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thegeminisage · 3 years

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birthday meta for the birthday boy <3

[this version of the meta is behind a cut. if you’d prefer the no-cut version, it’s here.]

a fun little fanon from Ye Olde Days of spn (when seasons 1-5 were airing) was that sam always had the absolute worst birthdays. a big part of this is because sam’s birthday is in may. supernatural tends to align itself with “real time,” meaning that they like to use either the date the episode was filmed or the date it aired as the in-universe date, even when two canon dates conflict each other. (they’re so intent on doing this that they pretended the gap years between s5 & s6 and s7 & s8 right out of existence - season openers also usually tend to pick up right after season finales in-universe but still somehow be set several months later.) that means sam’s birthday tends to line up with the airdates on either season finales or episodes right before the finales, which means that every time sam gets a year old, shit hits the fan.

here’s a list of things that did happen or could have happened on some of sam's birthdays:

0-22: we don’t have much in the way as far as concrete dates go for preseries stuff, but it’s perfectly possible sam walked out all that bullshit the day he turned 18, even if i prefer to think he left at age 19 as that aligns rather tragically with some adam-related canon.

23: we don’t have any dates for the end of s1/opening of s2 either, but it’s likely that sam’s birthday took place between 1.20 (dead man’s blood) and 2.01 (in my time of dying). he could have been doing anything from hunting vampires to saving one of YED’s special children to almost shooting his possessed father to getting hit by a semi to using a ouija board to talk to his not-quite-dead brother.

24: here’s where the real fun starts >:) sam died in cold oak in 2.21 (all breaks loose pt 1) and in the episode he says he’s 23. but according to the lore (extra-canonical material), dean made the deal to bring him back on his 24th birthday...

25: ...which means that on his 25th birthday, he was forced to watch dean get dragged to hell...

25b: ...except that sam had TWO 25th birthdays, because mystery spot took place in february, and sam lived in an alternate timeline where dean stayed dead for 6 months, putting him well past may 2nd. which meant that the first time he turned 25, he was actually getting tortured by gabriel. while his brother was getting tortured (or torturing someone else) in hell.

26: 4.20 (the rapture) took place in very late april/very early may (the wiki says may 3, but that’s just a guess), and 4.21 (when the levee breaks) picks up immediately where it left off. so it’s not only plausible but EXTREMELY LIKELY that sam was locked up in the panic room suffering withdrawals when he turned 26, dude

26b: ...except that in 11.17 (safe house), bobby and rufus’s half of the episode presumably takes place at the same time during season 4, and he mentions sam and dean are in reno?? so you know they could have been doing that instead.

27: we have no hard and fast dates for the end of season 5, but it’s my personal headcanon that sam’s birthday took place during 5.22 (swan song), and he beat the devil and leapt into hell on the day he turned 27 - because at this point, why not. however, his birthday could also have taken place during either 5.20 (the devil you know) or 5.21 (two minutes to midnight), meaning he was reconfronting his old college pal who turned out to be a demon brady, or helping bobby and a human cas destroy the factory with the croatoan virus.

28: there’s a gap year between s5 and s6, so sam’s 28th birthday took place while he was soulless, hunting with the campbell family...

28b: ...except spn likes to say “a year passed” without adding one to the calendar, so sam ALSO had a 28th birthday during the airing of s6. there’s some conflicting information about s6′s timeline, so this could have happened anywhere from 6.18 (frontierland) to 6.21 (let it bleed). sam could have been doing anything from time traveling to fighting eve to grappling with cas going dark side to rescuing lisa and ben.

29: sam’s 29th birthday almost definitely took place during 7.20 (the girl with the dungeons and dragons tattoo), during which he met charlie. in case you’ve forgotten, that was actually a great day for him - in a moment of true little brother antics and justifiable homophobia, he got to laugh at dean gay flirting with the security guard.

30: there was another gap year between s7 and s8, which means that sam spent the big three-oh with amelia richardson while dean and cas were in purgatory. he got to have a picnic!

30b: ...but since spn ignores gap years, sam ALSO had a 30th birthday during s8 (a big season for him). there isn’t an exact date for the episodes leading up to the finale, which takes place in late may, after sam’s birthday, so his birthday could have taken place in either 8.21 (the great escapist), where he nearly died of his trial-induced fever and confessed to dean that he always felt unclean, or during 8.22 (clip show), where he met sarah blake again after nearly a decade, only to have her die right in front of him.

31: the s9 timeline is pretty vague, but the best guess for this one is 9.18 (meta fiction), in which sam finally gets to confront gadreel, the angel who possessed him and killed kevin with his hands

32: the s10 timeline is also short on dates, so sam’s birthday could have taken place anywhere between 10.16 (paint it black) and 10.21 (dark dynasty). a few possible things sam could have been doing: dealing with a hunt involving soulless people, helping cas and bobby break metatron out of heaven’s prison, catching up with charlie and giving rowena the book of the damned, battling the cursed werther house (don’t click that unless you’ve seen the episode, the twist is TOO good), reuniting claire with her mom, or building charlie’s pyre.

33: the last quarter or so of s11 happens really quickly sequentially, every episode picking up soon after the last one left off, which means that sam’s birthday either took place at the very end of the season or the beginning of s12. it’s most likely he turned 33 either the day dean saved the sun and sam himself got shot and kidnapped by toni bevell, or a few days later when he was being held captive and tortured in her basement.

34: unfortunately, sam’s 34th birthday almost definitely took place during 12.21 (there’s something about mary). i was really hoping it’d be 12.22 so he could be kicking the bmol’s asses, learning lucifer was back, and hugging mary, but no...instead he was mostly likely learning that ketch had had eileen killed.

35: because of some weird canon, the timeline for season 13 is actually batshit insane and makes no sense whatsoever, which means sam’s birthday is really early this season - either during 13.17 (the thing) where he rescues his brother from a frisky tentacle monster or 13.18 (bring ‘em back alive) where he hangs out with gabriel and cas in the bunker. since that’s garbage, you’d be forgiven for ignoring canon and pretending sam’s birthday fell on one of the following episodes - 13.19 (funeralia) is very touching, as he and rowena clash and then make up with each other; 13.21 (beat the devil) has sam capturing lucifer, then dying and getting revived and captured by him; 13.22 has sam getting a little revenge by leaving lucifer for dead; 13.23, of course, has lucifer finally dying for good.

36: there’s no dates whatsoever on the back half of s14, so theoretically sam’s birthday could take place in any episode after 14.13 (lebanon). the likeliest and COOLEST candidate is for sam to turn 36 during 14.20, in which he shoots god himself point blank. other admittedly inferior scenarios include his stint as justin the 50s househusband, mary’s death, or putting jack in the ma’lak box.

37: we saw this birthday happen onscreen during 15.14 (last holiday) at a party thrown by mrs. butters. unfortunately, not too long after that, she wound up torturing him by pulling out his fingernails.

38: that’s this year! because the timeline of s15 is also so weird and vague, partially fucked up by covid changing the shooting/airing times, and because sam’s birthday is SO early in s15, it’s possible that he has another one this season, right at the end, or maybe post-canon, which means............................................

...................................................that he’s spending it with dean and jack and the newly revived eileen and cas, in the bunker or somewhere else he feels safe and loved :)

happy birthday, sam winchester <3 after all the unhappy ones...u deserve it

[spn masterpost]

#sam winchester #supernatural #liz's meta #liz's spn stuff #long post #never in my life have i had to fight so hard to post a meta #tumblr tried to delete this TWO TIMES

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duggardata · 3 years

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Highlights From Alyssa + John’s YouTube Q&A

Today (April 23, 2021), Alyssa + John did a Q&A on their YouTube Channel. It’s really long... Like 30 Minutes. I watched it all, because I have a servant’s heart and live to serve. Here are the highlights, in chronological order—

Which Birth Was The Easiest—Allie, Lexi, Zoey, or Maci?

Bafflingly, John takes the lead in answering, saying: “I’m going to say Allie’s.” Alyssa laughs and sort of gives him a look and says: “No. Zoey’s.” She says Zoey’s was the “shortest and easiest.” John then asks about Maci’s, to which Alyssa responds: “I had an epidural with [Maci], so the end part of [that birth] was the best.”

Will You Continue Having Children Until You Have A Boy?

John and Alyssa both react by saying how often they get asked this, and how tiresome the question is. John says it is “the dumbest question.” They agree that, no, they’re absolutely not going to keep ‘trying for a boy.’ John correctly points out that the whole concept would be unfair to their girls, saying: “How would our girls feel [about that]? [If we were like:] Oh, you’re a girl. We don’t like you as much. We really wanted a boy.” He says they definitely don’t feel that way, saying: “We love our girls. ... So, the answer is no. If we got a boy, great. If not great.” Alyssa agrees with him. John then says, “Wouldn’t it be cool to have, like, six girls?” Alyssa says: “That would be pretty cool.”

Do You Think Maci is Your Last Baby, or Not Sure?

After saying how often she’s asked this, Alyssa says: “We’re pretty sure yes, [she’s our last], but we want to wait before we make a permanent or final decision.” She pauses, then adds: “We’ll get back to you in two years.”

John has the last word, saying: “You never know what could happen.”

Describe Each of Your Daughters in 3 Words.

John kicks things off, saying Maci is cute, cuddly, and ‘a grunter.’ He explains that Maci “grunts about everything. When she’s eating, when she’s sleeping... She’s always grunting.”

Moving on, Alyssa says that Zoey is “playful and loving.” John agrees. (“She loves to snuggle.”) Alyssa then starts talking about Lexi, but John’s like, “you have one word left for Zoey.” So, Alyssa goes back, and says that Zoey is an ‘entertainer.’ “She entertaining. She loves to entertain people.”

