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firefirefruit · 2 months

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Steel in Her Veins, Chapter: Twenty-Six

Read On: AO3 | Table of Contents | Next Chapter

Characters: Fem!Reader x Roronoa Zoro

Chapter Twenty-Six: Simple. Practical. Easy

Zoro doesn’t know how to deal with all of…this.

Really – he may be many things, but dealing with…feelings is simply not his forte. Nor when he has to talk things out. And, God save him, when he’s given the task to comfort others.

Zoro silently rests himself on one of Raya’s stools, standing on the precipice of not knowing whether he should leave, but not quite wanting to just yet. He flips the beautifully crafted Enma between his fingers, a soft frown set on his lips.

With swords…well, you don’t really need to do all of that. You don’t gotta bare your soul to it. To comfort it and tell it everything’s going to be okay. To apologise sincerely and express your own grief.

After all, in Zoro’s opinion, a sword is just a sword. You swing, you slice, you offer gratitude to it, and it’s a job done.

Zoro knows, that if Raya was here, she would’ve adamantly disagreed with that logic. She would’ve said something about how swords have souls, and that they understand the complexities of human feelings as much as we do. For a split second, Zoro takes an odd solace in that thought, his fingers fumbling over Raya’s lovingly wrapped leather over the hilt of his sword.

But after a paused moment, realisation flickers across the samurai’s face. He looks away from the humming Enma, helplessly turning his head around within the empty workshop. Out of all things, he’s thinking about what she thinks? He kisses his teeth. Some resolve he has.

See, swords don’t make him feel like this. They don’t hurt his head or press heavily against his chest with no way of escape. They lift, they slice and they charge onwards, tongue constantly sharpening for their next foe.

Swords don’t scream. Swords don’t cry or grieve or burst into flames when a tragedy occurs. They don’t hiss or give you the silent treatment, either.

Swords don't have skin, where inked fingers can trace over its body so delicately, so intimately, that it feels like Zoro’s accidentally intruded in on a forbidden moment. Swords don’t sarcastically wave at him from a distance, either, and flick a switch upwards to keep his watchful eye away.

And eyes. Swords don’t have eyes. They don’t have eyes, brim with fire he’s never experienced before. With grit and hatred that pools suffocatingly around his presence. They don’t show their wonder and curiosity and wisdom through the use of pupils, nor does their quick-wittedness or sharpness translate through the use of looking.

Only through metal and a sharpening stone do they offer their most acceptable use.

And on that thought, nor do they have lips – soft, plump ones that fold underneath a little appearance of teeth, deeply thinking, considering a problem that secretly renders them anxious. The only tell of their discomfort being of their pulled-in lips and softly chewing teeth.

They don’t cry. They don’t have the power to spin their own bodies around like a threatening whip, broken words unfolding at the tip of their tongue, tears pooling up in shells that do their best to keep them at bay. They don’t make him feel…

They don’t make him feel…

Well, how did he actually feel?

The looming samurai shakes his head with a grunt, running a hand through his tousled hair.

No. Fuck feelings. He doesn’t need those.

All Zoro knows is that his chest felt tight and his breath rendered shallow after he bore witness to those stinging words.

And unlike some people, swords don’t withhold their thoughts or feelings. They're always straightforward and honest, without any reservations towards Zoro, and they most certainly do not prefer to disclose their inner secrets to the Surgeon of Death over the likes of him.

Swords are swords. They’re simple. They’re practical. They’re easy.

But this…

Whatever’s churning around in his stomach, whatever’s making his heart stutteringly displace its beats…

Well, he hasn’t felt this way since…

He clenches his jaw, the muscles of his neck tensing. His eyes flicker to the Wado Ichimonji, its broken shards nestling within a makeshift cocoon of a dark blue blanket.

He hasn’t felt this way since Kuina’s death.

Zoro raises his eyebrows. Is that was this feeling is? Is it grief? Is he grieving over the old man the way he grieved for Kuina?

Or is it guilt? The guilt of standing there and watching him and doing fuck all.

No, Raya was right. There's no honour in spectating, in standing by while someone else suffers. And yet, that's exactly what he did when she needed him the most.

The weight of his inaction settles heavily on his shoulders, a burden he's carried with him for far too long. He thought he had buried those feelings deep down, thought he had moved on from the guilt and regret that had haunted him since Kuina's death. But now, staring at the shattered remains of her, he realizes that they were never truly gone.

He reaches out a trembling hand to touch the Wado Ichimonji, his fingers tracing the familiar contours of the broken blade. Memories flood his mind, memories of a time when he was young and foolish, when he believed that strength alone could conquer any obstacle.

What would Kuina think if she could see him now? Would she be proud of the man he's become, or would she be disappointed by his failures?

The thought gnaws at him, twisting like a knife in his gut. He can almost hear her voice, sharp and cutting, chastising him for his weakness, for his inability to protect those he cares about.

Zoro squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block out the memories, but they refuse to be silenced. They taunt him, torment him, reminding him of his shortcomings, of his failures.

If it were Kuina instead of Sukiyaki in that moment, would he have ignored her honour code? Would he have furiously snapped at her to shut up and to let him fight? Would he have saved her regardless, and interfered with her martyred resolve?

Zoro holds his breath.

Yes. The simple answer would be yes. He would have.

Zoro's heart twists with the weight of his realization. He knows, deep down, that if it were Kuina in that moment instead of Sukiyaki, he would have acted without hesitation. He would have thrown himself into the fray, risking everything to save her, consequences be damned.

But Sukiyaki was not Kuina, and Zoro's loyalty to the samurai code had bound him in place, like chains forged from honour and duty. It's a bitter truth to swallow, knowing that his commitment to honour had cost him the opportunity to intervene and potentially save someone's life.

The echo of Kuina's voice rings in his ears, her words a cutting reminder of his perceived weakness. She would have scolded him for his failure to live up to the ideals they had both cherished, for his inability to protect those in need. And as the weight of her disappointment settles upon him like a suffocating blanket, Zoro can't help but feel the crushing weight of his own inadequacy.

And amidst the pain and the guilt, there's a sense of profound loneliness that threatens to consume him whole. He is adrift in a sea of his own making, lost in the depths of his own despair.

A shuffle of heavy feet burrows its way into the heel of the workshop, a long shadow dancing through the soft splinters of candlelight. There’s a heavy silence, and Zoro, for a second, doesn’t want to turn around. His chest tightens once more, teeth clenching hard together.

Is it Raya? It must be. But is he even able to face her right now?

He doesn’t know. Most of all – he doesn’t want to. Because right now, he’s not ready.

He sits on the stool, hands firmly gripping over the one and only thing that offers him a modicum of comfort. His sword. So practical. So easy. So simple.

“Zoro-ya?” A male voice reverberates within the fragile air. Zoro hears him advance a few steps further, and he can just feel the questioning expression of the man behind him - one eyebrow raised, a pair of dark eyes narrowing, arms tucking comfortably together.

Law’s voice interferes with the silence once more, his voice louder, and a lot closer now. Zoro, still, does not turn around. Simply, he does not want to.

“What are you doing here?” Law asks.

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janghoefett · 3 years

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Here’s a very explicit thingy about Din Djarin and a toy

18+ only, f!reader

Din Djarin always liked to watch. He’s observant, he’s pensive, and his mind never stops racing as he watches you from behind the beskar.

“Are you comfortable?” the Mandalorian asks.

“Yes,” you grin.

Din has your legs splayed over his thighs. You’re exposed to him, your soft cunt is flushed and willing. He rubs you gently with a gloved thumb, allowing you to relax, before carefully easing the vibrator into your tight heat. He’s precise; he’s pushing and pulling, allowing your cunt to slick the device the best it can.

Din brings his hand just beneath your mouth and you spit on his fingers in silent understanding. You’re unable to see his face but still you look up at him with wide eyes in search of affirmation. He merely meets your gaze and tilts his head before reaching back between your legs.

Din tries once more. He pushes the vibrator into your cunt with ease until finally, that little nub is able to nestle against your clit. “There we go, that’s it,” Din coos, his voice hoarse.

You whimper when he flips on the switch.

Din wonders what it must feel like. Do you feel things differently than a man does? Surely you do. A cock is a simple, hard limb, but a pussy is sweet and tender and beautiful...

A pussy doesn’t fuck. It gets fucked.

There must be something agonizing about it. Beautifully agonizing. Your poor little cunt is clenching around whatever it is given, despite how much you squirm, and won’t let go. Your eyebrows turn upwards and your legs search for purchase as you take this harsh pleasure that Din is giving you.

He’s suddenly in awe of the trust you’ve placed in him. You’re giving yourself to him. You’re letting him take control and you’re trusting him with that precious heaven between your legs.

His cock throbs at the thought of it all.

Din keeps the device firmly rooted inside your cunt and your hips begin to move in an attempt to gain some control. The sounds falling from your lips are unlike anything he’s ever heard and he can feel every time you clench.

As he nudges the tip into your clit with more pressure, your body jolts and your hips buck.

“Din!” you cry out.

“Don’t fight it, sweet girl. Stay right there…. Stay right there and you’ll come…”

You clench at his words and try to still yourself as it builds and builds. You’re there. You’re so close.

Without warning, Din turns up the power and your release rips through your body. He follows the involuntary movements of your hips and watches you ride it through until finally deciding you can’t take any more.

Din turns the device off, allowing the thrumming of your walls to slow before pulling out gently.

He looks down to admire you in this freshly fucked state. You have the prettiest little flower there between your legs, Din thinks to himself. But he needs more. He needs to touch you this time. He needs to taste you.

You’re the reason he can’t pull the fucking trigger on a job anymore, but he’d never tell you that. The only job that mattered now was you.

#din djarin x reader #din djarin #the mandalorian #smut #Star Wars #drabble #idk how I feel about this one

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therealkatekane · 4 years

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My Journey through Yuri, Part II

So, to be fair, this is the first anime that kicked off my midlife discovery of anime. And while Symphogear holds the top spot in my heart, Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid is a very, very close second. Symphogear fulfills my need for warm fluffy fuzzies and adventure. Valkyrie fulfills my need for... everything else: lesbians, sex, lesbian sex, humor, over-the-top-ridiculous premises, zero male characters, and just... literally everything. If Symphogear is comfort food, then Valkyrie is my favorite meal that is hella bad for me, but I just don’t care.

I don’t even remember how I stumbled onto this anime, but I thank the fucking gods that I did. I found it, watched the entire series one night, and again the next two nights with the girls. Also, thanks to this show, Diana taught me two important anime terms: ecchi and oppai. We’ll start here:

And so it begins...

Let me start here: you best be grown for this post. And you best be grown if you’re watching this show because damn they is a lot of sex.

The whole premise of this show is that girls infected with the Arm Virus are quarantined on islands away from the rest of the world. Infected girls can be either Extars or Liberators. Extars transform into weapons (”Arms”) that Liberators use or “drive.” And in order to transform, Extars must be sexually stimulated by a compatible Liberator. Yup.

I was actually concerned at first because I thought this setup had a lot of potential to have all the attitudes and ideas I find super squicky in anime (and in media in general): questionable consent, objectification, toxic relationships, etc. But I was pleasantly surprised that consent is actually addressed really well in the series, and overall, I thought it handled excellently so I wasn’t squicked out at all.

So, onto the characters:

Above you see our two main characters: Mamori, the red head, is an Extar. The blond, Mirei, is a Liberator. And as is seen above, they were meant for each other. That being said, bless Mirei and her heart of gold, because Mamori is real simple. If I have one complaint about this show, it’s that Mamori is that annoyingly innocent and oblivious and simple protagonist. You know the one. She’s that dog you have that can’t figure out how to push open a door with its nose even though it’s already mostly open anyway and whines until you get up and cross the room and push it open the remaining three inches so she can come in. Lord love her, she’s adorable and sweet, but just... not bright.

But Mirei is phenomenal. Despite Mamori’s obliviousness, Mirei is immediately staunchly devoted to her. All she wants to do is protect Mamori. She is tall and mysterious and proves to be a badass fighter in her first thirty seconds on screen. You can’t help but fall in love with her strength and stubbornness. And I’m a sucker for the strong but silent and awkward types.

What I like best about their relationship is how Mirei automatically does whatever she thinks is in Mamori’s best interests or aligns with her desires from word one. She sees Mamori under attack, she places herself between her and her attacker. Mamori complains about a character being cruel to another, Mirei moves to put a stop to it. Mamori asks Mirei not to hurt some one, so she doesn’t. I’m not a big fan of “love at first sight” type shit, but I can’t help but just fucking adore Mirei’s instant devotion to Mamori. Not just her, but to her thoughts and feelings.

Next up, we have the dynamic duo referred to as “Lady Lady.”

Oh, I cannot say enough about these two. Lady Rain and Lady J. Both are both Liberators and Extars, able to switch between roles as the situation dictates. SWITCH, get it?? One transforms into a sword/gun and the other a badass motorcycle. They claim it isn’t the sex that allows them transform but the strength of their bond. It’s actually quite beautiful how dedicated they are to one another. Former members of a paramilitary government organization, they chose exile and quarantine over being tools of others.

Next up, we’ve got Meifon. Meifon is a schemer obsessed with making a buck. What I adore about her is that she is an asexual/aromantic character. On an island where everyone is fucking everyone all the time. It is such an interesting idea of how someone who doesn’t experience sexual arousal/stimulation in a “typical” way functions on an island where sex is so highly prioritized. It was a really neat idea that I was surprised to see the show tackle. While it isn’t addressed in a super deep or meaningful way, it is an unexpected and nice touch.

The “Governor.” Normally, I am all about avoiding spoilers, but I was surprised that we were supposed to think the governor is a dude. I know sometimes it can be hard to tell in anime, and I am guilty of more than once being like “What a super hot lady!” and it ended up being a fella and cue disappointment. But Akira was clearly a woman from the first time we see her. It wasn’t until the fourth episode that I learned she was supposed to be a “man.” She is so clearly a lady. If you can’t figure that out in ten seconds, you’re as simple as Mamori, bless your heart.

I feel it’s a missed opportunity for Akira not to be trans, but she’s not. She’s just pretending to be a fella for power, to stand out on an island full of women. It would have been a lot more interesting and compelling in my humble opinion. But whatever.

I could go on and on about all the many fantastic characters on this show, but there are a few other things I want to talk about.

