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whatareyousearchingfordean · 4 years

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Happiness Continues

Part 2: 5 Weeks Pregnant

Summary: Y/n comes down with an unexplainable bug and tries to chalk it up to stress at work. But after a conversation with her sister-in-law, realization hits her that it’s not in fact a bug at all.

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x Plus Size Reader

Word Count: 3.8K+

Warnings: Language, nausea and vomiting, discussion of surprise pregnancy

Author’s Note: Welcome back to the party everyone. Let’s get started! Special thanks to my always hype woman @waywardbeanie and my amazingly patient beta @emoryhemsworth Please enjoy some reviews from friends who have the luxury of a few sneak peeks. xoxo Alex

“I never thought I would have to engage in fisticuffs with Jensen, but here we go lol” @jensengirl83

“Y’all are gonna love it.” @emoryhemsworth

Catch up with the series masterlist and then check out Alexandra’s Library for more by yours truly!

The whole church was bustling as the pastor released the congregation for the day. It had been a nice sermon that Y/n hadn’t exactly paid attention to. All morning her body had been feeling iffy. It was something that she couldn’t exactly place, she just felt...off. Y/n assumed she was just coming down with a bug. By the time they had made it to the church, she was ready for a nap. In all honesty, she had to fight to keep her eyes open as their pastor droned on, which she did feel bad about.

Y/n was rolling her tongue about as Jensen drove them off to Jared and Gen’s for their usual Sunday brunch. Gen had woken up late with the kids and therefore the Padalecki’s had skipped church that day. That meant Y/n didn’t have to help cook, a fact which she was grateful for considering the spinning going on in her head.

“You’re quiet over there,” Jensen noted as they walked to the front door, their fingers entwined between them.

“I just feel off this morning,” Y/n explained. “I’m not sure what it is.”

“You think you’re coming down with something?” Jensen pushed open the door, letting themselves into the house.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, you have been stressed lately. First, there was everything that happened at work and then the move. It’s a lot for anybody. Your body is probably worn down.” His words trailed off as Shep came running to greet them at the door. Jensen ruffled the kid’s hair as he came to hug them both.

“Hmm, remind me to chug some orange juice then,” she commented before turning her attention to her nephew. Shep went into a deep explanation about how his mother had let him help cook their brunch, telling them both how he only dropped a few eggshells into the bowl.

Y/n was laughing along with him as they went deeper into the house. It wasn’t until she rounded the front staircase that the smell of cooking bacon and pancakes hit her nose, causing a wave of nausea to roll through her. Planting her feet, she dropped Jensen’s hand and ran to the nearest powder room, the door slamming behind her.

Y/n had to spit the saliva pooling in her mouth into the sink, taking deep breaths through her nose to will away the rolling inside her. Puking was the worst thing in her mind, and she would do anything to avoid an episode. This time she was successful, rinsing her mouth with water from the faucet helping to calm inside her.

“Y/n/n,” Jensen turned the knob, waiting for a protest from her that didn’t come before pushing the door open, “Are you okay?”

Y/n shook her head, afraid if she spoke it would open the faucet inside her. “Do we need to go home?”

“No,” she swallowed down the bile and took another deep breath. “You eat, I’m just gonna lie down.”

“Okay,” Jensen relented, running his hand down the back of her head and pulling her in so he could place a kiss to her forehead. “You’re sure?”

“I just—” a hiccup tore through her, threatening to destroy all she was fighting down. “I just need a minute.” She managed to get the words out before leaving her husband standing in the doorway to the bathroom. As she headed off for the couch in Jared’s office, Jensen made his way back to where Jared and Gen were waiting, both of them staring at him in anticipation upon his return.

“Is she alright?” Gen asked as she flipped a pancake on the griddle.

“She says she is, but she’s gonna just lie this one out I think. Earlier she mentioned that she felt off.” Jensen took a coffee mug from the counter and filled it before sitting at the table. “I think she’s running herself into the ground. She’s trying to do more than one person should take on.”

“Just make sure she gets a lot of fluids and some rest, and she’ll be good as new,” Jared noted as he tapped Tom’s hand when he reached out to grab something from Shep’s plate.

“I hope so…”

Y/n had no sooner lain her head on the throw pillow than passed out. Jensen had to shake her a little harder than usual to wake her when the family had finished brunch. Y/n had felt far better after her nap, the events of the morning all but forgotten once she got home, though she didn’t push her luck with eating anything that evening. Mosty she drank a lot of juice, her cure-all.

****

Soft pop music played on from the lobby of her office. Mondays in her office were usually casual, filled with standard meetings and the answering of emails. Today was no different, well, besides the fact that she couldn’t keep her eyes open. The long paragraphs on her screen began to run together and she kept having to reread them over. It was when her eyelids eventually started to droop that she sighed in defeat.

Y/n pushed her chair away from her desk and went to close her door. She leaned out the doorway quickly to speak to her assistant. “I’m taking an early lunch, field my calls for a few hours, please?” Abby nodded her head and Y/n closed the door behind her. She sauntered over to the stiff couch that sat along the far wall of her office. Plopping down on the decorative piece, she kicked off her heels and laid out across it.

She was out as soon as her eyes closed.

The sharp trill of her cell phone jolted her awake. The sudden change in her position had her stomach flipping. Gingerly, she brought her hand up to her mouth and she paused to allow the bout of nausea to pass her. By the time she got her bearings, her phone had ceased ringing. Y/n slipped her heels back on her feet and made her way to her desk to retrieve her cell. The time across the screen indicated she had been out for two hours. She let out a huff, assuming she would get a thirty-minute cat nap before finishing her day. Now she felt bad about leaving Abby out there to answer all her calls during that time.

The missed call indicated that it was from her husband. As she sat down behind her desk, she redialed his number. He answered on the second ring.

“Hey honey,” she could practically see his smile through the phone.

“Hey,” her voice was hoarse as she answered him.

“Babe, you okay?” The change in his tone had Y/n picturing him sitting up straight wherever he was.

“Uh, I don’t really know. I just took a two-hour nap in my office, though,” Y/n’s eyes drifted shut again as she rubbed a hand over her face.

“Are you still feeling sick?” Y/n grunted out a response. “Well, I was calling to ask what you wanted for dinner, but now I’m thinking maybe you should come home, you don’t sound too well. Take the day off.”

“I think maybe you’re right.” There was nothing big happening today. They had survived the last two hours without her, they could make it through the rest of the day. “I’ll be home in ten, love you.”

“Love you too, see you soon.” The line clicked as Jensen hung up the phone. Y/n collected her things and headed out of the office. She let Abby know she was taking a sick day on her way out, the woman wishing her well as she exited.

She barely remembered the drive home, only registering that she was even in the car once she parked it in the garage. The smell of cooking chicken hit her nose as soon as she entered the house, sending waves through her stomach. Y/n dropped her purse in the hallway, booking it past Jensen, who stood in front of a large pot on the stove, and straight to the nearest bathroom, her hand over her mouth to keep from making a mess.

Her knees hit the tile hard as she leaned over the toilet, emptying the contents of her stomach into the bowl. Jensen was right behind her, pulling her hair back and holding it out of harm's way. Gently he rubbed small circles on her back until she was dry heaving, nothing left to come up. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and fell against the wall near the toilet. Her eyes were watering and her nose was running. Jensen stood and ran a washcloth under the tap before kneeling back in front of her to wipe her face.

“I was going to make you some soup, but apparently that’s now out of the question.” He tried to smile for her, but it was tight and unconvincing.

“Maybe just some crackers for now,” she rasped, smiling back at him so he knew that she appreciated the sentiment. Jensen snorted with a shake of his head. It was just like his wife, making jokes as she sat on the bathroom floor where she had just vomited her guts out.

“Alright, what do you say we get you into bed?” He cocked his head at her as he continued to wipe away what makeup he could from her face. She nodded enthusiastically, allowing him to help her to her feet. She followed him through the house and to their bedroom. Jensen went to her dresser and pulled out a pair of pajamas as she began to disrobe. He tossed the cotton garments her way before going to turn down the bed.

“I’m going to finish the soup anyway, in case you’re up for it later,” he said, tossing their throw pillows across the room and pulling back the thick comforter. “Holler if you need me, yeah?” Y/n crawled into the open bed, the cool sheets feeling amazing against her heated skin.

“Thank you.” The smile on her face was weak.

“That’s what I’m here for. Get some rest.” Jensen leaned down and tucked her into the bed, placing a soft kiss against the clammy skin of her forehead. She watched as he sauntered out of the room, shutting off the light as he went. For the second time that day, she was asleep before she knew it.

****

That week, Monday’s events had all but become her routine. Y/n had stopped eating breakfast before work, which tended to help her get through the day, though she was still opting for a quick nap during her lunch break seeing as she wasn’t eating anyway, a fact which she was skillfully keeping from her husband. He worried about her far too much, and if he knew she still wasn’t feeling well, he’d insist on her calling her doctor, which was the last thing she wanted to do. Y/n hated the doctor almost as much as she hated airports.

