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cripplingaddictions · 4 years

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Kaminari x Reader: Princess

Summary: When Class 1A has a campfire on night take the stress off the students, your boyfriend, Denki, neglects you. Your plan to gain his attention succeeds, but only because you are his truly princess.

Rating: SFW

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 3k

A/N: I wrote this a while ago and I thought I’d give it a shot posting this...

Three frantic knocks in your front door to your dorm caused you to bound up from your seat at your desk. You stumbled to the door, hardly containing your excitement. In seconds, you had twisted open the door handle and swung the door into the room. The smile on your face grew more than tenfold as you met the bright starry yellow eyes of your boyfriend. Damn, did his eyes remind you of all the stars and suns combine into concentrated irises. His very own smile caused yours to grow, and to think he was yours took your breath away every time you saw him.

“Hey, Princess,” he smirked, his faint electrical freckles shining as his face shifted, “Are you ready to go?”

His hand stretched out for yours, exiting the pocket of his green-grey jeans (he’s wearing the outfit in the picture). Your grip tightened around his hand as soon and he took it from the door handle. Hand holding had to be one of your favourite things to do with him.

“I’ve been ready for ages, Denki,” you laughed, gesturing to yourself. The hair you had Momo neatly do up had small strands falling from the style, curling in small ringlets around your face. “My hair is falling out already. I’ll have to get Momo to redo it.”

“Nope,” Denki smiled, “I think it looks better like that anyway. But I’m sorry I took so long, Y/N. It took me a while to retune this bad boy.”

Denki’s free hand flew around behind him and smack the guitar in it’s black case hanging on his back. His talent playing the guitar was a large secret to everyone, including you. He hadn’t played it in ages, but brought it to the dorms as he thought he might pick it up again. However, with the stress of being a student at UA getting to him, the guitar sat in the back of his wardrobe, collecting dust. That was until the fateful day when Seri and Kirishima decided to try and prank him by hiding in his wardrobe and jumping out to scar him. However, Kirishima and Sero were so cramped inside that they ended up falling out of the doors, bringing down the cased guitar with them.

Those two had never seen Kaminari so angry in their lives. He thought they had broken the guitar that he held as a prized possession, even if he no longer knew how to play. Kirishima continued to hold it against him after he explained how he used to play but forgot due to school. So he spilled the tea to Jiro, who helped bring Kaminari back on track and retaught him how to play.

“Okay,” you sighed, “I’ll forgive you for that.”

Denki tilted his head towards the elevator, “Come on, we should probably head down there. Are you sure you will be warm enough?”

“Yep,” you stepped out of yours room, readjusting your grip in his hand and swinging your dorm door closed, “Well, if I do get cold, you can give me your jacket.”

Denki began leading you to the elevator, “Nope, not going to happen, Princess.”

“What, why? That’s what boyfriends do!” You reached out to press the level one button on the elevator and it arrived almost immediately after. Both of you entered the elevator and you rolled your eyes as the doors shut again.

“Y/N, I love you,” he grabbed both of your hands and turned your pouting face towards him, “but this is my favourite jacket. I’m not letting anyone take it. Tough love, baby.”

The furrow between your eyebrows grew tighter at his words, as you stuck your bottom lip out further. You knew what gets him. Denki couldn’t resist your pouty face as he could never stand seeing you be upset.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Denki mused, “We need to hurry to join the others.”

The two of you left the elevator, passing through the common room to the courtyard out the back of Hero’s Alliance. Soft chattering of familiar voices of your classmates came from the soft ambient glow from the campfire Momo thought would relax everyone after stressful schoolwork. Orange light flooded the courtyard, the fire flickering through shades of yellow, orange and red. Small embers drifted up in the cloud of smoke that dissipated once it reached a certain height. Chairs had been moved to circulate the campfire, littered with your classmates all eating or roasting marshmallows.

Denki stood next to the door, sashaying his hand through the doorway, “After you, Princess.”

“Why, thank you,” you mocked a bow, a small giggle escaping your lips as he followed behind you. The cold hit you immediately, but the radiance of the fire pulsed heat in your direction to make up for it.

“Hey!” A familiar head of red hair, not spiked up like usual, but a bandana wrapped around the flat hair, ran towards you, “Y/N, Kaminari! I roasted some marshmallows for you.”

From behind his back, he pulled out two marshmallows, speared through the middle. One was beautifully crisp and brown, the gooey inside tripped down the stick. The other held a charcoal black colour that cracked to display the gooey-ness on the inside. It was more of a liquid than a solid by the way it was roasted.

Kirishima handed the charcoal-like one to Denki and the nicely roasted one to you, “Just the way you guys like it.”

Your mouth dropped, “You like it that way? You monster.”

Denki simply shrugged, not offended by your comment. His hand that held your hand slipped out of your grip and around your shoulders as he gnawed down on the pitch black marshmallow. You lifted your eyes up to catch sight of his bright yellow orbs glistening in delight at his crusty treat - that should not be that crusty in your opinion. Even though his way of roasting marshmallows was completely wrong, you ignored it if only you could see the look in his eyes.

In record time, Denki had scuffed down the mallow and chucked the stick with small strings of marshmallow slipping down it into the fire. “Let’s sit, Princess.”

Using the arm around your shoulders to guide you, your boyfriend slipped around to the other side of the campfire. You took a seat on the log that had been rolled to act as a seat. To your left, you smiled at Mina, who lunged an arm around you and squeezed you into her side to great you. She quickly turned back to talk with Sero as your Pikachu of a boyfriend sat on your right. The guitar strap slid off his shoulder as he rested the guitar between you and him.

You sat with one of Denki’s hands on your knee as you completely devoured the marshmallow on your stick. Once you had finished, you chucked the barren stick into the campfire.

When Denki’s face - lit up with the orange glow of the fire - turned towards you with a smirk, a small amount of fear slipped into your mind. You knew that smirk too well.

“Hey, Princess,” Denki mused.

“Yeah..?” You answered, sceptical to answer.

“What do you call it when you murder one of your friends?”

“Why would I ever do that? We’re training to become heroes!”

“Just say “what”, Y/N.”

“Okay, fine... What do you call it?”

“Homie-cide! Get it? Homie? Homicide? Homie-cide?”

A really long exaggerated sigh stringed out of you mouth, but you couldn’t help let a small chuckle fall from your slightly blueing lips, “I hate you...”

“Don’t be like that!” His arm wrapped around your shoulders to pull you into a tight side hug. The smile on his face made you regret saying that as his contagious giggling erupted from his throat. “It was good, come on.”

Another sigh left your lips as you leaned up to kiss him on the temple, “I’ll give you that one. It did get me a little.”

“Hey,” Denki caught your face in his hand before you could turn away, “You missed.”

Before you could protest, he dove in for a quick but skilful kiss to your lips. It always left you momentarily stunned whenever he did that. Whenever he took you by surprise with a small kiss, he never failed to take your breath away, make your heart triple it’s heartbeat, and make you blush like crazy. A goofy smile illuminated both of your faces as you gave him a small shove in the shoulder.

“Hey, Kaminari,” Jirou’s voice cut Denki’s bubbly giggle off as she came to stand before the two of you, “Your guitar is ready, yeah? We could sing a couple songs soon, maybe.”

“Yeah! I was born ready.”

“Oh, I also came to ask if either of you guys wanted a hot chocolate? Todoroki’s taking some orders for Sato.”

You straightened your posture at the thought of the warmth flushing throughout your insides, and the chocolate aroma. Not that you wanted to admit it, but you knew that Denki had been right about these clothes not being warm enough. “That’d be great if you could tell him I wanted one.”

“Hmm, I’ll pass,” Denki replied.

“No problem, Y/N,” Jirou bounced on her heals as she turned away, “I’ll go tell him. I’ll be back.”

It was only about five minutes into joining whatever conversation Mina was having with Sero before you saw Todoroki with a tray of a dozen or so hot chocolates, struggling to slide open the glass door. His nose was scrunched up as he tried to juggle the tray on one hand. Placing a hand onto Denki’s knee, you let him know you were leaving. You speed-walked to the door, rounding around the campfire and sliding the door open for Todoroki.

The relief that flowed through his face made you chuckle as you caught the tray before it tilted, “I got it, Todoroki.”

“Thank you, Y/N,” he nodded his head slightly, readjusting his grip on the tray, “Did you order one of these?”

“Yeah, I did,” you gleefully answered, “I could never turn down one of these.”

Taking the closest mug, to let your senses adjust to the warmth of the drink as you took a quick sip. Being conscious of burning your mouth, you took another just a quickly. The smell had you entranced as you stepped out of the way for Todoroki to step through the door. You slid it closed behind him, turning around to spy something that made your heart drop a small bit.

On the other side of the campfire, Jirou sat in your seat, a little too close to Denki as you would like. His guitar no longer had its case on as it lay down on his lap. The neck lay down on Jirou’s as she inspected the strings, making sure they were all in tune. Every now and then, their fingers would brush over each other’s. Accidentally, of course...

The overwhelming jealously held you to the ground. You couldn’t move as you were forced to watch them exchange conversation that close together.

Jirou was one of your closest friends, you knew she would never do you wrong like that. After all, she always seemed completely disinterested in Denki and you trusted him as his girlfriend. However, you knew they were going to perform together at the campfire. They spent many late nights together practicing; on the nights you usually spent with him in your own dorm.

No, you were jealous.

Jirou wouldn’t do that, and neither would Denki.

“Y/N?” Todoroki stepped in front of your gaze, breaking your line of sight to your boyfriend, “Are you okay? You spaced out?”

Blinking multiple times, you quickly glanced around at your surroundings to find that Todoroki had the vacant tray underneath his arm. How long had you been staring at them?

You met his duel coloured eyes, about to answer him when the soft strumming of Denki’s guitar ripped the words from your mouth. All of your classmates turned their heads in his direction, the skilful plucking of strings having the same effect on them also. Soft humming also vibrated from Denki’s throat, surprising you. You never realised he could produce a melody from his voice, even though it was buttery to begin with.

Beside him, Jiro began to sway as Denki’s soft rhythm came the part of the song with lyrics. Jiro’s even softer voice joined in with your boyfriends melody, singing the lyrics familiar to most of the class. You stared from the other side of the campfire at Denki. His yellow eyes flickered between his plucking fingers, his other hand up the neck of the guitar, and Jiro to his left - right where you should be.

The crease between your eyebrows doubled as they reached the chorus. He joined her in song, their angelic voices fit together perfectly.

An unsettling bubbling in your gut made you dizzy as you took a sip from your hit chocolate. Sitting down and leaning up against the door to the dorms, you rested your head on your free hand. You couldn’t find the strength or courage to look back towards Denki and Jiro. The wind made you shiver as the two of them as sang the chorus again.

That was when a plan formed in your mind.

You stayed silent as Denki finished his guitar solo and Jiro finished singing. The class erupted in cheers and applause. You clapped your hand onto the one holding your mug and took the opportunity to activate your plan.

“Todoroki,” you called out.

Your classmate turned back around to find you one the floor, “Yes, Y/N?”

“Could you do me a favour?” You inquired, taking another sip of the hot drink in your fingers.

“Yeah.”

“Could you make me cold?”

“You want me to use my ice on you?” His face turned to look at yours, a small knit between his eyebrows - almost unnoticed.

You lifted a hand, “Not ice... but you can cool me down with just your hand. Right?”

“Yes, I can...”

“Great!” You opened your arms, inviting Todoroki to touch you. A hesitant hand landed on your shoulder, encrusting in a thin layer of ice. Shivers ran down your arm, immediately experiencing a change in temperature. Todoroki quickly pulled back, noticing your sudden shiver.

“Would you like me to keep going?” He asked.

“Yeah,” you nodded, gesturing to your other shoulder.

The same hand landed on your other shoulder, repeating the slight application of ice. The hand slipped over to rest on your upper back momentarily, sending a sharp shiver down your back.

“That’s good,” you smiled, “Maybe even my legs?”

“Uhh...”

The awkwardness and hesitance was evident on Todoroki’s face. There was no doubt he knew about you and Denki dating, everyone knew being the loudest couple in UA. He was as dull as a brick. There was no way he would have picked up that you were using the cold to get to Denki. He certainly didn’t even notice the subtle glances between Denki and Jiro that had caused you to do this while they were singing.

Only the tips of Todoroki’s fingers slid over your thigh slightly as he kneeled down to your level. Cold flushed through your legs as he passed his hand over to the other. Todoroki continued to glance up at your face, making sure he wasn’t passing any boundaries.

The look of satisfaction of your working plan caused Todoroki to pull back, “Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s brilliant,” you shivered again, “Thank you, Todo.”

“Um, anytime?”

With that, you strained your neck to spy Denki. You found him whispering something in Jiro’s ear. That was the last straw.

Resisting every urge to march over there at that very moment, you stayed put. Your patience was worth it, as Jiro left not so long afterwards. You took this as your chance to strike, taking quick-paced but casual steps towards the log Denki sat on.

“Hey, Princess!” Denki waved you over, the grin that killed you every time sporting on his face, “Did you like the show?”

You hugged yourself, attempting to enclose some warmth around your body. A shaky nod notified him that you enjoyed it, taking the now empty seat next to him. “Yeah, but think you were right about these clothes not being warm enough, though. I’m freezing.”