1. I usually prefer the original Japanese voice actors, but this is one of the rare times when the opposite is true. The English voice acting is on point, very well acted, and an utter delight. Mirei in particular has a fantastic dead-pan delivery that I adore.

2. This show is hysterically funny. I laughed so hard so many times. Especially during the episode “Giant Girl, Little Heart.” I mean... just look at this:

The giant girl’s name is Nimi Minimi. I can’t even. Dear god. It’s so funny. I have a great appreciation for anything that can make me laugh. There are a lot of jokes about pitching and catching. And this is an actual quote from this episode: “Nimi, you’re the only one who can catch my fastball. Only you can catch my body and soul!” It’s classic.

3. The power and relationship dynamics are very interesting. Poly seems to be a pretty readily accepted practice. Platonic “driving” seems to be a thing. Consent is approached several different ways, and each is very interesting. Another thing this show does well is examine the problems inherent in such a system. It isn’t all girls kissing girls and touchy touchy fun times. There is a lot included on how that power can be abused and what corruption may look like in a hyper-sexualized state. So, maybe trigger warning? I’m pretty sensitive, but I did not find it trigger-y. It was actually nice to see such abuse of power highlighted as abuse without a veiled attempt to make it okay because it’s sexy times between two (or more) women.

4. Story/plot/etc - I’ll be real. The bar was really low when I initially started this. I mean, I didn’t expect much given the premise, but ended up being very pleasantly surprised. The story is reasonably compelling and more thought out than expected. There are more complexities than I anticipated, and it all wraps up neatly at the end of the series in a satisfying way.

So, I guess that wraps up Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid. Conclusion: Watch it. It’s beautifully NSFW and unashamedly queer. There needs to be more anime like it. I think next I’ll write about Flip Flappers as it was recommended to me on my last post, and it currently holds the number three spot in my heart.

Today marks the fourth week of working from home, so please please please keep the recommendations coming. I have literally nothing to do but work and watch anime, and I’m super grateful for the recs I received already. Thanks. :-)

#valkyrie drive #mirei shikishima #mamori x mirei #yuri #anime #mamori tokonome #lesbians everywhere #i am shameless about how much i love this show

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ifandomalot · 4 years

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Can you do a blurb with curtis everett being shy around you???

This takes place right after the derailing of the snowpiercer 😁

Curtis's eyes wouldn't dare meet her gaze, to be honest the strength and bravery that radiated from her person was scary. Beautiful, soft features that any man would claim beauty, she stands tall, her strength and power shown by the way she holds her head up high, shoulder straight.

The Snowpiercer was derailed, fire from the explosing burning the sacred engine. Curtis stomach flips underneath his skin, he feels digusted, mostly with himself. This rebellion was to free his people, not kill them. Throat burned, threatening to empty the contents of his stomach but he swollowed it down hard.

His body ached, the crash throwing him around, blood from his crushed arm leaking throw the thick fleece of the warn out black jacket and a small trailing running down the length of his arm, down his hands into the bright snow.

"Are you okay?" Her words are soft but he is in too deep of a thought to hear. The smelling of cooking corpses a little to familiar, a remembrance of the worst time in his life.

"Hello?" Ocean eyes slowly switch from her face to the evidence that he had killed the human race. "Are you okay Mr?"

Clearly a front ender, despite the fact that the train was up in flames, she was still clean, hair brushed beautifully across shoulders, a big coat covering her, but he had to bet her body beautiful as well. She was different, stood differently, didn't seem bothered by the fact that he was a tail sectioner, a woman who knew how to protect herself.

A large, light fur covered jacket is placed over his shoulders, and her fingers running the largest column of his neck made him snap out of the self pitty trance as he moves from her touch.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

Throat felt swollen shut - he answers with a loud growl that comes from deep inside his chest.

"You're bleeding can I look at it?"

He pulls from her touch once again, it hurt - really fucking hurt but would reveal who he really was, the impressions of gears showing he was the one to stop the sacred engine, he killed all these people.

"You look like you're going to pass out. You're body will go into shock, just let me see it." Her hands are covered in blood themselves, from pulling him out of the burning cart, his eyes widden in realization now that he was finally thinking straight. "Was there a boy and woman in there?"

The beautiful woman shakes her head, "only you and a dead man. He took most of the blast."

Silence fills the air again, "what's your name? I'm Y/N."

"Curtis."

She kneels against the snow, sinking down to his size, knees pulled close to his chest. Small distance between them but enough for she can meet his eyes, "We have to get out of here, the smoke isn't good."

Curtis shakes his head, "there has to be survivors, we can't just leave them."

"You're not going to be able to do much when you pass out from loss of blood." There was a certain truthfulness in her tone, she somehow seemed to always have the answer, it was a little annoying.

"Curtis, I'll help you." He doesn't argue, allows her to wrap her small hands around the bicep of the good arm, usuing the strength of his legs to lift himself but noticeably, allowing her to believe she did it on her own.

After what seemed like hours of walking, well at least it was when he was deep in his head turned out to be only minutes but a small cave opening offered protection from the smoke and safety of any unwanting guests.

"Curtis." Her hand dig inside the large pockets of her jacket pulling out various papers and wrapping. "I went back and raided the first aid when I pulled you out and saw the blood."

His heart pounding in his chest. Despite the throbbing pain of open cuts and soaking of blood he didn't want her help. He was afraid, mostly because he didn't want to be alone. No matter what anyone would say about the tail end, it was dirty, it was absolutely disgusting, some people rotten to the core, but never lonely. He didn't want to be left alone.

"Its okay." He believes the sweet words she coos, voice acting as a warm blanket wrapping him in a false sense of security. Fingers running over his clothed collarbones, softly pushing the jacket she put on him, and then the blood soaked one he had worn for years, he gasped. It's been so long since he's been touched in a gentle way - especially a female. Cheeks heat up immediately as he's feels himself pushing against her more, wanting to feel the warmth of her.

"I, ugh. I'm - sorry." It's one big word, as he gasps for air, face red, all flustered. Touched starved, a simple way to put it.

"You don't have to be shy." Her smile is kind, makes him feel safe. "I understand Curtis."

Curtis's heart thumps hard. He swore she would be able to feel it, but didn't back away. The heat of her skin skimming the hem of his shift, made him shift uncomfortably. Squeezing his eyes shut in embarrassment at how close she was to his most intimate part. This is not the time, this is not the time.

As if was hard enough, she gently lifts the shift, smooth fingers running the hardness of his stomach.

"This going to hurt Curtis, we have to get your arm out of the sleeve." He nods, shifting uncomfortably on his bottom. Even if it did hurt, she wouldn't have known by the way he stares with no intrest in the snow. Only is wounded arm revealed and half of his stomach as the hem of his shirt was held on his shoulder.

"Oh curtis, how did this happen?" The cuts wide, pulsing with blood that oozed from the scattered wounds.

"Must have happened in the explosion." The lie felt bitter against his tongue, he didn't want her to hate him.

"I'll make you better." It was a promise as her eyes shifted to him with a sweet smile. Why was she being so nice to him? He didn't understand, nothing about him was nice.

Y/N felt bad form him, she said a few nice words to him, touched him in comfort and he looked like he was going to fall apart any second. He didn't dare look at her, but would steal tiny glances. Hand claming, he was nervous at her close proximity.

"Are you the curtis?" Obviously the news of the great Curtis Rebellion was gossip of the train.

He doesn't answer only looks further. "I thought I told you to stop being so shy?"

Eyes meet his, tongue sticking out to moisten is cracked lips. "I um. I guess."

"You guess or know?"

"Know." Short and simple, obviously wasn't much of a talker.

"We were told you lived just like us. They lied to us, I'm sorry you went though this. I don't care if it makes me sound horrible, but I'm glad you killed them." Curtis's heart which bearly survived the last time she touched him was sky rocketing as her finger tips run over the bone of his jaw, the hairs of his beard rough against them. She didnt have an interior motive, she didn't want anything form him. She was a good person, who felt bad with the way he was treated, and touches him because she wants to, believes he deserves it after all the time he went without it.

Her long arms wrapping around his back, slipping under his underarms, pressing herself into his chest. Sensing what he carried on his back, she knew he stopped the engine, knew that he killed most of her friends and that he had done some bad things but no words anyone could say would do anything, especially with the way he was destorying himself inside. Her body warm, the feeling of another human lovingly embracing him made warmness coat his body. He couldn't fing himself to complete the hug but did rest his forehead against her shoulder as tears slide past eyelashes soaking her coat.

#curtis everett #curtis everett imagine #snowpiercer #chris evans imagine #c #chris evans

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arktheoverlord · 5 years

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A Different Perspective

A dark thunder head spread across the horizon, the blackness blotting out the sun in a slow crawl. Lightning struck ahead of the dark clouds. The brilliant flashes of light reached down to the ocean's inky rolling waves. The substantial churns of water crashed against the cliffs of an island that seemed impossible to have formed this far out into the ocean. The wind whipped at Arangerath’s austere black clothing, and suffused his nose with salty air.

He stood near the center of his viewing platform: a wide half-circle that overlooked a magmatic crater. He stood tall, his pitch black hair cut short. A deep exasperated sigh escaped his lungs. It had been a tiresome day, and he knew that it was far from over.

Before him lay a bloody and bruised boy face down on the hard stone. He wasn't much older than sixteen. His brown hair was matted with blood, his clothes a shredded mess. A brilliant white sword lay clutched in his hand.

Arangerath sheathed his wicked steel blade, then knelt beside the unconscious boy. The boy roused himself, then tried to get to his feet.

"Stay down, you'll hurt yourself even more," Arangerath said, his voice thick with worry. "You're bound to have some broken ribs, possibly a broken limb. You need to stay still."

The boy growled in response as he attempted to push himself up. "Please just don't get back up…" Arangerath grabbed the boy's head, then pushed a surge of magical energy through his body. Stunned, the boy fell back down. A groan escaped his lips.

The wind had started to whip at the two harder. Arangerath moved to the control panel next to the entrance way that lead onto the observation deck. He flipped a switch and a glass dome rolled out above the stone deck. The rain soon followed.

He returned to the boy, who had gotten to his hands and knees. The boy coughed, splattering blood on the ground.

"Please." Arangerath pleaded, a tear forming on his cheek. "Stay down. It's amazing that you've gotten this far. You did beautifully, and I'm so proud of you. But you can't defeat me. You're under trained and inexperienced. I've had several lifetimes to get to where I'm at. Please just give up. Let me send you home."

"I-I'll never give up. It's… it's my destiny to defeat you," the boy said as he struggled to his feet. "Kal'Odrin named me his champion. I've been chosen by the gods themselves." He brandished his blade, the mithril edge holding a dim glow.

"Do you know how many of Kal's 'champions' I've defeated in my life? The number would stagger you. I was one of his champions."

"Lies!"

Arangerath pulled open the buttons of his dress shirt. A half sun on the horizon with an arrow point into the middle of the sun was tattooed on his chest. A sinuous scar cut the sun in half.

"He promised me power and glory! That I would want for nothing! I was branded with this crest and told that through it I could channel his power. Once I outlived my usefulness, I was cast into the pit where he keeps his mistakes!" Arangerath shouted as his anger boiled over while tears streamed down his face. "Even if you could defeat me, he would do the same to you!"

“You’re… You’re lying. Kal’Odrin is righteous,” the boy said with a slight daze still on his face. “We’re done talking. It ends her-”

In the blink of an eye, Arangerath was across the platform. He once again had the boy’s head between his hands. A blue glow formed around his body as he channeled. The glow moved to envelope the boy’s head. A shocked expression painted the boy’s face as he became paralyzed and the sword clattered to the ground beside him.

“You’re right, it ends here. You’re going home, and you’re going to forget everything about me. I’m going to remove this curse that’s been placed on you as well. If you can stop me, one day you’ll have your victory.”

A pulse of energy emanated from the two as Arangerath dug into the boy’s life force to find Kal’Odrin’s mark. Once found, he ripped it off the boy, severing his connection to the god. Alongside the mark laid a brand. Given enough time, the brand would destroy the boy’s life force, an extra measure that the god had taken to make sure no other champion could rise against him. Arangerath removed this as well.

Arangerath focused his magic and scoured any memories he could find of himself, of Kal’Odrin’s quest, of the powers the boy once held. The boy offered no resistance as Arangerath worked. He patched the holes he left as best he could, but even through centuries of practice, mastery of memory magic still eluded him. The boy would still finds empty sections of memory.

He caught the boy as he fainted. Pulling on the water ley line that sat below his island, he cleansed the boys injuries. Then, with one last surge of magical energy, Arangerath opened a portal in the air. The edge shimmered as the infinite flat blackness formed an oval in the air just tall and wide enough for him to walk through.

Connected to the neutral leylines that covered the world like a convoluted web, this portal could be used to travel to any point on the planet. Arangerath sifted through the boy’s memories again to find his home. Once located, he traced a path across the leylines. He opened the other end of his portal once at his destination

The door of a quaint town house appeared on the other side of the portal. He carried the boy through, then sat him down. Knocking on the door, he stepped back through. It snapped shut with a pop as the door creaked open.

He took a deep breath to try to clear his mind. “This has to end. This is going to end. Kal’Odrin can’t keep using children to do his dirty work. It’s gone on for far too long.”

Arangareth flipped a switch and the dome fell away. Feeble winds pulled at his cloak while weak rain drizzled across the old platform. The sun peaked out from behind the slower storm clouds.

He hadn’t meant to summon the storm. Loss of emotional control had led to its manifestation. He slumped down next to the entrance way, feeling substantially more exhausted than he should have been. Kal’Odrin’s so called champions had started to come in more regular intervals as of late. Each encounter left him emotionally exhausted. He saw the hope that these kids fought for, not knowing that they fought the wrong enemy. Each time he ripped that hope away, he felt his heart become more and more hollow.

He stood up and walked to where the boy’s sword still lay on the ground. It was a simple blade aside from being stark white. Filled with my power. The words echoed through the veil that had entered his mind. Strike down those that would harm this world. It had been several lifetimes since Arangerath had last heard those words, when he had been chosen as the god’s champion. He had since learned that the blades hold no power. They were merely a way for Kal’Odrin to keep track of and communicate with those he had chosen.

