speechless.

He inches closer to you, “My babygirl likes to talk back, huh?”

“Yup, she do,” Boldness courses through you, nearly shattered as you maintain eye contact with your boyfriend.

His eyes were boulders, but you were just as unyielding. This game the two of you liked to play – this perpetual exchange of power – rarely ever ended with you emerging victorious. And you knew this, but you wanted to have your fun.

Finally, though smirkingly, you divert your gaze to your phone, shuffling through your gallery to decide which photos to keep, which photos to delete, and which photos to post.

“You look beautiful, Princess,” Erik chuckles after pressing a kiss onto your lips. “Now let’s go.”

While you knew you had lost the battle in the bathroom, you couldn’t wait to enjoy the war you and Erik would have in the bedroom later.

–

“Shotgun!” Erik shouted as you were fumbling in your purse for your keys, making a sprint for the car through your apartment complex’s parking lot.

The sun was setting beneath the horizon, and it illuminated the sky a burnt orange, a hue that began to embellish the surfaces of each object it touched – buildings, vehicles, windows, trees, the reflective skin of Erik’s custom-designed Air Max 97s as he raced further away from you.

After some time, your nimble fingers reach the item of your search, which results in a chime. You pull the keys out, contemplating whether to unlock the car doors for dreaded man in order to relieve him from the heat of the California sun, or let him suffer. Though it was setting, this sun still could extract a cup of sweat from one’s body. But hey, Erik was grown, he could wait.

You strut up to the car to see your boyfriend leaning on the door, panting, condensation forming on his forehead.

You release a sound of triumph, “I was gonna drive anyway.”

The car unlocks with a chirp, and you open the door and sit down. Dumbfounded, Erik was clutching the hood of the car still, trying to catch his breath.

“You getting in, or…”

He opens the car door and slumps down into the seat.

“You didn’t have to have a nigga looking dumb, baby.”

“I don’t think you need me for that, E.”

Erik snickers, “So it’s like that?”

“Yeah, it’s like that,” you tease, pressing the car to start and reversing out of the lot.

The two of you were buckling in for a long evening, and quite frankly, you couldn’t wait to see how it would progress.

–

As you drive on the road, the city and all its structures – both new and old – vanish behind you as a multitude of cool currents of air whip into the car through the windows, blowing your hair in all sorts of directions.

The vehicle vibrates as you blast a playlist full of new releases through your aux, and Erik grips your thigh as he sings to you, gold canines flashing and all.

You gently place your foot on the break, easing the car to a stop before the upcoming red light.

Erik, nearly louder than the music, starts to grind on the seat à la Magic Mike, and you couldn’t help but to laugh at the dreaded man and his silliness, a behaviour that is a pleasant break from his usual brooding nature.

But your laughter is cut short by a car honking behind you, indicating that the light had just turned green. You roll your eyes, because it had literally just turned green, and you press on the gas, revving your vehicle to the speed limit.

You pass another number of buildings a before making a sharp left turn.

“Shit!” You mumble to yourself.

You had almost missed the turn.

“Babygirl, that wasn’t the turn. Where we going?” Erik questions, for the route you’re taking was not your usual one.

“A little change of plans. I wanted to go somewhere else this time.”

“’Somewhere else’?” Erik probes. “What’s wrong with Ralph’s?!”

Now this took Erik by surprise. He’s genuinely concerned about your decision. To him, Ralph’s is King.

“Nothing, just wanna try something different.”

Your boyfriend clutches his heart, feigning a heart attack. You snort and turn into the parking lot. Both the wind and the car’s engine settle as you drive into a spot and press the vehicle off.

“Trader Joe’s?!” Erik cries. “What they got up in there?”

You exit the car, grabbing your purse from the backseat. “Stop complaining. Let’s go.”

–

If boredom could be personified, it’s spitting image would be Erik, for he rests his forearms on the bar of the shopping cart, eyes drooping as he observes the eccentric packaging of Trader Joe’s products.

Picking up a container of salsa he says, “Why all this shit organic?”

But you just suck your teeth and let him sulk behind the cart, ignoring him and all his grumbling.

“And this,” His gaze sets upon another display, “Who the fuck needs all these types of dried fruit? Probably taste like tumbleweed anyway.”

“Yo, stop moaning and groaning over there,” You shoot back at him, grabbing two packages of dried mangoes and placing them into the cart.

But Erik persists, dragging his feet across the smooth, concrete floor.

Minding the grocery list you and Erik had created earlier on your phone, you head deeper into the produce section, searching for some leafy greens and other ingredients that would contribute toward Erik’s signature salad. He walks off with the cart, gathering some tomatoes and bell peppers before making his way into another section of the store.

You, on the other hand, stand in front of the illuminated display with every type of green you could think of: arugula, kale, spinach, and lettuce, just to name a few. Reaching in, you squish some of the bags in order to determine their freshness. And you grab some kale and return to your shopping partner, who was waiting patiently for you, his previous protesting done with.

Looking down at the list on your phone, there wasn’t that much left for you all to grab, just some seasonings that were essential for the completion of any dish. There’re so many to choose from, and quite frankly, you’d just grab them all if you weren’t on a budget. So, you place a couple in the cart. And when you look up again, there Erik is, a pouty look on his face.

“Birthday cake popcorn?” Erik suggests, holding up the multicoloured item.

“Put it in the cart,” You giggle, maneuvering to a checkout line with the least amount of people.

The line becomes shorter and shorter, with customers paying and leaving with their large brown bags. And before you know it, the cashier shouts, “Next!” and moves to take your cart.

“Find everything okay?” The cashier asks, briefly glancing up at the two of you before moving to scan the items in your cart.

“Yes, thank you,” you respond, blankly staring as more items appeared on the customer screen and the worker transferred your groceries into the bags adjacent to the register.

Erik, standing beside you, wraps his right pinky finger against your left one, linking the two of you before you adjust to hold his entire hand. He grips your waist and pulls you in to kiss your lips and lingers there for a short while, eyes boring into yours while also relishing the traces of your chocolate-flavoured lip gloss that had found its way to onto his tongue.

You’re flustered, of course, but not because he hadn’t kissed you this intensely before, but because you were reminded that you were still at the grocery store, for the cashier cleared their throat awkwardly, repeating the total cost you had missed in your fleeting moment of passion.

Scratching your neck, hoping to relieve the embarrassment that that crept up your spine, you ask, “I’m sorry, how much is it?”

To which the cashier responds, “That’s $43.96.”

“I got it, bae,” Erik interjects, pulling out his wallet and handing a crisp yet folded fifty-dollar bill to the worker.

And while the cashier hands Erik the change, you grab the red cart and head toward the exit but not before thanking them. A few steps behind, Erik acknowledges another cashier – the only Black cashier – with a head nod and a knowing smile, to which the cashier nods, shrugs, and returns the grin: the shared feeling of being the only Black person in the room. The automatic doors open, reintroducing the cool evening air upon your face and hair, and the rubber wheels of the cart greet the smooth pavement.

When you reach the cart return, Erik grabs all of the bags while you fit the cart among the lines of carts already present. The two of you begin to walk to your parked vehicle but instead accidentally stumble upon on one with a similar make and model to your own but was not yours.

“I swore I parked right here,” you huff, standing on the balls of your feet, searching the sea of identical cars in the well-lit parking lot. And the fact that there were so many other last-minute shoppers did not help your plight either.

“Lemme see the keys,” Erik says, intrigue in his voice. “I wanna see something.”

You hand him the keys to the car, and he places them under his chin, pressing the unlock button repeatedly.

“That doesn’t actually work, does it?” You quiz, doubt heavy on your words.

“We have to see.”

Supposedly, this little trick should increase the bandwidth of the key’s signal, using one’s head as a sort of antenna. But after a couple clicks, you hear nothing besides traffic on the neighbouring streets.

Pointless, you think, just wanting to hurry up and head home.

But then, you hear a series of chirps in the distance and Erik yipping about the fact.

“Over there,” Erik says, nodding his head toward the source of the noise.

He picks up the bags, and you both head to the vehicle.

–

Shutting the door to your car, you release a sigh. Finally, the bags are all placed on the floor of your car, and you can finally head home.

With your foot on the break, you reach to push the car to start but then Erik yelps, “Wait! I wanna try those mango joints.”

“Oh, now you wanna try them,” You jest, “Because if I can remember, you were just–”

“–Man,” Erik interrupts, reaching to the backseat and rummaging through the bags. “Found it.”

He surveys the clear package titled “Soft & Juicy Mango” with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips curled, a slight repugnance that he couldn’t even help hide. But ripping the bag open, his expression softens as the aroma fills his nostrils, the sweet, tropical scent soothing him.

You watch, rolling your eyes, as Erik cautiously lowers his fingers into the package. One would think that the former Navy Seal wouldn’t be so dramatic over something like trying a new food, but Erik never ceases to amaze you.

Mango slice in hand, Erik purses his lips as he brings it to his mouth, slowly. Tortuously. And chews, his head cocked to the side.

“Wait,” he says as he swallows the last bit. “These bitches smack!”

You release a sound of disbelief, start the vehicle, and pull into the street, heading home. Of course the mangoes were delicious.

–

The sound of the car door closing can be heard as you and Erik finish grabbing all the groceries and head to the entrance of your apartment building. Your boyfriend opens the door for you, his veiny forearm braced on it and towering above you as you enter.

“Damn, ma! You getting thick!” He hollers as he watches the sway of your hips in your fitted bottoms.

You feel your cheeks warm up as you push some hair behind your air. You had been getting thick.

The lobby as you pass through is empty except for the security guard looking down at a glow coming from their lap and a couple of young people with white wires cascading down from their ears, bopping their heads to music that you can hear but not quite make out specific lyrics.

You and Erik find your way inside the elevator, the flickering fluorescents easing you back home, a stark difference from the glaringly bright ones at Trader Joe’s. Erik presses the round “4”, and the aluminum doors begin to close before you, you staring ahead while Erik sneaks a glance at you, smirking before redirecting his gaze toward the sliding metal.

Watching the line of numbers flash as the lift ascends from the ground floor, you turn to Erik, kissing him softly on the lips, closing your eyes and feeling a tingling sensation coursing into him through you. An electrical current that ceases to meet its end, ravishing you both entirely.

And with a ding, the elevator doors open and there you and Erik are, standing chest to chest in the moment, biting your lips like a couple of anxious teenagers on a first date. You pull away from him, keys in hand, heading for the apartment while Erik watches you.

God, how did he get so lucky? You were a treasure to him, and not only because you were so extraordinary but the little things: how you treated him so tenderly and with love yet wouldn’t hesitate to call him out when he was acting like a fool, and how you were so receptive to him as he was to you. These were all things that he scarcely experienced, if he ever experienced them at all. You helped him learn how to love and to receive love, which is an astonishing feat that many cannot confess that they’ve accomplished for themselves. And as you look back at him and smile while you unlock the door, he feels a bit weak in the knees, your electricity overwhelming him once more. You’ve got him hooked, and he loves it. He’s entirely entranced by you, and he doesn’t mind.

You open the door and are welcomed by your apartment, which is completely shrouded in darkness, save for the streetlights, the headlights of passing cars, and the last sliver of the orange evening sky before it is overcome by those distant stars in the night sky.

“Whew,” you exhale, flipping on the light switch and opening the door wider.

Erik sets the bags down on the countertops and approaches you.

“What are you–” you begin, but Erik is sliding his arms around your midsection and turning you to him. He presses his forehead against yours, twirling the ends of your hair and breathes you in and attaches his lips to yours, gently, truly wanting to savour this moment and you in this moment.

He pulls away, slowly, and confesses for the first time aloud, “I love you,” in a voice no louder than a whisper in a public library, to which you respond, “I love you, too.”

And the two of you remain like this for a few moments, staring into each other’s eyes, not even letting the ever-busy late-night traffic rattle you.

“So,” he starts, “About earlier in the bathroom…”

“Yeah, what about it?” You respond, seduction laced in your words.

“I’m thinking we need to address that.”

“Oh, do you?”

“Yup,” Erik answers, popping the “p”.

“And what about the groceries?”

“They’ll be a’ight.”

“Hm,” You sound, lacing your hand with his and walking the both of you to your shared bedroom.

Erik walks towards you, making you both fall on the bed. And the dreaded man begins pecking at your neck, travelling up to the bone of your jaw and landing once again on your plump lips. He swipes his finger down them, and repeats, “I love you.”

You stand up to close the door, while Erik sits up, waiting on you to return to him. You cradle his head in your hands while you kiss him, deeper, all that former tenderness left at the door. And stripping him of his shirt, his impatient fingers also dance to the zipper of your top, lowering it. He slides the jacket over your shoulders as you kneel on the bed to straddle him. But before you could grind down on his crotch, Erik grips your hips and flips you onto your back, the sudden movement bouncing your body on the bed after it meets the comforter.

“Not so fast, babygirl.”

[lovelyirony]

made up fic title: i didn't know i was lonely (til i saw your face)

i wanna get better 

Howard Stark is the world’s smartest man. Tony knows this, has read it in so many newspaper articles and interviews and magazines that he could probably cut out every single time a journalist writes it and make a new fucking wallpaper out of it. 

It’s permeated every single aspect of Tony’s life. The problem is that Tony looks exactly like his father did. Everyone compares everything. How quickly he builds a weapon, how fast it can take for him to churn out an idea. 

His humor is the same, way of dressing is the same, and he should be the same. The world needs another Howard Stark for the next lifetime. They don’t need a Tony Stark. 

(And maybe...maybe Tony doesn’t mind that. It’s so much easier, to pretend to be somebody else and have them look at that.) 

Tony doesn’t make friends. Ever. Friends are not beneficial, and it’s not like they could hang out anyways. Tony reads in books about friends who go to diners together and attend movies and skateboard, but really? He doesn’t have time for that. He has to build things and study business, and get his life all sorted out. 

He is sixteen when he goes to college. He feels far too young, and the kind, warm hand of Jarvis’ smoothing out his hair makes the feeling worse. 

“You will be fine, Anthony. Study hard, and who knows how quickly you’ll graduate.” 

“Of course,” Tony says stiffly. 

“Have fun, Tony,” Ana says, grinning. “College can be a fun time.” 

It’s not supposed to be fun for him. Howard told him to focus on his studies only. His whole life would be the engineering and business buildings, and maybe he would sometimes get takeout. Maybe he wouldn’t. 

Point is, this is just like everything else in his life: the goal was to be exactly like Howard. Graduate top of his class, blow the world away, and have a glass of scotch after a job well done. (Or gin, or whiskey, or hell...all three.) 

- 

Rhodey was not a factor. At all. 

Tony had thought that his mother had paid extra to make sure her son had a room all to himself. Not out of a desire, no: out of necessity. Can’t have daddy’s little prodigy revealing anything. 

And maybe she meant to, but he’s not going to question it. Not when he’s just been staring. 

“Hey man,” the guy in the room says. The name-tag on the door says “Jim.” 

“Hey,” Tony says. “Good to...sorry. I just...I wasn’t expecting anyone here.” 

“Last minute decision. My room decided to burst a pipe. Technical difficulties. They say they’re gonna get it fixed as soon as possible. That a problem for you?” 

There’s more to the eyebrow raise, more to the tone. Jim isn’t going to take shit, and he knows who Tony is. He saw it in how his eyes widened for a moment. 

Tony likes him. He doesn’t know how it’s going to go later, but for now: Jim is a likable guy. 

“Not at all.” 

- 

To get used to sharing is definitely interesting. Tony has to get used to a lot, which isn’t a bad thing, but he wasn’t expecting to have to tiptoe at three a.m. while making ramen because Rhodey has something called a “sleep schedule to maintain.” 

Tony doesn’t know what the hell that is, but he doesn’t like it. 

Jim plays a lot of records, which is...odd. Tony’s never really been one for records, mainly because he’s future-thinking. But the way that Jim smiles when he hears a song and tells Tony a little anecdote about his father’s dancing in the kitchen? That’s good. 

So Tony buys some records, and falls in love with one band in particular: AC/DC. He can’t get enough of it. 

Jim, apparently, can. 

“Oh my god,” he groans, entering their dorm room. “Are you still playing that band?” 