“Really? Come here! I’ll warm you up!” Denki gently leaned the guitar against the log on the other side of him, wrapped both of his arms around you. Warmth rushed over to you, his scent causing a flood of satisfaction through your senses. You hugged back, slipping your arms underneath his jacket. Direct body heat warmed your arms up as you clutched the purple long sleeve shirt he had on.

“Is that better?” He asked, placing his chin on the top of your head as you buried your face into the collar of his jacket.

“Mm, your jacket is really warm...”

You closed your eyes, almost slipping into a light sleep. Every now and then, a happy sigh would escape your lips. Denki placed a soft kiss on your hairline, smiling to himself. You desperately fought the sleepiness making you drowsy, but failed. The constant warmth of your boyfriend lulled you as he slowly began to sway.

A soft, but sly smirk etched onto Denki’s face as he shifted his hold on you. He slipped out of his jacket without disrupting you, leaving him in the long sleeve. Gently, he draped the jacket around your shoulders, ignoring the cold that took over his body. He squeezed you tighter, adjusting you again slightly. He pulled his guitar back on his lap, quietly strumming a few calming notes.

“Hey, Kaminari,” Jiro stepped in front of him, ripping his attention from your peaceful expression. In her hands was a jumbled up blanket that he had told her to get for you. “I got it.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you still need it? I mean you gave her your jacket.”

“I’m sure she’ll still appreciate it. Thanks, Jiro.” Kaminari received the blanket, wrapping you up in one end and himself in the other. Your slow and steady breathing made him sleepy too.

“You really treat her like a princess. That’s your favourite jacket...”

“Well, she is. She’s my princess.”

#denki kaminari #bnha x reader #denki x reader #kaminari x reader #bnha oneshots #bnha imagines #kaminari fluff #kaminari denki

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rpdrficexchange · 4 years

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New Traditions (Sashea) - Peridot

A/N: Merry Christmas folks! I wrote this for the lovely roza @leljaaa for the @rpdrficexchange 2019! Feel free to leave any feedback here or over at @artificialperidot :) Hope you enjoy!

To Roza: Merry Christmas darling! I’ve never written Sashea before but I gave it my best shot and I actually really enjoyed it! I hope you enjoy this little coffee shop au with a festive twist, and that you appreciate the little theatre references I just had to sneak in there for you. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas angel!

Shea’s heart was in her throat.

Fingernails dug into her thigh. A strong arm was held firmly around her waist, binding her like a rope. The words he said in her ear blurred into nothing.

This was it.

This was the last straw.

She was done. She had to leave. She was going to leave, right now.

She felt a kiss on her cheek as the hand around her waist clenched tighter.

Fuck no.

Shea pushed him off and slapped him in the face, and ran away as fast as she could.

She heard him call after her.

But there was no turning back now.

***

Sasha was one of very few odd people who actually didn’t mind working on Christmas.

Now don’t get her wrong, she still loved Christmas. She loved the coloured lights, buying gifts for others, the Christmas carols, even the cold weather - it reminded her of her home in Russia. And of course she missed spending Christmas with her loved ones, but she didn’t mind waiting just one more day to open her presents and eat her turkey. After all, that meant her family had two Christmas Days, and she didn’t mind missing out on one of them.

Christmas was actually one of Sasha’s busiest working days. She owned a quaint little café in the middle of New York City, and it was usually the only place open for miles on the 25th. Her café was her pride and joy. She was so happy to be able to create a safe space for everyone who entered through the door, and let them forget about the outside world for a little while. Each detail of the café had been hand chosen by her, from the books on the shelves along the walls to the different coffees and teas they served.

She had spent a few years (and probably too much money) designing it in her own vision. Clean, white walls with bookshelves, wooden counters, glass tables, low hanging neon coloured lights, and brightly coloured chairs, in magenta and bright yellow and electric blue. She wanted to create a comfortable, welcoming space for artists in New York like her, of which Sasha knew were many.

The colourful chairs had since been wrapped in silver tinsel, and the coloured lights set to reds and golds and greens to create a warm, festive atmosphere. Besides Sasha busily working behind the counter, the café was desolate, just as she had expected. She had a few loyal employees, but she would never expect them to work on Christmas, even for double the pay. And, she never expected anyone to come into the shop on Christmas either- even those who didn’t celebrate Christmas usually didn’t want to face the snow and ice. Though, Sasha still prepared the usual cakes and pastries if any customers did decide to brave the cold, as well as some festive treats (gingerbread and shortbread and Christmas cake) which she would likely bring home to her family at the end of the day, having remained untouched.

Instead of busily serving customers from behind the counter as she usually would, Sasha had a new task on Christmas, one that made missing the day with her family all worth it. Every December 25th she would spend her morning kneading and stirring and creating the most magical Christmas desserts and cookies and cakes, complete with fondant icing and Christmas decorations. Sasha wouldn’t necessarily call herself a baker, but she was most certainly creative, and so she made use of her creative streak to invent a multitude of new sweet creations, and had received some pretty great reviews in the past. She would use up all the ingredients she had in the café making as many treats as her brain could come up with, each new addition as delicious as the next.

Whilst they were in the oven, she’d start her next task- wrapping as many shoeboxes she could. The café collected empty shoeboxes from their customers from the beginning of November, and thanks to their generosity, easily over one hundred would be donated. Then, using a combination of customer donations and her own money, Sasha would buy gifts to put in each box – warm clothes and bath products and blankets and sweets and toys for children.

Once everything was wrapped and baked, Sasha would gather each present and dessert and load them into her car, before driving down to the local homeless shelter, where she would stay until midnight. She would hand out her gifts to all of those who gathered there for a warm meal, and serve her cakes and cookies and pastries, which everyone loved. She would talk to them and sing carols with them all evening, and had formed a close friendship with the staff and the homeless people over the years for her generosity.

She wanted to make sure that everyone had a good Christmas, and give back to the community that had done so much for her over the years.

And this Christmas was no exception.

Sasha was busily kneading a lump of dough for her mince pies with her flour covered hands and absentmindedly humming to ‘Hark the Herald’, when she heard the shop door open. She jumped a little in surprise, and turned her head sharply to see who was the source of the footsteps that were headed her way.

Sasha hadn’t expected anyone to come into the café on Christmas Day.

Especially not a woman dressed as an elf.

Especially not a women dressed as an elf who was crying her eyes out.

To say that Sasha didn’t know what to do would’ve been an understatement.

She approached the counter, her running mascara staining the green collar of her shirt with black smudges.

“Uh… can I get a black coffee, p-please?” the girl muttered in a weak, shaky voice, as if she was on the verge of crying again.

Sasha stood silently for a second, eyes wide with utter bewilderment. She could’ve laughed at the sight of the poor girl – she’d never seen an elf with such little Christmas spirit. But, that wasn’t Sasha’s nature, so instead she started making the beverage, giving her time to think about what to say.

She handed over the drink and collected the girl’s money with a small smile, trying desperately to comfort her but not having a clue how to. The girl muttered a quiet “thanks” and turned to leave the store.

Sasha knew she couldn’t just let her leave.

Not on Christmas.

“Hey,” Sasha called out, “how would you like some company while you drink that? We could sit a while, talk?”

The girl wiped a tear from her eye and smiled hopefully. “Um, okay. Thanks.”

***

The pair spent the next hour or so talking to each other, losing track of time. Sasha had laid a table and made two hot chocolates with marshmallows, one for her and one just in case her new companion wanted something sweeter than her coffee. Free of charge, of course.

Sasha learned that the girl’s name was Shea, and that she was originally from Chicago, but moved to New York 3 years ago to study fashion design at college.

Sasha could’ve said how ironic this was considering her Elf costume, but she bit her tongue.

Besides, Shea still looked pretty good in it regardless.

“Then, after I graduate, I wanna design costumes for Broadway shows,” Shea continued on.

“That’s awesome! I used to do loads of theatre when I was younger,” Sasha reminisced.

“Same! I was such a theatre kid!” Shea laughed fondly. “I played Heather Chandler when we did Heathers in my senior year of high school.”

“No way! Heathers is one of my favourites!”

“Me too!” Shea exclaimed. “Fuck, I got to see Falsettos with the original Broadway cast a few years ago and it was honestly the highlight of my life.”

Sasha’s jaw dropped. “I am so jealous!”

Shea laughed and looked down, her dimples and the creases by her eyes forming a beautiful picture that Sasha never wanted to unsee.

And there wasn’t a single tear in her eyes anymore. Shea’s sadness seemed to be forgotten, at least for now.

Sasha tried to convince herself that she was looking for traces of teardrops in Shea’s eyes, but who was she kidding. Shea has the most warm, welcoming eyes Sasha had ever seen, eyes that drew her in and sparkled under the Christmas tree lights and allowed Sasha to catch a glimpse of the fiery soul that lay behind them.

She couldn’t help but stare. Although she had just met Shea, she was sure that she wanted to stare into those eyes for more than just an hour.

Sasha shook herself back into reality, now quite aware that she had been staring for a little too long. Embarrassed, she quickly tried to draw attention away from her staring.

“So, Uh, what stopped you from pursuing the whole acting thing?”

Shea shrugged. “I don’t know… I always wanted to do it, but people kept telling me it was unrealistic.”

“People like…”

“Mainly my boyfriend,” Shea mumbled. “I mean, my ex-boyfriend now.”

“Ex-boyfriend?”

“Yeah, I…. I left him today, actually.”

“Is that you were upset earlier?” Sasha asked.

Shea bit her lip.“Sorta… I just felt bad doing it on Christmas.”

“Don’t feel bad! I’m sure he probably deserved it anyway,” Sasha said, shaking her head.

“Trust me, he did,” Shea scoffed. “He was a dickhead.”

Sasha smiled and met Shea’s eyes for a second, before she quickly glanced away. “Um, can I ask why? It’s totally okay if you don’t wanna talk about it and I get it if you-“

“No, no it’s fine, I’ll tell you, don’t worry,” Shea replied, a sad sort of smile forming on her lips. “In all honesty… he was a jerk. He would, um, try and control my life, and what I wore, and what I did and stuff. Even today he was being a control freak. We both work part time jobs at Macy’s, as Santa’s helpers, and I had booked the day off to spend Christmas with my family, and he was still working and he, uh, he wasn’t too pleased about me leaving him on Christmas. So, uh, he changed my work schedule to make sure I was working on Christmas and didn’t tell me.”

Sasha felt her heart rate quickening. Oh my God. “Fuck, really?”

“Yeah. At first I thought he just didn’t wanna spend Christmas without me, but really, he just wanted to show off to his friends who took their kids to see Santa Claus. He didn’t even get me a gift.”

“Shit,” Sasha said in disbelief. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s fine, I guess. I’m so done with him now though,” Shea said through gritted teeth. “I tried to talk to him earlier, to tell him how I was feeling, but he didn’t listen. He just started flirting, playing it off as if it was nothing. And then he was grabbing me, and I slapped him and ran off.”

“Fuck, Shea.” Sasha furrowed her brow and bit her lip until she tasted blood.

Shea pursed her lips and inhaled sharply. “I know, it was really fucking bad, Sasha. I’m never going back. I don’t wanna see him ever again.”

Sasha genuinely couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This girl had been through hell and back, and yet was still able to articulate everything so perfectly, and Sasha felt priveleged that she trusted her enough to tell her story.

Sasha wished she knew the right words to say. She wished she could rewind time, reverse what happened to Shea. She wished that she could make sure that it would never happen again. “You’re so brave for leaving him. So brave. I’m so proud of you.”

She saw tears start to well in Shea’s eyes, before her face crumpled and she allowed her emotions to come out. Sasha grabbed the girl’s hand across the table, squeezing it tightly and trying to show her how loved she was, how she didn’t deserve any of this shit.

Shea allowed the tears to flow, each wave of emotion overflowing her senses, until she calmed down and started to feel okay. She wasn’t sure why she had allowed herself to be so vulnerable in front of Sasha. Something about her made her feel safe.

Sasha’s fingers remained interlocked with hers as her breathing began to slow, and she saw a smile creep back her Shea’s face.

“Sorry,” Shea eventually murmured, “for getting upset and shit.”

“Don’t say sorry. Emotions are healthy,” Sasha smiled sympathetically.

A weak smile appeared on Shea’s face as her rising chest settled and she was back in control.

“Well, I guess if that shit never happened I never would’ve ended up coming here,” Shea chuckled, the final tear rolling silently down her cheek before being flicked away. “You’re the only place open on Christmas for miles. Except McDonald’s.”

“McDonald’s doesn’t count,” Sasha scoffed, a sarcastic eyebrow raised making Shea giggle.

“Shhh, Ronald will hear you!” Shea exclaimed, before the two found themselves in fits of laughter.

“Well, I’m certainly glad you came in,” Sasha smiled.

“I am too. I’m really glad I met you, Sasha.” Shea beamed, the twinkle of sadness in her eye fading to a spark of hope. Sasha stared for a little longer than she probably should have. It was so easy to lose herself in her kind eyes.

Snapping back to reality, Sasha quickly glanced down and cleared her throat. Damn it. Shea must have noticed her staring that time. She’d need to be more careful about that.

