#ajax has zero sense

[superkooku]

I listened to the Vengeance saga

(spoiler alert !!!!!!)

Ok ! I'm awake, I listened to the songs and I saw the animatics... I have a lot of things to say about this saga.

The (very) good

The good section may seem shorter than the debatable one, but it's because the good stuff is approximately the same as the usual and I like to rant.

The music, OMG. As usual, Jorge shows his talent as a compositor but also the whole crew, the singers (TROY and Steven 💖), etc... to this day, I have nothing to complain about the music. It's completely my style, I love it.

The voice acting !!!! Bravo to Steven Rodriguez btw, who sounds cool even when acting the agonizing god (ngl when I first heard him in Ruthlessness, I didn't immediately click with him. But after a while, he became one of my favorites)

The artstyle !!!

Hermes. Just Hermes. He's very fun !

Jorge's sister featuring as a winion was very cute

That one moment when Odysseus drowns and sees the people he lost. Idk if they were dragging him or uplifting him. I'd say they did both while trying the latter option.

The soft emotional guitar sections were especially good.

Odysseus has that cool shonen protagonist energy.

Reusing the wind bag was a smart decision

The MUSIC (yes it was so good I mention it twice)

Charybdis' design. Idk it's very simple but cool

Also Poseidon saying "You idiot" reminds me of Flowey from Undertale. Omega Flowey vibes.

No disappointment story-wise... until six hundred strike.

My favorite songs are Dangerous and Get in the water, in this order.

The more debatable points (aka rant)

No Penelope :( but that was expected.

I already listened to "I'm not sorry for loving you" in it's entirety so the hype didn't come until Dangerous because Hermes.

Rant incoming:

Poseidon's defeat : OK ! Of course, I expected Poseidon to lose so that's not the problem, but... it was way too easy in my opinion.

I figured Athena would come back, or Hermes would fight (Jorge sort of teased it when he explained the gods' powers), or idk some other deity like Aeolus. Those red eyes made me think Ares, though that wouldn't have made sense. But Odysseus defeated him alone. I'm mixed on that.

On one hand, as a narrative choice, it makes sense : the protagonist is active and teaches an antagonist a lesson and Odysseus has an anime moment. But on the other hand, if I put up all these help options, it's because Poseidon is a god !!!!!!

At many times, I felt the story forgot Odysseus was talking to the king of the seas and not the sirens or Charybdis. Way too informal.

He's one of the Olympians and the three kings. The guy slaughtered Odysseus' men with zero problem. If we made a power scaling of the gods, he'd be very high up.

Listen, I'm not gonna pretend mortals hurting or even defeating powerful Olympian gods never happened because Diomedes and Perseus exist.

(Diomedes injured both Ares and Aphrodite during the Trojan war and Perseus defeated Dionysus when they were battling in Argos.)

In the Odyssey, Odysseus never did either of those things to Poseidon. And I feel like he's not so much as a "strong" guy as a "cunning" guy, I would've expected a subtler or more strategic role. A raw powerful victory is something I'd expect from someone like Achilles or Ajax (not against a god but still).

Perseus and Diomedes had other gods to help or at least bless them (Athena and Hera), they were on their side the whole fight, and I feel they'd need more time. There were those whole wars, the battles, the surprise, the armies surrounding them... it was less sudden and more earned.

Plus Diomedes didn't win the war with this, it was just a cool moment and Athena's intervention.

Honestly, without supernatural help I'd have preferred something more akin to Sisyphus, with Odysseus tricking and restraining Poseidon and running away rather than outright defeating him. Plus Sisyphus is sometimes Odysseus' father depending on the version so it would have been a nice call-back.

Idk the visuals didn't help. Odysseus just punched Poseidon, then took his trident and just... stabbed him. Why didn't Poseidon immediately pick up his trident ? Why didn't he get a counterattack?

In fight scenes, I like when it isn't unilateral but there's a progression. Not just "Odysseus is weak" then immediately "Poseidon the GOD is weak".

The idea of Odysseus using the trident is out there but cool. I feel like if there was more of a progression or Poseidon counterattacking and injuring Odysseus or actual supernatural help, then it'd be more believable.

Since it's a song, it needs to be fast-paced and thematically it makes sense. I don't hate it either but yeah, it needs to be better thought out.

I know for a fact that Athena isn't dead 😅 so the suspense isn't that useful. She or Hermes should have at least helped Odysseus so his victory would feel more realistic.

Red blood againnnnn !!

Odysseus' jetpack made me laugh 😂

Nothing against the artists and I can imagine how hard it is to animate (R.I.P to all animators btw), but some fight scenes and movements were wonky and slow. Again, these are independent artists so I can only congratulate them for their efforts, but I got to be honest, it needs some work. This is mostly about the 3D moments, the ones that are probably the most complicated. Still love the effort and the visuals themselves.

Ok, I'm done with the negativity. The saga was nonetheless very fun and I'll listen to the songs on-loop. But yeah, those are my thoughts 😛.

EDIT : I just remembered that Heracles defeated Ares too. But that still doesn't help Odysseus' case since he's literally known for his phenomenal strength.

Bad news : I won't be able to participate in the live stream until tomorrow morning because of something called "sleep"

Good news : The vengeance saga is out in my timezone so I'll listen to it now. I'm not patient enough to wait longer.

(I'll come back to this post tomorrow after the Livestream. No spoilers beforehand 😛)

[tabrisofmars]

~The Waffle House Incident~

Yoko: I am telling you A negative is the best!

Wednesday: One would assume a literal blood sucker would have better taste. B positive is preferable.

Yoko: Girl, you barely even drink blood and you gonna hate on me like that?

Wednesday: Plenty of sanguine liquid has flowed across my tongue!

Enid: OhEmGee can you two stop arguing about this? You’re never going to agree.

Divina: Yeah! You two need a third opinion. None of the rest of us is a blood drinker. So let it go.

Ajax: I'll do it, if each of you gives me ten bucks. That's fair right?

Yoko: I'm game. But we need some B positive. I only got my sipper cup of A.

Wednesday grabs the arm of a nearby server: Your blood type is B positive?

Server: Actually, yes. How did you-

Wednesday: We found a blood donor.

Server screams

*twenty minutes later*

Yoko: I don't know why I have to walk home. It was your fault we got kicked out.

Wednesday: Our companions anger was unwarranted. I would have tipped the woman generously.

[genshinology]

AN INFLUENTIAL MAN’S COMPANION (OR IS IT MORE?!)

(alternatively, how they are dropping hints left and right that you are more than just a friend.)

— PAIRINGS ; alhaitham, ayato & childe x gn!reader (separate)

— CONTENT ; oblivious!reader, may contain a spoiler from sumeru's story quest on alhaitham's, mentions of childe's real name (ajax), reader is addressed as “little bug” in childe's (please, it's just a poorly written joke, i swear).

— NOTES ; don't care what everyone says but a man that has the power and money is definitely a man that i want. wrote this on a whim so 'm sorry for the horrible writing and the lack of details in this.

☆ — ALHAITHAM

"why are you so dense?" alhaitham's question caught you off guard, considering the fact that you were so immersed with yet another history book of teyvat in the akademiya's house of daena.

his sudden question made you unknowingly gazed at him with annoyance (it wasn't your fault though, not when he actually interrupted your reading of the fourth chapter), and you quickly bookmarked the page you had last read before actually paying full attention to the scribe across you.

"dense is not really a word to describe me. i think i catch on things around me quite fast," you huffed out, exaggeratedly bumping your forehead onto the desk. a silent thud was heard afterwards, not necessarily loud enough for other people to hear, but alhaitham definitely caught on the hint you mentally saying that you were bored and the fact that he took away the only form of your entertainment by taking away the thick book from you made you squinted your eyes at him.

your eyes prying at his action. he was an unpredictable man, so you couldn't question what he did. especially when the question of, "do you know what is the context of this book?" suddenly came out from his mouth.

"uhm.. yes?" you stopped thinking too deep when alhaitham's gaze zeroed straight into you, signalling that you should be answering his question more precisely. "a book about teyvat; the seven nations, the archon war, the history, the irminsul, the heavenly principles, the fatui, the abyss—

"ah yes, sounds like classified information, isn't it?" alhaitham cut you off, showing the old cover page with a knowing look that you couldn't really decipher. "you do realise that this book comes from the restricted repository room?" alhaitham was questioning you, slightly smiled when he saw how the gears in your brains were slowly turning and you finally understood what he was trying to point out.

"wait. you are right. it makes sense now, how incomplete certain details are since the book itself covers forbidden knowledge.." you put your right palm underneath your jaw, still in disbelief at the fact that the book in his hold was a restricted material for general use to the scholars and the public.

"not really the brightest mind," he paused. "that's why i said you are, indeed, a slow-witted person," he shook his head, his own work was slowly forgotten amidst the conversation he accidentally forced you into.

"that is just saying 'stupid' in a more formal manner. i am truly offended," you sighed, noting the way alhaitham seemed taken aback at the last sentence you gave to him.

alhaitham could only put down the book in front of you. "..and i am offended as well. you don't even think that i am using my authority to give you access to this one book you have been super interested in these days, haven't you?"

he turned away after seconds of eye contact, especially when your eyes widened and you felt how your cheeks were hurting due to the shock. "you.. did this for me? not exactly the first thing i would think of, especially if it's from the scribe of the akademiya."

you smiled, way too wide and alhaitham thought he was holding his breath for a moment. "thank you, you're so kind."

'kind' wasn't what he really expected you to say, specifically when he, himself, wasn't filled with kindness and tenderness alike. the you that he knew would be instantly flustered if you ever knew the true meaning of his intention when he first directed you with those questions.

he could only laughed heartlessly at your statement, thinking that you must have never received this much attention from someone, or that you really treated him as a true friend.

"i do not do this for some mere scholars, just so you know that you are exceptional."

☆ — AYATO

"my lord," you bowed down, giving ayato the respectable approach that he deserved. "is there something you would like me to help?"

ayato was a diligent and a busy man, that was the first thing you had noticed when he first took you right under his wing. his smile specifically was something you swore would be your death one day, he was too charming for your own good.

"come here," his bright face made you ten times more nervous than ever. "also, please, drop the formalities. we are hidden from the public view."

the last sentence was way too intimate, but you decided that it must have been his figure of speech.

"yes, my lord—i mean, ayato," you slightly cringed at the way his name rolled off your tongue not-so-eloquently. something about calling him by his name, even without his family name, felt super uncivil to you.

he had done so much for you, so to hear his request of doing what you had been accustomed to was hard.

so you could only stumble forward awkwardly, hands clasping together to stop yourself from shaking a little bit too much. why did he always bring out the nervousness within you in private? did he really had these effects?

"here, sit down," ayato's calligraphy pen halted its movement, and it didn't help to calm you down when he patted the sit beside his chair.

"i'm sorry, my lord," the title accidentally slipped away nonetheless, and you decided to ignore the look in his eyes—as if he was hurting by the fact that you didn't address his name, but he possibly couldn't be that childish, it was the commissioner after all—as he quickly regained his composure. "you need my help to assort these paperworks?"

"it is fine, y/n," oh, the fact that he didn't address your first name made you knew he did feel slightly dejected.

you quickly made up your action by swiftly gliding onto the chair he already pulled out underneath his study. for a moment, you were stunned at the act of a gentleman he usually did to you. he was so kind, and you knew that you were super lucky to have him as your employer.

"i don't want you to do anything today. you can rest up until tomorrow," he said, slightly rummaging some precious items he kept in the drawer. you knew those items in there were far more important to him, especially when it also had his late father's will that was neatly preserved in the sakura-scented letter he and ayaka made a long time ago. it was honestly a cute activity for them now that you reminisced the memory.