“They’re amazing, Jim-Jam,” Tony says, turning it down a bit. “Besides, I thought your bio lab lasted for another hour.” 

“It was supposed to, but one of the sorority girls got too flustered with a fraternity guy and then things caught fire.” 

“Boo,” Tony says, frowning. “It’s the worst when a lab catches on fire.” 

- 

Tony is not expecting Jim to invite him anywhere, take him anywhere. After all, that’s not what school is for, and Tony’s not exactly the world’s best roommate. Besides, their RA said that they didn’t have to be friends, they just had to be good roommates. 

(Tony remembers this whenever he forgets to put away his ramen bowl.) 

But Jim invites him to a restaurant with a couple of his buddies from ROTC. 

“It’ll be fun,” he says, smiling. “Besides, you never go out.” 

There’s a reason for that, although people here aren’t really “fanatical” about Tony, thank god. 

- 

The dinner turns out to be terrible, because all of the guys just want to talk about Tony’s dad. 

“How did he end up getting the better reaction timing on the new pistol, the Stark 77?” A guy named Terry asks. 

And Tony freezes. 

That wasn’t Howard’s. That was his. 

Jim must’ve seen something on his face. 

“I, uh, I guess it must’ve just been something with the screw-in method during assembly,” Tony says weakly. “If you’ll excuse me, I just realized I have something to do at home.” 

- 

Howard’s been using his designs. No credit. 

He spends about ten minutes on the phone. It amounts to this sentence: 

“Without me, boy, you’d be nothing. Who do you think paid for school? Private tutors? Advanced textbooks? Who, yourself? Don’t be ridiculous.” 

Tony’s red-faced, and the phone gets hung up, and he stares out at the sky for maybe way too long. He forgot his ID to swipe back in, and has to launch little bits of rock at what he thinks is his and Jim’s window. 

Jim brings him up and sits with him on a bed. 

“I’m fine, honestly.” 

“No, you’re really not. Tony, you’re a terrible liar.” 

And he is, really. He can lie about so many things, but family and his state of mind are a bit harder nowadays. 

He gets hugged. 

That’s...holy shit, that’s new. He’s not sure the last time he got hugged by someone he liked. Jarvis tended to like the shoulder-pat, and Ana...well, she loved to hug him, but it had been a while. (Maria and Howard, he was quite sure, had skipped the ‘human emotional intimacy’ section of life.) 

“Your dad sucks,” Jim mutters. “Just so you know.” 

“I know. I know.” 

From then, they become friends. Tony is wondering if its pity. He asks Jim as such. He snorts. 

“Tony, I don’t make friends out of pity. I’m not that kind of guy. If we were friends out of pity, I’d be moving out next semester.” 

Tony smiles. 

-

He learns how to do friend things. They have a sleepover complete with the greasiest pizza possible, video games, and at least one debate over Star Wars. 

(It’s about whether or not the skeletal structure of Jabba the Hut holds up in truth, and how density of space affects him on different planets.) 

Tony, somehow, starts calling him Rhodey. It sticks, and Jim doesn’t complain. 

Rhodey’s sweaters slowly become Tony’s, and Rhodey teaches Tony all about casual affection. 

Hugs before class, kisses on the forehead, and more than enough teasing to last three lifetimes or more. 

- 

Come May, everyone’s abuzz with summer plans. Tony, however, is dreading it. Rhodey lives in Virginia, and Tony lives in New York. His mother wants him to live in their summer home in California. 

“Oh come on, I know that you’ll have to visit me,” Rhodey says, grinning. “Tell your mom it’s a business trip or something.” 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were corrupting me,” Tony says haughtily. Half his wardrobe is packed up, and he’s just waiting on Jarvis with the car. 

“Of course I am, gotta train you for when you liaison with the government for army contracts.” 

Tony laughs loudly. 

“Ah, so true. I’ll mark it down as heir-apparent training with my dear, drastically old father.” 

Rhodey nods, grinning. 

Tony’s leaving a day earlier than Rhodey is. 

He hopes he comes back a day earlier. 

After all, you can’t wait until you see your friend again. 

[kanralovesu]

The Narrative Devices of “Minecraft Speedrunner VS 4 Hunters” (One of the greatest Shonen anime OVAs of all time?)

With over 17 million views and counting, this video of one man attempting to beat Minecraft while 4 other players chase him has become a huge success and its not hard to see why. The video is exciting and tense to a completely new viewer while still carrying with it the 32 million fans of the previous video in the series and the 29 million fans of the video before that. While those videos are also amazing, as a newcomer when I watched the vs4 addition I couldn’t help but dive deeper than I had any right to into WHY this video was not just exciting and tense but also a master of storytelling. So today lets run down a couple of extremely common narrative devices and structures that this video uses and possibly how Minecraft as a game contributes to this.

The High Concept

What if a bunch of teenagers were forced to fight each other by a tyrannical government? What if humans revived the dinosaurs but were unable to contain their power? What if 1 player is pitted against 4 others in a race to beat Minecraft?

High Concepts are quick, catchy premises that the story is centered around. They’re designed to get butts in seats by targeting people before the piece of media has actually begun. Once you’re watching, the High Concept needs to be played with an drawn to its natural conclusion in order to satisfy readers who were likely drawn in specifically because of that premise.

The Minecraft Hunters video does this multiple times when the person being hunted suddenly becomes the Hunter. While not inherit to the premise, this is a logical leap the audience can make that in order to be safe the hunted must get rid of the hunters.

The Hook

Its become part of the James Bond formula now to start every movie with a big, bombastic fight scene and that’s for good reason. Once someone has decided to view your media they’re still not necessarily invested yet. In an age of Netflix where you can flip to a new movie at the click of a button, a proper hook keeps the audience watching, provides a promise of things to come and leads into the first lull in action where more exposition can be given. 

In the Minecraft Hunters video we get a brief bit of exposition explaining the high concept and then its off to the races. One extremely fun thing the video does is bait you into thinking they’re going to stand around and explain things more when out of no where Dream punches and runs. The following chase is a classic James Bond opening scene. It also sets up mechanics that are used multiple times in the run such as towering. Like any good action scene it ends on a twist and then immediately the pace slows and we see Dream doing his first real resource gathering. The stage is set!

The Underdog Hero

A main character is an action movie or shonen anime narrative is often a paradox: they are an unkillable, hero, one man army and yet constantly the underdog. This is because the character cannot die (or the franchise is over), but at the same time a constant tension must be maintained that losing is possible. People also naturally want to root for underdogs its important to include this aspect of your character to make them relatable. The most common ways you can pull this off is to take a heroic person and either give them an impossible task or to pit them against multiple opponents or both (think a heist movie where there are several guards defending the vault). Naturally, the High Concept of this video leads itself to doing both of these things, turning Dream into the ultimate Underdog Hero. 

As a side note, the antagonists of the series, the Hunters, are character more similar to a shonen anime rival as opposed to a more western style of villain. Its all in good fun and you’re less rooting against them as you are rooting for Dream.

Chekhov's Gun

Named after the principle that if a gun is shown in a room someone is bound to grab it and use it, this refers to the general idea of setup and payoff. There are 2 major uses of Chekhov’s Gun in the video and they each have different delays between the setup and payoff.

The first is the Strider Saddle play and its perfect to illustrate the concept. First we see Dreams find his first Nether Fortress, killing a Wither Skeleton and opening a chest. We see him pick up the Saddle but we cut away and don’t belabor the point. This is because only 2 minutes later we see him use the Saddle to escape on a Strider.

The second is the Frost Walker boots. Dreams find a Nether Portal structure in the overworld and finds these in a chest at the 9 minute mark, well before the Strider play. At about the 10:30 mark we get this extremely exaggerated scene where Dream uses the Frost Walker boots in front of us and highlights the item. Then its not until 16 minutes later than he uses the boots to kill the hunters via fall damage.

So whats essentially going on here is different levels of setup based on how soon the payoff is coming. For a quick payoff we don’t need to draw attention to the setup because the audience will naturally have a short term memory of the recent events. However for the long term payoff we need to be primed to pay attention to a certain thing. When we see Dreams showing off the Frost Walker boots we internalize “this will be important later”. You’ll also notice that Minecraft’s game design helps prime you to remember these Chekhov’s Guns: both items being found in very noticeable and memorable structures not just dug up from a generic piece of dirt. (This also applies to the 3rd Chekhov’s Gun I didn’t touch on for time concerns, the TNT from the Pyramid) 

You’ll also notice that the video uses a Chekhov’s Gun in arguably the most effective way, as a twist. We need only think back to early Naruto to know how effective a twist Chekhov’s Gun can be in a shonen fight. You never forget the first time you saw Shikamaru win Chuuin exam fight by using the hole Naruto created during his duel. 

The Three Act Structure

I’m sure we all have heard of the 3 act structure before. While they go by many names lets go with Setup, Confrontation, Resolution for now. The key is having a cycle of tension and release while still slowly escalating tension over the course of the show. The video neatly divides into Overworld, Nether and End sections which translate very well into the 3 act structure. 

Tension is slowly escalating because each new dimensions has more and more hazards. This is of course Minecraft’s game design doing the heavy lifting, however the End in the hunter’s realm is a lot more dangerous considering its a closed off arena where Dreams can’t just escape, he has to fight.

There are also cycles of tension and release. Naturally tension builds up while a chase is happening and then we get some time to relax after Dreams escapes. However, what I want to focus on is how each increasing dimension gives an opportunity for the players to find each other again. Each step in the Nether counts for 8 in the Otherworld, so even if Dreams built a far away Nether portal on the surface he would still be closer to the hunters than ever before. This stage also requires finding a Nether Fortress so the players are forced to reconvene. In the End the forced grouping is more obvious as there is only one End platform so the action is forced upon the players.

This is mainly why I say the 3 act structure lines up with the Overworld, Nether and End dimensions so neatly. Its not just me observing that there are 3 dimensions in Minecraft but that each new dimension forces a new confrontation to happen even after Dreams has successful escaped and the tension is lessened. 

However, this observation does only go so far. I think the biggest flaw of the video is that End lasted too long. This makes sense when you lay the 3 act structure over top of it: you rarely want your conclusion to be drawn out. Usually the final confrontation is more elaborate than the previous ones, but not 2 times as long. 

Ambiguous Ending

So you’ve dragged your audience to hell and back and they loved every second of it, how do you ensure you piece of media becomes a discussion point after that’s all done? Well one way is to have an Ambiguous Ending. We see this a lot in fiction, but most famously at the end of Inception where we are unsure whether we are still in the dream world or not. This Minecraft Hunters video sparks similar online debate by posing the question “does it count if I killed the dragon posthumously?” Personally, these types of ending are my favorites! I think it takes a lot of balls for a piece of media to ask a question of the audience at the end instead of wrapping everything up neatly but of course not every story should have one. 

Conclusion 

All pieces of media are telling stories regardless of whether they’re Hollywood blockbusters, indie novels or Minecraft Lets Play videos. Sometimes even in unscripted content, a story can emerge especially if a content creator is looking to tell a good story. And lets not forget the role video editing has in putting together a story. Entire narrative devices such as Chekhov's Gun owe their entire existence to the editor. The decisions of what to linger on and for how long drove the pacing of the story from beginning to end. Finally, if you want to hear more on how editing can create a story from unscripted content, I highly recommend checking out the video below. Remember, stories are everywhere!

[ewoodx]

ETHAN WOOD SEASON 3 !! [GREGG SULKIN , MALE , HE/HIS ] do you hear [PHENOMENAL BY EMINEM ] coming from the beach ? oh, that has to be [ ETHAN WOOD] . they are a [ TWENTY THREE ] year old [PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYER ] from the outer banks, and they’ve been living there for [TWENTY TWO YEARS ] . they were chosen to be on the show because they are a [ KOOK] , but really , I heard it’s because they can be [ ILL TEMPERED  & DEMANDING ] . if you get to know them though , they’re pretty [PROTECTIVE & ENERGETIC] . they might become a quick audience favorite due to their [ SIGNATURE SMIRK, PRETTY BOY CHARM & RIPPLING PECTORALS]

Hello hello hello !! I’m Ally & this is the updated bio for Ethan Wood, your favorite arrogant, footballer with a hot temper && a secret heart of gold..I promise ;) Shoot me a message if you’re interested in plotting.

BASICS:

Full name;  Ethan Alexander Wood

Nicknames; E, Wood

Age; 22

School; UNC

Birthday; August 19th

Height; 5’11 but he’ll tell you he’s 6ft

Parents; Oliver and Heidi Wood

Siblings; two brothers: Julian (older) & Damian (younger)

Occupation; Striker for Inter Miami FC 

Birth place; the eight, OBX 

Current location; Miami 

Sign; Leo

(+) ; protective & energetic.

(-) ; ill-tempered & demanding

Sexuality; heterosexual

Pogue or Kook; Kook

Character Inspiration;  zach siler (she’s all that) chuck bass (gossip girl), mickey milkovich (shameless), damon salvatore (vampire diaries) tim riggins (friday night lights) asher adams (all american) billy hope (southpaw) joe kingman (the game plan), ares (greek mythology) 

EARLY YEARS;

Ethan Wood was born and raised to do one thing and one thing only: play soccer. Being the middle child of legendary University of North Carolina starting forward Olivier Wood and renowned athleisure wear designer Daphne Wood, there was only one path for this budding young soccer prodigy. And it was to follow in daddy’s footsteps donning the prestigious Carolina blue and white of his father’s alma mater. 

His childhood was pleasant, raised on his family’s estate in the coveted Eight and filled with family getaways and father/son trips to UNC/Wake Forest rivalry matches. Matches that he hoped to one day play in. Young Ethan was a natural talent and he picked up the game rather quickly, spending every free moment practicing in the yard or scribbling down strategies. He wanted nothing more than to make his father proud and carry on his legacy. 

HIGH SCHOOL;

Ethan was sent to one of the finest private schools on the island that money could buy. Of course, he wasn’t there for his grades and what he lacked in brains, his skills on the field made up for. He made varsity soccer his freshman year and then went on to become captain during his senior year, reveling in all the perks that came with being a star athlete: parties, hookups, popularity. As Ethan’s athletic abilities along with his ego continued to grow, so did his competitive edge, arrogance, and hot temper which is known for getting him into trouble on and off the pitch. He’s no stranger to an alcohol induced bawl and struggles to keep his temper under control. 

COLLEGE;

It’s no secret that in the OBX money talks and Mr. Wood had deep pockets. A library donation and a legacy later, Ethan finally realized his dream and secured a spot on his beloved UNC soccer team. His temper being the reason for the trouble in the first place. It didn’t take long for him to become the frat star worthy of his reputation. Sure, he had to overcome those pesky freshman years, team hazing, and locker room banter, even spending the half a season on the bench for his hot headed temper. Nonetheless, he managed to make a name for himself even if slightly tarnished.

SEASON 1; 

Fresh off his college graduation, Ethan returned to the Outer Banks with his sights set on playing professional soccer in the upcoming season. Before entering the real world in the fall, he joined the show for one last hurrah and boy did he get what he signed up for. The summer was filled with all sorts of shenanigans, parties, booze, and hook-ups. 

Ethan rounded out the first season of OBX rather unscathed, save for a secret hook-up and an unlikely friendship that he formed with a pogue. He gained some notoriety from the show and it was a perfect launch for his new life in the public eye.  

SEASON 2; 

Ethan started footy training in the fall after the reality show ended, and he played for Inter Miami FC, a team owned by David Beckham himself. He took up residence in Miami for the soccer season and traveled the country with his team becoming the soccer star he always wanted to be. His rookie season was one for the books, and if you thought his ego couldn’t get any bigger, check again. 

In his off time, Ethan maintained his growing popularity by making appearances at all the Miami hot spots and keeping up a rather impressive social media presence, constantly posting his fitness routines and workouts in addition to his nights out. This earned him a reputation off the pitch, and his name managed to find its way into the local papers and magazines. He did his best to keep in touch with his friends from the show despite his busy schedule, and even visited the OBX whenever he could. 

With his first professional soccer season in the books, Ethan returned to the reality show for another summer, much to his PR team’s dismay who was working to clean up with reputation, not add to it. It was another summer filled with partying, booze, and messing around. A well deserved celebration after a triumphant soccer season. Ethan grew closer with his housemates and even started forming stronger connections with some of them as family, friends, or more. 

