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donutloverxo · 4 years

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The donut mishap

Note - This is the first of my soft!reader series. I'll try to post them chronologically now on. Note that this is set in 2013. And a dear friend helped me out with this. Thanks a lot to her <3.

Summary - A quest of baking donuts brings you to the avengers tower. But what happens when your paths cross with the star spangled man?

Warnings - curse words, steves ptsd

Pairing - Steve Rogers x reader

Word count - 2.3k

Masterlist is linked in the bio!

You squinted your eyes concentrating on putting just the right amount of pressure on the piping bag to get the perfect swirl of frosting on the cupcake. Your breathe hitched as a little air bubble appeared, aside from that it looked perfect. With a nice stiff peak.

You smiled looking over the cupcakes and donuts; over 12 hours of work. You felt like a proud mama.

When you started working at the Bakery, granted you only did so because you loved how cute their desserts looked but never could afford them, you thought you’d get to make money off of your love for baking.

Instead they stuck you in the back, doing books and maintaining accounts. Yeah you were going to grad school to be an accountant but it still wasn’t fair!

You never got to learn anything new about baking, or even try any delicious pastries. You just spent 4 hours everyday playing with the numbers.

And then you got a call from Linda, your boss. Panicking about how the head chef is sick and they have an order from the Avengers.

The Avengers were just a bit controversial. But for the most part everyone was grateful for them and looked up to them.

You can’t disappoint them. They’re superheros! Literal gods!

You didn’t really have much of an opinion on them. Except that the God of thunder from space made you all tingly sometimes.

You were just happy you got the chance to make such variety of desserts. Maybe now you could convince Linda to let you help out in the kitchen every now and then.

“You’re going to have to deliver them yourself.” Linda said looking them over and taking a small bite from the mint macaroon. “Take a taxi. Think you can handle it?” She handed you a hundred dollar bill.

There were only two boxes, one with the donuts and another with different assortments of patisseries. You accepted the bill and called for an Uber.

Normally the bakery doesn’t do delivery but when someone even mentioned Tony Starks name, Linda agreed to deliver, almost gave it away for free.

You made it to the tower in one piece. Glad to know that all the desserts seemed like they were doing alright in the boxes. You craned your neck up to look at the tower. Yet you couldn’t see the top.

You tried your best to be careful with the giant pink boxes in your hands muttering ‘excuse me' to anyone you may come across so as to not bump into them. You gently lay the boxes on the reception counter. Giving the brunette receptionist a huge warm smile.

“These are for Pepper Potts. Should I just leave them here...” You trailed off.

Looking around to see everyone dressed to the nines in sleek business formal clothes. You were wearing your pink dress with small red strawberries splattered all across it, it ended just below your knees, maybe not the perfect dress for the beginning of fall, or making a delivery for that matter. It made you feel self-conscious you tried your best to not think about how unprepared you must seem.

Which wasn’t entirely your fault. They were the ones that expected such a large order in under 12 hours.

“Alright ma'am you can go up and set them up.” She said hanging up the phone and giving you a visitors pass.

“Oh I...” You wanted to disagree. Ask for someone else to do it. You just KNEW you were going to mess it up.

But you couldn’t really say anything when she smiled “Thank you.” Probably in a way to shoo you off and deal with the person behind you.

You somehow made your way to the elevator, asking for directions twice, only it was too crowded and you were running out of time. “I’ll take the next one.” You said, although no one really seemed to care, they were either looking at their phones or chatting with each other.

A nervous smile painted on your face, so you could delude yourself into thinking everything is fine to calm your nerves. You couldn’t even afford to take your phone out of your sling bag to look at the time, not with your hands occupied.

After waiting for forever you were able to get into an elevator which was only occupied with a few people. Finally you were at your desired floor.

You were to take the boxes to conference room B12.

So you looked around, distracted. Your mother had always told you that your absent mindedness will one day come to bite you in the ass.

‘Try living in reality once in a while.’ She had said in such a condescending tone.

You huffed back then, thinking you were fine just the way you are. Until you bumped into what you thought was a brick wall, too distracted by the numbers and signs and twists and turns.

You quickly looked in front of you, when you felt the boxes you had held up collide with something. It wasn’t a wall, it was what looked like a human man. You tried to balance your feet stumbling back a bit before falling flat on your ass.

“Omph” You let out as you felt the cold hardwood floor sting your behind. Your precious donuts and desserts falling to the ground.

You looked at the ruins, how the frosting and sprinkles decorated the floor, taking it all in, asking yourself if this is a dream.

By the angle you were sitting in, you were sure the man could see your underwear, but you didn’t care. Because you were completely ruined.

You looked up at him, your lips quivering and your eyes glossy. “Why?” You asked as he stared at you completely dumbfounded, as if he had never seen a girl before.

Steve wanted to refuse right away. As soon as they said the words ‘honor’ and ‘appreciate’. A ceremony just to honor him and thank him for his service to his country.

He did try to convince Tony that he hated such things. To be the centre of attentions and plaster on a pageant smile for all the flashing cameras. That is not what he signed up for. His goal was never to get fame and recognition.

He ultimately had to relent. Because it was supposed to be an inspiration for others and to ‘boost morale’.

“Just flash your perfect pearly whites for a few hours, it’s really not that hard.” Tony said slapping Steve’s shoulder. As if they’ve been friends forever and he doesn’t take some kind of sick sadistic pleasure in watching Steve suffer.

They spoke of how brave he was, how even as a sickly kid he stood up for what was right. For his country.

Really he could tolerate all that. Even be grateful for it.

But his anxiety came back as they showed pictures from the wartimes, projected onto the white screen.

He’s a hero they said.

So brave.

Selfless and compassionate.

A man out of time.

Lies. Blatant lies. He was far from a hero. He knew that. But he realized the extent of it when he saw the pictures, some of them familiar to him, having happened just in front of him not so long ago, even if it had been decades for everyone else.

All of his brothers, his best friend died. Protecting their country. For their duty. They made the ultimate sacrifice and were more than happy to do so.

He recalled one commander saying how he would love to die serving his country. It would be his greatest accomplishment.

And here he was. Wearing a suit that he had no doubt cost thousands of dollars. Drinking expensive champagne, giving interviews, having his face on magazine covers. Taking pictures with his ‘fans'. Living the high life.

How the fuck was he a hero?!

He couldn’t look at the remaining pictures or listen to them. He tried to zone them out, tune out his anxiety and his guilt. To not let his mind go to those dark places, to linger on the past. Nothing good would come out of it.

He could still do good. Be good. Wash off his sins. If he kept trying and moving forward. If only it wasn’t so hard.

There was no such thing washing your sins off of you. No one can resolve their sins by simply confessing to them in church. Or counting thousands of hail marys. His hands and his soul will always be tainted with blood.

Somehow he got through the whole thing. He was about to run off the men’s room. To take a breathe and collect his thoughts.

Tony stopped him “What’s with your resting bitch face Rogers?” He snarked but was taken aback by the scowl he received “Fine go. Remember we have a meeting with the corporal.”

Which was what the whole ruse was all about. To appease the army. He was surprised at just how bad the whole world is, but he couldn’t even begin to comprehend the shitshow that the army had become.

He rubbed his face sprinting towards the balcony. To get some fresh air, be alone as long as he can before he has to go back to being Captain America.

Maybe that’s why he didn’t hear your footsteps, which his sensitive hearing really should’ve picked up on.

He turned the corner only bump into you. Making you fall on your ass.

“Why?” You gave him a look of betrayal as tears fell down your face. You wiped your cheek with the back of your hand kneeling and working on putting your desserts back in the box.

“Oh my god... ma’am I’m so sorry.” He apologized as soon as he registered what he had down. Crouching down before you to help you clean it up. But he doubted that you would be able to eat them.

“All my work.” You moaned looking up and meeting his eyes.

Your defeated face almost made him pull you into his arms. But it wouldn’t exactly be proper to do that to a stranger.

“Don’t call me ma'am!” You huffed as more tears escaped your eyes. “I’m not like 50!” You crossed your legs sitting on the floor and staring at your boxes.

“What should I call you then?” He asked his tone gentle and inquisitive. Truly curious to know what your name was.

“How about you call me nothing? You’ve done enough.” You frowned as you looked into his crystal blue hues. He was simply put beautiful.

You never thought that’s the adjective you’d use to describe a man, but that was all you could think of.

However his beauty didn’t excuse his actions. It certainly wouldn’t bring back the desserts you worked so hard on. So all you could do was be mad at him.

“I can pay for them.” He blurted out and then winced. You probably made them yourself. He can’t exactly replace them.

“It was the first time I truly baked. And now I’ll lose my job.” You sniffled tracing the frosting which was smeared on the floor with your finger. “And the Avengers will all go hungry...” You rambled your voice small. All you wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry into a pillow.

You sneered at him as he chuckled. He immediately stopped pressing his lips into a straight line. “I doubt they’ll go hungry. I promise you won’t lose your job. No one has to know.” He reasoned. His plump rosy lips stretch into a smile, that must be worth at least a million dollars. His eyes creasing and yeah he really was beautiful.

You felt your anger resolving but decided to remain firm. To not let him work his charms on you. “They will call my boss when the delivery doesn’t arrive. And my boss will fire me!” You exclaimed spelling it out for him. Since he seemed to fit the stereotype of the dumb pretty blonde. Or was that exclusive to women?

“I can promise you no one will tell your boss.” He hesitated but then put his hand over yours in an effort to reassure you.

“What? How – how will you do that?” You asked getting more and more frustrated that he failed to understand just how grave this situation was for you.

“I uh... do have that kind of authority.” He said giving you a small nod. At least he could do some good with this ‘status' he held.

“Hm” You hummed still suspicious. But he was wearing a suit which looked expensive. His stance seemed that of someone who was powerful. His voice although soft held some stern undertones. “I – how do I believe you?” You asked and laughed at your misery as you realized you didn’t really have a choice.

Finally, pressing a palm on the floor you got up. Collecting your boxes. “It’s okay.” You sighed. “I guess I wasn’t really looking either. Whatever happens I’ll deal with it.” You said giving him a somber look.

“Uh – are you sure?” He stammered afraid he got you in trouble and couldn’t really do anything about it. Even more so that you were leaving and he’d probably never get to see you again.

“I’m not really a liar.” You shrugged as he stood up with you.

You didn’t have the opportunity to marvel at his tall stature, and how big he was compared to you. Or just big in general. You simple turned around your head hung low.

Only to look back at him over your shoulder. You tried to suppress a whimper, at just how hopeless you were, and asked “Which way is the elevator?”

Tags will be in the reblog! If you want in on the taglist click the link in the bio or shoot me an ask/dm.

Please note that my work is NOT to be reposted or published anywhere other than my Tumblr or AO3 account without my permission. Reblogs are most welcome though!

#steve rogers x soft!reader #steve rogers x plus sized reader #steve rogers x reader #chris evans x reader #chris evans x y/n #chris evans x you #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #captain america x you #captain america x reader #steve x reader #the donut series

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saltoftheplanet · 5 years

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Why I’m skeptical about the Final Fantasy VII Remake

I’m skeptical that the remake will be good because there will be a lot of changes that will impact the direction, tone and narrative of the game, and Square Enix’s track record suggests to me that those inevitable changes will destroy and undercut what was special about the original game.

An essay breaking that down piece by piece is under the cut.

There will be a lot of changes

The remake will represent a huge and doubtlessly beautiful graphical update. With these updates, however, comes the need for a variety of new directorial decisions. For example, how should the camera behave during cutscenes? Who should they frame, and how? What will their body language and facial expressions show? Now that all the cutscenes will be voice acted, what tone will characters speak familiar lines with?

Likewise, the game is switching to a third-person, over-the-shoulder view. The original FFVII used a fixed camera and prerendered backgrounds to create a world that felt rich, full, and often cluttered. Every level will require redesign to account for the new way of moving about the world, and the amount of assets required to create the same feeling and to direct your attention in a same way will be exponentially higher. Likewise, there will need to be changes to account for the new combat system, as stages will need to be designed for both exploration and combat in many cases.