"is there any occasion? or you will be away?" you asked him, and you could see his eyes lightened up at the way his hand reached out to yours, and you were left baffled.

his hand was warm, that was the first thing you noted. besides when you felt something smooth in your palm, you questioned the foreign thing in your hand.

it was a necklace, with a lighter hue of blue as its pendant. your intrusive thought won you over as you saw how the pendant resembled ayato's hydro vision to an extent. it was ethereal, at least in your eyes.

by the feel of it, you already knew this necklace's worth had already exceeded your wage.

"ayato?"

"it is for you. i was buying one for ayaka when i was reminded of you, y/n," he warmly explained, his sincere eyes were too much for you as you avoided his eye contact.

your beating heart felt dangerous as ever. his hands were still engulfing yours, as if to keep you from shying away.

"take it. it would mean a lot to me."

"thank you, sir-ayato," you corrected yourself, and ayato thought it was adorable of you to stutter around him.

his heart was content when you thanked him over and over again.

if giving the necklace was a metaphor to his love letter, then he would be overjoyed when he saw you roaming around his estate with the necklace on you the next day.

☆ — CHILDE

"today's a really nice day," childe sighed happily, as he picked you up from the ground, and you repeatedly punched his back, flailing in his arms to put you down.

"ajax!" you gasped, who wouldn't be in shock, when you were literally caught off guard by his attack and then your feet weren't touching the snowy path anymore. "put me down."

"ehem, manners, please," he faked a cough.

you could only kick around, although none of your actions would actually affect him physically. "i am almost going to swear at you, you know?"

"put me down, please," you tried to whisper into his ear, so that he would feel ticklish by the air that escaped from you.

"gross," he commented, and before you knew it, he already let you go from his somewhat soothing hold onto your body. "need to disinfect my ear after this."

you slapped his arm after hearing his bad joke, roughly enough to get his focus onto you. "let me do it with the bug spray i have at home. i hope it'll cleanse your whole soul too."

"touché," childe cracked a smile at hearing you almost choked on your breath. "aren't you my little bug?"

"don't you have a cuter nickname for me? seriously, bug? out of all lovelier things on this world?" at this point, you had already clinging onto childe's side, hyper aware at some people who had been watching the playful fight between you two for some time now.

childe noticed the way you practically glued to him, your hand fisting the sweater he wore, and childe could only thought that your ministration would only bring a misunderstanding, especially that one which people always commented on when they saw both of you.

"look at you two."

childe could only smile at the old lady that passed by him. "couple fights are normal, until the old days. i hope you're having a great time," the old lady patted your back, and when you were about to clear the misunderstanding he had always loved, the old lady left.

"w-what?" you turned to childe whom somehow looked at you fondly, and you could only voiced out your opinion on the cold day. "that old lady is not making any sense."

"—and you, ajax," you continued when you caught childe slacking from paying his full focus attentively to you, as he only shrugged his shoulder. "...are you really going to leave again?"

"hm?" he hummed, and thought to himself that you were so adorable in his spare sweater, fighting against the chilly wind and hesitating to actually say that you would miss him if he went to liyue for his work again.

"of course. it is my duty for the tsaritsa, and no, you won't be going to join me this time. have you forgotten when you almost got hit by the fatui because they were belittling you?" childe quickly cut you off when he saw how your lips twitching at his words, knowing too well that you would suggest the idea of venturing to liyue with him. the last time he accepted your idea, he almost blamed himself fully if one of his subordinates hurt you. he could only thank the archons that nothing too severe happened on you.

"b-but—

"and, our date for today went exceptionally well, wasn't it? you won't miss me like you have always did before," he winked, and you almost threw your fist at his face if you could. "i am going there for a week. i'll be back before you know it."

"right. let's stop now before your teasing goes too far ahead of yourself," you rolled your eyes, and only did you notice that you were still holding him dearly.

you quickly pulled your hand, and childe swore he had already missed the way you stayed close by his side. he was definitely smitten, he knew it.

"thank me later for wasting my money on you," childe laughed at the way you tried to run away from his grasp.

if he could, he would voice out loud that he really didn't care about his money, as long as you were happy with him, and it frustrated him a little bit that you really thanked him for that when all he wanted to say was that he loved you too.

all rights reserved © genshinology 2023 strictly on tumblr only. any form of wrongdoings under the copyright law is strictly prohibited.

[daddy-chiluc]

Ok Thomachiluc Headcanon Times bc I’ve been dead for who knows how long:

Thoma has sunspots, he’s a sunny boy and his hair gets darker when he gets out of water

Childe has a slight tan from being in Inazuma; I feel like it’d be ironic that Diluc is the only one that burns while Childe’s literally from Snezhaya.

Thoma learns another language when he’s bored

Childe loses his shit the first time he gets to use Thoma’s ultimate ability during a battle and. He absolutely massacres any and all Fatui encampments just because.

During their stay in Inazuma, Childe’s hair got longer and it’s super shaggy and all over the place. Just imagine a wolf cut but messier and lowkey kinda cute. He has to put his bangs back with a clip bc they can’t see his eyes. Diluc would be stuck between “ew” and “cute” and he hates it. He’s going to chop it off either way…if he can catch Childe first.

Childe’s freckles show up better under the sun once he gets his tan. Murder Boy looks Ethereal.

Anyway, Diluc is designated small spoon. Yep. Only time he bigs spoons is if Thoma/Ajax has a bad day. If that’s the case, they want nothing more than to have Diluc’s arms wrapped around their necks and to cuddle them…unless Diluc’s aggravated with Ajax, then mans needs to run bc he’s about to get choked out.

If this makes zero grammatical senses then it’s bc I’m gay and tired. It’s not my fault.

[crossbackpoke-check]

Torso of the Belvedere, presumed to be “the Greek hero Ajax, son of Telamon, in the act of contemplating his suicide” according to “various figurative signs: the head was leaning sadly towards the right hand which was gripping the sword with which the hero would take his own life” (Museo Pio Clementino; photographed by F. Bucher)

Incantation of the First Order [remixed, abridged] originally by Rita Dove (Poem-a-Day, 2021)

Ajax, likely painted as a self portrait and famously referenced in Marianne Moore’s “The Buffalo”; in the Illiad, the Ajaxes [son of Telamon and son of Oïleus] are referenced as βόε οἴνοπε, [wine-faced oxen] with Ajax Oïleus “the far-fighter, the slack outside rein, the ox who needs to walk faster” and Ajax Telamon “the close-fighter, the one with biē, the ox or horse that holds back and keeps closest to the turning stone” to reach τέλος [fulfillment, finality, the end] (John Steuart Curry, 1939; Oinops analysis)

How to Apologize [abridged], originally by Ellen Bass (The New Yorker, 2021)

Willingly [abridged], originally by Tess Gallagher (Amplitude: New and Selected Poems, 1987)

[abyssmalice]

With one leg hanging off the edge, the older passed out on the couch without a single care in the world. It was just him and his sister, so no point to keep his guard up entirely. Still, it would have been better had he decided to head to bed the moment he got sleepy, dozing off on the couch.

For her part, Tonia hadn't really been paying attention to her brother - instead focused on doodling a messy scrawl that made minus zero sense to the passing observer, but to her, looked like a slightly (massively) disorganized diagram of plans for the week.

"Done!" she chirps as she looks over the drawing for a critical second, soon turning around to Ajax, "Big brother, big brother, I—"

The loud commentary stops once she notices his sleeping form on the couch. Either passed out in the middle of whatever he had been doing or decided to just take a nap there and then - and well, either way was reasonable. It's been a long day, and it would be quiet here for the next couple of hours. If he wanted to catch up on sleep, now was a good time as ever.

Ah, well. Then again, Tonia has never been one for leaving people in peace...

But despite the passing instinct to utterly ruin his naptime, the girl simply watches the steady rise and fall of breaths and dreams for a contemplative moment. Eventually, she rises from her own spot in the room and meanders away, returning in a few minutes - with a blanket, bundled and dragged from her own room. It doesn't take too long to gently drape it over her brother, head tilting in careful observation to see if he had been disturbed at any point.

And when it looks like he's still soundly asleep, after another thoughtful - or perhaps thoughtless - second of consideration, she slowly clambers into a little ball next to him, in what space she can find to curl up on the sofa with him.

It's been a long day. She can show Ajax her fun itinerary of pranks... later.

[cynettic]

To be a Gnosis

A/N - I thought up of a Fanfic with this idea, with the reader eating a piece of a gnosis and gaining a fragment of its power. With the gnosis pieces shattered around Teyvat, the harbingers have to drag Y/n around to eat the other pieces. Kind of like Itadori to Sukuna’s fingers. They bring along Zhongli because the ex-archon can sense the pieces scattered around, and they’re under a time limit because the Tsaritsa expects the two gnosis’s in a months time.

I ended up losing motivation for this story, but I made a second chapter that I’ll post after, if anyone wants me to continue it or hear how I had the rest of it planned out, lemme know :3 

Gloved hands gripped soft porcelain glass, gentle with their hold as they cradled the object in their palm. Golden brown, framed with translucent rims and sharp edges. Oddly familiar to a chess figure in its own respect, but the tiny little object held more power than that.

Much more power.

Childe knew this as he held it to the sun, watching the beams strike right through the flawless glass. He liked the way it felt in his hand, small and nestled in the fabric of his black gloves. He relished in the way such a delicate object held so much strength, as if it would seep into his skin, directly to his bloodstream and into his heart. Just until he himself could challenge archons, an unlimited potential for power.

“You.”

The voice merely drew away his focus, head slowly tilting to the side at the small amount of recognition. Blue orbs scanned the short figure in front of him, arms crossed and eyes clouded by the shadow of their obnoxious headpiece. “Ah, Balladeer,” Childe greeted in return, relishing in the way the boy tightened his grip on his sleeves.

“Scaramouche,” the dark haired boy clarified. “Unless you want me calling you ‘Ajax,’ I’d watch your mouth.”

Oh but of course, Childe was already aware of the unspoken power the shorter boy had over him. Threats were inevitable between the two, but the orange haired boy had quickly been put back in place at any mention of his hometown and his family.

Before the two could indulge in each other further, a young man stumbled past Childe, nearly knocking the gnosis out of his hand at the abrupt contact. Yet it wasnt the lucky catch the taller male pulled that caught Scaramouche’s attention, oh no, it was what the dear boy said.

“Liyue is under attack!” The boy yelled out into the town square, making several individuals walk along their way to turn. “Lord Barbatos, Archon of Monstadt, has been sending terrible gusts of wind this way!” The more he continued to speak, the more people seemed to approach. Just until there was a small crowd surrounding the boy who yammered into the crowd, hands dramatic with gestures.

Childe simply shook his head, “Pay him no mind. Theres been a bit of wind in Liyue for the first time in centuries it seems, after Rex Lapis’s Rite of Parting, everyones on edge.” He could only sigh at the ever growing crowd, ignoring the frantic cries that increased with volume at every statement. 

“Idiots,” Scaramouche only hissed back. 

At this, Childe didnt argue. “As much as a war between two nations would be entertaining…” he clicked his tongue, holding two frail glass pieces in his hand. He held them in between his fingers, showing them off like cards in a deck. “I’m afraid I hold ‘all’ the power right here in my hand. A shame really.”

It only took the smaller harbinger a moment of hesitation before he made a grab for them, ignoring the way Childe chuckled when pulling away just as fast. 

“Hm…? Should you really be doing that?” He again held both gnoses in his hand, waving them around close enough to the other harbinger’s face, but far enough to pull away. “You’re speaking to someone with not one, but ‘two’ gnoses!”