POST SEASON 2;

High off another successful season of Outer Banks, Ethan went back to Miami with a newfound air of confidence about him and an extra pep in his step. He worked and trained twice as hard, determined to play even better than last year. He managed to  keep up his scoring average and earned ‘man of the match’ in several games. Ethan spent less time in the OBX, but instead invited his buddies to come matches and come visit whenever he got the chance. He loved to preform and there was something about having the cast around that made him play even better. 

With only a handful of games left, Ethan suffered an injury that cut his season short. He tore his MCL and spent the months leading up to the summer recovering and going to physical therapy in Miami. His PR team advised him against returning to the show to focus on getting in shape for the upcoming season, but Ethan couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend the summer in Australia with his crew. 

POGUES VS KOOKS;

Ethan got into his fair share of Pogues vs Kooks scuffles back in high school. Nights filled with stupid boyish banter, booze, and blows. He likes to think he’s above all the rivalry now— playing pro ball and all—  but sometimes he still struggles to truly let go of the past and be the bigger person. He’s an athlete though and though, and rivalries are all just a part of the game.

HEADCANONS;

Despite the ever present confident air about him, Ethan is super generous especially when it comes to nights out and tipping. He is always happy to pick up the tab and doll out rounds of shots for him and his buddies at no charge. As selfish as he can be sometimes, he loves it when his friends are having a good time and is a firm believer in the more the merrier.

To help him keep his tempter on and off the pitch under control, Ethan got into boxing/mma and incorporates it into his workouts whenever he can. He can be found either going to a gym to practice his upper cuts or on beach working on them on his own. He does it mostly for fun, but every now and again finds himself having to throw down. 

For the most part, Ethan can’t really cook, but on the off chance he’s not sneaking out after a one night stand, he makes a killer breakfast, usually in his boxers.

He has secret love for astronomy and mythology particularly hero myths and the stories behind the constellations. Growing up, he always found them fascinating and was the only one of his brothers who would actually sit and listen to his grandfather babble on about them. Those were some of his most cherished memories, and he often celebrates his goals by blowing a kiss to the heavens to dedicate them the ol’ man. 

Moana is his absolute favorite Disney movie, and he will never say no to watching it. He also thinks Maui is the shit and knows all of the words to “You’re Welcome” by heart. Beware, he will actually belt it out if asked.

WANTED CONNECTIONS;

let’s make ‘em jealous; There’s no denying that Ethan and this person have chemistry. They are super flirty and all over each other, but in reality it’s all a rouse. They aren’t really into one another and are merely using each other to stir up some drama, cause a scene, and make the ones that really do catch their eyes jealous.  [OPEN]

the role model; Ethan didn’t really have many positive role models to look up to growing up, mainly just his father and his toxic masculinity. This person helps Ethan balance all that out and helps him deal with all those pesky emotions he was taught to keep suppressed inside in order to “be a man.” This person also keeps him in check and isn’t afraid to give him a much needed smack to the upside of the head when necessary. [OPEN]

the rival; To say Ethan is competitive is the understatement of the century, and he and this person have a rivalry for the ages. The two don’t like each other and this person never fails to get under Ethan’s skin. It could have even started back in school and carried over to now. Perhaps the reason Ethan had some trouble getting into UNC for soccer? Bonus points if they have to put all their differences aside and work together at some point for a common goal. [OPEN]

the hook-ups; Ethan really isn’t the type to stick around after a hook-up and is usually out before the sun comes up, never wanting to get attached. If anyone wants to give him a much deserved slap upside the head or just wants to keep things casual and flirty, let me know! [OPEN]

the real bros; for those looking for a second muse, Ethan has two brothers xD. Julian and Damian (names can totally change! I just headcannon them all ending in -an) He has one older brother who rejected the athlete/UNC/kook life leaving Ethan with the pressure to fill daddy’s soccer boots. They had a fall out and their relationship is shaky at best. Ethan also has a baby bro who he is definitely closer with. They get on rather typically through harmless banter and school boy shenanigans. He also has an innate protectiveness over him because he is older. [OPEN]

Totally open to anything and everything, so feel free to shoot me a message!! Also if you read all that WOW. You are the real MVP.

[arielwinter-daily]

Ariel Winter on Mental Health, Trolls and Life After "Modern Family"

The changing seasons are always tumultuous, with storms washing away the stains of months past and nature struggling to shed or regrow. This spring has been particularly uncertain, to say the least. But in early March, when actor Ariel Winter showed up in Manhattan, it seemed spring had come early, and it wasn’t just the warm temperatures and premature blooms that indicated the shift.

On April 8, Modern Family will air its final episode, closing an 11-year chapter in Ariel’s life. The 22-year-old has played Alex Dunphy on the Emmy-winning show for exactly half of her life. With more than ten million viewers per episode, Ariel is very recognizable as Alex; she is someone viewers think they know. She has a dry sense of humor and a quick wit; she speaks fast and delivers punchlines with ease. In those ways, she’s like the character she plays on TV. But that’s where the comparison stops.

Ariel seems cognizant of the balance between performing, what people think Ariel Winter is like, and actually being Ariel Winter: She’s a smart, kind, and strong young woman who’s developed a thick skin over the years — but she’s not untouchable.

Some celebrities maintain a quiet, different-than-you air, even when you’re standing right next to them. But Ariel isn’t like that; she speaks easily and honestly and looks you in the eye. On a gray day in New York, stylists and makeup artists flurry around her, primping and preening her for a photo shoot. Ariel jokes with all of them, remaining flexible, working with the team to find outfits she likes. In front of the camera she moves with the confidence of someone who’s done this many times before. There’s no pretension to her.

Ariel is now emerging from the security of her long-running show as an adult, tasked with making her way in the world as a young woman. She’s still figuring out what that will look like.

“Life is not predictable,” Ariel tells Teen Vogue, sitting on a couch with her leg tucked under her newly red hair flowing over her shoulders. “That’s why it’s unknown and it’s scary. So I try to go with the flow as much as possible.” She’s just finished one photo shoot, and is pausing to chat before she rushes to another. “I do not like lack of control,” she adds. “I don’t like that. So that’s definitely been hard for me.”

But just because Ariel doesn’t know what the future holds doesn’t mean she doesn’t know who she is.

Born Ariel Winter Workman, she grew up in Hollywood. Ariel first hit the scene at age five, in a Cool Whip commercial. After various smaller roles, she landed the part of Alex Dunphy on Modern Family, in 2009, when she was just 11, playing the nerdy middle child in a quirky but close family, often acting as the grounding presence in a head-in-the-clouds bunch. In real life, Ariel’s family life wasn’t quite as picturesque. She moved in with her sister, Shanelle Gray, when she was 14, and was legally emancipated from her mother — who she’s spoken about in the past — a year later.

Ariel has said that her sister has been an overwhelmingly positive force in her life. In fact, it was Ariel’s sister who first recommended she go to therapy, something Ariel says has changed the game for her.

“I go to therapy every week and I’ve been doing it for eight years. It is fantastic,” she says. “For me, therapy is so important. I never want to quit therapy. I feel like people are never ‘cured’ [with] therapy. It’s not a ‘cured’ thing, because you’re not going in sick. You’re just going in.”

For Ariel, therapy is about putting in the work to better yourself, which she says everyone should try to do. “What’s negative and wrong and embarrassing about bettering your life?” she asks. “Isn’t that what everyone wants — to be better and feel healthier and be happier?”

Ariel’s journey to being happier has been bumpy. She started taking antidepressants a while ago, but she struggled to find the right drug and dosage. She isn’t alone: One study posited that the rate of effectiveness for antidepressants was lower than previously thought, possibly because people stop taking them when they experience adverse side effects.

“The only negative about [mental health medication] is the process to finding the right one,” she says. “Some of them have really negative side effects, and it can be really disheartening to take something that’s supposed to make you feel better but it makes you feel ten times worse.’”

Eventually, Ariel found that a low dose of three different medications was the key — they help her feel happy and stave off depression. As a result of switching medications, she also happened to lose 30 pounds. Ariel says the public homed in on her weight loss, both shaming and praising her for it. Many, she says, even suggested she switched her medication to try to lose weight.

“A lot of people commented on my post like, ‘No, she changed her antidepressant because she wanted to lose weight,’” Ariel says. “No! I thought every medication I was on, I was going to stay at that weight, and that was fine. It had nothing to do with that.”

Aside from people conjecturing about her mental health, medication, and weight, Ariel says she sees something on social media that is perhaps even more concerning: “I get so many DMs [asking] ‘What medication are you on? I want to lose weight; I want that medication.’ What I would really like for people to understand is, every medication affects everyone differently. We’re all made differently. Everything is different.”

Of course, any questions about Ariel’s weight loss because of antidepressants is missing the bigger point of a young woman taking steps to improve her mental health.

But Ariel is used to people missing the point because of how she looks.

If you Google “Ariel Winter” right now, you’ll almost exclusively see headlines about her body: her low-cut top, her thong dress, her “baring” all. You might see articles about her weight, about her “clapping back” at body shamers, about her friend and costar Sarah Hyland defending her from trolls. The theme is clear.

The headlines about Ariel’s body often overshadow her accomplishments. For example, the headline about her thong dress could have been about her celebrating the Emmy-winning show she just wrapped; a headline about her “showing skin” in a costume should have been about her 22nd birthday. And it’s not just headlines. On Instagram, Ariel gets comment after comment about her body, and it hurts.

“People on the internet really suck. It bothered me for so many years — I mean, it still does. It never goes away. When someone calls you a ‘fat slut,’ you’re not feeling happy about it. It doesn’t matter what you look like now, it doesn’t matter what you looked like then,” Ariel says. “You’re still going to read that and be like, ‘Oh, that sucks.’”

Ariel has been known to defend herself against detractors, but it’s something she’s doing less of these days. Many take her confident responses to trolls to mean the negativity is not affecting her, but the truth is, Ariel says, that she’s put in a lot of work to make the negative comments matter less.

“I feel like that [pain] never goes away. People are like, ‘How do you get that to go away? It doesn’t bother you at all anymore.’ Again, that’s missing the point. What I’ve said is, I’ve learned to deal with it more,” Ariel explains. “It’s a journey of being confident enough to look at that and evaluate my opinion of myself, which I’m not fully at yet. I’m still working there.”

When she started receiving nasty comments, Ariel said it was all-consuming. She’d fire back nasty comments to her nasty commenters, but that didn’t help.

“That doesn’t feel good,” she says. “I don’t like to hurt people. It doesn’t bring me joy. And at the same time, when I’m writing that negative comment back to them, I’m not being like, ‘Yeah! I defended myself!’ and, like, laughing and feeling good. I’m writing it back, and I’m sad that they wrote me that, and then I’m sad I wrote that back and started this whole thing.”

Now Ariel tries to remember that the only opinion that really matters is her own, taking the power away from her detractors. While years of therapy have no doubt helped Ariel give less credence to negative comments, she remembers one specific Instagram comment that helped shift her focus.

“I had someone comment on one of my pictures, and it really bugged me. They said, ‘So many people on your photos, it really is divided. So many people show so much love and support, and you spend so much time on the negative comments and ignore all the positive ones.’ It really sucked to read that because that’s true,” Ariel says. “You overlook the positive comments, because as soon as you see the positive ones it’s like, ‘Okay, great, but these people don’t agree.’ But why do those people’s [negative] comments matter more than those [positive] comments?”

Still, wouldn’t it be nice if we all noticed Ariel for who she is and what she does, and not what she looks like?

“I’d love for people to see the things I do, not really what I look like, because that’s mainly what’s talked about.”

Ariel says she’d like recognition for her actions, not her looks, but she also says she doesn’t need the world to know everything about her. Like a lot of celebrities, she’d prefer a bit of anonymity in her daily life. She posts sparingly on social media, compared with other young stars, and the bits she does share don’t tell us too much about who she is or what she’s doing. It’s not that she’s holding back or hiding things; it’s just that Ariel is busier actually living life than documenting it.

“I would like for [people] to, of course, see the real me. But … I know that’s not really feasible,” she admits. “It’s rough sometimes, people being like, ‘I don’t know anything about her at all.’ That might be because I don’t put it out there as much.”

“Some people, on social media, they love to share everything, and they know how to share everything, and they’re comfortable sharing everything,” Ariel observes. “I know who I am, and the people around me know who I am; but expressing that to somebody else and having to prove to somebody and be like, ‘I need you to see me this way,’ is not something I do very well.”

The other part of it, Ariel says, is that she’s just like anyone else. She likes sitting on her couch, ordering takeout, watching TV, and hanging with her four dogs: Casper, Chloe, Cash, and Cleo. She likes her dogs so much that on the emotional last day of filming Modern Family, to cope, she went on an online shopping spree and ordered a phone case with the dogs’ faces on the back.

“I was sitting in my trailer, and I might have gone [online] and personalized a bunch of things and sent them to my house, and this was one of them,” she says slyly, holding up the plastic case featuring the fluffy faces.

Dogs are a huge part of Ariel’s life. Her ultimate goal, she says, is to open a shelter for senior dogs and dogs that have been sheltered for more than a year. A pit bull lover, Ariel is part of many animal rescue Facebook groups, and seeing those tiny faces behind bars tears her up. She’ll post on social media to help a dog, but much of her work to help dogs, and others, goes unseen on purpose.

“People may not see the things I do that matter to me,” she says. “That’s okay, because the people I do them for, it matters to them and they know.”

Ariel will stick to firm ground as she blossoms into her next phase of life. She’s hoping to help more dogs, continue to do good by others, still planning to work hard, and trying to get comfortable with the untold path her new season holds. Beyond that, she doesn’t really have a plan — no benchmarks to reach by a certain age because, she says, “I feel like nothing works that way.” But that’s okay.

“This is new territory for me,” Ariel says. “I was doing something very specific for so long. Now I have to reset my mind and retrain myself to be in that place of, ‘All right, I am ready to look for the next thing.’ I am ready to work,” she continues. “I am ready to do everything I can. I am ready to be in the right mindset to go in there again and be able to face the rejection that will come, and be able to move past that and go to the next audition and be ready for it. And be ready for things in my personal life. Just living.”

It’s not that she has no plans. Right now Ariel is working on filming a video game, an experience she says is totally new to her. As for the bigger picture?

“I want to stay the same person I am,” she says. “It’s way more rewarding at the end of the day. I want to stay the person I am, work hard, and see what happens.”