The episodic format of the game will necessitate changes to the pacing. Successful episodic games excel at creating self-contained rising and falling action and narrative arcs within each episode. Conversely, Final Fantasy VII was plotted and paced as a single complete narrative. Either the pace and order of events will need to be changed to make each episode stand strongly on its own, or the episodes on their own will be gawky and suffer pacing issues as they are pulled out of context from the greater whole.

Finally, the narrative itself will change. We have yet to see a verbatim line in each of the trailers, so the script itself is being rewritten, and with it many nuances will change. Square has stated point-blank that story changes are on the table. Finally, the compilation of Final Fantasy VII and the various Ultimanias released over the years have added a variety of changes to the narrative and to the lore. The teaser trailers we’ve seen so far have been in-line with the Midgar we see in Advent Children, itself a massive change to the famously ambiguous ending of the original game.

Direction and tone will be affected

All of these changes will not be neutral. In just about every decision of how this story is retold, some things are necessarily going to be emphasized and de-emphasized. Each of these decisions will carry and shift meaning in subtle ways. In that sense, the remake should more truly be considered an adaptation.

Examine the opening of FFVII; a meandering view of the stars fades into Aeris’ face. A single long shot pulls back to the city of Midgar. The tone here is mysterious, and the amount of time dedicated to the environment equals or surpasses the time spent on a character. This direction in cinematography echoes the game’s focus, as it is very much a story about the interplay between the characters as they exist inside of larger, overwhelming forces and environments.

The remake does have the opportunity to give us more meaningful cinematography in its cutscenes, but it may also make directorial decisions that change the meaning or impact of scenes. Especially likely is an increased focus on the characters and the action, and implicitly, the “cool” factor of both of those things, seeing as how the Remake and Square Enix as a company largely foreground great visuals and cool sequences. There’s absolutely room for that, of course, considering the bike scene in the original - but the broader point here is that no intervention can be neutral, and the Remake will inevitably have a different focus from the original.

One influential decision the writers have made is in their audience. All promotional material thus far has been aimed squarely at “returning” players, with no explanations offered for newcomers. What we’ve seen so far is in line with the marketing material - they are not simply trying to recreate FFVII as it was, but also tap into our collective sense of familiarity about it. The direct engagement with an expected audience means they will likely try to recreate the feeling of the experience rather than the experience itself, which would then necessitate certain story changes to keep things surprising or mysterious. This approach will inevitably widen the gulf between the remake and the original game.

SquareEnix’s Track Record

SquareEnix has been behind many beloved games, but they are not the company they were when they released FFVII. Their track record over the past decade, maybe even closer to the past 15 years, has been one of spotty quality, half-baked ideas, poor execution, and a narrative flexibility that suggests a lack of commitment to telling a story with singular vision and protecting the integrity of that story. Whatever your opinion or personal enjoyment of more recent Final Fantasy entries, they objectively lack the clarity and direction that made older entries of this series so beloved. To be completely clear, it is not that I believe these stories could never get there; it is that I’m keenly aware of the fact that they came short.

But more relevant than Square’s entries in the mainline Final Fantasy franchise are the entries to the Compilation of FFVII. These, two, have come with a variety of directorial changes that the new format and technology demanded. They’ve built their own lexicon that will likely be drawn upon in the creation of the remake, and that bring subtle changes along with them. For instance - Advent Children’s visually spectacular fight scenes introduced us to the idea that the characters were all able to leap vast distances and perform acrobatics mid-fight, and we’ve seen this idea carried forward into all subsequent entries of the series, even though it’s somewhat at odds with the more grounded, cyberpunk tone of the original game that earmarked these kinds of superhuman abilities as specifically unusual.

That may seem like a minor quibble, but I would argue that it’s a series of minor changes that have led to the difference in tone and focus between the compilation and the original game, and it comes down to a variety of directorial decisions that continue to be pertinent. For example, in Advent Children, the writing team made a decision to base Cloud’s character around what people would most remember from the game, and decided that would probably be the Cloud that we see at the beginning of the game. This decision was in play as early as his cameo in Kingdom Hearts, and for as inconsequential as it may have seemed then, it’s carried a rippling effect with it. By choosing to write the character in a way that they felt most fans would recognize, they also chose to downplay the growth and the specific quirks that wound up making that character interesting - a repeated issue with many of the characters.

Likewise, because the compilation prioritizes its returning Final Fantasy VII fans, it also tends to prioritize fanservice and recognizable, digestable moments over the overarching narrative of the world of Final Fantasy VII. One memorable example would be a cute Yuffie cameo in the midst of the Wutai War in Crisis Core, a war we are told repeatedly was extremely brutal and which actually destroyed Yuffie’s home and embittered her for years thereafter. The result is a story that’s at odds with itself due to tonal and character inconsistency. The prioritization of a quick moment of familiar joy robs the character of her impact in the long term, and this pattern is repeated for many other characters throughout.

Of course, the compilation has changed more than tone and framing of characters, and has also contributed several ideas to the world of Final Fantasy VII that are now in play. For example, the idea that upon death, people return to the Lifestream, whereby their spiritual energy is used by the planet to create new life. This is a distinctly animist idea that the Compilation has leaned away from, as they cannot cameo dead characters if those characters have since been reincarnate as trees. The compilation has since introduced the notion that a person’s soul and consciousness not only stays intact, but that they can come into contact with the living - an idea that’s fundamentally at odds with the themes of life, loss, death, existentialism and uncertainty that are extant in the original game.

Finally, though not least significantly, Polygon’s An Oral History of Final Fantasy 7 reveals that the reason Advent Children and subsequently the compilation was created was to save Square Enix from financial ruin, not to continue the story for its own sake. It is important to acknowledge the reality that Final Fantasy VII is bankable, and the reason for the remake to begin with may very well be that bankability rather than a good faith intention to retell a story that touched many. The episodic nature of the release does nothing to help that faith, nor does the fact that initial development was outsourced to a third party.

What was so special about FFVII

“So what?” you might ask. Even if there are a ton of changes, and those change the direction and tone of the game, does that really mean it won’t or can’t be good? To that - the jury is out. But I don’t particularly care if the FFVII remake is a good video game - I care if it’s a good representation of FFVII.

I admit without reservation that FFVII is, to use a technical term, anime trash. It has lots of rule of cool sequences that keep the game light, bits of spotty translation, and narrative stumbles. It is not a perfect work. But there is a reason why it was enduring; there was meaning to it, and that meaning was what made it special and unique.

FFVII was a ponderous game. It seldom presented an idea without later exploring and unpacking it. Its characters are seldom what they appear, the mission they undergo is hardly as noble as it seems, and what you expected to happen simply didn’t. It’s rife with deliberate ambiguity and doesn’t work overly hard to explain itself. Its story is shot through with uncertainty, about identity, faith, morality, justice, and every other waymark we use to navigate our life. Its most memorable moments rest in the loss of that certainty, and its most triumphant in the character’s perseverance regardless.

Though FFVII is primarily remembered and beloved for how it made people feel, it wasn’t written to be deliberately provocative or emotionally manipulative. The story was deeply impacted by a real-world loss, and the mandate of the team at the time was to convey that loss for how it truly felt, without the celluloid gloss and tropes like a dying speech that have since proliferated through the compilation. There was an honesty, an integrity and a complexity to this story that caused people to argue in earnest that it was the first video game that could truly be considered a piece of art.

I think the ephemeral nature of these qualities often leads people to conclude that FFVII is mainly loved due to “nostalgia,” but that’s a dismissive take that fails to acknowledge the deliberateness and consistency of its themes and ideas. The same care has very obviously not been given to any of the subsequent FFVII games.

In other words: this was never going to be an easy game to remake. A remake worthy of standing on the same pedestal as the original would require the same careful dedication to thematic consistency and integrity, to tone and feeling as the original. It would require careful thought to the impact and presentation of each of the monumental changes demanded by the new technology and platform.

Square-Enix has yet to do anything to suggest that it is up to this task. I have tremendous empathy for the development team that is taking on this task, but that doesn’t mean I have faith in their ability to really, truly, pull it off.

#final fantasy vii #final fantasy vii remake #ffvii #e3 #ff7 remake

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gamersonthego · 4 years

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Chase Koeneke’s Top 10 Handheld Games of 2019

With the Switch in full gear and the debut of Apple Arcade, 2019 was another solid year for handheld games. Sequels to many of my favorite games were plentiful, but very few absolutely blew me away. And a few games I really loved (Slay The Spire, Return Of The Obra Dinn, Super Mega Baseball 2) were handheld ports of previous games I didn’t feel super great about adding to my list. So instead, I left this final year of the decade feeling content, and that’s perfectly OK too. So here are 10 games I liked this year, even if I didn’t love them.

10. Tetris 99 (Switch)

I love pretty much all iterations of Tetris. From the iconic Game Boy release I would play in the car, to the Facebook-based Tetris Friends that kept me company through many boring lectures in college, to last year’s gorgeous and powerful Tetris Effect, Tetris is A-OK with me.

Battle royale games on the other hand? Not so much. Despite enjoying shooters in general, I’ve yet to play a single match of PUBG, Fortnite or Apex Legends, and I’m not itching to change that anytime soon. But I found the mechanics of the battle royale genre to translate rather brilliantly to Tetris. It’s a thin experience (even with the expansions made to the game), but it’s an addictive one. And the fact I never quite crested the mountaintop – even if I did get a second place finish to video game Santa himself, Wario64 – is one of my biggest 2019 gaming regrets.

9. Mini Motorways (Apple Arcade)

Dinosaur Polo Club’s previous game, Mini Metro, made my top games of 2016 list, so it’s not surprising to see their latest game show up on this year’s list. What is a little surprising is how much of what could be said about Mini Metro can be echoed here on Mini Motorways. From my 2016 write-up:

Mini Metro wins my heart for its amazing ability to be serenely relaxing and nail-bitingly stressful simultaneously. Watching the train cars move back and forth around the sharp, minimalistic map brings a calming sense of satisfaction, but when the ever-growing amount of train stations hits critical mass, there were few experiences more harrowing this year. The basic strategy is smart and layered, preferring to let you experiment rather than tutorializing you to death up front.

You could remove the word “train” and get yourself a pretty accurate Mini Motorways review. But unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. While I love a lot of what’s new in Mini Motorways – being able to create partial roads to better plan out cities from the start, colorful and sprightly graphics – the strategy and variety on display here actually pales to the previous game. One Mini Motorways upgrade, the traffic light, doesn’t even seem to function correctly. And the fun modifiers in Mini Metro’s different locations like Tokyo’s shinkasen are nowhere to be found here. Every city has a body of water to deal with, it’s just that some are slightly more of a pain than others. That’s not variety.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Mini Motorways and have put a lot of time into it. It’s my #9 after all. But if I had to pick just one to take up space on my phone, Mini Metro is getting that spot every time.

8. Risk Of Rain 2 (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

The first Risk of Rain also appeared on my games of 2016 list, and like Mini Motorways, the sequel is good, just not quite as good…and also feels a bit unfinished. But unlike Mini Motorways, Risk of Rain 2 made a bold change, ditching the two-dimensional world and sprite-based graphics for 3D polygons.

Bringing the z-axis to the tried and true roguelike mechanics of the original Risk of Rain makes for a new experience, for better and worse.

The worlds of RoR2 are bigger and more awe-inspiring. The 3D nature makes some classes and items feel more viable (like the melee Mercenary class) and it’s much easier to dodge incoming enemy attacks.

But the shift in perspective is anything but perfect. Just as enemies miss you more, so too will you often miss your own targets. The camera is both too close and yet also too far away, depending on the situation. The levels, after your inspired awe has left you, are barren, and the main objective of hunting for a teleporter to take you to the next area can be a frustrating venture as they are much more easily camouflaged in the polygonal zones.

It’s also just…not done. As of this writing, there’s no final boss fight, just a shrine that lets you sacrifice yourself to say you’ve “won.” There are missing classes on the menu and the artifact modifiers tab says “coming soon.” Last time I checked, the Switch was not an early access machine, and the fact that this version also gets a “Switch tax” makes it go down even more bitterly.

So why would a deeply flawed game like this make my list? Because the core loop of Risk of Rain is still better than most experiences out there. Stacking power-ups to near omnipotence is a blast, and running around with a friend or three in co-op is more fun than ever. Risk of Rain 2 may eventually become a great game someday, but for now, it’s a good game. And despite its issues, it’s still good enough for me.