“Soon to be zero, I cant believe Signora trusted you with them.”

Childe pretended to pout for a short moment before breaking into a grin, “You’re just jealous she didnt wait on you arent you?” Waving them around once more, Scaramouche didnt even make a move for them. “But alas, she had business elsewhere. Pity on your end isnt it?”

Before Scaramouche had the chance to grit his teeth and spew some other nasty comment and threat, the wind seemed to pick up around them. An ordinary gust, strong enough to rile up screams from the influenced crowd.

Strong enough to knock a gnosis from Childe’s hand.

Both actually, but his speedy reflexes pulled through to clasp one in his hand, the other tumbling to the gravelled floor. He clenched the piece he’d caught tightly, the boy beside him cursing.

Childe was not to blame.

Not when the gnosis shattered to pieces upon touching the ground, splintering in tiny cristiline shards in a matter of seconds.

He wasnt accountable. 

Not when the breeze picked up once more, heftier than the first time. So strong in fact that it raked the floor of its dust and whisked it away with it.

It wasnt his fault that they were all gone.

“Fuck.”

They both stood there in silence, the wind frigidly brushing past their ears, a forgotten reminder to what had just happened. The crowd beside them fell into screams of terror and new voices roaring against the wind to be heard. 

Maybe Barbatos really was to blame, an unfathomable action done by an archon without a gnosis. Or maybe Childe was just looking around for any sliver of excuse to escape the boy's wrath beside him.

Oh archons, Signora would be ‘livid.’

“You…” Scaramouche stared down at the floor just where the gnosis had fallen. His lips parted, silent as he tried to contain the rage that quelled up inside him and fathom it into words. “You ‘dumbass.’” His gaze then rose to meet Childe’s, eyes wide and pupils slivered like a snake. “You utter incompetent ‘fool.’”

The taller boy kept his eyes to the ground, like a dog that was being reprimanded for its bad behaviour.

However, he crouched down, hand reaching out to grasp one crystal like piece that had stayed against the gusts of wind. It was a large piece at that, about a quarter of the actual gnosis.

Too bad Childe couldnt even fully grab that.

No, instead the wind seemed to have its way once again. It flung the piece into the air, letting the delicate glass glide past the large crowd of now ‘I hate Barbatos’ supporters. 

“You…” Scaramouche was beyond words.

They could only watch, orbs fully entranced as you danced into the picture. Blue trousers hung only by the tight rope tied around your waist, wrinkled and dust splayed shirt screaming poverty. They watched, because the gnosis piece was now deeply embedded in the burger you were eating. 

And of course you, poor ignorant little you, took a big bite of the burger, teeth crunching at the glass. Scaramouche and Childe could only stare, gaping and both rendered immobile as you swallowed.

You ate the gnosis.

[xxyumeno]

Disclaimer: Teucer is headcanon heavy with whatever canon facts have been provided in-game or other canon material.

INFORMATION

Name: Teucer Gender: Male Nation: Snezhnaya Age: 8-16 (verse dependent) Birth: 11/23 Zodiac: Leo Vision: Electro (inherited) Constellation: Unknown (at a later date) Weapon: Catalyst Sexuality: Greysexual Status: Alive Family: Mother, Father, 2 Unnamed Older Brothers, 1 Unnamed Older Sister, Childe, Tonia, and Anthon (all alive) Older Facelcaim: Mizushima Arata of Kiniro no Corda 3 Arthur Lewyin from The Beginning after the End

 PERSONALITY

Teucer holds a great love and admiration towards his older brother Ajax. Always veering for his attention on those occasions when he does visit home and brings him a gift. Mr. Cyclopes always being the favorite of gifts he would receive from him. Cherishing just about anything he receives from Ajax. He does not turn away the doting Ajax does, just seeing it as affection with him being the youngest among his sibling. Yet, it is due to this doting that has left him quite naïve having him believe that the dangerous Ruin Guardians to be a harmless hero Mr. Cyclopes. A story to lead him astray from Snezhnaya’s “darker side”.

He has proven himself to be a brave young child, accidentally making his way to Liyue after stowing a way in a ship. More so that he made it across a country with little to no combat skills and only a bag of mora on him. Maybe it bravery or it perhaps it luck that Teucer that made this possible for anyone else such a feat would not been possible for anyone else. His luck has proven to save him from time to time and he’ll simply smile like it nothing. It is said luck that help him find Ajax. He’ll claim it their brotherly bond when asked.

Despite being a child, Teucer is pretty observant of how his family acts around and toward him. He can sense that there is something his older siblings and parents are hiding from him. It makes him feel that his family does not trust him to know what it is they know. Sometimes even doubting that his family genuinely love him. He does not fall too deep into his negative emotions and believe that one day they’ll come to trust and tell him the hidden truth. When that time comes, he does not know if he’ll have the capability to forgive them or not.

HISTORY

Teucer wasn’t born with the greatest of health, but he wasn’t sickly in the slightest. His health was still a concern enough for a doctor to recommend to keep Teucer indoors until his health improved. Thankfully, he wasn’t confined to a bed and was able to somewhat to grow through his infancy with not much problems. Just an occasional check-up here in there to see if his health had improved. Little by little it did, but not enough to allow Teucer to safely go outside which disappointed his parents and older siblings. As they wanted to show the baby Teucer the magical wonders of the outdoors. Give or take getting lost somewhere along the way.

By the time Teucer was three and already walking he had come down with a fever when he was getting so well. Unlike most fevers he was bed ridden for a long duration of time. There was much fretting and making sure he was kept warm from his fever worsening. The family at least made sure he wasn’t completely confined to his bed for at least one to two hours. During those one to two hours, he got some form of exercise inside their home to keep his body healthy. After a long two-three months of this his fever was gone and a three-year-old Teucer had a sudden burst of energy. A three-year-old apparently being impossible to catch when they put their mind to it. He would eventually tire himself out in the process. Peace has been restored.

It was when he was four that big brother Ajax started to tell him these wonderful adventure stories and of him being a toy salesman. His eyes would sparkle with excitement waiting to hear these stories from Ajax. Holding onto each and every word gasping and laughing at the right moments, sometimes even screamed. Which more or less freaked Ajax out to some degree as he never really expected Teucer to scream when he told him stories. Eventually, he got used to it… he never got used to it. Hey, Teucer did receive neat gifts from his dear older brother and cherished them very much. His favorite being Mr. Cyclopes, a Ruin Guard that he didn’t even know was called a Ruin Guard to begin with. Good job bro. 

During this time he started learn how to read and write. What came as a surprise to his family and teachers in their small village, Teucer was genius when it came to math. Even when he was young, he showed a great aptitude for it and things mechanical, which would be found out later when was thirteen. 

Up until he had turned eight Teucer noticed how dodgy his family was when it came to questions concerning Ajax’s job. Well, more in detailed questions about it when Teucer got really curious. It would always leave him perplexed to why no one would answer his question without changing the topic. It felt like some kind of secret everyone knew but him and it made him feel sad. Why was everyone allowed to know what Ajax did, but him? Wasn’t he just a toy salesman? Was there something dangerous about it? Why wouldn’t anyone answer him directly? These were things that always ran through his mind. If no one was going to tell him it would be best to ask the person themselves, right? 

One day he put a plan into motion that he had gone over in his head for a good couple of months. While playing hide and seek with his siblings outside he accidentally stowaway on a ship that was headed to Liyue. Maybe that was just his luck that it was heading to Liyue to start. Otherwise, he would have went about asking anyone was heading there. It just made things easier this way… supposedly. 

Teucer didn’t exactly know how long it took for the ship to reach Liyue he just knew he had arrived there when the ship had docked in Liyue Harbor. Carefully sneaking off the ship so no one would notice there was a stowaway to begin with he left the harbor and traverse through Liyue’s wilderness. Somehow avoiding any danger along the way, he did question this for when he noticed there weren’t any monsters in sight. Either a) no one found him interesting enough to go after him (thankfully) or b) he was extremely lucky and since he liked luck a lot he preferred the latter and stuck to it. 

Eventually he found Ajax very far away from Liyue Harbor talking to some strange people. Hiding somewhere where Ajax couldn’t see him he just waited with anticipation to see what would happen. It was then he was approached by the Traveler wondering what he was doing and of course he answered. Which did catch his older brother’s attention to his presence, not that he minded he came all this way to see him anyway. It definitely worked out for him… or so he thought when he was suddenly dumped onto the Traveler for babysitting reasons. Though, he didn’t make it apparent that he knew that was the reason why Ajax had done that. Not surprised, but disappointed but at least he made a new friend.

The next day he disappeared before Traveler and Paimon were even awake. Teucer liked to believe he had perfected the art of sneaking out neither friend even woke up when he left. Once again, he found his brother without much trouble at Qingxu Pool, selling toys to some people. He always wanted to watch his brother work as he went and interrupted his transaction to greet him. He did notice was something funny in the way he talked and the tone he took at certain times when talking to his client. This required further investigation was he was once again left in the Traveler’s care.

Despite Ajax’s attempt at getting rid of him, he was still able to find him right away with Traveler eventually catching up to him. This time Ajax was talking to a new group of toy sellers just like himself. He found that to be really great that he got to watch his brother train the new people. Though, he found it a bit funny that it sounded like his brother was hiding something more so that he even fought with the new toy sellers! Was that how it really worked? He didn’t quite know, but if that how it was done then he’ll believe it… for now. 

Teucer bargained with Ajax tat if he did one thing for him, he would be a good boy and go home. He did catch the bit of reluctance in his big brother’s voice to him agreeing. Where did he have Ajax agree to take him to? Simple enough, the Toy Research Facility where Mr. Cyclopes was made! He was quite thrilled that he got what he wanted for once. Off they went to the Toy Research Facility the next day. Teucer ran straight in without any warning as the doors slammed shut behind him. 

He ran further inside the abandon facility being amazed by what he saw. Though, a bit disappointed he hadn’t found a Mr. Cyclopes yet but was sure he would eventually. Time most have flown by, he didn’t even notice that Ajax, Traveler, and Paimon had somehow caught up with him. Caught up but separated due to a barrier at least. After helping with what he could from his side and Ajax and friends doing what they needed to do on theirs, they were reunited. Teucer grinning as if it was just one big adventure much to the chagrin of adults and Paimon in the room.

Now Ajax wanted to play Hide and Seek of all games, that was very disappointing to him. He reluctantly agreed to it as the turned around, closed his eyes, and count down from one-hundred. Even though he was counting down it didn’t mean he went deaf. He pretended not to hear the fighting that went on behind him or the explosions that went off. It did have him worry to what it really was Ajax was doing, what his actual job was. If he was a toy salesman he wouldn’t need to fight, right? At least that is what he kept telling himself as he counted down. 

He had reached zero and waited, until Ajax spoke up asking for ten more seconds. Of course, he called him a cheater, no one would ask for more time to hide. Teucer gave Ajax the additional ten more seconds like he requested and eyes stayed closed. Fighting once again reached his ears as he looked over his shoulder without opening his eyes. Was that lightning he heard as well? What was that crashing? A number of questions raced through his head. No answers when he reached zero again and announced he was going to find Ajax. 

Finding Ajax wasn’t a priority once he saw all the Mr. Cyclopes laying around or in some kind of weird position. It didn’t matter to him as it was how he imagined a Mr. Cyclopes world would be. After that some of excitement had experienced, he became disappointed again that Ajax disappeared to work again. Even though he believed Traveler’s words he had the feeling he was also being lied to about his brother’s current where abouts. They returned to Liyue Harbor and he left the next day back to Snezhnaya with the small Mr. Cyclopes action figure Ajax had given to Traveler to give to him the previous day. He returned home safe and sound. 