It was harder to hide from him at night, even though she found once she was home from work she could keep food down for longer. As long as it was something light, her stomach handled it well. As far as she knew, he was not suspicious.

She was wrong.

Gen had called her asking if she wanted to go with her to the park with the kids, which Y/n would never turn down as it was an opportunity to be with her niece and nephews. What she didn’t know is Jensen had asked Gen to pump Y/n for information. He knew she wasn’t eating and sleeping a lot more than usual, and he was just being the concerned husband.

“So, how have you been this week?” Gen asked as they sat down on the bench to watch the kids run amok.

“Not, bad I guess.”

“So you think you’re over whatever happened on Sunday?” Gen pushed, watching her kids on the playground.

“Eh, whatever it is, I have it under control,” Y/n played off her concerns, not exactly worried about it herself. If she was being frank, she didn’t have time to be worried about it. Her skincare line was launching in a few weeks and there was still so much to get done. She had press releases to approve, and a pop-up event downtown that she was to attend when the brand premiered at Ulta. No, it wasn’t her concern right now. Everything was under control.

“That doesn’t sound convincing.”

“It’s just some sort of bug. I’ll be fine. I’ve only gotten sick a couple of times.” Gen snapped her head to her sister-in-law, a frown etched on her features.

“You’ve been getting sick all week?”

“That’s not what I said,” Y/n groaned, knowing full well Gen was spiraling into mom-mode.

“But you’ve been nauseous, yeah?”

“I mean off and on, but I’ve been able to eat and keep it down most meals. It’s the ‘not being able to keep my eyes open’ that’s pissing me off. I know I’m probably overdoing it but I don’t have the luxury of thinking about that now. I can sleep when this line has launched.”

“Sounds like when I was pregnant with Shep. All I did during the first trimester was sleep and puke. It was exhausting. Try sucking on lollipops, it helps.” Y/n nodded as Gen jumped up to reprimand Odette for going up the slide instead of down it. Her words rang around in Y/n’s head as she watched the small brunette grab her godchild and pull her off the slide.

There was no way…

Y/n whipped her phone out of her pocket, quickly thumbing through her calendar, looking for an appointment. The further she went back in weeks the more nervous she became. She found it in the middle of May, the red indicating that it had been canceled after it already read that it was a makeup appointment. She hadn’t been back since the beginning of the year. Panic set in, which was not doing anything for the state of her stomach at the moment. She sat there, counting back the days since her last period, the hammering of her heart increasing as the number of days increased. Y/n had missed her period and not even noticed. She really was an idiot, she thought to herself

For the rest of her visit, she tried to remain level headed. In reality, she wanted nothing more than to run to the nearest drug store, which was exactly what she did the second that Gen rounded up three tired kids to take home and put to bed. There was a store just two blocks out of her way home which she went straight for the second she turned over the ignition in her Jeep. Slipping inside the small store, she grabbed one of every brand of pregnancy test they sold there, and quietly slipped back out.

Y/n rolled the brown paper bag up tightly in her fist as she raced inside the house. Every sense was heightened as she made her way through the house, keeping an eye out for her husband, but she found him nowhere as she entered, assuming that he was already in the bedroom. She stopped outside the bedroom door, shimmying off her jacket and rolling her secret up inside before entering.

Jensen sat up as she entered, but she just muttered something about having to pee as she passed, which wasn’t exactly a lie. There wasn’t even enough time for him to say hello before she was catching the lock on the door behind her.

The first thing she did was dump the contents of the paper bag onto the counter, organizing the tests on the counter as she skimmed over the instructions. The bottle of water she chugged on the drive over was starting to do its job, making her antsy as she read over what to do. Most of the tests had the same instructions inside, making things easier for her overall. Her shaky fingers ripped into the boxes, tossing the torn cardboard into the trash as she went.

It took all of five minutes to find out whether or not she was, in fact, pregnant, but it was the longest five minutes of her life. She was sure Jensen was probably wondering if she was having more stomach issues with the amount of time she had spent behind the locked door.

When the appropriate time had passed, Y/n flipped the tests over, her hands passing through each one quicker than the last, and all of them telling her the same thing.

Y/n’s fingers gripped into the marble countertop, the five pregnancy tests sitting inside the sink. Their answer to her question was definite. There were no ‘maybes’ about it, no one and a half lines or ‘possibles’ etched into the screen. Each test was flashing back up at her like neon signs.

She was pregnant.

Outside the bathroom door, her husband was unknowingly lounging in their bed. He was without a care and probably mindlessly scrolling through his Twitter feed like every other night before bed, and she was about to destroy that façade with two simple words.

The nervous woman ran her hands through her hair before shaking out her limbs. She took a few deep breaths before steeling herself to go out and tell him. Dragging it out wouldn’t do anyone any good. Even though this wasn’t planned, both of them had made known their wishes for a family, and it was in this that fact that she was even able to muster up the courage to tell him she had fucked up. Because it was the truth, she had fucked up, major.

Plastering a smile on her face, she pulled open the door, making sure to shut it behind her to hide the tests until she could break the news. Y/n stalked over to where Jensen was lounging, his legs crossed at the ankle with one hand behind his head, the other scrolling through his phone. His brow was scrunched as he concentrated on whatever he was reading on the tiny screen. She climbed onto the bed and over to his side before stopping to sit back on her knees.

“Hey, babe,” his voice was soft and his eyes heavy. Jensen put the phone down and put his hand on her bare knee, rubbing soft circles there.

“Jensen, I’ve got to tell you something.” It took everything in her to quell the shake in her voice as her heart rate picked up. But of course, him and his damn perceptiveness had to pick up on it in a millisecond.

Jensen’s brows knit together and he sat up a little in the bed. “What’s wrong, babe?”

“I’m…” Her breath caught in her throat as the reality of their situation kept washing over her in droves. Jesus, Y/n, spit it out, she thought. “I’m pregnant.”

Silence fell over the room once she finally managed to get the words out. Y/n watched her husband as his tongue poked out between his teeth and his jaw clenched as he tried to figure out the words he wanted to say. The lack of reaction had her stomach flipping on itself, which, giving her current situation, was not helping anything. Y/n swallowed down nausea to push her husband into talking.

“Jay, please say something.”

“How did this happen?”

“With the insanity at work and the move I just... I missed a couple of appointments with my gynecologist. I missed my shot,” she explained, hoping he didn’t hate her.

“Fuck, Y/n!” He fell back into the bed, the inflection in his words the worst possible thing she could hear. The sheer rumble of it in the quiet room was enough to make her flinch back from the man she loved. Jensen ran both of his large hands down his face before continuing. “This wasn’t supposed to happen now, I was supposed to have more time.”

“What?” His words made no sense to her. As far as she knew, Jensen wanted kids. It was something they had talked about before they were ever an item. Had she been wrong? Were the two of them somehow not on the same page about this? Y/n tried to rack her brain for a moment in time where that could have changed but she was coming up empty.

“I was supposed to have more time with you. Just the two of us before we did this, before late-night feedings and diapers, before everything changes forever,” He explained further. His words calmed down her racing heart and mind, but only a little. Now she felt more guilty than she already was. All he wanted was to be with her and she had ruined his plans.

“I’m sorry,” Y/n whispered, casting her eyes down to where her fingers were fiddling with the hem of her shirt. The tears that had been threatening to fall this whole time had finally made a break for it, leaving shining tracks down her cheeks.

“Oh, Y/n,” he sighed, taking her hand in his and pulling her to lay in his side. Y/n shoved her face into his chest, trying her hardest not to break into a full sob as he rubbed his hand into her back. After everything she did, she couldn’t believe that Jensen was the one that had to console her. It should be the other way around, right? It was her who had fucked up and ruined their plans for their future together, not him, after all.

“I’m sorry,” she couldn’t stop the words that came out of her mouth this time. Y/n would tell him she was sorry until she was blue in the face.

“I know, honey,” Jensen murmured into her hair before placing a kiss to the crown of her head. He continued to rub his hand along her back, waiting for her breathing to even before breaking the silence.

“You’re really pregnant?” He asked, his voice much softer this time.

“If the five pregnancy tests in the sink have any say, then yes.” His chuckle shook his body and Y/n relished in the vibration of it against her cheek.

“This isn’t how or when I picture this happening, I won’t lie about that, but honey, we’re having a baby, this is a good thing.” The way his voice rose at the end of his sentence had Y/n pulling out of her hiding space in his side, looking up to see him smiling down at her.

“You’re not mad? You don’t hate me?” Her hope was threatening to spill out of her mouth like vomit as she rubbed the wetness from her cheeks.

“No,” Jensen shook his head. “I love you, more today than yesterday, and more tomorrow than today, and I will love this baby just as much.”

Y/n shook her head before diving into her husband, nuzzling her face into his neck. “I love you too.”