Source: Teen Vogue

[oltnews]

They really don't say anything to Scarlett Johansson. She may be the star of "Black Widow", but that doesn't mean that she has any idea when the movie trailer will be released. You may remember that we had a first surprise glimpse of "Black Widow" earlier this week. And when we say early, we mean early. Tuesday, our story was published just before 2 a.m. The trailer fell late Monday without fanfare or advance warning, and Johansson told Stephen Colbert Thursday evening that even she didn't know it was going to happen. "I woke up and received a text from Chris Evans saying," The trailer is superb. "I don't know what he was doing at 5 a.m. It's another story. Yeah, getting up, of course," she said, responding to Colbert's joke. haven't said it! They hide everything from me. " Also read: 'Black Widow': Natasha Romanoff has a family reunion and kicks ass in the first trailer for Marvel Prequel (Video) Johansson was on "The Late Show" to promote "Marriage Story", which she performed with Adam Driver, aka Kylo Ren from the "Star Wars" trilogy. So Colbert asked if she had any idea who would win a fight between Kylo and Natasha. She didn't have a lot of response, nor about the details she was allowed to say about "Black Widow", other than the fact that it was between "Captain America: Civil War" and "Avengers: Infinity War ". Johansson says the film is a "homecoming" in which Natasha must now face some of her guilt over the things she did before becoming revenge. However, fans wondered why a solo film, Black Widow is not an origin story that goes back to its training beginnings in Russia, and she explained why this story was better. "I could never have made this film 10 years ago when we had just started our journey with Marvel. It’s a film that speaks so much… the character informed this film. My trip with Natasha informed this film. She’s a character who’s a fully recognized woman. It has a complexity that it is delicious, "said Johansson. "Not to say it would have been something else or totally entertaining in 10 years, but we can do things that are good." Also read: Review of the film 'Marriage Story': Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver split up in the devastating drama of Noah Baumbach Colbert also had another theory to direct by her: that it was Johansson's last go-around as "Black Widow". Here is why: it is his eighth appearance because the character and the spiders have eight legs. Can't it be a coincidence? Of course, Stephen. Check out Johansson's appearance on CBS "The Late Show" above. All 23 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies ranked, from worst to best (Photos) No one on the Internet wants to talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's something we simply can't continue to ignore. But seriously: even if this seemingly unstoppable franchise has rabid fans around the world, nobody can agree on those they prefer (or at least, for that matter). TheWrap film editor-in-chief Alonso Duralde gets into the subject - and no, he's not paid by anyone at Disney to love (or hate, for that matter) any of these films. wonder 23. "The Incredible Hulk" (2008) Released just five years after Ang Lee's "Hulk", this second attempt to make a man a leader in the great green creature radiated by Gamma proved just as disappointing. If we've learned anything from the Avengers movies, it's that Bruce Banner works best when he's a supporting character (and when he's played by Mark Ruffalo). wonder 22. "Ant-Man" (2015) Although this film deserves to be rewarded for not having put the fate of humanity at stake - the stakes are more than the size of a child's train - the stabs to the humor of the film seem to be overestimated , and little natural charm from Paul Rudd comes to the fore in what should be a breezy caper. We can only wonder what the original version of Edgar Wright might have looked like. Disney / Marvel 21. "Thor" (2011) Director Kenneth Branagh tackles the the-and-thou of Asgard's segments, but the little town where the pinnacle is played out has been one of the most cheesy fake towns on the screen since the terrible movie "Supergirl" in years 80. On the positive side, actor Chris Hemsworth shows a scintillating spirit in this adventure of the god of thunder, coupled with an impressive musculature. wonder 20. "Iron Man 2" (2010) The best MCU movies do a good job of distracting you from all the setup of future franchise entries; this one offers so much empire building that it might as well have a "Pardon Our Dust" sign on it. Still, Scarlett Johansson's first appearance as Black Widow, dispatching opponents down the hall, made an unforgettable impression. Disney / Marvel 19. "Captain America: the first avenger" (2011) Just like he did in "The Rocketeer", director Joe Johnston excels at portraying the brilliance of the 1940s, although the characters are not as vivid as the USO sparrow. But fear not, true believers - the screen adventures of Cap have improved a lot in his later solo and team movies. wonder 18. "Thor: The Dark World" (2013) Firmly average, yes, but an improvement over its predecessor and a good time, skillfully balancing superheroes, second bananas, entertaining villains and the occasional killer one-liner. In no way a cornerstone of the MCU, but this one, mainly, works. Disney / Marvel 17. "Iron Man 3" (2013) Director and co-writer Shane Black doesn't always have the narrowest understanding of history - what is the infamous Extremis still doing, and why? - but he shows his skill in witty jokes (which Robert Downey, Jr. can make within an inch of his life) and breathtaking action (a flight rescue of a dozen passengers who have just fallen from Air Force One). Disney / Marvel 16. "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015) It's always fun when the group comes together, but it's also hard to rediscover the magic of this first time. This sequel offers a lot of excitement and banter scripted by Joss Whedon, but it's also a bit overloaded with characters and support setups for the next MCU movie series. Both fans and enemies of superhero movies can find arguments for their arguments here. Disney / Marvel 15. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017) The group is back together, and they are as hilarious as when they first came out, but overall, this sequel gives the impression that it is only vamping (entertaining) until the next major change of the intrigue in the MCU. Kurt Russell appears as Ego the Living Planet, who claims to be the long-lost father of Peter Quill / Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), and although the film is more concerned with character and emotion than intrigue , not all the movement the moments ring true. Disney / Marvel 14. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) This sequel has a better idea of ​​his own stupidity than his predecessor, as Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) flee the Feds, fight the phased-in ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and thwart plans of a gangster (Walton Goggins), while planning a rescue of the mother of The Wasp (Michelle Pfeiffer) from another dimension. Feels more Disney - in the sense of Kurt-Russell-as-Dexter-Riley - than Marvel, but still fun. Disney / Marvel 13. Captain Marvel (2019) Both the personal development and the retro of the 1990s are played with a fairly heavy hand, but it's a lot of fun to have here, Brie Larson's heroine, both bubbling and haunted - nothing like amnesia to spice up another story of origin - to one of the biggest feline bananas in the history of cinema. 12. "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) It's a little difficult to judge this one on its own merits, because it is clearly a half-film; we will not really know how this film will materialize until we have the sequel. But in the meantime, he does a pretty impressive job of juggling some 25 major MCU characters and keeping his sense of humor even in the face of mass destruction (and intense scenes involving torture and genocide). Disney / Marvel 11. "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) You get all the T-crossing and I-dotting required at this point in the game, but the capper for the first piece of the MCU saga is a mostly satisfying season finale that offers rare moments of catharsis among moments of entertaining characters. which will cause laughter and maybe even a few tears. Disney / Marvel 10. "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019) This second outing from director Jon Watts and leader Tom Holland maintains the lark tone and focus on the characters that make these films feel like such a unique corner of the MCU. This time, the post-snap (or "blip", as the film says) Peter Parker and his friends are heading to Europe in a film that looks like a road comedy that sometimes blows up some superheroes. Disney / Marvel 9. "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) Director Taika Waititi ("Hunt for the Wilderpeople") strikes a delicate balance between breathless action and the fate of the universe on the one hand and ironic stupidity and catchy jokes on the other. Fortunately, he has Chris Hemsworth, who excels in both, surrounded by spirit like Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo and franchise beginners Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum and a glorious Cate Blanchett. Disney / Marvel 8. "Captain America: Civil War" (2016) The plot and the pace aren't as tight as in "Winter Soldier", but if you're looking for somber human conflict and exciting superhero-on-superhero action, this movie does a lot of good as "Batman v. Superman : Dawn of Justice "did wrong. Disney / Marvel 7. "Iron Man" (2008) It all starts here - a story of superhero origins for literalists who cannot hide behind explosive planets or radioactive spiders. Jon Favreau, then most famous for directing "Elf" and writing and co-starring in "Swingers", seemed a strange choice for the material, but he knows how to give us the two characters (played by Downey and Gwyneth Paltrow with plume) and ka-blam. wonder 6. "Black Panther" (2018) While the titular African superhero king of Chadwick Boseman takes something from a back seat to a troika of fascinating female characters - played by Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright - the film nevertheless overflows with excitement and of a rich history. (And Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger ranks among the franchise's biggest villains.) Disney / Marvel 5. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017) Less motivated by guilt and haunted than previous versions of the character (on the page or screen), Tom Holland's Spider-Man has enough on his plate to manage his superhero growing pains. Hungry to join The Avengers but still struggling with everything he has to learn - he's only 15 years old after all - our hero faces the evil blue collar The Vulture (well Michael Keaton, Birdman) in a funny adventure all by presenting real challenges, formidable characterizations and a wonderfully detailed cast. (You must love a teen movie that works for Zendaya, Tony Revolori, Abraham Attah and Josie Totah, as well as scene-robber newcomer Jacob Batalon.) Sony / Marvel 4. "Doctor Strange" (2016) It would be too easy to ridicule the master of the mystical arts on the big screen, but director Scott Derrickson and his team somehow gave us a version of the surgeon-turned-magician, Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who seems at ease in the real world, rubbing shoulders with the Avengers and crossing tripping and dazzling dimensions where no one else could go. 3. "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014) Pleasant, casual and steeped in the super hits of the 70s, this comic adventure is something of an outlier - both tonal and geographic - in the Marvel universe. Yet whether Rocket Raccoon and Black Widow intersect or not, this saga that covers the stars reminded us that there is more than one way to tell a story about superheroes. Disney / Marvel 2. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014) Aggressive patriotism meets anti-government paranoia in this fascinating tale that pits the captain against labyrinthine plots. It also turns out that Steve Rogers is much more interesting in time travel in the 2000s than firmly at home in the 1940s. And you will believe that the Falcon can fly. Disney / Marvel 1. "The Avengers" (2012) Still the gold standard of the MCU, this film reveals that Joss Whedon gets comics in their DNA, in the same way that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were fluent in the language of serials in the "Indiana Jones" movies. Putting all of these heroes in one room (or helicopter, anyway) has produced tremendous results, although the success of the film has led to the all-superhero-all-time ethos of contemporary Hollywood. Disney / Marvel Previous slide Next slide TheWrap reviewer Alonso Duralde orders the MCU, including "Spider-Man: Far From Home" No one on the Internet wants to talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's something we simply can't continue to ignore. But seriously: even if this seemingly unstoppable franchise has rabid fans around the world, nobody can agree on those they prefer (or at least, for that matter). TheWrap film editor-in-chief Alonso Duralde gets into the subject - and no, he's not paid by anyone at Disney to love (or hate, for that matter) any of these films. https://oltnews.com/even-scarlett-johansson-didnt-know-black-widow-trailer-was-falling-video-thewrap?_unique_id=5ea1a7409999e

[stevenuniversallyreviews]

Bismuth

Steven Universe is a show about solving problems with healthy communication instead of violence. It’s also a show so centered around fighting that our main characters have signature weapons that act as literal extensions of themselves. 

Not every episode has an action sequence, and not every action sequence is a fight, but this series is no stranger to glamorizing combat. For all its talk about how true strength means more than physical might, the use of physical might to hurt others isn’t always frowned upon, even by our peaceful hero. To compensate for this dissonance, fights that would normally leave fatal wounds instead end in a process so harmless that they called it “poofing.” 

Our ninety-eighth episode begins not with a title card, but a dramatic-looking scene that’s soon revealed to have no stakes, capped with Steven bemoaning that “dying a bunch in video games is emotionally exhausting.” The temporary nature of death is ingrained in his life—his very existence involved his mother not quite dying, but becoming half of him—and while the show at this point has acknowledged that violence can scar the body and soul, the only permanent consequences we’ve seen precede Steven’s existence. Shattering, the Cluster, and Corruption are ancient history, and were actions taken by the villains our heroes rebelled against. We’ve never had to deal with the moral implications of ending a life, and because this is a kid’s show there’s a chance we never would have, because the game isn’t quite as fun once permanent consequences are in play.

After a comedic foray into Lion’s mane, Steven pops a mysterious bubble we saw all the way back in Lion 3, flies back into his room, and shouts that he’s made a horrible mistake. And after the initial reaction from the other Crystal Gems, we linger in the room to get one last message from his television screen before he jumps back in:

Game Over.

“We are the Crystal Gems!”

I love everything about the title reveal of this episode. I love that we have to wait for it, so we’re forced to pay extra attention when it arrives. I love the not-quite-still shot of our two leads sizing each other up as the name of our episode and new character slowly fades in. And I love the chill but chilling music that sets the stage for the life-changing story ahead of our hero. 

Aivi and Surasshu give characters distinct instrumentation, Peter and the Wolf style, but folks like Rose, Greg, Connie, Lapis, Peridot, and even Lion also have distinct motifs (sometimes a few, in the case of Rose and Lapis) using these instruments. The four main Crystal Gems are unique in that they’re defined mainly by their sound: Garnet is the bass holding everything together, Amethyst is the drumkit keeping up the tempo, Pearl is the piano accompanying others, and Steven subs out a traditional main instrument for chiptunes (many people have pointed this out, but I think this video does the best job of exploring it). Garnet as a concept eventually gets a motif that largely appears when fusion is involved, but the principle of associating these four main characters primarily through instruments holds true throughout the series.

Bismuth is a Crystal Gem, too. And whether it’s intentional or not, I love that this is shown by her lack of a distinct theme song, leaving her represented by her instrument in the same way as our big four. And the instrument we get for a heavy metal stuck in the past is a reverse electric guitar.

On the subject of sound, we just started and I've already waited too long to talk about Uzo Aduba. Bismuth is beautifully animated and has a stunning design, and the extra large crew for this two-parter did wonders on her facial expressions and body language to breathe life into the character, but all of it would've fallen short without a magnificent voice actor tying it together. This is a complicated and ambiguous figure, who laughs hard and burns hot but knows how to keep quiet, and Aduba hits every emotional beat with ease. 

Aduba is especially talented in humanizing Bismuth’s rage, balancing loud shouts with twinges of sadness and jolly war stories with drops of venom. Her monologue in the Forge is one of many examples of Aduba’s greatness: after building up fervent momentum as she works with burning lava, she lowers her voice to a triumphant but menacing whisper when revealing that she chose to create weaponry. Aduba made a splash by finding a real person in a character reduced to the nickname “Crazy Eyes” on Orange is the New Black, and while Bismuth might not be as extreme of a role, she’s made great by an actress who refuses to dumb down angry women.

Bismuth is a zealot, but why wouldn’t she be? She faced the same oppression that drove the other Crystal Gems to rebel, and is mentally right in the thick of it while Garnet and Pearl have had thousands of years to move on. The leader that inspired and encouraged her to build weapons not only refused to use the Breaking Point, but fought her, bubbled her, and lied about it. We see it in Bismuth’s face the moment Rose is first mentioned around her, and even though this could be read as concern over her leader’s whereabouts, our knowledge that Rose’s version of events clashes with Bismuth’s hiding place sets off early warning bells. 

Bismuth’s wordplay here is perfect for a character who often means multiple things at once: “Rose really is something else” works as a commentary on how strange Rose was, as a reference to her physically becoming something else, and as another hint of Bismuth’s true feelings about her leader’s betrayal. Her clever use of language soon becomes ingrained as a character trait: we obviously get the triple pun on her name (not three puns, but the same pun three times), but I’m a bigger sucker for the phrase “upper crust” playing off her disdain of Gem elites with geological terminology. It’s great to see such cleverness when characters with massive frames and aggressive attitudes are so rarely graced with wit.

Bismuth is angry, but she’s more than her anger. It’s balanced by (and caused by) her huge heart. She gets along famously with Garnet and Pearl, and cares deeply for her fallen friends, but she’s just as warm with Amethyst and Steven. An underrated element of Bismuth is that it doesn’t forget that Amethyst is in the middle of a major arc: even though she’s not the focus of the episode, she’s still reeling from her fight with Jasper and is uncomfortable around another huge interloper in her life, this time someone whose existence furthers the notion that Amethyst isn’t a “proper” Crystal Gem. So Amethyst is awkward at first, then sows seeds of suspicion when Steven is entranced. It speaks well of Bismuth that she treats Amethyst as an equal worthy of respect without question, and Amethyst soon comes around when Bismuth praises and upgrades her whip. This giant-sized episode is the clear product of long-term planning and collaboration, but it still remembers to tell a quick Amethyst story to keep us invested in her ongoing development.

But it’s Bismuth’s relationship with Steven that makes up the bulk of the plot, and as dumb as it might sound, the character she reminds me of most is Tim Curry’s version of Long John Silver from legitimate classic film Muppet Treasure Island; yes, Long John Silver in general works for this analogy, but Tim Curry is the definitive version, fight me. Bismuth isn’t as treacherous as old Long John, but they share the tightrope act of being at odds with young protagonists that they earnestly like. There’s nothing fake about their moments of bonding and pseudo-parental advice, and while both are angling to convert a child hero to a questionable cause, it’s done in part to maintain a friendly relationship. Again, Silver is more of an outright villain—his lust for gold lacks the nuance of Bismuth’s well-intentioned justification of extreme violence—but these are gregarious antagonists that our heroes build meaningful connections with, and ultimately learn lasting lessons from. 

Steven is all in on Bismuth’s ardor at first, grinning with shared passion after she rallies the team to keep fighting Homeworld. He’s a little less on board upon seeing Amethyst’s weapon upgrade, and his unease grows during the sparring session, but for all her intensity, Bismuth is fine with him not wanting to fight. She welcomes his own “rituals” with glee, and even though our first look at this sees her spiking a birdie into the sand so hard that the beach explodes, the montage otherwise shows her fitting right in. Even the foreshadowing of Bismuth’s views on weapon lethality during Lonely Blade is lighthearted, with the bonus of showing us how far Pearl has come in regards to fiction since Steven the Sword Fighter.