Alyssa then launches into how ‘entertainer’ also describes Lexi. She explains: “Lexi loves to make people laugh.” Alyssa then says: “Lexi is our wild child,” and actually uses the word “crazy” to describe her. John jumps in, and says: “But in a good way. She’s so comical.”

Finally, they get to Allie. Alyssa says Allie is “very obedient and very diligent.” John adds that she’s “organized and diligent.”

Do You Breastfeed?

Always the comedian, John says: “No, I don’t. I’m a bottle only type of guy.”

Alyssa says: “Yes, but I’ve had a lot of complications trying to breastfeed, so I’ve never ... been able to for a long period of time.” (She adds that 3 Months was the longest she has been able to nurse.) She shares that Maci is already done with nursing, saying: “With Maci, I got mastitis and it dried me up. So, yeah. I’m not breastfeeding [anymore].”

How Did You Decide Which Girls Would Share A Room?

(ICYMI—Allie and Maci are sharing a room in the Websters’ New House. A lot of Fundie Snarkers are taking this as a red flag that Allie is on the Sister Mom track. Honestly, Alyssa’s answer only confirms this, which is so sad...)

Alyssa says: “Lexi and Zoey are really close in age and ... are, like, best pals.” She adds: “They just love being together.” Then, she states: “And, with Allie being older and a little bit more, like, responsible and mature, she is going to share a room with Maci because it seemed like [Allie] would be the most help with her [Maci] as a baby.” Then, Alyssa somehow manages to make what she’s saying even worse by revealing that, eventually, she’s planning for Allie and Lexi to share, and Zoey and Maci to share. (So, it’s really not about Lexi and Zoey being best pals.) “As they get older, Lexi and Allie will share a room and Zoey and Maci will, but for the time being, I put the oldest with the youngest just because it made a little bit more sense.”

(Seriously, what the fuck, Alyssa?)

When is Katie Getting Married? Will Katie Move to NJ?

Alyssa stated that Katie + Travis have picked a date, but didn’t reveal it. (“We won’t share it until she does.”) She says that Katie is planning to move to NJ, after the wedding.

Did Y’all Kiss Before Marriage?

This was apparently the most–asked question. Alyssa says: “Yes. We kissed before we got married. A lot, actually.” They told their parents about it, so “it wasn’t like some big secret.”

I’ve included a full list of all the questions after the jump, in case anyone wants to watch the video to get a specific answer. They’re in chronological order.

Most / Least Favorite Part About Being On TV?

Advice for First–Time Moms?

Which Birth Was The Easiest?

Will You Keep Having Kids Until You Have A Boy?

How Do You Juggle Homeschooling w/ 4 Children?

What’s The Best Age Gap Between Kids?

Do You Think Maci is Your Last Baby, or Not Sure?

Is John A Hands–On Dad?

Describe Each of Your Daughters in 3 Words.

Are You Overwhelmed Having 4 Children Age 6 And Under?

How is Zoey Adjusting to No Longer Being The Baby?

Why Did You Buy A House and Remodel w/ A Newborn?

Will Your Children’s Courtship Rules Be Like Yours Were?

How Long Did It Take to Remodel Your House?

Do You Breastfeed?

Alyssa Used To Have A Mole On Her Cheek. Where Did It Go?

Do You Have A Nanny?

How Did You Decide Which Girls Would Share A Room?

Do Your Girls Have Friends Despite Being Homeschooled?

Do You Feel Compelled To Have A Big Family Like Your Parents?

Does John Help w/ Nightime Feedings?

Do You Like Country Music?

What Marriage Advice Would You Give A Young Couple?

Tips On Keeping A Clean House w/ Little Kids.

Do You Sleep Train Your Daughters?

How’re You Adjusting from 3 Kids to 4?

When is Katie Getting Married? Will Katie Move to NJ?

What’s A Common Misconception People Have About You?

What Name Would You Use For A Baby Boy?

How Much Weight Did You Gain w/ Each Pregnancy?

How Tall Are You? How Much Do You Weigh?

Alyssa, Which Sister Are You Closest With?

What Were Some of Your Biggest Struggles As Newlyweds?

What The Best Gift You’ve Received from Each Other?

If You Could Live Anywhere, Where Would You Live?

Do Y’All Live The Furthest Away from Kelly + Gil’s House?

How Long Do You Plan to Stay in Your New Home?

What Position Does John Play in Softball?

How Much Sleep Do You Get Each Night?

How Are You Going to Furnish Your New House?

Do You Guys Ever Argue?

Before You Met, Did Either of You Court Anyone Else?

What’s The Most Annoying Thing People Assume About You?

Did Either of You Ever Consider Breaking Up Before Marriage?

Which One of You Spends More Money?

What’s Your Dream Vacation?

Why Doesn’t John’s Family Appear on Bringing Up Bates?

Did Y’all Kiss Before Marriage?

#alyssa and john

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forestlingincorporated · 3 years

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How old is the Batfamily (in New Earth)?

These are my personal calculations. Comics are bad at continuity, I’m sure we’re all aware.

I use Tim as my north star in my calculations because we have a couple sure fire ages for him, unlike people like Dick or Bruce whose continuity is less concrete. Tim was 3 when the Graysons died, 13 after Jason died, and he just turned 16 shortly before Jason turned 18.

Tim’s birthday is July 19th, and Jason’s is August 16th. Since Tim turns 16 the same year Jason would turn 18, Jason is exactly 1 year, 11 months, and 3 days older than Tim - almost 2 years. Jason’s death certificate says he died April 27, at 15 years old; this means Jason was turning 16 that year, and it also means when Tim arrives at 13, it’s not yet summer, so Tim is turning 14 soon. Batman #436 confirms Jason was with Bruce for 2 years, making him 13-going-on-14 when Bruce adopted him, and Tim the same age when he comes in behind him.

Dick has multiple dates presented for his birthday, so exact age is a no go. In 1940, Dick was 8 years old when he became Robin. That is impossible now, if Tim attended Haly’s Circus when he was 3, and Jason was between them as Robin. In Final Crisis, Dick’s depicted as 12 when his parents die. This would make him about 9 years older than Tim, and 7 years older than Jason. That would mean when Jason was adopted, Dick would be 20, and he’d be 22 when Jason died, and 26 when he became Batman.

Tim is 9yo when he realizes Robin is Dick Grayson. That makes Dick about 18yo. Two years later, Jason is Robin for another two years, take 6 months for his training. These ages fit together nicely.

Bruce was 25 when he finished his Batman training. Batman: Year One is probably a full year, and The Long Halloween is DEFIANTELY a year, so let’s say Bruce adopts Dick (Dark Victory) two years after returning to Gotham - 27yo. This makes Bruce 15 years older than Dick. This works for their fuzzy awkward family dynamic, where Bruce is something between a big brother and a dad, getting more parental as Bruce gets older, and grating on Dick’s growing independence as he’s being given MORE restrictions as he ages, not less. It makes Bruce 22 years older than Jason (35yo when he adopts him), a more reasonable age gap for a parent and child, which plays into Bruce’s more immediately parental relationship with Jason (and thus Dick’s jealousy over it). It then makes Bruce 24 years older than Tim (37 after Jason’s death and upon meeting Tim). Bruce’s birthday is Feb. 19th, early in the year, so its not as awkward to juggle months into the equation. This makes Bruce 41 at the end of New Earth; I was honestly surprised, it’s a pretty reasonable age for a fit man to be Batman-ing, if there is ANY age considered reasonable to be Batman-ing.

Cassandra Cain is already 18 when Jason turns 18, and her birthday is January 26, so Cass is exactly 6 months and 21 days older than Jason.

Early on, Stephanie says she’s “older” than Tim, though I don’t know how she’d know that at the time. Later, Stephanie’s attending freshman year of college when she first becomes Batgirl, so I think it’s safe to say she’s about 1 year older than Tim, making her 15 when they meet when Tim is 14, and 18 when Tim is 17 at the end of the New Earth run.

Damian... I feel like someone told me Damian was slightly hyper-aged as a toddler, but I can’t find that information r/n, and also I don’t care, so I’m moving forward as if Damian was born naturally, and not artificially altered at all. I’m convinced the more we see Damian drawn to look more like Thalia, the more we’re just casually being asked to kindly forget about the racist “genetically modified to be perfect, i.e. look more like Bruce” Thing. So I’m gonna.

Since I think the fathers day comic between Tim and Bruce occurs before we meet Damian, and father’s day is in June, and his birthday’s in July, I’m going to assume Tim is 17 when he meets Damian for the first time, who is described as 10. This means Damian is 7 years younger than Tim, 9 years younger than Jason, 16 years younger than Dick, and 31 years younger than Bruce. This is particularly interesting, because Bruce and Dick’s age gap is about the same as Dick and Damian’s age gap, which draws more of a parallel between Bruce and Dick’s awkward pseudo-big-brother/actual-adopted-dad relationship and Dick and Damian’s pseudo-dad/actual-big-brother relationship.

And then there’s Barbara. What to do with Barbara. Barbara's got de-aged over the years to make her a more palatable ship for Dick (no hatin’, just true). It’s cute for a teenage boy to have a widdle crush on his adult friend/big sister figure who’s old enough to have a doctorate, and then have him fall in love with an alien girl closer to his own age, but when they decided they wanted this ship to be viable, they had to close that 8-10 year age gap, or Babs was gonna look like a creep. Detective Comics 871 aged her all the way down to Dick’s exact age, having them go to prom together, but you can make Barbara anywhere between 26 and 36+ by the end of New Earth and I’m not sure anyone can say you’re wrong. I have Much Fear they’re going to try to de-age her again, though, with this potential Jason romance hanging in the air.