“Y/n,” Jensen laughed, the sound breathy as it escaped his chest. “We’re having a baby!”

Part 3: 8 Weeks Pregnant

Forevers: @22sarah08 @akshi8278 @anathewierdo @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce @callmekda @dawnie1988 @deanwanddamons @ellewritesfix05 @emoryhemsworth @flamencodiva @foxyjwls007 @hobby27 @janicho88 @jensengirl83 @katehuntington @lyarr24 @malfoysqueen14 @mrsjenniferwinchester @msmarvelouswinchester @polina-93 @sleepylunarwolf @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan @smol-and-grumpy @superfanficnatural @supraveng @talesmaniac89 @tranquility-or-chaos @waywardbeanie @winchest09

Continues: @ashleyrose0117 @austin-winchester67 @colbyskoalas @deanmonandnegansbitch @deans-baby-momma @death-unbecomes-you @dvnmbabe @harryhook-lover @let-me-luve-you @lunarmoon8 @onethirstyunicorn @parinarain @rebelemilu @smoothdogsgirl @spnfamily-j2 @stoneyggirl @squirrelnotsam @traceyaudette @zpandaqueen

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muffintonic · 3 years

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Alright, I think i’m done BOTW 2 spamming for today. Anywho, time for some thoughts in general!

1) I hated how the shrines in BOTW were so cold and dark compared to the bright and lively nature outside (I wish they had all looked like the Master Trials challenge where there were trees and stuff incorporated inside), so I hope if we’re forced to have dungeons they’ll be more like the Wind Waker ones. 2) I hope they don’t make us use the grappling hook or anything like in Wind Waker to move around the sky islands (I hated that mechanic). 3) I’m probably one of the few people who wanted less Zelda and more of the Champions in HWAOC since i’m only really attached to BOTW (and we saw a fair amount of Tetra in Wind Waker)/apparently Zelda’s been sidelined in all the other games, so i’m hoping in vain that we get more Champions material in BOTW 2. Also, Link could stand to have some more cutscenes centered around him as well (the few we got in some of the sidequests in BOTW were great). 4) I only really somewhat care about Riju and Sidon, so I won’t mind if the new gang gets sidelined in BOTW 2 (I still think Nintendo wasted the found family/band of brothers aspect on the dead characters--I love them so much and they’re all I want!! The problem is, they’re dead and I don’t really care all that much about their replacements!!! I dunno, maybe i’m hampered by the fact that I can replay the original champions’ memories whenever I want/read their diaries, but I can’t rewatch the new gang’s cutscenes AKA i’ve forgotten their characterization since they don’t talk to me much now that the game’s over). It’d be great if they have some weaving storylines in BOTW 2 that will get me more invested in them, but currently i’m not that interested. 5) Speaking of which, I know it’s 100% not going to happen, but goddang if I don’t want the Champions to have been returned to life. Nintendo totally squandered HWAOC by not making it a true prequel/canon to BOTW (the Champions Ballad confirmed that the Divine Beasts had trials in order to be synced to the champs, so the new gen use of them wouldn’t have happened without that + Mipha thought Link had changed in BOTW yet says in HWAOC that he hasn’t changed + some scenes like “Champion Revali’s Song” never happened at all/got replaced with alternative scenes that really changed some dynamics + basically all of Revali’s time-relative characterization from his diary/pre-100 years of solitude got thrown out + I feel like Daruk got totally sidelined), so i’m still craving that Champions content. Also, I feel like it’s totally unfair that Zelda came out of 100 years totally unaged while everyone else died. Life seems to really suck for people in the LoZ universe who aren’t chosen by divine powers. 6) They’d better keep it open world and non-linear. I can’t go back to being forced to backtrack/trudge through things, I just can’t. BOTW was everything i’ve ever dreamed about in a game (truly open world + non-linear + interactive + meaningful story + lots of outfits + beautiful landscapes) with Skyrim previously being the only thing that came close to what I wanted, so I really hope BOTW 2 doesn’t deviate too much from that. 7) I really liked Kass in BOTW, but i’m not sure what direction they’d go with him in BOTW 2/i’d be fine if he sat BOTW 2 out. I worked so hard to complete all his quests in BOTW so he’d go back home to his family, GODDANGIT, KASS. 8) Someone mentioned that since the first trailer had underground aspects, we’re probably going to be playing as Zelda with the Slate there, and I agree. They didn’t make a playable model for her in HWAOC for nothing. 9) I want to be able to stable the deer and bears and stuff, but I know that won’t happen. Being able to ride the moose and rhino things from the Hebra area probably won’t happen either, but I want to ride them!!! 10) I hope there’ll be at least a few new buildings and stuff in the towns/they’ve started construction on some areas in Central Hyrule, but I guess that’ll depend on how long it’s been in-universe since BOTW. Or maybe not, considering how there’s still Karson and Hudson even though Bolson retired from Bolson Construction--insta-towns like Tarrey Town could totally be feasible if they wanted! 11) I have one foot in the camp that believes there’ll be time shenanigans in BOTW 2. HWAOC totally threw me off with it being an alternate timeline, so i’m not sure whether we’re going to be experiencing that again or time travel itself, but I definitely won’t be surprised this time around if Nintendo goes that route again (and it would be super interesting to see the Link from 10,000 years ago). I’m not entirely convinced that the Link we see exploring the sky in the second trailer isn’t our Link, mainly because he seems to still have on the blue boxers from BOTW. 12) I also heard that maybe this will be the last LoZ game ever since something something Demise something Skyward Sword something something lore from games i’ve only vaguely looked into (i’ve only ever played BOTW --> Wind Waker --> HWAOC)??? If so, it kind of sucks that I came in just when they started making games with playstyles palatable to me (I had to look up every single thing when playing Wind Waker, but BOTW let me solve things according to MY logic/I missed being able to explore in HWAOC), but at least it’ll end on a super high note/I won’t experience later disappointment, I guess. If BOTW 2 involves breaking the reincarnation cycle for the Triforcers, I would be really surprised. (On a related note, Nintendo making Ganondorf good would also be a 100% shock to me, but it would be great to end on that as a subversion. Yes, I want them to bring back the semi-complicated Ganondorf from Wind Waker.) 13) I hope they don’t rush releasing it. I heard they pushed back BOTW originally (I got it in 2019), but it came out fantastic for it! I know COVID’s been affecting things, so I really hope they’re treating their staff right and are mindful of crunch. 14) I want even more outfits (there seem to be at least two new ones, if the variant of the Hylian Tunic crossed with Link’s Champion’s Tunic counts). Give me all the outfits!!! Also, I hope we get even more hair variations in addition to the hair down option (which is all i’ve ever wanted since I saw the mod that altered the Ancient Helmet). 15) I wonder if we’re going to get a bonus for having both BOTW and HWAOC save data. 16) I wonder if we’re going to be keeping the Champions’ skills. I’m going to miss being super overpowered, if not. 17) I hope Nintendo doesn’t cave in and make surfaces climbable in the rain. Having that limiter is more realistic and Link would otherwise be too overpowered with a super climbing ability. 18) I liked BOTW’s scattered music that got more noticeable in populated areas because it was fitting for the post-apocalyptical/nature aspect. Hearing your footsteps in an open field and the buzzing of insects was super nice and prevented me from getting music fatigue (which i’d probably experience since whenever I play BOTW it’s for 5-10 hours at a time). I hope Nintendo either keeps that or makes audio options. 19) I heard that BOTW 2 is going to be super dark or something, and i’m okay with dark, but not GRIMdark, so I hope it doesn’t go that far. From what we’ve seen in the second trailer it still looks beautiful, but I hope it doesn’t do that thing that some games do where after the midpoint/a certain story point all the scenery permanently changes to be dark and scary (that’ll seriously hamper post-game playability for me if so). 20) If they expand on the Zonai, that would be super cool! Doubly cool if the time travel shenanigans involve them/ancient Link being one! 21) I kind of want windstorms to be a weather feature. We had lightning, heat, and cold, but no wind! No, I don’t count the wind geysers and the occasional breeze in Tabantha. 22) I want a chest in my house to hold more weapons than just the gear mounts. BOTW only had enough mounts for the champions’ gear, but it also had rare items like the Kite Shield and Forest Dweller’s Sword that you can’t get anymore once you use them up! 23) I want to be able to stable my horses at my house. What’s the point of that little area if you can’t stable your horse there! 24) Speaking of Link’s house: where is Zelda going to live? If the castle’s not reconstructed, it’d be neat if Link adds an extension to his house for her. 25) I hope they open up part-time jobs (think Mabinogi) as an option to earn rupees. Having to hunt for Luminous Stone deposits or feed Trott to make money can be such a chore. I think some of BOTW’s minigames/sidequests might count as those, but those minigames were either frustrating if your goal is to earn money (since most of them cost money to play in the first place and the mechanics weren’t always easy), or didn’t earn that much in general. 26) I wonder if Kilton is going to have updated items since the monsters seem to have changed. 27) I want to be able to dive underwater (mainly so I can explore the beautiful reefs over at Lurelin). A dive meter like the one from Super Mario Sunshine would be cool. Also, it’d doubly be neat if you had a separate stamina wheel for swimming and could permanently upgrade your swim/diving stamina (the speed+ swimming items just consumed your stamina faster, which was a pain)! 28) It’s definitely too late for this, but it’s a shame that the Hylians have so many face/body/hair and outfit variations, but the Zora, Rito, and Gorons don’t. The Gerudo were kind of okay with the hair and body variations, but the other races seemed to have a serious copy-paste problem. I guess technically some of the more important NPCs (ones with quests/cutscene triggers) had different coloring, but they were severely lacking in clothing variation. Also, the only old Rito was the elder??? At least the Gorons and Zora had some old folks besides their leader walking around. Very weird, but I don’t think BOTW 2 can fix any of this. 29) I wonder how they’re going to do the final boss battle, considering how epic/cinematic the BOTW 2x battle was. What can top fighting (on horseback, no less) a giant, flaming boar made out of malice? 30) I wonder what the Yiga are going to be up to, considering how Ganondorf seems to be somewhat kicking in BOTW 2.