7. Baba Is You (Switch, PC)

Sokoban meets coding logic; Baba Is You layers these puzzling elements to create something that feels familiar, yet fresh. It’s a simple concept: You push physical words around the self-contained areas to manipulate the level’s rules and collect a flag…or a different win condition if you’re clever enough.

Take the screenshot above for instance. “Baba is You” means you control Baba. “Flag is Win” means you need to touch the flag to win. But say you push the words “is Win” to vertically align with “Baba.” Now Baba is both you, the player and also the win condition, so you can forget the flag. You win automatically!

The puzzles continue in that fashion, ramping up the challenge very quickly (or maybe I’m just not very good at it.) I’m nowhere near mastering it, but for its highly inventive mix of environmental and logic problems, I’ve got an incredible amount of respect for it.

6. Assemble With Care (Apple Arcade)

I’m kind of down on Apple Arcade as a concept (I’d rather just pay for the few games I want and be done with it), but if games like Assemble With Care keep coming out, I might have to soften my stance. Assemble sees you repairing broken objects like rotary phones, cassette players and watches by using the touchscreen to pull objects apart, replace their busted components and piece them back together. It’s wonderfully serene: There’s no time limit, no logic-defying puzzle box qualities, no Operation-style buzzer if and when you make a mistake. It’s just nice.

A lesser game would leave it at that, but Assemble goes a step further, wrapping the repair mechanics with a short, satisfying story with solid writing and voice acting. It’s this year’s Florence, and while it may not be as impactful as that game, it’s a must play for anyone with an Apple Arcade subscription (or a good reason to burn your free trial if you’re not a subscriber).

5. Untitled Goose Game (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Like Assemble With Care, Untitled Goose Game does not hang its hat so much on its mechanics as what it chooses to do with them. There are no fail conditions to Goose Game and what challenge it holds is relatively minimal. But it’s a true sandbox game in that it’s loaded the small town you inhabit with lots of little things to play with and discover. It’s Grand Theft Auto, except they’ve replaced carjacking and shooting with taking an old man’s stool or honking at a kid until he hides inside a phone booth. You’re an asshole, you’re just not a malicious asshole.

A list of tasks helps to keep you focused, but it’s more of a nudge in the right direction so you can discover something else to mess with or people to bother. And once the game is “over,” you get a new, more inventive list of tasks, all with the benefit of the entire sandbox available to you. It might not be the most complex game, but when it comes to the enjoyment of play, it’s one of the best this year.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Switch)

I’m well known for my aversion to finishing Zelda games. I’ve played almost all of them and have finished exactly two of them (Oracle of Seasons and A Link Between Worlds, probably not the two you’d expect). And despite enjoying it, even the original Link’s Awakening eluded me, so seeing it get an overhaul in the form of a Switch version excited me. Not only was this a second chance for me to play a classic, but it was also another opportunity for the world to see how great handheld games have always been.

Outside of the really well done tilt-shifted graphics, the remake is mostly made up of small quality of life improvements. The overworld isn’t as rigidly screen-based anymore, allowing the player a little more finesse in dealing with enemies. Some equipment, that on the original Game Boy version must be switched in and out ad nauseam, now has dedicated buttons on the controller (never again must you be without your sword). All these decisions allow for the charm of the design to shine through even easier than its original version.

Would it be nice if the frame rate were more consistent? Sure. Is the Chamber Dungeon a completely extraneous and half-baked idea? Totally. Does it tarnish the fun that’s there to be had here? Not in the slightest.

I’m proud to say Link’s Awakening has joined the pantheon of Zelda games I’ve actually finished. Now maybe someday I’ll finish that “Link to the Past” that everyone keeps talking about…

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3. Super Robot Wars T (Switch, PS4)

Super Robot Wars X made my list last year despite me having only played the PS4 version. So it feels a little more legitimate to have played the Switch version of Super Robot Wars T this year. It’s still not available in the US (you have to import a copy of the Asia version that comes with English subtitles,) and it’s still an extremely flawed game with its repetitive and uninspired level design and overly complicated systems, but man, I love this bad game so much.

I love tinkering in T’s dense mechanics, upgrading my anime mechs for perfect turn-based strategy synergy. I love jumping through hoops to find the right way to recruit new units. And I still love the over the top battle animations – seriously, if you’re bitching about Pokemon’s weak animations, the video above will show you Super Robot Wars has your back.

Plus they’ve added Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop this time around, so there’s at least one recognizable character from a non-Gundam anime you’ve probably seen in here. That’s…progress.

Look, this game probably isn’t for you, but it is totally for me. And Christmas came early this year in that Super Robot Wars V (which came before last year’s X – the naming conventions are not here to make sense) got ported to the Switch, and last year’s Super Robot Wars X will get ported soon too. That’s a lot of anime turn-based strategy to play, and I couldn’t be happier.

2. Pokemon Sword/Shield (Switch)

After much Internet handwringing from an extremely vocal minority, the new Pokemon games came out. And, what do you know, they��re good. Really good. They continue the slow evolution (I’m so sorry) of the franchise with small quality of life enhancements, a few new features and a little trimming of the vestiges. I appreciate the renewed focus on gyms and gym leaders and the single connected world, even if it basically two circles with a straight bit in the middle.

The new Pokemon are…fine. Very few that I detest, but also very few that I’d be willing to write home about. The new Max Raid Battles are generally pretty cool, but they all take advantage of the gimmick I’m least thrilled about: Dynamaxing. Making a Pokemon bigger for three turns is not all that compelling to me. And the Gigantamax variants with their special appearances are neat, but it’s basically just a worse form of Mega Evolution.

So yeah, it’s a good entry in the series. And a good Pokemon game is pretty hard to top in my book.

1. Fire Emblem Three Houses (Switch)

Hard to top, that is, unless you’re Fire Emblem. But despite being a new game in my favorite franchise, I was actually dreading Three Houses. The pre-release coverage did not leave me optimistic. Old features I hated were making a comeback (cough, weapon durability, cough). The art style couldn’t hold a candle to the jaw-droppingly gorgeous previous entry, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. And whether Intelligent Systems was admitting it or not, there was a strong Persona-fication at play here (don’t get me wrong, I love Persona, but if you’re going to get your Persona chocolate in my Fire Emblem peanut butter, I’d rather you just make a sequel to Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.)

So the hopes, they were not high. But Three Houses exceeded my expectations with a cast of characters I really grew to love. My loveable loser Golden Deer crew went from zeroes to heroes, and the ability to recruit students from other classes meant I got to make my dream team (Hilda, Petra, and Lysithea were my undisputed MVPs) when saving the world.

The story was deep and complex, and hearing how it changes based on which house you align with is pretty cool. I enjoyed the control I had in molding my students, and appreciated seeing them have a breakthrough in something they used to struggle with, and it becoming one of their best qualities. Turning a lazy, valley girl like Hilda into a front line tank and hearing her bitching about it every step of the way was especially enjoyable.

It’s not my favorite in the series, but I’m glad it’s seen pretty universal appeal and sales from the community at large, cementing its status as one of Nintendo’s premier franchises. Someday I will play through all four of its routes, but for now, I’m content with it comfortably sitting as my favorite handheld game of 2019.

#goty #gotggoty2019 #chase koeneke #tetris 99 #mini motorways #risk of rain 2 #baba is you #assemble with care #untitled goose game #the legend of zelda link's awakening #link's awakening #super robot wars t #pokemon sword #pokemon shield #Fire Emblem Three Houses

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monikafilefan · 5 years

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Dead End Road Epilogue

This is ch5 of 5 and has time jumps, and flashbacks. We end with them POST MS1V

Tagging @today-in-fic @baronessblixen @scully-eats-sushi @kyouryokusenshi @skullsmuldon @peacenik0 @lappina @furiouskidcollectorlove @foxanddanapetrie @sculdership @mulder-even-if @postmodernpromartheus @spiritedballroomdancer @xfilesgayepisode sorry if ive missed anyone who has been following along this far.

Epilogue: Life on the run is for Mulder and Scully is now in the past. This is how they fair in their future together.

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A short time later, after composing themselves, they were finally able to follow the rest of the guests over to the building. Scully gave Mulder the look that he’d received whenever she was anxious for alone time, so they decided to forgo the dinner and dancing to get on the road sooner rather than later. They had a marriage to consummate, after all. As they walked hand in hand with their heads in the clouds, they were greeted with a photo station for the guests to get their picture taken as a parting gift.

Mulder looked down at Scully and she nodded. They wanted a memento to take with them for a day like today.

“Hi there, I’m Michelle, would you two like a photo to take home?” the older woman with kind eyes asked while holding up a polaroid camera.

Scully nodded, “yes, please!” Mulder stood next to Scully as the woman readied the camera.

“Okay, I usually offer advice for posing with lighting since it’s getting dark outside now and I’m using this type of camera,” she said, looking down and adjusting the flash. As Michelle looked up and held the camera level, she gasped as her mouth hung wide open and quickly pressed the button, sending off a flash of light that captured Mulder and Scully so naturally holding one another with their emotions shining through.

The seasoned woman cleared her throat and held out the printed polaroid, as Scully and Mulder were still caught up in gazing at each other. They turned simultaneously, separating their entwined bodies as Mulder accepted the photo and Scully blushed.

“I have to say, in all my 59 years here on this earth, I haven’t seen a couple so enraptured with one another like you two are. Your love shines like the sun,” Michelle admitted, giving off an expression of awe.

Mulder grinned like a fool and Scully bit her lip as her pinkening cheeks brightened. They all smiled at one another, saying their goodbyes while Mulder and Scully stared at the developing photo and walked back to their car arm in arm.

As the crickets chirped and the warm breeze blew the stray hairs away from their eyes, Mulder stopped short of the car’s door. “Let’s get off this dead end road we’re on, Scully,” he told her, with the double meaning not going unnoticed. Scully handed him the keys she had in the pocket of her cardigan and they both got in the car as they shared a smile, knowing what step came next.

Leaning over her lap, Mulder snuck in another kiss to her swollen lips as he snagged the map off of the dashboard. He opened it up and smoothed it out across his lap to display the large image of the United States covered in ink with tiny circles and stars, marking their journey over the last two and a half years.

“Same as usual?” he questioned, looking at her with the goofy grin he couldn’t keep off of his face. She nodded with a smirk. One he noted hadn’t stayed off of her face since the ceremony either. “Pick a place any place, Scully.”

Mulder beamed at his now wife and wondered where the hell they would end up this time. Where ever it would be, he knew it would be someplace static, someplace with tangible meaning to them. He was sick to death of running and knew she was too. They hadn’t once come across anyone who had actively sought them out since after those first few months that they’ve been labeled as fugitives. Even though it was still risky, It was time for them and he didn’t give a flying fuck if he had to take out every threat that crossed their path to happiness. Mulder was determined to make a future happen for them instead of having to fight it.

Scully’s choice on where they would go from here would prove to be the first real step in their ‘for better or worse’. “Ready?” she asked.

Mulder grinned wryly and couldn’t help himself. “Let’s get it on, honey,” he laughed, wiggling his eyebrows at his own comment that referred back to when they had to pretend to be a married couple.

Scully scoffed and rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her amusement. She then shut them tightly, smirking as she waved her hand around dramatically and dropped her finger down on a northeastern state. Laughing at the location, they grinned joyfully at each other as she covered his left hand with hers, rubbing her thumb back and forth along the space of his finger where his wedding band would’ve rested.

“Virginia, here we come!”

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Epilogue:

“The road to happiness has never been a straight one, and yet, it is the only road worth traveling, no matter how curvy or rocky it is!” -Mehmet Ildan

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One year later…

(2005)

Scully closed the office door and walked around the corner to see Mulder frosting bright blue cupcakes in their kitchen. The Cher song they had danced along to after that Great Mutato case over a decade ago played softly in the living room and Scully smiled at Mulder’s romantic gesture.

Frosting smudges, cake batter, and ingredients were strewn all along the counter and wooden dining table. The sight thrilled her in a way that only he could elicit in her. Witnessing Mulder bake was a rare sight over the years since they’d become friends and then more than, but an unbelievably sexy sight to see indeed. Yes, sex and sadness is what another day like today brought for them both. Yet, it seemed that she could handle their son’s birthday without locking herself in the bathroom and breaking down or trying to hide her emotions about it from Mulder. He would feel her discontent anyway from the moment she woke.