When she dared to glance back up, Shea’s eyes were waiting, staring back into hers. Fuck. There was something so special about this girl.

No. Sasha had only just met this girl, they barely knew each other, and she had just broken up with her boyfriend for Christ’s sake.

This wasn’t happening.

This was crazy.

But maybe, Sasha liked crazy.

Maybe it was the fire in Shea’s eyes, or her fingers still interlocked with Sasha’s, or even her dumb elf costume that gave Sasha the confidence to say what she said next.

“So, uh, if you have no plans for Christmas anymore, then maybe you could stick around and help me with a few things.”

Shea smiled. “I’d like that.”

***

The next few hours blurred into clouds of flour and the sweet smell of gingerbread, as if Shea had stepped into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for the first time. Sasha was grateful for the extra pair of hands around the café to help her prepare for the evening, but even more grateful for the company. Being with Shea was always exciting, always fun, and Sasha somehow felt at ease around her. The empty café was now renewed with a sense of Christmas spirit, with a cacophony of laughter and Christmas music and the whirring of whisks filling the air around the two. Shea’s terrible Christmas had been long forgotten, and instead filled with candy canes and sugar and sweetness.

Shea didn’t have a clue how to bake, so whilst Sasha handled the difficult parts, Shea was set the task of decorating the gingerbread men, which she did with glee – she gave each biscuit a name and a different outfit and told Sasha made-up stories about each cookie character, making the smaller girl giggle. There was something infectious about Sasha’s laughter. God, she was adorable.

Once Sasha had seemed their collection of baked goods satisfactory, they began on their next task - wrapping. Shea felt more in her element here, given her experience with fabric, and so set off on a mission to show Sasha how amazing her wrapping was. She covered her first shoebox with glittery gold paper and streams of ribbons and bows, as if the present was fit for Broadway itself. She proudly handed it over to Sasha with a nod, before glancing over at Sasha’s gifts. Each one was precisely wrapped with crisp, neat folds, tied up with a flourish of ribbon. Not to mention the fact that she had wrapped 7 boxes in the time it had taken Shea to wrap one.

Upon noticing Shea’s gawking, Sasha laughed time herself. “It’s all in the math. Wrapping is essentially geometry,” she said, curling a length of ribbon with her scissors. “I like your wrapping more though. It’s more fun!”

Shea smirked. Damn. Smart and nice? Did Sasha know how perfect she was?

Shea knew alright.

***

The sound of a chorus of voices singing ‘jingle bells’ poured out from the homeless shelter, which was buzzing with life and activity. It had been decorated in rainbow-coloured fairy lights, a beacon of hope and magic in an otherwise dark and cold December night.

The two girls walked through the double doors side by side, arms bundled with seemingly endless wrapped boxes and silver tins of desserts. They were greeted by friendly faces and handshakes and hugs from volunteers and homeless people alike, thanking them for contributing to their Christmas.

Shea was sure she hadn’t understood the meaning of Christmas until now.

They began handing out the gifts along each row, Sasha offering hugs to those she had gotten to know over the past few years. Seeing the genuine, heartfelt reactions of those who appreciated such simple gestures as shoeboxes and cakes made Shea’s heart soar. For the first time in a long time, she felt alive.

Maybe it was Sasha who made her feel alive.

She couldn’t really tell.

After an evening spent singing carols and eating Sasha’s Christmas desserts, the two left arm in arm.

“Hey Sasha,” Shea said. “Thank you for all of this. For saving me.”

Sasha beamed. “You make it so easy.”

And thus began Sasha’s brand new Christmas tradition.

She would still go down to the homeless shelter and bring her desserts and her gifts. Of course.

But now, she would bring Shea with her too.

And now, they both dressed as elves on Christmas.

#rpdr fic exchange #rpdr fanfiction #peridot #for roza #sashea #sasha velour #shea coulee #lesbian au #christmas au #coffee shop au #fluff #angst #TW mentions of abusive behaviour #submission #Posted Fics

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sapphic-sustrai · 5 years

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Team DMNO Bios: Douglas Craig.

So, a while back I made a post talking about my RWBY OC team. I’ve decided to update all of their bios and this time I’ll be posting them each individually on Tumblr, starting with Douglas. Before I begin, I just wanted to say a little bit about my OC team!

The team name is DMNO {pronounced Domino}. When I think of dominoes, I primarily think of the colours black & white. To match the theme of the team name, all of its members have a name that either means light/white or black/dark.

They’re an all Faunus team from Atlas Academy and at the start of Vol. 1 are in their 2nd year. They’re also one of the chosen teams from Atlas to fight in the 40th Vytal Festival tournament.

Basically this team exists within in AU that I have for RWBY.

The team consists of their leader Douglas Craig, Melanie Hertz, Norbert Beaufort, and Olwen Kunik.

Now it’s time to talk about my free-spirited son, Douglas Craig! If there are any errors, I will go back and fix them eventually. More will be underneath the cut.

Full Name: Douglas Murchadh Craig.

Alias: The Blackwater Blader.

Nickname{s}: Doug {mostly used by everyone}, Dougie {only used by his mothers, mostly by Nagisa}, Bud {only used by Olwen}, Doofus {only used by his younger brother Kaito}, Saltwater Breath {only used by Melanie}, DC {only used by Norbert}.

Age: 18 {Vol. 1-3}.

Gender: Cis Male.

Race: Sea Otter Faunus, has a dark brown otter tail.

D.O.B/Star Sign: July 17th/Cancer.

Romantic/Sexual Orientation: Pansexual.

Handedness: Ambidextrous.

Complexion: Lightly-tanned.

Height: 5’10 {178cm}.

Weight: 160lbs {73kg}.

Body Type: Rectangular body shape, tall, lean, slightly muscular, six pack, long legs.

Hairstyle{s}:

Buzz cut, looked almost bald {Youth}.

Short and messy, with his bangs parted in the middle {Vol. 1-3}.

Hair Colour{s}: Black, with aqua highlights. Added the highlights right before attending Atlas Academy.

Eye Colour: Blue.

Aura Colour: Seafoam Blue.

Emblem: A swordfish, that looks as if it’s leaping out of the water. The majority of the emblem is seafoam blue, with an ocean blue outline and eye.

Weapon{s}: Black Marlon and the Dorado Daggers.

The Black Marlin is a two-barreled shotgun katana mix, with the shotgun as the base mode. When transforming into its katana mode, Douglas holds down a button located on the stock/grip and swings the blade out. The blade pops out from in-between the two barrels and extends. The shotgun and the stock/grip are primarily ocean blue, with a seafoam blue striped pattern that looks like waves. The stripes do glow when the weapon is in use. The blade is primarily obsidian black, with a pearl white Kanemoto-style hamon.

The Dorado Daggers are a switchblade/water pistol mix, with the water pistol being its base mode. When transforming into the switchblade mode, Douglas holds down a button located on the grip and the blade pops out from in-between the barrel and locks into place at the front. The grips are the same colour as the Black Marlin’s grips and they also glow when they’re in use. The blades are the same colour as a Mahi-Mahi fish.

Dust is inserted into the bottom of the stock or grips of Douglas’ weapons. Both weapons have a reflective coating on their blades and they shimmer when exposed to sunlight.

Types of Dust Used: Primarily water and electricity. Sometimes he’ll combine water and fire dust to create a steam element.

Other Equipment:

Dust pouch {ocean blue, belted around his right leg just above the knee}.

Shotgun Holster {ocean blue, attached to his belt, hangs from his left side, where he keeps Black Marlin when not in use}.

Gun Holster Vest {ocean blue, worn underneath his button-up shirt, where he keeps the Dorado Daggers}.

Fighting Style: Douglas’ fighting style is almost exactly like how he is a person, it’s very, “go with the flow”. He moves like a body of water, one moment he’ll be like a gentle river, the next he could be like a ferocious tidal wave. When using his sword, he does a lot of slashing like a swordfish or precise jabs.

Semblance: Ocean Mist - A semblance that allows the user to disappear and evaporate as a misty vapour, then reappears just a few seconds later. They can either reappear in the same spot or teleport to a new spot a few feet away, they can’t teleport over large distances. They also cannot use the semblance too much in short bursts, otherwise they’ll experience dizziness, feeling disoriented and a slight headache. Douglas has described this as, “feeling like he’s seasick”.

Other Skills, Talents, etc...

Vast knowledge of marine biology.

Expert sailing skills.

Very agile, nimble & flexible.

Incredibly creative, is known for having, “out of the box, solutions for most problems.

Excellent swimming skills.

Current Affiliation: Atlas Academy.

Previous Affiliation: Sanctum Academy.

Place of Origin: Vacuo, but his family currently resides on the Island of Patch.

Current Occupation{s}: Student, Huntsman-in-training.

Team/Status: DMNO. Currently active, but will become inactive soon after the Fall of Beacon. Won’t be active again for quite some time.

Team Members: Himself, Melanie Hertz, Norbert Beaufort & Olwen Kunik.

Partner: Norbert Beaufort.

Team Role: Ranged/Melee DPS.

Status: Alive.

Positive Qualities: Humble, dependable, out-going, charismatic, creative/imaginative, venturesome, calm, very go with the flow.

Neutral Qualities: Ambitious {applying to both his short- & long-term goals}, mellow, dreamy {often finds himself daydreaming}, absentminded.

Negative Qualities: Lazy, resentful {if you hurt him or anyone that he’s close to, he probably won’t forgive you}, untidy/messy, can be a bit clumsy.

Likes:

Laying in hammocks & taking naps.

Going to aquariums.

Marine biology.

Going sailing.

Surfing.

Spending time at the beach with friends.

Barbecuing.

Sketching in his sketchbook.

Dislikes:

Cauliflower {he hates how it tastes}.

Studying {he’ll still do it, but will complain about having to do it}.

People who wear socks with sandals.

Sunburns.

Dishonest people.

Alarm clocks {hates the alarm sounds and he likes to sleep in}.

Favourite…?

Food: Seafood {primarily lobster & crab}, pineapple pizza, mangos.

Drink: Iced tea, fruit smoothies, water with lemon.

Season/Weather: Summer/sunny & rainy days.

Colour: Cerulean or ocean blue.

Animal: Swordfish, mahi-mahi fish, dolphins.

Movie Genre: Romantic comedies or comedies.

Music Genre: Bluegrass & classic rock.

Relationships:

Meredith Craig:

Relationship: Mother, good overall, but there was a point in time where their relationship was strained.

Status: Alive.

Nagisa Watanabe:

Relationship: Biological Mother, good.

Status: Alive.

Hurley Lynch:

Relationship: Surrogate Father, good.

Status: Deceased.

Kaito Watanabe:

Relationship: Younger Brother, by 6 years, good overall, but they tease each other often.

Status: Alive.

Fingal, “Finn”, Craig:

Relationship: Grandfather {Meredith’s Father}, good.

Status: Alive.

Olwen Kunik:

Relationship: Closest Friend, teammate, good.

Status: Alive.

Norbert Beaufort:

Relationship: Close friend, partner, crush.

Status: Alive.

Melanie Hertz:

Relationship: Close friend, teammate, good overall, but they do clash often because of their differing personalities.

Status: Alive.

Team RWBY:

Relationship: Friends, good overall, gets along with Ruby the best, gets along with Weiss the least.

Status: Alive.

Team JNPR:

Relationship: Friends, good overall, gets along with Nora the best, gets along with Jaune the least.

Status: Alive {Pyrrha’s alive in this AU}.

Penny Polendina:

Relationship: Friends, good.

Status: Alive, then deceased, then rebuilt and brought back to life.

Early Life {Backstory}:

Douglas was born in the Kingdom of Vacuo.

His family consists of his two mothers, Meredith Craig & Nagisa Watanabe, as well as his younger brother Kaito Watanabe. Meredith was an accountant who worked from home, while Nagisa was a marine biologist. Kaito attends a public school on Patch.

His surrogate father Hurley Lynch lived close by and played an active role in both Douglas & Kaito’s lives. Hurley was a close family friend and worked as a marine biologist alongside Nagisa.

Hurley tragically passed away while out at sea with his crew. They were on their way to study the marine life in Mistral, but the boat was attacked by a Sea Feilong Grimm during an intense thunder storm. Douglas was 9 years old when this tragedy occurred and it hit him incredibly hard. As a result, he soon experienced a fear of the water, which lasted for about two years. Eventually he decided to seek out professional help, so that he could conquer his fear and learn to love the water again.

When Douglas was 10 years old, the family decided to pack up everything to move to the Island of Patch in the Kingdom of Vale. They still reside there currently and have no plans on moving again anytime soon.

Douglas got along very well with Nagisa, but from the ages of 8-12, he had a strained relationship with both Meredith & Kaito. Meredith used to be a little tougher on Douglas more than Kaito because Douglas was, “the oldest and should know better” because that’s how she was raised growing up. After a couple of arguments between the entire family, Douglas & Meredith reconciled with each other. Eventually Douglas apologized to his younger brother for how he treated him. Meredith has since then treated her sons equally.