#in other words: BOTW 2 HYPE REAL #i'm still going to queue things so there'll probably another BOTW 2 glut from me in a few days bwaha #(and probably some general BOTW stuff because MAN am i hyped)#i'm so glad i got into BOTW in 2019 because there's been content for me every year since and i am Living #botw 2

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purplesurveys · 4 years

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568

Have you ever had a really bad haircut? I haven’t had any truly awful ones. The only time I felt ‘meh’ about a haircut was when I went to the salon on my own and told the hairdresser what I wanted myself. I was never good at that kind of stuff, and always prefer being with someone so they can tell me if I’m headed somewhere good or otherwise. Did you ever order any clothes from the Alloy catalogue? I’ve never heard of that. What brand, color, and type is your favorite eyeliner? I’ve only ever used eyeliner at one point in my life and I’ve forgotten every detail about it. It was black, though. Do you wear eyeliner? I used to. I wanted to look nice post-breakup, so I learned how to do makeup to feel good about myself. Was there ever a time in your life when you couldn't cry? I guess when I have HAD to cry in the past, as in for a skit, I couldn’t. But I can be triggered and cry very easily otherwise.

What's your favorite type of yogurt? I hate yogurt, I hate everything that’s sour (except for sour tapes, but even those I can only handle at a certain level of sourness haha). What posters did you have on your wall as a teenager? Wrestling. My mom took them down for no reason eventually, even though I loved having them up on my wall. What are your favorite type of calendars? I mean I don’t obsess over calendars enough to have a favorite type? so a digital one on my phone and laptop is fine with me. I do sometimes wish I was rich enough just to be able to spend on those novelty calendars with Audrey Hepburn photos and Monet paintings in every month, though. Do you have a full-length mirror? I used to but it got transferred to my sister’s room. I don’t mind it though; I don’t use mirrors all that much. When was the last time you bought stamps? Elementary school, probably. Do you have any overdue library books right now? HAH, yes I do actually. It was a book I needed to do a Powerpoint on, and I completely forgot that its due date was on the 4th. The fee is like ₱2/day so I’ll have to pay around ₱8 to ₱10 by next week, depending on when I’ll feel like returning the book. How often do you do laundry? I don’t; my mom prefers to do it herself. Do you have a piggy bank? Maybe as a kid, but I never took it seriously because I didn’t sit well with the fact that I couldn’t see the money I’ve been saving. I’ve stuck with a good old wallet ever since, just so I can know my progress. Do you remember your locker combinations from high school? I don’t, actually. I wonder what numbers I used to secure my locks :o What's your favorite DIY crafts youtube channel? Aren’t a lot of those misleading and downright fake? Could you spend hours on pinterest? I’ve never spent more than five minutes at one time on that website/app. Do you own plaid pants? Nah, it’s not really my style. Have you ever had to wear a school uniform? I had to wear my school’s uniform for 14 straight years. All I ever wore Monday through Friday for that span of time. What was your high school's mascot? We don’t have a mascot; we just have school colors. What were your high school's team colors? Gold, white, blue. Who were your best friends in high school? Angela, Gabie, Athenna, and Sofie. Others I was close with were Chelsea, Kaira, and Fern. Who was your first boyfriend or girlfriend? Gab. Have you ever been to Chicago? Nope but it’s a dream. If yes, what do you like best about it? The FOOD, the culture, the museums. Have you ever stayed in a hostel? Nope, never been. Would you rather sleep on the top bunk or bottom bunk? Bottom. I wouldn’t like sleeping somewhere that felt unnatural, and lying down way high from the floor is definitely one of those things. Do you love camping? I’ve never tried, so I don’t know. Would you rather sleep in a tent or under the stars? Lie under the stars for as long as I can, then pass out in a tent. What insects are you afraid of? Cockroaches. Have you ever had a secret admirer that left you notes? I haven’t. Are you close with your cousins? I have a good relationship with most of my cousins, mom’s side; but I’m especially close with my eldest cousin, who I essentially view as my older brother. I’m so-so with cousins on my dad’s side - we were very close as kids, but they moved further to the south and I never really get to see them anymore, so we grew more shy as the years passed. Are you close to any aunts or uncles? I love my mom’s cousins; they’re all younger than her and they’re mostly late Gen X-ers so they’re more hip and cool hahaha. I wouldn’t say we’re close but they are definitely much easier to talk to than other older relatives. Are you close to your grandparents? I seldom get to see my paternal grandparents because they live with the ^ same cousins I’ve since grown quite distant from, so I wouldn’t say I’m close to them but of course I love them all the same. I was very close with my maternal grandfather when he was still alive as I always knew what to do to make him laugh; and I am also crazy for my maternal grandmother, although in the last few years she’s been all about Jesus so sometimes it gets a little draining hearing about how I should always pray and that “God can answer all [my] problems.” Still love her loads, though. Who betrayed your trust? A friend did, many years ago. Who was your first best friend (apart from a sibling)? Bold of you to assume a sibling was my first best friend, because you’re wrong lol. I’d consider this girl we calle Kaye the first one; we were class number buddies in Kinder 1 (I was 4, she was 5) so we got close quickly. She changed schools by Grade 1 and I haven’t talked to her since, but I still remember her fondly. What was your favorite thing to do at sleepovers when you were younger? I was never allowed at sleepovers when I was a kid. What kind of popcorn is your favorite? Sweet-flavored ones. I could never take dry-ass plain/salted popcorn. It has to be something like salted caramel or parmesan. Does your town have a big fountain in it? If we do have one, I’ve never seen it. But I’m pretty sure we don’t. What is your town known for? For being on a mountain and being ridiculously hard to get to because 1) of its winding, accident-prone roads, and 2) IT’S ON A MOUNTAIN. I live in the area of Antipolo just before you start to go up, so I don’t get offended much by the complaints of everyone else; but I’m in solidarity nonetheless with the ~mountain-dwellers~ just because I used to go to school in upper Antipolo. Do you currently live in the city you grew up in? I mostly grew up in Antipolo, so yes I still live here. I did live in Manila in my early childhood but that time was much shorter than the time I’ve spent in my current city. What's one way in which you're behind the times? I hate Minecraft and I hate Fortnite even more. What's one way in which you're still a child? I love coloring books :) What's one way in which you're old? I have a bad back. Do you feel old or young? Or do you feel both at different times? Definitely feel a bit of both, depending on my mood. The perfect example could be that I can be annoyed seeing younger kids make so much noise, but the next day I can be exactly like those kids making a bunch of noise with my friends. How old are you? I am 21. Do you know what you want to do for your next birthday? No, not yet. Quite early to think about at this point, really. If yes, what is it? A private dinner would already sound perfect. What is the last new thing you discovered that was really good? Vaping. I mean don’t try it if you haven’t already, but yeah. What would be the best surprise you could receive right now? Tbh if my mom came home carrying a box of Yellow Cab pizza. AKA something that would NEVER happen; she snobs Yellow Cab cos she thinks they’re too expensive for pizza. Do you usually forgive when someone hurts your or try to get revenge? I get my revenge, subtly. Were there any subjects in school that were really easy for you? Our subject Language, which was mandatory back in elementary school, was literally basic English grammar. Not everyone in my former school spoke fluent English so a lot of them weren’t all that good at the subject; but for people like me who had a solid grasp of English and read a lot to begin with, the class was basically a breather from the other more difficult classes. If so, what? ^ I already told ya all about it. Did you ever skip a grade or get held back a grade? Skipping grades isn’t a thing in my former school which is honestly a good thing for me cos it would have bred a lot of competition. But students would have to repeat a level if their grades showed that they had to; I wasn’t one of them. What time of day were you born? 9:11 in the evening. What is the best hairstyle you've ever had? I loved my layered hair like 10 years ago. It was probably the only time I did something to my hair that wasn’t just a trim, so I enjoyed that experience. I also liked cutting my hair way, way too short last year; it was a bold move but I liked how it look, as did everyone else. Do you think you look better with dyed hair or natural hair? I’ve never tried dyeing my hair so I wouldn’t know. Do you think your look better with curly hair or straight hair? Curly, I think. Do you have bangs? I have baby bangs but they’re just stubborn hair standing around my head lmao but no I don’t have actual bangs. Do you think you look better with bangs or without? I haven’t tried getting bangs as an adult. I did look cute with them as a toddler though :( Do you think you look better with long hair or short? Long. What's your favorite rock band? Paramore, if they still count. Who's your favorite country singer? None. Do you ever listen to Celtic music? No. Do you listen to Hillsong? No. Did you try the unicorn frappuccino, and if yes, were you a fan? No I never tried it. Have you ever won a contest? I won a school quiz bee and an essay writing contest before, but I wouldn’t call the latter legitimate. It was just a writing contest about wrestling held by a local TV station and the three best entries got to win WWE t-shirts haha. Have you ever wanted to be a model, actress, singer, or dancer? I wanted to be a model when I was like 12. No fucking clue what was going through my head at the time. When you look at your baby pictures, do you recognize yourself? Sure. Has your hair color changed since you were a toddler? Nope. Do you wear matching socks? Yes. How many drawers does your dresser have? Three. Do you own an American flag shirt? No thanks. Do you own a British flag shirt? I don’t. The Union Jack got overused by 2011 Tumblr, honestly. Do you have a seashell collection? I don’t. Aren’t we prohibited from getting those from beaches? That’s the case in the Philippines, anyway. Do you have a rock collection? I do not. Do you decorate for Halloween? We didn’t decorate the house but I celebrated it with friends this year. What is your favorite thing to do in the pool? Float around and relax. Flamingos or pineapples? ??? Flamingos, I guess? Cacti or seashells? Seashells. Maple tree or palm tree? Palm tree. Dreamcatcher or wind chimes? Dreamcatchers! Have you ever taken a picture at the perfect moment? I probably have at few points. Do you have a crush right now? Yes. What color was your first car? My first and current car is white. Was your first car used or new? I’m actually not sure. It was my dad who purchased it. Do you have a car now? Yep. What color(s) eyeshadow do you wear the most? I never wear any.