Scully had learned over the years—especially within the last year—that it was much more rewarding to lean on Mulder for comfort instead of fighting to find it on her own. Her newly found strength regarding William had stemmed from the talk and promises they had made the year before which only permanently solidified the road they were driving down together. She had also learned that when she did lean, he leaned right back. And goddamn it felt wonderful!

Scully certainly wasn’t naive to believe that their dark cloud would never return to cast shade on their sunshine, but she knew that when it did resurface, they would survive and come out stronger in the end no matter what sacrifices they might need to make in order to find their way again.

It was true that they shared a feeling of loss for their little one who was celebrating his fourth birthday today, but they also shared a feeling of deep, all consuming love for one another.

And she was happy, dammit! They were happy, and it finally felt like they deserved to feel happy.

Smiling wide, she sighed contently at her husband and felt a rush of excitement for the new changes coming to their life. She had received news just days after leaving Florida that her name was cleared and she was free to live life out in the open again, a life with permanency. The news trickled through the underground grapevine via Skinner that Mulder still was considered a fugitive but the priority on finding him had lessened considerably. He had promised that in the future, those who knew the truth about him would be able to set the record straight and him free as well.

Scully knew, with the mass amount of money that they had hidden under false identities, that she still had a few years to find out where and what she wanted to do work wise before the run money ran out. Becoming a practicing doctor was an option she’d thought about taking but she knew that working in a DC hospital would be tricky with their history, whether she were cleared or not. Laying low for as long as possible was the advice they were given three years back, which is what she and Mulder had both agreed was the best option.

But when it came to Mulder, he couldn’t have been happier for her reclaiming her good name and being able to visit her Mother. Yet, she instantly felt a pang in her heart that Mulder wouldn’t be joining her. She’d ended up crying for him, and for William in the hotel shower that night while Mulder was out on his evening run.

That was a year ago. And since then, her Mom has shown up at their home once a month just to visit with Mulder and show him the affection she so desperately missed giving him.

Feeling sudden overwhelming desperation to show her husband affection herself, she moved forward wrapping her arms around his waist, hugging him into her tightly while she relished in the baritone of his laugh vibrating along her chest. The satisfaction that swept over her left warmth to pool in her belly and the familiar yearning throbbing through her.

“Hey, there you are.” Caressing his hands along her arms that were squeezing him close, he looked back toward her and hummed deeply knowing exactly what she had in mind as her fingers slowly drew circles along his abs, creeping lower and lower. “Aww honey, don’t you think we should wait until the cupcakes are finished?”

“Mulder, you know calling me honey only makes me want you more,” she scolded teasingly, with a gentle skim of her finger over his blooming erection.

Mulder groaned knowing it was a term of endearment he used sparingly for that very reason. He was surprised to find out that tidbit of information about her when he had called her honey that first week they were on the run while they tried to blend in with the locals. Ever since knowing it made her wild for him, he’s only called her that on special occasions. Driving her wild had become his favorite past time and Scully certainly couldn’t get enough of it.

He spun around while still wound up in her little arms and encompassed her entirely, holding her against his body. Mulder couldn’t help but think about how damn lucky he was to have Dana Scully to hold all the days of his life.

With her in his arms, Mulder remembered back when they had arrived in the outskirts of Virginia after traveling from Florida for seven hours straight. Their last break, that consisted of a meal and a makeout session in the nearest Travel Center, prompted them to get to their motel as quickly as possible and consummate their vows. He wanted to make slow sweet love to her in a bed bathed in candlelight and not another quick fevered fuck on the side of the road. So the whole ride included an obscene amount of excited touching, kissing, rubbing and wandering hands finding their way down the inside of each other’s underwear. Oh, if cars could talk...

Scully was checking her and Mulder into yet another rundown crap motel when an elderly man posting a flyer on the bulletin board in the small lobby caught his eye. He could see the man was struggling to make the paper stay with pushing in the tiny pins alone and Mulder, being the gentleman he never had to try very hard to express, rushed over to help him without a second thought. He noticed that the information on the flyer held no photo or remarkable description of the home for sale. Just a line at the top stating, “A cozy Farrs Corners home that’s ready to be filled with love. This peaceful secluded life makes for a happy wife.” He had to stifle a laugh after reading that tag line since it had seemed to fit their life remarkably well at the moment. Yet, everything about the flyer was utterly unremarkable. That in itself had captured Mulder’s attention immediately. And glancing back at his newly wedded wife with a devilish grin, he held out hope they had finally found the perfect place to live out their future together.

One week later—after her telling him that he was “bat crap crazy” more than once—Scully signed her name on the deeds dotted line and he had finally carried her over the threshold that night, creatively christening every single room with their love in their new unremarkable house. Twice.

Scully pinched his ass causing Mulder to jump in surprise and grip his hands around her hips.

“Mulder? Not that I’m complaining, but If you’re done stabbing me in the stomach with your well-endowed anticipation for what coming after desert, then I suggest we untangle and get the candles.” Scully let a giggle slip out as she enjoyed her teasing with her chin perched atop of Mulder’s chest. He just smirked down at her and thrusted his full erection into her again.

“You’re killing me right now, Scully—interrupting my memories of when we found and christened the house won’t help the stabbing any. And you slinging innuendo at me is sure as hell not going to keep the monster from his hunt,” he belly laughed at the admonishing yet aroused look on her face as he reluctantly let her loose.

She elbowed him and he turned back around to ready the candles for each cupcake.

They had thought about an answer to their question on how to honor the day in their own way together, but baking and making a wish for their son seemed like the only choice to make. It wasn’t too celebratory nor too insignificant for them to acknowledge William and their special day at once.

Mulder pulled out two superman blue frosted cupcakes with a candle on each one. Scully had told him the story years earlier that right before William was given to Catholic Charities for his pending adoption, he had eaten a cupcake topped with superman blue frosting that Maggie had made for him while baby sitting in celebration of William’s half birthday.

Scully unlocked the front door and followed the sounds of giggling coming from her Mother’s kitchen. “Mom, I’m back. What are you two up—” she couldn’t even finish her question as her eyes widened and a huge grin spread across her face.

There sat William on the counter, donning only his diaper and the mass amount of bright blue frosting smeared all over his hands, rounded belly, and chubby cheeks as he attempted to shove what remained of the crushed cupcake into his drooling O-shaped mouth.

“Hi Dana! I wanted to wait for you to get back, but this little guy had other ideas and stuck his hand in the frosting jar.” Both women laughed, and as Scully walked over to press her lips onto her son’s face, she received a perfectly shaped tiny blue handprint along the front of her white blouse.

She told Mulder one night when they were sharing memories with one another, that she wished that she had never washed that meaningful mark off of her shirt.

Scully pulled out a lighter and lit each candle resting the piled high blue frosting. They closed their eyes to make a wish and blew them out in unison, sharing a sad smile with one another through the trails of smoke wafting in their faces. Mulder grabbed Scully’s hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze.

He hummed deep in his throat with his eyes closed and wistfully said, “Happy Birthday, William.”

Setting both cupcakes on the counter, she raised her hand up to run her fingers through his hair as Mulder laid a soft tender kiss upon her lips. Leaning back, she stared intently into his warm hazel eyes for a moment, watching the affirmation shine through before she spoke.

“I really hope he is happy, every single day,” Scully was barely able to get the last words out before her emotions threatened to take over. Mulder reached up and tucked a long fiery strand of hair behind her ear and palmed her cheek as he brushed a thumb along her eyebrow. “And happy anniversary to us, Mulder,” she murmured, pulling him flush against her with their arms and hands squeezing one another, sealing the day and their future together with a long and zealous kiss.

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Thirteen years later…

(2018)

Scully rested in a rocking chair that sat in the corner of the living room, quietly creaking and scarcely swaying back and forth, facing out the window of their unremarkable house. Scully’s eyes were shut with her groggy voice barely audible as she whispered, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog...was a good friend of mine…” her singing trailed off, finally losing her battle with exhaustion.

The muffled sounds of classic rock music being played from the other side of the house mingled with Scully’s now heavy breath sounds made Mulder grin joyfully while he surveyed the sight before him.

He leaned along the wall as he held a glass of water, a worn familiar map, and push pins. Mulder silently padded along the wooden floor and over to the corner where his glowing wife sat asleep with their sleeping baby nestled upon her chest. He quietly leaned over the two most important women in his life and stared blissfully, taking in each feature for as long as he dared without risking Scully feeling him lingering over them too intensely. He chuckled to himself as he noticed the cupcake’s small smudge of blue frosting staining the corner of Scully’s mouth. He sat the glass down on the window sill and gently pressed a kiss onto each of their red-haired heads, thinking to himself that his life was pretty damn remarkable and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Over the years, they had both held back discussing William in too much detail on any given day. The subject of his short life spent with Scully as his Mother and his unavoidable adoption was just too damn painful for them—even though it was for his own safety as well as their own—still burned a hole in their resolve just a little more every year. They started the tradition of sharing happy memories and lighting a candle to make a birthday wish just for him that they never once strayed from. Even on their darkest of days, and during two of Williams birthdays that they had spent apart to battle their own demons alone; they lit candles for their son together while they held hands side by side.

Overcoming obstacles and navigating in the dark had become their entire life, and they thrived because of it—in spite of it. Memories of the long journey to get to this very moment in their lives, had finally brought him comfort in knowing that surviving all of the dangerous hardships were honestly worth it all. He would take every sanction, face every monster, endure every ass kicking and emotional tirade that he’s ever had all over again, just to get to bask in this joyous moment with his family.

Yes, Fox Mulder was absolutely irrevocably happy. He almost couldn’t damn well believe it, and he believed in hell of a lot.

Years ago, he and Scully had sat on his old couch with beers in hand one night and discussed how all paths led them to that very moment together. He now only realized how much that rang true. How much they made it their truth .

Ironic how he use to believe that the truth was out there, and maybe it was. Yet, his truest truths in life, the ones that meant the most, were currently in this house and rocking along in the moonlit night. Turns out, that this was the real truth they both had been searching for in the end; family.

Mulder turned toward the wall to search for the perfect spot when his eyes caught on the framed aging polaroid of him and Scully on the day they exchanged their vows fourteen years ago. It was a perfect photo of them that Maggie had insisted they frame after Scully called her later that very same night from a burner phone to tell her what they’d done.

Mulder leaned in a little more and reexamined everything about them caught up in the moment. They’d faced one another, heads close together while wrapped up tightly and smiling brightly at each other. Mulder had been brushing wayward strands of auburn hair away from her face as her hands slid slowly up his chest. Her gaze was locked onto his own while her palms rested along the sides of his neck as they shared a beaming smile, their love and commitment practically radiating from the glossy paper. The lady who took the photo was right. Their love really does shine like the sun.

Smirking to himself as he straightened the frame, he realized that some may call the union that took place between them a wedding—the day they became one, but it was so much more than that to them. They were basically living as a married couple for many years before that day, so as the two of them listened to the couple in Florida reciting their vows, they had made their own commitment to one another the Mulder and Scully way.

And there they were, perfect opposites only perfect for each other.

Right then, he decided that he’d found the only place to display their past as they looked forward to the future. The perfect place also served to cover a stray bullet hole from the Russian home invasion that he must’ve missed during the week he had to play Mr. Fix-it after returning from that long gruelling visit to Ikea with Scully. With a shake of his head, he started to hang that old used and abused map on the wall.

A strong yet gentle hand touched his shoulder and a deepening voice followed. “I’m done putting the last of my stuff away in my room. Need some help?”

Turning to meet him at eye level, Mulder gave a grateful grin to William as he returned the touch to the young man’s shoulder. “Not for me to deny you a thing on your birthday,” Mulder joked, leaning back to let his son take over the task.

He watched on as the long and slender fingers of the boy that he and Scully had marked that map up for, moved it to its final destination while he felt his chest swell with pride.

As Mulder stepped forward and ran his fingers along the vast amount of small ink marked circles and stars that spanned across 41 of the 50 states, he smiled with the recollection of their long and crazy journey.

And no, he realized, he wouldn’t change a day.