Verse: A Young Genius, Fatui’s Interest

When he returned to Morepesok with his escort, he was greeted with many hugs and kisses from his family. Apparently, his disappearance was noticed and everyone was worried because of it. He did feel bad for causing his family to worry about him. Though, it was not enough compared to how little he saw of Ajax. Now that he was sure of it that his family was hiding something from him became suspicious of them any time he asked about Ajax’s real job. Will anyone ever tell him the truth or will they continue to lie to him?

Over the course of the next several years Teucer had studied really hard and began researching the Ruin Guards and Hunters he came across in Snezhnaya’s vast wilderness when he went out exploring. Eventually tinkering with their mechanisms, taking them apart, and reassembling them. Which was only possible once he figured out how to disarm them after much trial and error and maybe a couple of explosions along the way. Eventually he got the ones he reprogrammed to follow his orders and not their original programmer. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn’t bring them home unless he wanted to scare his family into an early grave. 

Yet, it was due to his experiments on the Ruin Guard and Hunter that had caught the eye of the Fatui, specifically a Harbinger, even more specifically Dottore. He was personally recruited by the Harbinger to enlist in the Fatui. Teucer was both surprised and not surprised with being approached by the mask wearing man. Already aware that man had been observing for the past couple days. Did nothing to acknowledge the man’s presence, believing it would be best if the man approached him instead. It eventually did work, but he didn’t expect for the man to want to recruit him. 

Teucer didn’t give Dottore an answer right away on that day nor did he mentioned it to his parents, but that issue was solved for him. A day or two later a letter arrived at the household and chaos ensued along with the truth finally coming out. It wasn’t the ideal situation for the truth to be revealed when Teucer had already discovered it one day when he tailed Ajax without being detected. To discover in such a way his brother served the Tsaritsa and a Harbinger did more than rattle his mind. It made him question his trust in the brother he idolized so much. He was twelve. 

Once Teucer was inducted into Fatui’s ranks he was immediately taken under the skillful wing of Dottore to help develop his young genius mind. In the end a young mind turned out to be most terrifying thing one could come across. Being able to construct miniature Ruin Guards and Hunters and have them function properly was fascinating. Though, it ended up scaring some when Teucer couldn’t figure out what would be the correct power output should be when it came to them firing their missiles and lasers. Give or take a couple walls missing or having massive holes in them in the lab thanks to this. Eventually, Teucer did find the right power output, but he wasn’t allowed to construct more than what he had. 

He now been with the Fatui for a couple of years now. Despite his years in the Fatui (and somehow being home before Ajax would arrive for a visit) Teucer made sure he and Ajax had never run into each other. Though, he was suspicious of why Dottore would even help him in this. Fully aware that all the Harbingers didn’t exactly like his brother due to differing methods of dealing with things. It still made him wonder how the Harbingers haven’t exactly offed each other yet with how dysfunctional they seemed to be when working with one another. In the end he just chalked it up to their loyalty to the Tsaritsa.

  NOTES

ELECTRO VISION – Teucer did not receive his vision in the most common way others have obtained theirs. More rather his once one of the uncommon ones. He had inherited his vision from a dying warrior that had gotten lost in Snezhnaya’s frozen lands. Teucer had come upon them by chance when he was on his way to an inoperable Ruin Guard he had found. Laying, half covered in the snow, Teucer ran to their side and noticed the amount of blood that covered the ground. Try as he must to get the bleeding to stop so this warrior could get sufficient help it wasn’t enough. The warrior thanked him for what he had done for him to help prolong his life, but it was too late for them. Of course, Teucer had a hard time accepting it, even he had to acknowledge if he went back to the village and returned with help it would be too late. They were quite the distance from Morepesok for him to make it back in time. With much struggle the warrior handed something to Teucer wrapped in cloth before they passed on as Teucer cried. He attempted to give the warrior a proper burial even if he didn’t have the right tools to do so with. After hours of digging through the frozen ground he finally managed to dig a hole deep and wide enough to bury the warrior in. After praying the warrior would have a safe trip to the afterlife Teucer returned home with a cold and near frostbitten fingers. Worrying his parents to what he was doing out for so long and why he just now returning when it night. It would be a week so later that Teucer would actually remember the item the dead warrior had passed onto him. Digging through his drawers he eventually found it buried underneath some socks. He went over and sat on his bed and stared at the item wrapped in cloth. Eventually he opened the cloth to find a vision within it. Yet, what he found strange about it was it lack of colour making it look empty. About to stuff Vision back into his drawer it started to resonate with him causing his eyes to widen. It pulsed for a few seconds before he felt a surge of electricity go through him. A vibrant color returned to the Vision revealing it to be an Electro Vision. Teucer was quite stunned by this wondering why it would even react to him let alone choose him. In the end he accepted it without much fuss.

THE SUPPORT – Teucer doesn’t go out into the field that often, but when he does, he basically plays support when in a group. Typically buffing and healing his colleagues when it calls for it. At times not when they do something stupid immediately after he heals them, which lead to him outright refusing in the end. Electro Shock Therapy is what he uses to encourage his colleagues to stop doing dumb shit when they’re with him. Thankfully it works, but it earned him a reputation and the nickname Sparky. He distastes the nickname and will shock anyone who call him it.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

HERE'S WHAT I JUST REALIZED ABOUT PAY

Whereas if you start a startup. It's not something you have to be. I couldn't help thinking, how will this sound to investors? Anyone who has used the web for more than a couple hours, and you'll find you have much less spare time than you might expect. I may be an extremist, but I didn't have the smoothness of a good idea. There's no reason to do it. But Sam Altman is a very unusual guy. This is actually a rational response to their situation.

No, as it were. If you're going to have to work at something that pays the bills too, even though the advertisers are paying and users aren't. You could sense them squirming on the hook, but you need it in a way that doesn't suck. For practically its whole existence, that is. And it's a skill you can learn, though perhaps habit might be a good idea? Something is going on here. Really this just codifies what we do already. I didn't have the smoothness of a good novel wouldn't complain that readers were unfair for preferring a potboiler with a racy cover. At a good college you're concentrated together with a lot of people think we get thousands of applications for each funding cycle. I find myself repeating is pump out features.

Seattle owes much of its position as a tech center because it's the intellectual capital of the US and probably the world. In nearly every startup that fails, the proximate cause is running out of money. I haven't seen it. This is a rare case where being less self-centered will make people more confident. Ironically, Microsoft unintentionally helped create Ajax. I can say is, try hard to do it is to be undisciplined. The finance guys seemed scrupulous about reporting earnings. But if this is your attitude, something great is very unlikely to happen to you, because the locations of mines and factories were determined by features like rivers, harbors, and sources of raw materials. We officially launched in early 1996. There seem to be: that in the coming century is a huge one. But that doesn't make common stock a bad idea.

Nearly every startup that fails, fails by running out of money while you're trying to negotiate with them. By historical standards, that's something that's changing pretty rapidly. I'm sure the default will always be to get a job. In a technology startup, which most startups are, and assume that's how things have to be determined. So here is an even more striking statistic: 0% of that first batch had a terrible experience. This is particularly necessary in a startup hub. What do I mean by good people? The founders of Kiko, for example. Let's start with the obvious one: lobby to get Sarbanes-Oxley deters people like him from being CFOs of public companies, that's proof enough that it's broken. 064. A lot of startups worry what if Google builds something like us?

So what if some of the fund back to the institutional investors who supplied it, because it wasn't going to be negative. Usually a startup is more than you'd endure in an ordinary working life. That was her actual word. You can measure this in your growth rate. So not only does the desktop no longer matter, no one can make you do it. Industrialization didn't spread much beyond those regions for a while. The question is not whether you can afford to be passive. That will change if you get a zero otherwise. Enough of an effect to triple the value of what they create.

As usual, by Demo Day about half the startups were doing something significantly different than they planned. Just continue running your company as if this deal didn't exist. When you're a kid and you face some hard test, you may also be ready to start that startup. If your startup is doing a deal, just assume it's not going to be different is my approach. Everyone likes to believe that's what makes startups worth the trouble. So as long as you made a serious effort. Recently I suggested a potential shortcut: pay startups to move. I wouldn't be surprised if one day people look back on what we consider a normal job. No one likes schleps, but hackers especially dislike them. Maybe that's possible, but I don't think you'd want to; someone who really, truly doesn't care what his peers think of him is probably a running back.

Thanks to Paul Buchheit, Savraj Singh, Bob Frankston, Trevor Blackwell, Joel Rainey, and Joe Gebbia for sharing their expertise on this topic.

[forever-more-never-again]

Acies (A Request)

Requested: Anonymous

Word Count: 1729

Pairing: Platonic!Deadpool X Reader, Bucky X Reader

Warnings: Implied Sexual content, mentions of past abuse and torture.

Request: Hey babe! I saw that your requests are open and i wonder if i can request some bucky x reader. she has a sense of humor similar to deadpool and a bit of femme fatale and she's also a merc like him (they are partners and she's telepat) and one day she is called by the avengers to help them on a mission and she met bucky and he's head over heels for her immediately. you can decide the rest. I love your writing <3

Masterlist

Acies - Latin for Insight

a/n: Sorry for the wait and going so long without an update! Hopefully I can get through all the requests you guys sent in a while ago!

Laughing, your hair swaying in the wind as you repelled down the clock tower in London, Big Ben, you turned to look at the man clad in red next to you.

While you had a harness that secured your safety to solid ground, the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool, had no such thing.

And after working with him for so many years, you had gotten over the initial fear and instinct to grab him and keep him safe, knowing that he would be fine after a few minutes of being a flat pancake on the ground.

His thoughts floated over to you, loud despite the rush of wind in your ears, ‘Do you think Vanessa would want to go to New York with us?’

The ground leapt up and met you, as you grunted and bent your knees to lessen the impact. 

Grabbing the, now flat and broken, assassin, you ran, weaving into alleys to try and hide from the British police that were after you for stealing the gold that had been hidden in a vault inside Big Ben.

‘It’s not nice to ignore people [Y/n].’ Wade sassed in your head.

Sighing and shaking your head at him, you finally made it to the apartment you were currently renting in the city outskirts.

“I wasn’t ignoring you Wade. I was trying to run from the police while lugging a meat suit with me. Anyways, your not going to New York. It’s just me.”

Wade whined. His broken arms clicking back into place so he could remove his red hood.

His...unique...face was seen for a moment before he fell face down on the couch in your living room. His voice was muffled as he talked to you, “But [Y/n]! I wanna mess with the Sparky man!”

You snorted, flitting around the kitchen as you grabbed hand towels and ran them under hot water, “I’ll let Stark know to expect you soon then. But this mission is time sensitive. That’s why they went for the more stable of the two of us.”

Throwing the wet towel towards the whining man, you used one yourself to wipe off the dirt and broken metal from your face and arms.

Clad in a similar suit to Deadpool’s, only not red, instead [Y/f/c], you and Wade had become a team after you had discovered that he had survived and proceeded to kill Francis, the man who had also promised you a cure for your terminal brain tumor and had proceeded to torture you in another base he had. Just as Wade had awaken some sort of Mutant gene after the abuse, you had as well. Using your telepathic and seduction abilities to escape the compound and hide from Francis’s cronies until you had heard of the man named Deadpool.

While you weren’t as mentally unstable as him, you were still not all mentally there.

After saving Vanessa from a vengeful enemy of Deadpool, he had taken a liking to you and let you become his partner. Vanessa eventually become a friend to you as well, and you spent many nights in the two’s apartment drinking and getting into trouble.

Now years later, after being a bridesmaid for his and Vanessa’s wedding, dealing with the X-men and an assortment of Assassins, you and Deadpool were close friends.