It all comes together in a poignant discussion about Rose. This is the last time she’s ever spoken of in a purely positive light before the story of her shattering Pink Diamond comes out; not every conversation about her is negative after this reveal, it’s never quite the same. We focus on Rose as a champion of differences: this is the Rose who said a servile pearl could be a warrior, who accepted a new fusion when nobody else would, who told a runty amethyst she was perfect the way she was. Bismuth is telling us what we already know, but personalizes it, showing how inspired she was by it, and Steven reacts to this umpteenth version of the Rose Was Great speech by admitting his fears of not measuring up for the second episode in a row.

Bismuth’s response sums up the entire lesson of Steven’s original series arc, and it’s such a moving affirmation when paired with Change Your Mind:

“You are different. That’s what’s so exciting. You don’t have to be like Rose Quartz, you can be someone even better. You can be you.”

The tragedy is that this hopeful message is undercut by Bismuth’s idea that a “better” Steven is one who uses deadly force. And the speech as a whole is further marred by a subtle hint of Rose’s mendacity: Bismuth mentions that she was “just another quartz soldier, made right here in the dirt,” but even before the Pink Diamond reveal, we already know Rose is from Homeworld from earlier episodes like Rose’s Scabbard. Retrospect enhances the sensation, tinging the uplifting speech with the kind of gray that we’re going to see a lot more of in the future.

There’s an awful inevitability to the ensuing fight as our heroes descend into the Forge, coming right of the heels of Bismuth telling Steven they need an alternative to fighting fair. Steven repeats his progression of reactions towards Bismuth all at once: first confused, then super excited, then gradually realizing something isn’t sitting right. But this time we can’t end with a day at the beach.

(The mood is ruined a little by the adorable commercial transition, and the summarization of the scene upon cutting back from commercials in a way this eleven minute show has never dealt with, but fortunately the bulk of the scene goes uninterrupted.)

Steven obviously isn’t going to use the Breaking Point, and we get a prolonged shot of them standing at odds in mirrored positions from their title card encounter before Bismuth’s hand tightens into a fist. To her, this isn’t a fight with Steven, but a continuation of her fight with Rose, and her anger at her deception is fueled further by the not unreasonable assumption that Rose is still lying as Steven. In Bismuth’s mind she isn’t attacking a child, but a veteran warrior who for some reason took the form of a small human, so she goes all-out.

Steven has been called “Rose” plenty of times by Jasper, and this will continue in our very next episodes, but it’s gotta sting harder when the person doing it just told him that Steven was enough. And the fight itself is no joke, which is a relief after the brawl in Steven vs. Amethyst was all joke. The hits land just as hard, and we get the same awesome choreography showcasing Steven’s floaty powers and spiky bubble in action, but Bismuth isn’t kidding and Steven is on the ropes. His sandal melting away is as graphic as we’re gonna get, but it’s still a great sign of what will happen to him if he falls. His shoelessness also allows for a neat reversal of Bismuth closing her fist to begin the fight: after limping on the other foot to avoid the heat, the first we see of him after the second bubble of the episode pops is a close-up of his bare foot steaming on the ground. He’s forced to hurt both himself and Bismuth to end the fight.

We’re on the cusp of learning the “truth” about Pink Diamond, but the beginning of Rose’s souring portrayal is right here. If you squint hard enough, Rose’s actions in the past could have been justified by her not wanting to shatter anybody, and by Bismuth being an extremist who left her with no choice. But as she stands impaled by the sword she once forged, Bismuth’s rage can no longer hide her grief. Even if Rose was right, and that’s hardly a sure thing, it’s twisted and terrible that she never told the other Crystal Gems the truth. It doesn’t matter that we eventually learn that this was a lot more complicated than it seemed because Rose was Pink Diamond, because in the moment, the person who just tried to kill Steven is saying that Steven’s mother did an awful thing, and despite everything the show has told us until this moment, she’s making a good point. Steven has no time to dwell on it before the other shoe drops (hopefully not into more lava), but it’s telling that Bismuth only acknowledges Steven as himself again when he says he’ll be honest.

When Bismuth gave Steven his pep talk in the living room, the audience didn’t know her full story, but she did, so she still loved Rose despite everything. She was hurt by her, and was willing to fight her, but she looked up to her leader despite it all. So it’s a real turn when she uses same language that encouraged Steven moments ago to make a new point: he could be better than her because of his potential to be spectacular, but also because she set the bar low by doing horrible things. Bismuth is all about that wordplay.

I’ve got a lot to say about my problems with Bismuth’s story after Bismuth (or rather the lack of one) that I’m including in my giant-sized features section below, because a giant-sized episode merits giant-sized features. But within the episode itself, I think silence after the fight is the right choice. Steven has been in danger before, but this is the hardest a person has ever tried to kill him, and it was one of his friends. A new friend, but a friend.

Bismuth marks the beginning of the end of this era of the show, an era when Steven’s series-long arc to fulfill his mother’s legacy was relatively straightforward. In yet another example of Bismuth’s wordplay, his life story swivels around a Breaking Point. The core of Steven Universe may not change in the way it does in Bubble Buddies and Mirror Gem and Catch and Release, but the core of Steven Universe is forever affected. His imminent guilt complex begins with stabbing Bismuth, and despite the hardships to come, he becomes a better person for surviving it.

But at least he doesn’t shatter her. That would really do a number on the guy. Can’t imagine how guilty he’d be if he one day did shatter an imposing zealot from the Gem War days with a history of confusing him for Rose Quartz...

Future Vision!

This is normally a section that lists small bits Fragments of foreshadowing, but because Bismuth is a double episode with tremendous impact on the shape of things to come in ways I already talked about in the review proper, I want to use this space to talk about the elegance of Steven Universe’s structure. I’ve referred to the fifty-odd episode chunks that make up the story on numerous occasions, but I think it’s about time I buck up and call them Acts. 

Act I of Steven Universe is the first season, Act II is the second and third season, and Act III is the fourth and fifth season (with the movie and Steven Universe Future as epilogues), and I think viewing the series through this lens really makes the structure shine. There are many examples of repeating themes and moments that this interpretation makes clear, and as an example, I want to talk about how a recurring phrase signifies a turning point towards the endgame of each act. 

In Act I, the slow-burning mystery of where the Gems came from begins at the midpoint, Mirror Gem, and escalates in Warp Tour with the introduction of Peridot. But we’re still doing regular episodes throughout, because Steven’s life is bigger than his past and there’s no pressing need to address his alien heritage when it isn’t directly affecting his life. It’s not until Marble Madness when this story ramps up, with Peridot's discovery of our heroes hurtling us towards a finale that sees Steven come into his own to defend his friends against old foes from beyond the stars who thought them long dead. The turning point is marked by Pearl taking a stand to proudly declare:

“We are the Crystal Gems! We're still alive, and we're still the guardians of this planet and all its living creatures!”

Jumping to Act III, the slow-burning mystery of what Rose did to Pink Diamond is actually solved with some time to spare. Things seem to be wrapping up at Garnet’s wedding in Reunited, especially because we’ve reached the same episode count of the other two acts. But then Blue and Yellow Diamond crash the party, bringing together the entire main cast in opposition. As in Act I, this shifts us onto the path towards the finale, this time one that sees Steven bringing the Diamonds together to heal the damage they did on Earth. This turning point was a bit less subtle:

“This is our home! Our planet! Our friends and family! We are the Crystal Gems!”

Act II is more stable than I or III, chronicling the period after Steven becomes a competent Crystal Gem but before everything is turned upside-down. He has adventures befitting his role and helps his friends and family as he grows more comfortable with his mother’s legacy, but unbeknownst to him, it’s the calm before the storm. Through it all, that legacy and that group are the bedrock of Steven’s life, and Bismuth begins to unravel his sense of security, leading to a finale that destroys our hero’s comfort zone. The turning point comes as Bismuth shatters not an elite Gem, but the fake image of one, and roars a battle cry that shows that there are some missing pages in the story of Steven’s happy family:

“Listen up, you Homeworld upper crusts...”

“We are the Crystal Gems!”

If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have inconsistencies…

Likewise, this is normally a section that lists plot elements that don’t add up, and I can’t imagine reviewing Bismuth with addressing Bismuth’s treatment as the show continues. There aren’t many other places to write about it until Made of Honor, as the most notable element of this discussion is her absence, but it’s a flaw beyond this episode itself, so it’s going here.

First, I understand from a storytelling perspective why Bismuth is bubbled again. She’s a major new element that couldn’t realistically be sent to the barn like Peridot and Lapis, and is so at odds with our heroes that it would mess with the direction of the series. In particular, the reveal that Rose shattered Pink Diamond would go from being a story about Steven coping to a story about Steven and Bismuth coping, because Rose shattering someone goes against the whole reason she fought Bismuth in the first place. The simplest solution to not having Bismuth dominate the upcoming story is putting her away until the plot demands. And we do eventually get some lip service to why she was bubbled again for so long: she did, after all, try to shatter Steven with the Breaking Point at the end of their fight. She seems cool with it, and it’s not as if she was suffering in there, popping back out as if no time had passed and integrating well with the team afterwards.

But it is baffling that there isn’t any conversation about trying to talk with her instead of keeping her locked away. We don’t need a proper trial, but the idea that this team wouldn’t allow Bismuth to make her case and wouldn’t try to help her work towards a mutual understanding is not only cruel, but cruel in a way that makes no sense for these characters. I’ve called the underuse of Malachite the show’s greatest blunder, and I stand by it because Bismuth’s treatment is much more than a “whoops.” Communication is everything to this series, and the idea that Bismuth was too dangerous to be reasoned with is, to me, Steven Universe’s greatest sin. 

Garnet and Pearl in particular never mention any alternatives, or even bring her up to a meaningful degree. This is supposed to be one of their best friends. And after we learn about Pink Diamond’s shattering, it’s bewildering that Steven doesn’t consider the Bismuth of it all outside of her factoring into his guilt complex in Mindful Education and a brief mention in Storm in the Room. On both an emotional and logical level there’s no reason to not include her more in Act III. Like, let’s say in the worst case scenario she’s freed and furiously attacks Steven: he already defended himself by himself against her, in a lava-filled arena where she had a huge advantage, so obviously with the other Gems he’d be safe. And let’s say Steven is traumatized by nearly getting killed. Understandable. Even if Pearl also nearly got him killed a few times, it was never with murderous intent. Except that if that’s the rationale, I feel like Bismuth deserves to have that explained by him at some point during her imprisonment. He could tell the Gems, he could confide in Connie, whatever, this is something that needs to be said out loud. If we’re going to have her locked away indefinitely, there needs to be more than stone cold silence about why the Crystal Gems came to such an extreme solution, seemingly without a second thought. There was more discussion about the ethics of bubbling Peridot than Bismuth, and Peridot was a full-blown opponent at the time. There was more discussion about the ethics of rehabilitating the Centipeetle, a being corrupted into what seemed to be an unthinking monster, than a fully sentient ally who did a bad thing.

I’m not gonna knock this episode down any pegs for this in my rankings, because it’s not really the fault of this episode. Yes, it could have included Steven’s conversation with the other Gems, but this story was already full to the gills and there was plenty of time in future episodes, particularly episodes after the shattering story comes to light, to address it. Bismuth works fine on its own, but demanded further stories that it never got. Made of Honor does a decent job of bringing Bismuth back, but that’s after over fifty episodes of a misguided but heroic and loyal friend being imprisoned without any attempt at mediation.

I get that it would’ve been a lot of work, and that the bubble method was more convenient. But making a character this great only to treat her this way is a disservice to both Bismuth and the Crystal Gems as a whole.

(Also, less importantly, this episode was marketed as 100 thanks to the inclusion of a few combined shorts as numbered episodes. But yeah this was totally episodes 98 and 99.)

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

I ended on a bummer note there, but like I said, Bismuth by itself shouldn’t be held culpable for not having a Too Short to Ride or Alone at Sea for Bismuth down the line. It still doesn’t make my top fifteen, but it does make my top twenty, which matters because the list is expanding next time to account for our actual hundredth episode.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Hit the Diamond

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Mr. Greg

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Beach City Drift

Winter Forecast

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Keeping It Together

We Need to Talk

Chille Tid

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Catch and Release

When It Rains

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Same Old World

The New Lars

Monster Reunion

Alone at Sea

Crack the Whip

Bismuth

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Barn Mates

Steven Floats

Drop Beat Dad

Too Short to Ride

Restaurant Wars

Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service

Greg the Babysitter

Gem Hunt

Steven vs. Amethyst

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

Super Watermelon Island

Gem Drill

No Thanks!

     5. Horror Club      4. Fusion Cuisine      3. House Guest      2. Sadie’s Song      1. Island Adventure

[ahnmakes]

devlog # 9 // life updates + new systems (UI, character stats, turn-based system)

so, I’ve been away for what feels like a year - there are a million things I could share.  first, let me update you on life things, then tell you a bit about what I’ve worked on in-game. as far as life things, I have been t i r e d.  and with autumn (my favorite season) here, the desire to cuddle and sleep all day is strong.

part of what’s been keeping me so tired is also that I both started uni studies and have a new job.  in the last blog, I mentioned I was thinking of going to university for further studies in computer science and all.  well, thanks to a few people’s generosity (and many, many phone calls, emails, etc), I did get signed up in time!  I have been absolutely in love with the things I’ve been learning in my first computer science class ever; even though it teaches Java, I have found that everything I’m learning is very easy to translate into C# and what I’m building in Unity.  each day, I feel more confident in my coding, so much so that nearly everything I’ve done in the past month has been entirely from my mind, just free-coding, without any tutorial or other guidance.  it is really amazing to feel like I can code up a system in my mind, even when I am away from a computer, and then sit down and type it out and it run exactly as I intended. while my studies and my new job (not especially difficult, but asks but for many hours each week; consider supporting me on Patreon so I don’t need to work as much?) keep me busy and often fatigued, I have been reclaiming time to code things I love and am really excited about - and I’d like to share with you a couple of things I’ve recently built. (edit: I just realised that a lot of the images are blurry :( will think on a fix for this)

where we left off with the last devlog, I was working a lot on the systems to build up the physical world: tile generation, interactables, biomes, and the like.  I did actually work on some other parts of the world and visuals (will share that in a near future devlog!), but more and more lately, I’ve been feeling like what will really keep me excited and focused, to feel like I’ve reached a solid checkpoint in my development, is being able to actually *play* the game.  even if it’s repetitive, only one area, or without animations, being able to press play and move characters around and interact is something I know will excite me.  so, that’s what I’ve been working towards. there are a handful of pieces I can identify between where the game was last devlog and what it needs to be minimally playable: - a basic UI that shows character stats - a system to calculate and update the stats to be displayed - a system to keep track of turns automatically - for the UI or world to display player choices accurately - at least a couple interactive actions the player can take, besides moving (damaging health, defending, etc) I started with making a basic character stat UI and a behind-the-scenes calculator. note: since we’re working mainly on systems in this devlog, I’m going to be sharing a lot of code talk.  but maybe you’re into that sort of thing.  also remember that my focus in each of these pieces is not to make something gorgeous or especially well-organised; my focus is to make something that works (though I am always thinking about optimisation and other possible patterns along the way).

so, this is what the first UI for character stats looks like!  I modeled this as a basic idea of how you might make a UI for creating a character and being able to preview their stats - both the base ones (like might and agility) and also a few of the compound ones (health, stamina, mana).

in this version, a player can choose an inheritance (what other games call “race”), a birth sign, and a primary class (though you won’t be able to choose it from the start like this in the game).  each of these choices contributes modifiers which change the stats, which is calculated altogether when you press the left or right buttons.  (again, these are not all the inheritances, signs, or classes in the game)

here’s a bit of the magick code that makes this happen:

as you can (hopefully?) see, I’m calling methods (CalculateClassValueMIT, etc) to get the relevant stat values and multiplying those against a magic number (eep!) and the character’s inheritance scaling.  what you might you also notice here is that these calculations are hard-coded to a given attribute (might, dexterity, intellect, etc); along with MIT, each of the other five attributes has its own calculation method.  I really hate this because I know there has to be another way to do it, but this is the way I know how to do so far - feel free to message me other patterns! (for example, I’ve seen people make a Stat class, but I don’t really get that yet?) then, while I was feeling a bit playful with UI and stats, I thought I would spend a day making a prototype of a “charisma interaction” system.  by this, I mean that - in the game - characters will be able to use their interpersonal skills to be able to navigate certain quests, get more information, and the like.  charisma pairs with each of the other attributes to give a certain way of interacting; for example, charisma and might could be interpreted as aggression, intimidation, using one’s size or boldness to gain favor.  pairing charisma with will could render an interaction more focused on relating, understanding, and empathising.  you can see some of might interaction here.