And Alfred... look, man, I don’t know, he was 18 when he joined the British military, and that’s the extent of my understanding of how old Alfred is.

And, you know, Duke didn’t exist in New Earth, and the Prime ages are all fucked to hell. Usually, I make Duke about a year or two younger than Tim, just because it kinda sounds right.

tl;dr: By the end of New Earth, the Batfam is probably: Alfred (???), Bruce (41), Babs (26-36+), Dick (26), Cass (19), Jason (19), Steph (18), Tim (17), and Damian (10).

#batfamily #bruce wayne #Alfred Pennyworth #barbara gordon #dick grayson #Jason Todd #cassandra cain #Tim Drake #Damian Wayne

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untaintedtea · 2 years

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oc profile

Tagged by @yennas a few months ago lol thank you! I'm doing it for Ririka bc I thought I did a basic profile thing for her before but never did? and bc the parents thing made me actually think about her mom lol. Tagging @dani-dear (hello I am Looking at ur recent character art) @elmha @euxiom @maybeimawhale @yenanng um idek anymore bc I haven't been around much so pls lemme know if you want tags bc I wanna finish a few more this month if possible haha

GENERAL

name: Ririka Shepard alias[es]: none (but yeah Allison Gunn I guess lol) gender: female age: 29-32 birthdate: 11 April 2154 place of birth: Mindoir hometown: some town in Mindoir spoken language[s]: Galactic, whatever's taught in the N7 linguistics program (I assume council race major languages)... old meme so I don't ramble sexual preference: bisexual occupation: Alliance Commander, likely other(s) bc I don't think she can just go back to that soon after ME3. Won't list any tho bc I mostly joke and don't know which would actually happen

APPEARANCE

eye color: dark brown hair color: dark brown, dyed pink. Roots show in ME3 since she stopped maintaining it height: 5'7"/171cm scars: highest renegade scarring everywhere. Prior to this she had a scar on the left side of her mouth, one diagonally across her right cheek, and a slash on her forehead under her bangs so you never see it. She probably has a bunch of regular small/light scars everywhere but they're insignificant. Also stretch marks everywhere if that counts lol

FAVORITE

color: sap green (on the darker end -- like the oil paint from Winsor & Newton/Gamblin) hair color: dyeing her hair pink in ME2 made her happy bc her mom didn't let her dye her hair but I don't think she has a preference really; it's only ever natural or pink song: probably something classic but I don't have wide knowledge of that outside the compositions everyone knows so idek lol food: steak. I actually don't think she cares too much about specifics for once drink: gyokuro, Kenyan Tinderet, and either whiskey/gin idek which she prefers more

HAVE THEY

passed university: no. I think she'd like to go sometime though; she was preparing to go before the Mindoir raid happened had sex: yes had sex in public: I wanna say no but she gets stupid horny so. maybe lmao gotten pregnant: no (she's infertile) kissed a boy: yes kissed a girl: yes gotten tattoos: no gotten piercings: yes been in love: yes (but she won’t admit it lol) stayed up for more than 24 hours: yes

ARE THEY

a virgin: no a cuddler: no a kisser: no scared easily: no jealous easily: no dominant: yes submissive: yes in love: yes (but will deny it) single: no (see above lskdjf. Trolling the news outlets who have the audacity to ask tbh)

RANDOM QUESTIONS

have they harmed themselves: yes thought of suicide: no attempted suicide: no wanted to kill someone: yes have / had a job: yes have any fears: failure, people she loves dying…and probably getting married, which she never wants to do anyway so it's super irrational, but we love an irrational fear

FAMILY

sibling[s]: three older brothers, deceased. The age gap between her and the eldest is pretty big (like ~18-20 years) parent[s]: Kazuhiko Morinaka and Tatyana Shepard (they're married but nobody changed their name), deceased. Ririka has her mom's name just because she said so when asked about the surname on the birth certificate. Tbh I don't think about her mom much since in every other universe she dies when Ririka's born, but I think she's a pretty cool and fun person (basically unlike Ririka, who personality-wise takes more after her dad. Tragic since she doesn't like him much lmao. But she shares many interests with her mom, like cats, chess, flowers, music, etc) children: none significant other: Kaidan Alenko, Miranda Lawson pets: Kalinka II the cat, the space hamster, all the aquarium fish

(PS: I don't think I ever mentioned it on here but I didn’t take the thing about Ririka being unable to have kids from Yen; I’ve had her like twice as long as I’ve known Yen. I took it from Ushio from Shinshi Doumei Cross/Gentleman's Alliance Cross instead LMAO anyway just didn’t want u 2 think otherwise ok bye)

#memes of sorts #ririka shepard #all i know rambling and never clipping words lol #regarding that fear...i know i've drawn her otherwise but i'm just having fun aklsds

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lucysuniverse · 3 years

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Critical Beauty

Am I the only one who thinks Jo Jinho is perfect just the way he is? Probably not. :D

To be honest I incredibly miss this man so I just wanted to feel him a bit closer while I am writing this story and he is serving in the military.

Happy Birthday Jinho! We love you all.

Pairing: Jinho x OC/reader

Genre: comfort, romance, angst

Word count: 6081

______________________________

I messed up. Like totally. My dad and those idiot colleagues of mine totally washed my brain. But after all I was the one ruining our relationship completely. And I could not blame him for having the will to break up with me because If I was in his shoes I would have done the same.

-|-

I knew it wasn’t right this way. We lived together for almost a year by now, and I couldn’t tell him. I couldn’t tell him that I was lying to him continuously in order to protect him from pain and save his self-esteem. Or at least this was my intention through-out the years.

We lived in a small flat. This is what we could afford. I just graduated from high-school and he was going to auditions. One after another. He was determined, and he was good. Insanely good. I couldn’t understand what is missing. What do you need more to become a singer? Didn’t he have outstanding vocals? He did. Didn’t he have a bit shy but loveable personality? He did. Didn’t he have sense of humor? HE DID. And on top of that he was handsome. WHAT WAS MISSING THEN???

As his girlfriend my heart was aching to watch all his efforts go to waste after so many years passed. We had a relatively big age gap between us. Well as long as you’re a teenager or young adult even two and a half years difference seem a lot. But later on, it doesn’t really matter. Especially not when you like someone. Because you like them for the person they are.

I loved him so incredibly. Because he was great. He was caring and cute but sometimes surprisingly masculine and very hot. I couldn’t wish for a better man. There was only one thing missing. Actually, not was but were. 5 more inches.

Because although we were quite far from each other in terms of age, we were all the more so close in terms of height. To be honest I guess I might have been smaller than him, but it never felt like that. And every time I thought about this I felt ashamed. Because that was the only thing which gave me hard times. I wouldn’t say I didn’t like his height. I liked everything about him. But sometimes I just wished he was a tiny bit taller, or I was even smaller (if that was possible).

Sometimes I found myself wondering about this: this couldn’t be the reason of him failing all those auditions, right? They can’t be so mean right? If you’ve ever heard a good singer than you would know that Jo Jinho was one of them.

This is why I always told my father to wait just a little. He was really opposing our relationship. I would have understood his concerns if he had real reasons, since I was his only daughter. But what he always said was ridiculous, narrow-minded and I just resent him for that.

“When will he finally stop this stupid joke of becoming a singer. Didn’t he have enough throughout these years?”

“I am fine dad. How about you?” I said as a reply. I was so fed up listening to his bullshit all the time. He heard Jinho singing. And even though he would have never admitted, he knew Jinho was born to be a singer. Anybody could tell. But sadly, in his eyes only those are real men who are lawyers or doctors. When they divorced with mom, he even found me a real man… My dad thought I should go on a blind date with the trainee of his divorce lawyer. He even complimented his ears! Like what the heck! My always logical and strict dad tells me to date the trainee of his divorce lawyer because he has nice ears.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve never thought about leaving Jinho, but my dad nagged me all the time so I checked the guy’s social media pages. Funfact: he was born on the freaking same day in April as Jinho. Am I freaking joke?

“Little woman… I am your dad no need to act like this. But think about your future kids. Will they be also minions?”

“Bye dad it was good to talk to you.” And I hung up. I didn’t want to ignore him. After all he was my dad. But we never had a good relationship. Well a relationship at all. But the irritating thing was that even if I tried to ignore all these comments he made me angry. I couldn’t stop myself. I should not marry Jinho but we are already expecting kids?! And minions? And these are my dad’s words when he himself isn’t a giant either. ARRGGGGHHH!

“Hi babe! Is everything okay?” Jinho asked. And as always, I put on a nice smile and said “yeah, all good.” And I hated myself for that.

-|-

“What is that?” He asked curiously. I didn’t know he was still at home. I wanted to put the box back under the bed as soon as possible but it was too late he saw it.

“Oh this? It is just something stupid. It is not important. Did you leave something here?”

“Yeah, I left my phone on the charger. But don’t change the topic. It must be something important if you were staring at it so dearly.”

“Oh no. You misunderstood.”

“Okay, enough of this. What’s that? Do you have something to hide from me?” And even though he didn’t say this in an offended way there was edge in his voice.

“It’s your birthday gift.”

“My birthday gift?”

“Yeah.” I knew this couldn’t work. But I couldn’t come up with a real acceptable reason.

“It was last month. And procrastination is your middle name so it can’t be for my next one, I am not buying this. So, what is that?”