Douglas has always wanted to be a Huntsman ever since he was little. He wanted to help people of course, but his two other big reasons were 1} he wanted to explore every inch of Remnant because he loves to travel and 2} he wants to be moderately wealthy so that he can help his family live a comfortable life. His mothers insist that the family is well off financially, but Douglas knows about how his family struggled financially for most of his life growing up. He just wants to help his family out in any way that he can.

Douglas decided to attend Sanctum Academy because by his own logic, “he’s already lived in Vacuo and Vale, so he thinks that living in Mistral next would be interesting.” It was at Sanctum where he met his closest friend and future Team DMNO teammate, Olwen Kunik. When it was time for them to pick the academy that they’d attend for the next 4 years, Douglas decided to tag along with Olwen to Atlas. He didn’t really have a set school that he wanted to attend to, he also hadn’t been to Atlas before and wanted to give it a shot.

Primary Attire {Youth}:

Baggy T-Shirt {White, with a navy-blue anchor logo, short sleeved}.

Selvedge Denim Shorts {dark blue}.

Straw Sole Flip Flops {rubber parts are black}.

Atlas Academy Uniform:

Pocket-Vest Jacket {grey, left unbuttoned, with the belt undone}.

Suit Shirt {white, top buttons left unbuttoned, tie hangs loosely around his neck, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, untucked}.

Long Trousers {white}.

Dress Socks {black}.

Dress Shoes {black}.

Primary Attire {Vol. 1-3}:

Button-Up Shirt {navy blue, left unbuttoned, short sleeved, wears nothing underneath}.

Anchor Necklace {silver, with a silver rope wrapped around it, silver chain}.

Military Belt {ocean blue nylon webbing, with a sturdy plastic buckle, gun holster vest is attached}.

Board Shorts {colour gradation from indigo to a lighter shade of blue, has belt loops}.

Open-toed Sandals {black, with straw soles}.

Other Notes About Appearance:

Has a couple of freckles on the bridge of his nose.

Has long sideburns {Vols. 1-3}.

Has a soul patch {Vol. 1-3}.

He has a large version of his emblem tattooed on his upper back. He also has an outline of a compass tattooed on the back of his right hand.

If He Had a Voice it Would Be: Travis Willingham {Current}, Chris Burnett {Youth}.

Misc. Trivia:

Douglas’ inspiration for his emblem & weapons came from his many visits to the Vacuo aquarium growing up. Swordfish and mahi-mahi fish were two of his favourite fish to see during these trips. He also wanted a reminder of Hurley because going to the aquarium was always their favourite thing to do together.

He has a stuffed shark named Sharptooth that he’s had ever since he was a child. He received it as a gift from Hurley during their first ever trip to the aquarium together.

He has arachnophobia {a fear of spiders}.

He has two dogs at home, a brown Newfoundland dog named Bear and a black Labrador retriever named Blackbeard or, “Beardie”, for short. Bear is 6 years old and Beardie is 3 years old. His mothers named Bear, while Douglas named Beardie.

Douglas loves giving/receiving nicknames. He has several nicknames for his teammates, friends and family {e.g. he calls Norbert, “Norbie”, Olwen, “Wen”, Melanie, “Melly or Flame Brain”, and Kaito “Half-Pint or Squirt}. He thinks that the use of nicknames shows that you have a close bond with someone.

He’s loved to draw & sketch since he was little. He designed his tattoos himself. He has a sketch book filled with potential tattoo ideas that he wants to get in the future.

That’s all that I have for Douglas! Any comments or critiques would be greatly appreciated and my askbox is always open! I’ll be posting the next member of DMNO Melanie’s bio in the next couple of days, so stay tuned for that!

#rwby #rwby oc #team dmno #douglas craig

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ja-barakrispy · 4 years

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The Moon in Your Eyes - Chapter One: Jasey

OK, so this is an original story that I have written - it’s your typical teem romance story, full of lil dramas, about a 16-year-old girl who moves from Baltimore to a new school, and falls in love with an aloof ‘bad-boy’ type, who has also had his fair share of heartbreak in recent years. It’s honestly a tumblr-perfect teen story.

Lots of music and pop culture mentions as well - the likes of Harry Styles, Elton John, Nirvana, Lewis Capaldi (my characters have really good taste in music, if I do say so myself), and both main character’s favourite film is Donnie Darko. Just so you know the characters a little better, and to give you as a reader a better idea as to wether these will be characters that you can relate to!

The chapters flip between the point of view of Jasey (the female protagonist) and Spencer (the male protagonist), but I will highlight this at the beginning of each chapter.

Posting this online is a BIG confidence thing for me, as I love writing, but have 0 confidence in my ability. BUT I have enjoyed writing it so far, and feel like maybe others would enjoy it too?

Any feedback, likes, reblogs would be so greatly appreciated! If this gets like no response, I probably won’t post any more, but we will see!

One Jasey

Warnings: Few curse words, slight anxiety.

Word Count: 1,848

A/N: These characters have all been created by me, and this is not based on true events - any character resemblance to anyone alive or deceased, and any story resemblance, is purely coincidental.

I checked myself over in the full-length mirror one last time. I tugged at my burnt-orange, corduroy skirt, the buttons running down the centre of it cold against my fingers. I pulled up the polka dot tights around my knees, and straightened out my over-sized, white sweater embroidered with maroon, orange and yellow flowers over the chest. I’d paired the outfit with plain black Doc Martens – because really, you can’t go wrong with Docs.

I’ve always tried to look my best. Back in Baltimore everyone used to say I dressed like hipster/indie kid hybrid, but I never really cared. I was always comfortable with my look, and that was all that mattered to me. But there was something about my outfit today that I questioned; what if people thought I was… overdressed? Usually, I wouldn’t care, but today was my first day at Nightingale High, and I wanted to make a good first impression. What if the people here were a little more refined than I was?

My dad is a Chemistry Professor – he used to teach at my old middle school, so when he was offered a position at Orley University, just outside of Pittsburgh, my family packed up our life in Baltimore and headed west. I was excited. Mostly.

Born and raised in Baltimore, leaving it behind was tough. But, really, I guess I kind of knew I was ready for life’s next adventure. As I stared myself down in the mirror, I clasped my necklace close to my chest and began to fiddle with it between my fingers.

“Jasey, come on, we gotta go.” My older brother, Tyler, called me from downstairs, snapping me out of my trance.

I grabbed my backpack, took one last glimpse into the mirror, and made my way down.

Tyler was waiting for me at the bottom of the staircase, tapping away on his phone. I gently slapped him on the forehead as I passed him – no reaction.

Tyler was 17, and going into his Senior Year at Nightingale. Being so close in age, we always used to get mistaken for twins, until 9th Grade, when he started to get taller and bulked out from playing football.

“Sociable as ever, I see, Ty.” I rolled my eyes slightly.

“I am being sociable,” He looked up, gesturing to his phone. “Everyone back home is sending me good luck texts, and I - being the polite young man I am - am making sure I reply to everyone individually.” He gave me a sarcastic smile, as I folded my arms across my stomach.

“Hey, you are home!” My mum pointed a finger at Tyler as she entered the hallway from the kitchen, her British accent still as evident as ever.

My parents are both from the UK – my mum is from Chelsea in London, and my dad is from Glasgow in Scotland. They moved to the US 16 years ago, when Tyler was a year old, and mum was pregnant with me, along with my two older half-sisters from my dad’s first marriage, April and Norah.

“Yeah, OK.” Tyler sighed. “Roddie, we’re getting in the car.”

Roddie is our youngest sibling – 13 and just starting 8th grade at Westinghouse Middle School. Roddie isn’t short for anything; not Rodney or Roderick; he’s just Roddie. Our mum is obsessed with Rod Stewart, and when she was in labor with our littlest kin, she’d put on a playlist she had created, ready for her sprogs arrival. ‘Hot Legs’ by none other than Rod Stewart himself popped up on shuffle at the exact moment my wonderful little brother made his appearance into the world. And so, Roddie was born, named after the man who was there for our mother during his birth. “I’m coming!” Roddie ran into the hallway, nearly slipping on the laminate flooring.

“Have the most amazing day, all of you,” Mum embraced all three of us in a group hug. “I love you guys so much.”

“We love you too, mum.” I smiled sweetly at her. “See you later.”

We piled into Tyler’s car, mum blowing us a thousand kisses, as we pulled out of the driveway and headed to our new schools. Tyler switched on his car stereo, Drake blaring through the speakers, which prompted me to put in my headphones. I scrolled through my Spotify, before deciding on shuffling the songs in my Elton John playlist. My phone pinged, a new text illuminating the screen.

Isaac Good luck at your new school today, Stinks. I’ll be thinking of you xxx

I smiled as I read the message.

Leaving Isaac back in Baltimore was tough. We’d been together for just over a year, and he was the first guy I’d ever really had feelings for (if you discount Warren Princeton in the 7th grade).

Jasey Thanks sweet cheeks, missing you so much xxx

Isaac Facetime later? xxx

Jasey Wouldn’t miss it xxx

I caught myself smiling as Isaac and I sent a stream of messages back and forth.

“Aw, texting your boyfriend?” Tyler said, making kissy faces.

Rolling my eyes, I took the ear-bud out of my left ear. “At least I have a boyfriend,” I raised an eyebrow at him. “You can’t seem to keep a girlfriend for more than five minutes.”

“I need to spread my wings.” He shrugged. “I don’t like being tied down.”

I rolled my eyes again – harder than last time – and sighed, “whatever you say, Romeo.”

“Besides,” Tyler grinned. “How could I pick just one girl, when so many want me?”

Roddie began to make retching noises from the backseat, as I belly laughed. “Oh, Tyler,” I gasped for a breath, “You really are something else.”

Before we knew it, we were at Westinghouse. As we pulled up in the drop-off layby, Roddie unclipped his seatbelt and shuffled to the edge and the centre of the backseat, so that he was closer to Tyler and I. He put his arms out in front of him, his thumbs hooked together and pinkies sticking out from both hands, almost resembling a bull. Tyler and I both did the same, this time connecting all of our pinkie fingers together. We started to chant softly and slowly; ‘Tanner kids rule’. Gradually, we got faster and louder, eventually swapping to a vocal Mexican wave of ‘woahs’, before breaking our finger circle, lifting our bull-formed hands over our heads and shouting our last name – “Tanner’s out!” It was cringy, and ever so corny, but we’d been doing this since Roddie could barely talk; it was our little tradition.

“See you guys.” Roddie smiled, climbing out of the car.

“Have a great day, bucko.” I waved.

Roddie skipped up the steps to his new school, excitement in his eyes, before turning back to the car and giving us a cheerful wave. I blew him kisses as Tyler waved back. “OK,” Tyler began, once Roddie had disappeared inside. “Let’s go take Nightingale High by storm, little sis.”

* * *

We walked up the school steps together, shoulder to shoulder, holding our breath until we walked through the front doors. The hallway was alive with hundreds of teens, some stuffing their blue coloured lockers with bags, books and binders, while others stood around chatting, chortling and checking in on what had happened over the Summer. It was almost too loud to hear yourself think, the buzz was electric. The school’s crest was displayed on a huge banner above the doorway, as well as laminated onto the floor in front of us – a nightingale bird, with a lamp hanging from it’s beak, displayed in blue and gold.

“So, this is it.” I breathed in. “I guess we should go and find the office.” Tyler placed a hand on my shoulder, looking down at me. I nodded boldly, as we searched the hall for any clue as to where we needed to go. I noticed a board a little way further into the hall, which had a map of the whole school. “Over here,” I tugged on Tyler’s arm. “We need to carry on down the hall, and take the second left.” Tyler studied the map. “OK, let’s go, I’m ready for this.” I attempted to pump myself up.

In reality, I was petrified. I grew up with all my friends in Baltimore: we had known each other since Pre K, so I’d never really been in a position where I had to prove myself as worthy to a bunch of new people in one hit. Making friends is a lot easier when you’re 4-years-old. Now, I had to try and make fresh friends, and settle into a new school environment, all whilst trying to maintain my high grade average. Tyler and I followed the directions on the map and came to the main office. A young woman sat on the other side of the desk, and greeted us with a warm smile. She looked pretty young - perhaps only in her early 20’s - her short blonde hair framing her soft face. She gave us both our timetables for the semester, along with a locker number and combination each, and a map of the school to keep. “You’ll both need to go to your homeroom classes first, and if you need any help at all with finding your classes, the teachers, and I’m sure your fellow students, will be more than happy to help you out.” She smiled. Tyler and I said our thank yous and headed back out into the hallway. It wasn’t as busy as when we’d first arrived, but the after-Summer-buzz was still apparent.

Tyler studied his timetable, his brow forming into a frown. “My first day of a new school, and they give me all the worst classes – I hate this place already.” “I dunno,” I smirked. “My classes don’t seem to be so bad.”

Tyler grabbed my timetable out of my hands and whispered each class to himself; “English Lit, Music, Astronomy, Art…” He opened his mouth wide and made his frown even deeper. “Study Hall?

“So I get all the whack classes, and you get let off with a fuckin’ Study Hall?” Tyler whined. “Sorry dude, I didn’t write the timetable.” I held my hands up. I jumped slightly as the bell rang, signaling the start of our first period of the day.