what’s shown in this is that Joseph, the unit kind enough to help with our testing, responds to your might interaction attempt with various phrases.  behind the scenes, Joseph has their own inheritance, signs, and other traits, and when you click, these + a random roll are used to calculate *how* Joseph responds.  in this case, Joseph has a primary sign of Aries, which inclines them to respond well to your might-based attempts (you’re in luck!).  even when Joseph declines your attempts or chooses to stop talking about a subject (just wait some days for them to open up again), they will tell you that they mostly like how you’ve approached them, even if it didn’t work this time - a character with Virgo as a primary sign, however, might tell you off on your first attempt and refuse to interact further with you. rather than just a few pre-programmed dialogues, I am interested in the game having a more procedural, somewhat organic feel.  also, in the actual game, Joseph will have slightly less patience; you won’t be able to keep clicking, only able to make an attempt twice in a day before the character closes that interaction. while the gif above shows many of the responses and reveal that there are just a handful of phrases this character will use, a player won’t see these in succession like this, so hopefully, the organic, personal feeling will be maintained.  and again, in the future, I intend to make this more complex, not just button pressing. here’s some of the behind the scenes to how the aries sign is built.  each sign is a scriptable object with these same parameters.

the basics of how a sentence is formed:

and what happens when you press the MIT button:

and the last thing to share today is about the turn-based system.  I knew this was an important step in moving us closer to a playable version of the game.

take a look, and then I’ll explain.

feel free to rewatch a few times, since there’s a lot to notice.

first, I approached this system by defining exactly what makes up a turn.  during a turn, the player will have four basic opportunities for choices: a first movement, an action, a secondary action (if the first was a half-action), and a second movement (if the character has any remaining movement).  these are the phases that the character sees and directly interacts with. then, beyond/around that, each turn also needs to initialise a player and update any status effects (status phase), figure out who’s next and adjust each character’s place in the list (priority phase), and see if the battle conditions have been met or if a next turn is needed (check phase).

here’s a closer look at some of the phases in code:

the basic setup is that the player interacts by pressing buttons when their input is needed, then the code moves through the phases depending on numerous factors: if the player used up all their movement, if they have action remaining, if they have a status (sleep? paralysed?) that will skip their turn, which phase it is currently ..

I have seen other approaches to coding a state machine (which I guess is what this is?) that I didn’t understand very much at all, and I am excited about this code because I know it came from me and all the things I’ve learned over my short time coding.  importantly, i am excited because it works.

whew.

so, what’s next?

well, I’ve built these systems solo (separate from the rest of the game systems) so that I could really polish them (as much as one polishes prototypes :p) before moving them into the fray. so, a next step is to integrate both the stat UI and the turn-based system into the rest.  to make it so that a player can pull up a fuller UI with a key press.  to show a constant UI indicating which units are involved in an interaction, maybe with some predictive stats (chance of hit).  and to have the player’s “movement button press” actually be them choosing which tile to move to, calculating automatically if that is their full movement range, and a much prettier (radial?) UI for selecting actions .. let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  one thing at a time.  I will keep working at it, with my plan being to get a workable version running this weekend, so maybe check back soon. and if you’d like to support me or get some behind the scene insights or help with building your game, do check out my Patreon - I would love for you to join my party: patreon.com/ahnmakes ✨✨ otherwise, I’ll see you in the next devlog! with love and need for a long, long sleep, ahn

[lawfulgoodness]

Hey there LG. Just wanted to check and see how you were doing.

Personal junk below the cut

Thank you so much @mildredjosephine! It’s nice to know folks are out there thinking kind thoughts about us.

For those of you just tuning in, 2018 was really rough.  My mom developed ALS, my dad passed away after a long fight with cancer, our beloved rescue greyhound Kitty also died due to cancer, and we sold our home to find a place that was more conducive to mom’s care.  I know nobody was sad to see the year 2018 end, but over here at Chez LG we were giving it the middle finger on its way out the door.  (Not really, that would be rude.  But we were def happy it’s gone.)

We’re hanging in there okay.  Mom is mostly able to get up & around still.  She’s lost the use of one hand and her other is getting significantly weaker.  She’s tired most days and sleeps a lot, but she’s able to move about on her own.  She doesn’t have many friends in the area where we live, but we’ve been trying to help her get out and meet new people.  She seems to enjoy connecting with her new Sunday School class at church, but it got out that she has ALS, and now she’s struggles with being viewed as “the sick person.”  That’s hard, but she’s taking it with a much more positive attitude than I probably would.  She’s definitely a “stiff upper lip” kind of gal, but cracks in her armor are showing, and that’s really hard for all of us, but mostly for mom.  She’s always been the strong one, and generally apologizes for any display of weakness or unhappy emotions. 

We’ve all had to make some adjustment, living together for the past few months, nobody moreso than my wife.  We talked about how important it is for her to not feel like her entire identity is wrapped up in “caretaker,” just like mom has been fighting to maintain an identity other than “sick person.”  She’s been taking care of mom, but also decided she wants to go back to graduate school.  One masters isn’t enough for her, she’s got to get another.  :D  I couldn’t talk her into getting a PhD, (mainly because I wanted to annoy her by calling her ‘doctor’ for the rest of her life), but she really wants to add a masters in History to her masters in Library Science.  She was worried she was going to miss the deadline for the fall semester, but we worked out a study/family schedule so she could focus on school.  Time management is a new area for all of us.

I got a promotion at work in the past month or so.  I’m now a manager.  (For those of you that didn’t hate me for going to church, you can hate me for helping support the capitalist agenda of suppressing the proletariat or something.  We all know that IT Security Nerds would help overthrow the yoke of the global elite if it weren’t for suits like me that thought herding cats sounded like a good career move.)  It’s been an interesting switch, one I’m not sure I’m adapting to well, but I’m trying.  I miss my consoles and my bash scripts and getting predictable responses from predictable datasets, but if I didn’t step up to the plate there’s always the chance that they hire some actual stuffed suit MBAgrad that sees a team like rungs on a ladder to step on to climb.  We’ll see how it goes.  I’ve tried to make it plain that home is my priority, and if these two things come into conflict the job is not going to be the one that wins.  Everybody seemed okay with that decision.  But outside of that, I’m really excited to have & work on building my own team. 

I’m not just chasing that paper.  I’m definitely in it to do the best job that I can, because it’s my career & my reputation on the line.  But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking at remodeling a bathroom in my house to ADA standards, or buying a van with a wheelchair lift in it, or just sending mom on a decent vacation for once in her &%$*ing life.  Sadly all of this has cost me game time, and I’ve had to cancel my Shadowrun campaign that I was running.  Our backup GM also cancelled the backup SR campaign we tried to do.  And then I tried for almost 2 months to start a Solomon Kane “30 Years War” type monster hunter campaign, but that turned out to be a non-starter.  So now I’ve got all this creative energy that’s just not going anywhere because I don’t have the time to do anything with it.  Nothing’s scratching that RPG itch right now, outside of Tumblr and this blog.  And that’s kind of sad, but, priorities are important.

Anyways, this already too long, but I appreciate the opportunity to get personal things off my chest, and it’s nice to know that there are folks remembering the person behind the blog, and that thoughts and prayers are aimed in our direction.  Please don’t stop.  We definitely need them.

[arcanalogue]

One of my main focuses of magical workings this year has been geared towards finding my true career path, to be in a place (not necessarily physical) where my maximum potential is being realized. I’ve been feeling this “buzz” of energy when I shift from the mundane thoughts of what I do to thinking about the esoteric applications. I’m curious if I’m being guided to a new direction that I haven’t thought about yet - like something is being left on the table.

[CONT’D] I would like to ask the cards for guidance about this unknown variable that is tugging at me.

A few guesses or prompts for where to look, Querent, if you’ll indulge me.

The Ten of Coins was drawn first, which suggests to me that you’re sensing the limits of what the material world can offer, even during relatively prosperous times. There’s suddenly there’s an awareness of entire other games waiting to be played -- but slipping the bridle of the earthly sphere isn’t easy especially if one has invested in building a solid foundation there.

And that’s how it should be, Querent, more often at least. Building from the ground up completely frames your experience of how certain elements fit together, it builds up discipline and a bit of faith that certain practices really will yield results in the long term if they’re diligently pursued.

This experience eludes SO many magickal practitioners, mainly because we’re all shaken about like ants in a box and just doing the best we can with whatever we have to work with. But those who are able to find and tend and strengthen this tether to their material existence often end up taking far deeper and more graceful dives into their own Great Work over the long term, and often end up with more to show for it as well. 

The drawback is that Earth exerts such a strong gravitational pull on our awareness -- plucking at our fears, our desires, our comforts, like harp strings -- that until we extend ourselves properly far out enough along that tether, we can still be unduly influenced by our worldly instincts. We often play it safer than we mean to, because in a pinch, the known means so much more to us than the unknown.

This is why real magick, and proper magickal study, must remain terrifying to those who seek them. Working with unfamiliar parts of yourself can be just as dangerous as fumbling with a sharp tool, a blowtorch. Ghosts, angels, gods, demons, ancestors, we’ve heard, can’t always be counted on to have our best interests at heart. That’s why we adhere to traditions and seek lineages that provide a framework for the experience, so we can tell just how far off the path we may have wandered, and compare notes with others conducting the same experiments. 

This pull you’re feeling is not unlike a dowser’s stick being nudged toward water, and the Knight of Cups embodies this feeling perfectly, as well as the response it elicits. The Knights of Cups and Coins stand apart from the two other riders because the items they carry are useless as weapons -- purely emblematic items. 

There’s some Christian imagery in this Knight riding through foreign lands bearing only a chalice. He’s on a spiritual journey, and by making sure others recognize this, he ends up being protected from harm -- perhaps even winning some over to his faith, as they find themselves moved by the sincerity his convictions. 

(Of course, this is its own form of colonialism, as history has borne out, and the gun and sword are never far behind if the conversion doesn’t take.)

I digress. In any event, what makes the Knight’s crusade so pure is that it isn’t just about spreading the word. He is making himself into a vessel, allowing himself to be guided in service to his Lord. 

This level of open-heartedness can really elude us, even when we like to think we’re ready to answer the call. We’re too afraid of losing certain important things, or awareness casting a light on the past that forces us to leave parts of ourselves behind forever. 

(We’re also afraid of the light filling us, and then going away.)

It’s particularly hard if you draw actual comfort from your life, your surroundings, your relationships. How much can you tinker with things without igniting changes that completely reconfigure your life? 

This is a fear, but it’s a delicious one, because if there’s something powerful like that out there for us, we want to know what it is. Life comes with so many mysteries, the prospect of solving a few of them -- even just in our own minds -- is extremely tempting.

The Knight has surrendered entirely to a higher authority, and seeks ever-more intimate contact with the divine. His mission is his whole life. That’s how the watery suit of emotions manifests through the active element of Air: there’s a deep passion, as well as an intense focus. 

And it pulls us in like a bug zapper, Querent. And the Death transformation that awaits is an inevitable result of applying human will, focus, and emotional sincerity to the pursuit of the divine.

Here’s what I can advise:

1. Pursue it anyway. One day this tug might go away, and you don’t know how long it might take to return -- if ever. During times when you require the kind of comfort that only comes from faith, you’ll probably wish you leaned in during these times (and be grateful for instances when you did).

2. Maintain the tether. For every step you take closer to the unknown, which is also the divine, strengthen your roots as well. You get to be part of how the unknown expresses itself in our world. That’s quite an honor! Few will listen to anything you say, so your main preoccupation should always be shoring up your own world, so you’re in the best position to help others endure their own.

3. Don’t fear the Reaper. Our naturally inquisitive and imaginative minds will always try to predict, engineer, or control what we’ll turn into as a result of our dance with the divine. That can be entertaining, but it can also become obsessive. It’s much harder to submit yourself to be sculpted by knowing hands, but we remain unconscious of so much about ourselves, there’s no way we could do it better ourselves. This applies to our actual, all-caps DEATH as well as the many smaller transfigurations we endure along the way. There is a time to act, and a time to let yourself be acted upon. Being truly open in that Knight of Cups-ian way will hopefully improve your sensitivity to these instincts, which will help you MAINTAIN THE TETHER no matter what, making you a safe and considerate person for others to know, even as you tread paths that are invisible to them. 

But you’re going to have to scare a bit, Querent. You’re going to have to start exploring areas where you’re not even sure WHAT you believe is possible, and resign yourself in advance to dealing with the outcome. You’re going to have to creep further out toward the void than you’re 100% comfortable with. 

We have to do this from time to time, to prove to ourselves that we actually take this seriously, that we’re not just playing around or passing the time with an eccentric hobby.

What we experience as a result can really help us in mundane ways also, helping us put puzzle pieces together -- ones we’d stared at for too long to ever see how they could connect.

There’s nothing in this spread indicating any danger in pursuing the source of this tugging feeling, Querent. You seem experienced, you’ve tested yourself with all kinds of workings, this may be the next logical step. It just feels strange, because what you seek is pure strangeness. Isn’t it amazing?

I hope this is somewhat helpful, thanks for your question.

Have a tarot reading request or tarot-related question for Arcanalogue? Ask here. Tips accepted (but not required) via Venmo, @arcanalogue. Or support my Patreon? I’d love that.

[bristolpusher-blog]

Rainbow Six: Siege and why I love it.

History of Siege:

Rainbow Six: Siege is a tactical FPS game developed and published by Ubisoft (more specifically Ubisoft Montreal) during December 1st. The game is currently approaching the end of its third year and has reached around 35,000,000 (35 million) players, but it didn't start this way.

Siege's official gameplay trailer was shown at E3 is vastly different to the game upon release. The game trailer shows tactical and long rounds requiring large amounts of communication with little room for error, stunning graphics and interactive animation between the hostage and other players. No operators were shown indicating that originaly everyone would be the games current operator "Recruit" but with their own special loadout and no abilities with customisation likely being very limited.

The trailer ends with a standoff between a defender and an attacker firing shots with no answer to who won the round (probably to show that both sides are infact balanced and have equal chance of winning). You could even take a helicopter landing onto the roof which is badass (And probably would've saved us from the spawn peak craze, but more on that later) but alas the game changed vastly at some point during production.

(I can't really talk about the beta as not only do I think it's not really important to understanding the history of siege as it played almost identically to day one release but I also have never played the beta version of Siege, However I will link a video to a closed Alpha gameplay video)

1st of December 2015: Rainbow Six: Siege is released to the world with 20 operators (and everyone's favourite: Recruit of course) these included: SAS: Thatcher, Sledge, Smoke, Mute. FBI: Ash, Thermite, Castle, Pulse. GIGN: Montange, Twitch, Rook, Doc Spetsnaz: Fuze, Glaz, Tachanka, Kapkan GSG9: IQ, Blitz, Jager, Bandit

Giving two from each to the attacks and defenders. (Attackers left, Defenders right) Your starting team depended on your colour. Orange was Defence and Blue was attack with the teams rotating roles each round while maintaining their colour.

But the operators were locked behind walls of money called Renown. Luckily however this didn't effect the game too hard as within literally one match you had your first operator in that division. But the prices rose if you wanted to buy an operator in the same grouping. So if I bought SAS Thatcher all SAS ops would be more expensive (Unless using R6 credits the in game paid currency). My first operator was GIGN Montange a shield operator and my last was GIGN Rook who ironically became my most played defender so I just wish I'd bought him earlier. Each operator has a unique ability which changes the playstyle with limited resources that cannot be reloaded even in the terrorist hunt game mode which gives you ammo boxes.

Here's a link to a video containing all operator guns, and abilities:

A season pass system was also announced by Ubisoft the first being Operator Black ice giving us two Canadian operators: Frost and Buck and this is what I think makes Siege so unique from other tactical FPS. These operations unlocked cosmetic items, new weapon skins (Most noted is the black ice renowned for being the best skin in the game) here's a list by Ubisoft of all rewards for the pass.