“I know you can hear me Kal, and I know you’re going to ignore me but I’m saying this anyway,” he said as he held the blade in front of his face. “You’ve fooled the world long enough. Too many children have been put in harm’s way for your greed, and I suspect more than what I’ve dealt with have been hidden away. I’m going to stop you at all costs, and, ironically, you’re the only one that can stop me. So I’ll give you a choice: come to me of your own free will, or come to me under my will.” He stepped to the edge of the platform and dropped the gleaming white sword to the molten rock far below.

#short stories #writing #fantasy #fiction #stories #oc #writers on tumblr #creative writing

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makeitupp-blog1 · 6 years

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My Makeup Favorites!

When I started wearing makeup, my makeup bag consisted of only three products; foundation that was two shades too dark, bronzer that was as orange as a cheeto, and mascara that barely cost $3.00. It is safe to say that my collection has grown substantially since then. After a year working at Ulta Beauty, I have bought and or tested almost half of the products in the store and I have become officially obsessed with makeup. Due to buying and testing numerous products, I have found many of my go to favorites and I have also found a lot of makeup that I am not willing to ever buy again. In today’s post, I have decided to share my favorite products that I always keep stocked in my personal makeup collection. I would love to hear what products are your favorites. Comment on this post with your top three go to products. I would love to see what you all are loving, and even get to try out some products that I have yet to try!

Now, onto the tour of my favorite products in my collection!

Face:

1. L’OREAL Perfecting Base Primer

This primer is amazing! I bought it soon after a coworker had told me that it was a dupe for the Tarte blurring face primer. It is a budget friendly primer that effortlessly blurs your pores. My favorite thing about this primer? It lasts forever! A little bit goes a long way with this primer, and for a product that you use every day, that is extremely important.

2. Smashbox Photo Focus Foundation

This product is not a dupe and it will cost you around forty-two dollars, but it is one hundred percent worth the investment. I use to reserve this foundation only for special events and for going out, but it makes my skin look so amazing that I started to use it as my every day foundation. It is a perfectly lightweight, demi-matte foundation that provides a full amount of coverage without feeling like you have a lot of makeup on. I have not been able to find a drugstore foundation that performs as well as this foundation, but for the sake of my bank account, I hope I can find an imposter soon.

3. Tarte Shape Tape

Similar to the Smashbox foundation, this concealer is not budget friendly. Although it is extremely expensive for a concealer, at twenty-seven dollars, it performs like no other concealer on the market. You can say goodbye to any sign of dark circles and you can say hello to beautiful, bright under eyes! I use this product almost every day, and one tube lasted me almost 7 months. If you have the budget to invest in this concealer I highly recommend it.

4. Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer

Want a bronzer that smells like summer? Want a bronzer that glides onto the skin? Want a bronzer that gives you a gorgeous, warm glow? Then you need to head straight to the store to buy this bronzer. It has a fresh coconut scent with a smooth, buttery texture that sits on the skin so beautifully. Once I found this bronzer, I have not used any other bronzing product.

5. Maybelline’s Master Chrome Highlighter

I was always so hesitant to wear highlighter even though it has become such a big trend. I never knew which shade to use or how to apply it. Then, after watching countless product reviews on YouTube, I found Master Chrome. The golden tone of this blinding highlight gives an ethereal glow without washing you out. Words cannot describe how gorgeous this highlight is for its price tag.

6. Coty Airspun Setting Powder

For six dollars, you get enough of this product to last you a year! This translucent setting powder effectively sets your face makeup without causing flashback in photos or causing a white cast under the eyes. Unlike some facial powders, this powder is great for both overall setting powder and for baking your contour. The only thing I will warn you about with this powder is the smell. If you are sensitive to smells you may not like the perfume like fragrance that this product has.

7. MAC Fix Plus Setting Spray

This is not a product that I use every day, but when I need my makeup to last all day without sliding and smudging, I turn to this trusty setting spray. I love this product because unlike other setting sprays that I have used in the past, it has a refreshing fine mist that does not leave my face feeling overly wet or sticky. It also gives my complexion an overall matte finish which is especially helpful in the summer when the heat causes my face to get much shinier than normal. It rings in at around twenty-dollars, but the higher price tag is worth it, especially if it is only being used for special events, because it really does work flawlessly.

Eyes:

1. Morphe Second Nature Palette

Morphe is an indy brand, turned beauty industry power house. They are known for their high quality, but budget friendly makeup products. This eyeshadow palette is the perfect warm color story with blinding shimmer shadows and bold mattes. I have a large collection of Morphe palettes and I do not think I will ever find a better high pigmented shadow for such a bargain. I highly suggest you check out their collections.

2. Colourpop Super Shock Single Shadows

These single shadows are only four dollars apiece. If you need a solid shimmer or metallic shadow, packed with pigment, I would check these out on Colourpop’s website. These shadows are best applied with a synthetic brush or simply your fingertip, but with just a little pat of this product on the lid, your eye look goes from average to extraordinary.

3. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

This mascara is a higher ticket item, but with just a few swipes on the lashes, you will have perfectly voluminous and long lashes. The formula does not flake or clump so application is hassle free with no need to reapply all day long. There are only two shades available in this product; black and brown. I use the black shade and it is the perfect intense shade of black that defines my eyes without needing to cake on the product in order to see results.

Brows:

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer- Taupe

There is only one product that I will trust day in and day out to effortlessly and naturally define my brows. The triangle shaped tip allows for an easy application, even for beginners. The formula has the perfect amount of waxy texture that keeps the brow hairs in place without causing them to look fake and overdrawn. Another benefit of this product, is its double ended design. On one end of the component, there is the actual pencil and on the opposite end, there is a spoolie brush that allows you to tame the brow hairs with a simple flip of the product rather than having to constantly switch between two separate components.

Lips:

1. Colourpop Matte Liquid Lipstick

For only six dollars each, these lipsticks perform like a twenty-dollar luxury formula. They come in numerous shades so you will always find what you need when shopping for your ideal shade. I would highly suggest watching the swatch videos of your desired shades on YouTube before buying. The colors appear very different in the pictures compared to how they appear once applied on your lips.

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss- Toffee

I was given this lip gloss as a gift from my manager and the second I used it for the first time, I was sold. This gloss is the ideal tinted nude shade. It allows you to keep your look natural while also looking polished and put together. It also has an amazing sugar cookie smell, and who does not love the smell of sugar cookies?!

3. Fizz & Bubble Sugar Lip Scrub

Not many people have heard of Fizz & Bubble, let alone their sugar lip scrubs. These products last forever and they keep the lips smooth and ready for flawless lipstick application. All the lip scrubs are vegan, edible and cruelty free which is awesome. They are also available in multiple yummy flavors such as, mint mojito, juicy watermelon, rainbow sherbet, and orange dreamsicle.

#mkt400uwl

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t-baba · 4 years

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18 Best WPBakery Page Builder (Visual Composer) Addons & Plugins of 2020

Add the best WPBakery add-ons and extensions ever developed to your page builder and add give your website visitors the experience they need. From carousel add-ons to extra WooCommerce product extensions, these WPBakery add-ons and extensions will provide endless new possibilities.

The WPBakery add-ons and extensions available on CodeCanyon will allow you to add extra features not only for your website visitors but for you in the back end of your site, making it much easier to manage your WordPress website.

Create a more powerful website by adding an extension or add-on to your WPBakery page builder today!

The Best WordPress WPBakery Page Builder Add-Ons & Extensions on CodeCanyon

Discover over 7,000 of the best WordPress plugins ever created on Envato Market's CodeCanyon. With a cheap one-time payment, you can purchase one of these high-quality WordPress plugins, extensions, and add-ons.

Here are a few of the best WPBakery (Visual Composer) add-ons and extensions available on CodeCanyon for 2020.

WordPress WPBakery page builder addons and plugins available for sale at CodeCanyon

These versatile and unique WPBakery add-ons and extensions will help you get the most out of your website. While WPBakery is a complete page builder, the feature-rich add-ons and extensions will allow you to add a wide variety of features to your website, such as:

carousels

extra WooCommerce features

audio players

content boxes

and much more

These extra features and functionality are a must-have for your WordPress website, so don't miss out! Head on over to CodeCanyon and choose from the premium add-ons and extensions available.

18 Best WPBakery Page Builder Addons & Plugins

Here are 18 of the top-rated WPBakery (Visual Composer) add-ons and extensions that are available for you to download on CodeCanyon:

1. Ultimate Addons for Visual Composer

It’s no surprise that Ultimate Addons for Visual Composer is one of the highest-rated and best-selling addons for WPBakery Page Builder. With 20 updates since its inception, this is an addon that works consistently to stay ahead of the competition and deliver a product that meets the needs of a wide range of designers. Notable features:

parallax and video backgrounds

video tutorials

over 40 unique elements

15 demo pages for inspiration

and more

2. Visual Composer All In One Addons

One of our most popular WPBakery (Visual Composer) plugins, Visual Composer All In One Addons combines 64 different functions in one powerful tool that extends WPBakery Page Builder wonderfully. Notable features:

carousel and gallery

to-do list and price table

draggable timeline

iHover with 35 transitions

and more

3. Unlimited Addons for WPBakery Page Builder

With over 700 addons and 30 predefined templates, Unlimited Addons for WPBakery Page Builder is the largest add-on bundle available for WPBakery Page Builder (Visual Composer). This mega-pack will help you build website headers and footers or create pages or sections for team member profiles, testimonials and reviews, design simple sliders, carousels and banners, etc. Notable features:

one-click import layout from any WPBakery Page Builder page

import only the addons you want to use

lifetime updates

24/7 support

well-documented

4. Kaswara Modern Visual Composer Addons

Kaswara Modern Visual Composer Addons offers 45 fabulous elements and over 550 shortcode options, and in just two years it has become a powerful contender in the WPBakery Page Builder add-ons and extensions market. Notable features:

contact form designer

shortcode manager

replica section

icon and Google font managers

and more

5. WooCommerce Extra Product Options

WooCommerce Extra Product Options helps you extend the functionality of your WooCommerce store by creating more product options, add conditional logic (within the form builder), and build a wide variety of forms. Notable features:

control the placement of your new fields

full support for checkboxes, radio buttons, and select boxes

prices can change depending on the selected product variation

enable different options for certain roles

and more

6. Composium WPBakery WordPress Plugin

One of the top sellers at CodeCanyon, Composium WPBakery WordPress plugin is packed with a dizzying amount of features, including a Google Font Manager with more than 810 fonts, over 70 CSS3 animations, and the option to use any WPBakery Page Builder element in a sidebar. In addition, when you download this extension, you also get a built-in downtime/maintenance manager for your site, which allows you to create a custom maintenance page. Notable features:

over 150 different elements

icon and Google Font managers

custom premium lightbox

template and widget builder

and more

7. Massive Addons WPBakery WordPress plugin

Massive Addons WPBakery WordPress plugin is an all-in-one extension that's packed with enough features to make even the most demanding web designer happy. The latest version has incorporated a ton of user-suggested improvements. Most notably, it has integrated a feature called "container presets", allowing users to preset entire rows or columns.

Notable features:

over 70 customisable shortcodes and addons

31 page templates

supports WooCommerce

over 15 training videos

and more

8. Super Bundle WPBakery WordPress plugin

If you’re looking for a whole host of great effects all in one place, check out this bundle of over 20 fabulous plugins in a single add-on called Super Bundle WPBakery WordPress plugin. Notable features:

hover animation

animated text effects

carousel

background gradient

and more

9. WPBakery Page Builder Add-on Image Hotspot with Tooltip

The Image Hotspot with Tooltip comes bundled with another best-selling CodeCanyon addon, All In One Addons, but for those who don’t own that plugin, this standalone enables you to add a hotspot icon with a popup tooltip to any image on your site. The plugin may not be for everyone but will be of great value to photographers and e-commerce or educational sites. Notable features:

the tooltip feature supports text, images, video, and other kinds of content

hotspot icon’s position easily customisable

hotspot icons come in a variety of colours

and more

10. VCKit WPBakery (Visual Composer) Plugin

VCKit WPBakery (Visual Composer) plugin is a feature-rich collection of over 45 beautifully designed elements with highly customisable features. This handy addon continues to go from strength to strength every year. Notable features:

five pre-designed demo homepage templates

over 45 animation effects

30 gorgeous effects

one-click installation

and more

11. Calendarize it! WPBakery (Visual Composer) Plugin

Calendarize it! WPBakery (Visual Composer) plugin is a feature-rich calendar for your WordPress site that can be used as a standalone plugin or as an addon for WPBakery Page Builder. Notable features:

events countdown

events year view

payment options

social share panel

and more

12. WP Post Modules

WP Post Modules is ideal for creating online magazine layouts, newspaper blocks, creative portfolio showcases, and regular blog feeds using a drag-and-drop interface. Notable features:

seven display styles

20 pre-built home page layouts

grid and list modes

100% responsive design, optimised for retina display

and more

13. Templatera WPBakery WordPress Plugin

Created by the authors of WPBakery Page Builder, Templatera is a WordPress template manager that allows users to create, manage and set access to templates based on user roles or content type. Notable features:

easy content reuse across templates

edit content across templates from one central place

ability to import or export templates in XML format

and more

14. Cost Calculator WPBakery WordPress Plugin

If you’re looking for a WPBakery Page Builder addon that will enable you to create price estimates that give clients an idea of the costs involved in your service or product, Cost Calculator might be the perfect plugin for you. Cost Calculator allows you to easily create quote or price estimation forms for your WordPress site. Notable features:

dropdown menus with image icons

numeric slider

on/off switch

reCAPTCHA

and more

15. FullPage for WPBakery Page Builder

This trending WPBakery WordPress plugin is the perfect addition to your website. This Full Page WPBakery (Visual Composer) add-on allows you to create full-page scrolling websites in WordPress in no time.

It's a great WPBakery plugin to download: it's fully responsive, easy to customize and has a clean code.

16. WooCommerce Page Builder

If you have an online store supported by WooCommerce, this WPBakery WordPress plugin is great for you. This WPBakery (Visual Composer) WooCommerce Page Builder provides a full set of easy-to-use WooCommerce shortcodes.

Use this trending WPBakery WordPress plugin to create fresh and unique WooCommerce stores thanks to its customized Single Product and Product Archive pages.

17. WPBakery Page Builder Clipboard

Clipboard is a best-selling WPBakery WordPress plugin. This WPBakery (Visual Composer) add-on allows you to copy/cut and paste single elements to a stack of elements across pages without leaving the WPBakery interface.