“Right, I’m out. See you later, loser.” Tyler began walking to his homeroom class, flashing the ASL for ‘I love you’ to me as he walked away. I put my fingers up in the same formation, “Hope you have a shitty day.” I called after him. I looked down at my map and timetable while simultaneously walking, trying to figure out where my homeroom was. I came to a bright red door, with one singular square window in the centre. The door had ‘C7’ engraved into a plaque right at the top – I was in the right place. “OK,” I breathed, prepping myself to go inside. My stomach flooded with anxiety, filling to the brim with intense butterflies: “you can do this Jasey. You are OK.”

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niamhgcoleual · 3 years

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Week 3: 15/10/21

The last of the Friday workshops for Unit 5 :( I have really enjoyed these Friday workshops creating pieces that have been and will further my inspiration for the different components i have to create for my final print and pdf deck. Today i also made onto campus as the weird bug i had last week decided to leave yayyy!! However there didn’t seem to be as many people in the class as there was compared to a few weeks ago when i came in...

Today’s workshop was focused on creating a mood board by undertaking a number of tasks under timed conditions. The outcomes of each timed task helped us to create guides for the visual language and design of them items required for the deck and print.

First of all we started by writing a short paragraph about ourselves and our practice which i will be using to inspire my about me segment that i have to include for the print and deck as it is always an important part to a folio.

Next we had to collect 3 images that reflect the tone and mood of our practice. For this i went to my favourite application ever created... Pinterest!! Everyone has mixed opinions on it but it is the best creation made. I have over 1,000 saved pins and it is where most of my inspiration comes from even for every day life things! I chose 3 illustrated images that shows happiness as this is the way i feel towards my practice (99% of the time at least). As well as images i also chose 3 songs that helped my creative grind on this day.

Thirdly we collected 3 designers or artists work that inspire us and our practice but as i had done this research this week to go towards my project i only briefly looked over other designers and artists but i knew who i would like to showcase overall in my submissions.

Fourthly we chose a colour palette of 3 as well as black. Even though i had chosen a colour palette in the week 1 workshop i wanted to show more bold colours as they are what i like to use when it comes to creating folios to make everything more interesting in my opinion. Of course i chose white and black like i mentioned before my liking to but i also chose an electric blue and hot pink as these contrast well.

Next we had to choose two typefaces for text and captions. This one was super easy as i like exploring bold texts as well as simple texts and combining the two so for my captions i chose a bold font called ‘cocogoose’ and for the next i chose a typewriter-esc font called ‘andale mono’. The contrast between bold and simple texts makes it easier to realise the separateness. These are the typefaces that i will be using for my print and deck outcomes to show consistency. These type of texts heavily inspire me as this combination is what is commonly used in design magazines.

Next we had to choose 3 key references from our growing collections that reflect us and our practice to which of course i ran straight to Pinterest for again. I was speaking to one of my tutors about the application as sometimes i worry i shouldn’t be using it for inspiration but he assured me i wasn’t the only one who loved it as much as i did. For this i chose to reference possible layouts of existing magazines that i could use for inspiration of my layout for my printed deck.

Lastly we put all of these tasks together to create our moodboards and this is how mine turned out...

#graphic design #typography #imagery #photography #pinterest #bold #student blog #student

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verdantantlers · 6 years

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I was tagged by @bohemiansunflowerz for this little Q&A piece. It’s been honest years since I’ve done one, and I love the questions to this, so let’s give it a shot, hm?

What’s your favourite song(s) to sing/hum? It depends on what I’ve been listening to recently. Adam Labert (Evil in the Night or The Original High), Lady Gaga (Donatella), Todrick Hall (Low and Lyin’ to Myself), and Janelle Monae (Django Jane and Yoga) are some of the more recent ones that have been floating through my head. But I always seem to go back to a couple of melodies regardless how long it’s been since I heard them: Route 3 and the Bicycle Theme from Pokemon Red/Blue are my instant go-to melodies whenever I want to hum something. If I want to sing something, I usually have my brain pull up Tsubasa wa Pleasure Line by Kuribayashi Minami (opening theme to Chrono Crusade), Dreams, Dreams from NiGHTs into Dreams, or Pokemon Johto’s Theme Song. Literally been humming/singing these last few for well over a decade. Never fails if I need a melody to pull up without thought.

What’s your favourite flower/tree/plant? Very hard to say. For all that I love nature, I never had anyone to teach me about individual species, so I know only the common names and appearances. But I love trees most of all plants. They always spoke to me (literally and otherwise). I always felt a connection and awe of them, like they were beings that looked on on us wandering creatures and saw so much, knew and know so much. They’re the original royalty of this world; them and the mountains and waters and winds of this planet. I love them so much. It’s always been my plan to sit down and educate myself about different species of plants. Flowers and trees especially. Someday soon, I hope I can learn more, and finally get in touch with the side of me that has always been in love with them, that always saw them as my blood and kin.

Favourite colours? Grey. But, I have combinations that I love specifically. Browns and greens, blues and whites and greys and blacks, sands. I love earthen colors and water colors. But I also love vibrant rainbows of every single color, rippling in a melody from one shade into the other. I’m pulled to rainbows like moth to flame. And when you have those brilliant neons on a pitch black or dark grey or deep brown background? Ugh. My eyes draw to that so quickly. I love them all. But over time, definitely can say grey is my favorite, and the entire myriad of rainbow hues out there is loved right after it.

What do you always doodle? I do patterns. Spikes and curves and spears and circles, and then I color them in. I don’t have an example of it sadly. Everything’s packed away right now, but I also doodle faces, usually female since I never put in effort to teach myself male structure (something I once again have always planned to remedy but haven’t yet), and I love drawing dragons and horses, also-- hair. Love, love, love drawing hair.

How do you take your coffee/tea? Tea usually just with sugar, though I like oolongs plain. But I love most teas. Earl greys, lavender is a favorite, english breakfast black tea is my most common, with sugar. Drink that almost daily. Coffee I have to take with sugar and lots of creamer, because I do not like the taste of coffee. However, I fucking loooove the way it smells. But I drink both. I crave tea 95-98% of the time. Coffee I’ll drink because it’s more filling and helps to add to my meals.

Favourite candle scent? Evergreens and pines, hands down. Also anything with cinnamon. I really enjoy vanilla scents too, and, as always, lavender. But the evergreens/pines are my favorite. It makes me feel at peace. I also love woodsmoke, but it’s hard to find candles that capture that scent properly.

Sunrise or sunset? It’s hard to choose. I think sunrises, because it means I get to be in that wonderful time when the world is still asleep, and you get to see the sky wake up gradually, and the world around you come slowly into view in these shadows and shades of grey, until colors begin to take form. Sunsets are fine, but they blind my eyes more often than they ever are something I’ve enjoyed. But if you catch a sunset on a cloudy day and you have a clear view of the horizon-- oh, now that’s something beautiful. The colors are always so much more powerful than those I’ve seen in sunrises. So I love sunrises for being able to see the waking earth, but I love sunsets for admiring the sky as it paints itself before night comes.

What perfume do you wear? There’s this perfume I love called Kissing in the Rain that reminds me of my partner and it’s probably my favorite. There was also this grapefruit one that just smelled delicious but it’s been discontinued for a while I think. So, no luck with that anymore. Both are Walmart buys, if you’re ever looking.

What’s your go-to dance move when you’re alone? Ah shit... it’s been so long since I’ve danced at all. I don’t really have or do dance moves? I mean, as a joke I always turn to Stayin’ Alive’s disco moves or to The Monkey from Johnny Bravo, but otherwise I’m terrible at dancing. XD It doesn’t help that I’m usually waaaay too self-conscious about it to ever really try to dance. Ironically enough the one dance type I feel comfortable in is line dancing, like Cotton Eyed Joe and the Cupid Shuffle and that type of shit. X3 Electric Boogaloo and whatnot~ Look, I grew up around a lot of Hispanics and if you see them dance you almost instantly develop a horrible fear of your own dancing capabilities. *Laughs* Because they’re usually fucking excellent at it and never look like they need to try.

Favourite quote? This one. It’s not a well-known quote, per se, but I’ve been quoting the last part of this poem ever since I read it here on Tumblr. It speaks to and of my very being and purpose in this world, so I can not stop drawing from its power. Specifically, this part: “if you could retell the tale wouldn’t you want to tell it kinder? wouldn’t you want to give them peace, even love, where you could?“ I don’t really have any quote that stands out over all others, but I do have a tag specifically for quotes that resonate with me in some way or another. If you ever want to look them over, just click here.

Favourite self care routine(s)? Showering, walking, listening to music, cleaning my environment (inside the house). If I don’t have neatness, I clean and organize. If I can’t think, I listen to music since it’s hard to walk like I used to up north. If I feel low energy, I take a shower or make myself a hot cup of tea. Those almost always help. Oh. But I also watch a lot of YouTube or streamers on Twitch. Trueheals, Markiplier, LordMinion777, Muyskerm, Cryaotic, BreadHeroDan, PatrckStatic, GarBluemoon, TheTeshTube, Foxtrot44, JackSepticEye, Dexbonus, etc. They’ve all helped me through a lot of shit, and they continue to do so even to this day.

Fuzzy socks or house slippers? I hate both. I: If I could go barefoot everywhere all the time, I would. Unfortunately I can’t, and even though slippers and me have a lifelong vendetta against each other (slippers have tried and almost succeeded in killing me on multiple occasions throughout my life), I do wear slippers. Socks get too dirty too quickly. D:

What colour are your eyes? Blue da ba dee da ba die. No really, they’re blue.

What’s your favourite eye colour on others? I don’t really have a favorite. I love all eye colors. I think the ones that always shock me the most though are the ones that are really, really green or really, really white/icy/grey colors. Those are just stunning to look at. But how can I choose? It’s like making me pick a favorite color out of the all the colors of the rainbow again. I love how brown eyes always hide different undertones that reveal gemstone hues. They have reds and golds and greens and all sorts of magical veins of color in them and the ones that are pure brown still have these rich shades that make you feel like you’re looking at the sun or at precious stones. I just-- fuck I love colors. XD They’re all beautiful.

Favourite season? Autumn. My heart and soul is in the autumn and forever will be.

Cheek, neck, or nose kisses? Neck. *Thumbs up* I love to give and receive them but only to/from my partner. Demisexuality ftw~ <3

What does your happy place look like? New York City. It’s NYC. My home. ...I miss it. My other happy place is somewhere I miss too. A cottage in the mountains, in the middle of the forest. Trees all around a clearing. A single road leading to the house there. Mountains all around. ...quiet, alone, peace. I have two happy places, and I long for them both, all the time. The only other happy place I have is my car. Just... being on the road, driving, especially at night. It’s the only peace I have access to these days.

Favourite breed of dog? Okay so if dogs = colors, my answer again would be all breeds = rainbow. I grew up/was raised by a german shepherd so I’m very partial to that breed in particular, and I adore corgies-- I think they’re adorable as fuck. But I love big dog breeds like Irish Wolfhounds, Alaskan Malamutes. I’m a sucker for all dogs though. All of them. No dog is a bad dog. Ever. They’re all precious puppies and I adore every single breed and mix and other. <333

Do you ever want to be married? If so, what colors would you pick for your wedding theme? Well, ironically, never did want that no. I didn’t want to be married, didn’t even want any relationships. Never saw myself dating. Never saw myself having a partner or anything like that. Fucking surprise, surprise. Now I have a partner--have had one for quite some time. Extra surprise, we eloped. So no proper wedding. Sorry. Our families fucking hate us so it would be a waste of time and money-- a huge waste of time and money-- but I think if we did colors this time, black and red, probably. Them in black, me in red. Just to flip off the douchebags in our lives that never stop telling us how much they hate their own kids, their partners, and think it’s been a mistake for us to be with each other from day fucking one. *Laughs* If we ever did have a proper wedding, I think we might have done it with a green or black theme though. It would have been nice. But, eh, that’s probably never going to happen now. No one to invite.

Cursive or print? Man, I haven’t used cursive since... pffft, maybe since I was in my preteens? Definitely stopped doing that around the time I got out of elementary school. I print everything when I hand write it. Otherwise-- the miracles of computers, am I right?

Favourite weather? Storms, rain. I love rainy days. They’re my absolute favorite. I also love cool, windy days with a chilly wind and a warm sun. Or overcast days where the sky is grey and the entire world looks greener and calmer. <3

I tag: @mystuffstuff, @definefandom, @lostwhitequeen, @radsity, @rp-sephiroth. Go forth and maybe don’t vent as much as I did. XD Also, any of my RP buddies, feel free to jump on the bandwagon. Been a while since I’ve seen you guys.

#.meing #Tagged #Personal Things #bohemiansunflowerz #Thanks for the tag Azzy~ <3

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karinwinning6-blog · 5 years

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House Style.

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brandbaskets · 6 years

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New Post has been published on https://brandbaskets.in/fifa-world-cup-2018-the-best-kits-of-the-tournament-where-does-australia-rank-among-your-favourites-fifa-world-cup-russia-2018/

FIFA World Cup 2018: The best kits of the tournament - where does Australia rank among your favourites? - FIFA World Cup - Russia 2018

Posted June 07, 2018 05:46:54

Photo: Where does Australia’s kit rank for you among the 32 nations at the FIFA World Cup? (Nike)

The FIFA World Cup is finally here, and you know what that means: Prima donna footballers swanning around in the finest on-field fashion world sport has to offer.