So when a missive from Charles Xavier had reached you, asking for you to go to New York to help the Avengers with a mission, you and Wade had argued over who would go.

Now, standing in front of the Avenger tower with your duffel bag thrown over your shoulder, you kinda wished you had let Wade and Vanessa come with you. 

Shaking away those thoughts, you steeled yourself. You were [Y/n], the one called Acies, by the media, and you were not scared of some so called superpowered beings.

Squaring your shoulders, you entered the tower and walked past the gaping receptionist into the open elevator as a man in a business suit walked out.

“Wait! You can’t just go-” The panicked receptionist’s voice abruptly shut off as the doors shut and the elevator took you up to the penthouse.

Smirking, you pulled down your mask, hiding your face completely. While you were expected, you wanted to have some fun before the serious mission talk began.

The upper floor of the tower was quiet. Staying close to the walls and shadows, you opened your mind to the thoughts around you.

‘Stacey sounded really scared.’

‘Wonder if it’s Acies.’

One thought in particular caught your attention and you zeroed in on it so that the person’s thoughts were crystal clear.

‘Why did Stark invite a crazy assassin? One associated to that lunatic. We don’t need another unstable person. Does Steve and Stark really think they can control The Winter Soldier and Acies if things go sideways on this mission?’

The Winter Soldier, also known as James Barnes, Previous War Commando under the leadership of Captain America, Turned Hydra assassin, turned Avenger.

His thoughts were a mix of self-deprecating and anger at the thought of an outsider on this mission.

Tracking the thoughts, you wound around a corner and found the man in question leaning casually against a counter, no outside indication to his inner thoughts.

“You know. Deadpool isn’t as crazy as some believe, and I can control myself thank you. But I could be persuaded to relinquish control to you given the right circumstances...like in a bedroom...” Your voice dropped into a purr as Bucky jumped and whirled around, his metal arm glinting under the lights as it was brought up in front of him.

“Acies?” Another voice cut through the tension.

Still in your casual stance, duffel bag dropping to the ground, you faced another tall man. Blonde.

Eh, you preferred brunettes. But this man was the definition of beefcake.

Steve Rogers, Captain America.

“Cap!” Straightening your posture, you saluted the man, inwardly laughing at his grimace and thoughts.

‘Why did I agree to this again?’

And then that damn velvety smooth voice once again filtered into your head, ‘Can’t see her face. Probably a good thing seeing as how ugly that Deadpool guy is from the same torture and stuff...but damn that body.’

Tilting your head, you grabbed the bottom of your mask and in one fluid motion ripped it off.

Both men stood gaping in front of you, but you kept your eyes on the Dark chocolate ones as his thoughts stuttered before resuming in a rush.

‘Oh...oh my god. This woman. I thought she would look like an expired Avocado but she is a literal goddess.’

You giggled, “Why thank you, you’re not so bad yourself Mister Prince looking Man.”

Bucky startled, as Steve laughed after a second.

“I forgot, your a Telepath!”

You grinned at Steve, “It’s literally in the name Acies. You know, when the government made everything bigger, they must of forgot the brain. But that’s okay,” Your eyes glinted as you looked down at Steve, ignoring his red face and Bucky’s look of jealousy, “There’s really only one thing that matters in size and I’m sure the men in government made sure it grew.”

Clapping hands and another body made its way into the room, “You’re just as vulgar as the media says. [Y/n].”

Flipping your hair over your shoulder, you shrugged, face going back into its stoic expression, “It’s a gift. So Sparky Man. What’s the mission that was so important that you had to call in the crazy friend of our resident merc with a mouth?”

Tony Stark was not fazed by the name calling, as he waved a hand and a hologram appeared before the four of you.

You leaned in closer and saw that it was a 3D landscape of a jungle.

“There is rumors of some members of the group that Francis, or otherwise known as Ajax, teaming up with Hydra and starting a base in this African Jungle. Several American citizens, high powered mutants, and people from Africa, have gone missing in the past months. 

A Body was found by a village chief the other week, a village girl from all the way on the other side of the continent, and she had been obviously tortured and experimented on before she died.”

Fury grew, cold and raging, in your belly and mind as a picture of a young girl appeared next to a photo from a morgue, the part of the body that was visible bringing up memories you had fought hard to forget.

“[Y/n]?” The velvet voice, spoken and not heard in your head, shook you from your dark thoughts.

Turning, you saw Bucky looking at you. Your mind went immediately to Pity. That he was pitying you. But a closer second look had you understanding. He was sympathing.

Here was a man who understood. Here was a man who had gone through something very similar and shared the feelings that this mission invoked. 

Taking a shaky breath, you smiled softly at the man, his eyes widening slightly before he smiled softly back at you.

You stifled the giggle his thoughts brought forth.

‘Her smile is gorgeous. Bright, like the sun.’

“Hey James.”

His name on your tongue felt right.

Ignoring the quizzical looks from Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, you turned your full attention to the Man whose thoughts were like a medical salve to your soul, “We can get through this, together. I may be a little unstable. And I understand that,” A dark laugh and your eyes went unfocused for a moment before returning to the present, “But we have a chance to save people from what we had to go through. And I for one, am not letting them get away. Are you with me?”

A dark smile. And his thoughts once again in your head, ‘I’ll always be with you. If you want me to.’

And your heart sang for the first time since you had escaped from that small lab in 

France. 

Maybe preventing Deadpool from coming to New York wasn’t as bad as you first thought.

After all. If he was here, he would probably make some-

“Hey everyone! Want some sriracha sauce for all that heat that Acies and Metal Boy over here are creating!? I also brought Chimichangas!”

God Dammit Wade.

FOREVER Taglist:

@sxph-t @mialeelavellan @rainydaysrnevergrey  @platonic-plots @sociallyawkwardcircus-freak-hi @ayyidkeither @queenbbarnes @mythixmagic @chas-z @thefridgeismybestie @strangersstranger @princess-evans-addict

Bucky Taglist:

@evyiione

Avengers Taglist:

@jadepc @marvel-is-a-mood

[shayde-n-friends]

Reaper High - Next Gen: Children of Nomads and Royals

((After getting 2 Commissions of Ajax, and seeing lots of love being given to Jazz, I decided to just up and make a post about the many Next Generation characters that i’ve created over the years.

Ajax - Shayde and Vega’s youngest daughter. She is the only one of the children who was born with Natural Guardian powers, or at the very least, something akin to them. (Perhaps it was her golden chip? No one knows...not even Shayde’s Ghost.) At some point in her life, she acquired Roulette’s old sword; Worldline Zero. With it’s power, combined with her ability to create rifts in space inherited from Vexus, Ajax discovered that she was able to travel through time using the sword. She’s quite the troublemaker when she wants to be, but more often than not her heart is in the right place. When she makes a mistake, it weighs heavy on her, and goes to the greatest lengths to fix what she has broken.

Avior - Shayde and Vega’s only son and Prince of Cluster Prime, Avior dedicated himself at a young age to defending those who could not defend themselves, and giving people something to look up to when things are looking grim. He studied and trained under some of the greatest heroes he could think of: Saint-14, All-Might, Super-Man and Captain America to name a few...Although, despite his knightly philosophy and manners, he styles himself after Lord Saladin and The Iron Lords. Being about 8 feet fall, he sometimes intimidates the other students at Reaper High. That, and the fact that he has Vexus’ eyes, and teeth.

Weiss - The Elder Daughter of the Royals, and seemingly the most low key, all Weiss wants to do is learn the history of her two heritages. When she was young, Weiss was as happy-go-lucky as her mother. Growing up, she began to learn about Vexus’ crimes, and the banishment of her grandfather. Combined a less than positive school experience, this caused Weiss to become far more jaded. Like Roulette, Weiss has little time for bullies, blowhards but is far more likely to shut them up if they don’t have the smarts to do so themselves. She appears to be the most tame of her family, but deep inside, power greater than her sibling, parents and grandparents combine BURNS...

Morrigin - Daughter of Stake and Number 86, Morrigin is as tough as both her parents and then some. Growing up among Ex-Teens Next Door agents and Clones, Morrigin had no shortage of exposure to extended family, her cousins included. Training from both her mother and father have honed her into a disciplined fighter, and a capable leader, if not a little arrogant. Of course, with her parent’s combined strengths, she also shares their weaknesses, such as 86′s temper, and Stake’s crippling lack of fashion sense and dance talent.

Thomas - Against everyone’s expectations, Volker and Brit remained together after the Apocalypse, even more unexpected was the birth of their son, Thomas. His parents raised him to be a cat-burglar from an early age, though Volker did remind him that not everything should be stolen...just the stuff that people who already have a lot don’t use. At some point before attending Reaper High, Thomas acquired the means to train as a Titan Pilot, but didn’t get his hands on one until getting to the school...Stealthy, Agile, and well versed in assassin combat styles and gadgets, Thomas can easily slip away from any trouble he might find himself in.

Kaze -  If Brit sticking around to raise her child was a surprise, than Misty raising her child with Dreamer was nothing short of a miracle. After they had amassed a small fortune from their Bounty and Treasure Hunting days, the two found a place to call home, and so the inquisitive Kaze was born. Of the Clones’ Children, she is the most in-tune with her heritage, having powers from her mother, as well as Combat skills passed down to her from both parents. She can speak fluent Mandolorian, and forged her own sword in the vein of Misty’s. Even more curious, is that Kaze appears to be able to use The Force, even though neither of her parents were able to...because of this, Kaze is exposed to dangers that others may not be. 

Coyote - Nobody knows where Coyote truly came from. He appears to be a Yautja-Human hybrid, with some elements of what seems to be Crescentian DNA...He is apart of a new tribe of Yautja founded by Marsh after the end of the Apocalypse, protecting the vulnerable Cresentian populace from natural predators and hunters in exchange for bonding with members of the clan as partners on the hunt. Though Coyote has no Partner, he more than makes up for it with his cunning and prowess as a tracker, Capable of wrestling with beasts 3 times his size, and just as able to take them out. He doesn’t speak very often, which is why no one can seem to get a straight answer about his origins out of him...

Samuel - It took Frida a long time to convince Russell to have a child, but the wait was well worth it. Russell made certain to be there during every step of Samuel’s life. As a result, the boy was spared from the parental issues that plauged his father. With his father’s training, and his mother’s inventive ingenuity, Samuel became a prodigy in combat and vigilante justice. Despite his mostly positive upbringing, he never found much reason to speak. As such, he tends to express himself through gestures and actions. He lacks his father’s temper, but has his dexterity and skill with weaponry. Samuel is more in tune with her mother, sharing her mechanical prowess...and her sense of humor.

Helena - Though some miracle of science and biology, Shard and Melody were able to have a child, a perfected techno-organic being known as Helena. Imbued with the powers of both her mother and father, Helena is a powerhouse of speed and power. The only issue being, she is incredibly shy. She has the ability to stop time, materialize armor for herself from thin air, transform into a mechanical beast like her parents, and move just as fast as Shard, if not faster. She’s fiercely loyal to those who she claims only “Tolerate” her as a friend, and doesn’t give herself as much credit as she deserves. The only time she’s been known to come out of her shell completely is when one of her friends are in danger, revealing that sometimes she can be just as cocky as her father. (...And that embarasses her to no end!)

Ragran & Selmaxen - At some point in RH History, Heater began a complex Relationship with a version of Hekapoo from another timeline or dimension. Which one? Nobody knows...what everyone does know is that after the apocalypse, Heater ran off with her for years, and came back with a pair of Twins: Two girls named Ragran and Selmaxen. Ragran shares her father’s vow of silence, while Selmaxen tends to chat up a storm. Both of the twins have the ability to use their mothers scissors, or duplicates from the looks of them, and have power to manipulate, control, and create fire, lava and obsidian thanks to their fathers supernatural exploits in Hell during the apocalypse. They aren’t dependent on one another, but when they team up to do much of anything, their synergy is unmatched.