#surveys #survey

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samdukewieland · 4 years

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Stuck Inside Media Diary Week 5

I realized the last movie I saw in theaters was Little Women for the third time. Then that got me thinking about how I ranked my Top whatever movies from last year and inconsequential ranking things is. It was probably the movie that makes me feel the best; it and Knives Out were the two movies I saw the most in a theater last year and they were both the ones that I get excited talking about with people. Good flicks, you should check ‘em out. (I also re-learned recently that Emma Stone was originally supposed to play Meg who was played by Emma Watson. Had this happened, my brain would’ve collapsed due to trying to figure out how to balance crushes on Greta Gerwig, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern and Emma Stone all in the same thing).

Sunday, April 19

Deliverance, Boorman 1972

On the one hand there is no real way to prepare you for how awful the assault on Ned Beatty and John Voight scene is as well as having me wonder if this was actually a Vietnam movie masked in something about the destruction of the natural world (maybe it’s both or just one). On the other hand, I thought it’d be funny to compare the characters to this to the characters in American Pie, but there’s no Stiffler or Jim’s Dad in this movie, so it doesn’t completely work.

Mad Men, “Long Weekend”, “Indian Summer”, “Nixon Vs. Kennedy”, “The Wheel” [season 1 finale]

There’s two things I’ll never forget the first time I ran through the first season of Mad Men: 1. Thinking “is Don even good at his job? I don’t think we’ve even seen this guy even really do his job yet, how did he become partner?” and then “The Wheel happens”. 2. I had let one of my favorite History teachers borrow my DVDs (this would happen again in my life when I later lent my English teacher The Wire when I was a senior two years later) and when he finished the first season he and I talked about what dumb-dumb idiots we were because we hadn’t figured out that Peggy was definitely pregnant and were surprised by this revelation, while his girlfriend at the time figured it out instantly.

Parks And Rec, “Greg Pikitis”, “Ron And Tammy”

That these two episodes were on back-to-back was probably the moment in the public consciousness that Parks was the real deal. How could you not; I watch “Greg Pikitis” every Halloween.

The Last Dance, Parts 1 & 2

I can’t remember the last thing I watched in real time on the tv. It’s very possible, though I don’t think so, that The Last Dance might be quarantine great and in real life very, very good. It doesn’t really matter, because this thing is just crazy fun to watch, as a person who was not able to watch Jordan basketball and sometimes thinks that Gen Xers gets way too [whatever that Spongebob meme is where you capitalize every other letter in a sentence] about Michael Jordan. The music cues are God-tier.

Joe Pera Talks With You, “Joe Pera Shows You Iron”, “Joe Pera Takes You To Breakfast”, “Joe Pera Takes You On A Fall Drive”

“Joe Pera Takes You To Breakfast” might be one of the funniest episodes of television I’ve seen in a long time. As someone who takes too much enjoyment in stream of consciousness humor, I might be too in the bag for this show. I certainly don’t know how to sell it to any of you, other than it might be the perfect counterpart to Review. That could just be that Joe Pera looks like an alt-universe Andy Daly or it could be that Forrest MacNeil could’ve, desperately, used a friend like Joe Pera if only just to see how they’d interact with each other.

Monday, April 20

Under The Silver Lake, Mitchell 2018 [as of now this is available on Prime]

I’m embarrassed that I caved into watching a stoner movie on 4/20, but I’m glad it was this. This weird, gross and beautifully shot weird little movie that really did some good work in reminding me that Andrew Garfield is good. People will argue that this broke his brain, when in reality it was those two embarrassing Spider-Man movies.

Joe Pera Talks With You, “Joe Pera Shows You How To Dance”, “Joe Pera Talks You Back To Sleep”, “Joe Pera Reads You The Church Announcements”

So “Church Announcements” was the first episode of this show that I had ever seen, because I had three different friends recommend it to me because I had posted something about “Baba O’Riley” very off-handedly, not even knowing this episode existed. It’s probably the purest expression of joy and one of the most sincerely happy things I might have ever seen. I love this show so much.

Tuesday, April 21

The Birdcage, Nichols 1996 [as of now this is available on Prime]

This is a good reminder that Nathan Lane is insanely talented and easily one of the most undervalued performers alive. I wanted to watch a Gene Hackman movie and this was available and it’s pretty good. Sometimes plays shouldn’t be turned into movies, that’s my take here-what do you want from me.

Better Call Saul, “Something Unforgivable”

Safe to say Saul’s got the belt. I was listening to Greenwald and Ryan the other night and someone had throughout a hypothetical to them that if they could would they want Gilligan and the gang to to remake Breaking Bad now, and have that (essentially) be the spin-off from Saul instead of vice-versa. That then got me thinking about if there’s ever been a property that’s taken place within the same universe that waited almost a season and a half to introduce the character (or thing) that connected the two things? There’s probably some kind of sci-fi or fantasy story that nerds would be eager to inform me of and it’s called 2une or something like that. Cool if so! If not, then no one steal my idea, this could be huge.

Joe Pera Talks With You, “Joe Pera Lights Up The Night with You”, “Joe Pera Talks to You About the Rat Wars of Alberta, Canada (1950–Present Day)”, “Joe Pera Answers Your Questions About Cold Weather” [Season 1 finale]

“Can you believe those jag-offs through a New Year’s Eve party with just one bottle of Disarooney” is something I just say out loud when I’m frustrated now. I stayed up until like 3AM last Tuesday wrapping up the first season.

Wednesday, April 22

The Stranger, Welles 1946 [as of now this is available on Netflix]

First Orson Welles movie. It was fine! I don’t really think it should’ve been an hour-and-a-half long, but I was also surprised that they were already making movies about Nazis escaping to the US in 1946, but I’m definitely not a historian and I’m sure a lot of things would surprise me about 1946. It’s also a public domain movie which is just kinda....weird and would probably piss off Orson Welles or maybe he’d be thrilled.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Hughes 1986 [as of now this is available on Netflix]

Maybe the best use of a Beatles song in a movie that doesn’t star The Beatles? I used to go back and forth on whether or not I like this movie, because so many people do like it and I used to be loathe to conform to non-controversial opinions. But something I think that gets really overlooked is how well this movie is shot-Hughes had a real eye for framing and blocking. Or maybe people talk about this all the time and I just haven’t cared to ever listen or seek it out.

The Plot Against America, “Part 2″

Mad Men, [Season 2 premier] “For Those Who Think Young”, “Flight 1″

I had forgotten how GD disorienting this show can be when it goes out of its way to not tell you how much time has passed between each season (it’s like 15 months this time). That’s all I’ve got now, that and Duck Phillips: welcome back into my life, you sick son of a bitch.