“I will bring this back okay? I don’t know why I bought this. I must have lost my mind. I just …”

“Oh show me finally.” And before I could give him the box he took it out of my hands.

“You must be kidding me, right?” He asked after 3 minutes of torturing silence.

“Look I am sorry. I know we should be saving money and …. but I can ask for refund and also…”

“You created such a big scene just because of this?” And he was laughing. He was LAUGHING!

“What? Aren’t you mad?”

“Why would I be? Should I?”

“Oh… yeah. I mean no. No. I just thought… I just…”

“You thought I would be upset to found out that my girlfriend is secretly buying a pair of high-heels for herself to feel pretty? I am getting more upset now that I know you felt like you should hide this. Also, why did you think I didn’t want to see your pretty legs in this? I thought you knew me better. If that’s all I am off for work. Bye babe see you in the afternoon.” And he gave me a light kiss on my forehead. And I felt on my skin he was smiling. “And I hope next time I see you, you’ll be wearing these.” And he casually left the room.

I made a fool out of myself. I really thought he would be offended by this. I mean it wasn’t a big deal to give up on high-heels. They weren’t very comfortable anyway and we really had to save money. But I was young and for the first time in my life I felt getting more feminine. Maybe I was already but this time I started to realize.

I thought it was selfish of me having these secret desires to put on a bit tighter clothes and wore high-heels especially when he is not really taller than me, but after having this conversation I was even more encouraged. I knew he didn’t have problems with it and that was all that mattered. I was happily tiptoeing to the office. My colleagues even complimented me.

The girls were jealous for having those nice shaped legs, and the boys… let’s not talk about them. If you think they will become serious once they grow up… Well friend you are totally mistaken. Boys will be boys. But they didn’t cross the line, in their own way they complimented me as well. And I felt confident and happy. All thanks to my sweet boyfriend whom I could always rely on.

I was in a really good mood until the point I let some idiots ruin my day. I couldn’t say they ruined it. I was the one let them do it. I just wish I never overheard their conversation.

“I was wondering why she is never coming to the year-end parties but now I see. The company is not yet prepared for those legs.”

“That was a good one bro. But they say she is just staying home all the time with that hopeless guy. I feel sorry for her to have such a boyfriend.”

“What really? Why aren’t they coming together?”

“Another rumor says it the guy is a dwarf. So, she is rather staying home with him.”

“Wow. How do you know so many things?”

“Resources…”

“Which girl then?”

“The blondie in the red jeans.”

“Mmmmmh.”

“Stop it she is mine.”

“Until when?”

“Tonight. Then you can have her.”

“You are disgusting man. Well done.” And they laughed.

“Ah but that sweetie. I really feel sorry for her. Having that boyfriend can be very burdensome.”

“Oh yeah. If I was her boyfriend, I would make sure she feels good in every situation.”

“You mean every position.”

“Exactly.” And they laughed again. “You know me so well.”

I felt dirty. It’s not like they did anything specific to me. They were just fantasizing. But I felt fucking dirty in that moment. I wanted to erase this conversation from my head but instead I heard their words repeatedly in my head.

I heard my shoes making that irritating sound on the street while I was going home. With every step I felt smaller and smaller. I regretted wearing that stupid high-heel… So as soon as I arrived home I put them back in their box cleaned, ready to bring them back to the shop. I would want to throw them away instantly but then suddenly I thought about Jinho.

We need to spare money. He needs to buy some nice clothes for the next audition. And also, we barely manage to pay the bills since I just started studying in the med school and next to collage it is quite hard to work. Sometimes I thought maybe I should just quit dreaming about becoming a doctor but there was a senior doc, my supervisor who inspired me a lot. Last month he helped that well-known celebrity couple. He said the lady had some complications while she was giving birth to their little girl but the doctor helped them and finally the little Daisy was born healthy. Some of my fellow classmates said he even resembles Jinho…. I don’t know why.

Talking about Jinho, he was quite clueless when he found me eating the third bowl of ice cream and watching Lovely Complex.

“You are still watching this?”

“Anime is not only for kids. And well I’ve just become an adult anyway, meaning I am still a kid. Let me be. Oh and if you go to the kitchen can you bring me the last Ben & Jerry’s? I know I shouldn’t be buying these but I just felt like having a pajama party on my own. Thanks babe. ”

“Look.” And he sat down next to me and slowly took away the Ben and Jerry’s from my hands to put it on the table. “Can we talk about today morning?”

“Sure. But what is there to talk about?”

“I hate it when you act like this. And the funny thing is that you know I do.” He smiled bitterly. I was aware of it. None of us were stupid. Well… we both were very clever to be honest. When I acted silly it was either out of fun or I was trying to hide something. Just like now.

“Okay. Sorry.”

“I feel like you are kind of disappointed in me. And I just wanted to let you know and thank you for enduring all these days and months together with me. I know that even if you don’t tell me that it is hard to tell your parents that I still didn’t make it.”

“Jinho it’s not your fault.”

“That is showbiz, I know. The only thing that hurts me is that when I started this utterly long and unpredictable journey, it was me and only me. But since then we found each other, and me failing all the time is not only an individual concern. We are a team. And I am not a good team mate. You just graduated and want to become a doctor. And I should support you.”

“Jinho you’ve already done so much for me, you can’t even imagine. And you do every single day. Even today. So, don’t just please don’t say you don’t support me, when you support me the most.”

“But then what’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“Even after so many years I’ve never met your colleagues and I hardly ever meet your dad. I know you are working part-time and you are tired from doing college and your job at the same time but these parties could help you relieve stress a bit.”

“I don’t want you to meet those idiots.” And well, this was true. Not only because they would make a joke out of us, but after today I was kind of ashamed of working with those bastards.

“But I guess not all of them- oh what’s this? I am sorry babe but I need to pick this up, we will catch up on this okay?”

A producer called him. Or should I say the producer? The one who just became a dad. The one whose wife gave birth to the little Daisy in our hospital with the help of my professor. That producer. I was insanely happy. Finally, good news. I couldn’t bear anything bad any longer. But the worst was yet to come.

-|-

We were walking hand in hand on the streets. Finally, a promising audition. It was on Saturday so I could go with him to the company and show some support as I should. Once the audition was over Jinho shook hands with the producer. I could imagine them working together. I even found cute how they were both quite small.

Jinho said they would contact him later, but he had a good feeling about finally making it. I was so happy. I’ve never saw him so hopeful after an audition. When we were leaving the company there were six model like people nearing us. I was sure they just walked out of Vogue. The two most likely European girls alongside the four men suited each other very well. But not all the boys were Korean. One boy’s appearance shouted “Shanghai Prince” the other’s “Nagano Prince” but don’t ask me why. I just had this feeling.

I don’t know how Jinho felt but I was in awe. They looked stunning. Flawlessly chitchatting about a Flower Shop in the nearby. I always thought models have other topics to talk about. Well the owner of that shop must have done something very well then to become a hot topic.

“They were cool right?” He asked suddenly.

“Yeah.”

“Just wait a little longer. I will become one of them anytime soon.”

“I know.”

And I really knew that he would succeed. He was supposed to be a singer. I even imagined myself becoming his manager. I loved helping people. And I was determined about med school, but for him I could have given up on it. I knew with his music he may be curing more people in his life than me as a doctor. So after all our goal was the same.

As we were nearing home familiar faces were getting closer. The two guys that bullied me in high school. They always had something against me. If I had red nails I was a slut if I wore a turtleneck they called me a nun. They ate my lunch, stole my notebooks etc. Same old thing. Bullies are so uncreative.

“Oh hi dear. Long time no see.”

“Hi guys.” And I started to panic but wanted to grab Jinho’s hand and leave as soon as possible.

“Hey its Saturday, why such a hurry? Knowing you, you don’t have any plans or invitations, do you?”

“I am sorry boys, but we will be leaving.” Jinho said firmly.

“Oh, did you see someone? I heard a voice but I don’t know where it comes from.” One of them said.

“I don’t know man. Maybe our favorite girl can tell us.” And now they were both looking at me challengingly.

“You guys are still not tired of the same old shit, are you?” I asked with a bored face but deep inside I was startled. I hated seeing them again, I hated the fact that even after graduation they can do this to me and Jinho as well.

“Same old shit? Look at you. Are you talking about yourself?”

“It was enough. Get lost.” Jinho said again.

“It is strange I keep on hearing things but I don’t see anyone.” One said.

“Poor girl. You should have higher expectations. Are should I say taller?” The other added. And they laughed. I was about to cry. Why is this happening to us, when finally, things seemed to become better.

“Is he the best you could end up with? Oh god your still so low-class as you used to be… or is he not your boyfriend? Correct me if I misunderstood.”

And that was when I fucked up. I didn’t say anything. I hesitated. There were no good answers. I knew them so well, no matter what I was about to say, they would turn it against me. But even that should have been better than this.

“I am sorry guys, but if that’s the problem, I can tell you we are not together. Look at her. Is she someone to mess around someone like me? Definitely no. She is better than that. She has a taller, funnier and richer guy next to her. He has just entered that building at the end of the corner. I guess you both know which building I am referring to.”

“Is that true?” They asked at the same time.

It was our only chance to finally escape from this nightmare situation. They could stop us if they wanted any time. We were both too small to resist if they were up to something.

“Yeah, that’s right. He works there.”

And as if the curse was broken, they nodded with respect and were no longer blocking our way.

“If that’s the case, we are sorry about what we said. We knew you are going to make it. And who is that lucky guy? Yanan? Shinwon? Yuto? No waaaay. Oh my god are you dating Jung Wooseok?”