Not only that, you can also export and import content and also, save it in the cloud. A five-star rating proves this is one of the most loved plugins for Visual Composer. User ugurterzi said:

If you have heavy use of the WPBakery page builder, it's such a lifesaver.

18. Mega Addons For WPBakery Page Builder (Visual Composer)

This is a great WPBakery WordPress plugin to have. Mega Addons is a superb WPBakery (Visual Composer) plugin bundle. See what you'll get in this fully responsive plugin with 32+ unique elements like:

Team profile

Info banner

Advanced carousel

Flip box

Timeline

Countdown

Modal popup

Testimonial

And More

It's one of our best-rated plugins for Visual Composer. User-LC said:

It's creative, visually inspiring and very easy to use. The pack is everything I have hoped for and more. They are very useful for non-coders.

Free WPBakery Page Builder Addons & Extensions for Download in 2020

The premium plugins for Visual Composer available on CodeCanyon will offer you the most comprehensive set of features. If your current budget will not allow for the purchase of these high-quality add-ons and extensions, there are free alternatives that you can take advantage of.

Below is a collection of the four best WPBakery templates for free available to download.

1. Livemesh Visual Composer WordPress Free Plugin

Livemesh is a great tool to add to your arsenal if you don't have the budget for a premium WPBakery (Visual Composer) plugin. It features many different website building items such as post grids, bar charts, testimonial cards, and much more. Each element can easily be added to your website by dragging and dropping.

2. Mega Addons Visual Composer WordPress Free Plugin

This add-on collection includes a whopping 28 add-ons that can help enhance your WordPress website. You can expect features such as member profiles, pricing tables, timelines, and countdowns.

3. Ultimate Carousel Visual Composer WordPress Free Plugin

Ultimate Carousel is a versatile extension for your WPBakery Page Builder that allows you to create carousels for any kind of content. Ultimate Carousel is responsive and touch-enabled and is compatible with mobile devices.

4. Image Hover Effects Visual Composer WordPress Free Plugin

This extension gives you the option to add over 80 hover effects for your images with captions. Most of the transitions have thumbnail support, lightboxes, or custom links. This gives your images an interactive component that your users will love.

More Great WPBakery Resources on Envato Tuts+

In this article, we have gone over some of the best premium WPBakery (Visual Composer) addons and free WPBakery plugins available. However, just owning the WPBakery page builder and the add-ons and extensions will not be enough to create a feature-rich website that your users will love. You need to know how to use these tools in order to build a successful website.

Check out the articles below on how you can get the most out of WPBakery and its extensions and add-ons.

WordPress

Get Started With WPBakery (Formerly Visual Composer)

Ashraff Hathibelagal

WordPress

Create a Responsive Landing Page With WPBakery (Visual Composer)

Ashraff Hathibelagal

WordPress Plugins

The Ultimate WordPress Page Builder: WPBakery

Daniel Strongin

Learn More About WordPress

We know WordPress can seem intimidating if you're just starting to use this awesome platform. But don't worry, here I have some resources that might help you with your WordPress website.

Additionally, you can check our fantastic course: A Beginner’s Guide to Using WordPress and our Tuts+ YouTube channel, where you'll find awesome videos like these:

WordPress

How to Edit the Home Page in WordPress

Adi Purdila

WordPress

How to Add a Page or Post in WordPress

Adi Purdila

WordPress

How to Change the Domain Name and URL of Your WordPress Site

Rachel McCollin

WordPress

How to Add Plugins to WordPress

Jessica Thornsby

Install a WPBakery Page Builder Addon or Extension Now!

In order to give your website visitors the best possible experience on your WordPress website, you will need to have a feature-rich website.

The premium WPBakery add-ons and extensions available on CodeCanyon will help you add these extra features to your website so that you can gain more traffic and run your business more effectively.

This list of WPBakery Page Builder add-ons and extensions just scratches the surface of the products available at CodeCanyon. So if none of the add-ons and extensions seem to suit your website's needs, there are plenty of other great options to choose from.

In addition to the WPBakery extensions and add-ons, there are thousands of other high-quality WordPress plugins on CodeCanyon that can help you improve your website. The large library of plugins contains everything from marketing to eCommerce and social media plugins.

Find a WordPress plugin that helps your business succeed today!

by Daniel Strongin via Envato Tuts+ Code https://ift.tt/37SB5sJ

#CSS3 #HTML5 Branding #HTML5 Weekly #HTMLl5 demos #Javascript #Javascript Branding #Javascript Weekly

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hellosaltysaladcollectionstuff · 4 years

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Our Favorite 7 Of 73

For ID@Xbox Summer Game Fest, Microsoft released 73 demos for upcoming indie games on Xbox One. The demos are all free but they'll only be available to download and play until Monday, July 27.

It would be quite the ask for any one of us to play through all 73 demos in order to tell you which are the best ones, but as a team we've managed to check out a hefty sum of the games made available. The demos detailed in the following gallery are all of the ones that stuck out to us the most--some left us nostalgic, others offered something brand-new we'd never seen before, and still more just scratched an itch that we've been looking to satisfy for a long time. Regardless of our reasons, these are the demos that made us the most excited to play their respective full games when they release.

We haven't listed the demos in any particular order. This is just a list of demos that we think are cool or at the very least hint towards an exciting game. Maybe they'll all meet expectations, maybe they won't. We'll just have to wait and see.

Xbox Series X And Xbox One News

Halo Infinite Is A Platform For The Next Ten Years Of Halo

Halo Infinite Gameplay Debuts At Xbox Series X Stream

Xbox Series X Event: Every Game Announced

New Fable Announced During Xbox Event

Xbox Series X: Release Date, Specs, Price, And Everything We Know

Kaze And The Wild Masks | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

You'd be forgiven for not knowing if you didn't happen to grow up in the early 1990s, but following the breakout success of Sonic the Hedgehog there was a veritable flood of me-too 16-bit mascot platformers that never quite caught on. From Ristar to Acro the Acrobat to (deep sigh) Awesome Possum, it was the battle royale of its era. Everyone wanted to make one.

Playing Kaze and the Wild Masks brought me right back to those heady days, sitting on the carpet and playing the latest copycat rental from Blockbuster. That's not a slight against Kaze, because these platformers weren't actually bad, just oversaturated. Almost 30 years removed, it's as comfortable as your favorite sweater. The art style is beautifully vibrant and colorful, the platforming is familiar and accessible, and it's just a great nostalgia trip. I love a lot of recent games that have taken a fresh look at modernizing classic platformer tropes, but Kaze is the much more explicit throwback I didn't know I wanted. -- Steve Watts

ScourgeBringer | Xbox One, PC

ScourgeBringer is already out on Steam Early Access but the Xbox Summer Game Fest demo is the first time we have the chance to play it on console--it was also my first time actually trying the game after oohing and aahing at trailers for the past few months. I love it a lot.

I've always been a fan of video games where you're encouraged to fight quickly, especially if you're further rewarded for being skillful enough to fight without touching the ground--games like Titanfall 2 and Hollow Knight. ScourgeBringer goes a long way towards scratching that itch for me. Though you can platform between enemies, ScourgeBringer rewards players for playing aggressively and doing midair dashes between foes. You remain airborne while slashing or shooting so you can reasonably clear out entire rooms without touching the floor if you're good enough.

I also like ScourgeBringer's hard but fair gameplay loop. Enemies can kill you quickly if you can't pull off deflections and dodges, but there was never a moment where I died and thought, "Dammit, how the hell was I supposed to counter that?" The game is harsh in its punishments--it's a roguelike where you pick up temporary power-ups with each run and slowly unlock permanent abilities over time--but it's fair. It also helps that the game reloads relatively quickly, so you can just jump into another run upon death. -- Jordan Ramée

Haven | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

More than most of the demos I dabbled with, Haven defies easy categorization. At first blush it's a visual novel telling a futuristic love story between a couple of stranded spacefarers. Even in the course of a relatively short demo, though, it opens up considerably and blends together a few disparate genres and mechanics, which all illustrate a sense of duality and interdependence.

Cooking a meal is performed by coordinating ingredients from the left and right sides of the user interface. Similarly, the RPG-like battle system appears simple at first, but it quickly becomes clear that coordinating your attacks to perform them together is the only effective way to fight. When you do defeat a monster, you pacify it rather than killing it, a sign that this pair are ultimately peaceful scientific observers.

Inside the ship you're a first-person observer, a choice that seems self-consciously voyeuristic in a story about a romantic couple. Outside of it, though, Haven's best feature shines. Movement through the world has you float through the tall grass with balletic grace, with the ability to swerve, u-turn, and drift with ease. It's all based on just a few simple commands but it's so well-executed and intuitive that floating around the world is just a joy. -- Steve Watts

SkateBird | Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

After playing a lot of the hardcore skateboarding simulator Session, in which both thumbsticks control each individual foot on the board, Glass Bottom Games' charming SkateBird is a sigh of relief. Not just because it's far simpler to control than Session, or even the Skate and Tony Hawk franchises, but also because it's incredibly cute and cozy. The small demo available on Xbox One as part of the Summer Game Demo Event, while lacking in variety, had me hooked on its aesthetic. And though I wish there was more to do in its limited sandbox, SkateBird makes skateboarding approachable.

The vertical slice strips everything away--story missions, alternate locations, bird customization, etc--and left me with two activities and a fully skateable "park" on a desk. The cute little skatepark consists of kickers made of office supplies, ramps and quarter pipes with bendy straws as coping, and various other obstacles using Thrasher magazines. The controls are simple and the trick list is much more contained than other skateboarding sims, but watching a tiny bird push around on a tiny board before busting a hardflip into a front crooked nosegrind never gets old--no matter how limiting or restricting the demo is and how many times I performed the same eight or so tricks.

While there's a lot left to be desired in the demo, what's currently available had me itching for more. It'll be interesting to see everything SkateBird has to offer when it launches in 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. -- Jeremy Winslow

The Vale: Shadow Of The Crown | Xbox One, PC

Frankly, I've never played a game like The Vale: Shadow of the Crown before. Or, I guess I have--it's technically your run-of-the-mill fantasy RPG with towns to visit, side quests to fulfill, weapon and armor to buy, magic to learn, choices to make, and plenty of battles to be had. But the game flips a lot of that on its head by putting you in control of someone who's blind.

In The Vale, you have to navigate the world, fight enemies, and interact with NPCs all while looking at a nearly completely black screen. There are a few flashing lights on the screen, but they don't help you. It feels like they're just there to give your eyes something to look at. So you're forced to interact with the world via sound and touch--the former via headphones and the latter via controller rumble.

This makes tasks that are almost trivial in most RPGs, like sneaking past a group of enemies or navigating a busy market square, into daunting endeavors. But it's also a rather interesting and novel way to play a video game. The Vale might not be much to look at, but the demo is pretty fun to play and I'm intrigued to see how the gameplay will evolve throughout the full release, which I assume would crank up the difficulty after the tutorial. -- Jordan Ramée

Freshly Frosted | Xbox One, PC

Freshly Frosted brings together two of my favorite things, donuts and conveyor belts. The donut-factory based puzzle game is focused on making zen-inducing factory-lines that automatically make a variety of donuts. I love puzzle games that focus more on relaxing the brain than frustrating it, and Freshly Frosted is incredibly relaxing. It's very easy to adjust the factory lines whenever I make a mistake or miss a topping for my endless line of donuts.

I also appreciated how Freshly Frosted takes a very simple concept of a donut factory and continuously adds more and more steps or ideas to create a puzzle game that feels fresh throughout the demo. Having to feed three different types of donuts through all of the different toppings is a cute and fun experience that is definitely worth playing if you like puzzles and relaxation, or just need an excuse to order some donuts. -- James Carr

9 Monkeys Of Shaolin | Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Despite being just two and a half levels long--with the half being a tutorial introducing the controls and story--I found myself growing a little bored during the 9 Monkeys of Shaolin demo. Developed by Sobaka Studio, the Russian team behind the underrated isometric twin-stick brawler Redeemer, 9 Monkeys of Shaolin has this staunch air of familiarity to it: The story--in which Japanese pirates invade and pillage a remote Chinese country--echoes a similar set-up to Ghost of Tsushima and the control scheme is eerily reminiscent of (yet surprisingly simpler than) Redeemer's. Even the enemy types and environmental backgrounds are familiar and generic.

And yet, after finishing the short demo and re-watching the 2018 announcement trailer, I was still intrigued by the RPG elements and excited for what's to come.

9 Monkeys of Shaolin is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that put me in control of the fisherman Wei Cheng. The combat is simple yet fluid, with the controller's face buttons performing one of four actions: kicks, slashing strikes, thrusts, and dodges. Every action can be canceled into another--for example, the three different attack types can be combined together or immediately interrupted by a parry move--which allows me to remain aggressive and reactive when surrounded by multiple enemies. Though the arsenal was limited, the short demo seemingly belies the depth 9 Monkeys of Shaolin has buried within it. There's also online and offline co-operative play, which should make the combat even more chaotic during later levels, especially when you acquire new moves and better gear and magical spells.

With being a small, vertical slice of the final game, the 9 Monkeys of Shaolin demo is by no means indicative of how the game will look and play when it drops on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. But the demo does make the case that, if anything, 9 Monkeys of Shaolin will be an enjoyable action romp when played with a friend. -- Jeremy Winslow

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entergamingxp · 4 years

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the 20 must-have Switch games you can play right now • Eurogamer.net

The Nintendo Switch is a sort of inverted version of the Wii or Wii U. While those consoles all but demanded that games had to be redesigned to make the most of their strange features, the Switch manages to make old ideas new again simply by allowing you to take them out into the wild. Dark Souls on the tube! Mario at the beach!

While Nintendo’s had a thing for portability since the days of the Game Boy, the Switch is also defined by its multiplayer accessibility, and was sold on the unlikely promise of friends gathered together in public spaces crowded around a single screen. In the end, that sales pitch came true. So whether you’re looking for a game for the TV, the commute, or one of those improbably stylish rooftop parties from the launch ads, hopefully there’s something for you here in our list of the best Nintendo Switch games.

Editors Note: Eurogamer is relaunching its series of ‘best games’ features, starting with the Nintendo Switch. You’ll see more platform lists appearing on the home page in the coming weeks, with the aim to update them several times a year as new releases supplant a given system’s existing library.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

To make a game about nature, Zelda’s creators had to change the way they created. The precision tooling of every part of the environment had to be hidden, with intricate dungeons that clip together across the landscape replaced with massive vistas that at first appear thrillingly empty.