The JTF-2 operators, Frost and Buck, the Navy SEALs operators, Valkyrie and Blackbeard, the BOPE operators, Caveira and Capitão, and the SAT operators, Echo and Hibana. 600 R6 credits, R6 icon charm, premium pass until December 1st 2016. However these operators were available to everybody if they purchased them with free renown they got from playing matches (Around 150 if you lose and around 300 if you win) these operators cost a large amount but its not impossible as I did it myself to unlock Capitao.

In July 2017 Alpha packs were introduced. These unlocked through a sort of roulette wheel at the end of a winning game. The pack (if landed on a white bar you built up by playing games) contained cosmetic headgear and weapon skins until this season where Jager received a legendary uniform in Legendary Alpha packs. These packs are blind luck and you never know what they contain until you open them. If you have the season pass the pack percentage gets a 0.30% boost and when losing it goes up by 1.5% and when winning 3%. (Of course not including the additional bonus for season passes) these can be bought for varying amounts if Renown

These season passes continue until this day with free content such as maps, cosmetics and operators being released. (8 a year) As of writing this Grim Skies (Year 3 Season 3) is ongoing and the game is definitely had a few bumps this season with the introduction of Clash who's nerf patch hasn't been released at the time of writing.

And now the siege history lesson ends and my opinion begins. I LOVE Siege. I play it basically every day and never seem to tire of this. But I don't think that's just because of me being some addicted fan boy. I think that the reason Siege has become so popular and developed such a massive community is because the huge comeback it had. It was originally a huge failure with players leaving in mass. Thousands of videos on youtube pointed out its massive flaws until instead of abandoning it... Ubi started work. Bug fixes, anti cheat, graphics improvement. You name it, if the community asked Ubi delivered and they still do to this day. Even refusing to change Tachanka despite his huge meme status as being terrible simply because fans love him that way even releasing a cosmetic bundle called "Lord Tachanka" a huge fucking meme amoungst the community that the devs love too which just shows how tight knit we are as a game. While they did take a while to do it during the big Hack period they fixed that for fans and announced they would do so even before the big Youtubers jumped in on it.

Ubi revived Siege. And I can never really express just how thankful I am for that in words. I love this game and I can't wait for the next season or the next game.

Gameplay:

Now it's time to talk about the gameplay Holy shit is this fun. When something goes well and your team just clicks you forget you're playing a game. You're a squad of 5 elite special forces soldiers who's training has lead to an unstoppable wall of fire as your tear through your enemy and it only gets better when the enemy does so too. The rush you feel when a 1v1 comes after a long gun fight is tense and nerve-wracking as you feel your whole team watching you or calling info on cams or drones (More on that later) winning is satisfying and losing is crushing but you still don't want to give up. Because you know that with the right team and the right strats you can wipe the floor with even the best of players.

Games tend to last around 15 minutes in casual with three rounds won being the win and up to 30+ in Ranked. Each round has a drone phase where little black RC drones race around the map looking for the objective while defenders quickly reinforce the room with defences such as metal wall reinforcments, barbed wire, deployable shields, nitro cells (C4 explosive) and your defenders personal gadget. You then have 4 minutes to either complete the objective as Attackers or wipe the enemy team and vice versa as defenders.

There are currently 18 maps in Siege such as, House, Oregan and Presidential Plane with another map planned next season. My personal favourite is Clubhouse.

On your gun you can add various attachments such as scopes, grips and compensators. But it's hard for me to talk about that since it's mainly personal preference I almost always use Reflex but most like the Acog scope. Here's a list of what attachments you should put on guns according to Varsity Gaming who you should check out for tips and info on actual mechanics such as damage drop off on guns.

This brings us nicely to spawn peaking. Since defenders spawn 45 seconds prior to Attackers and there's fixed spawns Defenders began opening windows to shoot people as they exited a spawn area most prominently Jager and Bandit. This resulted in their Acog scopes being removed and eventually all Acog scopes from all 2 speed and 3 speed defenders giving a large advantage on the Attackers side as in long range encounters the 2.5x zoom of an ACOG will help massively. Here's another link to a video which marks all things removed or nerfed to the current date. It's still a sensitive topic today as spawn peaking still exists but you're much more likely to miss someone or get killed yourself when you do it.

10 years of content has been announced but people do still doubt it but personally I think it can be done. Considering we're about to enter year 4 and the game is only growing in popularity I see no reason why it's going to stop any time soon. Especially now its practically one of the biggest Esports perhaps only being outdone by League and Dota with Overwatch declining it its recent years.

Not to mention the huge profit they overturn in cosmetics Ubi made pro league and elite skins, the later of which unlocks special MVP animations when equipped and winning as the largest point scorer.

How to Play the game

Now let's discus the gamemodes. You have Casual and Ranked with Custom matches and Terrorist hunt being less of a central focus and an offline Situations mode for beginners to practice.

Casual matches assign random spawns, random defence points and has a cap limit of 5 rounds with a winner being declared after someone reaches 3 otherwise resulting in a draw which effects nothing and gives bad rewards considering you just both basically won.

Ranked gives you a choice of spawns, defence points and caps at 9 rounds with a winner either being declared at 4-2> or having to go to a 5 after it reaches 4-3. After winning a defence location defenders who won may no longer use that defence point until it reaches the overtime tie breaker rounds of 4-3 onwards where everything resets basically. Drone and round times are the same however for both casual and Ranked if an objective is being complete such as Hostage being extracted, Defuser is being/ is planted or Securing objective/contesting then like casual the timer will never end until someone either leaves the room or dies. If a user leaves a ranked match their space is never filled nd they receive a ranked match ban for 15 minutes which increases each time and leave penalty

All game modes feature a DBNO (Down but not out stage) where you will be knocked to the floor and a large + icon surrounded by a white circle slowly being ticked away by a red line creeping across will appear. Your vision will be impaired and movement reduced to a crawl. You will produce a blood trail leading the enemy to you if you crawl away. You can press and hold to stop movement but hold the blood in giving you more time to wait for a teamate to come help you up. Any damage you take will probably kill you and all revives (except Docs stim pistol and Finkas adredinal surge) will get you back up on 50 health and must be done when right next you the only exception to these rules is Zofia and Doc who can get themselves up if Doc has a stim left and Zofia needs no help at all and after a brief 5 second animation can get up on 1 health and continue to fight.

Gamemodes in Ranked and Casual are:

Hostage: Hostage must be extracted from defence point and taken outside to a red flare where you will extract him/her and win you can as with teammates kill the hostage instead of the minus 100 points and ban (and an additional -100) for killing two teammates like you may expect you're hit with an instant -500 points and an almost certain ban if you're not careful. And since Renown is given based off of points this will likely screw you out of any renown if you lose the match and don't receive the +2000 points for winning.

In Secure area you must enter the room with the container automatically beginning to secure it simply by being in the room however. A loud siren goes off wherever an enemy enters with a large "Contested objective" appearing above the icon that goes through walls for both teams if a defender is inside and a "Securing..." if not.

On Bomb there are two sites near eachother [A] and [B] with Attackers having to enter the room and plant a single defuser given to one member at the start of the round taking 7ish seconds to plant and 40ish seconds to defuse the bomb entirely however the bomb defuser can be destroyed by the defence team by approaching it and holding the button to defuse with the same 7ish seconds needed to defuse however during this time the defuser still continues to tick down and can pass the threshold of defusing the bomb while a defender defuses resulting in an attacking victory.

All of these gamemodes are 5vs5

Terrorist Hunt:

Terrorist Hunt features a range of difficulties: Normal, Hard and Fucking impossible (Realistic). These missions can either be done alone or with a team. Depending on difficulty team friendly damage is reduced so I'd recommend Team play if you want a lot of renown for not very much work at all.

Situations:

These missions have fixed objectives and must be done alone in single player. After completing all situations that teach you how to play you may take part in Article 15. A difficult mission in a realistic difficulty where you and 4 others must defuse 2 bombs inside the map Bartlett University with heavily obscured vision in yellow clouds filling the map obscuring enemies and the bodies that liter the ground.

Custom Games:

These allow modifiers for a 5vs5 with friends or less even allowing you to explore the map alone. You can change health, timers such as increasing defuse time, drone time, match time and the amount of rounds. You can even turn on pro league settings to have a tournament with your friends.

Shop:

Siege has an in game shop where you can purchase the previously mentioned elite skins and various other items such as weapon skins, Pro league sets and weapon skins, charms and even the glorious Lord Tachanka sets.

Final thoughts and review:

Siege is in my opinion one of the greatest FPS games of all time. It has incredible fans, Gameplay is smooth and fun and most importantly tense. If I could play just one game with all of you then you'd know how big a difference one person can make each match, how much communication changes the game and how often friends tk each other for cheesy spiderman jokes.

I highly recommend you purchase it. Or play a free weekend. With a starter edition being so cheap right now especially when a sale comes on the only real reason to avoid the game would be the toxic team killers we have. But since the new tk ban changes I've been teamkilled only 12 times. 2 by friends, 7 accident and three being toxic players. That's not however saying it doesn't happen. But trust me. Your teammates will straight up slam the fucker who does it. I don't think I've ever been killed in a ranked match except by Mira mains who want their walls or accidents especially at the higher ranks. I hope this helped you either get a look into my perspective on Siege. Or perhaps convinced you to give it a chance or reinstall. Trust me. Give it a chance like I did and you'll never regret it.

Informative Siege Videos:

Siege Youtubers:

And of course the best Siege Youtuber of all time:

(This is my channel. Subscribe if you want I only upload for fun which I'm pretty happy with)

[markteare]

Skyrim: Creature Remixes

In games as large and expansive as Skyrim there is always a demand for more content. For each part a of development great consideration is given to how we can create the maximum amount of content from the production pass on the game. What I try to add on top of that is (hopefully) clever reuse of existing assets to solve specific problems or just squeeze out more value for the player from what we already have. One key example of this from my work is character “remixing.”

The origin of the character remixes came from my first job in the industry as a character modeller. As I was adding FX to creatures I was noticing some wasteful practices in the art and set about optimizing them. This was not a critique of the art it was all beautiful I just had fresh eyes and was able to see ways to improve the efficiency without compromising the in game result. I would run mesh reductions and re-skin heavy meshes and mirror textures. After any optimization I would create a side by side in game for the original artist to review to make sure quality was maintained. While the super high quality of the character art was not always necessary for the in game model I found that extra quality made the creatures hold up better during the various remixing techniques.

Frost Giant

The Frost Giant was the first time I attempted to use the technique of blending two creatures together to create a third. I had the idea of blending 2 or more and then baking the textures down using the same re-baking technique I used to mirror the dragons.

I found this old creature Karstaag as a guide. I then built a similar looking creature on the giant rig using the giant and the troll models by Jonah Lobe. For this workflow I worked entirely with the low poly in max but Jonah was not sold on the final quality. He helped my spruce up the final version a bit and pushed me to look for ways to pull more details from the source meshes in the future.

I re-projected the multiple texture sheets down into one and then polished them by unifying the color scheme and paining out seams and baking errors in the normal map.

Feral and Vampire Falmer

For the Dawnguard DLC we were going to focus on the falmer. As they usually had very distinctive clothing and armor I made some naked “feral” variants to use in some dark dungeons we were creating.

For the final boss fight Daryl Brigner and I designed for the Falmer Valley area we needed waves on enemies so I made a frozen vampire version as well by adjusting their coloring and teeth.

Flaming Thrall

Designer Phil Nelson came to me one day with an idea he had mocked up for a flaming thrall. A spell you learned to summon a dog that chases your enemies and explodes. I took the wolf mesh and made a scrolling fire version with a particle fire trail. The beauty of being able to handle the meshwork, rigging, and FX work myself made me a one stop shop for requests like this. If Phil had gone through the normal channels to request his thrall he probably would not have been able to get it because it would theoretically require 3 different peoples time to get done. I was able to hand him something back we shipped with later the same day.

Labyrinthian Spectral Draugr

Another level designer Joel Burgess had a dungeon he was trying to make extra special and he wanted some unique enemies to populate it.Based on what was happening in the dungeon we decided on some ghost draugrs and their spectral hounds. I had no time to slot in his request as we were pushing hard to finish the game so I made it my fun bonus project to work on at the end of my day. Even at 2 in the morning sometimes I would pull them out once I hit my scheduled goals for the day and chip away at their look and spectral weapons.

In the end I delivered him 4 new creatures and 3 new weapons he could use to add a special flavor to his dungeon. My initial shortcut of color remapping the normal maps as the diffuse maps would later come back to haunt me as in the final shipped version of the game normal maps were processed down to a format that could not be remapped and I had to go and fix every asset I had made. The final result was not a nice looking as my first pass but that is the reality of game development.

Naaslaarum and Voslaarum

While riffing on ideas for the Falmer Valley with DLC lead Jeff Browne I had the idea to use a furniture setup to allow dragons to punch in and out of a frozen lake. Using our expertise in ambushes and FX we are fairly confident we could pull it off without any issues. For these unique dragon I wanted to create unique models.

When I initially touched the dragon meshes to optimize them I also played with some ideas to get more dramatic variants from the base meshes without a full remodel. In the end our variants that were in the base game ended up being mainly texture swaps for time considerations. I felt with some creative thinking you could break the repetition and similarity that exists in texture variant models. I used a combination of UV sliding, mesh tweaking, add on meshes, and texture re-baking to try and visually break my dragon from the base game dragons. Character artist Ben Carnow added some texture polish to the final result.

Corrupted Shades

One of my favorite examples of creatively tackling a task that came my way. The task was for necromancer magic effects for the final boss in a dungeon. I went to the designer and got some more information on the dungeon and then pitched this alternate backstory: the necromancer is ripping souls from dead bodies from the civil war and making these enemies and then actually becomes one himself for the fight. I felt this added way more excitement for the player than a human with different magic at the end and I could do it in the same amount of time.

I kit-bashed together a few variants of skeleton and soldier armor and painted them all black in the low poly meshes using vertex color. I created black smoke fx and red glows to cement the look. I did the same for the necromancer but skinned it to the dragon priest rig.

In order to sell the idea the dungeon was filled with desecrated corpses of soldiers I build cheap blackened physics corpses and set them up in the editor as containers to allow the player to loot them.

In all of these cases there was one goal in pushing form more and unique creatures in the game: player value. If I can take items we have lying around and give the player a whole new creature that would have otherwise taken too long to create than I feel I have been successful at adding some. I was never really sure weather or not I had achieved it (other than the lack of Kotaku posts about the handful of shitty add on creature in Skyrim) until I was writing this post and discovered actual fan art dedicated to the creatures I had added using these techniques:)

Twin dragons art:

https://amnis406.deviantart.com/art/Twin-Dragons-375467352

Corrupted shade art:

https://edwarddelandreart.deviantart.com/art/Corrupted-Shades-538688974

As a special bonus the work I added has found its way into other Elder Scrolls titles:)

[omegasisgamedesign-blog]

A new year, new content.

If you are reading this, welcome to a new blog I’m trying to start to sort of keep everyone updated on my progress on some of the work I do, most notably game design and mod development with maybe a sprinkling of some streaming thrown in. I’m going to try not to get ahead of myself just yet though.

First let me begin a incredibly short explanation for my absence in mod development for 2017. It was a hard year. Lots of personal events between moving twice, two very hard school terms, a passing of my grandmother, and trying to take care of myself since I believe self care to be important.

On the flip note though 2017 had plenty of opportunities. I made friends, traveled to Spain, and learned more about myself as a person. All of this in combined with spending adequate time with friends and family really got me remotivated to get back into what I love to do, game design and modding.

While I started this endeavor almost two years ago Most of my work was done in the first year and not much progress has been made on the neverending list of ideas I wish to develop/am developing/have developed but not released. 

I suppose I’ll talk about a bit of my work since that’s what is going to be the main focus going forward

Stardew Valley Mods:

This is the bread and butter for this blog for the time being, the main thing I’ve done and what I plan to mainly work on for some time. I’ve already released a slew of mods on nexus under the name of Omegasis with the help of Pathoschild in teaching me new things and maintaining my mods in the large year of absence. I’ve done great things like Happy Birthday, Stardew Symphony, and Auto Speed just to name a few. However this could be greatly improved upon. Here’s some of the upcoming ideas that I probably want to work on in this order.