Mulder turned and looked from his sleeping wife cradling his tiny peaceful baby Margaret, who looked so much like William at that age that it was slightly spooky. Mulder felt his heart skip a beat at the realization of his family coming full circle.

He looked back over to meet the eyes of his resilient son who wore that same lopsided grin he did and noted, “all roads do lead to an end, after all. Only, our rocky and curvy road finally led us to one of those that you think you’ll never find...a happy one.”

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#the flashback kill me #maggie scully #post series #reblog this one if you like it

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fandomcampcounselor · 5 years

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Title: You Can’t Magic Baking Knowledge Into Your Head Rating: G Description: What if Ron tried out for the Great British Baking Show? What if he actually made it on? General after-the-war featuring most of the Weasley clan and the golden trio. Lots of sweets and Ron pretending to be a muggle. A/N: Warning, there is almost no structure to this at all. Just the ramblings from an idea that came to me while watching GBBS a while back.

Okay, but what if Ron was on the Great British Baking Show? He sees Hermione watching it and then decides to bake some of the things they’ve made on the show. Molly would teach him all the tricks to get perfect bakes with magic. He tries out for the show on a whim. Just for laughs. When he gets through the audition process there are a million things to consider, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Start at the beginning.

Let’s say that after the Battle of Hogwarts Ron goes to auror training, but then quits. The training was fine, he had Harry and a few members of the DA at his side always, but once he gets out into the field... everything reminds him of the war and he can’t handle any of it. He moves home for a week, but then can’t handle that either.

By this point Hermione has just finished her NEWTs and gets herself an internship at the ministry. She lets a muggle flat and Ron moves in and loafs for a while. Hermione gets them broadband and comes back from work to sink into episode after episode of The Great British Baking Show. He looks at the television and imagines his dad’s wonder at it, then looks at Hermione and sees her eyes glaze over at a shot of a decadent devils food cake. The next day she comes home to a near perfect recreation of it.

Ron spends weeks just baking. Apparating home some mornings to learn cooking magic from his mum, where they would work on scones and layer cakes. Molly taught him how to charm the whisk to get to stiff peaks for a meringue and cast a cooling charm on chocolate once it’s set so it doesn't melt on you again. He brings sandwich cookies and triple layer cakes to everyone he knows, eventually winding up at Weasley’s Wizard Weezes with two dozen jaffa cakes on a very busy day.

George hadn’t wanted to reopen the shop at first, it just wasn’t the same without Fred, you see, but Lee Jordan convinced him that some laughter may be exactly what people need right now. With George and Lee working together the shop had gotten into a good rhythm again, even if Fred’s spark was missing. So Ron comes into the shop planning on unloading these jaffa cakes on George and the rest of the staff and winds up pulling out back stock until they have to close for the night.

The next day he comes back with freshly made pretzels and a proposal. George agrees to take him on as Lee has been itching to move into his next adventure. So Ron is working at the shop and keeps baking and on his day off a few months in sends off an application to be on The Great British Baking Show. Harry helps him with the video that night, pulling out a DSLR camera Ron didn’t know he’d bought. He talks about his mum and growing up with 6 siblings and working in a joke shop and yeah, he has to fudge a few details, but this is just for laughs anyways.

Except he gets an email (more accurately, Hermione gets an email) that they want to schedule a phone interview for him. He panics in the shop when he and Hermione go to set him up on a pay-as-you-go mobile, but the interview goes rather smoothly and it’s on to the next. In person. With treats. He settles on a layer cake with chocolate ganache and Hermione gives him a kiss as he leaves in the morning, apparating to a block away from the interview, almost splintching himself due to nervousness. He’s as surprised as anyone, two months, three interviews, and a technical bake later, when they offer him a spot on the next series.

Before they even get to filming the episodes, a camera crew comes to the Burrow to film Ron in his natural habitat. Muggle-proofing the Burrow is a massive headache, but Harry and Hermione manage. It’s a family dinner and Hermione has had a stern debriefing with everyone at the table. After Ron brings out a tart for dessert, and the camera crew leaves for the night, Arthur nearly bursts with excitement. Ginny deflates with a groan that he will be beside himself for weeks. She mutters about not coming home until the whole thing is blown over, but they all know it’s a lie. She goes home to her tiny flat in Holyhead and Ron sends her a batch of blueberry muffins the next morning.

The first time he has to take the train to Sussex, Harry goes with him. Shows him how to make his phone tell him the directions. Helps him figure out what charms he can use to make sure he doesn't forget anything he needs to keep with him. By the end of filming he’s stopped whining about “How do they manage without magic!?” and has relaxed into the ritual of it. He spends the trip running through the recipes in his head, picturing a perfect execution. He tries not to think about the technical bake. There’s nothing more he can do to prepare for that.

In between week one and week two he lies in bed next to Hermione and asks if she thinks he’s cheating by using magic when the other contestants can’t. She turns on her side and watches his profile for a moment. No. She tells him that he put in the work. You can’t magic knowledge of baking into your head. You can’t magic knowing the exact right time to pull a souffle from the oven. He’s put in the work and it shows. He’s not able to use obvious magic on camera, which limits any advantage the magic might have given him otherwise.

Pretending to be a muggle is the real trick. Hermione, who has watched all the episodes of every series of the show quizzes him while he bakes. “What are you making?” “Where did you get the idea for that flavor combination?” “How are you going to ensure structural integrity of that tower?” She turns it into a game with a buzzer for wrong answers (too magical) and a bell for really good answers (honest, but also upholding the statue of secrecy). Hermione also deals with convincing the ministry to allow for this at all, bless her. She fills out form after form and Ron simply signs on the dotted line.

During the week, between filming, he goes down to part time hours at the shop. He spends sleepless nights practicing for the weekends. He sends new versions to Harry and the aurors to try every day and they send Pigwidgeon back with notes on the bakes. He buys muggle cookbooks and tries his best at the toughest bakes he can find. Tries to find new ways to spell them slightly better. He’s gotten much, MUCH better at wandless magic than he ever thought he would need to be.

Ron does well. He isn’t able to let the cream whip itself on television, but he sneaks in a few warming charms on bread week and comes out with perfect english muffins. He’s the first to get a handshake from Paul Hollywood, who jokes that he must some sort of magic. Ron’s face turns the color of his hair and he bites his tongue, reminding himself that there’s a microphone pinned to his tan apron.

The camera crew comes with him to his flat in London one week later on (much less muggle-proofing, thank goodness). They interview Hermione and Harry and Ginny. They spend a few minutes on camera asking how it is that he lives in London, but is often at his parent’s home in Devon and his sister lives in, Holyhead? Did you say? And you’re all so close? For some reason the audio on that footage is so scratchy they can’t even hope to recover it.

He makes it to the final. He comes out of the tent with a beautiful lemon chiffon cake decorated with flowers and spun sugar. He’s so sure he’s boffed the technical challenge that he’s just happy to go out on a win. He sees his whole family out on the lawn and nearly drops the cake when his eyes flood with tears. They look nearly normal after Harry dressed them all from head to toe, even spelling them to not be able to say anything about magic. He sees others in the crowd, Lee Jordan and a few of his friends from the shop who could be trusted not to raise any suspicions.

Ron doesn’t win it, but he laughs and hugs Chelsea when her name is announced. Paul and Pru congratulate him on his progress. Pru gets pulled into a conversation with Molly about the best methods for creating meringue. Lee and George pull him up onto their shoulders to parade him around. Arthur starts asking Chelsea’s family what living in Broadchurch is like, listening to their answers with rapt attention.

#fandomcampcounselor writes fic #harry potter #ron weasley #the great british baking show #harry potter au

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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WandaVision: Behind the Scenes Of Marvel’s First Sitcom With Kathryn Hahn

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After a year away due to the pandemic, Marvel Studios is finally kicking off Phase 4 of its ongoing, expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe with…a sitcom.

WandaVision, which premieres Friday (Jan. 15) on Disney+, stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as the supernaturally powerful Wanda Maximoff and the equally enhanced synthezoid Vision, with the newly married couple navigating life in suburban Westview, a black and white setting right out of classic half-hour comedies like The Dick van Dyke Show or Bewitched, complete with live audience.

But since Vision was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Wanda was not just traumatized by his death but dusted herself by Thanos (only to return, thirsting for vengeance, at the climax of Avengers: Endgame), we have to wonder: how is Vision alive, why are they here, and what is behind this clearly unreal scenario?

While WandaVision will feature returning Marvel characters like Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) from Ant-Man and the Wasp and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) from the first two Thor films, in addition to its two super-powered stars, the nine-episode show will also feature new personnel, such as archetypal nosy neighbor Agnes, played by Kathryn Hahn with a perpetually cheerful smile and air of smug contentment — with something else lurking under the surface.

While we have no doubt that more will come to light about Agnes — and the rest of the strange goings-on in the town of Westview — in the weeks ahead, Den of Geek had a chance to speak via Zoom with Hahn (also known for voicing Doc Ock in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) about recreating the sitcom vibe, filming the premiere in front of a live audience, what the future holds for the show and more.

Den of Geek: What was the pitch to you about what the show would be and what Agnes would be?

Kathryn Hahn: They brought me into a conference room with Matt Shakman, the amazing director, and Jac Schaeffer, the writer, and Mary Livanos, our amazing producer, and then they walked me through the arc of the series. Being a little bit of an MCU newbie, they had to go through it a couple of times. But I was just so excited by the ambition baked into it. I couldn’t believe that it could be pulled off at that level.

They told me that I would be playing, basically, the sitcom nosy neighbor trope, that would also be following alongside this couple as they hurdle through these different decades of sitcom history. So I knew that I’d be able to play with different kinds of comedy, just culturally, how we would look at comedy, all of it. So I was very, very excited.

Did you have favorite sitcoms when you were growing up?

There’s so many when I was growing up. They’re just baked in there. Golden Girls was a huge one for me, Family Ties was a really big one for me, just that family. What else? Three’s Company. Loved it, for sure. So many. And then before that, Laverne and Shirley. I loved that show.

Did it sink into everybody how pervasive these things were to all of us? Plus profesionally, Matt actually starred in one as a child (Just the Ten of Us), Elizabeth’s sisters starred in Full House…sitcoms are part of everyone’s lives in some ways.

I think they’ve touched all of us, the sitcoms, in some way or another. It’s just something that’s baked into our collective consciousness. Just our first viewing experiences have been through the lens of those sitcoms and hearing that laugh track and the comfort of knowing that it’s going to be resolved in the end. I think that there is something, and all of us had some sort of connection to it, in some way or another. I certainly have had failed multi-camera pilots in my past that I could draw from. But at least I had the experience. It’s baked into all of our consciousnesses, I think.

The first episode was done in front of a live audience. What was it like getting into that headspace?

Well, not only was it shot in front of a live studio audience, but I think the cameras were actual period cameras, the lights were period lights. I think (everyone) had period clothing on. So the whole thing felt very much — we just were able to play pretend for a couple days that we were actually in that era. We rehearsed it like a play. That kind of comedy, to look as relaxed as it appears, takes a great deal of rehearsal ahead of time for a lot of those bits and the timing of the doors and yada yada.

I think comedy wise, we’re a little bit more cynical now. We want to have a wink on everything. I love a little bit of anarchic comedy myself. I love to improvise. And there was something about the earnestness of just having to really step inside a world that wasn’t cynical. It was a very hard tone to find, because it’s so antithetical to how we are comedy wise. That was a real challenge and so fun.

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Upcoming Marvel Movies Release Dates: MCU Phase 4 Schedule, Cast, and Story Details

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When Does Marvel’s WandaVision Take Place?

By Mike Cecchini

As comedy has become a bit darker and more cynical over the decades, does that also happen as you go through the eras of the sitcoms in the show? Does it also get reflected in the costuming?

Yeah, for sure. It all evolves.

At the same time, how does the character of Agnes evolve? We’re obviously going to learn some more about her. Is it possible that she may have a counterpart in the Marvel Comics canon that may be revealed to us at some point?

I think that there is definitely more to be revealed for everybody that’s involved, and everything that you’ve seen so far in these first couple of episodes. I can only say that it’s going to be constantly evolving and constantly shifting what you think is around the corner. And it will hopefully continue to surprise you. I know I was surprised when I read it for the first time. But yeah, it constantly shifts whatever you’re thinking is around the corner.