Joe Pera Talks With You, [Season 2 premier] “Joe Pera Talks With You About Beans”, “Joe Pera Takes You On A Hike”

Thursday, April 23

Harold And Maude, Ashby 1971 [as of now this is available on Prime]

Another entry in the “I didn’t realize how many movies try to be this one” book. Really funny, and so shockingly dark, I can’t imagine how much people hated this when it first came out and how hard of a sell it would be to try and talk someone into seeing it. Probably what I liked most about it was how earned the sense of finding joy in life is in this movie, considering how cynical it is in depicting the fetishization guys tend to do with the notion of suicide. It’s quirky without being twee (if you want that, I guess go to Rushmore, a movie I adore, but definitely borrows heavily from this, something Anderson wouldn’t ever deny).

Mad Men, “The Benefactor”, “Three Sundays”

Harry Crane’s campaign to be the least liked person in Mad Men, you could argue, starts more-so here than it did in the finale of S1 when he cheats on his wife.

The Plot Against America, “Part 3″

I don’t think anything, Television-wise, has benefited less from the pandemic than TPAA. Of course it would happen to a David Simon show and maybe it’s a good thing, considering how the number of bad takes would greatly outweigh the number of good takes that would come about if there was some more attention on it.

Joe Pera Talks With You, “Joe Pera Waits With You”, “Joe Pera Guides You Through The Dark”

I can’t remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did when they started demonstrating the different hair styles you can get when getting your hair cut. These episodes have somehow gotten goofier than the first season and it’s, uh, really good.

Friday, April 24

Parks And Recreation, “The Camel”

Top Chef, Season 17 episode 6

Brooklyn Nine-Nine, “Lights Out”

Dan Goor & Luke Del Tredici is to Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Michael Schur & Aisha Muharrar was to Parks And Recreation.

The Beastie Boys Story, Jonze 2020 [available on AppleTV+]

As with any kind of retrospective, there’s a fair amount of yadda-yadda-ing and maybe not everything totally works with this live-documentary, but it’s so deeply Beastie Boys that I can’t help but just be so grateful that it exists. While it’s like a vaudeville symposium it is absolutely doubles as a love letter to a departed friend and immense talent. The worst thing that could happen is that it’ll just make you want to re-listen to the gods.

Mad Men, “The New Girl”, “Maidenform”

I just can’t believe that Chauncey exits the series the same episode that he enters.This was and still remains the turning point of Duck Phillips: terrible human (and kind of when he turns a little cartoonish).

Saturday, April 25

Parks And Recreation, “Hunting Trip”

Mad Men, “The Gold Violin”, “A Night To Remember”, “Six Month Leave”, “The Inheritance”, “The Jet Set”

Quite a run of episodes here for ole Mad Men here. Always love when they remind us that everyone really underestimates Ken Cosgrove (even himself). And as I was watching “Six Month Leave” it kind of hit me that this is an outlier episode of Mad Men. It’s so much of a whole that I find it hard to put one episode above another, but if I needed just an episode of Mad Men to watch at random like a year or so from now, this is one that would really stick out to me. A great farewell to a great Murray brother.

Bad Education, Finley 2019 [available on HBO Now/Go]

It sucks that HBO makes more bad movies than it does good, but when they’re good, man they’re really good. It hits some HBO movie bingo squares which are kind of eye-rolley to me, but all-in-all, this is a really outstanding little movie. It feels weird that it’s taken this long for Ray Romano to start carving out a character actor niche for himself, but I’m just happy we’re finally here! I saw someone compare it to or with Wolf Of Wall Street and as someone not from Long Island I feel confident in saying that they’re a helluva Long Island scum-bag (repetitive?) double feature.

The Plot Against America, “Part 4″

Was really hoping this was going to be the thing that made people remember that Winona is incredible and not Stranger Things, but that’d require like a dozen monkey’s paw wishes that I just don’t have. (What a world it’d be if The Plot Against America adaptation somehow eclipsed Stranger Things in terms of cultural significance) However badly I wanted that though, this has really been Zoe Kazan’s show-a quieter role than Anthony Boyle (who I am also just floored by) but more effective in how much internal processing she’s doing with this character.

Joe Pera Talks With You, “Joe Pera Takes You To The Grocery Store”, “Joe Pera Goes To Dave Wojcek’s Bachelor Party With You”

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robininthelabyrinth · 7 years

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5 + 1 - Leverage/Flash&Legends

Fic: Five Times Mick and Len Met the Leverage Team (Plus One Time They Hung Out) - Ao3 Link Fandom: DC's Legends of Tomorrow, the Flash, Leverage Pairing: Mick Rory/Leonard Snart, but mostly gen Series: Part 3 of Leveraged Interference - Ao3 Link

Summary: “Len,” Mick says.

He has that long-suffering ‘you’ve got to be fucking kidding me’ tone of voice.

A/N: Quasi-prequel to the other two parts. Inspired by a conversation with @daughterofscotland. Most of these incidents are later forgotten by all the characters involved before the start of 'The One Where They Steal an Arsonist'.

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1 – The Cup

“Len,” Mick says.

He has that long-suffering ‘you’ve got to be fucking kidding me’ tone of voice.

“Yeah?” Len says, looking up from his plans.

He did not look up for his plans for nothing, but Mick’s ‘nope’ voice was one of them. Mostly because Mick’s expressions in the conversations that followed were usually priceless.

“I’m admiring your new laundry basket, s’all,” Mick says.

Len blinks. That’s strange. Laundry basket?

“Is this some way of saying I don’t put my clothing away?” he asks suspiciously. That seemed like a Mick thing – Mick was so weird about eating vegetables and shit like that – but Mick usually tossed his shirt any which way too, so it didn’t seem like…

“No,” Mick says, and points.

Len looks. It’s a pile of clothing hanging over…

“Oh, that,” he says, and looks down at the plans hastily to hide his grin.

“Len,” Mick says.

“Very nice, ain’t it?”

“Len.”

“What?”

“Why are you using the Stanley Cup as a place to put your laundry?”

“…well, honestly, I don’t really got much else to do with it.”

“Lenny!”

“There was this woman boasting about how she nicked the Stanley Cup, okay!” Len finally exclaims defensively. “Going on and on about it – saying everyone else aiming towards it was just going for the copy-cat – so I found her stash and lifted it!”

Mick puts his head in his hands.

“What?” Len says, abandoning his plans entirely to cross his arms and glare at Mick. “I’m a klepto. And competitive. And, yes, sometimes petty as fuck. You know all this already.”

“Len,” Mick groans. “You telling me you located Sophie Devereaux’s stash and the only thing you lifted was the goddamn Stanley Cup?”

Len’s lips twitch. “Well,” he drawls. “I wouldn’t say that was the only thing…”

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2 – the Conference

“Best of care, I promise,” a deep voice says from downstairs.

Alec glances up to his door, which he deliberately left slightly ajar. He always did when people came calling on Nana – she was as in-your-face as you could get, whether it was with lawmen or the local mobsters, and sometimes that mean the kids needed to take care of her. Kids like Alec.

“I know, I know,” Nana says. “I’d do it myself, you know that, but it’s so far, and there are all the others to think of –”

“Relax, Etta; you leave it all to us,” the deep-voiced guy says. “We’ve got this.”

“We got you that computer rig, didn’t we?” another guy drawls – his voice is lighter, more tenor than baritone, and wow, that was a hell of a Central City accent this guy had. Alec hadn’t heard that sort of accent outside of, like, cartoons. “He liked it, right?”

“Very much,” Nana admits. “Said it was just the specs he wanted...oh, all right.”

Alec has just enough time to wonder what she’s agreed to – and if it’s going to cause any problems – when she bellows in her best you’d-better-listen-up-and-listen-now voice, “ALEC!”

Alec’s halfway down the stairs before he even knows what happened.

He’s just happy that he remembered to put on pants this morning.

He pokes his head into the kitchen, where Nana’s sitting with these two big bruisers – not too old, in their twenties, maybe, but big guys. One of them is tall and tough looking, with a wicked-looking smirk and narrowed eyes, but the second guy’s clearly the enforcer. He’s huge. Biceps half as big as Alec’s head, shaved head, tough-guy face.

Shit, what has Nana gotten herself into?

“Alec, come on down here already,” Nana says briskly. “I see you peeping there.”

Alec comes down. “Hi, I’m Alec Hardison,” he says in his best polite-to-meet-you voice. The one you use when the Child Protective Services people come around looking to start shit.

The big guy barks a laugh. “Oh, man,” he says, shaking his head. “Still got ‘em trained up in case the foster squad comes looking around?”

“Naturally,” Nana sniffs, but she’s smiling. She’s smiling.

Alec guesses these guys can’t be too bad.

“Alec, this here troublemaker’s Mick Rory,” Nana says, nodding at the big guy. “And the one hogging all the cocoa is his partner, Leonard Snart.”