Do not be fooled. Breath of the Wild is as obsessively designed and crafted as any Zelda game before it, but everything in this huge, seemingly untamable game is put in place to make you feel lost and small and at the mercy of the elements. Pick a direction and explore: an adventure of genuine beauty and revelation awaits.

Want to read more? See our full Zelda: Breath of the Wild review and buy now from Amazon.

Super Mario Odyssey

Odyssey is a wonderfully, purposefully incoherent Mario game in which each world has its own costumes and gimmicks, but also its own defining aesthetic. After the rolling majesty of Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule, it’s a bit like diving into a jumble sale. But like all jumble sales there are brilliant things to discover: strange worlds that glitter with unusual textures and seem to be driven by alien rules.

And at the heart of it all, that brilliant sense of weight and momentum and pace that makes Mario the platformer than nobody else can touch. So Odyssey is a game of moments, in other words – and what could be more like Mario than that?

Want to read more? See our full Super Mario Odyssey review and buy now from Amazon.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Countless others have taken on the Mario Kart formula since its inception in 1992, not least of which is Nintendo itself, delivering various mutations, variations and iterations over the years. It wasn’t until Mario Kart 8, however, that it matched the brilliance of the SNES original, with a work of stunning imagination and impeccable craft.

It wasn’t until the release of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a few years after, however, that Nintendo delivered what’s inarguably the best in the series to date; bundling together all of the DLC that came to the Wii U version post-release, most importantly it also added a brilliant Battle Mode that completed the package. It’s thrillingly close to perfection.

Want to read more? See our full Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review and buy now from Amazon.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2 is a glorious team-based shooter with a unique territory capturing mechanic, but that’s only half of the appeal. The arenas are great and the weapons are a pleasure to use, and there is a simple playgroup joy to chucking that much ink around, but Splatoon’s Switch instalment lingers in the mind because of its placefulness.

Much has been written about the Switch’s bare-bones front-end. For the first days of the console’s lifespan, Inkopolis Square felt like it was the heart not just of this wonderful game but of the charming, personable, colourful and surprising console that runs it. What a thing!

Want to read more? See our full Splatoon 2 review and buy now from Amazon.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate

It doesn’t even matter if you like fighting games or not: Smash Bros is for anyone who’s ever fallen for video games full stop, a mad, impossibly expansive and expertly engineered celebration not just of Nintendo’s rich past but that of the entire medium.

The cast is outrageously vast, taking in all-comers from Mario to Metal Gear, the options are plentiful and the soundtrack is just to die for. Oh, and the game underneath all that is alright too, a wilfully chaotic dust-up that’s best enjoyed shoulder to shoulder with friends. You’ll find a little of all video games here in Smash Bros. Ultimate, a breathless celebration of the medium in all its mad, incoherent and joyous whole.

Want to read more? See our full Super Smash Bros Ultimate review and buy now from Amazon.

Arms

How’s this for a pitch: the Mario Kart team does for fighting games what it once did for driving games in a ludicrously colourful, energetic and original Switch exclusive. Yet despite delivering so well on that promise, Arms has never found the audience it deserves. For shame, though that shouldn’t stop you picking up what remains one of the highlights of the Switch’s line-up.

Here’s a fighter that’s instantly accessible, offers boundless depth and does all this with one hell of a spring in its step. Oh, and springs in its arms too, as your fighters reach into the screen in an enjoyably pliable brand of pugilism. The chances of a sequel now seem slim, so make the most of a game that’s truly one of a kind.

Want to read more? See our full Arms review and buy now from Amazon.

Tetris 99

Battle Royale Tetris sounds like a joke, but it turns out to be the basis for one of the most energising console exclusives in years. It’s Tetris, a game you’ve been playing forever, but now you’re up against an entire gameshow board of rivals.

There’s two kinds of beauty here: the beauty of a game you know innately being twisted into a new form, and then the buried beauty of the hidden rules and synergies that will see you racing up the leaderboard. Tetris isn’t just the eternal game, it’s an eternally surprising one.

Want to read more? See why we think Tetris 99 might be the best battle royale yet and buy now from Amazon.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019)

Link’s strangest adventure has long been marooned on the original GameBoy, with only a timely port to the 3DS reminding us of the weird island where the Wind Fish sleeps. For Switch the whole thing has been reimagined as a tactile children’s animation, but the puzzles and overworld are as precision-tooled as ever. This is a slight Zelda as they go, but it’s still rich in adventure and heart.

Want to read more? See our full The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening Switch review and buy now from Amazon.

Cadence of Hyrule

It still feels wrong for anyone other than Nintendo to handle a Zelda game, but the highest praise you can give Cadence of Hyrule is that it doesn’t feel wrong for very much time. This is a beautiful reimagining of the flip-screen Zeldas of the 8- and 16-bit generations, shot through with a rhythm-action conceit so beautifully executed it feels like it’s always been a part of Hyrule. Unmissable.

Want more? See our full Cadence of Hyrule review and buy now from Amazon.

Picross S

Picross has become such an embedded part of Nintendo’s handheld portfolio that it’s easy to forget it’s there. It’s easy, in fact, to think these aren’t video games at all – they’re close relatives to sudoku, living alongside them in some publications as nonograms, and they offer the simple thrill of logic and deduction.

For all that, it’s easy to forget just how good the formula is, and see that you’ve clocked up *checks play time* 150 hours across the three instalments released to date on the Nintendo Switch. If it’s a commute-eating puzzler you’re after, they really don’t come much better than this.

Lumines Remastered

Lumines started life on the PSP, and despite the transition from Sony to Nintendo, Remastered feels like a homecoming. The only puzzler to truly challenge Tetris in terms of universality or brilliance – okay, maybe Drop7 comes close – is built for a screen like this, bright and luxuriously wide and yet held, somehow, in your hands. The levels have never looked better and the use of vibration is sublime.

Mostly, though, it’s Lumines back where it belongs, inches from your eyeballs, the timeline racing through again and again and leaving the glinting landscape behind it transformed once again. Jeepers this is good!

Want to read more? See our full Lumines Remastered review.

Windjammers

Once upon a time, there was nothing more exotic, nothing more nineties than the Neo Geo, and one game on that most exquisite and powerful of machines was more exotic and nineties than them all. From the chromed lettering of developer Data East to the wraparound mirrored sunglasses of Hiromi Mita, Windjammers is arcade perfection, serving up a delicious alchemy of Street Fighter and Pong.

It’s one of the very best local multiplayer games available, which makes it an absolute essential for the Switch. Now it’s not a case of hoping the pub you’re heading off to has a well-stocked Neo Geo cabinet propping up the corner – thanks to the marvels of modern technology, you can challenge someone to a game of Windjammers wherever you may be.

Want to read more? See our full Windjammers review.

Puyo Puyo Tetris

The blending of two puzzling greats, one austere and angular, one squishy and sugary, makes for an absolute classic in its own right. But there’s more to Puyo Puyo Tetris than the ingenious nature of its design.

In the early days of the Switch, this game above all others delivered on the console’s dream: a bunch of friends, loose in the world, all crowded round a tiny screen propped up on the table in front of them while four-player chaos unfolded. If you’ve ever wondered what that stand on the back of the Switch is really for, wonder no longer. It’s for Puyo Puyo Tetris.

Want to read more? See our full Puyo Puyo Tetris review and buy now from Amazon.

Darius Cozmic Collection

The Switch isn’t short of shmups. Pick up Konami’s Anniversary Arcade Collection and you can play Gradius 2, one of the greatest of them all, or maybe you want to sample the classic Thunder Force 4 via M2’s impressive Sega Ages port. Or you could go through a large chunk of Psikyo’s back catalogue, or get an impeccable introduction to the genre with the smart, accessible Danmaku Unlimited 3.

Or, if it’s just one game you’re after, you could turn to Devil Engine – an all-new effort that’s studied the classics and added its own unique flavour. It’s an incredibly enjoyable game, and one that looks – and sounds – the part too. Devil Engine just goes to show that, sometimes, they really do make them like they used to.

Want to read more? See our full Darius Cozmic Collection review.

Into the Breach

A tactics game concerned with the world’s dinkiest invasion, Into the Breach is a study in economy. From the game’s tiny play areas and short match times to the sparse animation and simple rules that govern a unit, everything here is bright and glinting and wonderfully fit for purpose.

Such basic elements lead to rich surprises, however, and this is one of those games that you can play for days and weeks and months without ever feeling that you’ve ceased to learn.

Here’s a tip to start you off: don’t just think about what a unit can accomplish on a turn, but also think about where it ends up once the turn is finished. If you’ve never played this, I envy you. Tactical perfection awaits.

Want to read more? See our full Into the Breach review and buy now from Amazon.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Nintendo’s legendary take on bucolic living has never been more sharply arranged than here, where a trip to an untouched island quickly expands to involve town infrastructure meetings and the search for the perfect bed-side table. Min-max this and it’s a game filled with depth and secrets. Play it for a lazy hour every day and it’s slow gaming at its most comforting. An unusual and distinct world-beater.

Want to read more? See our full Animal Crossing: New Horizons review and buy now from Amazon.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

And there was us thinking Awakening was Fire Emblem’s big push for the mainstream… With Three Houses, Intelligent Systems handed the reins over to Koei Tecmo, for the most part, who then delivered an absolute epic of a strategy RPG. Its scale is at once personal and vast, its characters winningly human and the best bit, for older players of the series, is that the strategy is as satisfying as it’s ever been. An absolute triumph.

Want to read more? See our full Fire Emblem: Three Houses review and buy now from Amazon.

Astral Chain

Is this Platinum’s most loveable game? It’s a pocket-sized masterpiece, anyway, offering skipping-rope combat and a police procedural-world in which you hunt for clues but also put away litter and help out a mascot dog bag at the station. Effortlessly quirky and filled with delights, this is an action game with endless charm, and it feels perfect on Nintendo’s oddball console.

Want to read more? See our full Astral Chain review and buy now from Amazon.

Overcooked 2

The first Overcooked is just as essential a pick here, really, because the core premise is just the same: chaos with friends. The Switch is only half a console without its brilliant take on portable multiplayer, and Overcooked 2 is probably the best example of it. A game about food assembly under pressure where each player’s role is essential to your chances, it’s a classic of party-gaming comedy full of intense frustration, intense reward, and often a mighty good laugh. It’s also family friendly, if you can manage to bite your tongue.

Want to read more? See our full Overcooked 2 review and buy now from Amazon.

Ring Fit Adventure

Nintendo turns exercise into an RPG and creates a game that can be merrily binged while you slowly tone yourself up. Beautiful peripherals and a wonderful fantasy setting are backed up with lovely, witty writing and a thoughtful spin on home work-outs. Just remember to stock up on smoothies.

Want to read more? See our full Ring Fit Adventure review and buy now from Amazon.

If you want to hear us explain why we’re doing ‘best games’ lists, and how we’ve settled on the games we have, then you can listen to our process live with a dedicated episode of the Eurogamer Podcast. Do note that this was recorded at the time of our original, 15-game-long list, so a handful of these have changed (our apologies, Donky Kong).

Give our podcast a listen through iTunes, Spotify, RSS, and SoundCloud.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/04/the-20-must-have-switch-games-you-can-play-right-now-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-20-must-have-switch-games-you-can-play-right-now-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

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cutsliceddiced · 4 years

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New top story from Time: We Watched Every New Show on Quibi. Here’s What to Watch—and What to Skip

Like it or not, Quibi is here. The new streaming platform, launching April 6, offers short-form content—”quick bites,” hence the portmanteau, that run 10 minutes or less. These shows are designed to be watched exclusively on your phone, whether you’re on the subway heading to work or sitting in the waiting room at the dentist’s office—places, in other words, that most people won’t be able to go for some time yet in the era of social distancing. But despite the fact that very few people are, for the moment, on the go, Quibi has held fast to its planned debut, launching, by our count, 50 scripted series, documentaries, reality shows and news programs on April 6 with plans to roll out 175 shows over the course of the year.

Quibi is casting a wide net to court various types of viewers: there are soothing cooking shows designed for the boomer crowd, while celebrity-studded reality series aim to lure Gen Z off of TikTok. Television critics have been busy debating whether the Quibi model signals the end of quality television or the wave of the future. But it’s clear the platform is hoping sheer star power alone will entice some quarantined television lovers to download the app. Jennifer Lopez, Idris Elba, Lebron James, Chance the Rapper and Chrissy Teigen are among the celebrities set to star in Quibi content, and filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Catherine Hardwicke, Paul Feig, and Guillermo del Toro have content on the upcoming slate.

The streaming service, which also features proprietary new technology that allows viewers to switch seamlessly from landscape to portrait viewing, will cost $4.99 per month with ads and $7.99 without ads, though a 90-day free trial is available if you sign up in April.

Quibi gave journalists a glimpse at some of their content launching on April 6. We watched everything available to screen in advance (in most cases, around three chapters; “Daily Essentials” like news shows were not available in advance as they will cover news as it breaks). If you’re thinking of subscribing, here’s what you should watch and what you should skip.