I had no clue what they were talking about, but I had this gut feeling that my dear ex-classmates became fanboys throughout the years. FANBOYS! It was ridiculous. I couldn’t help but smile out of embarrassment.

“I am sorry, but you also know that we should respect the artist’s privacy. I cannot say more.”

“Okay, so its Wooseok. Oh my god. He is a legend. Could you please get his autograph?”

“I am sorry but we should get going. Jinho has- wait… Jinho?”

“Oh the small guy? He left couple of minutes ago when it turned out you are dating Wooseok. Is he jealous by the way? He might have some feelings for you. But don’t mind him girl. You are dating the great Jung Wooseok. What else can a person ask for?”

For a forgiving boyfriend I guess. I left these two idiots there and I started to run after Jinho as fast as I could. Did he say he is leaving I just didn’t notice? Was he upset? Did he leave something at the audition? I called him several times but I couldn’t reach him. After going back to the company and checking the possible places where we were that day I decided to finally go home. I just hoped he would be there.

-|-

He was at home. And he didn’t seem upset. He told me to take a shower after this tiring day. It was his tiring day though. If only I had the audition today.

We spent the afternoon calmly he was practicing and I watched a movie. The male protagonist kinda resembled the divorce lawyer’s trainee. Yang Hongseok. And wait a second, he is at the same agency where Jinho had the audition. Nice. I was so happy and excited I really hoped they will call him back with good news.

Jinho was practicing for hours. He only did this when he was determined and wanted to prove himself before an upcoming audition or when he was hurt. I started to have a bad feeling. There isn’t any upcoming audition. Shit.

I prepared some nice food and I cautiously knocked on his door to tell him we can have dinner. He didn’t seem angry or anything he just casually nodded and we started to eat.

“About today… thank you for saving me. These two were always bullying me and if you weren’t next to me today I might have ended up crying and hurt again.”

“At least YOU are not hurt.” And the way he said ‘you’ was different.

After minutes of awkward silence he thanked for the food and was on his way to go back practicing.

“Wait Jinho.”

“Yeah?” He asked indifferently.

And I couldn’t ask what I wanted.

“There is dessert for you in the fridge.”

“For me? Aww. That’s nice. I thought it is for someone else. Maybe for Jung Wooseok.”

Bingo. I knew something was fishy…

“I don’t even know who that guy is. And you are well aware of this. Look, I know those two are disgusting and resentful but it was you who stopped them. It was thanks to your made up story that they finally stopped.”

“Oh right. You are so right. What if we just pretend not dating anymore? Maybe it will solve other worries too?!”

“What? Do you want to break up?”

And I saw that he kinda froze at this question. He didn’t mean it. But if he was mentioning break up he must have been hurt for real.

“No. Of course not. This is why I was kind of avoiding you. I wanted to talk about this when I have calmed down. But fine since it’s out it can’t be helped.”

I was getting nervous. The thought of losing him was more than painful. I didn’t want to live without him. I couldn’t live without him.

“I always thought we are a great team. Even if there are things we should work on we were always open about concerns and we solved the problems together. But I am worried this situation right now is not something we can change even if we work together.”

“We can solve everything together, okay? I want to solve it. Jinho please. I understand and realize that I must have hurt you with my words. And I am so sorry about that. I never wanted to hurt you. I should have told them the truth.”

“Do you know how much happier you looked when I said you are dating this illusionary taller, funnier and richer guy? Do you realize how relieved you were when they showed you respect for dating an idol? Do you get it finally? I love you so incredibly. But this is me. Only this much. I cannot give you more. I am working hard to get there. I might be there someday. But it won’t change facts. I am Jo Jinho, I am 5.6. I don't look like a model. I don’t have money. But I love you. That’s all I can give. But I am not sure it is enough. I am no longer sure I can give you the things you need. I am not sure what I can give you is the same as you want me to give you.”

“What?”

Is this really how I behaved? Is this really how I made him feel?

“I am not saying we should break up, but I am asking you to reconsider what you want from me and from this relationship. I want you to be honest. I promise you even if you say ‘I am sorry but I only date guys above 5.8’ it will hurt and I will be broken, but I will accept it. As long as I know you made the right choice in order to be with someone who can make you happy, I will accept your decision.”

“No Jinho. You totally misunderstood. I don’t want to date anybody else. Who cares about those stupid inches?”

“You. It was only you. Always. Did you ever hear me complaining about it? This might sound cruel but I learned to accept myself and love myself in this way. And it was a hard and long journey. I won’t pretend it is only about you. I don’t want to lose this confidence. I don’t want to become that insecure man I was before. But you make me feel like someone who needs to be protected, someone who should be hidden. I don’t want to feel like this.”

“I never wanted to hurt you.” I said while my tears were falling.

“I know you never did. It was unintentional. But you’ve hurt me. I just want you to realize a lot of things can be improved and changed, but my height is not something I can modify. Please just think about it. If you still want me this way, just let me know. I would be happy to stay together.”

And he left me there. I would want to hug somebody, and I needed his presence but, I was kind of glad he didn’t see my ugly crying face.

He was so damn right. And I could totally understand the way he felt. If you love someone you shouldn’t make them feel like trash. And it was always and only me who had those concerns. The rumors spread by the colleagues and my dad’s stupid words. I am not sure how I really felt. Maybe I was just influenced by them but I was worried I might have cared too much about his height.

Everything was up to me now. He was waiting for my answer. Even after I hurt him so bad, he didn’t want to break up. It was up to me to choose an average life with a divorce lawyer’s trainee type of guy, or choose a different type of life with him. A life with Jo Jinho.

-|-

We’ve slept separately. It was better this way. I was suffering alone but it just made me realize how much I needed his presence, how much I wanted to see his face when I woke up and how badly I wanted to feel his arms wrapped around me.

I prepared a nice breakfast. I wanted to clear things as soon as possible, but food is important too. Kids, don’t forget to eat breakfast!

“Hi! Good morning!”

“Good morning! Wow. So many nice dishes. Is this a compensation?”

“It’s an ‘I am sorry for being a bad girlfriend’.”

“Oh thank god it’s not an ‘I am sorry for breaking up with you’.” He said with a smile. But I couldn’t laugh at it. I know he was hurt. And him trying to make a joke out of it meant that he was hurt more than he showed.

“I am not gonna leave you Jinho.”

“I am sorry I didn’t mean it.”

“Look. I… I… messed up okay? I understand that even if I had good intentions I’ve hurt your feelings. But I think we can solve this too. I wanted to say thank you for finally saying what I should have heard. The thing is that you were right. I was the one obsessed with your height. And the saddest is that not specifically because of you. I thought if I am almost as tall as you I can not be a fragile, small woman. I wanted to be smaller, I wanted to be the one who needs to be protected. And I couldn’t accept myself in this way. I didn’t see me the way I wanted.”

“I wish you would see yourself with my eyes just to understand how beautiful you are.”

“I am sorry to make you feel bad when I was the one who couldn’t love myself. If you could help me to accept myself as you did back then, I think we would be able to stay together. And if you still love me I wouldn’t want anything more than this. I want nothing less and nothing more than you, Jo Jinho.”

-|-

Magic Bra. I was raising my eyebrows. Did she really make a successful business with such a company name? But when I checked on the internet the reviews were praising her insanely.

Lucy_1127 wrote: I was invisible before. But when my longtime best friend saw me in this red bra, he finally realized we were supposed to be together. I love this bra. It is indeed magical. My only regret is that it is more times on the floor than on me. (Moderators please don’t erase my comment *begs*)

Hoetaekie828 wrote: when the owner told me that this lingerie has magical power I was sceptic. I am 27 you know. I don’t believe in fairytales anymore. But when I saw her (my back then best friend now girlfriend)... Wow! She was indeed a beautiful princess from a fairytale. Since than I couldn’t thank the owner lady enough. We are regulars at the shop. I totally recommend it for couples, and for those friends who are shy to admit the truth.

Jinho didn’t tell me why I got this. He just told me this is a gift from him to me and also a part of our therapy. We didn’t apply for real therapy. But we agreed to rebuild our trust and change things. As a first step he told me to wear these. I was kind of surprised. Jinho wasn’t really a shy type but we were both so stressed recently, having a time dedicated to ourselves was so rare like a leap year.

When I put on the ‘magic bra’ I checked myself in the mirror. I wasn’t totally satisfied but I looked so different in these. I finally saw someone who is brave and confident. For the first time I thought if I work a bit harder, not only on my body and carrier but on my behavior and inner values, I might become someone who is worth of Jinho’s love. I really hoped so.

“Okay, so where is my lovely and concerned girlfriend who cannot see herself as a fragile, feminine woman? Because I only see a stunning, confident lady here. I am sorry miss, but even if it is so hard to send you off I will have to ask you to leave because I already have someone closed in my heart.” He said when he suddenly appeared behind my back. Our eyes met in the mirror.

“Oh is that so? That’s a shame then. Are you sure she wouldn’t allow this one? As long as you are happy I think she wouldn’t mind it.”

“Do you think so? Am I that kind of lucky guy? Well… let me see.” And he is seductive gaze was wandering all over my body. “No. I cannot do that to her I am sorry.”

“Why not? Is she so nice?”

“Yeah. She is a precious someone to me. And I promised something to myself. I wanted to show her how beautiful she is. I need to keep that promise. So even if your affair offer is very tempting I have to say no.”

“What a pity. I think she doesn’t even know how lucky she is… Is she more beautiful than me? That can’t be true. Mister you must be lying.”

“No, I am not. I love her and she is beautiful. What if I prove you?”