“Nice t’meet you, kid,” Snart says, holding his hands protectively over his cup of hot chocolate. “And Etta, you can’t blame me – nowhere else makes it right.”

“I make it out of a box mix like everyone else, you little idiot,” Nana says.

“Yeah, but you make it better,” Snart says. "You never forget the mini marshmallows."

“C’mon, Etta,” Rory says. “You gotta admit, someone actually liking what you cook’s a first.”

“You little fink!” Nana exclaims, grinning. “You said you liked my tuna casserole.”

“Etta,” Rory says. “No one likes your tuna casserole, and you know it. You make that as a punishment.”

Alec finds himself nodding along. He hates tuna casserole. It’s – unimaginable.

Nana laughs, a big deep belly laugh. “Yeah, yeah,” she says. “Just maybe. Anyway. Alec, Mick here used to be one of my foster kids, way back when.”

Alec’s shoulders relax.

“He’s the one who keeps mailing all the goddamn child-friendly cookbooks,” Nana adds, sending Rory a pointed glare.

“Oh thank god,” Alec says immediately, because he’s been living off of one of those cookbooks for, you know, the last year or so. Ever since one of the other kids taught him how.

“Alec Hardison, you little -!”

“Sorry, Nana,” Alec says. “When they’re right, they’re right. The tuna’s the worst.”

Nana rolls her eyes. “Oh, I see you’ll all be great friends,” she says, looking pleased. “Alec, Mick and Leonard are here to take you to that cyber-security convention that you’ve been talking about.”

Alec’s jaw drops. “Really?!” he says. It being all the way in Chicago, he hadn’t thought Nana would ever agree for him to go, even if he could probably finagle his own plane ticket with the right access codes.

“Hell yes,” Snart says.

“Language!”

“Sorry, ma’am,” Snart says. “Heck yes.”

Nana clears her throat.

“…hey, yes?”

“Better,” she says. “Now don’t you two teach the boy too many bad habits.”

“Not too many, Etta,” Rory says virtuously. “Only a few.”

Nana shakes her head.

Alec heads out with them. They’ve got a pretty sweet van, plenty of space to shove stuff in. Hell, he could fit his whole computer rig in here, have it be mobile…well, not everything, the desktop monitor would be a squeeze, but he could definitely put a few CPUs in…

“Thanks for taking me,” he says, because he knows how to be polite for real.

“We were going anyway,” Rory grunts from the driver’s seat. “Len’s a goddamn geek for the hottest new security systems.”

“So you work in security?” Alec asks Snart.

Snart blinks. “Uh,” he says. “No. But it’s…relevant…to my job.”

Alec frowns. “What job’s that?”

“We’re thieves,” Rory says.

“Oh,” Alec says. “Wait, really? Like as a full-time job? That is so cool!”

"Man, Etta's gonna kill us," Snart says.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. the Heist

“You know they actually left a footprint?” Len says.

“No way,” Parker says. “A whole print?”

“Yep. Boot match and everything.”

“And they call themselves professionals.”

“I know, right? Total disgrace.”

“You heard about – what’s-his-name, over in San Francisco?”

“Which one?”

“The one with the hat.”

“Oh, yeah, I know him. What about him?”

“He tried to use the bird trick, you know, for the ducts? But he used a parrot.”

“A parrot? Why the hell would he use a parrot?”

“Place was right next to an exotic bird shop. Guess he thought it’d be more authentic.”

“Still, a parrot? Wasn’t he worried it’d start talking?”

“Exactly what happened.”

“In the ducts?”

“Yep.”

“Wow. How are these people even calling themselves thieves?”

“Are you two going to come steal this thing or are you going to sit around and make friends?” Mick interjects. “I know you’re both friends-of-Archie or whatever your goddamn club is called, but this job isn’t going to steal itself!”

Len and Parker look at each other. They’d already agreed earlier that Parker would take the box of cash, while Len and Mick would make off with the two paintings.

Their look is of perfect understanding.

“You seem to be doing just fine,” she says.

“Good work, Mick,” Len says. “Carry on.”

“I hate both of you.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 – the Hospital

“You’ve got a lot of bandages,” the kid says.

He’s been sneaking into Mick’s room these last few days; he’s in the ward right upstairs, and Mick is in the closest room next to the stairs.

“Yeah,” Mick says, because it’s true. “You’ve got no hair.”

“Yeah,” the kid sighs.

“Good look,” Mick adds. “Like me.”

The kid brightens. “Yeah!”

“What’re you here for?” Mick asks, though he can guess.

“Cancer,” the kid says. “You?”

“You know how your parents tell you not to touch fire?”

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t listen.”

The kid giggles. “My name’s Sammy,” he says. “Sammy Ford.”

“Mick Rory. Nice to meet you.”

“You too!”

“How old are you?”

“Eight. And you?”

“More than eight.”

Sammy beams.

“Sam!” a voice calls from the hallway. “Sam!”

Mick eyes the kid. “I think someone’s cottoned onto your jailbreak,” he whispers. “The cops are on your tail.”

Sammy giggles again. “It’s my dad,” he whispers back. “He doesn’t like me leaving my room – but it gets so boring!”

Mick nods knowingly. “Dads,” he says. “Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em.”

Sammy covers his mouth with his hands.

His hands are very skinny.

“Hey, where the hell do you think you’re going?” Len’s voice snaps out.

Mick blinks. He didn’t realize that Len was still here – he’d thought Len would’ve left already – he'd said they were over -

“My son – he’s gone missing –”

The other man’s voice is tense and stressed. Presumably Mr. Ford.

“And that gives you the right to be barging into other people’s hospital rooms?” Len shouts.

He’s shouting.

Len never – Len isn’t really the shouting type. He must be incredibly stressed, well beyond normal levels.

Hmm. That probably wasn’t good.

“You should go rescue your dad,” Mick tells Sammy.

“Rescue him?”

“The other man out there? His name’s Len,” Mick says. “He doesn’t get angry easy, but he’s probably about to punch your dad in the face.”

Sammy’s eyes go wide and he scrambles to his feet, but he’s grinning.

He dashes out Mick’s door.

Not fast enough, though; there’s a familiar thud a second later.

“Daddy!” Sammy giggles. “You’ve fallen on your butt!”

Mick puts his head back on the pillow and grins.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 – the Internet

That’s not how it would work at all! Mick typed angrily.

It damn well would! the other guy posted his response within minutes.

Using dynamite like that will only flash-fry it, Mick wrote. Not braise it. You’re delusional.

What do you think would work, then???

If you only have dynamite –

“Are you on that cooking forum again?” Len asks, looking over Mick’s shoulder.

“Someone’s wrong on the Internet,” Mick grunts. “Gotta put him in his place.”

“Mick,” Len groans. “It’s not that important. No one cares.”

“I care,” Mick says stubbornly. “And this guy’s wrong.”

“Because obviously this is the most important thing we could be doing right now,” Len grumbles. “Wait – are you arguing about dynamite?”

“Yep. Braising beef.”

“You’re nuts. Both of you.”

“Hey, if it’s the only thing available –”

“It’s never going to be the only thing available, Mick.”

“You never know.”

“Mick –”

“Len.”

Len rolls his eyes. “Fine, fine. Have fun.”

“I’ll make you something nice later tonight,” Mick says dismissively.

“I can think of a few nice things,” Len purrs.

“Later, Len.”

Len grumbles and wanders away.

You conceding defeat? The other guy had written.

No because you’re obviously wrong, Mick replies. Have to plan dinner though. Without dynamite, unfortunately.

I’m making leg of lamb – rosemary rubbed, pecan encrusted. Served with a side of garlic whipped mashed potatoes, maybe some asparagus in some balsamic vinegar.

Sounds great, Mick writes because fair's fair, and it did sound good. Unfortunately, my boy’s got the taste of a demented infant. He likes boxed mac and cheese.

Jesus. I’m sorry.

I’m working on it.

Lemme send you my lamb recipe. Might convince him.

Thanks, Mick says, oddly touched. I’ll send you my chicken and bread recipe in return.

Chicken and bread?

Bread toasted in the drippings of the chicken, chicken slathered in duck fat, roasted over high heat – trust me, it’s good.

Okay, I’m intrigued.

Mick grins. My name’s Mick, he offers. Send me a private message.

I’m Eliot, the other guy writes. Nice to meet you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

+ 1 - the Bar

“You’re cheating somehow,” Nate says.

“We're both cheating. I’m just better at pool than you are,” Len corrects, amused.

“Now, boys, no need to fight,” Sophie says.

“Yeah,” Parker pipes up. “Leave that to Mick and Eliot.”

“We’re not fighting!” Eliot says. “Mick’s just wrong.”

“I’m wrong? Ideas like that, I’m amazed you know the right side of a spatula –”

“Why I ougha –”

“You could keep arguing,” Hardison interjects. “Or you could try my new beer.”

“Fighting,” they both say at once.