Australia will be decked out in an all-gold number this year — will it be enough to swing the fashion judges’ glances our way in the World Cup attire final?

Which kit is your favourite?

If patriotism and favourite players were put to one side, which of this year’s 32 World Cup kits gets your fashionista motor running?

External Link:

Which five kits are your World Cup favourites?

Without further ado, here are our kit ratings, in order of their World Cup groups.

Russia: 5/10

Our World Cup hosts kick things off with a bright red set-up, with white trim in a proudly Russian arrangement of colour.

Photo: The World Cup hosts will primarily be playing in a bold red number with white trimmings. (Adidas)

Admittedly it’s pretty simple — anyone who’s ordered custom kits for their Wednesday-night futsal team knows a generic template when they see one — as Russia looks to go safety-first for their showpiece event.

Saudi Arabia: 3/10

Not off to the strongest start just yet. Saudi Arabia’s home kit has gone for the plain white, with green edgings and a brand new crest.

Photo: Saudi Arabia’s kit is plain white with its national colour green as the trim. Simple. (Nike)

Not much for wowing the crowd, though they get a bonus point for the shirt numbers on the lapel.

Egypt: 6/10

The colour red seems to suit simple kits, but there’s a little more than meets the eye with Egypt’s striking top, with a checkerboard pattern making the most subtle of impressions.

Photo: Egypt firms as one of the dark horses in Russia. ‘Red for danger’ serves as a suitable symbol, then. (Adidas)

Striking black finishes on sleeves and collar give Egypt something of a race-car vibe, which will suit the likes of the speedy Mo Salah just fine.

Uruguay: 7/10

The likely winner of Group A, Uruguay already tops the group’s fashion metric with a quintessentially sharp number from the South American nation.

Photo: Uruguay always looks sharp at football’s showpiece, and it hasn’t disappointed in 2018. (Puma)

Uruguay has a rich history of dapper footballers stealing hearts (Diego Forlan, oh my), and the sky-blue, tight-fitting Puma top will no doubt see them maintain their fine tradition of fashionable competence.

Portugal: 6/10

Photo: Portugal has served up an understated offering in Russia. (Nike)

The big question with any Portuguese kit: Will the walking, talking mannequin that is Cristiano Ronaldo pull it off?

Kind of like how the colour black goes with anything, Portugal has gone low key in 2018.

There are those that argue Ronaldo could pull off wearing a hessian bag, and while the manufacturers haven’t gone that low, they’re perhaps banking on the models to sell the clothes, rather than the other way round.

Traditional dark red, bottle green and golden flourishes for the kit manufacturer means it’s a safe-as-houses effort from the European champions.

Spain: 8/10

At last, a stand-out to finally get the ball rolling. Spain’s kit is a throw-back to the regalia it wore during the 1994 World Cup in the United States, with a similar zappy braid pattern down the right shoulder along the torso.

It’s bright, it’s inherently Spanish, with the right dash of Iberian flamboyance to completely overshadow their peninsula rivals Portugal.

Photo: Spain’s 2018 World Cup kit harkens back to the garments it wore at USA ’94. (Adidas)

Now the question remains: Can our fashionable matadors tame the metaphorical bulls on the football pitch in such eye-catching gear?

Morocco: 4/10

Let’s start with the positives: Morocco’s kit sports a particularly nice shade of red.

Photo: We’re not really sure why Russian player Vladimir Granat is modelling Morocco’s kit. (Adidas)

But that’s as far as the niceties go on one of a vast collection of red World Cup jumpers.

This is not the beginning of a beautiful friendship. No one will be asking Sam to play this one again.

Iran: 3/10

It’s white. It’s got some Adidas red trims. And that’s about it really.

Photo: Iran’s shirt (L) is … white. It has a bit of red, to be fair. And that’s about it, really. (AP)

Iran’s view on shirts seems to revolve purely around function, more than form. Basically something for footballers to wear so they don’t catch their death of exposure.

France: 7/10

Les Bleus’ kits have been getting darker and more navy as the years progress. So the 2018 version at least makes a token nod towards the more royal blue colours France used to sport, particularly when they won football’s biggest prize in 1998.

Photo: France usually look extremely dapper at football tournaments. This new kit may take some getting used to. (Nike)

Up against the brighter colours of Australia, Peru and Denmark in Group C, France’s dark assassins prime as favourites to top the group, and realistically should be aiming to reach the World Cup final.

This year in the fashion stakes, however, probably sees them bow out in the quarter-final stage.

Australia: 8/10

Traditionalists may prefer green and gold, but the all-gold approach for the Socceroos in 2018 is a winner in our books.

Photo: Looking schmick, Trent. Very schmick. (Nike)

The wave-pattern on the sleeves is a flourish we’ll indulge for now, but there’s something really proud and uplifting about the bright hues from top to toe that Australia has picked for its trip to Russia.

Arguments about Australian gold and canary yellow may ensue, but Australia will at least be visually noticed by the discerning nay-sayers of Europe and South America, this time.

Peru: 4/10

Look! It’s that club you created from scratch in Pro Evolution Soccer!

Photo: Peru believe they’re the prettiest contestants at the FIFA World Cup beauty pageant. Look at that sash. (Umbro)

Peru makes a long-awaited return to the World Cup wearing its signature beauty-pageant sash, diagonally slashed across a white front — but it’s not going to take out the Miss Congeniality prize this year.

Peru will be hoping it’s counter-attacking style reaps rewards on the pitch, because they’re sticking to basics in the wardrobe.

Denmark: 8/10

Simple doesn’t always mean bad, nor does it imply a lack of effort. Unlike striker Nicklas Bendtner, Denmark finds an unerring finish with this red-and-white arrangement.

Photo: The Viking blood runs strong in Denmark’s bold red, sported here by Lord Nicklas Bendtner and his travelling raiders. (Hummel)

It’s bold. It’s proud. And it might just be worn by the runners-up (at least) of Group C. Onward, raiders!

Argentina: 6/10

Exactly what you’d expect from an Argentina kit. Nothing more, nothing less.

Photo: Harking back to the glory days, Argentina’s kit is simple and to the point. (Adidas)

You know the drill: White and pale-blue stripes, the Adidas shoulders, and Lionel Messi looking surly. As you were.

Iceland: 6/10

Iceland is incredibly making its World Cup debut in Russia. Rather than a boring, run-of-the-mill promotion photo, we’ve opted for Football Iceland’s epic, country-spanning video spot.

External Link:

footballiceland tweets The new kit is here

Ah, Iceland. What a mythical place. Their footballers will be aiming to achieve mythical status themselves in a simple but effective bright blue number, laced with Icelandic pride and spirit. “Hu”, indeed!

Croatia: 8/10

Red and white checks. Some things just work, and Croatia’s checkerboard pattern (known as šahovnica, to the educated) is a safe bet for footballing fashionistas.

Photo: Like death and taxes, a red-and-white chequered Croatian World Cup kit is one of life’s foregone conclusions. (Nike)

It’s elegance and national pride in perfect harmony. And they’re a decent football team too, as an added bonus.

(aybollads=window.aybollads||[]).push(id:"91015553-3");

Nigeria: 10/10

If the World Cup were won by how much kits were a visual feast for the eyes, Nigeria would right now be lauded for bringing home a first-ever title for the African continent.

Photo: Just LOOK at this bad boy. Top of the class. (Nike)

An electric, almost soothing shade of green, paired with white and laced with zappy chevrons that screams energy, the Super Eagles will be a sight to behold if their pacey forwards get cracking in these numbers.

As if it needs bonus points for an incredible sales pitch, Nike goes for it anyway by saying the kit is inspired by “Naija” spirit, meaning “youthful exuberance, pride and fresh perspective on patriotism”.

Brazil: 7/10

Brazil’s kits will always be iconic and impressive. This year it’s more of the same, though the darker shade of yellow seems to undersell it just a smidge.

Photo: Brazil is sporting an ever-so-slightly darker shade of yellow in Russia this time round. (Nike)

There are two take-home messages from this, though: The Socceroos’ bright kit will look just a bit more impressive in comparison, and Neymar (assuming he heals up in time) will always look good as long as the silky skills are on show.

Switzerland: 7/10

Honestly, we’re not sure if this pattern even works, but damn it, the idea is at least novel.

Photo: Can you see the Matterhorn? (Puma)

It’s what you’d expect from Switzerland’s red kit, except this time they’ve interlaced it with a topographical map of the Swiss countryside. The Matterhorn is situated just above the wearer’s heart.

An idea as refreshing as the air in the Swiss Alps.

Costa Rica: 6/10

It’s basic, but Costa Rica will always enjoy an advantage in these stakes with the ever-handsome colour combination of royal red and royal blue.

Photo: Costa Rica’s kit isn’t exactly something to shout about, but they’ll always win out with the red-blue combination. (New Balance)

This time, a little subtle complication is thrown into the mix with a neat gradient pattern on one side of the shirt. Slow and steady wins the race.

Serbia: 3/10

All the good stuff went into producing Serbia’s obscene sporting talent, and nothing was left for the design brains trust.

Photo: Serbia’s kit: Nothing to see here. (Puma)

A boring, generic shirt, where even the numbers look a little moth-eaten.

Germany: 9/10

Goodness gracious. If anyone can do retro design, it’s the Germans.

Photo: Germany’s kit: Retro. Stylish. A winner. (Adidas)

If you thought black and white was a pretty vanilla colour combo, think again. Striking Adidas shoulders, a clean monochrome throughout, and as for that swoosh!

It makes us want to do our geometry lessons in high school maths class all over again.

Mexico: 7/10

Deep dark green, white edges, and a strobe finish on the flanks. Mexico’s got itself a kit that demands to be taken seriously.

Photo: From the mean streets of Mexico to a World Cup pitch near you. (Adidas)

It’s all business from El Tri, who will be looking for second spot at least in Group F.

Sweden: 5/10

Can do better, Sweden!

Photo: Pretty much what you’d expect from the Swedes. (Adidas)

From the home of sound, economical design, Sweden had the tools to do something truly brilliant in Russia. The ingredients were there — the subtle diagonal bars hint at so much promise, but generally it’s a bit of a let down from the Scandinavians.

South Korea: 2/10

It’s red.

Photo: South Korea’s kit is red. And that’s all we have to say about that. (Nike)

Anyone who struggled to come up with ideas for dress-up parties knows the feeling the Korean designers appear to have gone through, here. Grab an old shirt you haven’t worn in ages and hope for the best.

Those hopes appear dashed.

Belgium: 9/10

Nicely done! Belgium has had some fun with this one, with a cool geometric splash across the chest of its red kit.

Photo: Belgium’s home kit is sharp, but would it be fair to say they have won of the best away numbers in 2018? (Adidas)

We’re only marking home kits here, because we’re trying our best not to be influenced by that fabulous golden number they’re sporting as their change strip.

Panama: 5/10

The World Cup debutants could be the tournament’s whipping boys, but they at least won’t finish last in the fashion grades.

Photo: Panama will be making it’s World Cup debut in this simple, striking number. (New Balance)

A handsome red with fading, bevelled blocks across the Panamanian pecs should see the underdogs go out swinging in more ways than one.

Tunisia: 1/10

Nope. Not good enough from the fabled “Eagles of Carthage”.

Photo: Other than the lapel crest, there is nothing about Tunisia’s kit that screams ‘Eagles of Carthage’. (Uhlsport)

If you have the tournament’s greatest nickname, you would surely come up with a kit to match? A plain white top, with afterthought red as the finishes. It really could have been so much more.

England: 8/10

Say what you want about our colonial friends, England really does know how to make a simple design go a long way.

Photo: England’s kit is typically stately with a touch of class. (Nike)

The 1966 Cup winners have imbued their mostly white kit with understated elegance, making for a fine sight when they go out on penalties in the round of 16.

Poland: 7/10

Sharp and to the point, Poland isn’t messing about with their attire offering.

Photo: Robert Lewandowski looks dangerous in anything, but he’s particularly shop in Poland’s World Cup offering. (Nike)

A team that could prove to be a bit of a smoky in Russia, they’ve got a kit to match: Looks simple at first, but peer a little closer and there are quite a few nice finishes.

So kind of like Robert Lewandowski, in kit form.

Senegal: 5/10

Senegal have gone for the faded emblem print in the “background”, and it doesn’t quite come off convincingly.

Photo: A nifty design in the background, but hardly a world beater from Senegal. (Puma)

Judge the Lions of Teranga by their footballers, I guess — they’ve got a host of good ones this year — because the kit, while not terrible, isn’t a world beater, neither.

Colombia: 8/10

Retro! Retro! Retro! Colombia’s kit is unapologetically a throwback to the days of afro-sporting footballers and silky stepovers.

Photo: James Rodriguez sports Colombia’s home kit, another selection which has gone for the retro look. (Adidas)

The early ’90s-style zaps on the chest make it look a bit like that lightning bolt from the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers emblem, too.

Japan: 9/10

Ending the list strongly, Japan’s dark blue kit is less of a throwback and more of a nod towards the country’s Samurai heritage.