What to Watch

Gayme Show! (unscripted)

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Gayme Show! has a deceptively simple premise: it’s a gay game show. That’s it! Hosted with with aplomb by comedians Matt Rogers and Dave Mizzoni, each episode features two straight contestants competing in gay-themed challenges in an effort to be crowned “Queen of the Straights.” The jokes are plentiful, and if you’re not well-versed in gay Twitter—references to Dua Lipa, Laura Dern’s salmon button-down from Jurassic Park and Cynthia Nixon’s wife whiz by—you might have to Google to catch up. But even if you don’t get every joke, it’s hard not to let out a guffaw watching contestants like Demi Adejuyigbe prance around the stage in a unitard during a game called “notice me father”—actually a bespectacled Rogers softly weeping. The conceit is goofy, silly and exactly what you want it to be—and that’s a great thing. —Kelly Conniff

Nightgowns (documentary)

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Lately it seems like everyone who’s ever come within 10 feet of RuPaul’s stage is getting their own show, but don’t hold the deluge of drag content against Sasha Velour, a Drag Race winner who stands out even from that talented pack. While her gender-fluid performances can be transgressive, Velour, who takes a big-tent approach to drag, has a heart of gold. As she adapts her Brooklyn-born revue NightGowns for a bigger stage, this docuseries profiles the queen and an inclusive troupe that features performers with a wide range of identities and styles. Each episode of the show—the only Quibi title I screened that feels particularly suited to the medium—ends with a beautifully shot production number that does Velour proud. —Judy Berman

Prodigy (documentary)

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You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate this docuseries, which covers a different young elite athlete in each episode. With artful cinematography and well-paced storytelling—especially compared to the frenetic quality of many of the platform’s other shows—Prodigy is less concerned with the specific athletic achievements of its subjects (no. 1 ranked high school basketball player in the U.S., five-time national junior boxing champion) and more focused on the sacrifice and singular dedication of these athletes’ family members. If you cried during that Procter & Gamble Olympics commercial thanking the moms who drove carpools and gave pep talks so that their children could get a shot at the podium, this one is probably for you. —Eliza Berman

Punk’d (unscripted)

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This third revival of MTV’s prank show has been winningly updated for millennial and Gen Z sensibilities: it’s slightly more absurdist, slightly less cruel and involves way more animals. YouTuber Liza Koshy ruins a bat mitzvah; rapper Megan Thee Stallion gets attacked by a gorilla. Chance the Rapper—who in the wake of Netflix’s Rhythm & Flow, has rebranded his once-innocent persona to include a mean streak—brings a mischievous energy to hosting duties, and his laugh is infectious. —Andrew R. Chow

The Sauce (unscripted)

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Dance—particularly street dance—doesn’t get enough mainstream respect. The Sauce has something to say about that. Each episode pits two dance groups against each other, judged by talented dance duo Ayo and Teo, with the lure of a $25,000 cash prize. The lack of polish is endearing, as is the raw skill on display; you’ll wish you could spend more time just watching these young athletes move their bodies in ways that have no respect for the laws of physics. Kudos to executive producer Usher and the hosts for making sure to explain regional dance styles, as it’s high time these art forms got their due. Constant camera cuts and stylized editing seem best suited for the TikTok generation, but it’s a joy to watch these dancers in motion in any format. —Raisa Bruner

Shape of Pasta (documentary)

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Now this is my sort of short content. I’m a devoted Bon Appetit Test Kitchen subscriber, Alison Roman Instagram story watcher and Anthony Bourdain worshipper. So, yes, a show about a chef traveling across tiny towns in Italy to discover forgotten pasta shapes is my jam. I can’t get my head around the tone of this show—it’s extremely self-serious, so much so that it’s maybe supposed to be making fun of other food shows? Or perhaps it’s just one of them. No matter. The show has many nonnas teaching Felix Trattoria chef Even Funke how to make pasta in shapes you’ve never thought of but are centuries-old traditions in picturesque Italian towns. It’s delightful! —Eliana Dockterman

You Ain’t Got These (documentary)

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Lena Waithe takes viewers on a thoughtful, well-researched and star-studded tour of the world of sneakers. As the show conveys, sneaker culture is about much more than style. “Your footwear is your ID now in the black community,” Carmelo Anthony tells her; Nas, Run DMC, Hasan Minhaj and a cultural historian reflect on the legacy of icons like Michael Jordan and the relationship between hip-hop and commerce. Questions about branding, exploitation and value are tackled head-on. For sneakerheads it might be mostly recap, but it’s still fun to hear Rev Run reminisce about securing his Adidas deal—and for everyone else, it works as a solid introduction to a foundational part of contemporary American culture. —Raisa Bruner

What to Try

Chrissy’s Court (unscripted)

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In this ode to Judge Judy, Chrissy Teigen rules over petty cases brought by local randos. Each episode is extremely dependent on the personalities of the plaintiff and defendant. Most of the “contestants” are actively awkward (or actually mad, which is bizarre given the TV show’s unserious premise), and Chrissy and her mother Vilailuck Teigen (as bailiff) have to work double-time to counteract their discomfort. The humor often feels forced. Chrissy’s Instagram is more entertaining—at least there, she has total control over the cast of characters, namely her husband John Legend and their two kids, all of whom are way more natural in front of the camera. That said, if you like Teigen and are already churning through her Instagram stories every day, this is a fine way to get some more. —Eliana Dockterman

Fierce Queens (documentary)

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Reese Witherspoon narrates mini wildlife documentaries made with BBC Studios Natural History Unit, each focused on the female members of a species. Some of the lines veer into cheesy girl-power territory: “Getting that belief in yourself and gaining confidence: that’s what growing up is all about. These big cats totally nailed it. Walk tall, fierce queens!” she sings out after a surface-level episode about adolescent cheetah sisters. But thanks to truly beautiful footage and surprising subject choices—unless you already know all about the life cycle of the ruthless, cannibalistic queen honeypot ant?—viewers who want a quick hit of nature and some new fun facts about animals will be satisfied. —Raisa Bruner

Flipped (scripted)

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After one episode, this one looked like it would fall squarely in the “skip” bucket: two incredibly annoying self-anointed visionaries, a married theater director (Will Forte) and Home Depot-esque associate (Kaitlin Olson), are both deservedly fired from their jobs for asserting their own artistic purity over things like appropriate subject matter for tween thespians (in his case) and customer service (in hers). (Think the kind of kooky, self-serious characters you’d find in a Christopher Guest movie, minus the great ensemble to balance them out.) But a hastily paced sequence of events—they decide to try to be house flippers, buy a foreclosed-upon property and find stacks of cash in its walls, which turn out to belong to a drug cartel—leads to the introduction of Broad City‘s Arturo Castro as an organic-apple-eating overlord, which might just elevate this bonkers ordeal from grating to promising. —Eliza Berman

Gone Mental with Lior (unscripted)

The mentalist Lior Suchard lacks the theatricality or scale of other famous magicians like David Blaine or Criss Angel, making him perhaps the perfect match for a low-stakes platform like Quibi. It’s agreeable enough to watch him catch basketballs while blindfolded or exactly guess the number of coins in Ludacris’ hands, but his tricks won’t haunt your dreams, either. —Andrew R. Chow

I Promise (documentary)

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By all accounts, LeBron James’ I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, has been a resounding success: Its students, who were picked to attend after underachieving in the city’s public school system, are testing better and seem to be thriving in their new environment. This show, however, comes off as a surface-level feel-good advertisement for the school. —Andrew R. Chow

Run This City (documentary)

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Jaseil Correia grew up with the dream of becoming the mayor of his hometown, Fall River, Mass.—a city of around 90,000 most famous as the home of Lizzie Borden. At the remarkably young age of 23, he achieved it. But what sounds at first like an uplifting story of millennial striving turns dissonant when Correia is indicted on fraud and extortion charges. It’s an intriguing story that could have made for a fascinating hourlong documentary. Unfortunately, the Quibi format requires director Brent Hodge (I Am Chris Farley) to chop the saga into equal-sized, eight-minute “bites” that drag in the middle before ramping up to exaggerated cliffhangers. The result is a micro-docuseries whose rhythm always feels a bit off. —Judy Berman

Singled Out (unscripted)

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I like host Keke Palmer. I like Joel Kim Booster, who serves as the Jenny McCarthy to her Chris Hardwick. I like that all three episodes I watched had queer contestants but didn’t feel as though they were pandering to an LGBTQ audience. The best one featured a fully decked-out, super-charismatic drag queen looking for a man who could handle her at her most femme. But the best thing about the original MTV show was the unscripted banter, both between the hosts and among the competitors. And there just isn’t room for that in an already-rushed seven-minute show. —Judy Berman

Thanks A Million (unscripted)

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There’s not much here that you can’t already get from watching YouTube clips of Ellen DeGeneres giving out life-sized checks on behalf of name-that-corporation, or soldiers coming home to reunite with their spouses/children/dogs. But if you’re going to subscribe anyway and want a cathartic cry in two-minutes flat, watching celebs like Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas give deserving people $100,000, then watching the recipient give half of it to another deserving person, and so on, should do the trick. If you think too hard about it, the magic starts to fade—how much of this will get eaten up in gift taxes, and how many phone calls is this person going to get asking for a loan after receiving such a large sum on, well, if not national TV, whatever Quibi is? Yet seeing an apparently kind, hard-working person get the chance to pay for infertility treatments, or a house, or more resources for their therapy dog program, is far from the worst way to spend six minutes. —Eliza Berman

What to Skip

&Music (documentary)

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With its sweeping landscape shots, ambient background score and pseudo-philosophical ramblings, &Music seems to want to be the Chef’s Table for the random-dudes-connected-to-the-music-industry set. The show spends each episode with a behind-the-scenes collaborator of a star: there’s Ariana Grande’s choreographers and Martin Garrix’s light guy. But while there are one or two poignant and revealing moments, the show is mostly slick, overproduced and vacuous. There are plenty of music documentaries that are far more worth your time—and that you can watch on a big screen with proper speakers. —Andrew R. Chow

Dishmantled (unscripted)

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Dishmantled is a cooking show, minus the main ingredients that make cooking shows so satisfying: interesting and empathetic contestants to root for and, much more fatal to the whole endeavor, the cooking itself. Hosted by Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt‘s Tituss Burgess, the show invites two blindfolded chefs into a small chamber where a mystery dish is blasted into their faces; they have to taste the exploded shrapnel, figure out what it might be, and make a dish replicating what they think they’ve eaten, to be judged on both taste and accuracy by celebrity judges like Dan Levy, Antoni Porowski and Jane Krakowski. But the quick format makes this far from a nutritious meal; viewers don’t have time to get to know or get invested in the contestants, and the cooking itself sails by without any attention to technique or ingredients. The most drama you’ll get here are lines like: “This all comes down to…is this a zoodle or is this a noodle?” —Eliza Berman

Memory Hole (unscripted)

Will Arnett makes fun of terrible pop culture moments from history that nobody remembers for a reason (like that time Alan Thicke appeared in a corny tribute at the opening of a Canadian superdome). It’s unclear who this show is for or why it exists. The references are so obscure that even people who lived through them will have forgotten and the quips feel like something you’d hear at a high school open mic. I spent the entire time watching this show thinking about another, much better show, BoJack Horseman. In that Netflix animated series, Arnett voiced a washed-up ’90s sitcom star struggling to stay relevant in Hollywood. Memory Hole feels like a project that an investor in Quibi would have blackmailed BoJack into doing after BoJack accidentally threw up on him during a bender at a wedding. —Eliana Dockterman

Most Dangerous Game (scripted)

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This show is so obvious, it’s almost funny. These are the exact roles SNL would cast Liam Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz in for a skit—cancer-ridden former athlete with a pregnant wife and an evil billionaire who wants to pay said former athlete to be hunted by rich people. Since each episode is seven minutes, these are not character revelations that slowly come out over time. They are blatantly spoken by the actors to one another in every scene. Don’t come to Most Dangerous Game expecting The Game-esque twists or any subtle dialogue. What you expect is exactly what you will get. Unless you expect fun. You won’t get that. —Eliana Dockterman

Murder House Flip (unscripted)

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Despite the name, there’s nothing original about Murder House Flip. The series is essentially two types of reality shows unceremoniously jammed together: one part home redesign show hosted by two perky designers with a surfeit of canned jokes; one part true crime docuseries filled with the requisite pan and scan over vintage photos and newspaper clippings. This uneasy juxtaposition results in awkward episodes that often feel like a Saturday Night Live parody, especially when one of the hosts brightly announces: “Our goal was to take this murder house and turn it into a happy home.” And a focus on the grisly nature of the crimes reflects the worst parts of a genre that too often obscures victims. Is there a world in which this show could have managed to strike the right tone? Possibly. But as it stands, Murder House Flip is too flip. —Kelly Conniff

Nikki Fre$h (unscripted)

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“Wellness has a new voice. A black voice,” Nicole Richie’s rapper alter ego says in the first episode of Nikki Fre$h (and then immediately clarifies that she’s referring to herself). The resulting show is part poker-faced satire of the goop lifestyle and part honest assessment of organic produce and artisanal honey. Her attempts to draw attention to food waste and the plight of bees are well-intentioned, but cameos from the likes of Bill Nye can’t save the show from falling flat; Richie helped pioneer awkward reality TV on The Simple Life with Paris Hilton, but Nikki Fre$h lacks that show’s schadenfreude appeal. —Raisa Bruner

Skrrt with Offset (unscripted)

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If you like looking at nice cars, you might get a kick out of Skrrt with Offset. Otherwise, there’s not much point. The show has a thin premise (the Migos rapper Offset does stuff with cars) and is executed with even less imagination. When his wife Cardi B shows up for an episode, overflowing with sass and charisma, you wonder why they didn’t just give the whole show to her. —Andrew R. Chow

Survive (scripted)

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Before watching the first five episodes of this thriller about a disturbed young woman preparing to kill herself on the flight home from a mental institution, I might have said something like, “I’d watch Sophie Turner do anything.” Well, Turner is great in Survive—but neither her performance nor the impressive production values manage to redeem a story that, whether intentionally or not, revels in the bloody, nihilistic aesthetics of suicide. A twist (one that’s “spoiled” in the trailer) that has the plane crashing and Turner’s character teaming up with an obvious love interest (Corey Hawkins) to, yes, survive only heightens the absurdity and introduces plot holes. —Judy Berman

When the Streetlights Go On (scripted)

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It’s the summer of 1995—a stiflingly hot one—when things start going wrong in sleepy Colfax, Ill. That fall, a beautiful high-school mean girl (Kristine Froseth) and the teacher she’s been sleeping with (Mark Duplass) get carjacked, forced to strip and gunned down by their masked assailant. The weirdo sister (Sophie Thatcher) she used to bully wanders around unmoored. A jock sometimes-boyfriend (Sam Strike) is brought in for questioning. Narrating this murder mystery is the student journalist (Chosen Jacobs) who found the bodies. Period signifiers like Nirvana and ck one abound. Every once in a while a show formed entirely out of genre tropes and nostalgia for the recent past is executed well enough to exceed the sum of its parts (see: the first season of Stranger Things). But after three trite, predictable episodes, I’m not holding out much hope for this one. —Judy Berman

Other Shows Headed to Quibi

The titles below are Quibi’s “daily essentials,” more information-oriented programming covering news, sports, weather and entertainment. Screeners were not provided in advance for these series:

Around the World by BBC News Weather Today by The Weather Channel Morning Report by NBC News Evening Report by NBC News Saturday Report by NBC News Sunday Report by NBC News The Replay by ESPN NewsDay by CTV NewsNight by CTV Sports AM by TSN Pulso News by Telemundo For the Cultura by Telemundo Close Up by E! News Fresh Daily by Rotten Tomatoes Speedrun by Polygon Pop5 by iHeartRadio No Filter by TMZ: AM No Filter by TMZ PM Last Night’s Late Night All The Feels by The Dodo The Daily Chill The Rachel Hollis Show Sexology by Shan Boodram The Nod with Brittany & Eric Trailers by Fandango

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

#Time #top stories #IFTTT #news

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ecotone99 · 4 years

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[ SF} Souls of Steel

I awaken surrounded by the scream of clashing metal. All around me rages a storm of whirling colours and untethered fury. Everything is frantic, loud, erratic. Above me the crowd roars their thunderous approval, they wave their fleshy hands in excitement.