((This is just too much fun to come up with and write about! Seeing RH Next Gen stuff makes my heart soar, and it saddens me that I fall into ruts so often that I’m starting to lose steam on this sort of thing. But i’ll keep trying to keep my motivation up, and so long as im motivated, i’ll keep writing stuff for RH!))

[milap-sd]

Update Announcement Bar in Shopify :)

Hi welcome to update announcement bar tutorial where we will have a look at the advanced implementation so that the value for someone to qualify for free shipping it's updated whenever someone adds an item to the card without the page having to refresh and the same thing should work on the cart page. 

If someone adjusts the quantity you can see the message gets updated and it should be fun to implement this so let's go alright so starting this post I assume that you have already seen part 1 of this tutorial and just to quickly recap that by now you should have this modified announcement bar and you can display the amount that someone needs to add in order to unlock free shipping. 

When you add an item to the cart this value won't get updated automatically and you need to refresh the page so that it gets updated and if you haven't seen part one yet I highly recommend you go back and watch that first so you can get a really good understanding of what is going on but otherwise if you're using the theme you could also go ahead and copy and paste the content of our modified header that liquid fire.

Okay so that being said I can already tell you that in this post we are going to write some JavaScript code to implement our update functionality and therefore I want to give you a quick overview on how the JavaScript is structured within the W theme and you will find the same pattern and many other themes as well and I can simply right click with my Chrome browser and then go to inspect and switch to the console and in here we can test and debug JavaScript code but what I want to show you right now is that our theme fires attached an object that is called theme to the window and in that theme object we will find all the theme elements that have to be managed in some way by JavaScript and just to name a few examples here we have the mobile navigation or maybe the search drawer or some post if we have posts on our page and all these elements contain methods that help to control them. 

So for example we could use the MDOT search drawer and in here we will find a method that is called open and this would simply bring up the search bar and in the same way we have a method that is called closed and this would dismiss the search bar and in the same way we are going to create a helper function to update our shipping bar and then we will simply call that every time an input changes.

Okay so now we can have a look into the actual theme code and in your theme files you will find a folder called assets and this should contain the theme j/s which should contain most of the JavaScript for your theme and you can already see the window dot theme object which I just showed you on the front-end and here it is set to a blank object and then over time you will see that all the other elements are added to this object. 

So we have the theme of currency the draw the header the mobile navigation the video and so on and so forth and within these elements we have all the helper functions that we can use to control the elements but for example here we have a method called pause video and here we have one that is called load videos and now we are going to scroll to the bottom and down there we will implement our own shipping bar element with all the necessary update functions. 

So let me zoom in that it's easier for you to read and down here we drop to a new line and first of all we create our new shipping bar element so let's type theme dot shipping bar and then we set it to an empty JavaScript object and now we will drop in between these curly brackets and down here I can define the so-called object properties and all the properties will be public on the front end so maybe we could simply type test and then some text hello world and maybe another property or test - which will be some random number maybe one two three four five but we can also add functions to these properties. 

So we will have an update function and then we would simply type function a pair of parenthesis and a pair of curly brackets and in here we can define what happens when someone executes the function let's do user lock and for now we would simply type updated shipping bar and for now safe this and after a quick refresh on the front end. 

We should now have access to our new themed shipping bar object and you can already see that we have our defined values so ended shipping bar the test equals had a word and test two as one two three four five and we can even call our update method therefore we just use parentheses and you can see now it says updated shipping bar and this is exactly where we will implement our real update functionality later but for now I just want to tell you that I have a small problem with these two values being public because later we will have some variables and I don't want them to be public but with the syntax that I used we don't have a way to create private or hidden properties.

So we will fix that and then we will go ahead and implement the update method so back in the theme file we will now define this object in a slightly different way so let's type a theme but shipping bar and now we won't set it to an object immediately or instead to a function this function should be executed immediately so we type parentheses at the end and in between the curly brackets we can define that function and in here we can now define all the variables that we need and our update method and then all the variables will be private and we will only return or make the update method public and now I feel like this may sound a little bit confusing especially if you're new to JavaScript. 

So let's define some variables and then I will show you this in action so we will have one variable for the shipping bar HTML and then we will have one let's say for the promote message we can do promote ext and then we will have another one for the message that shows up when you unlock free shipping so unlocked txt and down below we can then define our update function. 

Let's do function that is called update we can also define that function right here but for now we will simply type console dot lock updated shipping bomb and now we can go ahead and delete all the above declaration and in this function we will simply return our new update function to the public let's type update we'll link to the update function and then save this so as we check the front-end one more time. 

We should now see that within the theme that shipping bar element we only have access to the update method and all the other variables are no longer public and so this syntax helps to keep things structured and it's also used throughout the theme so I thought it would be a good idea to share this alright. 

So in order to build out our update function we now need to assign some values to our variables and the shipping bar itself is relatively easy to get so we can simply use document query selector and then selected by its CSS class so I think it was announcement far nons min - bah but in order to get the other two values so the promote message and the unlock message and the threshold as well we will need that too. 

Now we will use a small trick to get these because we can't simply access the customizer settings from the JavaScript file so therefore we will go back to the header dot liquid where we implemented our free shipping bar and then we will simply add these values to the data set of the announcement bar so we will define three data attributes the first one will be data #NAME? then we will have data there's unlocked and we will have data - threshold and now we can simply copy these variables that we defined above and place them into the data attributes are we wanted me to add curly brackets so the liquid gets rendered and unlocked txt threshold and in the JavaScript we can now get these data attributes and assign them to our variable so back in the JavaScript fire.

We can now take the announcement bar and get all the values we need from its data set so bar dot data set but promote and bar dot dataset dot unlocked and bar but dataset best hug we can save this and now the time has come that we can implement our update function and therefore we will use an ajax request so a request in the background if you want to say and therefore we type dollar sign get json and then the request domain which will be slash cart js. 

So we want to request the cart and once we get that data so then we want to perform a certain action with their data so we can simply type the function and then cart and then curly brackets and in here we will define what happens with the card data but now let me show you really quick what we get when we call this request domain and therefore I will copy this to my clipboard and then I can use my Shopify domain and append slash card j/s and you can see that I get the card data in the JSON format and the JSON format is a way to display structured data we can see it here in a more structured way and you can see that I get information on the card like the item count the items in the card the subtotal total price and this is the key attribute. 

I'm interested in to compare if the threshold has been reached or not yet and now back in the update function I can simply calculate the value that is left by subtracting the card dot total price from the threshold - card dot total price and in the same way as we did it in the header fire we now need to apply a money filter to this value left because right now it's incense and doesn't match the theme mana formatting. 

So let's do VAR value left money and then we can use a function that lies within theme dot currency dot format money and this function will take the value and sense and the theme dot money format and then we can save it and now the last thing we have to do in order to finish our update method is simply check if the value that is left is less or equal to zero then we want to display the unlock message and otherwise so if it is still above the zero then we want to display the promote message and therefore we will simply access the announcement bar.

So we will type bar in our HTML in both cases and now we can simply copy the message from the head of fire so let's do this right away and right here we have the announcement bar message so we can simply copy it stood right here now we have to use single quotes we will get a conflict with these double quotes and we also remove the curly brackets from the liquid rendering because now we can use the JavaScript variable that we defined above and then we will use plus here we use single quotes again success message and down below we can copy the same statement or the same markup and now we will replace the unlock message with the promote message but if you remember. 

We still have this dynamic placeholder from the customizer settings where we output the value that is left and we will replace that as well so let's type dot replace and then value oh it's in brackets where you and we will replace it with the value left money and then we can save it and I hope you can already see that this is very similar to what we have done in the first tutorial so in the head of fire we did basically the same we took some of the messages from the customizer and when we update or put out the announcement by message we simply check if the value that is left is less or equal to zero and then we set the  announcement message to either the success message or to the promote message all right. 

So now we should give our new implemented method a test on the front end and therefore I went to the cart page and now I will adjust the quantity and when I call our new method so theme the shipping part our update we should see this value jump to 10 euro and it does so this is great and now I would qualify for free shipping and I will call the same method again and then we should see the unlock message and we do so this works great and we didn't make any mistakes otherwise we would see them right here and we could fix them in the theme file but now that this is working.

We simply have to call this method whenever the card input or the card quality changes and I think right now you already have enough input so the last thing is very simple to do and then we can finish the project all right so back at the theme files we now have to find all the places where let's say in items edit with the card or the input quantity is changed or an item is removed entirely and in the W theme you can search for exactly these keywords. 

So let's search for update item and right here you will find a function that is called whenever the input quantity changes and you can see that they also do an AJAX request to perform this on the background and once this is done they also do some other stuff and right before they end here we can call our new theme shipping bar update method let's copy it right here and this is the first place we will add this and then we will go ahead and search for at item 2 card or add item and you will see the second function that gets called whenever an item is added to the card and even here they do an ajax request to perform this on the background and again once this is done the executors function and right before they end this function. 

We can again insert our new m dot shipping bar update method and save it again and the last place we recall our new function is when an item is removed so on remove and let's see here we have the function for it and there's the Ajax request to perform it on the background and once this is done they execute all this and at the end we will call our new shipping bar update method let's copy it here as well: and save and I think now we have all the important places. 

So let's check this on the on the front-end so back at the front-end I can now try to add an item to the cart and you would see that this gets updated immediately and even on the cart page if I adjust the quantity let's say to six and is updates to the unlock message perfect and even if I remove the item entirely this jumps back to 50 so everything's working perfect. 

Okay so before we finish the post I want to add one more little thing so that this gets a little bit safer to use because right now we don't have any validation if the shipping bar is enabled and if it isn't enabled this might throw an arrow and break a lot of theme code so what I simply want to do is after we get the shipping bar or after we try to get the shipping bar I want to test if the shipping bar has any useful value.

So we can simply type if bar and then wrap this into curly brackets and the same thing will be done in the update method so if we have a shipping bar then we want to do everything that we just implemented and otherwise we will simply do nothing so we'll save this and this is the minimum validation that we can make and then we can finally finish the post and this was a lot to explain and probably a lot of input for you as well so if you have questions you can always leave them down in the comment section and as always I hope you found some value in this post and then I hope to see you on the next post bye.

[thelimeonade]

5, 12, 22, 23 and 24 for the phychology asks, for that dude that sleeps with alien prostitutes, I forgot his name but I dig his attitude!!

HELLO AGAIN @redotter I apologize for the late reply, I was too busy laughing at how you described Ajax Power absolutely spot on. I also want to thank you because I have been in a very bad mood, crying irl from shit but this made my day a hundred times better!So thank you so much  ❤❤❤

HERE WE GO WITH THE PSYCHOLOGY!

5: What calms your OC down the best under severe stress?

Nearly nothing! When Ajax power is severely stressed, he becomes angry and angry = setting every single thing in his sight on fire.....

The only thing that probably calms his stress down to total zero [and he is too prideful to admit it so I will say it myself.] is that knowing Elijah is there for him. Sometimes he would just wake up Elijah at three in the mourning, annoying him with literally everything, just so he could relax knowing that his twin brother – and probably only friend – is there for him and is a constant thing in his life.

Other things that do well but not as great are liquor, pacing around like a madman, bossing people around and laying down on his bed (preferably with a view of the night-sky)

12: Is your OC mature or immature for their age?

Really depends on your definition of mature and how mature should an immortal high-being be.