Photo: Oh my, yes. Very, very, very slick from Japan, here. (Adidas)

And hats off, Samurai Blue have played an absolute blinder here. It’s so very Japanese: beautiful, sharp, sophisticated, meticulous and meant to be taken very, very seriously.

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bluesdoodles · 6 years

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April, festival migration is under way. It may not be summer but we are ready to get the festival season underway as thousands converge on Sheffield for HRH Blues 2018. Once again live music conquered our souls and hearts, opened debates on who we most enjoyed and forged friendships new and old. Music sustained us over the weekend and until the next gig or festival. With the main stage delivering a plethora of blues of every style the second stage showcased new acts, often introducing us to bands we hadn’t heard of before. Festivals are always a valuable resource to hear new music.

Between The Della Grants opening the festival and King King bringing the musical jamboree to a close, there was a plethora of guitar licks, lead breaks, deep grooves and lyrics that raised the roof and brought us to tears. Combine this with the pints of ale consumed, laughs and hugs the weekend was a powerhouse celebrating music and the pure pleasure it brings. This review from Bluesdoodles is an overview to give you a flavour of the two days and nights; you really had to be there to capture the atmosphere of a festival that is becoming a permanent fixture in many people’s musical calendar.

The review will not be chronological plod through the acts but themes and highlights that are still buzzing through my brain four days after a wonderful weekend.

Let’s start with the celebration of blues that rock with guitars and vocals, the bands that were new to many and stood out from the crowded schedule of bands. Young bands that are going to be rocking our stages for a long time to come including Della Grants, Rainbreakers, Greg Coulson and Catfish.

The Della Grants had the daunting and thrilling moment of opening the music weekend. This is a band that deserves the opportunity to be playing on big stages to large audiences. As ever a stunning set from this quirky, bluesy band from the East Midlands. The set was rousing and we were all delighted that the lead singer Maxx Manning’s phone didn’t go off. Maxx was on tenterhooks with a new baby due on Sunday! With a forthcoming album we heard the new song Gone and tracks that can be found on the current live album, West End Leicester, including William Clay. Oh! And did I say we had trumpet and the first blues harp of the weekend.

Now there are always hidden gems on stage two and one of those was definitely The Rainbreakers. They may have been on a smaller stage but they played a Big Set. With an album in the offering, The Rainbreakers delivered the first single live – Heavy Soul captured the unique sound on the band that combines the mercurial mix of blues, rock and soul as they stretch across genres that are never controlled by them. The Rainbreakers are destined for a bright future. Look forward to hearing them on the main stage next year.

A new band for many and one that just gets better every time I hear them is Greg Coulson and his band. The set at HRH Blues was no different. Greg provides contrast a set full of textures and tones of energised Rock n Roll. Greg is a high flying whizz on the piano never missing a beat or missing a lyric as he interchanges between guitar and keys. This is music to dance and join in as the blues sparkled with high octane blasts from Greg and the band. The band giving Greg the confidence and support that not a note will be dropped as he does acrobatics on the keys and drum riser! Every track is electric, standout moments flow into each other. The funky/Rn’B Stitch Me Up is top notch delivered with a touch of the Dan Reed Networks ambience. The band are so tight and professional some epic breaks, licks and riffs from Stuart Dixon via his 633 Amp on lead guitar added extra spice and zip to the sound from frontman Greg. Yes, Greg definitely weaved into the set a variety of sounds that flowed with unadulterated joy that spread like wildfire across the audience.

For many Catfish were an exciting known commodity for others the find of the weekend. They delivered an accomplished festival set that ignited Sunday afternoon on a day where the blues are just going to get hotter. Matthew Long’s guitar work is stinging blues hardened by a rock face of determination. Combined with vocals and songs that connect he is up front being noticed for his musicianship. The band behind blends into the guitar work with deep rhythms and grooves and keys that add intense layers. With keyboardist Paul Long taking over vocal duties so Matthew can put all his energy into his six stringed powerhouse of music energy and emotion. The set was tracks from his recent album Broken Man and the introduction of songs that will appear on his forthcoming album.

Highlights from a gob-smacking jaw-dropping display of musicianship for me was Ghosts from the anticipated new album. Then the two signatures that Catfish every time you hear them live seem to be more intense. Broken Man, with the chimes of the electric piano sending a tingle down the spine and then the guitar and vocals raise the hair on the back of your neck. A great band, performing at the top of their game stupendous set. Closing out was for many the act and number of the weekend with Make It Rain. Once again sensational, emotional lead breaks powerful lyrics and spine-tingling. As the number ends a few seconds of silence then ginormous cheers taking the roof off as the audience showed their appreciation. Tears were shed during the listening of Make It Rain!

Five acts that are festival and fans favourites. Once again Sugarman Sam & The Voodoo Men graced the stage as they opened on Sunday afternoon. A lot has been going on in Sam’s life and it is great to see him back on stage playing the music he loves. His confidence has grown and with it his skills as a bluesman. This young band are on an upward trajectory as Sam thanked the festival we say thank you for the music and your interpretation of the blues. All the way from Sweden Pontus Snibb returns to HRH Blues. This popular blues trio that rock is always a crowd pleaser. Once again they played songs from Wreck of The Blues producing another strong performance on this special weekend. Pontus delivers blues with a real foot tapping edgy sound, a great feel-good vibe. They just make you want to party perfect for Sunday afternoon.

Now late on Saturday a triumphant trio of acts. First, up blues supremo Danny Bryant who is receiving critical acclaim and praise for his latest and very personal album Revelation. Danny is ever popular and a firm favourite of blues fans and now his sound is augmented and even stronger with the addition of Stevie Watts on keys. The interaction between them shows both respect and musical empathy if you didn’t know you would think they had been playing together for years. The lead breaks were long and the crowds loved every note, lick and riff, at times they were just too long for me but no one can deny Danny can play the blues with emotion, soul and feel.

The crowd roared as the last note faded and we were then raised upon a crest of a wave as the one and only original Whitesnake member Bernie Marsden stepped on stage once again at HRH Blues. He is a maestro, he is a rocker but so adept at playing the blues guitar with its beautiful tone shining through this is a guitar happy playing rock or blues. The set was varied with Walking In The shadow of The Blues and other Whitesnake classics we were rocking and rolling in the aisles with pure delight. The set was made of songs the fans and festival goers wanted to hear the love and the familiar including Bobby Bland’s Ain’t No Love in The Heart of The City. The medley of Fleetwood Mac numbers was powerful and different from the music heard so far. Joined on stage by Danny Bryant we now had a guitar jam extraordinaire! As we went Down, Down, Down with Freddy King then Walking by Myself a Gary Moore number, wow what a festival treat. Closing out Saturday Pat McManus bought an Irish smile and charm onto the stage as he returned once again to HRH Blues with an instrumental bluesy guitar epic. With the flash of the violin, he didn’t disappoint with a set full of musical wit and bluesy charm.

Other runners and riders that stepped up and made an impression. The second stage should never be overlooked acts that are young, full of potential and headliners of the future. Big Canyon certainly bought a round of a heavier rock sound. Lewis Hamilton Band always delivers strong songs and deep melodic tones and they certainly added a tonal colour to the second stage. Last in the mix and definitely not least Jom Kirkpatrick Heavy Weather. They certainly did not make heavy weather of playing blues that pleased. He played a good solid set of powerhouse electric blues a wonderful cover of Rory Gallaghers Ghost Blues a true classic.

Lastly, from team Manhaton standing ovations and guitars and vocals that were awesome. The record label with four acts one on Saturday then the closing three acts on Sunday delivered music with power. Sari Schorr and her new Engine Room raised the heat as they hit the ground running Sari and her band are A Force of Nature as her acclaimed album declared. The set was a winning combination of deep grooves, stellar guitar work from Ash Wilson who enhances Sari’s vocals. On Saturday afternoon at HRH Blues Sari delivered a magnificent display of a controlled sustained powerful voice at its best. With Damn The Reason and her signature song Black Betty a song, she has made her own. They absolutely nailed Bad Company’s, Ready For Love. This was pure entertainment blues with an edge resulting in a well-deserved standing ovation. Sari and her Engine Room set the bar high for the three men to follow from camp Manhaton on Sunday.

The first of the Manhaton trio of bands on Sunday, Ben Poole. With his band a guest drummer tonight Wayne Proctor we know this was going to entertain. As ever the guitar was the centrepiece and Ben Poole’s manipulation of the six-strings was spellbinding. A really confident performance with his vocals matching the power of his guitar. This was a showcase of guitar-fuelled pure blues! Ben was on top form tonight. An absolute delight, he made that guitar squeal and weep! I am sure I saw tears of blues perfection being shed by that Les Paul! His tribute to Gary Moore, Time Might Never Come was emotional and sensational. This combined with a great stage presence Ben Poole is the real deal. Short break time to catch our breath, exclaim to each other how that was awesome, the best guitarist so far of the weekend etc…. and next up Stevie Nimmo. With a broken arm, he was without his guitar in hand, but Stevie still ruled the stage. For this performance and tour, he has handed guitar duties to Dave Devlin while he concentrated on the vocals. The set was dominated by his acclaimed last album Sky Won’t Fall, he is the consummate professional. Tonight we focused on the voice confirming that the elder Nimmo brother can sing. Dave Devlin (who some had seen when he opened for King King with Devlin Blue), on hearing young Dave Devlin play you wouldn’t imagine that he has only been playing with Stevie for a few months. The crowd was animated as they sang along with Stevie on his signature track Good Day For The Blues. It was strange to hear Stevie perform without his guitar, that said tonight’s set was stunning. Then he borrowed Devlin’s guitar he can manage to play through the pain for one number. This was no gamble as he hit every note on Gamblers Roll. This was pure delight for his many fans in the audience tonight. Then Chains of Hope, probably the best number of a superb album. So powerful both musically and lyrically. I was in seventh heaven for this number. Then we have the encore Freddie King’s, Down, Down, Down really got the crowd in fine voice. Stevie sang Down and we were on the up, maintaining the intensity from Ben Poole. The Blues is alive and kicking in the UK. Now for the headliners of the festival.

One year later and King King took control of the stage to close out another fantastic HRH festival. From the entrance of the band to Highway to Hell through to the closing number when older brother Stevie joined Alan on stage for the final number, King King had both their phalanx of fans and the whole crowd entranced. The atmosphere was electric, you could cut it with a knife, the expectation was very high, and they definitely delivered. For many in the audience, it was the first opportunity to check out the new keyboardist Jonny Dyke, he fitted into the foursome perfectly, and the well-practiced rhythm section of Lindsay and Wayne were awesome as usual. King King was on form tonight. Having not seen the band for over a year it was wonderful to be reacquainted with the set list. The amazing Rush Hour, goosebumps moment and Broken they just hit you in the musical heart. With a very hot and sweaty finale to the weekend. A superb set of the very highest standard. Long History of Love confirmed King King will have a long history of playing the blues that rock we love. As they sung Let Your Love Shine In we were bathed in the music that did bring sunshine and joy to our lives.

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The only thing left to do is book HRH 2019 for another 48 hours of Blues mayhem and fun.

HRH Blues 2018 Raising the Roof in Sheffield April, festival migration is under way. It may not be summer but we are ready to get the festival season underway as thousands converge on Sheffield for HRH Blues 2018.

#Ben Poole #Bernie Marsden #blues festival #Blues Music #Catfish #Danny Bryant #Della Grants #HRH Blues #HRH Blues 2018 #King KIng #O2 Academy #Pat McManus #Sari Schorr #Sheffield #Stevie Nimo #The Rainbreakers

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thesnootyushers · 7 years

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Welcome back Rangers fans, after the disaster of Power Rangers: Turbo, I am happy to say that I love this series, it is probably one of the best, no actually it is the best series. He we go 5…4…3…2…1 In SPAAACE.

Without further ado lets take off (see what I did) and look at the series’ major plot.

On the Cimmerian Planet, the evil Dark Specter is celebrating his conquest of Eltar with his guests in the United Alliance of Evil: Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, Master Vile, The Machine Empire, Divatox, General Havoc, and their many minions. They have captured Zordon and are draining his powers. As the villains enjoy a banquet, an unwelcome guest crashes the party — a Red Power Ranger. Dark Specter sends his chosen disciple Astronema to pursue and destroy him.

After losing to Divatox, T.J., Cassie, Ashley, and Carlos leave for space with Alpha 6 in search of Zordon and are taken to a strange spaceship. Unbeknownst to them it belongs to the mysterious Red Ranger. When finds them examining the ship, The Red Ranger (Andros) initially doesn’t trust his new guests, but when they help defend the ship (Astro Megaship) from Astronema, he gives them all-new Astro Morphers as an act of gratitude. This allows them to transform into Space Rangers. At this point T.J becomes The Blue Ranger and Carlos becomes The Black Ranger. The girls colours remain.

From the Astro Megaship (which can also transform into the Astro Megazord), The Space Rangers patrol the galaxy as they try to locate Zordon and rescue him from Dark Specter. Specter’s goal is to absorb Zordon’s power into himself. However, they are frequently forced to postpone the search in order to protect Angel Grove from Astronema, her loyal general (and adopted father) Ecliptor, and the seemingly-immortal bounty hunter Darkonda. Alongside new allies such as D.E.C.A., the Megaship’s onboard A.I.. New resources are also granted in the form of the Delta Megazord, the Mega Voyager, and the Mega Winger.