“Spoilsports," Hardison says, amused and filling up cups with his newest concoction. He knows they'll try it regardless of what they say.

“I think Mick and Eliot just need some way to blow off some steam,” Sophie opined. “When’s the last time you got into a real fight, boys?”

“Too long,” Eliot grumbles. “All the cases keep resolving without ‘em.”

“Not too long for us,” Len says. “Mick, you punched that annoying guy just two weeks – in New York, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” Mick says, and smiles. “It was great.”

Eliot snorts. “One guy’s hardly a satisfying fight.”

“No, this guy was a real prick – like, you wouldn’t even believe –”

Len’s nodding along. “Interpol,” he says. “Never trusted ‘em. This guy especially; he had a slithering sort of manner to ‘em…he was good, though, real good...”

“Wait, Interpol?” Nate says, straightening. “Mick, you punched an annoying but competent guy from Interpol two weeks ago? In New York?”

“Weren’t you in New York around that time, Nate?” Hardison asks.

“Yeah,” Nate says, starting to smile. “Yeah, I was. And Sterling had a black eye.”

Len snaps his fingers. “That’s the guy.”

Eliot turns to Mick. “Tell me you have pictures. Please.”

“Oh yeah,” Mick says.

“You’re the best.”

#my fic #dccoldwave #mick rory #leonard snart #leverage #parker #alec hardison #eliot spencer #nate ford #sophie devereaux #leveraged interference

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Why Bayonetta and Vanquish Prove PlatinumGames Are the Best at Action Games

When PlatinumGames first appeared in 2009, gamers didn’t know what to expect, but we knew to expect something wild. Over 10 years out, that legacy continues to live on, as PlatinumGames has become one of the foundations of modern takes on quirky action games, with titles like Bayonetta, Vanquish, NieR: Automata and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance standing out amongst their library of titles for being unapologetically frenzied and challenging. Building on many of the staff’s history with games such as Okami and Devil May Cry, it’s easy to see where the pedigree comes from, and for a time, PlatinumGames were the only people on the block willing to dip their toes into the single-player action adventure genre (can you believe that it was ALSO 10 years between Devil May Cry 4 and 5? Crazy!).

While PlatinumGames has continually pushed the envelope and explored newer takes on action games, Bayonetta and Vanquish remain memorable as two of their first major forays into the game market (with the Wii’s weirdo Mad World being the third, seemingly lost to time part of the founding trio of games). In time for the 10th anniversary of PlatinumGames' founding and the creation of Bayonetta and Vanquish, our friends at SEGA sent us an early copy of the dual re-release for the PS4, and it was an interesting trip down memory lane, warts and all.

Starting with Bayonetta, players find themselves again in the tall, tall shoes of the Umbral Witch herself on her first ever adventure. Something that stood out immediately in this version of Bayonetta is that the load times are essentially non-existent; I barely ever found the ability to use the loading screen practice menu at all, actually, which honestly surprised me. What this really did was create the fast, action-packed pace that Bayonetta seems to desire, allowing you to seamlessly attack chapter after chapter, challenge after challenge.

Visually, the game didn’t get much of an upgrade, but it did get a bit of a facelift, with 4k visuals and 60fps enhancements that really help the game “pop." Even on a regular PS4, though, it still looks and plays great with no slowdown to speak of. While the visuals look cleaner and sharper, the textures do show their age a bit, but generally the game looks and plays smooth, which is where the real focus of one’s attention is likely going to be; it’s probably easy to say that Bayonetta’s never looked as sharp as she does right now!

Control wise, Bayonetta still has that focus on timing-perfect dodges and combo-focused combat, both of which work well and that I generally had little trouble with. I actually found that some of the quick time events were a bit easier too, either because I’ve played the game so many times and just expect them now, or they’ve been retooled to be a little less sudden and game ruining. The camera is, well, still the same camera, and that has all of the frustrations of mid ‘00s era design choices one might expect.

Obviously, as an update and not a remake, that’s to be expected, but getting used to the fixed-angle perspective in Bayonetta after games like DMC5, Revengeance, or Automata certainly took a little readjustment. In the end, it isn’t a big deal at all, and I never felt like the camera was getting in the way of my succeeding or failing at a section of the game, just that occasionally I’d find myself in fairly inopportune views that I would work quickly to get out of (and, honestly, that first fight with Jeanne and the Witch Walking is still… probably one of the worst parts of the game, mostly due to camera issues). If anything, I found myself surprised at just how clean and snappy the controls of Bayonetta were on the PS4 version, and I started to remember that they were always like this; PlatinumGames has always known how to make great controlling action games, and Bayonetta feels fresh and easy to control in a way that makes it fairly timeless.

Other than that, though, this is basically the same game as it was in 2008; Bayonetta never got any form of DLC, so there isn’t really anything new here. If you’ve played and mastered the game before, you may want to keep that in mind; there are all new trophies to get, however, and as most Bayonetta fans know, the real fun of the game comes from mastering various difficulties and getting the coveted Pure Platinum trophies, so just look at this PS4 version as a brand new way to get your chance to do that all over again.

As far as a definitive version of Bayonetta is concerned, there are a few things I’d probably offer: this is probably the best looking and best running version of Bayonetta on the market right now, but… Bayonetta 2 and 3 are Nintendo exclusives, meaning if you want the full Bayonetta package, you may want to track down the Switch copy of Bayonetta 2 that comes with the first game, as well. Really, that’s depending on what you’re looking to get out of this game; if you want a gorgeous steelbook and 2 great games, this is a fantastic choice, but if you are looking to get into Bayonetta and play all of it, you may be better off directing your attention to the Switch copy of the game (depending on availability, anyway). Personally, I found myself getting sucked into trying to get my score juuuust a bit better, getting that trophy I didn’t get, trying to push myself against difficulties of a game I’ve played four times now, so, you know how it is!

Moving to Vanquish, I personally feel that this is the real star of this release. While Bayonetta achieved success in a cult classic way that’s helped it get 2 sequels, Vanquish feels like a bit of a forgotten gem of a game. When it was initially released, a lot of reviewers didn’t seem to know what to make of the game, with it’s seemingly short playtime being a fairly large complaint against it. Vanquish remains a bit of an odd bird, but with time comes wisdom, and many gamers may now appreciate the game for what it really is: one of the most frantic, score based shooting games ever made.

Vanquish is not a game that is going to win you over with a good story, developed characters, or really anything else other than what it presents you: tough as nails shooting galleries based around the slide/boost mechanic and limited bullet-time power. Ostensibly a game about a future in which military battles are fought in space, players take on the role of Sam and his DARPA created super-suit, giving him amazing reflexive abilities to zoom around battlefields, shooting guns in all sorts of crazy poses, and giving you one of the greatest set of “wow did you see how cool I was” gameplay segments possible, mixed with countless, countless deaths and retries.

For those who are new, Vanquish is indeed a game you can “beat” in maybe 5-6 hours, if you’re good, but that isn’t really the point of Vanquish. The point is to constantly get your score up, to get better at each gallery, to try new weapons and strategies while looking as stylish as possible. If Bayonetta and Devil May Cry were games in which melee combat was made to look stylish and crazy, Vanquish is the cover-shooter equivalent of that, and honestly it still feels fresh and exciting ten years later, as very few games present an experience remotely close to what Vanquish does.

Much like Bayonetta, Vanquish has almost no load times, making the blisteringly fast pace of the game even faster, and between the two titles, seems to have benefitted the most from the next-gen facelift; while cutscenes still look very early PS3, the in-game action looks and feels great, with no slowdown (other than the bullet time feature in the game), and really helps smooth out the crazy firefights going on all around. I’ll be honest: I wasn’t a huge fan of Vanquish when it originally came out, but this updated re-release won me over, making me appreciate a game I maybe didn’t give enough attention to, and hopefully now we’ll see even more fans give this hidden gem the appreciation it deserves on newer platforms.

For the price tag ($39.99 USD), the physical copy of both of these games is an amazing bargain, essentially $20~ per title with great new graphics and smoothed out load times and gameplay. Even if you’re considering getting them digitally, both games are great, but Vanquish feels like the real star here, a game that maybe most people didn’t give a fair look back in 2009 that would certainly deserve a second chance today. Personally, I’m curious to see what types of crazy combo vids and score based runs people are going to post, but in the meantime, I’ll be upping my own game. As I typed this, I got the PlatinumGames bug again, so it’s time to go work on my scores!

REVIEW ROUNDUP

+ Great package of 2 classic PS3-era games with new graphic updates.

+ Modern tech means lower load times, and both games play like a dream now.

+ Controls in both are smooth and responsive, and feel great.

+ The start of PlatinumGames' charm, these titles really do hold up to newer games still.

+/- That said, there isn’t really anything “new” here, so don’t buy in expecting new content.

Are you a PlatinumGames fan? Got any challenge-based stories from your time with their games? Let us know what you think of these two and more in the comments!

----

Nicole is a frequent wordsmith for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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