You said you were relatively an MCU newbie. Have you gotten more into it since joining the show?

My kids had to be like, “It’s an Infinity Stone.” So I was pretty new. I’ve been able to be introduced to it through them. But I will say, through even watching the movies, the little domestic heartbeat between Vision and Wanda was always so interesting to me because for a world that is so loud and big and expansive, and the stakes are so high, to have this little domesticity in the middle of it was really, really interesting to me. And then to know that this show is going to be able to burrow down into the two of them and be able to really have the luxury of time to get to know them better was very exciting.

Also, to answer your question, I did do a little bit of Scarlet Witch and Wanda Maximoff comic book reading, and boy, is that a dark story. Holy moly, there’s some darkness there.

Do you think that there could be a future for Agnes in the larger MCU?

Who knows? But I would say that clearly in this world anything is possible. What I’m learning is that the rules are that there really are no rules. So who knows?

How was it working day to day in this universe that Marvel has created?

As a newbie again, I think what I was so surprised by and so excited by was how intimate it really felt for something that was so big. I’m telling you, putting on that show in front of the live studio audience, it felt like it was just this little band of actors with this little group — knowing, of course, that there were hundreds of incredible artisans working so hard on it.

But Matt Shakman, Kevin (Feige, Marvel Studios president) and Mary really created this bubble to make it seem very, very intimate. My hat’s off to Matt for doing that. It’s a real trick that he pulled off, that within this enormous world, he was going to make it feel so personal and so human and so between the people. So for me, it felt very similar to other work that I had done, which I was surprised by. I thought it was going to feel really different.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

WandaVision premieres Friday, Jan. 15, on Disney+.

The post WandaVision: Behind the Scenes Of Marvel’s First Sitcom With Kathryn Hahn appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3bDiYsR

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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antoine-roquentin · 7 years

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Gun rights in the US are mainly white rights. It’s always been that way, sort of baked into the North American experience.

The “well regulated militia” to which the Second Amendment to the US Constitution refers were a creation of colonial North America, as I explained back in July 2008,

“Colonial America and the early US was a very unequal place. All the good, cleared, level agricultural land with easy access to transport was owned by a very few, very wealthy white men. Many poor whites were brought over as indentured servants, but once they’d completed their periods of forced labor, allowing them to hang around the towns and cities landless and unemployed was dangerous to the social order. So they were given guns and credit, and sent inland to make their own fortunes by encroaching upon the orchards, farms and hunting grounds of Native Americans, who had little or no access to firearms. The law, of course did not penalize white men who robbed, raped or killed Indians. At regular intervals, colonial governors and local US officials would muster the free armed white men as militia, and dispatch them in murderous punitive raids to make the frontier safer for settlers and land speculators.

“Slavery remained legal in New England, New York and the mid-Atlantic region till well into the 1800s, and the movements of free blacks and Indians were severely restricted for decades afterward. So colonial and early American militia also prowled the roads and highways demanding the passes of all non-whites, to ensure the enslaved were not escaping or aiding those who were, and that free blacks were not plotting rebellion or traveling for unapproved reasons

“Historically then, the principal activities of the Founding Fathers' “well regulated militia” were Indian killing, land stealing, slave patrolling and the enforcement of domestic apartheid, all of these, as the Constitutional language declares “being necessary to the security of a free state.” A free state whose fundamental building blocks were the genocide of Native Americans, and the enslavement of Africans.”

That my friends, is why the United States of America in 1791 needed a Second Amendment. It was about deputizing every available white man for what the Constitution called “the security of a free state.” Those were the original intentions of the nation’s founding fathers, baked into its body politic at birth.

With slavery gone and the genocide of Native Americans accomplished 80 or 90 years later, what we know as “gun culture,” along with a substantial arms industry existed serving a civilian mass market needed to find new reasons to exist. They did exactly that. Advertisers and marketers have been hard at work the last twelve or fifteen decades creating and expanding the market for civilian arms. They’ve been so successful that the NRA and allied organizations now get tens of millions each year from small donors, to match other tens or hundreds of millions in corporate and big donor largesse . Today’s corporate sponsored NRA makes no bones about appealing to fearful white supremacy . It’s great for business.

The Kerner Commission , convened to address causes and cures for the series of black urban insurrections of the late 1960s recommended tough urban gun control laws. These were adopted in many northern cities with large black populations like Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington DC. No cops or lawmakers though, would ever seriously imagine disarming white Americans. It’s pretty much unthinkable. But when two Chicago cops were shot from a Cabrini Green high rise project in 1970 I recall seeing police seal off a quarter square mile and search more than a thousand apartments without warrants, seizing every gun and some other goods they could find.

Reported gun ownership among blacks is less than half that among whites, 19% compared to 42%. The Pew Research Center breaks the US into four regions with gun ownership lowest in the northeast at 27%, 34% in the west, 35% in the midwest and 38% in the south. About half of all African Americans live in the south, so the reported gun ownership for southern whites is highest of all, around 50%.

Two obvious factors might impact the lower rate of reported gun ownership among African Americans. The first is that firearms and ammo are expensive and seldom used items, luxuries less likely to be owned by people with lower incomes, and blacks generally do have lower incomes. The second is that after 40 years of vicious racially selective policing and mass incarceration far higher proportions of black families include one or more person convicted of a felony. In most states convicted felons are banned from owning guns for life unless they file special paperwork which has to be accepted by state authorities. It makes sense that fewer black households would have guns, and also that fewer of those that do would report it to pollsters. Again in practice, gun ownership is a white right.

The US leads the planet in civilian and domestic gun violence, and gun suicides, and of course it’s the place where the phenomenon of the nonpolitical mass shooter first emerged, the place where this kind of thing still happens most often. The Vegas killer was a high stakes gambler and real estate investor with relatively few social and family connections. As Glen Ford points out this week, neoliberal capitalist America produces more than its share of dislocated, disaffected and disconnected people. Some of them are armed, and not just with privilege.

Hindsight is 20/20. Concert promoters in Las Vegas packed 21,000 paying customers into a stadium overlooked by multiple high rise buildings. Helicopter drones with remote cameras are dirt cheap, starting around $300 retail. A couple drones in the air monitoring the sight lines between those vantage points and the stadium might well have spotted the shooter breaking out multiple windows in his 33rd floor hotel suite before the first shot was fired. That’s a mistake that cops and insurance companies likely will not make again.

But neoliberal capitalist America isn’t built on solidarity. America won’t stop, can’t stop producing dislocated, disaffected, disconnected people whose manhood, whose personhood is tied not to their class status but to fantasies of rugged individualism and to the gun. And we’re a long, long way from disarming white Americans.

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immedtech · 7 years

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BlackBerry's KEYone is an exciting return to form

With a global launch in the works and the hopes of diehards at an all-time high, the pressure was on BlackBerry and TCL to deliver on all that Mercury hype. We can't render an official verdict yet, but my gut tells me they're onto something. Say hello to the BlackBerry KEYone.

Yes, "Mercury" was a better name, and yes, the capitalization is weirding us out too. No matter: Despite the nature of its creation, the KEYone feels like a pretty triumphant return to form for a brand in need of a boost.

The hardware hasn't changed since the phone broke cover at CES, but we now know what makes it tick. Inside is one of Qualcomm's octa-core Snapdragon 625 chipsets, with an Adreno 506 GPU, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. (Thankfully, you can toss in a microSD card as large as 2TB, just to be safe.) While that's certainly not the fastest slab of silicon out there, BlackBerry Mobile says it chose the processor "very specifically" to work in tandem with the 3,505mAh battery to deliver battery life that can stretch into two full days -- another classic BlackBerry trait the KEYone tries to channel.

I wouldn't worry a whole lot about performance, by the way. We've seen that exact load-out before in devices like the Moto Z Play, and while it won't necessarily blow you away, I was more than pleased with how quick this little thing was. Even with a non-final version of Android 7.1 Nougat onboard, navigating through menus and frenzied multitasking were no problem -- just what you'd want in a device meant specifically to get things done. Up front is that 4.5-inch display running at a slightly odd, 3:2 aspect ratio. Everything on that 1,620x1,080 screen is plenty crisp, though it certainly takes a little getting used to.

To hear the company's pitchmen tell it, the KEYone was purpose-built for people who appreciated the things that made old-school BlackBerrys so great. It stands to reason that the people involved agonized over the keyboard, and they've done a great job: I've used every BlackBerry with a physical QWERTY since the BB10 days and I'm pretty pleased with how the keys depress and spring back into place. It'll take a lot of re-training to get my chubby thumbs weaned off a glass touchscreen, but even a few moments with the KEYone made me feel like I was up to the challenge. Even better, you can slide your fingers across the keyboard to swipe between home-screens and down webpages. Every key also doubles a shortcut for an app or action -- think holding down the L button to launch Lyft -- and I'm seriously thinking of buying a KEYone just for that.

That functionality sits nicely on top of BlackBerry's spin on Android, and very little of it has changed since the days of the DTEK50 and DTEK60. Now we're getting to that other thing BlackBerry has pushed for decades. The main draw (beyond the keyboard, natch) is the hardened kernel BlackBerry has worked to bake into Android itself -- spokespeople eagerly call it the most secure Android device in the world, and apps like DTEK should help even lay-people figure out how to make their phones a little safer.

Then there's the other stuff needed to play in the big leagues. BlackBerrys have never been great at cameras, but they went surprisingly big with the KEYone. Tucked away in the phone's back is one of Sony's 12-megapixel IMX378 camera sensors, like the one seen in Google's Pixel and Pixel XL. I didn't get much time to play with the camera in bright daylight, but the photos I did shoot were fairly detailed and well colored, even in low light. The Pixels use a lot of really impressive machine learning to make photos taken with their cameras really pop, so don't expect the KEYone to steal Google's imaging crown. Even though the software driving it still needs some fine-tuning, the KEYone's camera seems leagues ahead of those used in other BlackBerrys.

Ultimately, the phone's designers didn't want to build a phone for everyone, or a phone that excelled at everything. They tried that once with the Priv, and you probably remember how that went. (Quick reminder: it was mostly just OK). This new-found focus is both refreshing and intelligent. BlackBerry Mobile openly admits the KEYone is a total niche phone, but considers it an important part of the growing BlackBerry portfolio. Building a strong foundation of phones is how BlackBerry and TCL plan to turn things around, and at least some of the carriers that didn't love the Priv are taking note.

The KEYone is set to launch in multiple markets in April, and we're hearing that the US is lower on the list than other places. Fair enough. Even so, the company confirmed that, in addition to being sold unlocked for $549, carriers will almost certainly offer the KEYone too. That's good news for you -- you can pay for one by the month -- and even better for BlackBerry. Carrier deals mean more visibility, and they could definitely use it. As I've said, we'll hold off on passing judgment until we get to play with some final hardware, but I feel something for BlackBerry now the company hasn't given in me years: cautious excitement.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

- Repost from: engadget Post

#ITlive #engadget #BlackBerry's KEYone is an exciting return to form

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dandelliongirl · 4 years

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Christmas

excitement

Time for my now monthly blog post.

Getting the boring stuff out of the way first. Work this last month of 2019 was pretty boring and emotions ran high a couple of times but we made it through. Our leadership is still inept as ever and our customers can be awful but I have kept on trying to distance myself from it all. My colleague has been doing better, and now that I’ve kind of paid more attention I’ve noticed that her acting out is not because of me, rather she’s taking her frustration of others out on me. I always kind of knew that was the case but it still made me feel like I had done something wrong so this is relieveing. Anyway I don’t want to talk too much about work because I’d rather spend as little of my freetime thinking about it as possible. The last year of my employment is starting and even though my job can be pretty emotionally draining and difficult at times I still find it very interesting and very much up my alley. I am definitely hoping for continuation to my contract but I won’t have to worry about that stuff until August 2020.

On the 15th of November my guy and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary and went out for some sushi. On the 27th I watched the Knight before Christmas with my friend and OH BOY it was exactly as awful and tacky as I wanted it to be. The 28th was Harvestfest and by friend came over for some ACNL.