Note* Some of these names are subject to change.

0. Stardust Core: Status: WIP

     This is the main core mod I’ve been working on for about the last year now. It’s gone through many different iterations, but the main focus is to provide a modding core for a bunch of shared functions and things I want all of my future dependent mods to work off of. This includes a generic template object that all my modded objects will inherit from, a serialization system for saving a loading all of these custom objects, and the Illumination Framework, which I’ve decided to integrate as opposed to having it be its own stand alone mod since I can use a lot of the code in the core. Also one notable feature is an animation manager where users can add in animations to their custom objects and have them run at specific triggers when combined with a code based mod. This could allow for things like fountains, spinning tops, and more! 

0.1 Illuminate/Chromatica Framework: Status: WIP Planned: Summer 2018

    This is already a really basic implementation of lots of colors that I’ve added into code to basically just make things look well...colorful! It’s in a very basic alpha stage and doesn’t do too much since it really only includes the Chromatica side of things, but in the future I hope to be able to add a lot more customizable light sources with different light shapes, interpolation, and configurations to be able to have lots of controls to add multiple light sources to an object. An example would be having multiple light sources on something like a christmas tree or a lamp that gives off multiple colors!

This crystal for example would be colored differently and give off a colored light. Stuff like that mostly.

1. Additional Crops Framework: Status: WIP Planned Winter/Spring 2018

     This is one that I’m currently developing right now. I recently learned that a similar mod called JsonAssets exists that covers some of the same features but what this one does differently is

     1.Allows the user to purchase planter boxes that can be placed down. More of these can be added in by modders for different aesthetic designs. These planter boxes will be used to plant crops anywhere in the world and allow for more features such as greenhouse effects where crops don’t die and self-watering planter boxes. No more having to have crops planted just on your farm!

      2. More kinds of fertilizer that can speed up crop growth and increase quality. This will basically expand upon the fertilizer that is already included in the vanilla base game.

Also shoutout to Spacechase0 for JsonAssets. Definitely a big fan of the work and very impressive.

1.1. Rune Factory Crops Mod: Status: WIP :  Planned Winter/Spring 2018

        This mod is being co-developed alongside Additional Crops Framework as a way to make sure it has a good set of features so that mod authors can make their own mods based off of the Additional Crops Framework. All it would take is a super simple 5 lines of code or so in a code based mod to simply tell the framework where to find the new assets. Of course I would include a tutorial of how to do so full of documentation, but the point is to make a crops mod with lots of new features and customization without having users struggle with the code side of it.

Here is some examples for my art so far, I’m a programmer so programmer art is more of my style but some of this doesn’t look to bad.

     Sorry about the size. I’ll have to find a better way to include images without destroying the quality. Also yes, the turnip crop is just a recolored parsnip right now. I’ve made custom art for the object, but there is still quite a bit more work to be done on this one in terms of art.

2.Stardew Symphony Reboot/Stardew Music Displayer: Planned for Winter/Spring 2018

     One of my personal favorites that I wrote a long time ago with not much programming experience behind me. While the mod works, it’s not terribly user friendly and the tutorials that I made for it well.... frankly put need lots of work. I wasn’t very confident streaming back then and my old house echoed terribly so my voice just doesn’t sound very great on these videos. Also what does one typically say during these things anyways? Well the point is that this mod is going to get a user-friendly upgrade. While a sister mod for it exists which is the simple sound manager and allows for simple mod sound effects for modders to use, Stardew Symphony is aimed at the general populace with no coding experience. 

     Some of my plans for it include:

     1.Making an interface to listen to music included in music packs. That way users can determine what music they do and don’t like. This will probably take form of a music box that you can purchase from Robin to keep keyboard keys clean from a million menus. This menu would also be able to customize what music would play when in terms of location and season instead of having to fudge around with text files.

     2.The Music Displayer portion is a part I already integrated that automatically parses the names of songs from the music files included in a music file. Using some nice hex parsing techniques this allows exposing all the sound files associated with any one given music pack without mod authors having to include a file saying which songs are included.

     3. Finally some better tutorials on the process from how to install the mod, to making music packs, to working the interface. This one is huge since it’s almost stupid that the ability to add custom music to Stardew has existed for so long and I just haven’t made some good tutorials for this yet. So this time it’s happening.

3.Additional Fruit Trees Framework: Status: Planned for Spring 2018

     This is the same as Modular Crops Framework and very well might be integrated into Additional Crops Framework at a later date. This essentially does what you think it does. Adds in different types of trees that will be able to produce different things for the farmer such as more fruit or different kinds of trees that maybe produce modded items. That would be fun!

4. Unnamed Cooking Mod Framework/Overhaul: Status:Planned

     Because what’s the point of having more crops if you can’t cook with them? This essentially will make cooked dishes have different/better effects or at least have a more reasonable logic when it comes to healing stamina and health.This mod would also add in the ability for new cooking recipes that can be learned in different ways. How this would all work is still undetermined. Maybe the same or maybe you research them? Also maybe include a cooking skill??? Who knows.

5. Unnamed Alchemy/Magic mod/Framework: Status Planned for Summer 2018

      This is a big one. It’s to hopefully expand on the fact that there is magic in the world of stardew but finally add on things like spell books, potion brewing, and other small magical machines and artifacts that would be able to add a bit of variety to Stardew. I’ve already prototyped a bag of holding which can be expanded with upgrades, some crystals that do different things like healing or cause it to rain, etc. Like I said, there is a lot that will be done with this one, and is going to be the big content adder.

6. Additional Animals Framework: Status: Planned for later 2018.

     This mod essentially will expand on the potential to have different types of animals that can live on your farm. Of course content mods will be made off of this and I already have an idea of one. It’ll sadly be awhile before I get to this one since I know the other mods will take me a ton of time to get around to completing, but I’m determined to add this one in too.

7.Modular Furniture Framework: Status: Planned: ????

     This is a HUGE mod that I’ve been trying to properly tackle since my early days of Stardew modding and I think I finally found a working solution to how to go about this one, but understand the amount of time it will take is going to be a task within itself. This will finally allow modders to add in custom furniture and place it anywhere. This will also allow ways to include more interactable types of furniture as well that could allow for some fun potential. 

8.Unnamed paint mod:Status: Hiatused

     This is a mod I made back in the spring and it technically works but needs some more tweaking. It essentially allows you to paint on a canvas object with different colors and place that painted tile anywhere in the world. This is pretty much the same way Animal Crossing does it with their designs from the Able Sisters. While I could probably get this mod up and running pretty quick it’s a bit lower on the priority list right now.

9. Additional Buildings Framework: Status Hiatised/Planned to resume LATE 2018

This is a mod that I’ve already made a variant through XNB content modding, but I need to update it to be more compatible to SMAPI since this mod was made on a patched version of Stardew Valley I made as an experiment in the early days of modding. This would allow for different buildings to be placed on the farm such as a bathhouse, warp hubs like subways to go to new custom maps, different aesthetic barns/coops etc. I want to get back to this one but it’ll take a ton of time before I can get here.

Anyways that’s what I have PLANNED for 2018 but the scope of some of these might even flow over into 2019 depending on a ton of factors such as multiplayer, code complexity, and the amount of art I would need to do. Not to mention I have a life where I go to school, am social with friends and family, and like to do other hobbies to. If I can complete even half this list though that would be amazing!

Unnamed Story that actually has a name:

Now this is a story I’ve worked on a long time ago for a game I was making in good ol’ RPG maker VX Ace and while I might not get around to making the game anytime soon, I really want to get back around to writing this story.

Game/Code Streaming:

Since I already play games in my free time and I spend so much time coding  figured I might as well try my hand at streaming again. It could be a fun way to pass time and maybe bounce around ideas from streamers about things I could do with my mods. We shall see where this all goes.

And that’s the very first and VERY long update.

I’ll try to see if I can stick to a bi-monthly update schedule where I’ll update every two weeks or so with my progress that I’ve been making and hopefully next time I’ll have more graphics to show on the specific mod I’m working on. 

Util next time.

[cashmierathoughts]

Riding With Casey - Indy Stars Edition

“If you run yellow lights, you have raw sex!!”. Coming to the stage, please welcome CASEY THE ICON! Do I have your attention? Good, because I need it for about five minutes; assuming you read at a normal pace. Excuse the shade, I don’t mean any harm. 

I had the pleasure of meeting up with the oh so talented Casey Ross to discuss his show. Perhaps you’ve heard of it, ‘Riding With Casey’? This impromptu show features friends of Casey’s who hop in his ‘06 Sebring to discuss various topics led by the Icon himself. The show got its start when Casey and his friends were riding around, smoking, and they decided it would be funny to record themselves talking about everyday affairs. Prior to this bright idea, Casey had previously been a success on Vine, getting hundreds and thousands of re-vines and being recognized by people in the city for his videos as well as having a show called ‘The Funny Casey Show’ in college.

 My goal was to get to the heart of the show; I really wanted to dig deep at the core of ‘Riding With Casey’. How did it get it’s start? How does he choose who comes on the show? Are topics pre-planned? Is there anything he won’t touch as far as discussion goes? Do’s and don’ts in the whip. What’s up!?

“I was with my friends smoking one day and I was like ‘bro, lets make some videos and record ourselves’. This was a long time ago. My ex motivated me to do SOMETHING. She would say, ‘Just do it, you’re wasting time just sitting around.’ My ex is a big reason why I pushed my show. So I did it.”

Behind every man, is a strong woman.. but I digress.

I must admit, I was watching a clip of ‘Riding With Casey’ and your guest mentioned he would rape KeKe Palmer. Rape is a serious thing, that’s not up for debate. So I got to thinking, ‘What won’t this nigga talk about? Is there no topic that remains untouched?’ So tell me, is there anything that you just absolutely will not talk about?

“We will talk about everything. I want riding with casey to be the realest show you’ve ever seen. If people wanna say “fuck the bee-hive” they can say that. If they want to say they don’t want no faggot ass son, they can say that. I want people to feel like they can say whatever they want to say. This is what will bring the attention. Most questions I look up on the internet in compilation with things I thought of myself. As time went on, people brought topics to me. I have a game called views. I ask them questions about their views on current events. Politics, the grammy’s. I just like to get the full person. [This is] All improv. I tell them that this is an interview but I don’t want you to be tense as if this is an interview. It’s just niggas in a car talking. But some people, I do prep and do research” 

‘Riding With Casey’ is an inclusive, no holds barred show. Discussions range from: sports, sex, music, everyday life, celebrity drama, current events, etc. as well as a sub-show called Views. On this segment of the show, Casey throws out random topics to get a holistic feel of the person he’s interviewing. When I asked Casey what was his favorite topic discussed, I must admit, I was a little shocked by his answer. One of the most historically controversial topics in the black community, outside of the OJ verdict is the question of sexuality. Mainly that of the black man. Casey reported that his favorite topic on his show to date was the discussion on whether or not his interviewees would rather have a ‘hoe daughter’ or a ‘gay son’. When asked why, this is what he had to say,

“Having a gay sun or a hoe daughter really brings out people’s bias’. I’d rather have a hoe daughter though, with a gay son, I'd feel like I did something wrong.”

Via Casey, he’d rather have a ‘hoe daughter’ because if he were to have a gay son, he would feel the burden of his sons’ decision. As if his daughter being a hoe would have nothing to do with her upbringing..? Hmm. I do agree with Casey about one thing; this subject does bring out the bias’ we carry around with us when it comes to gender roles and what is and is not acceptable in our society. Sure, being a hoe is taboo to some, but being a gay black man is still deemed as debauched in the black culture. 

Many people want to know how they can get on the show - including myself. I mean, I literally went as far as interviewing the interviewer just to get a sneak peak of what being on ‘Riding With Casey’ is like. In case you’re still waiting on that invite, from my perspective, it is worth the wait! But the process is still a little unsystematic if you ask me. 

“A lot of people ask, ‘How can I get on the show’, ‘Why haven't I been on the show’. I don’t really have a list of people that are getting on the show. There are certain people that I know I have to get. It depends on how serious they are about getting on the show.” 

“This season I have to show more of myself too. I’m not just some nigga asking questions.” 

Switching gears, everyone is inspired by something or someone that preceded them. In Casey’s circumstance, it was comedian/actor Martin Lawrence. In high school, Casey watched every episode of Martin and now knows every word. According to Casey, 

“...Martin is my biggest inspiration because of his show. I love the spotlight. In high school, I started to watch Martin every day after school. I know every episode word for word. His relationship with Gina – he was fun with her. He was on TV, he had the girl and had his friends. [Even though we don’t care about relationships in 2017]” 

Most comedians find joy in making light of current events, whether they’re “hot topics”, controversial propositions, race issues, politics, etc. For them, it’s an avenue to educate their audience on what’s going on it the world. It prompts them to formulate an opinion about societal issues all while laughing their asses off. I can’t think of a better way to stay woke. Casey and I talked about what it is about comedy that he finds joy in and it really boils down to him wanting to make other people happy.

“People have literally walked up to me and told me that they watched my vines over and over just to laugh because they were having a bad day.. It’s shit like that. People see the talent and it inspires them”.

While on the topic of other comedians, I wanted to get Casey’s opinion on black comedians, specifically black males, who dress up as women as part of their “act”. A few years ago, comedian Dave Chappelle sat down with Oprah to talk about why he felt the industry was flawed and how they – the industry – always push the “cross dressing” agenda on black comedians. In short, Dave would argue that the conspiracy to emasculate the black man and reduce his/their [the black men] creative freedom within the industry is one of the reasons he left that 50 million dollars on the table and moved to Africa. When asked about his thoughts on dressing up as a woman for shits and giggles, Casey said that growing up watching ‘Martin’, he didn’t see it as a problem. He would mimic scenes featuring Sheneneh [Ref: Martin] and Wanda [Ref: Jamie Foxx] to make people laugh. But my question to him was, would you do it now? Plenty of comedians and actors have done it, and still do it. i.e Tyler Perry, Eddie Murphy, Martin, the Waynes’ brothers, etc. Do you find it necessary to dress up as a woman as part of your act for laughs? Casey looked me in the eye, leaned back in his water stained scrap metal Starbuck seat and said,

“Hell na. When it comes to being on camera, I don't think I could take it that far. Now, I just feel like there’s something behind it now because of what Dave said and the Hollywood world.”

Despite the inspiration Casey receives from legendary comedians that paved the way before him, Casey channels a lot of his influence from his estranged father. It’s funny how the people who we have less contact with shape us. I always like to remind myself that the broken are the more evolved. I also find this to be true for Casey. When I asked him who was the most influential person in his life, he responded, 

“As crazy as it sounds, my dad. I don’t have a good relationship – because I don’t want to be shit like him and it pushes me to be better. Sometimes I see myself in him and I know that I have to change that shit. Now, I turn that hurt into motivation and it makes me want to grind hard. When I get rich, I know he’s gonna want to come back around and I’m going to embrace him. Something gotta make them love me. Just like women.”

Casey admitted to me that he will know when he has truly made it because he will then be genuinely happy in life. Know yourself, then grow yourself. With the help, love, and support of family and friends, doors will open, windows will be left cracked, and ceilings will be no more.  

Casey has a promising future ahead of him. My third eye senses this. Not only is he a comedian and producer of his very own show, but he is also a fashion designer, cartoonist, and creative director of three different clothing lines. [Shout out: Trust God, So Sick, Cheatah, 7House, and Silent Hustle]. Be that as it may, I would advise that he stays positive and learns to neglect the bullshit on his way to the top. It’s easy to get sidetracked by the things going on around us, but we have to know our focus and maintain just that. I had a blast working with this young man and I advise you to check out his show! 

Final thoughts from the Icon:

“Believe in yourself and chase your dreams and do what you wanna do in life and it’s yours. Its not anybody elses, not your moms, your dads, or your friends ‘cause when they die, its up to you. And stop being nice to these bitches. The good guy always loses.”

If you would like to get in contact with Casey about his show, follow him on Twitter @CaseytheIcon or on Snapchat @itsfunnycasey or E-mail him at CaseyTheIcon@icloud.com