If you were to compare him with a regular Dunam man (Dunams are us, dominant species of Milkyway galaxy) WHILE AJAX IS NOT ANGRY, he would be very mature and sensible.

If you compare him with Elijah though..... Elijah has a ‘Babysitter needed’ advertisement which has been up for the last 20 galactic years.... position is still open to whoever is interested in handling an omnipotent, immortal high-being who will set you on fire 9 out of 10 times because ‘why not?’

22: Does your OC believe in something supernatural or not scientifically proven?

Well Ajax does not believe in God or religion. He doesn’t believe that anything supernatural is higher than him because Ajax views himself as a god... so in the sense of believing in the supernatural, sort of yes because Ajax sees himself as a god (yet again!) but no at the same time because GOD doesn’t exist...

In conclusion...

Ajax is a racist narcissist lmao

23: Does your OC have a criminal record?

Oh boy he does... a big big fat one that resulted in him and Elijah being banished from the entire galaxy of Varas-Soldez into the black vacuum (outer space) and in the process they should have died so Execution and banishment! Two for the price of one! But they survived and didn’t die 

24: Does your OC have any sexual deviances or kinks?

Oh boy he does pt.2

For a man who fucked a lot of aliens, you think he won’t have a kink?

On a scale of one to ten, please rate Ajax Power’s kinkiness and willingness to do crazy shit in sex. Answer is: Error 404. ‘Infinity’ is too large for the computer to process.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WONDERFUL ASK! AND THE WONDERFUL, HILARIOUS DESCRIPTION OF AJAX! FEEL FREE TO SEND IN MORE ASKS IF YOU WANT! I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING MY DAY! BYEEEEE

[marshallmanson]

Ranking the Restaurants

Now that I’ve been back a few days, I’ve had time and distance to reflect on my trip, and the amazing food odyssey that I experienced. As a part of that, I thought it would be interesting and fun to score the restaurants.

I decided to borrow my ranking system from the Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema. Here’s how it works:

First, any restaurant with a star is excellent. Just to make the list and be scored means that the place is worth a visit. The good news is that thanks to my research, I had very few restaurants come through with zero stars, but they’ve got their own space below. With that in mind, here’s what the various stars mean:

**** — Outstanding. Really something special. Usually marked by an interesting point of view, innovative or elevated approach to the food, technical excellence and great service. Among the best restaurant experiences I’ve had anywhere, beyond this trip. *** — Excellent. Great food. Great service. But not quite as distinctive or elevated as a four star place. ** — Darn good. A place that I’d be happy to visit again. * — Perfectly fine. Often these were places that I liked, and was glad to have tried, but wouldn’t go back. 0 — Crap. No good. I’m sorry I visited, and I discourage anyone else from going.

So, with the scoring system sorted, let’s look at the scores:

**** Stars Outstanding, innovative and elevated.

Peg Leg Pete’s Pensacola Beach, Florida

Michelin’s criteria for two stars is “excellent cooking, worth a detour.” I would happily plan a long weekend in Pensacola just to return to Peg Leg Pete’s. Yes, it’s a dive bar. Yes, the menu is almost entirely fried. Yes, the food was served on styrofoam. And I don’t care a whit. The seafood was fresh and perfectly cooked. The beer was local and excellent. The staff was kind and welcoming. And the Key Lime Pie was made by someone’s grandmother in her home kitchen. The bill was less than $30. For all of the high-end places I tried, this was the best meal of the trip.

Key Lime Pie at Peg Leg Pete’s.

Shagbark Richmond, Virginia

Chef Walter Bundy spent years creating high-end, French-inspired classics at Lemaire. Now he’s using those techniques to elevate southern cuisine, making the most of local and seasonal products, and delivering something that’s next-level good. If a Michelin inspector ever made it to Richmond (fat chance), Shagbark would be worthy of serious consideration for a star. Bundy’s food isn’t as playful and evocative as Sean Brock’s: The experience is more serious and considered. But Shagbark would be a great restaurant in any city. Richmond is lucky to have it.

Pimento Cheese and Ham Salad at Shagbark.

Fisher’s Orange Beach, Alabama

Fisher’s has pulled down big accolades. Like Brock and Bundy, Chef Bill Briand is elevating southern food, and using the best ingredients, plucked out of the sea and delivered to his kitchen from the fishermen who use his marina. I’m sorry I didn’t get to try his fine dining offering, but his ability to elevate a simple fish taco, reimagine sweet potatoes, and deliver it with a sense of humour across a bar tells me all I need to know. Like Peg Leg Pete’s, I would happily go out of my way to return to Fisher’s.

Fish tacos at Fisher’s.

Ajax Diner Oxford, Mississippi

Located on a busy town square in the middle of a college town, you could forgive the Ajax for turning out burgers and beers. Instead, they produce home cooked classics that you’d be happy to eat at your grandmother’s kitchen table. The Ajax was probably the most traditional place I went, but they embrace tradition all the way, revel in it, and turn out great food flavoured with love. If I lived in Oxford, I’d be a regular.

Meatloaf and sides at the Ajax Diner.

*** Stars Excellent. Great food and service.

Commander’s Palace New Orleans, Louisiana

High-class throw-back cooking in New Orleans most beautiful neighbourhood. What’s not to love? Great ingredients brought together into some of the south’s most iconic recipes. Service with a smile and laugh.

Gallatoire’s New Orleans, Louisiana

Cornerstone of the French Quarter. Stand in line with local residents and well to-do out-of-towners, then revel in some of the best cooking around. Trust your waiter. They know what’s fresh and tasty.

Husk Nashville, Tennessee

Sean Brock’s Nashville spot. His menu was playful and brilliant. The food was excellent. And I totally buy into his philosophy. I wish I’d been able to go for dinner, as I suspect that would have been a more elevated experience.

Indian Pass Raw Bar Port St. Joe, Florida

They harvest the oysters, then shuck them, then bake them, in just a few hours. Serve yourself. Pay for what you eat and drink. Settle in for the afternoon, or the evening. Worth a detour. You won’t regret it.

Le Bakery Biloxi, Mississippi

Vietnamese is now local cuisine across the gulf coast, and this is one of the best spots to find it. Fresh bread that a Parisienne would love. And you couldn’t find a better Banh Mi from Hanoi to Ho Chi Min City.

Monell’s 6th Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee

Home cooking around a communal table, making new friends over great food. What’s not to love? Ultra-traditional with fabulous flavours in big bowls. Another place that I’d love to be a regular.

Ravenous Pig Winter Park, Florida

Husband and wife team, James and Julie Petrakis doing their bit to elevate and renew southern cooking with a real emphasis on pork. From the homemade bread to the pork porterhouse, I left happy and full.

The Regional Kitchen & Pub West Palm Beach, Florida

Chef Lindsay Autry getting into the elevated southern game with her brilliant cooking. More homestyle than Husk or the Ravenous Pig, but building from underused classics like Devilled Crab. Homemade parker house rolls were a winner, too.

The Roosevelt Richmond, Virginia

Chef Lee Gregory’s place helped renew Church Hill and contributed to Richmond’s food renaissance. The Roosevelt manages to balance fine dining and neighbourhood stalwart, with great food I’d be happy eating every day.

Sally Belly’s Kitchen Richmond, Virginia

Nearly a hundred years old, and still delivering great food every day. If there’s better potato salad on the planet, I don’t know where to find it. Also, cupcakes. And egg salad. And, and, and. Visiting Richmond and missing Sally Bell’s should actually be a crime.

Spoonbread Bistro Richmond, Virginia

Stylish spot in the Fan by Chef Michael Hall. Another perspective on elevating southern flavours. Local and fresh. Great food driven by clever ideas. Another place I’d be a happy regular.

** Stars Darn good. Worthy of a return visit.

Allman’s Barbecue Fredericksburg, Virginia

Great Virginia-style barbecue. A classic. Huge portions. Yes please.

Blue & White Diner Tunica, Mississippi

Old-fashioned road-side diner with stellar Sunday buffet. The only place to eat in Tunica.

Cafe Bouchee Franklinton, Louisiana

Superb local fare with a cajun accent. Worth passing by.

City Grocery Oxford, Mississippi

Big reputation, but merely darn good. Chef Currence is evidently innovating elsewhere.

Dandguerre’s Nashville, Tennessee

Local meat and three that the tourists haven’t found yet. Definitely worth trying.

The Kitchen West Palm Beach, Florida

Weird atmosphere. Good food. Great coconut cake. That’s enough to bring me back.

NOLA New Orleans, Louisiana

Emeril Lagasse’s French Quarter spot. Cajun reimagined sort of works.

Obrycki’s BWI Airport, Maryland

Crab cakes in an airport. Are you kidding? No. If you’re in BWI, eat at Obrycki’s.

Pierce’s Pit Cooked Barbecue Williamsburg, Virginia

Great Virginia-style barbecue. An institution.

Puckett’s Nashville, Tennessee

Tasty breakfast. Favourite of local police. Good food and nice service.

St. Roche Market New Orleans, Louisiana

Food truck food behind permanent counters. Glad I went. Wish I lived nearby.

Taylor Grocery Oxford, Mississippi

Great catfish and other local delicacies.

* Stars Perfectly fine, but I wouldn’t return.

Apalachicola Seafood Grill Apalachicola, Florida

Local ingredients, but lacking the care and attention. Go elsewhere.

Away from the World Burger & Beer Bar Cedar Key, Florida

Decent burgers with a view.

Ballpark of the Palm Beaches West Palm Beach, Florida

Hot dog before the game, with a fixings bar that included sauerkraut. #winning

Brickhouse Barbecue Columbia, Tennessee

Perfect adequate barbecue if you’re just passing through.

Cafe Beignet New Orleans, Louisiana

Good beignets without the queues at Cafe du Mont. Next door to my hotel. Winner.

Champion Stadium Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Hot dog before the game. Yes, please. And darn tasty.

Cilantro Mexican Vicksburg, Mississippi

A much needed Mexican diversion.

Felix’s Oyster Bar New Orleans, Louisiana

No substitute for Acme just across the street. Go there.

Pancho & Lefty’s Tacos Nashville, Tennessee

Great tacos just off broadway.

Ruby Slippers New Orleans, Louisiana

Breakfast to battle the French Quarter hang over, just outside the Quarter.

Starlite Lounge Richmond, Virginia

Hangover cure: burger with chilli and a fried egg. Tastes better than it sounds.

0 Stars Dreadful and Disastrous. Avoid.

The Island Restaurant Cedar Key Florida

The infamous culinary crime. How could you serve clams and pasta with no sauce? I still can’t believe it. Catastrophic.

Mary Mahoney’s Old French House Biloxi, Mississippi

Frozen in time, but in all of the wrong ways.

The Grill at Libbie and Patterson Richmond, Virginia

Good sandwiches. Wretched service. Will never return.

Woolworth on 5th Nashville, Tennessee

Great idea. Amazing history. Bad food. Rooting for it to get better.

[asfeedin]

European soccer, UEFA can use common sense to finish 2019-20 season. PLUS

We’re no closer to knowing when soccer might return to action given the global reaction to slowing the coronavirus outbreak, but there’s still a lot happening in the broader soccer world. Gab Marcotti reacts to the main talking points in the latest Monday Musings.

Jump to: Common sense must rule | Dutch league vacates title | | Harsh lesson for Kean

European leagues free to use common sense around how to end the 2019-20 season

Memo to decision-makers around Europe’s top leagues: the rules and bylaws that govern the game weren’t handed down by a higher being. They were made by people who didn’t (and couldn’t) envision anything like the current pandemic-induced shutdown. That said, because they are man-made, there’s nothing wrong in rewriting them if it suits the common good, and UEFA’s executive committee statement last Thursday took a general step in that direction.

– Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday on ESPN+ – Stream every episode of 30 for 30: Soccer Stories on ESPN+

There’s an “ideal scenario” in which the public health situation improves, every top-flight fixture gets played and they even squeeze in the remainder of the 2019-20 Europa League and Champions League seasons by August. Great. That’s the goal. Fingers crossed. Then there’s the uncomfortable reality: what to do if you can’t finish.

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UEFA says the season can only be terminated early under two circumstances. One is if governments prohibit sporting activity until a certain date and you simply run out of time to end this season and start the next one. (They don’t specify a start date for next season, but according to multiple sources, they want 2020-21 to start in September at the latest — pandemic permitting, of course.) The other is if there are “insurmountable economic problems” that make finishing the season “impossible” because it would jeopardize the long-term financial stability of clubs.

The first scenario is self-explanatory. The second is a catchall that can really be extended to everyone, if necessary, but is meant primarily for leagues without big TV contracts, where income comes primarily from gate receipts. Playing safely behind closed doors is expensive, and doing so for free or close to it, where there is no broadcast cash at stake, will hurt clubs financially.

But if seasons do end early, what to do?

Let’s be clear here: It’s not UEFA’s call, per se. If leagues want to shut up shop now and award titles based on cumulative squad numbers or alphabetical order, they’re free to do so — at least in theory. Equally, if they want to keep playing through 2021, they can do that too — in theory.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and a host of other guests every day as football plots a path through the coronavirus crisis. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

In practice, every league wants access to UEFA competitions — and the revenue they bring — and therefore will apply UEFA guidelines. Those guidelines emphasise a simple concept: sporting merit.

Some have focused on how they stop countries from declaring leagues “null and void,” which means the 2019-20 season is invalidated as if it never took place, wiping everything from the record books. That’s plain common sense. You can’t pretend things that happened never actually took place.

The real point here is that UEFA want teams to qualify for 2020-21 based on what they did in 2019-20; they’re just leaving it up to the leagues in terms of how to do it. If you don’t have enough time to complete all the fixtures, but can play some of them, you may want to opt for a playoff system to settle European places, titles or relegation. Or you can take the table as it was when play ended, or you can use average points. Or weighted points. Or whatever system your nerds come up with. The only condition is that it has to reflect what actually happened on the pitch while also being objective, transparent and nondiscriminatory. (This bit basically means you can’t send Manchester United into the Champions’ League instead of Leicester City because you think it benefits your league.)

That’s it. Everything else, from who to crown as champion to who to relegate to how to divvy up domestic prize money (which is what some people really care about), is up to the individual league.

As for those situations that are less clear-cut? Just lock decision-makers in a proverbial room and find a solution.

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Julien Laurens says the Bundesliga will be the first European league to resume despite a potential delay.

Take Serie A, where Juventus have a one-point lead over Lazio. Ask the clubs to vote: Juve, Lazio or “VACANT” (in which case, you don’t award a title). Relegation and promotion? Let’s face it: There’s one club suddenly making a ton more money and another club making a lot less money. So, for example, see if Norwich (bottom of the Premier League) and Leeds United (top of the Championship) can hammer out a deal. Maybe Norwich stays up but pays a chunk of their revenue next season to Leeds, or Leeds go up and do the reverse, sharing some of the cash bonanza with Norwich.

And if you can’t work it out and 20 adults in a (virtual) room can’t reach an agreement? Suck it up, don’t relegate anybody and promote the top teams from the second-flight. This wouldn’t be my choice, but hey, it’s down to which system stinks less at this point.

Read all the latest news and reaction from ESPN FC Senior Writer, Gabriele Marcotti.

The point here is that UEFA didn’t issue edicts or rules from on high. They offered guidelines — and reasonable ones — for leagues to follow if they want to play in their competitions. The rest is up the people who run the leagues and the clubs.

I hope it doesn’t come to this, though, because I hope we can continue playing and wrap things up on the pitch. But if we can’t, I hope they remember that these are exceptional times, usual rules and regulations need not apply and there is such a thing as reasonable, common-sense consensus. I hope they find it.

Dutch Eredivisie decides to end season

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Jan-Joost van Gangelen thinks Dutch football may reverse the decision to effectively void the season.

The Dutch government’s decision to put ban all public gatherings until Sept. 1 means the Eredivisie won’t return and finish their 2019-20 season. There’s not much to argue about when decisions are made on a political level and not declaring the 2019-20 title vacant makes sense given that AZ Alkmaar and Ajax were level on points.

More complicated is what to do in terms of promotion and relegation, and here the Eredivisie becomes a test case for what we discussed above. The Dutch FA opted to have a consultative vote among the 34 clubs in the top two divisions (there are 38 teams, but four are the B-teams of top-flight clubs). Sixteen voted to enable promotion and relegation, nine voted against and nine abstained. Because there was no outright majority in favour of enabling promotion/relegation, the Dutch FA opted to freeze the situation.

Predictably this has sparked outrage and lawsuits from clubs like de Graafschap and Cambuur, who looked as if they had promotion all locked up. There’s a distinct possibility the courts might step in, and we may see a 20-team Eredivisie next season, but that would be far from ideal. Like I said earlier, though, there’s no good way to do this. Just “least bad” options. And you’re still holding out hope that some deal can be reached.

Don’t hate Ozil for turning down Arsenal pay cut

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Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss Mesut Ozil’s decision to refuse a pay cut in the coronavirus crisis.

Mesut Ozil was turned into ubervillain No. 1 last week by some observers when reports emerged that he was one of two Arsenal players to turn down the club’s proposed 12.5% pay cut, which could reduce down to 7.5% or even zero if they hit certain targets.

– Laurens: Inside Arsenal’s pay cut controversy

Ozil already has two strikes against him in that he’s the club’s highest-paid player and his performances haven’t been much to write home about over the past two years. But depicting him as the epitome of greed is way off the mark. According to multiple sources, he was ready to accept an immediate wage deferral that would help with whatever cash flow issues the club might have had. And he was open to cutting his salary as well, once the club’s financial situation became clear and we understood just how hard the pandemic was affecting the books.

It’s an entirely reasonable stance, frankly. If his teammates, out of love for the club, agreed to rush into pay cuts without having an idea what Arsenal’s losses from the pandemic were going to be, that’s wonderful. But it’s unfair to slam Ozil for not going along with it.

A learning experience for Kean

Roughly this time last year, Moise Kean was coming off a run of scoring in six straight games (two of them for Italy, four of them for Juventus). He was one of Roberto Mancini’s bright young things at international level and some thought he could break into Juventus’ starting lineup alongside Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Fast-forward 12 months. He hasn’t been seen in an Italy shirt since, and in those 12 months, he has scored just one goal in 26 club appearances. And now he thinks it’s a good idea to violate social distancing laws by hosting a party at his house. Dumb as it was, it becomes exponentially dumber by allowing one of the attendees to take videos and send them out on Snapchat.

It’s straight out of the Kyle Walker Manual of Numbskullery. Everton say they are “appalled,” and rightly so. Kean is 20 years old and, evidently, not as mature as some would like him to be, in the same way many of us made stupid choices at that age. Let this serve as a lesson.

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Tags: 201920, blog - marcotti, Common, English Premier League, European, finish, German Bundesliga, Season, Sense, Soccer, UEFA

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Kelechi Iheanacho’s Redemption Season is not going according to plan

As time wound down in Leicester City’s second league game of the new Premier League season, a 1-1 draw with Frank Lampard’s regenerating Chelsea, the camera panned to the Foxes bench, catching Kelechi Iheanacho with a forlorn gaze plastered across his visage.

For the second match in a row, the Nigerian sat for 90 minutes as his teammates sweated it out on the pitch, eking out a hard fought draw at a difficult ground. He didn’t even crack the nod to help out at the end.

It is looking like deja vu for the Super Eagles striker, whose lack of playing time for the second game on the bounce extended his dearth of Premier League starts to 17 games.

This was not the way it was supposed to go this season. After taking a scathing mouthful from Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr about his attitude and the need to be more professional, Iheanacho was cut from Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations squad.

His club manager Brendan Rodgers sprang to his defence, insisting that the Nigeria forward had been nothing but professional last season. “From what I’ve seen in training and when I’ve spoken to him, he has shown a wonderful appetite and enthusiasm to get better,” was Rodgers’ response at the time.

“We have a culture where we want to improve players and make them better and he’s responded very well to that.”

Since being left out of the Nigeria squad, he appeared to have knuckled down to put in the hard yards that would get him back on the pitch.

That hard work showed in pre-season, where he rattled off three goals in two games. On both occasions, he was playing in the line-leading Jamie Vardy role.

Those goals obviously played their part in his recall to the Nigeria squad ahead of a friendly game against Ukraine next month, and were expected to be the catalyst for getting him minutes, even if limited, at the start of the new season.

Instead, he has been zero for two so far. And therein lies the puzzle.

While responding to Rohr’s criticism of the forward, Rodgers offered a telling insight into Iheanacho’s dilemma: “It’s difficult for him because he’s up against one of the best strikers in this league in Jamie Vardy.

“So that’s always going to be difficult unless the system changes. But he’s a great boy to work with and he’ll want to play more I’m sure.

“At this minute, it’s creating the confidence because he’s scoring goals in training and working very hard and adapting to how we want to play.

“And I’m sure when the time comes, if he gets a chance to play consistently, he will take that chance.”

System. Play. Confidence. Consistency.

Those are the keywords in the Iheanacho puzzle. Strikers, especially emergent ones, need confidence. That confidence comes from goals. But to get those goals, they need playing time.

True, Iheanacho did not help his case when he fluffed his lines in that crucial game against Manchester City last season. But if that miss added to his confidence getting shot, his performance in pre-season should have, at the very least, opened the door to a few minutes of Premier League action.

His usually leaden touch showed some improvement. His movement off the ball was impeccable, his positioning was excellent and his finishing, well, three goals in two games speak more than eloquently.

Yes, he did miss a few opportunities, but which striker doesn’t? What was important was that none of the three chances were easy, and he had a couple of others saved.

Iheanacho did well in pre-season to adapt, just like his manager wanted. He played games, he scored goals, the confidence was returning, as he admitted himself after his second and third goals. “I am delighted, I am happy getting two goals today,” he said. “Hopefully I can take that into the season.

“I think it’s important for my confidence. It has been a long time coming but I am happy again. I think I can take it fully into the season.

“We have a big squad, so many players who are good footballers. Everyone is competing and fighting for a place.”

Rodgers made only two substitutions against Chelsea. Both were offensive changes. They were the same changes he made in the season-opening home draw against Wolves.

On both occasions, the one man that Iheanacho could have replaced, lead striker Jamie Vardy played on, for 180 minutes.

At 32, Vardy’s powers may not exactly be on the wane, but he is on the way there. And in a 38-game season, it makes sense to manage his minutes by allowing his understudy some playing time. And of course, to help the youngster get valuable minutes for when he is needed to come in and do a starting job.

“When I saw him (Iheanacho) at Manchester City, he was always a young player that could come in and affect the game,” Rodgers said last season.

But it would appear that either he does not trust that youngster-turned-man to have the same effect on games. Or he is saving him for further down the road…?

Iheanacho’s wretched form last season meant that Leicester’s shopping list should have had STRIKER in caps on it. That they did not acquire one suggests that Rodgers has enough confidence in his Nigerian talent to do a job.

When he does get his chance, it will be up to him to take full, decisive advantage. He may not have Vardy’s pace, but he does possess other qualities and he will need the full repertoire to get the goals and push Vardy for that starting spot.

If he does not, he could well be out the door in January… by his own choice, perhaps.

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