I started planting my plums and apple seeds that I had germinating in the fridge. The pots the plums are in might be too big because they haven’t sprouted in over a month, but almost all of my first apple batch sprouted. The second batch has only been planted for a few days so I don’t know about those yet, but my entire kitchen counter is already filled with all kinds or random pots and jars and recycled plastic containters. I still have one more set of apple seeds to plant around new year and I’m running out of space if all of them keep sprouting. Surely some will die before spring though..

I’ve tried to clean and cleanse all through December. I cleaned a bit for Independence day weekend and then again last week before I started my Christmas vacation. Overall last week was really exhausting because of work being busy and the overbearing darkness. I was constantly exhausted and very munchy but I pushed myself to clean both my wardrobe and my walk in closet, the kitchen cupboards, the fridge and the microwave. We also deep cleaned our bed, I did some dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the floor and airing out our rugs. My guy cleaned the bathroom and helped with the laundry. On Friday the 20th when I started my vacation I only had to iron some clothes and sheets while we watched the first few episodes of the Witcher Netflix series, and bake a loaf of christmas bread for my grandparents and myself.

I’ve spent a lot of time this month cooking and baking all kinds of delicious Christmas/Yule foods such as cookies, cake, bread, rice porrige, fudge and saffron buns. I’ve also spent some time with my piano which has been very rewarding. Creating, learning and doing things with my hands is keeping me sane and giving me a purpose.

I’m not overly pleased with mum and dad’s individual Christmas presents this year but the photo book I ordered turned out to be really nice and I got a couple of mushroom knives to go with it so that gift will be a hit for sure. I got dad a pocket knife and mum a little bag and mittens.

Mum and I visited granny and grandpa on Saturday to help decorate the house and bring some Christmas food for them. It’s grandpa’s 90th birthday in a month, which is incredible. His hip was in a lot of pain and when we hugged goodbye he held onto me so tight and for so long his usual “fight the good fight” sounded very painfully final. It hurts seeing my grandparents get so old but at the same time I am incredibly grateful for them both for all the things they’ve taught me and all the times they’ve spent supporting my growth. I’m so glad I’ve gotten to spend so many wonderful years with them. I hope grandpa’s hip feels better soon and we all get to celebrate his birthday happy and healthy. ♥ I found two adorable Christmas ornaments (a needle felted deer and a polar bear mum), an embroidery stitch guide book and a doll knitting book at grandmum’s when we were putting up Christmas decorations. Mum also found her old polaroid camera that she and dad bought from Norway in November 1988. We looked up what kind of film to get for it and I’ll be ordering some next year to try it out.

So last night was Yule and I spent it working on my grimoire, burning a candle, wrapping some presents, playing ACNL and organising some items to be donated and taken upstairs to the attic. Mum and I were planning on going to the flea market today. I’m hoping I’ll find some knitting needles and thinner yarn to start working on a doll that was in grandmum’s book. Later on when it starts to get dark we are having a little campfire at our summer house to bring Christmas over there as well. I’m probably going to go home for Christmas tonight, which is why I wanted to blog before that.

I’ve been thinking about my New Year’s resolutions for 2020, the first year of an entire decade. I definitely want to set some crafting goals, some photography goals and some piano goals now that I have so many new sheet music books. I also want to try and avoid buying new stuff because most things can be thrifted. There are some exceptions of course, but being more mindful of the way I consume is definitely a goal for the upcoming year (and the rest of my life!). I’ll do a proper passion plan and probably write a blogpost about 2020 some time before New Years but those are some of the things I’ve been thinking about. Also we have like 90 days until New Horizons, which is really exciting!

My guy is coming over soon to pick up his brother from the train station so I’ll get to say hi to him. I might do some Sims building (I bought Realm of Magic, City Living and Romantic Garden) and/or play some more ACNL to find out some gift preferences and do some dream town visits for my silver badge.

Happy holidays to all no matter what you celebrate! ♥

#personal #diary #December2019

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lindyhunt · 6 years

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13 Examples of Successful Co-Branding Partnerships (And Why They're So Great)

There's a good chance your favorite consumer products are the result of two separate brands working together.

One of my own beloved childhood memories was a product of co-branding: Betty Crocker partnered with Hershey's to include chocolate syrup in its signature brownie recipe.

There's something brilliant about that co-branded product: It's a fun way to marry two classic brands into one delicious experience for fans of baking and chocolate alike. In fact, these brands still create new co-branded products to this day.

Co-branding is a strategic marketing and advertising partnership between two brands wherein the success of one brand brings success to its partner brand, too. Co-branding can be an effective way to build business, boost awareness, and break into new markets, and for a partnership to truly work, it has to be a win-win for all players in the game. Both audiences need to find value -- like chocolate-loving fans of Betty Crocker and Hershey's.

There are a ton of great examples of co-branding partnerships out there. To show you what makes them so successful, we've curated a list of 10 examples of great co-branding partnerships to inspire you.

Partnership Business Examples

GoPro & Red Bull

Pottery Barn & Sherwin-Williams

Casper & West Elm

Bonne Belle & Dr. Pepper

BMW & Louis Vuitton

Uber & Spotify

Apple & MasterCard

Airbnb & Flipboard

BuzzFeed & Best Friends Animal Society

Alexander Wang & H&M

CoverGirl & Lucasfilm

UNICEF & Target

Nike & Apple

1. GoPro & Red Bull

Co-branding Campaign: Stratos

GoPro doesn't just sell portable cameras, and Red Bull doesn't just sell energy drinks. Instead, both have established themselves as lifestyle brands -- in particular, a lifestyle that's action-packed, adventurous, fearless, and usually pretty extreme. These shared values make them a perfect pairing for co-branding campaigns, especially those surrounding action sports.

To make the partnership work, GoPro equips athletes and adventurers from around the world with the tools and funding to capture things like races, stunts, and action sport events on video -- from the athlete's perspective. At the same time, Red Bull uses its experience and reputation to run and sponsor these events.

"GoPro camera technology is allowing us to complement the programming by delivering new athlete perspectives that have never been seen before," said Sean Eggert, Red Bull's director of sports marketing. The collaboration allows exclusive GoPro content to enhance both companies' growth.

While GoPro and Red Bull have collaborated on many events and projects together, perhaps the biggest collaboration stunt they've done was "Stratos," in which Felix Baumgartner jumped from a space pod more than 24 miles above Earth's surface with a GoPro strapped to his person. Not only did Baumgartner set three world records that day, but he also embodied the value of reimagining human potential that define both GoPro and Red Bull.

youtube

2. Pottery Barn & Sherwin-Williams

Co-branding Campaign: Color Your Room

One of the biggest benefits of co-branding campaigns is the opportunity to expose your product or service to a brand new audience. That's exactly what home furnishing store Pottery Barn and paint company Sherwin-Williams did when they partnered together back in 2013.

Together, the two brands created an exclusive product line of paints, and then added a new section of Pottery Barn's website that helped customers easily select paint colors to complement their furniture choices.

Source: Pottery Barn

Customers could coordinate paint colors with picture-perfect Pottery Barn furniture for a mutually beneficial partnership -- and style assistance for both brands' customers to boot. "Paint Landing," Pottery Barn's landing page for the partnership, contains helpful blog posts and how-to ideas for do-it-yourself painting and decorating.

3. Casper & West Elm

Co-branding Campaign: Test a Casper Mattress

You may have already heard of Casper -- it's an online mattress and bedding brand that sells mattresses in a box.

Casper mattress unboxing videos like this one have become a hit on YouTube, but despite the brand's 100-day return policy, some shoppers might still be hesitant to buy a mattress without getting the chance to roll around in it first.

Enter West Elm, a high-end furniture company. Casper and West Elm partnered so shoppers could try out the comfy mattress before purchasing -- and so West Elm could advertise its chic bedroom furniture.

Source: Casper

This is another example of a mutually beneficial co-branding partnership. It helps both brands appeal to a broader group of shoppers -- after all, Casper doesn't sell furniture, and West Elm doesn't sell mattresses. It also provides shoppers with options -- to try a mattress before buying, or to feel what it would be like sleeping in a bed frame.

4. Bonne Belle & Dr. Pepper

Co-branding Campaign: Flavored Lip Balm

Dr. Pepper-flavored lip balm. I mean, it's genius.

Bonne Belle first debuted Lip Smacker, the world’s first flavored lip balm, in 1973, starting with flavors like strawberry, lemon, and green apple. Just two years later in 1975, they'd forged their first flavor partnership with the timeless Dr. Pepper brand. The result? A lip balm flavor that's been famous for decades among teenage girls.

If you're thinking the connection between lip balm and Dr. Pepper is a little thin, consider the copy on one of their vintage ads: "It’s the super shiny lip gloss with lip-smacking flavor… just like the world’s most original soft drink." And later, "From Bonne Belle of course: the cosmetics company that understands your taste."

Source: Click Americana

5. BMW & Louis Vuitton

Co-branding Campaign: The Art of Travel

Car manufacturer BMW and designer Louis Vuitton may not be the most obvious of pairings. But if you think about it, they have a few important things in common. If you focus on Louis Vuitton's signature luggage lines, they're both in the business of travel. They both value luxury. And finally, they're both well-known, traditional brands that are known for high-quality craftsmanship.

These shared values are exactly why this co-branding campaign makes so much sense. In their partnership, BMW created a sports car model called the BMW i8, while Louis Vuitton designed an exclusive, four-piece set of suitcases and bags that fit perfectly into the car's rear parcel shelf.

Source: Louis Vuitton

Although the four-piece luggage set goes for a whopping $20,000, the price is right for the target customer, as the BMW i8 starts at $135,700. A price like that kind of makes that luggage set seem like a drop in the bucket.

Not only does the luggage fit perfectly size-wise, but its design and appearance fit perfectly with BMW's image: sleek, masculine, and high-quality. Turns out both the luggage and some parts of the car's interior use carbon fiber, strong-yet-light composite material.

"This collaboration with BMW i epitomises our shared values of creativity, technological innovation and style," said Patrick-Louis Vuitton, head of special orders at Louis Vuitton. "Our craftsmen have enjoyed the challenge of this very special project, using their ingenuity and attention to detail to create a truly made to measure set of luxury luggage. This is a pure expression of the art of travel."

6. Uber & Spotify

Co-branding Campaign: Soundtrack for Your Ride

Music-streaming app Spotify partnered with ride-hailing app Uber to create "a soundtrack for your ride." This is a great example of a co-branding partnership between two very different products with very similar goals -- to earn more users.

Here's how it works: When riders are waiting for an Uber ride, they're prompted to connect with Spotify and become the DJ of their trip. Users can choose from their own playlists to determine what they'll listen to.

Source: The Verge

This smart co-branding partnership helps fans of Uber and Spotify alike enjoy better experiences thanks to the app. And they might be more interested in picking Uber and Spotify over competitors knowing they can enjoy their next ride listening to their favorite tunes.

7. Apple & MasterCard

Co-branding Campaign: Apple Pay

Sometimes, co-branding partnerships aren't just cool projects between two companies -- they actually have practical value when the companies work together.

When Apple released the Apple Pay app, the brand effectively changed how people perform transactions. This app allows people to store their credit or debit card data on their phone, so they can use them without physically having the card with them. But in order for this app to succeed, it needs credit card companies to integrate with this technology. By the same token, credit card companies also face more competition themselves if they aren't compatible with the latest consumer purchasing tool.

To get out ahead of its competition, MasterCard became the first credit card company to allow its users to store their credit and debit cards on Apple Pay. MasterCard not only showed support of a major consumer tech developer in this partnership -- it evolved along with its own customers in how they choose to make purchases at the counter.

Source: MasterCard

8. Airbnb & Flipboard

Co-branding Campaign: Experiences

You've probably heard of Airbnb, the room-sharing application that allows you to find convenient lodging hosted by real people. But its newest partner, Flipboard, might not have been on your radar until now.

Flipboard is a news aggregator that collects news and topical content that users are sharing on social media, and allows you to "flip" through the material much like a social media feed. Well, Airbnb recently teamed up with Flipboard to create Experiences, which serve Airbnb users with lifestyle content tailored to their interests and shared by people with similar interests as the reader.

The ongoing campaign recently led to another co-created product called Trips, which allows Airbnb users to connect with hosts on common interests and actually book these experiences when traveling. This partnership is an impressive example of how businesses can connect their customers with information that caters to their individual interests and drive usage of the product as a result.