Towards the midpoint of the series we meet The Silver Space Ranger Zhane, Andros’s childhood friend from their homeworld of KO-35. This is a space colony where humans evolved separately from those on earth. Following a battle, Zhane sacrificed himself for Andros and was badly injured resulting him being placed in a cryogenic tube aboard the Megaship, after a crash landing he is awakened from deep freeze and fights with The Rangers. However, he would always De-morph unexpectedly. The reason he couldn’t stay morphed long is because while he was in the cryogenic tube, his Ranger energy was “leaking”, he needed to recharge his powers, which he did when he found an electric storm, getting his Digimorpher recharged back to full maximum power.

As the series progresses we find out that when Andros was a child, his sister, Karone, was kidnapped by Darkonda. Andros made it his goal to find her. Throughout the first half of the season Andros has flasbacks to the day his sister was abducted. Through a combination of his and Astonema’s backstory . It’s revealed that Karone had become the evil princess Astronema.

After she was abducted by Darkonda, she was left in the care of Ecliptor who became a fatherly figure to her and trained her to be an evil warrior. The memories of being Karone faded away and she was turned against The Power Rangers, believing then to have destroyed her parents and her brother. After years of training and competing against other evil warriors, Astronema was later trained in the dark arts. She was awarded the Wrath Staff, which she uses to manipulate others and battle her opponents. With Dark Specter’s help, she gained the space station, Dark Fortress, and an army of robotic soldiers called Quantrons. However, when she found out who she truly was, she sides with her brother and the Rangers and helped him find Zordon.

She was later captured by Dark Specter and brainwashed. Her emotions were removed and was inflicted with cybernetic implants that controlled her (many of us fans call this version of her “Circuit Astronema” or “Locutus Astronema”).

During this time, Circuit Astronema created the Psycho Rangers. The Psycho Rangers are five insane cyborgs programmed to imitate and terminate The Power Rangers. They are all powered by Dark Specter’s evil energies, weakening him as part of Astronema’s larger plan to kill her master and become the sole ruler of the galaxy.

Everything culminates in the two-part finale, “Countdown to Destruction”, where Zordon is nearly completely drained and Dark Specter orders the villains under his command to attack the entire universe. Across the universe, The Alien Rangers, The Phantom Ranger, Blue Senturion, The Gold Zeo Ranger and KO-35 rebels are defeated and captured. The Space Rangers struggle to defend Earth, but are overwhelmed and forced to retreat. Even Zhane and his Zord, The Mega Winger, are no match.

Darkonda and Dark Specter destroy each other, leaving Astronema in command as the “Queen of Evil.” While Andros boards the Dark Fortress to appeal to his sister, the remaining five Space Rangers engage in one last fight for Earth and are even joined by the citizens of Angel Grove.

On the Dark Fortress, Andros finds Zordon, who requests his energy tube be shattered. Doing so will release good energy that will destroy the forces of evil and save the universe, but also kill him. Astronema and her brother battle until he deflects an energy bolt back killing her. Following a battle with a now enraged Ecliptor, Andros has no choice but to grant Zordon’s request and smash Zordon’s tube killing him. His sacrifice was not in vain as the many monsters are subsequently turned to dust by the energy wave, while Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa, and Divatox are changed into normal, non-evil humans.

Once the battle is over Andros carried Astronema’s body down the ramp of the Dark Fortress, he laid her on the ground and began crying. A few tears hit her cheek and she was restored to her true self.

With the universe now safe, T.J., Cassie, Carlos, Ashley and Alpha 6 intend to settle down on Earth. Though initially intending to remain on KO-35 with their people, Andros, Zhane and Karone decide to join their friends on Earth…..The End

So ends what will be known as the Zordon Era. If that had of been the end of the series as a whole, what an incredible ending it would have been. It was amazing. It was a space opera, fun, emotional and you actually cared about everyone. I was invested in every episode because every episode had something in it. It was brilliant. I’ll admit the effects and so on were abysmal, but come on, it’s Power Rangers. The story was so good and the characters accessible I didn’t care. It rounded off a series I had followed every week, without fail, for six years. This was a payoff like no other and it was real closure.

It wasn’t perfect there were also a few teeny weeny issues I had with it, but they are so small in comparison. I am not ready to talk about them just yet. This was the case for most people because the audience came back En Mass. I t had higher viewing figures than Power Rangers had ever seen in its entire run. Merchandise sales once more went through the roof.

With the tight, quality writing and the fact it didn’t use a lot of Sentai footage also meant that there were less fillers. Yet due to the quality of writing the fillers they did have were really good. Their purpose was to show The Rangers learning and growing, whether it was dealing with their own problems, becoming more tactical, learning to live with loss or the more varying shades of good and evil that exist. Regardless of its purpose, it moved they main plot along, which was something that had never really been done before on any level of this series.

Here are some of my favourite episodes from this great series.

A Wasp with a Heart – A wasp monster doesn’t have it in him to be evil, he helps and befriends Cassie, who sticks up for him when confronted by the other Power Rangers, who also have to deal with Sting King a really evil wasp monster. Waspicable is hurt by Astronema for being weak and Cassie is devastated. She goes ape shit. It’s a really nice moment. It also creates a sticking point later in the series when Andros wants to trust Astronema and he uses this as an argument winner. In the broader sense it addresses a theme entrenched throughout this series. What is the nature of evil? Are you born evil? Do you choose evil? Are you made evil? Its a very simple way of exploring a complex theme.

‘In Five of a Kind‘ T.J is developing new strategies to how to defeat the Psycho Rangers. It’s a good episode because we see him thinking about a plan as opposed to just going in and fighting. For several episodes this hasn’t worked so now he is trying something new. It shows how he is growing and developing as a Ranger and a soldier. I like this episode because it shows how human T.J is and all his bravery and willingness to fight means nothing against an enemy that can physically beat him.

‘Always a Chance‘ has Carlos make a mistake during a fight with a monster and injure Cassie. After this he is wracked with guilt, self doubt and fear. This was also brought up in the Turbo finale He feels he cant continue as the Black Ranger. Adam returns to offer some training, he works with Carlos helping him defeat a monster. Carlos starts to trust himself and continues on and grows as a Ranger. This again builds Carlos as very different than what you would expect. Unlike Andros who is a cold, focused warrior and T.J. who is brave and ready to go second in command. Carlos is quite and a reserved fighter. He also still makes mistakes and is unsure. It’s like I said about him in the Turbo finale, It paints him as a believable teenager in over his head.

One of the many things that make this series so great, is that The Rangers are up against it. They cannot defeat Ecliptor or the Psycho Rangers they get beaten every time they encounter each other. They are searching for Zordon with no clue as to where he is. They are fighting an army of villains. Technically every villain faced so far. They are on their own, finding their way, without a mentor and as in real life it’s hard. This was something I noticed when watched it back. I either missed it when I was younger or I didn’t realise its affect until I got older. It adds to the sense of urgency and danger faced by the Rangers. It makes their drama much more realistic and serious. It also also builds the villains as scary powerful adversaries in turn adding to the urgency and danger.

This series was supposed to be the last, after the disaster that was Turbo. The budget was almost non existent and the Sentai this was based on was not actually in space but in virtual reality. So the crew, since it was the last series adopted a ‘to hell with it’ attitude and really went for it. A great deal of the budget would be spent creating cheap green screen space footage for the Zords traveling in space as well as shooting new fight scenes with the Space Rangers which were tinted a different color for broadcast so as to create the appearance of the battles taking place on alien worlds. They used several sets so many times and even borrowed from other shows. They also recycled the villain costumes. Maligore from The Turbo Movie is actually The Dark Specter. The main villain Astronema, wore the costume that the character Jessica Preist wore in the 1997 Spawn film. Apparently someone knew a producer and they were allowed to borrow it.

With a low budget the crew was trimmed and some new cheaper writers were hired. These writers knowing money was tight instead focused on the character and story. These writers deserve more recognition than they get. The story in this season is phenomenal. There are the few stupid bits that still annoy me but on the whole the writing is way above par.

All The Rangers are given more development, even though it’s small and comes throughout the entire series as oppose to just one stand alone episode they all grow very nicely. What was planted at the end of Turbo blossoms into an awesome team. The biggest focus is on the new character Andros, his story is very typical as the loner who learns teamwork but his development is tied up in the other four Rangers. They help him as much as he helps them. I also like how they give reasons for his isolation and refusal of help in the form of the comatose Zhane.

This series would be the first to be completely serialised, in that it relied on a continuing plot that unfolds episode by episode. This series also featured plot devices and storylines never before seen in a Power Rangers series.

Something that that makes it so highly regarded was because it’s the first Power Rangers series to feature sympathetic and multi-dimensional villains in the form of Astronema and Ecliptor. Astronema was a truly impressive villain. From the start she is chosen to lead the attack and she does pretty well. Her Job is to destroy The Rangers and that is what she tries to do. When it goes wrong she doesn’t pout or scream or throw tantrums she learns and tries again. She is focused, sure she looks very cheap sci -fi, but it works and the changing of her hair colour episode to episode just adds to the uniqueness. Her acting is pretty good. She does chew a bit of scenery in places but it can be forgiven.

Circuit Astronema is even better she is white faced, with horrible bowl cut ginger hair, lifeless eyes and a hollow synthesized voice. She could be believed to be a completely different person. What I love most of all about Circuit Astronema, is when she is given the implant that kills all her emotions she then decided to usurp Dark Specter and takeover. That is believable and fitting with the plot. Dark Specter wishes her to have no love, loyalty or emotion. He succeeds but in doing so blindly creates his biggest enemy. It shows his ego and oversight.

The Psycho Rangers, were also awesome. They were scary and powerful. Circuit Astronema made them from Dark Spectre with the intention of quietly draining him of power . When the psychos fought it drained him even more.

Unlike other evil Rangers who just were putties in disguise or punks in morph suits. These were tough, they defeated The Rangers many times. The reason the Psychos never killed The Rangers is because Circuit Astronema kept pulling them back as she wanted Dark Specter as weak as he could be. Circuit Astronema was a genius, prior to the chip she would have killed our heroes because that was her main objective. Now however it’s Dark Specter.

Now we get on to probably my second favourite character next to Astronema and T.J…..ECLIPTOR. I love this guy. He was one of the most lethal fighters in the known universe and the veteran of countless battles. Although it’s not outright stated, there are hints that he is responsible for the catastrophe on KO-35 that caused the settlers to evacuate. Nobody seems to know where Ecliptor came from. He is referred to as legendary warrior. What’s more he can just cut through The Rangers like butter. He is nails. There has never been an encounter when he hasn’t come off better. Only through interference or retreat have The Rangers won the day or survived. If Andros had not broken Zordon’s tube in the finale Ecliptor would most likely have finished him.

Although his true motives are unclear one thing is certain, his love for Astronema (Karone). He has trained her and protected her since she was an infant, he was charged with raising the captured Karone into a life of evil so that she would become an acolyte of Dark Specter. This just adds to the beauty of these characters and again addresses the theme of evil. He looks at her as a queen and daughter and he truly loves her, standing by her regardless of her choices. his seems more in keeping with what you consider good qualities and choices. However it is also important to note that he was the one who turned Karone evil when she was a child so it really plays with your emotions.

As a child I really liked Ecliptor. I know he looks very silly and cheap, as is the case with most of this series. As the series progresses though and you get into the story, like with most things in this series, you forget about it and just marvel at this Space Warrior.

Now we come to a niggle. Astronema being brought back to life as Karone by Andros’ tears. As a kid I liked that she was alive, but even then I thought that the method was ridiculous. What’s more is, I remember how upset I was when I though she was dead. It made everything so final. This was truly a war and not everyone made it. Looking back I wish she had stayed dead it would of made a bigger and better impact. I get why they did it, it’s a kid show. I wish they had explained it away by saying it was the energy wave Zordon released when his tube was destroyed. The tears thing is a bit too far.

Now we have not so much a niggle, but more of a gaping wound. The only moment of Turbo stupidity (see what I did) with this series was the two part crossover with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation series. I honestly think it was because Fox kids and Saban who produced both shows decided to try and keep the failing Turtles alive by plugging it on Power Rangers. The episode was a travesty. The turtles are brainwashed by Astronema and attack The Rangers. The Rangers break the mind control and they all fight together. It is the only Black spot on this series record.

In spite of that massive misstep, the series was renewed and all was good again. What the show decided to do following this series success was have every series as a contained narrative. Each one with a new set of Rangers and villains. This way you could focus and control the story and characters. It would allow freer use of the Sentai. It could be marketed easily at a new generation of children every year or so . For older fans, they could then be safe in the knowledge that if this series didn’t work for them, come back next series for a whole new story and cast. The show had finally learned and found a formula that would see it through another 19 years.

Come back next time when we explore the lost galaxy.

The Power Rangers Legacy Volume 6: In Space Welcome back Rangers fans, after the disaster of Power Rangers: Turbo, I am happy to say that I love this series, it is probably one of the best, no actually it is the best series.

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