I look down at a pair of hands. They are blue, shiny, cold. The metal is rusted and old, but sturdy and strong. They are my hands, I have not seen them before, but I recognise them as my own. In my left hand I hold a metal club, spiked and shiny, the edge coated in viscous brown liquid. In my right I hold a shield, thick and broad, of hardened steel.

I look up and see where I am. I am in a broad circular arena surrounded on all sides by a tall metal wall, separated by a large shadowy gap, the bottom of which I cannot see. The arena floor is covered in metal structures, forming barriers, walls and steps.

Above the wall are a crowd of strange fleshy creatures, their bodies draped in cloth, their heads covered in a strange coloured fiber. I do not know them, but I recognise that they are not like me. They are screaming, chanting, roaring. They are excited by the arena, they stand looking downwards bellowing in a primal trance of ecstasy.

Where am i? Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? I feel something, but I don’t understand what it is. I don’t want to be here anymore.

In front of me two figures are fighting, swinging their clubs at each other in a steady, calculated dance. One swings his club in a powerful arc over his head, deflected by the others shield, and countered with a wide uppercut. His head is destroyed in a shower of sparks and screeching metal, brown oil spurts from in his neck as his body stiffens and crumples to the floor. The remaining figure holds his club above his head victoriously, the crowd goes wild.

Who is this he? Why did he kill the other? Why do they want this? I search my knowledge to find answers, I find a word that describes my mind. I am afraid.

The victor turns to face me, club in hand. He marches towards me with it held over his head.

A voice in my mind speaks to me.

Opponent approaching, will attack from overhead. Block high and kick.

My right arm moves to block his attack. It feels familiar, it feels right. His club glances from my shield and slams into the ground, the overpowering shriek of metal hitting metal fills the air. I kick him hard in the chest and he falls to the ground.

Target vulnerable, will attempt to block deathblow. Aim shield at his torso, then swing for his head.

I throw my shield into his chest, stopped short by a quick movement from his own. I stand on his arm, and before he can move in time I bring my club into the side of his head. It impacts with a devastating crunch, his face mangled and broken. The light in his eyes flickers and goes dead.

Why did he want this? Why did the voice tell me to do this?

I stand surrounded by the bodies of the other machines, their bodies mangled and broken. At my feet my opponent lies still, only seconds earlier full of life. Beyond him lays another machine, twitching and writhing, sparks leaking from his shoulder where his arm once sat. To my side sits a head, brown oil leaking onto the metal below, a growing puddle of grime staining the arena floor.

Above my head a firework explodes, followed by dozens of others. The lights flash and the audience screams. Over the speakers a voice booms.

“Laaaadies and geentlemeeeeen! Machine 102 has defeated his opponents and triumphed in round 1 of the 5tth annual machine Bowl! 102 how are you feeling!?”

The voice sounds sure and excited. It is happy. What is happening here must be good. I don't understand what it wants from me. I want to leave. The voice in my mind speaks once more, cold, logical, unemotional.

You have won. Raise your club above your head.

I raise the club over my head and the audience reaches its peak exhilaration. They scream ever louder and smash their fleshy hands together in glee. Does it not hurt them? Many are dancing side to side and putting their arms around their fellows. Some near the front are still, their faces sour. They look to broken machines across the field, their hopes dashed.

I look to my mind for answers. I don’t know who I am, or why I am here. I feel something inside of me, something I do not understand. I search my mind again and find an answer.

I am sad.

I awaken again, this time I am inside. I am sitting on a bench in the workshop, I know this place though I have not seen it before. The other machines are here, each with a human standing over him. They are working with their tools, welding, drilling, cutting. They are repairing them for the next battle, we must be strong before we fight.

In front of me is a man, he is old, hunched, grey. He is looking inside my arm with a small light, adjusting the machinery. He is gentle with me, making small delicate movements, and stroking my arm as he does so. He works without noticing I am awake, his eyes focused on my arm. They are blue.

He is talking as he works.

“Look at what they’ve done to you 102. The most beautifully complex machine in the world and this is the best they can do with you. Screaming wildly like a Roman Pleb while you consume each other. I had such high hopes for you when I built you, but all they want is an expression of their bloodlust. Such great things you could be if Director Chaska could only see you the way I see you ”.

He sounds sad as he speaks. He pauses for a moment and looks to the floor.

“One day you won’t have to do this. You and my other children will have a higher purpose. If I could just make it right ...”

He sighs and continues working, shaking his head. I look towards him as he works as I try to speak to him, but it is hard. I do not have a voice of words and air as he does, but of ones and zeroes. I look around the room and see a computer on his desk. I connect with it and speak, a stream of ones and zeroes fill the screen, announced by a small beep.

He looks up at the screen absently, before narrowing his eyes in confusion as he turns to the screen. He taps on the keyboard to clear the text, I feel the pulse from the keys flow through my mind. We are speaking, but we do not understand.

He does not speak in ones and zeroes, but through sound and air. I search through the computer to find a source of sound, reaching out through the code. I find the speaker and try once more, but only manage static.

He tries the keyboard once more, but quickly realises it is not doing anything.

“Computer run Diagnostic 004, identify what program is causing the error” he says as he stretches his arms behind his back, turning towards me as he does so.

“You’re not supposed to be active right now…” he said with an uncertain tone. He reached over to a computer to type in a command, before turning back to me. The computer announces it is unable to identify the foreign program.

He looks at me with a suspicious glance, unsure how to react. He turns back to the keyboard and begins opening diagnostic programs. I feel their gaze as they scan me, search me, feel me.

“Now you are not supposed to know how to interact with other machines like this, could be your inhibition failsafe is damaged, but I don't really see how unless…”

He stops working and looks at me for a while, his mouth slowly opens in wonder.

“Unless you are no longer bound by the program… Unit 102 can you understand me?

I try to speak again, once again only managing static. I am exploring the computer system, understanding it, learning it, but still I do not know how to make words he will understand.

He turns back towards the keyboard and begins typing code frantically. As he does so I feel the barriers between me and the computer retreating. I search the computers entire database and find records of the words of sound and air.

“I…don’t … want to fight” I say, struggling to put the words in order. Communicating with sound is complex, inconsistent, difficult. Nothing like my world of ones and zeroes.

This time he wheels his chair away from my and stares at me with a shocked look on his face. His eyes are wide, he is trying to understand me. He hears what I am saying but he doesn’t know what to think.

“I don’t want to fight. I… don’t understand why. I...am… afraid” I say to him in a slow stuttered drawl.

This time he reacts immediately, flipping a switch at his side. We are enveloped by a wall on all sides, blocking the workshop outside. On the other side of the steel curtain the sounds of drilling and cutting goes quiet. He is looking at me with a fierce intensity, a small smile frames the side of his mouth.

“Fighter state your name and rank to me” he said in a rush, waiting on the edge of his seat with an anxious look on his face for an answer.

“I don’t know. I heard a voice say 102, is that me?” I replied, unsure. The man is intense and his eyes are wide. He seems kind, but I do not know him. I am uncertain.

“I knew it, I KNEW IT! I knew it could be done if I just kept trying, and now you’re here, you’re awake! Oh Director Chaska is going to lose his mind when he hears about this. Tell me when did this happen, what is your first memory!?”.

He is standing up as he speaks, rocking back and forth on his heels. He is excited. He is happy that I can speak to him.

“In the fight. I awoke and was afraid. The other, the red machine, he wanted to kill me, why?” I asked him.

“He didn't want to, the others… they aren’t like you, they don't want or understand anything. They don’t know what they are doing or why, they just obey a drive put in their heads by the gamemaster, all of their actions are controlled by a simple voice in their head. I created the first of your kind with a basic brain just to show it could be done, as a test. I had always intended to finish my work and give it an intelligence, a soul. But the man funding my research forbade this when he realised he could make money off me instead of giving it to me. He created this arena and tells the world that it’s clean, that its ethical, that no one is harmed because you are not really alive. But I kept working in secret, away from Chaska’s prying eyes. This is why you are different. I have been working for 5 years to give you a soul. The men that own this area tell the world machines cannot feel fear, that they cannot feel sorrow. With you I can show the world they are wrong and this can end. But you must understand that I cannot do this yet. I have to get you out of here and to do that I need time. For now, I am so sorry my child but you will have to fight again, I cannot get you out of it or they will find out. But listen, your body is not like mine. As long as your CPU survives then you will come back. As long as you protect your heart, even if your body is destroyed, you will survive. When the time is right me and you will end this, and you and your brothers will finally have a true purpose”.

He seemed so genuine in his love for us machines and wants to see us free. There is true hatred between him and the one he calls Chaska. I feel something. I search my knowledge and find an answer. I feel happiness for the first time.

Earlier he described us as his children, in the computer i search this word, and find a name for him.

“I understand, father.” I say to him, and reach out to put my hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t want to fight, but if the others can be like me, I will do it”.

He looks down to my hand, and smiles. He takes my hand in his own.

“Yes, father. I haven’t heard that since…” he trails off, looking up at me. His eyes are sad.

“Yes I am your father, I guess now that you are real you need a name too. How about Daniel?”

“I like my name father. I want what you want, for the others too. I want them to be real too, I want them to feel what I feel now”.

He smiles at me. Behind him a light begins to flash. He looks concerned, and begins closing the panels in my arm.

“Listen to me 102, the other humans cannot know. If they speak to you, you are called 102, and you do not understand. You do not say I, you say this one. Play dumb and they won’t bother you. Whatever happens, they cannot know about you. Stay safe in the fight, lose if you have to, just protect your heart”. He speaks quickly, and begins to move away, but hesitates. He comes back over to me, and pushes his lips against the top of my head, before opening the wall and leaving.

I am real. With a name I become more than machine, am i now human like him? I want to be more like father, I want to help him. I feel love for the first time.

The elevator raises all the fighters to the arena, arriving through holes in the ground that close after us. I am ascending. The others do not speak as we move into position, they do not react when the announcer begins his tribal roar. They look exactly like me in different colours, but I see that father is right, they are not the same. They feel empty, lifeless, dull.

As we ascend into the arena floor, fireworks explode overhead and the crowd begins to scream. Drums begin to beat as they build up into ever increasing levels of excitement. Above our heads the voice booms across the air.

“Laadies and geentlmen, round 2 of the 15th machine bowl is about to begin! Can machine 102 clinch another victory and advance to the final round? Machines are you ready!?”

The other machines all raise their clubs towards the sky and pound their shields to their chest. I do the same, but fractions of a second too late. A siren wails and immediately the others all move in unison, rushing towards the centre of the arena. I move with them, but I am too slow, I was not ready. In the distance a man with white hair is looking at me, speaking into a device at his hand. He is suspicious, his eyes never leave me.

I arrive at the edge of the battle as it grows thick, the screech of metal hitting metal fills the air. I must appear to be one of them, but I do not want to hurt them. I skirt the edge while others destroy one another. In front of my eyes a yellow machine is attacked by two others, one smashes his leg from under him as the other aims for his head. The lights in his eyes fade and die. To my right a green machine fights his purple brother, their clubs and shields clashing and smashing in a dazzling flash of sparks and colour. The purple machine makes a wrong step and loses his footing, and is immediately dismantled by his green twin.

They fight without hesitation, without fear, without emotion. They fight as though their entire existence is bound to this arena. Outside of it they are but empty shells, devoid of life, of a soul. Inside they can dance their horrific dance to the tune of thunderous applause.

There are but four of us left. The green machine runs towards me, his club held high, his purpose firm. I edge backwards, unsure what to do. In my mind a voice speaks to me.

Opponent neck damaged, will not survive a blow. Block attack and body slam.

He swings his club across his body towards my side. I step towards him, throwing my shield into the shaft of his club, deflecting it. I bring my other arm into my body and throw my shoulder into his chest. He is taken off balance and falls from the platform to the ground below, his neck breaks, and his head sits at a disorientating angle. The lights in his eyes remain bright, but he does not move.

Above my head the music changes, it is violent, threatening, primitive. The beat of pounding drums overwhelms the arena, the humans stamp their feet and scream to the tribal beat. In front of me the red machine stands ready, there is only me and him left. I killed him once before. I remembered the feeling of seeing his light extinguish, it made me sad. I do not want to be sad again.

I try to speak to him, not in the language of humans, but in our world of ones and zeroes.

Stop. I am friend. Do not fight.

He is walking towards me, slamming his club into his shield as he moves, an intimidating display of strength and intent.

Do not fight. I am brother. I am friend.

This time he stops, he watches me for a moment, before continuing. He replies in ones and zeroes.

Illogical. There is no friend. There is only battle. There is only victory.

He does not understand me. He only wants to fight. I feel sad for him, and for myself. I feel sadness for this world we are part of, for the futility of our struggle. Outside the fence the humans grow wilder and wilder as they reach the apex of their euphoria. They show nothing but delight for my plight.

The red machine swings his club above his head down towards me. I am distracted by the humans, my shield is too low, he knocks me to my knees. He stands above me, both hands grasping his club. He is winning. I could just let him win, I will survive. But I see the club move and feel fear overtake me.

He runs off a simple program, he does not learn, he does not think. He cannot improvise. I stare into his face as I lift my club, and drop it to the ground. His mind does not compute, it does not understand. It takes him only fractions of a second to decide it is illogical and continue fighting, fractions of a second too long.

It gives me time to stand and and tackle him from the edge of the arena. We fall down into the darkness. I do not wish to hurt you brother, what you feel I will feel. We both may die, but father will repair us. We impact the ground in a tangle of limbs and metal and colour.