“Fine. If you prove me than I’ll be leaving and won’t seduce you. If you don’t prove me you’ll have to have an affair with me.”

“Okay.”

“So, how will you prove me?”

“Just look at yourself in the mirror.”

And even if I was confident pretending to be another lady for fun looking at myself in the mirror while he was watching me from behind was kind of embarrassing.

“You know my girlfriend is a bit insecure and even if I tell her she won’t trust me when I say she is beautiful. You have some similarities. You both are stubborn and don’t trust my words… bad girls…”

And I couldn’t help but laugh a bit. He was cute. I was grateful. And I loved him incredibly.

“So, for example if I would say I love how she puts her hair behind her ears she would be like: but it is nothing special.”

And as he said it he put my hair behind my ears and put a soft kiss on my neck. And then looked back at me in the mirror. And I started to get the taste of this whole thing. He was so freaking hot. He decided to show me how he loved each and every part of my body. He put soft kisses on my shoulders and wrapped his arms around my waist without taking his eyes off of me. And this excited me. For the first time I realized it was really not about being small or tall, fragile or not. He loved me and I loved him back. And we were perfect for each other just the way we were.

-|-

“Sorry but could you please go to the hall? Someone passed out. Oh god these fans these days…”

“Sure, I’ll be there in a sec.”

It wasn’t the first time in this week. Fans were crazy about him. And it was good to see that he finally received this much of love after working hard for his dream for the past years.

“I am here. How can I help? Where is the patient?”

“He is here.”

“You two?” I asked a bit shocked.

“Oh! Our favorite girl. Please save him!” Member 1 of the bully duo said. I am sorry but after what they’ve done to me throughout these years I don’t bother calling them on their names…

I just gave him first aid and after he woke up I made sure he is fine.

“You’ll be fine now.”

“Oh my goodness. Thank you. You saved him.”

“You saved me. Thank you. I have never thought one day you’ll be saving my life.”

“Trust me, this is not something I’ve expected either. But what are you two doing here?”

“We are fans!”

“I am sorry to let you down but Wooseok is not present today. This is Jinho’s solo concert…” I said a bit offended.

“Silly. We knooow. We came to support him.” They said.

“Oh, if that’s the case… I am glad. I think he would be happy to see your faces. But promise me you won’t faint in front of him okay?”

“Yes doctor!”

“Good.”

“Also… we are sorry… for everything.”

And I just nodded. I was happy that they apologized even if it happened after so many years later. But in a way I was happy that we met them on that day. I guess I needed to meet them to realize being critical about beauty is just so unnecessary. Beauty is so subjective, and is not only about visuals and heights. And when I looked back on Jinho talking happily with his fans signing the albums, I knew that in my eyes he was the most beautiful person, and nothing else mattered.

#jo jinho #pentagon angst #pentagon #petnagon jinho #happy jinho day #pentagon fanfic #pentagon fanfiction

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dillydedalus · 3 years

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april reading

oh yeah this is a thing. anyway in april i read about uhhh.... first contact (twice), murderers on skis & victorian church politics

the yield, tara june winch a novel about indigenous australian identity and history (now and throughout the 20th century) in three narrative strands. imo the narrative strand that consists of a grandfather writing a dictionary of his language (wiradjuri) in order to prove a claim to some land is by far the strongest, but overall i liked this quite a lot. 3/5

land of big numbers, te-ping chen a solid short story collection focused on modern china and young(ish) chinese people, both in china and the diaspora. i particularly liked the stories that had some slighty surreal or speculative elements, such as one about fruit that strongly evoke emotions when eaten and a group of people stuck in a train station for months as the train is delayed, which imo use their speculative aspects in effective (if not super subtle) ways to talk about society. 3/5

the pear field, nana ekvtimishvili (tr. from georgian by elizabeth heighway) international booker prize longlist! a short, fairly depressing read about a 18-year-old girl at a post-soviet school for developmentally disabled childred (but also orphans, abandoned children & other random kids) who is trying to get a younger boy adopted by an american couple. there seem to be a lot of novels set at post-soviet orphanages etc & imo this is a well-executed example of the microgenre, with the pear field full of pears that are never picked bc they don’t taste right as a strong central image. 3/5

the warden, anthony trollope (chronicles of barsetshire #1) ah yes, a 6-part victorian series about church politics in an english town, exactly the kind of thing i’m interested in. not sure why i committed to at least the first two entries of the series but here we are. despite this lack of interest (and disagreement with most of the politics on display here) i found this quite charming; trollope has a gift for an amusing turn of phrase & making fun of his characters in benevolent ways. 3/5

the lesson, cadwell turnbull first contact scifi novel set on the virgin islands, where an alien ship arrives one day. the aliens seem benevolent & share helpful technology, but also react with extreme violence to any aggression. they claim to be on earth to study.... something, but it’s never entirely clear what. the book makes some interesting choices (like immediately skipping over the actual first contact to a few years in the future, when the aliens are already established on the islands) but i thought much of it was kinda disjointed and confusing. 2/5

the heart is a lonely hunter, carson mccullers look, i get it, it’s all about the isolation & alienation (& dare i say loneliness) of 4 miserable characters projecting their issues on the central character singer, who is kind and patient and also deaf and mute, thus making him the perfect receptacle for their issues without really having to connect with him as a person and how that isolation hinders them socially, artistically, emotionally, politically, but like... i didn’t really like it. i didn’t hate it but i just felt very meh about it all. 2.5/5

acht tage im mai: die letzte woche des dritten reiches, volker ulrich fascinating history book about the last week(ish) of the third reich, starting with the day of hitler’s suicide and ending with the total surrender (but with plenty of flashbacks and forwards), and looking at military&political leadership (german and allied) as well as prisoners of war, forced laborers, concentration camp prisoners, and everyone else. very interesting look at what kästner described as the “gap between the not-anymore and the not-yet.” 3.5/5

firekeeper’s daughter, angeline boulley) i’ve been mostly off the YA train for the last few years, but this was a really good example of contemporary YA with a focus on ~social issues. ANYWAY. this is YA crime novel about daunis, a mixed-race unenrolled ojibwe girl close to finishing high school who is struggling with family problems, university plans, and feeling caught between her white and her native familiy when her best friend is shot in front of her and she decides to become a CI for an fbi investigation into meth production in the community. i really appreciated how hard this went both with the broader social issues (racism, addiction) and daunis’ personal struggles. there are a few bits that felt a bit didactic & on the nose (and the romance... oh well), but overall the themes of community, family, and the value of living indigenous culture are really well done & i teared up several times. 4/5

the magic toyshop, angela carter i love carter’s short stories but struggle with (while still liking) her novels so far. this one, a tale of melanie, suddenly orphaned after trying on her mother’s wedding dress in the garden, coming of age and awakening to womanhood or whatever. carter’s really into that. it’s well-written, sensual as carter always is, and the family melanie and her siblings are sent to, her tyrannical puppet-maker uncle, his mute wife and the wife’s two brothers, both fascinating and offputting (& dirty) make for an interesting cast of characters, but overall i just wish i was reading the bloody chamber again. 3/5

barchester towers, anthony trollope (chronicles of barsetshire #2) (audio) lol tbh i still don’t know why i am committing to this series about, again, church politics in 19th century rural england, but it’s just so chill & warm & funny (we love gently or not so gently - but always politely - mocking our characters) that i’m enjoying it as a nice little trip where people do some #crazyschemes to gain church positions or fight over whether there should be songs in church or whatever it is people in the 19th century fought about. it’s very relaxing. there also is a lot of love quadrangleyness going on and that’s also fun. trollope has weird ideas about women but like whatever, i for one wish mrs proudie much joy of her position as defacto bishop of barchester, she really girlbossed her way to the top. 3.5/5

semiosis, sue burke (semiosis #1) i love spinning the wheel on the “first contact with X weird alien species” & i guess this time we landed on plants! plant intelligence is interesting and the idea of plant warfare is really cool. i do like the structure, with different generations of human settlers on the planet pax providing a long-term view but this allows the author to skip over a lot of the development of the relationship between the settlers and the plant and locating the plot elsewhere, which i think is ultimately a mistake. i might continue w/ the series tho, depending on library availability. 2.5/5

one by one, ruth ware a bunch of start-up people go on a corporate retreat to a ski chalet in the alps, avalanche warning goes up, one of them disappears, presumably on a black piste, the rest get snowed in & completely cut off when the avalanche hits and then they get picked off *title drop* (altho really not that many of them). nice fluff when i had a miserable cold (not covid) but fails when it tries to go for deeper themes... like an attempt to address classism and entitlement sure... was made. also like what kind of luxury skiing chalet does not have emergency communication devices in case internet/phone lines are down... i’d have sued just for that. 2/5

fake accounts, lauren oyler the microgenre of ‘alienated intellectual(ish) probably anglophone person has some sort of crisis, goes to berlin about it’ is my ultimate literary weakness - i almost never really like them, they mostly irritate me & yet i can never resist their siren call. this one is p strong on the irritation, altho at least the narrator does not ascribe much meaning to her decision to go to berlin after she a) discovers her boyf is an online conspiracy theorist (probably not sincerely) and b) gets a call that said boyf has died, it’s really just something to do to avoid doing anything else. but other than that it’s so BerlinExpat by the numbers, like she lives in kreuzkölln! put her somewhere else at least! there is one scene that elevates the BerlinExpat-ness of it all (narrator asks expatfriend for advice on visa applications, expatfriend assures her that it’s really easy for americans to get visa, adds “especially now” while literally, as the narrator remarks, gesturing at the falafel she’s eating) other than that, the novel is.... fine. it’s smart, but not really as smart as it thinks it is, which is a problem bc it thinks it’s just sooo incisive. whatever. 2/5

the tenant of wildfell hall, anne bronte this is reductive but: jane eyre: i could fix him // wuthering heights: i could make him worse // wildfell hall: lmao i’m gonna leave his ass anyway i enjoyed the part that is actually narrated by the titular tenant of wildfell hall, helen (which thankfully, i think, is most of it) because the perspective of a woman who runs away from her abusive alcoholic of a husband is genuinely interesting and engaging, while gilbert, the frame story narrator who falls in love with helen, is.... the worst. i mean he’s not the worst bc the abusive husband arthur is there and hard to beat in terms of worseness, but he’s pretty fucking bad. imagine if helen had found out that gilbert attacked her secret brother over a misunderstanding, severely injured him & LEFT HIM TO DIE & then (when dude survived & the misunderstanding got cleared up) apologised like well i guess i didn’t treat you quite right! she’d have to run away from her second husband as well! poor girl. 3/5

#the books i read #long post #lol i keep forgetting to finish & post these #anyway gilbert fucking sucks! like his name is gilbert you can do better helen

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mypinkchapter · 5 years

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Top 3 Favorites.