Source: Flipboard

9. BuzzFeed & Best Friends Animal Society

Co-branding Campaign: Emma Watson + Kittens

Some co-branding campaigns are more complicated than others. This example from BuzzFeed and Best Friends Animal Society is one of the simplest ones out there -- and it goes to show a great co-branding effort doesn't have to take months of planning or millions of dollars.

For this campaign, the folks at Best Friends Animal Society wanted to leverage BuzzFeed's readership of over 200 million people. To do this, they partnered with the folks at BuzzFeed to set up and publish an article called, "We Interviewed Emma Watson While She Played With Kittens And It Was Absolutely Adorable," which you can read here. The article is exactly what it sounds like: Harry Potter and Beauty and the Beast star Emma Watson answered fans' questions while she played with cute kittens.

Source: BuzzFeed

The article ends with a CTA advertising that the kittens featured in the video are, in fact, adoptable -- a win-win for both partners.

10. Alexander Wang & H&M

Co-branding Campaign: High-End Fashion

Anyone who's designer-conscious knows Alexander Wang and H&M aren't exactly the same caliber when it comes to quality. Shoes by Alexander Wang tend to go for around $350 a pair, whereas shoes sold by H&M tend to go for more like $35 a pair. See what I mean?

But that discrepancy in pricing is exactly why the two brands decided to partner with one another. To support their brand positioning as trendy and fashionable, H&M has traditionally paired with high-end fashion brands to offer exclusive branded items for a limited time.

In exchange, those high-end brands -- like Alexander Wang -- can expose their brand name to "a new generation of potential consumers, who will increasingly aspire to owning more pieces from his high end collection," writes Michelle Greenwald for Forbes.

Source: Snobette

11. CoverGirl & Lucasfilm

Co-branding Campaign: Light Side and Dark Side Makeup

Whenever a new installment of the beloved "Star Wars" series is released in theaters, it causes global pandemonium, and the release of "Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens" in 2015 was no exception. The series' parent company, Lucasfilm, partnered with CoverGirl to capture a broader audience to get fans new and old excited about the movie's release.

You might be wondering, "What do "Star Wars" and makeup have in common?" And the cleverness of this partnership is evident in the answer.

In the past, the space-age action movies were almost exclusively advertised and targeted toward men and boys. But in this day and age, that's nonsense -- because people of all genders can be interested in space exploration and makeup contouring alike.

The line was designed by famed makeup artist Pat McGrath, and it features two styles: the Light Side and the Dark Side, which loyal "Star Wars" fans will recognize as the sides of good and evil in the movies.

instagram

This co-branding partnership was a win for both brand. Lucasfilm captured more attention and got CoverGirl shoppers (many of whom are young women) excited about the film's release. And CoverGirl hopped on the "Star Wars" advertising bandwagon that took over the internet, stores, and TV leading up to the film's release.

12. UNICEF & Target

Co-branding Campaign: Kid Power

If you have the chance to partner for a not-for-profit cause, it can pay off in multiple ways.

In 2015, Target partnered with UNICEF on a campaign called Kid Power, which committed Target to one of UNICEF's sustainable development goals (SDGs). The retailer sold kid-friendly fitness trackers encouraging the wearer to complete various fitness activities, which ultimately helped deliver food packets to underprivileged children around the world.

By selling this fun, inexpensive fitness product, Target encourages children to embrace a healthy lifestyle and uses kids' successes to supply underserved communities with the resources they need. It's an ongoing partnership that generates awareness of global malnutrition, helps UNICEF meet its demanding SDGs, and opens up Target to a demographic of giving families they might otherwise have had access to.

By the way, you can get your child a Kid Power band here.

13. Nike & Apple

Co-branding Campaign: Nike+

Athletic brand Nike and technology giant Apple have been working together since the early 2000s, when the first line of iPods was released.

The co-branding partnership started as a way to bring music from Apple to Nike customers' workouts using the power of technology: Nike+iPod created fitness trackers and sneakers and clothing that tracked activity while connecting people to their tunes.

Source: Apple

The partnership has since evolved to become Nike+ -- which uses activity tracking technology built into athletic clothing and gear to sync with Apple iPhone apps to track and record workout data. Tracking transmitters can be built into shoes, armbands, and even basketballs to measure time, distance, heart rate, and calories burned.

It's a genius co-branding move that helps both parties provide a better experience to customers -- and with the popularity of fitness tracking technology, Nike+ is ahead of the curve by making it easy for athletes to track while they play.

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thefabulousfulcrum · 7 years

Text

The Democrats Need a New Message

After another demoralizing loss to a monstrous candidate, Democrats need a reboot

via Rolling Stone

by Matt Taibbi

The story of Greg Gianforte, a fiend who just wiped out a Democrat in a congressional race about ten minutes after being charged with assaulting a reporter, is déjà vu all over again.

What to make of Republican Greg Gianforte winning despite beating up a reporter on the eve of his election

How low do you have to sink to lose an election in this country? Republicans have been trying to answer that question for years. But they've been unable to find out, because Democrats somehow keep failing to beat them.

There is now a sizable list of election results involving Republican candidates who survived seemingly unsurvivable scandals to win higher office.

The lesson in almost all of these instances seems to be that enormous numbers of voters would rather elect an openly corrupt or mentally deranged Republican than vote for a Democrat. But nobody in the Democratic Party seems terribly worried about this.

Gianforte is a loon with a questionable mustache who body-slammed Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs for asking a question about the Republican health care bill. He's the villain du jour, but far from the worst exemplar of the genre.

New Yorkers might remember a similar congressional race from a few years ago involving a Staten Island nutjob named Michael Grimm. The aptly named Grimm won an election against a heavily funded Democrat despite being under a 20-count federal corruption indictment. Grimm had threatened on camera to throw a TV reporter "off a fucking balcony" and "break [him] in half … like a boy." He still beat the Democrat by 13 points.

The standard-bearer for unelectable candidates who were elected anyway will likely always be Donald Trump. Trump was caught admitting to sexual assault on tape and openly insulted almost every conceivable demographic, from Mexicans to menstruating women to POWs to the disabled; he even pulled out a half-baked open-mic-night version of a Chinese accent. And still won.

Gianforte, Trump and Grimm are not exceptions. They're the rule in modern America, which in recent years has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to vote for just about anybody not currently under indictment for serial murder, so long as that person is not a Democrat.

The list of winners includes Tennessee congressman Scott Desjarlais, a would-be "family values" advocate. Desjarlais, a self-styled pious abortion opponent, was busted sleeping with his patients and even urging a mistress to get an abortion. He still won his last race in Bible country by 30 points.

The electoral results last November have been repeated enough that most people in politics know them by heart. Republicans now control 68 state legislative chambers, while Democrats only control 31. Republicans flipped three more governors' seats last year and now control an incredible 33 of those offices. Since 2008, when Barack Obama first took office, Republicans have gained somewhere around 900 to 1,000 seats overall.

There are a lot of reasons for this. But there's no way to spin some of these numbers in a way that doesn't speak to the awesome unpopularity of the blue party. A recent series of Gallup polls is the most frightening example.

Unsurprisingly, the disintegrating Trump bears a historically low approval rating. But polls also show that the Democratic Party has lost five percentage points in its own approval rating dating back to November, when it was at 45 percent.

The Democrats are now hovering around 40 percent, just a hair over the Trump-tarnished Republicans, at 39 percent. Similar surveys have shown that despite the near daily barrage of news stories pegging the president as a bumbling incompetent in the employ of a hostile foreign power, Trump, incredibly, would still beat Hillary Clinton in a rematch today, and perhaps even by a larger margin than before.

If you look in the press for explanations for news items like this, you will find a lot of them. Democrats may have some difficulty winning elections, but they've become quite adept at explaining their losses.

According to legend, Democrats lose because of media bias, because of racism, because of gerrymandering, because of James Comey and because of Russia (an amazing 59 percent of Democrats still believe Russians hacked vote totals).

Third-party candidates are said to be another implacable obstacle to Democratic success, as is unhelpful dissension within the Democrats' own ranks. There have even been whispers that last year's presidential loss was Obama's fault, because he didn't campaign hard enough for Clinton.

The early spin on the Gianforte election is that the Democrats never had a chance in Montana because of corporate cash, as outside groups are said to have "drowned" opponent Rob Quist in PAC money. There are corresponding complaints that national Democrats didn't do enough to back Quist.

A lot of these things are true. America is obviously a deeply racist and paranoid country. Gerrymandering is a serious problem. Unscrupulous, truth-averse right-wing media has indeed spent decades bending the brains of huge pluralities of voters, particularly the elderly. And Republicans have often, but not always, had fundraising advantages in key races.

But the explanations themselves speak to a larger problem. The unspoken subtext of a lot of the Democrats' excuse-making is their growing belief that the situation is hopeless – and not just because of fixable institutional factors like gerrymandering, but because we simply have a bad/irredeemable electorate that can never be reached.

This is why the "basket of deplorables" comment last summer was so devastating. That the line would become a sarcastic rallying cry for Trumpites was inevitable. (Of course it birthed a political merchandising supernova.) To many Democrats, the reaction proved the truth of Clinton's statement. As in: we're not going to get the overwhelming majority of these yeehaw-ing "deplorable" votes anyway, so why not call them by their names?

But the "deplorables" comment didn't just further alienate already lost Republican votes. It spoke to an internal sickness within the Democratic Party, which had surrendered to a negativistic vision of a hopelessly divided country.

Things are so polarized now that, as Georgia State professor Jennifer McCoy put it on NPR this spring, each side views the other not as fellow citizens with whom they happen to disagree, but as a "threatening enemy to be vanquished."

The "deplorables" comment formalized this idea that Democrats had given up on a huge chunk of the population, and now sought only to defeat and subdue their enemies.

Many will want to point out here that the Republicans are far worse on this score. No politician has been more divisive than Trump, who explicitly campaigned on blaming basically everyone but middle American white people for the world's problems.

This is true. But just because the Republicans win using deeply cynical and divisive strategies doesn't mean it's the right or smart thing to do.

Barack Obama, for all his faults, never gave in to that mindset. He continually insisted that the Democrats needed to find a way to reach lost voters. Even in the infamous "guns and religion" episode, this was so. Obama then was talking about the challenge the Democrats faced in finding ways to reconnect with people who felt ignored and had fled to "antipathy toward people who aren't like them" as a consequence.

Even as he himself was the subject of vicious and racist rhetoric, Obama stumped in the reddest of red districts. In his post-mortem on the Trump-Clinton race, he made a point of mentioning this – that in Iowa he had gone to every small town and fish fry and VFW hall, and "there were some counties where I might have lost, but maybe I lost by 20 points instead of 50 points."

Most people took his comments to be a dig at Clinton's strategic shortcomings – she didn't campaign much in many of the key states she lost – but it was actually more profound than that. Obama was trying to point out that people respond when you demonstrate that you don't believe they're unredeemable.

You can't just dismiss people as lost, even bad or misguided people. Unless every great thinker from Christ to Tolstoy to Gandhi to Dr. King is wrong, it's especially those people you have to keep believing in, and trying to reach.

The Democrats have forgotten this. While it may not be the case with Quist, who seems to have run a decent campaign, the Democrats in general have lost the ability (and the inclination) to reach out to the entire population.

They're continuing, if not worsening, last year's mistake of running almost exclusively on Trump/Republican negatives. The Correct the Record types who police the Internet on the party's behalf are relentless on that score, seeming to spend most of their time denouncing people for their wrong opinions or party disloyalty. They don't seem to have anything to say to voters in flyover country, except to point out that they're (at best) dupes for falling for Republican rhetoric.

But "Republicans are bad" isn't a message or a plan, which is why the Democrats have managed the near impossible: losing ground overall during the singular catastrophe of the Trump presidency.

The party doesn't see that the largest group of potential swing voters out there doesn't need to be talked out of voting Republican. It needs to be talked out of not voting at all. The recent polls bear this out, showing that the people who have been turned off to the Democrats in recent months now say that in a do-over, they would vote for third parties or not at all.

People need a reason to be excited by politics, and not just disgusted with the other side. Until the Democrats figure that out, these improbable losses will keep piling up.

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