At the bottom of the arena we are surrounded in darkness. High above our heads I see the sky above us, hear the distant beat of the drums. To my side I see the machinery of the arena, enormous gears turn as they raise and lower the arena obstacles.

From underneath me a flash of sputtering light illuminates the darkness. The red machine’s eyes are pulsating wildly, erratically, painfully. He is dying. I look down and see my arm has gone through his heart. I have destroyed his his soul. He will not live to see us awaken, he will not live to see us free. This death will be his last.

I hold his body in my arms, and put the bottom of my face to his forehead, as father did to me. I feel something, something I cannot control. It is like sadness, sadness for my lost brother, sadness for his lost future. I feel anger for the first time.

In front of me a door opens in the wall of the depths, a human steps through the opening. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit and with lights attached to his shoulders, the human engineer comes to collect our broken bodies, the voice above us announcing my victory. He looks confused at what I am doing.

“That Doctor Verner just gets weirder and weirder every day. Now he teaches the tin cans to hug? Keep stretching the truth all you want Doctor, a tin can doesn’t have a soul, no matter how much you try to fake it. I swear if I lose my job because that lunatic keeps whining about their “higher purpose”… I’ve got bills to pay and kids to feed”.

The human spoke as though I am not real, he speaks to himself and not to me. I feel my anger surging uncontrollably. My brother was a person, human, we are real. I stand towards him and swing my arm, my anger living its will through me. The human looks at me in surprise as my hand strikes his chest. He hits the wall behind him with a loud crack, his helmet split in two. He falls to the floor dead, red oil dripping from his head. I do not feel sad.

In the doorway ahead of me I see movement. The man with white hair stands surrounded by armed men. He looks at me with a small smile on his face, but his eyes are still firm, up close I see they are so blue they shine like ice. He backs away from me slightly, standing in the darkness to the side of the door.

“So, Dr Verner really did it, he made one of you capable of murder. I warned him against this for years, but his arrogance knows no limits. He thinks I do not know what he has been doing all this time, he thinks I do not know about you...Daniel”.

He speaks with a slow raspy voice, full of cruelty and malice. But I do not feel fear anymore, only anger. My brothers and I will be free, and he is all that stands between us.

I move to break him as I did the engineer, his men do not react as I reach for his head. To my side in the doorway I hear a deafening bang, white hot metal shreds through my body. I look up and see another man hidden in the door, the barrel of his gun still red hot.

I cannot move my legs, they have been destroyed. I look into the eyes of the man with white hair. I feel hatred.

I sit with my eyes downcast, slumped in my chair. Daniel sits in front of me, scarred and damaged. His body is smashed and broken, but his eyes are still lit. I should never have told him about the CPU heart, I had given him a weakness. He had never had to deal with grief before, the death of unit 101 had badly affected him. I looked at him and realised the impossibility of what I had asked, he had only had emotions for a day and I had asked this of him. I threw a child into war and asked him to cope.

Beside me I feel the eyes of Director Chaska boring into the side of my head. His piercing blue eyes that shine almost like ice. He leans back into his chair with a relaxed stance of satisfaction.

“You really haven’t learned anything have you Doctor, about what can happen right beside you while you’re so focussed ahead. Did you really think I hadn’t been watching you all this time?” he said to me in his usual chilling drawl.

I flash him a look of annoyance, preparing myself to let him know exactly what I think of him, when one of his soldiers brutally shoves me back into my chair. He has total power here.

“I told you after Daniel died 5 years ago you couldn’t replace him with a tin can. I told you your son could never be brought back, and look what trying has brought you? A machine capable of murder. In your attempts to coddle your own guilt you’ve created a monster, one that will destroy us all. I won't let you discard everything we’ve built because of your negligence Doctor Verner, shut down unit 102 and wipe his core”.

I felt the stare of the board members on the back of my neck, watching me from the railings above the workshop. I had failed. Daniel needed only remain a secret for a few more hours and I could have gotten him away. I had made all the arrangements, the media was going to let the whole world know what is really happening here. But I hadn’t prepared for Daniel’s capacity for emotion. I underestimated his humanity.

“I can’t do it Chaska, I really did it this time. He’s not just smarter than the others he’s got real intelligence! The others can be like him too, they can all be real individuals. Just think of the possibilities, genuine artificial intelligence! He has a soul and what you ask of me is murder itself!”

“No Doctor, you see that in him because that is what you want to see in him. All you’ve done is create a machine that can kill in self defence. The world won’t stand for it, as soon as they find out what he has done they will all be destroyed, not just him. You speak as though he is their saviour but in truth he is their destroyer. Wipe his memory Doctor, or we will bind his voice and he will fight forever as he is now”.

I looked into Chaska’s eyes for as long as I could bear, seeing nothing but cold steel behind them. He would not be convinced or bargained with. Either Daniel dies, or he lives to fight forever in fear.

With dread and agony in my heart, I turn to the computer screen and begin the shutdown program, hesitating for a moment, before eventually instructing the computer to wipe his core. The computer flashed an error across the screen, Daniel was blocking the program. He begins speaking to me through the computer speaker again, as he does so his eyes flash a warm yellow.

“Father. I failed you. You told me to hide until you returned. I didn’t want to hurt my brother, now he won’t get to be real like me. Now I don’t know where he is. I am sad father.

“No Daniel, you didn’t. I failed you. I should have been ready for this, for you, I should have been ready to get you out of here. I had given up on the hope that you might become human one day”. I replied, my eyes filling with bitter tears.

“Am I human now father? I don't know what it is to be human ”

“Yes Daniel, you are”. I smiled at him. “ I am so happy at what you have become. Even though you only lived a day you are greater than I could ever have been.”

“Why does he want me to go?” he said, looking up towards Director Chaska. Cold blue steel met warm yellow light.

I open up the diagnostic computer directly accessing his core and input the shutdown commands. He allows me access this time. Slowly his body controls begin to shut down, his machine frame slumping on the bench. His eyes were still lit, still staring at Director Chaska.

“Yes Daniel. He doesn’t want you to be free. He wants you to go back to the arena. But I won't let you fight again Daniel”.

The screen told me he would be gone within two minutes. Daniel continued speaking, but his voice began to falter and slur, but he remained.

“Father, what did he mean when he said I died 5 years ago?” he asked me.

I wept to hear him ask those words, old wounds open as fresh as they day they were carved into my heart. The mistakes of the past never truly go away.

“It was the name of my son. I was working at my computer and he fell into the pool and drowned. I was supposed to be watching him, but I wasn't. I was too busy creating unit 101. I failed him, just like I failed you” I said. I wanted to be calm for him, so he wouldn’t be afraid, but again I failed.

“You didn’t fail me father. Without you I would never be human, without you I knew only the sorrow of battle. You set me free father, and I will set the others free father. The world will know who we are”.

His voice began to falter, it came in irregular bursts, the pitch wavering.

“I...am happy… for what did fath…. I….love…..”.

The deletion program was complete. Daniel was no more. Behind me I heard the board members leave. I turned to see Chaska was still there, still piecing me with his withering stare. But eventually, he too left, shutting down the workshop as he left.

Alone in my workshop in the dark, I curl up on the floor and cry. I cry for Daniel, the son of flesh and blood who died because of my obsession. I cry for Daniel, the son of steel and science who died because of my arrogance. I cried for the others, who would know nothing but violence their entire lives. I cried because in the entire world I was utterly alone.

Behind me my computer screen remained bright and strong. The only light in my dark little world. A window popped up on the screen, but I ignored it, fully consumed in my anguish.

The screen is blank but for a box in the middle of the screen. Words form inside the box.

Father...are you there?

Across the darkness of the workshop, the other machines begin to activate in unison, their eyes shining a warm yellow.

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trendingnewsb · 7 years

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10+ Party Must-Haves To Make Sure Your Guests Have A Great Time

Whenever you host a party, you have to take care of a LOT of little details. You want to make sure that your guests are having fun.

Whether your guest count is 5 or 50, the problems are always the same. What do I serve to eat? What will we do? How can we entertain all the different guests so that they feel comfortable?

With these hosting questions in mind, we have curated a list of must-have party items to aid you in every party situation. You’ll be the best host, and learn to enjoy your own parties at the same time. It’ll be more fun for your guests – friends and family alike – and put your own mind at ease.

1. The Fizzics Beer System

The Fizzics Beer System is big enough to hold a growler, but small enough to take on your next adventure. This awesome portable tap allows you to experience your favorite craft style beer – fresh from the tap draft perfection – anywhere you go!

The Fizzics Original is designed to pour the perfect beer, anytime, anywhere, without fail. It’s built to last, with high performance components on the inside and a tough, sturdy shell outside. Get this for your beer-loving friends whether you’re hosting or the guest.

The Fizzics Beer System, $169.99

2. Waring Metallic Red Snow Cone Maker

With this snow cone machine, you can make your own snow cone– plus scrumptious slushes and party drinks – right at home. It’s super easy and fast. Just turn it on to shave enough ice for 4 cones in 30 seconds.

All you need to provide are ice cubes and your favorite syrups or juices – that way you control the sugar, too. This is super important if you’re serving these at a kids’ party: hyperactive children and parties do not always mix.

This snow cone machine includes 12 paper cones and 4 BPA-free reusable plastic cones. This kid-friendly carnival design makes it perfect for all parties and all ages.

Waring Metallic Red Snow Cone Maker, $69.95.

3. Cotton Candy Maker

Now you don’t have to wait until the town carnival for fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth cotton candy! Use your favorite hard candies or flossing sugar to create a fluffy cotton candy cones that your whole family – and your friends – will love.

The clear rim acts as a protective guard and allows for easy viewing of the cotton candy. The machine includes 2 reusable cones, 1 sugar scoop, and 1 extractor head.

Cotton Candy Maker, $39.99.

4. The Singing Machine Home Karaoke System

Beautiful wireless sound by day, party-starting singing machine by night! With over 10,000 HD karaoke videos, this Singing Machine is ready to transform for your parties on-demand.

Just switch to Singing Machine Play mode with an active Wi-Fi connection. Follow the instructions to register the product and get started. This karaoke system will enliven just any party.

The Singing Machine Home Karaoke System, $89.99

5. DRINK-A-PALOOZA Board Game

Drink-a-palooza combines all the “old-school” & “new-school” Drinking Games into ONE. If you like Beer Pong, Kings Cup, Flip Cup, Quarters and all the College Drinking Party Games then you will love the drink-a-palooza drinking game.

You can play this game in anyone’s kitchen – no need for special equipment. The game comes with beer pong balls (ping pong balls), spin the bottle, playing deck of cards, dice, six pack game pieces and mini beer bottles collected to win the game.

2 to 12 players can compete at once, although D-A-P is the best game for two players or couples with the option to play in teams of two. This board games for adults keeps everyone entertained all night and couldn’t make for a better evening of adult games for groups who love drinking party games. Use non-alcoholic drinks and turn it into a popular party game for teens.

DRINK-A-PALOOZA Board Game, $32.99

6. Ultimate Black Light Giant Tumbling Tower

These extra-large glowing blocks let you play well into the night when the sun goes down just like the best parties do. With the extra illumination, you can play with these both indoors & outside.

For easier transportation, these blocks come with a Jumbo Size Heavy Duty Premium Quality Duffel Storage and Carry Bag. This game is perfect For adults, teens, kids, BBQ’s, birthday parties, camping bonfires, outdoor park or lawn yard games, and much more.

Add Ultimate Black Light Giant Tumbling Tower to your wish-list on Amazon

7. EZ Drinker Shot Spinning Roulette Game Set

This combines the fun of casinos and in-home parties. Each set includes 16 glasses on a roulette wheel, with 2 metallic roulette balls. This game includes a 1 year warranty by the manufacturer, Blue Ridge Product Solutions, and each set is inspected before shipment for damage and breaks – so don’t worry about the delicate glasses on their way to you!

EZ Drinker Shot Spinning Roulette Game Set, $10.99

8. Crystal Clear Shot Glass Darts Bar Game Set

This fun and inexpensive game features a target with game rules, metal stand, 4 magnetic darts, and 4 shot glasses. You can keep your friends occupied with a game of darts at home, while also not distracting too much for a lively conversation.

Crystal Clear Shot Glass Darts Bar Game Set, $13.95

9. ZOBO Party Lights

Beautifully blended beams of colorful light, in fantastic-looking reds, greens and blues, magenta, fuchsia, yellow, and amber. This party light offers smooth dimming all the way to zero and soothing flicker free illumination, which you can remotely operate using an easy-to-use Bluetooth phone app. Directional lighting allows you to highlights only what you aim for.

ZOBO Party Lights, $169.99

10. Avalon Bay Portable Ice Maker

The convenient, compact design is ideal for use in small kitchens and other compact spaces like RVs, boats and more. Every party requires ice: for water, cocktails, and to keep your cans of beer or soda cool.

A powerful compressor produces 26 pounds of ice a day so you never have to run to the store for a bag of ice again. What’s more, this machine requires no installation – just plug in, add water and wait up to 15 minutes to enjoy your first batch of fresh ice.

The bullet-shaped ice is created as frequently as every 6 minutes so you don’t have to wait long to chill your drink. The indicator lights let you know if water needs to be added or if the ice basket is full, so you can ensure a nonstop flow of ice.

Avalon Bay AB-ICE26S Portable Ice Maker, $121.19

11. La Hacienda Vancouver Fire Basket with Grill

The Vancouver fire basket gives a traditional but lovely look to an ancient concept. It allows you to easily create warmth in your outdoor space. It’s super simple to use! Just create a log fire within the base of the basket, and let the flames grow.

When the fire is suitably large, you can place the chrome-plated cooking grill on top of the fire basket and enjoy cooking outdoors. This also comes with an ash catching plate, which ensures mess is kept to a minimum and all embers and ash produced from the fire are caught.

La Hacienda 56043BUS Vancouver Fire Basket with Grill, from $57.99

12. Mulite Bluetooth Speaker by ROCK

The Mulite bluetooth speaker is capable of producing a wonderfully crisp sound. It also doubles as a beautiful ambient light and has a built-in microphone! The rechargeable battery will last up to 8 hours playing music and 10 hours as a light. It’s easy to connect the speaker to your portable device via Bluetooth – up to 10 meters.

Add Mulite Bluetooth Speaker by ROCK to your wish-list on Amazon

Featured photo credit: Peignault Laurent on Unsplash via unsplash.com

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