Hi friends! I am feeling so thankful because we can now count on ONE HAND how many treatments I have left... FIVE more weeks/rounds to go!!! Praise Jesus! I feel great! #happydance

In the perfect timing that comes only from the Lord, our women's ministry began a new fall Bible study over the book of Job by Lisa Harper; it is a seven week study & when we started up, I had seven weeks of chemo left! How sweet to wrap up these chemo rounds studying a book about finding unlikely joy in the midst of suffering... suffering that isn't even comprehend-able for me. My suffering in comparison to Job's is literally a drop in a bucket.

With that in mind daily & with the excitement of seeing even more slivers of light at the end of this tunnel, edging closer, I thought it would be fun to reflect on my favorite parts of cancer. Yes -- favorite! In such a crazy turn of events from the diagnosis in April, as we carry on now, this has been such an incredible blessing. I fully believe gratefulness in the midst of the journey has been a huge part of my healing. So, without further ado: lists of my top 3 favorites, cancer edition!

Top 3 favorite: head coverings

Nothing. Way more people than I would have originally wanted have seen my bald head because hello, it's been a hot Arkansas summer, & I actually like showing off my teeny tiny hair growth to anyone who wants to see!

Baseball caps -- in particular my simple breast cancer baseball cap that was a gift from my bestie, Natalie. Pretty sure I wear it at least 3-4 days of the week, but it's neat how many conversations that one hat has sparked because it answers the pressing question everyone has when they notice my bald head, wondering what cancer I have. So many new survivor friends now!

Multicolor/turquoise scarf from my fellow breastie, Savanah. This was her favorite headwrap during her journey & I think she seasoned it up just perfectly for me because it is truly the only headwrap I feel comfortable/happy in. It's like the scarf just knows how to make a bald girl feel a little better! ;)

Top 3 favorite: perks of having a bald (but really now a "fuzzy") head

I can get ready in under 10 minutes!

I walk out of the shower & have dry hair in quite literally no time.

Back in the day, straightening my hair was no simple task & I certainly don't miss all that time in front of a mirror, but I also can't wait for the day I get to turn my straightener back on! #lovehaterelationship

Top 3 favorite: things about the St. B's Cancer Center

My NURSES... unbelievably precious humans that I actually get excited to see weekly. I am so blessed to have our sweet Aunt Sandra looking out for me like no other; she loves like I'm her own & has been the absolute best caretaker. Plus, so many other sweet folks have brightened my days & have taken top-notch care of me. I don't want to forget their names one day -- Mandy, Jyl, Mr. Jack, Tasha, & such a kind volunteer, Ms. Dorothy.

I've had a wonderful oncologist, Dr. Durrani, but my PA, Callie, is someone I have grown to think of as a friend -- she's just a friend that talks cancer with me! And fun fact: we're only four days apart, so to have someone relate-able & my age walking with me through this has been quite the comfort.

The hours spent in those recliners inside the infusion room have been truly priceless. I have cherished conversations with my “chemo buddies” each week. Between my husband, Mom, Dad, & Gran (plus a few new chemo buddies coming up in my last few rounds!), I have loved the catch-up sessions with those I love the most!

Top 3 favorite: things about my Riverside family since diagnosis

My kids. Cancer or no cancer, I love my kids. The love, compassion, & respect has been unmatched by both my Jr. High & Sr. High students. The world could use way more kids like the ones I am honored to teach.

The family I work with on the daily. Something that many don't know is the fact that the sweet, sweet faculty & staff have all been providing dinners three nights a week for my family. Three nights a week, y'all. There is a care calendar in place where we have been provided for since the beginning of the school year until my treatments wrap up in early October. How humbling to have so many people spend time & effort to lovingly prepare a meal or provide a gift card to make our lives easier... I will never forget the generosity & support shown by those I am blessed to work alongside.

Mr. Priest, Mr. Ziegler, Mr. Durham, & Mrs. Priest -- my administration has gone above & beyond with their support. There hasn't been a moment when I had to put my health on the back burner; they have been so encouraging & willing to stand in the gap for me to ensure I can be back to 100% when I am ready & able.

Top 3 favorite: Scriptures since diagnosis

My go-to & the reference on my Team Erin bracelets: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

This past Wednesday night, a sweet friend, Nicole Arbuckle, prayed Psalm 57 over our Bible study & gracious, it was good... so good. I loved verse 1, "Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me, for I take refuge in you. I will seek refuge in the shadow of your wings until danger passes."

Top 3 favorite: funny moments since diagnosis

Meeting Chris Harrison at the FedEx St. Jude Classic & he thought I was a St. Jude patient. I told him that aged me backwards 10+ years so I would gladly take that "compliment" of sorts!

Elly holds onto my head & we both giggle when she does as I get her dressed in the mornings. :)

Ryan cracks jokes about my bald head & people legitimately have no idea how to react! Example: "Oh yeah, last time you met her she probably had hair but she definitely doesn't now!" *cue awkward laughter* So funny every time!

Top 3 favorite: lessons learned since diagnosis

Embrace the spontaneity. Random ice cream runs with Elly & Ryan. Living in the moment & not fretting so much over what's next, whether that be a big life change or just a simple monkey wrench thrown in an evening plan. Texting your best friend at 2pm that the Backstreet Boys are in town that night & somehow making the arrangement to go & dance way past your bedtime at the very last minute. Modifying & adjusting in the classroom, on the spot, because lesson plans aren't realistic every single day. Y'all, this idea of spontaneity just never came natural & not to say I'm so great at it now, but I sure am learning that some of the sweetest/best memories live in the unplanned moments.

Trust Jesus. He is good. He has a plan that rivals no other plan I could make for myself. Know that every single moment in stormy seasons is worth it, is purposeful, & I pray will be used to glorify Him. There is NO way I could walk this walk without Jesus living in me & walking in-step with me.

Savor the days. I have spent 28 years of life truly sweating the small stuff, as the cliché goes. Cancer sure knows how to strip that away & has served as a reminder these past five months that time is far too short & fleeting to waste my days. This has been the greatest perspective shift I could have ever hoped for & never knew I needed. Gratitude has truly washed over me & fortunately, I will never be the same.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song." Psalm 28:7

All my love from my pink chapter, Erin

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barbosaasouza · 6 years

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Nintendo Labo: Genius or Insanity?

The French have a saying: Les extremes se touchent. It’s a way of saying that things so far out on either side of a spectrum might actually have some overlap. Some of the world’s brightest minds throughout history, for example, have had a touch of madness. Perhaps some of Nintendo’s designers have this trait too. Innovation requires unique thinking. Nintendo’s newest innovation, Labo, is a series of cardboard construction kits that interact with the Switch platform. And frankly, it feels so mad, that maybe it’s brilliant.

As Nintendo describes it, Labo “combines the magic of the Nintendo Switch system with the fun of DIY creations.” It draws on the appeal of building blocks like Lego as well as the Switch itself, which has already sold well over 14 million units worldwide. Nintendo will begin by selling a Variety Kit and a Robot Kit on April 20th, for $69.99 and $79.99, respectively.

Reactions to the Labo announcement a few months ago were, unsurprisingly, polarizing. Some took to social media to lavish praise on Nintendo for doing something truly creative, something that no other major company in the business would even dare to attempt. Others bemoaned the fact that Nintendo is charging people 80 bucks for pieces of pre-cut cardboard.

Nintendo’s product track record is certainly not flawless (Virtual Boy, Wii U anyone?) but if the house of Mario can legitimately sell cardboard pieces at those prices, it’s hard not to think of it as genius. The margins are going to be substantially better.

As Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter explained, "The only costs are design (R&D) and marketing. My guess is that R&D is very low, but marketing is around the same as for any other games. So the difference in profits is the difference in R&D spending. That is likely $50 - $80 million total. If they sell 10 million Labo [units], the profit per unit will be $5 - $8 higher than a conventional game."

The announcement and pending launch also serve to fill a marketing gap for the Switch, which is coming off the stupendous release of Super Mario Odyssey last holiday but doesn’t have any major first-party titles on the immediate horizon.

“Labo is a great and novel product that fits well with Nintendo's history and its penchant for coming up with cool accessories,” Joost van Dreunen, CEO of SuperData Research told me. “Its key value currently is to boost the marketing effort for the Switch. Releasing the Labo footage unexpectedly bought Nintendo a lot of traction on social media, which is clearly a critical component to its overall marketing strategy. By continuing to feed its fanbase, Nintendo keeps its core offering top of mind.”

That said, the analyst was unsure “whether people will buy it en masse and whether it will have a life-cycle beyond a few weeks of novelty before it ends up on a shelf much less relevant.”

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Predictions aside, Nintendo Labo is already a hit with one important crowd: creatives. The bulk of the developers I spoke to about the cardboard kits expressed genuine enthusiasm.

“There's something about building the toys you play with that I'm sure will reach a broad audience,” said Jean-François Major, co-founder at Tribute Games, which has released the Contra-like 2D action title Mercenary Kings Reloaded on Switch and other platforms.

“With games like Minecraft, we've proven people are open to non traditional and linear experiences. However, the Labo games will need to be as creative as the cardboard construction.”

Klaus Lyngeled, CEO of Zoink, which just released the platformer Fe, is equally enthused.

“I think it’s an amazingly creative idea,” he said. “I personally really love games that also are toys. A few years back we developed a plush toy for the Wii called WeeWaa. It was a real passion project for me. My kids were quite young then and both played a lot of games and with their plush toys, so I created this cute little character that could eat the Wiimote, and when you moved WeeWaa he would react accordingly on screen.

“As we designed the game we explored lots of ways to use the accelerometer and IR camera and I can really see how Labo is being very creative with all these features.”

Mike Wilson, co-founder of both Devolver Digital and Good Shepherd, has gotten to know a wide array of developers over the years, and he knows creativity when he sees it.

“I’m pretty sure my response was the same as everyone else’s, which at first was like ‘WTF is this a joke?’ and then soon moved to ‘Wow this is crazy and kind of cool.’ As someone that works with a lot of developers, I don’t think the potential of Labo has even sunk[en] in,” he commented. “... I could see the younger end of Switch players really embracing it. I love it when Nintendo does weird stuff!”

Nintendo, of course, has always had youth in mind when developing its games. That family-friendly image extends to Labo, as well. It’s something that’s targeted at kids, yes, but importantly it’s an activity that can be enjoyed jointly with parents. Anecdotally speaking, my wife does not play games, but as a woman who’s very artistic and crafty, she’s already cut and assembled things for our two toddlers using Amazon boxes. Who’s to say that’s not an untapped audience for Nintendo?

“Since I have kids, I'm already planning on buying some of the Labo things,” John Comes, CTO of indie publisher tinyBuild Games told me. “As someone who was also a mechanical engineer at one time, the entire concept is right up my alley.”

Jeremy Dunham, VP of Publishing at Rocket League developer Psyonix is planning to purchase Labo as well. “I plan on buying Labo for my kids when it's released to see what they think. I'm really excited to see what kind of ideas this kit will spark and how different (or similar) those ideas are to other building sets,” he remarked.

There’s something especially gratifying about learning to build things. You take a certain pride in what you’ve constructed. When I was a boy in 1986, I used to play endlessly with a mechanized, battery-powered construction kit called Robotix. Had I been told that I could hook up my Robotix creations to my Nintendo Entertainment System to control Mario’s jump or Simon Belmont’s whip, I think I would have been ecstatic. Nintendo may be onto something special with Labo.

I feel like this is the first gaming platform that can bridge the gap between 'games' and 'educational games'.

“My son already has an engineering mind, so the STEM learning opportunities will be huge,” Comes said. “I feel like this is the first gaming platform that can bridge the gap between 'games' and 'educational games'. There's such a divide there when you weigh teachings vs. fun gameplay.“

Dunham, too, is optimistic about the educational aspect, but he cautioned that Nintendo must remain open to broad possibilities with Labo.

“If you're only ever relegated to a few recurring designs, or add-on packs are hard to find, or any other number of challenges, it could be limiting,” he said. “I think of toys like Lego and love their concept of giving you blueprints, but still giving you the freedom to make whatever you want. If Nintendo Labo maintains that kind of flexibility, the potential is very, very high. The real trick is making sure that the cardboard itself is the only rigid thing about it.”

I also imagine that a community of Labo hackers will form and we might see some much more innovative designs floating around the internet.

Major added, “Labo is a great opportunity to see what makes something tick… it [could]l be a great parent/kid weekend project. A Labo kit could replace building a birdhouse.”

Lyngeled took it even one step further, suggesting that Labo has genuine classroom potential: “I could see that the Swedish educational system might pick this up and start using it in class -- especially if you can start programming your own toys, which it seems like Nintendo are hinting at in the trailer. I also imagine that a community of Labo hackers will form and we might see some much more innovative designs floating around the internet."

But what about the selection of cardboard as Labo’s building material? Surely, Nintendo has made a mistake by not using plastic? Time will tell how durable these kits can be, but Nintendo explained the reasoning behind its decision in a recent investor Q&A.

Shinya Takahashi, Nintendo Director and Managing Executive Officer, remarked, "I'm sure we surprised everyone with the use of cardboard, but it's not so far-fetched if you consider how familiar the material is, at least to Japanese people who, from a young age, use it for play and as a material for creating things such as fancy crafts.”

Tokyo-based veteran games journalist Justin Leeper can attest to how ingrained the papercraft hobby is with Japan’s youth. His mind immediately turned to Origami upon watching the Labo announcement trailer.

“While a mere novelty in the West - ‘Aunt Carol can make paper cranes’ - origami is a long-standing and beloved art here in Japan. Building is much more than a niche portion of Japanese toys as well,” he told me. “Go to any toy store in Tokyo, and you’ll see beautiful dioramas you can buy and build from scenes out of Studio Ghibli movies, for example, or metal sheets that somehow turn into abstract TIE Fighters. Then there’s Gundam models, train sets, Lego... all based on building.”

He continued, “The Japanese are also big on packaging. A gift isn’t a gift unless its box is put in another cardboard box that’s placed in a decorative bag and wrapped with a few hundred yards of ribbon."

"Cardboard is called ‘danboru’, a word whose origins I’ve never known despite being written in the character set for foreign-to-Japan words. There’s a relatively popular manga character, Danbo, who’s a cardboard robot from the series Yotsuba&. If anything, it shows the acceptance of cardboard in Japan’s pop-culture consciousness.”

For his part, Comes isn’t concerned about Labo’s cardboard pieces. Should a piece wear out, there’s an obvious fix, he said:

“I personally feel like cardboard was the perfect material to use. It's very approachable. I'm not worried about it getting damaged. I mean, it's cardboard. If it breaks, take the last Amazon box you got and cut out the same piece.”

Along with the worries about cardboard longevity, there’s still the very legitimate issue of price sensitivity. Nintendo will have to convince parents that the value that Labo brings justifies the expenditure. Dunham, however, has seen much worse in the hobby industry.

There appears to be a bit of a stigma associated with the cardboard so far, which is understandable, but kids and their parents will tell Nintendo really quickly if the quality and replayability is worth the price once it's out.

“As a parent of two kids myself, I can tell you that most crafting/building/exploration kits are typically a bit more expensive than you'd expect,” he offered. “There appears to be a bit of a stigma associated with the cardboard so far, which is understandable, but kids and their parents will tell Nintendo really quickly if the quality and replayability is worth the price once it's out. “Given that a lot of smart-device-controlled robots are typically in the range of $100 or more, though, I can see the argument that the ability to build the toy first would make the price worth it for some.”

Regardless of how well Labo performs on the market, Nintendo deserves credit for trying something this bold. And let’s say that it does take off, would the one-time playing cards company begin to partner up with outside developers to make unique kits for their games? Nintendo has shown an increasing willingness to work with third parties and especially indies on Switch, but extending Labo feels unlikely, even if it does get developers’ creative juices flowing.

“That would be fantastic [if they did],” exclaimed Comes. “I have a mechanical engineering degree and I've made games for 17 years. So building my own Labo thing would be a great combination of my two life loves. I'd spend hours tinkering with building them.”

Dunham liked this idea as well: “A Rocket League kit would be really neat to see on store shelves, but I imagine that Nintendo wants to see how its initial experiment works out first before opening the floodgates. If it is a success, though, and kids start asking for themed sets based on their favorite properties, Nintendo has shown in the past (in games like Smash Bros. and even our own to a lesser extent) that they have no problem finding ways to make that happen.”

Major went so far as to call Labo “an indie’s dream” and Tribute would love to see Nintendo reach out to indies for more ideas. “A lot of innovation comes from smaller studios. It would probably be a great idea to tap into other studios’ creative minds as long as Nintendo maintains a certain level of quality control,” he said.

Clearly, the developer community is fired up, but from a business standpoint, getting indies involved in Labo would still involve clearing some major hurdles.

“[It] would be amazing [to work on Labo], but unfortunately I don’t think it will happen. I don’t think Nintendo will fund an indie developer to make a game for Labo as it’s too niche,” Lyngeled said. “And funding on our own is too big a risk. We survive because we can sell digitally. Distributing a Labo kit on our own [would be] very complicated. We never managed to get the [WeeWaa] plush out on the market because of distributing.

“One solution could be that people build a construction [kit] out of household materials and their own cardboard. That could be a fun way to make an indie Labo game. Let’s see how well [these] Nintendo kits sell before diving into this.”

April 20 should be an interesting day for Nintendo. It could be utterly inconsequential or it could mark the beginning of a new long-term franchise. “Given how beloved Nintendo is and how much weight their name carries, I think [Labo] will do very well at launch,” Dunham said.

This article is a preview of Greenlit Content's upcoming industry site, launching soon.

Nintendo Labo: Genius or Insanity? published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

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